The hardest thing to do for the Oilers, surely, is to make the playoffs two seasons in a row. Running a close second? Establishing a pipeline of useful forwards coming out of the minor league system. From the beginning of the century, I count Daniel Cleary, Fernando Pisani, Jason Chimera, Jarret Stoll, Kyle Brodziak. All of them arriving over a decade ago. Time to pack the pipe.
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, check it out here.
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: If play does not resume, 5 notable questions that will go unanswered in Edmonton
- New Lowetide: Making the call on RFA and UFA players on the Oilers’ 50-man roster
- Jonathan Willis: The 2020 NHL broadcast rankings: The best and worst markets to watch the games
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Q&A: Scott Howson on new AHL job, Oilers’ unsung prospect and development updates
- Lowetide: A look back at reasonable expectations and the Oilers fantastic special teams in 2019-20.
- Lowetide: Will the Oilers rocket to Russia during free agency this summer
- Lowetide: Will Oilers drafts be less reliant on the WHL under new management?
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Connor McDavid on a ‘fair season’, working out and picking quarantine teammates
- Lowetide: Dave Tippett deploys unproven talent expertly in first Oilers season
- Lowetide, Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis: Oilers ABC: Picking the best players in franchise history, from Anderson to Zuke
- Jonathan Willis: If the Oilers need to clear money with a buyout, they have one real option
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: The 5 games that define Leon Draisaitl’s Hart Trophy-worthy season
- Lowetide: Final Oilers report cards: Second-half impact defines a successful season
- Jonathan Willis: Does Filip Berglund’s new SHL contract mean he’s done with the Oilers?
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Evolution of a star: Why Leon Draisaitl was our Hart pick
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis: Which former Oiler has the best argument to have his jersey number retired?
- Lowetide: Which Oilers veterans are in roster peril?
- Jonathan Willis: How good is Anton Slepyshev and what will an NHL return mean for the Oilers?
- New Lowetide: Oilers’ challenge could be finding relief with a low cap ceiling
2018-19 Condors forwards
Ideally you’re seeing players graduate to the NHL during entry deals, for ’18-19 that was represented by Marody, Benson and Yamamoto. Marody drove the offense on the top line, Benson helped and benefited. Yamamoto struggled with injury and he didn’t see feature minutes. Those three men, Marody, Benson and Yamamoto, carry the biggest potential payload for the future.
2019-20 Condors forwards
Prospects are like kids, you open the door and they head in their own directions. Marody’s effectiveness was halved due to injury, Yamamoto’s best days were in the NHL and Benson lost some shine without Marody. In the end, Patrick Russell was the ’18-19 Condors forward to win a full-time job, with Yamamoto arriving just after Christmas. All numbers via Eric Rodgers.
Yamamoto’s NHL performance wasn’t foretold by his AHL results. What does that tell us about AHL numbers? Well, as was the case with Benson’s rookie season, we must understand context. Benson played with a truly impressive Marody as his center in ’18-19, and Yamamoto’s center (Draisaitl) and left wing (Nuge) were stunning talents upon his NHL arrival. Context.
Benson hedges
I think Benson needs to bust a move at some point in 2020-21. It could come after Christmas, and it doesn’t need to be Yamamoto run, but success in 25+ NHL games will be important. Edmonton needs a 500-game second rounder who can play a two-way game, agitate and own a bat good enough to stay in the lineup. I believe Benson has those qualities. He needs a center who can make plays. A No. 3 center who can help offensively, is righthanded and covers the defensive conscience of the line is required. Now. Finding that player is a chore.
Internal solutions (Cooper Marody, Gaetan Haas) are either injured or less than ideal. Some external options (Ryan Getzlaf, Derek Stepan, Kyle Turris, Travis Zajac, Jeff Carter) are either spent forces, had a massive cap hit, or both.
