Saddle Up the Palomino

by Lowetide

Adam Larsson is an important player for the Edmonton Oilers in the upcoming 2020 playoffs. Larsson, along with Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse and Ethan Bear, is going to spend 10 days with his head on a swivel trying to (borrowing a phrase from Craig MacTavish) take a drink from a firehose. Patrick Kane is coming to town, and that my friends is an assignment.

THE ATHLETIC!

Great perspective from a ridiculous group of writers and analysts. I am proud to be part of The Athletic. Here are the most recent Oilers stories.

ROSTER TALK

Daniel Nugent-Bowman is doing great work for The Athletic covering the Oilers training camp. Among his tweets yesterday was a passage involving the math of the roster. Quoting DNB: “If Broberg leaves, Oilers plan to take 9 D, 18 F, 3 G (30 total) into bubble.”

Although Caleb Jones hasn’t yet played, there’s a sense from reporting that he will in fact join the group in the coming days. A depth chart that includes the current top four and Russell-Benning-Jones for the third pairing is solid. Bouchard and Lagesson would stand at the ready. Sounds like Broberg is adjusting well and maybe we see him in the bubble. The lines have a logic and reason to them, the lack of a second or third pre-tournament game is annoying as hell but compromises were necessary.

I like the lines, well, that’s not true, I like the lines except Nuge had such a good thing going with LD and KY. Why does Nuge have to be the responsible one all the damned time?

I wrote about Zack Kassian today at The Athletic, looking at his strengths and what he needs to improve upon in order to hang on that top line. Kassian’s 2019-20 season is an amazing snapshot of a player whose considerable skills got him drafted in the first round back in 2009. He’s one of Edmonton’s top right wingers over a decade later. Interesting story and a season we need to talk about because it’s such an outlier.

Larsson is a key player for Edmonton, zero doubt in my mind. His calm feet during the stretch run contributed a great deal to Edmonton’s success. His five on five on ice goal differential in the final 10 games of the season was 11-5. Music!

DMITRI SAMORUKOV

Interesting evaluation tweak from the Holland regime may point to a different philosophy being implemented in the Oilers development template. Samorukov ended his junior career in fine fashion:

  • Brock Otten, OHL Prospects: The Samorukov that we saw in the second half really didn’t have much in terms of a weakness. He had cleaned up his play with the puck, establishing himself as a premier puck rusher and play creator. He was aggressive in jumping up looking to get himself shooting chances, but he did so intelligently. He continued to be a physical force in his own end, but exhibited way more patience defensively. It all came together and it was damn exciting to watch.

His AHL adjustment was slow, and his mid-season/end of season splits suggest he wasn’t playing a feature role:

  • First 25 games: 15-16 even strength goal differential, five points, 12:51 estimated time on ice in all situations.
  • Final 22 games: 13-18 even strength goal differential, five points, 14:14 estimated time on ice in all situations.

The expected ‘next step’ would be a move up in Bakersfield, but the Holland Oilers have made this move in an effort to improve the player in a different way. Innovative? Will we see Samorukov again? Was that incredible back half of his final junior season real? Stay turned. Sincere thanks to Eric Rodgers for stats and estimates.

LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE

A big day on TSN1260, we start at 10 this morning. Geoff Ullrich from Draft Kings will pop by to talk golf, and that includes Tiger Woods at the Memorial this weekend. Kristen Anderson from the Calgary Sun and Herald will join us to give us the state of the Flames as they get ready for the playoffs. We’ll also devote a large portion of the show to the Daniel Snyder news this morning. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio!

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PerryK

cowboy bill:
Really they could just put Nuge back in the middle and go with something like this .

AA-McDavid-Kassian
Ennis-Leon-Yamo
JJ-Nuge-Arch
Neal-Sheahan-Chaisson
Nygard-Haas-Russell
Benson-McLeod-Marody

Might be something Tip could keep in his back pocket . Although I do like Nuge on LW don’t get me wrong . But they have the depth to play him at center also .

