Who is the fastest forward prospect in the Oilers prospect pool? Ryan McLeod might be the right answer and his boots give him a different possible career trajectory. How different? Jason Chimera scored 15 goals and 28 points in the AHL at age 20. He was a burner. He played his first NHL game in 2000-01 and his last one in 2017-18. Ryan McLeod is going to get several chances to find the range. Offense is going to be the issue.
THE ATHLETIC!
The Athletic Edmonton features a fabulous cluster of stories (some linked below, some on the site). Great perspective from a ridiculous group of writers and analysts. Proud to be part of the group, here’s an incredible Offer!
- New Lowetide: Oilers end summer still shy on first-shot scoring wingers
- Lowetide: Connor McDavid and optimal line chemistry: The Oilers need to abandon enforcer fixation and add a skill winger
- Lowetide: Jesse Puljujarvi’s biggest hurdles: Bad timing and the indifference of the Oilers.
- Lowetide: Projecting the Oilers 2019-20 Opening Night Lineup
- Lowetide: Revisiting the Oilers’ 2016 draft and the opportunities missed
- Lowetide: Examining the potential waiver-wire opportunities at hand for the Oilers
- Lowetide: Cooper Marody’s utility gives him an edge for an Oilers roster spot in 2019-20
- Lowetide: Ken Holland’s roster construction options for the Oilers over the next seven months.
- Lowetide: Kailer Yamamoto has the talent to win a job with the Oilers on merit, if he’s healthy.
- Jonathan Willis: Jesse Puljujarvi still has upside and the Oilers’ patient approach is the right one
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Q&A: Dave Tippett on rounding out his coaching staff, fixing Oilers’ special teams and using Connor McDavid
- Lowetide: Handicapping the Oilers’ young defencemen and their chances of replacing Andrej Sekera
- Lowetide: Is Kirill Maksimov progressing as the Edmonton Oilers’ next great hope for a true homegrown sniper?
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers ease pressure on crowded defensive pipeline by trading John Marino to the Penguins
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: What the 2021-22 Oilers might look like after their steady build toward contender status
- Lowetide: Joel Persson is ideally situated to win an opening night roster spot with the Oilers
- Jonathan Willis: Projecting the Oilers’ opening night lineup, line combinations and more.
- Lowetide: Oilers’ acquisition of James Neal could add badly needed scoring to the top two lines.
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Ken Holland puts his stamp on the Oilers with first big move in Lucic-Neal trade
- Jonathan Willis: Ken Holland ends an ugly situation for the Oilers by trading Milan Lucic for James Neal
- Jonathan Willis: Which Oilers defencemen can make an outlet pass?
- Lowetide: Looking ahead to Oilers training camp: 35 players for 23 jobs
- Jonathan Willis: Josh Archibald won’t fix the Oilers’ biggest problems, but he’ll help with some key issues.
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects summer 2019.
NHLE
McLeod didn’t dominate the OHL offensively at 19 and it’s a concern. His NHLE at 18 (25.83) and at 19 (24.7) reminds me of previous draft picks who were shy offensively all down the line. Marc Pouliot (NHLE draft year: 22.6), Riley Nash (NHLE draft year: 16.3), Magnus Paajarvi (NHLE draft year: 17.1), Tyler Pitlick (NHLE draft year: 15.4) were all shy offensively on draft day. McLeod had a solid NHLE on his draft day but didn’t build on it. Important season ahead. Paging Dr. Woodcroft! A Jason Chimera fix is required. I’m not down on McLeod, but rather believe his speed and two-way acumen is badly needed. He needs to have enough of a bat to play No. 3 center, not there yet.
I ranked him at No. 119 for the 2014 draft and am pleased the Condors signed him. You never know, and Oilers scouting of college talent has been solid in recent seasons. Perhaps he’ll be the latest in a line of AHL deals that blossomed (Mark Arcobello, Josh Currie, Logan Day).