Ryan Strome would be a nice get, but the price for trade and the contract cost are both out of sight. Riley Nash will make $2.75 million in 2020-21, has more offense and is better in the dot than Haas. He wouldn’t take a lot to acquire imo.
Mitchell Stephens would be a nice acquisition, right at the beginning of his career. Lightning don’t do foolish things but do have an insane number of graduates every year. Dylan Gambrell in San Jose is also a nice option.
Mavrik Bourque is a righty center, perhaps the Oilers grab him in the draft. It won’t help short term.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
A fun and packed Friday morning on the Lowdown, beginning at 10. Steve Lansky from BigMouthSports will talk about play by play-color tandems and what makes them work (or not work). Jeff Krushell from Krush Performance are kicking off a three part series on anti-doping, he’ll be in at 10:40. Matthew Iwanyk talks NFL, CFL draft and the return of sports. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. 90 minutes from NOW!
What didn’t you understand about my post?
Left wing is the problem on Mcdavids line, not Kassian.
Why are you even talking about Spooner? You seem confused.
Pardon?
It was very curious that Strome didn’t get any at bats as a winger in the op 6 during his tenure as an Oiler.
Strome was traded for a “scoring winger” when he was almost undoubtedly a better scoring winger than the player traded for.
Leave Kassian alone.
If Strome were here right now he would be 3C. Not 1RW.
For The Athletic: After a fine playing career with Edmonton, an impressive coaching run in the early part of the century, Craig MacTavish made perhaps his most important contribution to the Oilers as GM in 2014. The drafting of Draisaitl
https://theathletic.com/1722350/2020/04/04/lowetide-craig-mactavishs-most-important-oilers-moment-picking-leon-draisaitl/
For what it’s worth, as a Canadian residing in the US, I really appreciate all the information the Lowetide community provides on COVID developments in Canada. You are learned screeners of generally insightful information gathered from a variety of sources. Much appreciated that I can get that info along with all my Oilers content. Plus Edmonton night clubs from the 80’s. Truly nostalgic stuff. A special corner of the internet. Thank you all.
Seconded!
First step?
https://www.680news.com/2020/04/03/military-deploying-to-northern-quebec-for-covid-19-help/
Part time local reservists scouts in a remote area drawing 12 days annual pay?
“What is the time commitment for being a Canadian Ranger?
This varies from community to community. Many Canadian Rangers fulfil their military commitments while engaged in personal activities such as fishing or hunting”
You can see how scout revervists might be useful when remote groups are receiving financial assistance to social distance by living on the land
https://aptnnews.ca/2020/03/30/feds-to-pay-people-to-be-on-the-land-to-fight-covid-19-in-n-w-t/
Religion, politics & fashion…all run by dipshits. HELL, they are everywhere so, yes, no need for name calling.
As for hockey, can we at least buy out our buyouts? Gryba, Pouliot, Sekera etc. There’s some more wasted money that would help reveal our balance photo (TM).
One more thing on my mind…playoffs. It sure would have been nice to get some playoffs in so that next year, when the Oilers get in again, we can say that they made it to the playoffs 2 years in a row. When is the last time that happened? 2001 was a long time ago…
Rich
I don’t know the answer to your first question.
I spoke a bit to the second above as well.
Why didn’t the dog bark?
OP told us Marody, Benson and Yamamoto would crush the AHL but they turned out to be hugely deficient.
Here’s one from Edmonton, 1988, maybe 1989, after listening to Kathleen Yearwood rock the Tory Turtle between films.
Eritrean Doro Wat
You chat up the gorgeous tall Eritrean women serving food at the Food Fair of the Third World Film Festival in the Hub Residence Community Centre, checking out what makes the red curry chicken so damn fine, slathered across the injira bread and shovelled by the fist full into your waiting gob.
A week later you go to the residential Mill Woods home address, nervously bang on the front door and are welcomed into the home filled with an extended family and many more, all from Eritrea,
You spend a wonderous hour or so, just to be polite, and then head home with a kilo of “special paprika”, later identified as berbere, that has been sourced by unknown persons from other unknown persons across the world. You just gotta have a guy.
