For a long time after he was drafted, Tyler Benson answered a lot of questions about his health. In his draft season, he missed 42 games (playing in 30), and draft +1 he played 33 of 72.
It reached a point where Benson expressed frustration, telling Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province “I’m just worried about trying to get back to healthy and back on the ice with my team.”
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 Athletic, we are celebrating our 2-year anniversary this week. To mark the occasion, you can get 40% off subscriptions until Sept. 19 here.
- New Lowetide: RE 19-20: How can the Oilers’ bottom six close the gap in goal differential?
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Kailer Yamamoto and Tyler Benson address respective highs and lows as Oilers rookie camp begins
- New Jonathan Willis: Riley Sheahan is a prudent signing by the Oilers in more ways than one
- New Jonathan Willis: Did Milan Lucic take a shot at Connor McDavid’s leadership?
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers’ defensive hopes will rest on the new shutdown pair of Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: With Evan Bouchard as the headliner, here are the players to watch at Oilers rookie camp
- Lowetide: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the configuration of the Oilers second line
- Lowetide: Connor McDavid’s 2019-20: Pushing for 50 goals while Dave Tippett loads up the Oilers’ top line
- Lowetide: Estimating reasonable expectations for the 2019-20 Edmonton Oilers: A difficult journey
- Jonathan Willis: How much money will Darnell Nurse make on his next NHL contract?
- Lowetide: Ken Holland’s measured summer leaves Oilers outside playoffs.
- Corey Pronman: Oilers No. 9 farm system.
- Lowetide: Is Riley Sheahan an ideal fit for the Oilers as their No. 3 centre?
- Lowetide: Oilers coach Dave Tippett might have to take drastic action in order to find a second outscoring line in 2019-20
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: What the 2021-22 Oilers might look like after their steady build toward contender status
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Ken Holland puts his stamp on the Oilers with first big move in Lucic-Neal trade
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects summer 2019.
BENSON
Benson’s AHL debut was a Godsend for an Oilers organization that badly needs some of its prospect forwards to cash. We’ve done this exercise before, but here are the numbers for picks 31-39 from the 2016 draft, with Alex DeBrincat drafted last and long gone:
DeBrincat will never be caught, he’ll pass 100 NHL goals this season. Benson and Kyrou are probably the two best players on the list after him, although injuries to names like Korshkov and Laberge have to be considered. The big number for Benson is games played. He didn’t miss even one. I don’t know if he makes the team out of camp but if Benson continues to deliver at a point-per-game in Bakersfield, it won’t be long.
The Oilers need a puck mover but not at $4.83 million and Faulk has his own issues. Puck IQ’s elite numbers are good not great and he badly trails the rest of the Hurricanes defenders. Suspect he’ll be dealt, don’t think it’s Edmonton.
TONIGHT’S GAME
I know it’s rookies and an exhibition but it’s hockey and some of the names who are likely to play may spend time in the NHL in the season to come. If you’re going to the game, please post a report for the group.
KYLE BRODZIAK
One of the final posts I wrote at hfboards was about Kyle Brodziak and Marc Pouliot. I ran their numbers and asked if Brodziak might have the better career? Brodziak was a year older but in 2003-04 their numbers in junior were similar and MP was already having injury issues:
Marc Pouliot (age 18) 42, 25-33-58 (1.38)
Kyle Brodziak (age 19) 70, 39-54-93 (1.33)
Pouliot stopped short of 200 NHL games but Brodziak kept on rolling. It looks like his final total will be 917 regular season games. Brodziak, Shawn Horcoff and Jason Chimera represent outstanding value from a bygone era of Oilers later round drafting. Edmonton could use that kind of drafting now.
Sail on, Fort Saskatchewan Ranger. You met all expectations and then spent a decade exceeding them in the best league in the world. We won’t forget you.
Thanks for the numbers and perspective on this discussion…
So….
RNH-McD-Gagner
JJ-Drai-Neal
Gran-Haas-Chia
Arch-Shea-Kass
Should make about league average…
?
Thank you for everything you brought to this thread, Dick.
It’s true, in at least some cases a higher draft slot isn’t beneficial.
It is true though (i think) that first and second rounders will be given more ‘chances’ to stick in the NHL than later picks.
Even if we take the simplistic view that higher draft round is more beneficial it’s difficult to imagine that benefit being (apparently) preserved even between 5th vs 6th and 6th vs 7th rounders.