I like this idea a lot! The only tweak that I’d make is AA and Ennis switch.

defmn

Munny: Fuck that guy. Seriously, fuck him. I might have to throw Kant on the same bonfire, haven’t decided yet.

For now, Locke gets a lawn chair… but it’s still close to the fire.We’ll see.

Not sure what happened to my response from last night. I guess it caught up in the purge although it was just an answer much like below.

Hegel, Kant & Locke are all plodders. They move their arguments forward at the speed of molasses running uphill. I find that with those dealing with complicated ideas some choose to befuddle with substance but their style always gives them away for what they really are.

There is no ‘leap’ or ‘dance’ or even ‘purposeful meandering’ in their message.

They plod. Locke deserves to be included.

OriginalPouzar

Granlund officially signs in the KHL for two years.

hunter1909

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Munny

Ribs,

Thank you. Yup, almost word-for-word that’s the same article. Funny how the old poll got mixed with the new financial numbers in the same article…

Munny

defmn: Yup. Hegel has a lot to answer for and his answers are not really convincing imo.

Fuck that guy. Seriously, fuck him. I might have to throw Kant on the same bonfire, haven’t decided yet.

For now, Locke gets a lawn chair… but it’s still close to the fire. We’ll see.

Ribs

Munny: It was 630 Ched/Global’s lead story this morning on their website.The fact it has since been pulled should tell us all something (and not good things).

Referring to this, maybe… https://globalnews.ca/news/7180842/eskimos-agm-team-name-2019-finances/

The poll results are not from their latest round, they are from 2018-19. Still pretty relevant. You can see that people from the east have a different view from the people in the west.

Ribs

I am seeing a lot of season ticket holders saying they will not be renewing because of the name change. Some vowing to boycott the CFL altogether. Extreme gut reactions? How many will follow through with these threats?

It will be interesting to see what comes from this.

Munny

Darth Tu: Source please. I’d love to read this survey.

It was 630 Ched/Global’s lead story this morning on their website. The fact it has since been pulled should tell us all something (and not good things).

Ribs

Darth Tu: My dream of all dinosaur names for all sports teams will be achieved eventually.

Feathered or non-feathered dinosaurs? Someone will be offended!

Side

Harpers Hair: Do you want to pro-rate that?

Why? Are you thinking of ways to get out of our non existent bet already?

Harpers Hair

Side: I will bet you it’s not the same!

Wait, nevermind.

Do you want to pro-rate that?

Side

Harpers Hair: Yep.

Same same.

I will bet you it’s not the same!

Wait, nevermind.

jp

Durag:
Could Nuge with 97 be a Chicago-specific strategy to go power v power with the Toews line?

Bingo.

It may not be fully Chicago-specific, but pretty sure it was conceived to try to fix those McDavid numbers vs the Hawks from the regular season.

Harpers Hair

OriginalPouzar
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OriginalPouzar
3h
Unless the flooding and damage is more widespread than what’s in the video, while a nuisance, I don’t see this being a material issue. If its just to an entrace-way, that will have no effect. That’s an important entrance and if there was going to be 20K people in the building, it could potentially cause some logistical issue but I don’t see this creating any sort of real issue.

Darth Tu

JAMCON:
Darth Tu,

Not progress if you regress to an even broader offensive name.

Very true. Which is why a dinosaur name would be better.

#EdmontonRoar

Harpers Hair

Durag: Because it used to be the domain of the rich and powerful and now it’s being done by the unwashedmasses

How naive.

Harpers Hair

Side: Yep. Being “canceled” in today’s day and age over something deemed as questionable behaviour is totally comparable to someone being burned alive for exhibiting impossible behaviour.

Yep…

Yep.

Same same.

Durag

Side:
Why do people act like “cancel culture” isnew thing? Cancel culture is human nature and there are many examples of it in every period of human history.