As per local instructions spoken with a ‘what kind of man want’s to cook, anyway?” you heat some oil (there it is, hockey reference) and 2 tablespoons of niter kibbeh (a sort of spice infused butter) in a big deep pan or Dutch oven saute the onion, covered, over low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You add more oil (there it is again) or niter kibbeh if it gets too dry.
Finely mince garlic and ginger. Add the garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Continue to saute, covered, over low heat for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cut up chicken, do the whole thing in parts or at least the thighs and legs and some honey wine or wine and honey and some chicken stock and salt. I like salt. Simmer for 45 minutes or so.
Season to taste (add more berbere if needed) etc.
You try to figure out how you are possibly going to master the black art of making injera. You fail.
Having failed, you make rice, turn on the TV and eat (burning your mouth) and watch the fading glory of those late 80’s oiler teams.
I watch alot of the Condors and Yamamoto was playing the exact same game in the AHL as he is in the NHL and, yes, you are correct, for much of the time he was playing with the likes of Luke Esposito and Joe G.
I provided a bit more detail on this up above as well (this morning I believe).
Be insane.
Lunch Shitmix
Get a giant bowl and insert:
– 5 ounces or so of spiralized zucchini
– A couple of cups of kohlrabi (bagged is better than fresh to me)
– A couple of cups of kale or broccoli slaw or power greens or something along those lines
– handful of diced red onions
– 1/2 cup or so of spiralized beets (15 min in over at 400 juices them up a bit)
– 85g of steamed or plain roasted butternut squash
– 85g of steamed rutabaga
– lundberg rice cracker for crunch
– 3 ounces of baked chicken breast
– couple table spoons of salsa for dressing
– 1 ounce nuts
3 veggie carbs
2 meals carbs
2 protein
1 fat
——————————
Dinner Shitmix
See Lunch shit mix but:
– delete chicken and add 3 ounces cod
– delete nuts but add boiled egg cut up
– add 3 ounces trout/salmon
– delete squash but add 1.5 ounces of sweet potato
3 veg carbs
3 meal carbs
3 protein
1.5 fats
It has always seemed a bit odd that Benson has never seen much time as a C. The reports of his leadership, his defensive responsibility, a team player, with grit, exceptional hockey IQ, and great passing ability all strike me as an ideal qualities for playing C. Has anyone ever heard an explanation as to why he has been slotted as a winger for seemingly his whole young career?
Thank you for last night. A trip down that night.memory lane. was at the Kingsway that evening and an unwilling combatant. We were lucky to be that age at a time when live music was thriving.. Still smiling at the memories.
Here is an easy one for a cold night. Tastes like you did much more work. Earls Fish Stew is a hit every time and takes no time. Hint: cook the bacon very very crisp. Enjoy
https://tinyurl.com/twaarjv
There was also a solid hockey/Oilers conversation generally lost among the political and old band/clubs talk.
It is what it is though – not hard for me to wade through to topics of personal interest – just wish there was more Oilers related talk but I understand the climate we are in.
Just hope everyone is happy, whether they are talking bands/clubs, sports or other.
Don’t think that would be a problem.
Would just sauté them in a little butter for a couple of minutes.
Ha…just had a conversation with Mrs. Hair about how the best revenge is living well.
Creating memories is the key to it all…my best to you and the family.
I don’t think that is necessarily true. Also, I don’t think his skating is quite the negative we’re making it out to be. I thought he kept up fine in his cup of coffee. He didn’t get many points, but he also didn’t have scoring linemates and that wasn’t his role on the team.
His fast skating was never his strength, but it also wasn’t really a weakness, and I didn’t see him behind the play this year. On the other hand, his edges and shiftiness is a major plus as a skater.