JESSE PULJUJARVI
I’m not sure if this is a new surge in the online efforts of Mr. Puljujarvi and his agent or just another outlet grabbing the original story. Either way, the latest item has JP looking for more of a feature role and 15 minutes a night (here). Prepare for a day of “entitled!” and “earn it!” It’s all a real shame, but these tactics won’t put more pressure on Ken Holland. I wrote about it here.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
At 10 this morning, TSN1260, lots to talk about. Jays talk with Cam Lewis at Jays Nation, we’ll check in on the Pittsburgh Steelers with Jacob Klinger of Penn Live, and Scott Wheeler will tell us about the impressive 2020 draft as well. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. Talk soon!
russ99,
Certainly this is better than last year. (Trying to recall what I thought of Toby Rieder this time last summer…)
Nygard CMD Neal
Drai Nuge Chiasson
Granlund Brassard Archibald
Khaira Gagner Kassian
Chelios is a Dinosaur,
Tippett is so going to run a shutdown line of Granlund – Brassard – Archibald.
Harpers Hair,
Troll be gone!
ArmchairGM,
Will be interesting to see the gap between Pronman and Steve Kournianos if the Oilers aren’t the next team listed. Kournianos ranked the Oil pipeline at #14 in his recent writeup at sportingnews.com. With respect to LT’s 24 hour rule I won’t quote in detail.
Basically he rips us for the slow or lack of development with recent first round picks in JP and KY, but also goes on to say we have some draft steals in Benson and Lavoie. Kind of goes out on a limb and suggests Broberg could surprise and contribute in a third pairing capacity as early as this year. Makes me wonder if he even knows Broberg’s is committed to play with Skellefteå this season.
https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nhl/news/nhl-farm-system-rankings-best-worst-prospect-pipelines-for-2019-20-from-1-to-31/2zt8xqvu30h4z980q9nwm89d
I noticed a fair amount of editorial license with his ranking of some prospects or draft picks (strategically speaking), and even some factual errors, so it’s really up to the reader to parse his words with an understanding of his style as a scout.
Great stuff. And your point is well taken. It definitely does get dicey after Nuge.
I do think though that it’s not a stretch (almost reasonable even?) to project 6 guys at 30+ points. Exactly which players depends on who sticks in the top 6.
Neal isn’t a stretch. Plus 2 of Kassian, Chiasson or Gagner (Brassard?). Kassian if he sticks with McDavid. Chiasson if he keeps getting PP minutes (he’ll regress, but can clear 15-15-30 with PP time). Gagner is removed from 50 Pts, but scored 31 in 17-18 and was on pace for same in limited minutes this past season. Brassard, well we don’t know he’s an Oiler yet even.
Glass half full, but I believe in 6 X 30 point Oiler forwards.
Seventeen teams listed on Pronman’s farm system ranking countdown, still no Oilers content. Although I really want to see them in the top-5, I’m also getting impatient to read Corey’s take and ranking of our kids!
Georgexs,
Excellent and insightful comments the last few days. Thank you and keep it up!
Drai CMD Kassian
Granlund Nuge Neal
Nygard Brassard Chiasson
Khaira Gagner Archibald
I don’t know how this comes together but its looking like a very different F group.
You’re looking too hard! See, you gotta kinda squint sideways and stick a finger in your eyeball…Now turn your head 30 degrees to the left… Now hop on one foot. That’s better! Go Oilers!
Pescador,
Sooooo… Halloween?
I love it!
I usually ride on that wagon at least until the wheels fall off
I agree this is the most likely explanation but some guys do play better with the structure that characterizes the professional game rather than the more freewheeling junior style.
Does it seem wrong that the age NHLE for a 0.98 PPG age 19 CHL forward is basically identical to a 0.97 PPG age 20 AHL forward?
What would you regard as an equivalent comparative for dmen?
Good teams have good numbers and bad teams have bad numbers. These metrics do somewhat clearly show balance though. Wonder how the Kings show up with these metrics in their cup years.
Which shows exactly how much camp means as far as NHL readiness for high draft picks in their draft plus 1 – 3 years (or so).
very Interesting
He sure looked good last camp. Time will tell.
I just re-read the translation and that’s my take too.
