Winter is coming. The short term solutions appear to be: James Neal, Sam Gagner, Riley Sheahan, Joel Persson, Mike Smith. The long term solutions (Tyler Benson, Cooper Marody, Kailer Yamamoto, Evan Bouchard, Stuart Skinner) have been sent away, all but one, for now.
Edmonton’s problems are myriad, but stating the key issue is easy as pie. Want to hear it? From 2015-16 through 2018-19, the Oilers goal differential at even strength when Connor McDavid is on the ice is 320-270, +50. The Oilers goal differential at even strength when McDavid was off the ice, 2015-16 through 2018-19? 372-477, -105. That’s a massive gap in performance. It’s also the problem Ken Holland and Dave Tippett have been brought in to solve.
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 here.
- New Lowetide: Injuries and prospects: A brief Oilers history of devastating derailments
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Connor McDavid’s nearing return and four other things we’ve learned from Oilers camp
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: How five months in Kelowna changed Leon Draisaitl’s hockey career
- Lowetide: Matt Benning may be vulnerable to a trade as Ken Holland works to tweak Oilers roster
- Lowetide: Three players who helped their Oilers hopes and three who didn’t do enough to separate in Edmonton’s fourth preseason game
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Dreadful showing means several Oilers players are on the chopping block with cuts looming
- Jonathan Willis: How quickly must the Oilers’ top AHL prospects claim NHL jobs before they become suspect?
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: McDavid and more: Five thoughts through the first week of Oilers camp
- Lowetide: Why Kailer Yamamoto’s delayed training camp may benefit his Oilers career
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Q&A: Brandon Manning on how his contract is hurting him, proving his worth at camp and being a mentor
- Jonathan Willis: Four players who helped, three who hurt their Oilers hopes in Edmonton’s second preseason game
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: How an offseason adding more pop in his stick and skates has James Neal primed for first Oilers season
- Lowetide: A big night for Oilers defencemen Joel Persson, William Lagesson and Evan Bouchard
- Lowetide: Handicapping Oilers prospect progress: The development of Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones and William Lagesson
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Eight key questions for the Oilers to solve at training camp
- Jonathan Willis: Predicting the winners of the Oilers’ top-six and top-nine forward jobs out of camp
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: In, out or on the bubble: Breaking down positional battles at Oilers camp
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Alex Chiasson prepares to return to scoring form for Edmonton Oilers
- Lowetide: Can Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith stop enough pucks for the Oilers?
- Lowetide: Shutdown success by Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson is a key for the Oilers in 2019-20.
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Even if he’s unsure about his return, Oilers’ Connor McDavid looks and sounds like his old self
- Lowetide: RE 19-20: How can the Oilers’ bottom six close the gap in goal differential?
- 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?
- Corey Pronman: Oilers No. 9 farm system.
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects summer 2019.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Between 2015-16 and 2018-19, Edmonton’s power play (all disciplines) was 177-23, +154. McDavid’s power play goal differential (124-12, +112) in 893 minutes is massively more impressive than Edmonton’s power play without him (53-12, +41 in 662 minutes).
Between 2015-16 and 2018-19, Edmonton’s penalty kill (all disciplines) was 29-210, -181. The Oilers power play was unable to outscore its PK in these seasons, finishing -27 goal differential on the special teams over those four seasons. Bottom line: In four seasons with McDavid hammering opponents on the power play, the PK gave it back and more.
Craig MacTavish getting fired eight games into his KHL coaching career is only slightly more surprising than the fact he was in the KHL coaching. It’s uncertain what his next step might be, or if he has one. As most of you know, I thought he was a dynamite five-on-five coach and an inexperienced general manager. I wish him well.
The game tonight features the most veteran group available for coach Dave Tippett, he’s probably going to give the vets a chance to hold serve. There are players pushing, but none (aside from Patrick Russell who draws in for Markus Granlund, and Joel Persson) who are the bubble players.
Something that I was (poorly) trying to say. I only disagree with your previous statements because broadcast rights, add revenue etc, never seem to be an impediment when all Rogers has to do is flip a switch to give the prairie hicks the joy of a Canucks broadcast in the Edmonton or Calgary region.
True in the immediate sense. But he obviously will be with the Oilers sooner than later. It also exposes him to McDavid and how he behaves outside the arena a little more in an informal/non-hockey setting. I don’t think this a bad thing.
ArmchairGM,
I’m inclined to see this as much more in favour of the player, crazy he is making more than Point.