And one can look at Mark stone as to why it isn’t necessarily true. Mark Stone, way more than Benson, was known to have weak skating. He worked on it very hard and now was a Selke candidate and one of the best scorers in the league.
Steve Kournianos (Draft Analyst):
“Players can be assessed as complete players – that doesn’t mean they exceed the standard in all areas of the game. Benson, on the other hand, comes pretty darn close, almost in an Eric Staal (when he was dominant) kind of way. He is a nightmare to defend because he is as physically punishing with the puck as he is without it. There are only a few of his 2016 draft-eligible peers (Auston Matthews in particular) who makes successful on-the-spot corrections once a chance to create offense in a specific area of the ice is no longer an option. Benson is very shifty with tremendous balance, meaning he can continue to move if he gets hit at the same time he decides to change direction. Possessing the kind of vision and IQ he owns makes it no surprise the CHL came close to giving him “exceptional” status to play a full season as a 15 year old (cut short by a knee injury).”
McKeen’s Hockey in 2016:
“Although not a game-breaker when it comes to speed, he has above-average acceleration and ability to create separation .. This comes from a powerful lower body that produces a strong and stable stride. His power aids in fending off checkers .. Continues to push the pace especially when carrying the puck; often has good solo efforts in transition .. Uses his body well to guard and hold off defenders and keep them on his back and away from the puck .. This flows from strong, precise edge work where more lower body strength is obvious .. Stops and starts make him slippery and tough to defend, especially off the wall, powers through his edges to drive his way to the net and create scoring chances.”
I copied and pasted from where I got the recipe originally. I have never used canned mushrooms like I see they recommend. I prefer fresh enoki’s if you can find them.
– I’ve got the family looking forward to a “formal dinner” Saturday night.
– Menu still be negotiated between me wife 10 year old and 7 year old: the planning has been really part of the fun. so far steaks and scallops portobello mushrooms have been agreed to. Still working on other sides and appetizers. Kids and wife are going to make some chocolate thingy. I might add HH’s soup… I do all the cooking except dessert is the deal.
– Anywya kids tmrw are going to prepare a “menu” even a special one for the 9 month old and they will act as both the waiters (and guests). We are busting out the China, grandmothers silver, great grandmothers crystal glasses, table cloth, while nine yards. Will wear formal clothes : suits for the boys dresses and heels for the ladies at the Bistro Kinger.
– Dad gets to bbq the steaks scallops and portobello mushrooms on grill smoke a cigar.
– Take the time to create joyful memories with you loved ones that can be looked back at with fondness during this remarkable health crisis.
This sounds like a lot of fun!
Thanks again. Love the hockey talk but it isn’t like there is breaking news every day now with the season shut down. 😉
Today was my first day to really wade in on the virus. I am old and retired for a long time now but I still hear a few things from people at the political level so I thought I should post.
Will try tomorrow…thanks.
I enjoyed reading through the recipes, but I may need to just read them. I’m not doing that well with the lack of activity combined with my wife’s excellent cooking. Her specialty (and my weakness) is dessert.
I did a double take looking at the profile of some fat guy in my mirror this morning.
Wouldn’t it be cool if a team could also trade a compliance buyout?
And that trade opportunity was available before the 2020 draft?
So happy to share with those who are connected.
One of my faves.
Westlake Beef Soup
Ingredients
½ lb lean ground beef
1 (530g) soft tofu, drained and cut into small cubes
¼ cup cornstarch
2 eggs, lightly beaten
⅔ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 (284ml) can sliced mushrooms, drained and diced (optional)
8 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Beef marinade
2 tsp rice wine (optional)
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil (or oil of some type)
½ tsp sugar
Instructions
In a bowl, combine the marinade and ground beef; mix well. Marinate for 15 minutes.
Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and add the marinated ground beef. Cook for 2 minutes, break up any lumps.
Add tofu, cilantro, green onions and diced mushrooms (if using) to the soup. Stir and season to taste.