Only difference now is how swiftly “cancelling” someone is thanks to technology and the internet.

Because it used to be the domain of the rich and powerful and now it’s being done by the unwashed masses

Side

Harpers Hair: For sure.

Witch burnings were much more labour intensive.

Yep. Being “canceled” in today’s day and age over something deemed as questionable behaviour is totally comparable to someone being burned alive for exhibiting impossible behaviour.

Yep…

pts2pndr

Harpers Hair: Inuit is also a term that applies only to some northern people.

https://www.uaf.edu/anlc/resources/inuit_or_eskimo.php

The answer is that to the best of my knowledge the people the term Eskimo was used for are the Inuit. There are a number of First Nation tribes as well none of which live north of the tree line. The Cree and Dog Rib are two of such In the NWT that I know of. While having lived in the NWT for six years and also having worked above the tree line for two winters I am not an authority on all the different indigenous peoples.

Harpers Hair

Side:
Why do people act like “cancel culture” isnew thing? Cancel culture is human nature and there are many examples of it in every period of human history.

Only difference now is how swiftly “cancelling” someone is thanks to technology and the internet.

For sure.

Witch burnings were much more labour intensive.

Side

Why do people act like “cancel culture” is new thing? Cancel culture is human nature and there are many examples of it in every period of human history.

Only difference now is how swiftly “cancelling” someone is thanks to technology and the internet.

Harpers Hair

WheatNOil (@WheatNOil) Tweeted:
“You know, if we could bring them all to Edmonton in the summer, we could really sell them on the city. They never get to see it outside of winter.”

(Massive summer storm hits causing major damage, flooding the rink)

“… we’re really more of a Fall town.”

defmn

Bank Shot:
It’s amazing how tedious HH is on every subject. Using the old slippery sloped argument.

Like if the Eskimoes change their name than what is next? People will be offended by Stampeder. OMG please think of the children!

Just like when the gays got allowed to marry and now people are marrying cats and dogs! OMG!

‘Slippery slope’ and ‘progress’ are just two different ways of saying the same thing depending on whether or not you think the change is positive or otherwise.

Sorry. 😉

Harpers Hair

Bank Shot:
It’s amazing how tedious HH is on every subject. Using the old slippery sloped argument.

Like if the Eskimoes change their name than what is next? People will be offended by Stampeder. OMG please think of the children!

Just like when the gays got allowed to marry and now people are marrying cats and dogs! OMG!

The slippery slope.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/rowling-transgender-social-media-1.5602786

Bank Shot

It’s amazing how tedious HH is on every subject. Using the old slippery sloped argument.

Like if the Eskimoes change their name than what is next? People will be offended by Stampeder. OMG please think of the children!

Just like when the gays got allowed to marry and now people are marrying cats and dogs! OMG!

Harpers Hair

John Gormley Show (@JohnGormleyShow) Tweeted:
Imagine if they go with “Empire”, as some have predicted. The Edmonton EMPIRE playing in COMMONWEALTH Stadium. The non-wokeness of this is staggering.

defmn

Harpers Hair:
same ol ??, 90% more Dan (@theDanalytic) Tweeted:
Wow. @RogersPlace https://t.co/Py60mnBgAT

Not a good look with the league coming to town.

Harpers Hair

tileguy: Sort of like that leaking condo crisis on the lower mainland and Vancouver islands.

Sort of.

tileguy

Harpers Hair: In my one and only visit to the arena, I noticed water stains on ceilings and walls and thought it must have been a poorly and hastily built project.

Sort of like that leaking condo crisis on the lower mainland and Vancouver islands.

Harpers Hair

same ol ??, 90% more Dan (@theDanalytic) Tweeted:
Wow. @RogersPlace https://t.co/Py60mnBgAT

JAMCON

Darth Tu,

Not progress if you regress to an even broader offensive name.