3 x $7M seems like a pretty fair deal for Calgary and Tkachuk.
Id be interested in seeing the numbers for tv viewership for the Canadian teams as I cant find any.
Here is Sask, we have access to all Oilers and Flames games on Sportsnet and Jets games on TSN3.
For some reason, I thought I read that the Oilers were 3rd behind the Leafs and Canadians in tv viewership.
SwedishPoster,
Did anybody read Dave King’s comments. I guess King either coached burdasov or against him in Russian. King doesn’t really consider him a top end player. Also mentioned that it’s a real feather in the cap in the KHL to say you played in the NHL ( even for just a little bit) .. Looking at last nights game… how a fast pesky checking Arizona team basically clogs the oilers up, .. I don’t know if Burdy is the guy now. Need for break away speed, and conversely fast forecheck and pressure speed, is the more pressing need. (nyygard )
He will learn from Dave Manson. He will not learn from Keegan Lowe. In chess you learn when your opponent is slightly better then yourself. Same in hockey.
gimme shelter,
Damn AHL. I rechecked and then right to The Bakes web page. They do have two pre-season games.
I had stopped at the AHL schedule. The AHL schedule should have said something about pre-season.
AHL preseason games or NHL training camp. Tossup.
They play two preseason games, though I messed up the dates, first game is on friday. I don’t think he’s ready to play defense in the NHL. Rather than risk killing his confidence getting lit up in the NHL it’s better he finds a pro game in the A and is called up when he’s on a roll. He’s not down there to learn from Lowe he’s there to learn from Dave Manson which so far seems like a pretty good experience.
well they knew they wanted to send Bouch down, no need to wait, send him down clear the air. Value in the bonding and practices in Kelowna I guess. It would actually be nice to see a puck moving bear in the lineup , as opposed to always thinking ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we had a puck moving defenseman in the lineup. ” Let’s actually see it for once.
SwedishPoster,
I checked the schedule and it said Oct 4 so I am lost.
So eager to send him down. He is going to learn from the Keegan Lowe’s of the AHL world?
He will be our #1 defenseman in a few years.
One week today – opening night – awesome.
Hope Persson’s shoulder is not a long term thing – don’t want his NHL career derailed before he gets a chance to start it.
Hopefully Nygard (face) and Jurco (undisclosed) are able to play and compete for a top 6 job in the last few games. Granlund too, competing with Russell for 4LW.
This is exactly where Granlund belongs: as an extra forward.
https://canucksarmy.com/2019/04/30/canucksarmy-year-in-review-markus-granlund/
Sounds like Cave makes the team as Tip was happy with the bottom six. Have to say I’m not a fan, he’s a hard worker, skates well enough and is tactically smart so he’s bound to look solid in small samples because he does all those little things well but during the course of a season you need at least some ability to produce. When he’s had something like one secondary assist in twenty games you sit there with an anchor on your team. The Sheahan line is probably good for fourth line production but it’s also line with limited offense, I don’t mind it for defensive work, I think in a cap world a pure defensive 4th line is the best use if your money IF it can Bernd but not break against tough competition, but if your bottom six overall has so little offense you end up being so dependent on scoring first. I’d prefer a little more gamebreaking ability on the other line. Cave won’t provide that, while PRussell probably has the ability to pot a few with the right center I don’t see him doing much on his own and Chiasson can’t really create anything on his own either. I just don’t see that line being useful. Ofc the options are limited and/or inexperienced but guys like Nygård at least has a speed element, Burdasov has a shot that can beat goalies clean, Gagner(who I don’t see staying full time on the RNH line) has offensive smarts. I’d personally like to see Jujhar at center, maybe flanked by Gagner and Burdasov. Let Nygård/Jurco whoever grabs it play with Nuge and put Chiasson with Sheahan. It’s a less battle tested lineup but imo more upside. Granlund is a question mark, didn’t look great in hid early games but might have been banged up already at the start so who knows, from what I’ve seen and heard of his Canucks days he’s a pretty inconsistent player, lacking intensity but with some skill so hopefully he can add some of that to the bottom six once up and running but I’m not holding my breath.
Tippett won’t go with the lines above though, I think two lines are set in stone, the McDrai and Sheahan lines, Tip didn’t sound too happy with RNHs line so there might be an opening in the Gagner spot but I think Gagner has the inside track still. The last line is the least certain one though clearly Tippett likes Cave and everyone seem to look at Chiasson’s scoring last season and think he’s a lock for 15 this year so he’ll play. If Granlund is healthy he’s probably primed for the last spot, much easier to cut RRussell.