In a small bowl, dissolve ¼ cup cornstarch in ¼ cup water. Slowly add the mixture to the soup, stirring until the soup thickens.
Remove from heat and immediately pour in beaten egg in a steady stream to form flower patterns on the surface.
Garnish with chopped green onions.
Tip: have all these parts ready before you start because you won’t have time once you get going.
Oh hell, I’m thrilled with the info and stats on the virus. That’s a public service to all of us
How about recipes?
Given we are all living in a “different time”, I thought I would share one that we made last night.
It’s a comfort food that makes everyone who experiences it warm and cozy…Roasted Garlic Soup.
Cut two large heads of garlic in half…drizzle with olive oil and season with seasoning salt.
Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown…the aroma is hypnotic.
Set aside the garlic until cool and then mince.
In a large soup pot, caramelize one whole sweet onion.
Add the garlic and 1 litre of chicken stock.
Add half a cup of sweet corn and half a litre of whipping cream.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add about a cup of cubed white bread (thickening agent) and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Blend using a hand held “boat motor”
Add any preferred meat or seafood like grilled chicken or prawns.
Serve with grated Parmesan, scallions, bacon bits and croutons.
Oh my.
Any leftovers make a fabulous pasta sauce.
Would appreciate all your favourite recipes for these trying times.
This is one I have to try. Thanks…I’ll send one along soon.
Maybe we can all be guided by MacT if we’re wondering where the line is:
IF YOU HAVE TO ASK.
This thing seems pretty good at changing minds. Bottom up or top down everyone changes to try to get through this without destroying the hospitals that protect all of us.
Thank you for the answer and, not that my opinion matters in this, I totally agree. This is not the time for partisanship, finger pointing or blame.
This is just the beginning of this pandemic, though, so I wanted to be clear on whether on not posting about it was permitted.
And, yeah, the conversation last night was a lot of fun for me. I hadn’t thought about those days in a long time.
+ ∞
My wish is that we don’t enter into discussions that last the entire thread that turn into political cross talk. The other night there was an awesome discussion of old bands/clubs in Edmonton but you have to wade through miles of political stuff.
Religion and politics. No one is going to change anyone’s mind. Trust me. So, I’m fine with educational or opinions that don’t involve name calling or suggesting one side or the other is run by dipshits.
I wonder if something like this will get through: Having a negative value cap hit will trump the lower cash outlay in most cases.
Forwards under contract that are not currently contributing to the cap by being on the 23 man?
Even if so that doesn’t change the fact that some/many owners will simply not pay for a player to go away even if it does save money in the long term.
If I was allowed to gamble, I would put big money on there not being 62 compliance buyouts if 2 per team are permitted (and, yes, there are probably, at least two contracts on every team that are poor value and management and ownership wish were not signed).
– To the extent LT wants to focus the blog, comments and discussion: that’s his perogative, and he’s been firm about that forever.
– I hope one day he doens’t rue the opportunity missed for linking his gift of prose, wisdom, compassion and life stories with what’s happening to all of us collectively. It’s an Oiler’s blog to be sure.
– I bet if LT wanted to though, he could dig deep, write some special stuff, linking it to the Oil to be sure.
So that I understand.
Is it your wish that there be no discussion of the pandemic here on your blog?
Given the disaster happening in the US none of the masks should leave the country. It’s not just the supplies but the uncoordinated effort by 50 states to get supplies
Also sorry to say Canada never has a trump card
Well I asked and the posts kept coming, so now I’ve populated my ‘flag’ list with a bunch of words and most of them will get caught up and never see the light of day.
Many teams have players under contract who could replace the bought out players at much lower cost.
For example the Canucks currently have too many forwards and, specifically, too many centers.
Those teams, like the Oilers, who have very few forward options and a dearth of centres but an excess of middling defensemen have many fewer options.
Yes, I understand how buyouts work but thank you for the explanation.