Shutdown success by Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson is a key for the Oilers in 2019-20
https://theathletic.com/1191071/2019/09/08/darnell-nurse-and-adam-larssons-shutdown-success-is-a-key-for-the-oilers-in-2019-20/
Not a great game last night but I guess what one would expect from a prospects game 2 days after camp opens.
Marody disappointed but McLeod impresses. Of course, one game only provides the littlest of information – recall McLeod impressing at camps for weeks last year.
Bouch and Sammy dominating for most but also had mistakes and wobbles against the Dube line.
Of course, not close to NHL ready.
Hope Yama is cleared for Tuesday.
This is all fine if one is looking at a draft prospect when they are first drafted to see what their chances are.
But the further away you get from the draft, where a prospect is drafted matters less and what they have done lately matters more. Why? Because prospect development does not happen in a straight line. As we follow the prospects, up arrows, down arrows and all that stuff, it matters when following the prospects
This is why one needs to look at prospects in isolation the further away one gets from the draft.
Entering Draft +4, which prospect looked better?
Mitch Moroz, Marco Roy or Tyler Benson?
All 3 were 2nd rounders, so at their draft, I can sorta get behind the reasoning they all had the same chance of making it.
But at draft +4, we find the first 2 had down arrows and most would agree that the first 2 did not show much that would warrant future NHL duty. Benson, lately has had up arrows and what he has done lately is on par with many other 20 year old AHLers who eventually found success in the NHL.
I don’t know about anyone else but I think management and deployment makes or breaks the bottom 50% of NHL players, and not even in a developmental sense
Through that lens, draft pedigree bias is mysterious. Some players get hot-potatoed quicker if they’re high draft picks. Imagine if this was 5 years ago and we drafted Yamamoto in the 3rd or something, he wouldn’t have played an NHL game yet and might have been better for it.
This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me intuitively (which is different than saying it isn’t correct).
What could possibly account for something like this? I don’t expect you have an answer, but for me it’s important to try to find at least a plausible explanation for something like this (there SHOULDN’T be a discrete line delineating players 31 and 32).
The only thing I can think of is opportunity. Such that players are labeled with their round on draft day and receive varying levels of opportunity going forward. I’m surprised that that could be a dominant factor beyond rounds 1 and 2 though.
Ben,
must have scrolled past this. i think the same thing when it comes to the retained actors to a degree, but it’s also just the air these guys breathe in general all across the sport. the curious and the creative (with enough power to make a difference) are the outlier. we’re still firmly inside the age of hockey men.
as for the lightning tape, i’m keeping it as a repository to measure this seasons’ oilers against – perhaps that’s too cynical, but it would blow my mind if they started playing differently with 97 off the ice as early as this fall.
I’ve stated it before – Marody won’t make the NHL, other than a few cups of coffee. Can’t skate.
Is there anybody out there ?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Would you like to say something before you leave
Perhaps you’d care to state exactly how you feel
Spent the day not watching that babe Bianca or the Oilers get beat up due to taking part in the Strathearn Art walk. Sold one photo called The Alien. Daughter sold 4. Fun day. Oh, and hit the beer gardens – the bands brought in were good.
I saw Hebig as the best of the Benson Marody line, he was much quicker and was the driver…Marody, even before the hit showed he has to learn to move away from the high danger hit, not having quick feet may hurt him and his chances in the future.
I thought Bouchard was by far the best player on either team….followed by Day…he is a keeper on the farm. Over all a very sloppy game…not much room out there to display any real skill…..offence takes time and other than Marody`s line which struggled, most had new linemates to adjust to.
Good crowd and nice to see the game in Red Deer so well supported.
well, certainly watched a good cross section of sports today……. too bad tennis was the only good result!
Esks lost. Oil rookies lost. And finally the Canadian Mens Rugby lost a close one to the US.
Konovalov takes a second loss 25 saves in a 4-3 loss.
Saw Safin, Wells and Lavoie step up.
Benson, McLeod, Skinner and the top duo on D delivered what I thought they would. I really didn’t expect a 1-0 game.
I’ve liked Beau Starrett tonight – may be a nice “little” piece for the Condors.
Professor Q,
Mid season form indeed! Most common folk in Cgy won’t know why I’ll be so feisty, so early in the season.
My post meant to say he was out on the ice.