Haas starts in the AHL but likely gets his shot when Cave won’t piss a drop, not sure Haas gets much past his prostata either but we’ll see.
I think Burdasov came in to late to have a proper chance unless he A. Has one hell of a showing in one of the upcoming games or B. Is ok with a short AHL stint on a PTO as mentioned before in the thread to figure out NA ice, I really hope he can show enough to stick because looking at his game from highlights it looks better suited for NA ice than euro so imo once adjusted he might be more than what his track record suggests and we could really use that type of shooting in the middle six.
Jurco, PRussell or Nygård will be the last forward cut, as Nygård is waiver exempt, I think, I could see him being the one. Probably an easier sell to the player as well ” we’d like to see you adjust to the NA game a bit”, I think if given the right explanation he’ll be fine with a few weeks in the A as I’m certain he’d get an early call up. I think PRussell gets a shot as 13th forward to start as a ”see what hapoens if you work your butt off and play the right way” to the younglings.
On D I think it’ll end up being last nights group if Persson is ok plus Manning as pb fodder. If Persson is out Bear draws in.
I do think the starting group and the group in game 25 will be very different
Bonding with the wrong team though.
Alberta’s population is in fact higher than that of Greater Vancouver, by about 1.8 million souls. But anyway, the general population has nothing to do with market penetration. Atlanta has about 7.5x the population of Winnipeg, how’d that work out?
I think it’s interesting that in his 3 preseason games, Bouchard has been given 40% o-zone starts and 47% o-zone faceoffs. Contrast Nurse who has received 93% o-zone starts and 65% o-zone faceoffs… not exactly the usage we imagined.
Not a good move. It’s only worth it if we can get him for only money through free agency.
gimme shelter,
They have two preseason games. First one tonight so I assume why he’s sent down now. Probably gets 20+ minutes.
Louis Dominique still available as goaltender.
Bouchard sent down. WRONG. I checked the AHL schedule. First game Oct 4th. So he practices with his new AHL teammates but no game action. He should stay up here and practice and get some more minutes in pre-season. You want him sent down,wait a week.
Agreed. It was the right move.
New for The Athletic Oilers’ bottom-six forwards, penalty kill shine in loss to Arizona Coyotes
https://theathletic.com/1238860/2019/09/25/oilers-bottom-six-forwards-penalty-kill-shine-in-loss-to-arizona-coyotes/
I don’t know for certain but I strongly suspect that he’s never played C. But he does look like he might have enough ability to add some scoring punch to the middle 6 (so far in one limited viewing). Maybe he can shift things around enough that Gagner and Kassian are helping the bottom 6 score.
He’s still a largely unknown quantity, but if he does work out, Tippett has far more options in lineup construction than he had pre-Burd.
Bouchard and Starrett sent down. I like.
Bear gets his shot.
Because trading a guy entering his peak years for what will be an overpaid one entering his declining years (all in his thirties) will undoubtedly work out well! -).
Indeed! I listed them in order from the Lowetide Depth chart. Actual lines may vary. I could see Nygard easily on the roster and Granlund in the fight for extra forward instead with little effort. That would put Granlund and Haas in a dogfight with Jurco, Burdasov and Russell for the exra forward spots. Your comment about Burdasov in the AHL on a PTO is possible, depending on his chances of impressing over the next 2 games. I definitely want to see more of him – may be found money! WOuld be nice if can fill that 3C spot nicely…
Man I love the hockey.
For those that missed Tippett’s post game, he hadn’t talked yet with the trainers about Persson, but it’s upper body and will be evaluated in the morning. Was very sore during the game, whatever it was.
My loosey goosey eyeball observations, as I’m too old to remember most of my math training…
I like the shorter passes. We have better puck support in the defensive and neutral zone than I am used to seeing. Less stretch passes, more support to defensemen!
More focus on gaining zone entry with positive puck control. Less dump and chase! Me likey.
Bottom six more disciplined defensively, all lines are five man units as players aren’t stretching to offense as much looking for the long bomb breakout. I think we will see a very marked improvement in GA and a large portion of our success will then depend on secondary scoring performance.
Summary = Good arrows so far, want to see that secondary scoring!!!
1. They still need a 3C
2. I think Nygard makes the roster and the starting line-up. They need his wheels.
3. I think Granlund and Haas are in trouble. Which would be good for the Burdman
4. I think they will work something out with Burdasov and Winter where maybe he goes to Bako on an Amateur Tryout to get some reps before signing him and bringing him into the line-up.