“I want to go to a situation where I’ll play 15 min in the top 6. Then I’ll be able to show what I can do”. Rather than “I need to be moved to a team that will play me 15 min in the top 6. The Oilers should have given me those minutes”
The former is something any player would say. The latter is, well, entitled.
In any case there’s a lot of room for interpretation. And I guess in either case the bottom line remains the same, Puljujarvi definitely wants out.
That would be nice but I don’t see him in the NHL until 2021.
I predict that McLeod will be ready before most think. One of those guys that performs better in the NHL viv-la-vis his junior pedigree.
Patrice Bergeron too I suppose. I do see the comparison. It makes some sense for sure. But both of those guys had played a full NHL season at this point.
But yeah, McLeod finding his offense and heading in the direction of those other two would be spectacular.
We’re all assuming 3C I think. Which makes this almost funny: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2019/02/05/Derick-Brassard-Panthers-Penguins-failed-trade-Rutherford-open-up/stories/201902050174
I wonder if he feels any different since February? And there may be a few shades of JP in there…
Bling: last seasons age NHLE equivalency for this yr AHL forward Prospects .
Total goals, assists, points. Ev, PP, PK
Maroody ( 21yr season) 13G 29A 42P
Benson (20 yr ssn) 9G 32A 41P
Maksimov
18-19 (19 yr ssn) 20G 20A 40P
17-18 (18 yr ssn) 21G 29A 50P
Safin (19 yr) 14G 21A 35P
Mcleod
18-19 (19yr) 13G 27A 40P
17-18 (18yr) 16G 27A 43P
If you play 3rd line you may not see PP time.
18-19
16G = #66 C; #44 LW; #42 RW
42P = #60 C; #30 LW; #45 RW
Those forward prospects should have a chance by age 22-23
Yeti,
Couldn’t agree more on the agent.
That’s a huge signing if true. Well, huge potential. Brassard will need to prove he had a down year rather than being over the hill. But he COULD be a very high end 3C, or even a top 6 winger.
I’m not buying this concern about McLeod’s scoring in junior.
He has plenty enough offence to be a 3C, especially with those wheels.
Jujhar Khaira was well below a PPG in his last year of junior and will probably play 300 NHL games if not more as a bottom six guy.
Ryan Getzlaf only barely cleared a PPG in his last year of junior. LT’s comp, Jason Chimera, was the same. Both those guys cleared 1000 NHL GP.
We’ll have a better idea after his first pro-season, but McLeod’s skating puts him in a different league than the Schremps, Sarnos, and Pouliots of the world.
It’s possible that he was referring to taking a Euro gig so that he could have these conditions to get his game back on track, rather than expecting it at an NHL level. But, regardless, he’s leaving himself open to bad interpretations … and his agent is really dropping the ball on this.
It’s a large wagon which a vast majority of folks will be jumping on come Christmas time in Edmonton.
Selfish negativity?
The rumored contract is one year, likely at or around $2M
Not exactly “cashing in”
The report, one and only by a guy that is not a known insider but does know people, is for one year.
I would only be comfortable with one year in any event.
Below $2M is key, preferably in the range you cite.
If you have to ask the question….
I would wager Brassard is not a good building block for a forming team. He’s done and looking for payday. More selfish negativity IMO.
I wasn’t going to say this, but at some point it’s about parenting or the head people have when you’re 20 or whatever.
We teach our platoon of kids ‘life isn’t fair’.
Our kids have been far more successful than JP in sports and finance, and politics.
Not, but the point remains. When you get a raw deal, what are going to do?
Even LT has had to circumvent a raw deal, or so he says ?
EW has Brassard at 3 x $4M estimated contract. His 1-year value is estimated at $1.45M. I’d be on board with the latter but not the former.
Poor Jesse, he still thinks the roads are paved with gold.
Unfortunately:
1) The roads are NOT paved with gold,
2) The roads are NOT paved,
3) YOU have to do the paving.
Has no one in his life ever told him this? Sad to see him pissing away a career because of entitlement issues.
For sure
There is a type of aggressiveness that is needed to be a scorer season in and out. Often these personalities aren’t ‘fuzzy and warm ‘ and have ‘issues ‘.
For those that have the aggressive drive, the question is can the org handle the person? Often not.