Stauffer doing some rapid back pedaling after mentioning Pronger and Bouchard in same sentence.
Please tell me they have a shoot out planned, because these are not going to scorer ever.
First an attempted headshot on Benson, then a sandwich maneuver on Hebig (whereupon the Flames failed tremendously).
Same officiating style as our NHL games…
Must the Flames draft and sign all these goons? Looks like Tkachuk and Giordano will be getting a lot more company.
Yes, my Flame Hate is mid-season strength already. The refs, too.
nevermind….answered
what number is Lavoie?
Aside for a few blips in the 2nd, Bouchard and Samorukov are dominant out there.
Benson taking over the “top forward” award from McLeod.
Safin looks good – great to see.
Why must you worry us like this, OP? Marody was out around the 14:45 mark with Safin and Benson.
They should really be punishing the Flames more, but instead these refs will likely give another few penalties to Edmonton just in case.
Marody out for the third period – great stuff!
Edmonton is getting roughed up. I was disappointed with Marody so far but that hit looked rough.
Good to see a healthy Safin out there though and I finally get to see why people have been so interested in him.
Joke of the day… the next interview K Gretzky does, look away from the TV and you’ll notice how much he sounds like his brother. Had a good laugh when I was cooking in the kitchen and thought Wayne was being interviewed about the Condors??!
Its a prospects game 2 days after camp started with a mix of talent from top 10 picks to ECHL plugs.
Yes, sloppiness is expected.
Yikes – Marody, coming off that concussion, got hit high and he’s struggling a bit on the bench.
Dehanrnais came in for “protection” after the fact.
No, not another fight. The first one. And not only did the Flame lay him out, but his skate hit the back of his head.
Can no one receive a pass? Weird game thus far.
The Bouchard/Samorukov pair has been very good, as expected. They have had some “moments” against the Dube line though.
Professor Q,
Yeah totally gutless.
Lavoie had one nice rush to the net in the first and was generally involved.
Didn’t really get to see him unleash his shot though.
That wasn’t a fight. That was a jump. The Flames suck. And to do it to an NCAA signing? Chump move. Typical Flames brute prospect move.
I would suggest that V. Deharnais is slated for the 7D spot in Bake to start the season (with no injuries) and he’s not helping himself work towards a lineup spot in through half of this game. Struggling. That’s OK though, conference defensive d-man on the year but, given he’s coming from college, this is his first camp like this. Will take him some time to adjust I figure.
overall, a very sloppy game so far.
so far it looks like the AHL/invite guys are a step below the NHL contracts and draft picks, which is what you’d expect.
The biggest positive for me so far is Bouchard’s play in the D zone. He looks a step above.
I just got home from work to hear Stauffer’s praise and take. Nice to see yours, also.
He also spoke highly of Lavoie and the need for Lavoie and the shooting specifically. How do you see this?
Agreed with others’ take on Ryan McLeod — he looks good at this level. Lots of players on both teams who don’t look very good at all. The game play is so sloppy it is almost unwatchable. Time to overseed the lawn!
No score after 1.
Both clubs had some periods of momentum.
Ryan McLeod looked liked the Oilers best forward to me – I do agree with Stauf who is talking about McLeod probably needing a year and a half to two years in the AHL.
Bouchard the best on the back end – just so calm and good with the puck.
Benson looked quite quick out there.
Mcleod’s playmaking is just fantastic, as of course is his skating as well. Benson has definitely gained a step or two.
There was an example of something I’ve spoken about Samorukov needing to learn at the pro level.
He just stepped up at the blue line and got walked – no hard.
One of the things that he excelled at at the junior level was defending the blueline and the gap – he was super aggressive stepping up to cut off neutral zone passes and rushes – at the blue line.
He was very effective but he stepped up ALOT and I think he’s going to need to pick his spots better at the pro level. I’m sure he’ll develop this but its something I will be watching for with the Condors this season.
Can’t wait to watch that team.
Fabulous, but confused, verbal from Bob on Benson’s improved skating.
Wilde,
Oiler fans getting upset about a 3rd line winger in a pre-pre season game. Love the passion! Let the season begin.
His PK impacts are historically terrible.
I think Playfair recently said he examined all the best PK in the league to learn.
He was also in charge of Tippett’s not good 4v5.
Should be fun to watch.
OriginalPouzar,
Safin may well of scored there. I hope it lifts his confidence after a tough last year.