It seems other teams such as Winnipeg have no problem with this. There seems to be more to this, such as prejudice over, for arguments sake lets say Sportsnet being pressured into the removal of a certain employee, lets say a Mr. San Jose shark, Drew Remenda. Having NHL Centre Ice, I find it strange that all prior pre-seasons, I was able to access all Oiler preseason games. I have been able to watch all the other Canadian teams so I would suggest that it may not be that simple but it would seem as Oilers fans we are getting the short and smelly end of the stick. There is more to this but it is a shame to miss any game that has McDavid playing in it.
Things are firming up.
Goalies set – Koskinen, Smith (no surprise)
LD pretty set – Klefbom, Nurse, Russell and Lagesson. Manning I suspect is sent down.
RD set if Persson is out for opener – Larsson, Benning, Bear. Day is injured and awaiting reassignment.
Top 12 forwards pretty set – Draisatle/McDavid/Kassian, Gagner/Muge/Neal, Granlund/Cave/Chiasson, Khaira/Sheehan/Archibald.
Your mileage may vary…
Extra forwards – I expect the leaders are Nygard, possibly Burdasov and Patrick.
With Jurco out, Haas out, and Yamamoto (injured) already awaiting official reassignment in Bakersfield.
I am waiting to see how Burdasov looks the rest of this camp. He has my attention!
What’s your take, Lowetidians?
Yeah, as usual the hair is out of date and spewing misinformation.
At me or what’s-his-face? Had enough of that ~€|£¥£€~£!! a couple of years ago and tired of it polluting this forum when it resurfaces from under its rock – which is happening far too often for my liking.
“Inconceivable!”
Looking forward to seeing bear and lagesson against real competition.
I will say that, whoever ends up on ‘don’t call it the 4th line’.. Oil are going to be able to give more actual minutes to the bottom 6, rather than holding your breath for mandatory 4th line duties.
I wonder if Kass can sit a game and roll leon with Burd and Jurco. Roll Nygard with Nuge and Neal. Run Granland ( if able) and Haas with Chaisson.
I know they want to set the roster and coach it, but, got to see what these guys can do against NHL compeition.
I googled the populations of metro Vancouver and Alberta. Maybe the inter webs are lying to me, but they’re saying your wrong by a long shot in that comment…
*Edit: you may be working from old numbers… your comparison of populations would have been true not so very long ago (but now: Metro Van 2.46M vs Alberta 4.38M)
CallighenMan,
lol
For the record, the third line grew on me as the game went on, but you can tell that as iterated, that line is going to have trouble scoring.
Harpers Hair,
TSN 1290 Winnipeg interviewed the Calgary Flames beat writer in preparation for the pre-season matchup with the Jets tonight.
I believe her name was Lisa Anderson ( could be wrong) she dropped a truth bomb saying as training camp has gone on and picked up the pace- Milan Lucic is a step behind the play.
Very candid admission.
Jets only dressed 1 or 2 NHL players tonight.
This is an apology (in the formal sense) and isn’t a narrative that I’m buying. And you had already expressed this thought in this very thread, why did you feel it was necessary to repeat it?
Bonding, team-building.
Looks like you get your wish (from earlier in the thread). Can’t say I disagree, though I find it mildly odd they kept him around for the Kelowna trip if not giving another game.
I would assume market penetration for an Oilers game is much higher than it is for a Canucks game. I don’t have the numbers though. Do you?
OriginalPouzar,
Thanks Dad, or is it Sherlock?
Bouchard and Starret re-assigned to Bakersfield.
No, math doesn’t lie although that doesn’t mean its applies properly.
More people = higher viewership
That’s the position.
By extrapolation:
More people = higher attendance,
Of course the Canucks have lower overall attendance and lower percentage of capacity.
I don’t know if an Oilers preseason game, despite the lower density would have a higher viewership that the a Canucks preseason game but I don’t think its an unreasonable stretch.
Harpers Hair,
How many points? Gee, what a surprise!
I’ll just leave that here. Notice I’m not trolling a Canuckleheads lame-a$$ site to do so….
5 Milan Lucic shots lol oh the terror
Bullshit, math lies whenever it’s needed to.
Harpers Hair,
Harpers Hair,
Harpers Hair,
Harpers Hair,
Simply calling a spade a spade. You know what you are. Take it how you will, it is just a description.