The question for players that have the tools but don’t have the edge, can they develop the edge?
It’s not a bad thing, I would say necessary, to have players that will do the dirty work that is so necessary in a supportive role, that all contending teams absolutely have to have.
If you can find a player that has bland two way numbers in junior and can find some offense and game in the NHL, you’re golden
Ryan isn’t that different than O’Reilly that way, who I feel was the driver in the Blues Cup. It’s a big hill to climb, fall off of, and climb again, like RO.
But that would be the hope for him and us.
Maybe Jesse was just stating his future goals and it didn’t come across well? I’m just as upset about the situation as anyone, but I don’t believe he is demanding top 6 and 15 minutes a night his next game in the NHL.
I agree he still has to put in the work, let’s hope he understands that.
Reja,
What’s a playoff?
Why would we trade our 3C before the playoffs?
At least McLeod can score pretty goals – 3 Oilers prospects in the prettiest goals from the OHL playoffs:
https://twitter.com/OHLHockey/status/1163827850073509888
Nice 3C option,
Should fetch a 4th round pick at the deadline, possibly a 3rd
Thankfully JP has a lot more eye candy to other GMs. World Juniors dominance, huge and fast, and not ‘Russian’.
He’s still in lowball territory for sure. Too bad PC didn’t pick up on the issues that were it seems
were not a secret regarding cooperativeness.
If true, the number on Brassard best be under $2M.
Georges Laraque
@GeorgesLaraque
·
8m
I’m hearing in Edmonton that Derick Brassard is about to sign a 1 year deal with
@EdmontonOilers
! Great signing! J’entends du côté de Edmonton que Derick Brassard serait sur le point de signer un contract de 1 an avec les Oilers! Bonne signature!
I can’t get on board with the player “not being good at hockey” when 30 NHL GMs (to our knowledge) would have chosen him 3rd overall in his draft year.
He’s recently 21, was 20 the last time he played a professional hockey game, there is a player there that can still be developed and unlocked.
Of course, the player himself has to (a) allow that to happen (you know, signing and playing) and (b) work.
I don’t think this is a talent or “good at hockey” issue – yes, maybe you are getting at “hockey IQ” and I don’t buy that completely either – you don’t get labelled with such high pedigree/potential without knowing the game.
George Laraque saying Derek Brassard is signing a one year deal with the Oilers.
Winning deep in the playoffs is a different animal than reg season. It takes a whole team willing to do what it takes to dominate other teams. And that doesn’t mean win at all costs these days, it means win at all personal costs. It’s painful, as in actually painful.
Up to now the Oilers have been shy on NHL players. Once they began icing a team of NHL players, regardless of talent issues they still didn’t play as a team or for each other. Snowballing failure is always the result for every team.
The team that wins it all each year has enough skill, but also has all the stars align, and every player gutting themselves all the way through.
The Oilers can do that, with this team, go deep I mean, and learn. It starts with the best players leading the way. And the emergence of some players that will be the ones that pay the price to dominate the other team’s best.
Connor and Leon can do that, but they both have work to do in that regard, the coach has to deploy and motivate the roster properly, and GM needs to augment what Connor and Leon need to be their best.
I have more confidence in Tip and Kenny than any other combo since Mac and Kev in 06.
Anything is possible to those that strive with correct thinking. Which is sadly one of the hardest things in the world, that correct thinking.
The fine line is often/generally made out of goaltending and top end health.
Smith and Koskinen trading off hot streaks (and both have shown to have those at the NHL level) and this team is in the playoffs.
This is likely true about his potential but, of course, you never know. History shows its likely but there are always exceptions – shit, we see top 6 players that were never even drafted. With that, I don’t cap him at 3C but put that as a reasonable expectation if he develops.
I can’t imagine him playing in the NHL this year and my expectation is for him to solify himself as a bottom 6 center on the Condors and maybe take over the 2C spot when Marody is up in the NHL (or at some point).
We don’t know how the year is going to go but I would reasonably expect him to start 2020/21 in the Bake as well.
Of course, there is NOTHING wrong with a forward needing a few years of AHL development.