As my post stated, while there are cost savings, certain owners/ownership groups may not be willing to pay real cash for an asset to go away – the cost savings are also mitigated by the player being bought out needing to be replaced (at least $700K for a league min player).
Paying multiple millions of dollars for a player to go away and not work for you, even though it will save money in the long term, is not something all owners/ownership groups would be willing to do.
That was/is the logic that many have posited, even before the current situation – i was (am) generally of the position that there aren’t any teams these days that need help getting to the cap floor – most of the teams are tight to the cap or in some sort of cap crunch – even Arizona is a cap team.
Sure, maybe Ottawa and maybe a couple other but not many.
I’m not sure this changes the analysis much – if the upper cap limit doesn’t rise, the lower cap limit doesn’t rise.
The structure surely doesn’t hurt but, at the end of the day, the cap hit remains the biggest factor notwithstanding the actual cash out.
Canada has a trump card to play if the US refuses to allow 3M to export medical supplies to Canada.
And it’s in Nanaimo.
https://www.vicnews.com/business/nanaimos-harmac-mill-works-to-fill-doubled-pulp-order-for-medical-masks-and-gowns/
Yes and they will be able to sign Markstrom and Toffoli at reduced UFA prices.
The economic drag of a flat cap will also benefit teams that have star players coming off ELC’s and looking for long term or bridge deals.
In Vancouver’s case, the next contracts for Petterson and Hughes are likely to be far lower than would have otherwise been the case.
The fact that the economy is not normal is all the more incentive to buy players out.
Compliance buyouts are 2/3 of the remaining contract over twice the remaining term.
Even with bonus heavy contracts this can work in the owners favour.
For example…Loui Eriksson is due a $3 million bonus on July 1.
If the Canucks buy him out the next day, there are only $5 million dollars remaining on the final two years of his contract.
OriginalPouzar,
Marody just may surprise, lets hope he does.
Reminds me of Bear who had a good look then went off the radar in 18-19 while we all looked at Jones. Bear being offered up as trade bait on many summer lists. Then Bear arrived with authority.
Marody is certainly off the radar right now. He did not get a long look at camp, I thought he must have been outperformed but perhaps just injury. Plus they had time and money invested in Jurco, Hass, Granlund… If he was injured and they knew he was injured it may explain a lot. Hope so.
One year to UFA for an aging player so not a ton but he did have a solid year and has some value.
I don’t know what MIN needs but I would do Puljujarvi plus a mid-rounder (or similar value prospect) or Benning plus a decent B level prospect.
I’d need to go through their roster to see what they might need.
Ya, Friedman has put it out there as well (the flat cap for the next few years with the 50/50 being made up over the term – not necessarily the compliance buyouts).
LeBrun believes that this is a great opportunity to get a new CBA extension done (they were doing well in high level negotiations before those were put on the backburner due to the crisis).
I put part culpability on McLellan as well.
While I think Strome did fine as a 3C – it created a very low event line as he had middling wingers at best (and I felt he was a plus passer in the offensive zone), McLellan failed to use the asset at 1/2 RW.
He played two games with McDavid in exhibition, scored a goal, and then was never seen in the top 6 again – it was wild.
There is every chance that Strome could be a 1/2RW on this team (and Kassian could be properly slotted as a plus 3rd line player).
Yes, I posted about a flat cap (give or take) for the next few years which will be made up over the course of the next few years – E. Friedman wrote about it.
2 compliance buyouts per team will not open up 62 players though as not all teams will buy out 2 players.
Last time there were compliance buyouts its was split in to thirds (approximately) – with a third buyout out two, a third buyout out one and a third buying out zero.
While there is generally cost savings for the owners over time (depends though as there needs to be a replacement on the roster which costs), there will be many owners and ownership groups that will not pay for a player to go away – not create that absolute sunk cost.
This was true even when the economy was “normal” and I imagine it will be moreso now.
I’m not even sure Katz would be willing to buy out Neal let alone Edwards and company buying out Lucic, for example.