JAMCON

Genjutsu,

Ageist much?

Harpers Hair

OriginalPouzar: Yup – not sure if this is “massive” – its just an entrance – not sure if its more widespread:

https://twitter.com/theDanalytic/status/1283913560758931456

In my one and only visit to the arena, I noticed water stains on ceilings and walls and thought it must have been a poorly and hastily built project.

godot10

The flood is just behind the Rogers Place sign at the entrance to the walkway from the plaza.

https://twitter.com/ExploreEdmonton/status/1283210311441367040?s=20

defmn

pts2pndr: Eskimo is defined as eaters of raw meat. Having worked with Inuit people, only briefly, and spent time in the Arctic I have nothing but admiration for the Inuit people. The choice should be theirs!’

Not that it matters but there are at least 4 legitimate options for the etymology of the word eskimo that are offered in any decent etymological dictionary – including the one you cited, Everything from Old French to Latin to Algonquin (the one you mentioned) and on and on. It doesn’t really matter because it is lost in the mists of time.

I find the whole thing a bit silly, myself, because I think I can find a way to make pretty much any descriptive insulting if the intention is to be insulted.

After all Canada comes from an Iroquoian word ‘kanata’. How do you think that makes the Hurons and Mohawks feel to be made to live in a country with a name from the language of their enemies? Not to mention that it stands as a successful example of colonial empire aspirations.

Earlier in the discussion it was suggested to me that replacing Eskimo would be an act of ‘inclusivity’ – a buzzword of no sensible meaning in this context or most others to be honest.

I suppose they could be named the Edmonton Humans but how would our genetic ancestors the lemurs feel about being excluded? They are conscious beings after all.

Not to mention the slight to the residents of St. Albert or Leduc who have been made to feel lesser.

As I said, I find the whole thing a bit silly but a little sad. Erasing the past used to be synonymous with a particular political ideology and it has that bad smell to me given the context within which all of this is taking place.

Those who choose to erase the past leave themselves with the huge job of needing to learn every lesson all over again.

Oh, and yes, I have lived and worked in the Arctic with many Inuits. I don’t think they give two hoots what a bunch of white people in Edmonton call their football team. They have real problems of their own without worrying about silly things like this.

Harpers Hair

pts2pndr: The insult has always been calling the Inuit Eskimos. If the Inuit themselves have an objection to the name Eskimo for the football team, changing the name would in my opinion be the right thing to do. It would be a simple thing to ask the two territorial governments of Nunavut and NWT. It is never wrong to be sensitive and respect our fellow Canadian citizens feelings.

Inuit is also a term that applies only to some northern people.

https://www.uaf.edu/anlc/resources/inuit_or_eskimo.php

OriginalPouzar

Harpers Hair:
Just heard that Rogers Place has suffered massive flooding.

Anyone hear about this?

Yup – not sure if this is “massive” – its just an entrance – not sure if its more widespread:

https://twitter.com/theDanalytic/status/1283913560758931456

godot10

Harpers Hair:
Just heard that Rogers Place has suffered massive flooding.

Anyone hear about this?

From Twitter it looks like flooding at the south entrance at the bottom of the stairs/escalator to Ford Hall/Walkway on the south side of 104th avenue.

Unfortunate, but I would think not on the critical path. It would be a not totally insignificant nuisance, but hardly fatal.

That entrance is important if there are 20K people in the building. But since there will be less than 1000 at any one time, I would think not a major problem, except for embarrassment.

So Molson Hockey House is probably toast for the tournament.

i.e. This is the entrance beneath Molson Hockey House. That entrance was mostly closed off for the first three years anyway.

i.e. It is across the avenue from the arena proper.

pts2pndr

Harpers Hair: Would the Edmonton Sashimi’s be an insult?

The insult has always been calling the Inuit Eskimos. If the Inuit themselves have an objection to the name Eskimo for the football team, changing the name would in my opinion be the right thing to do. It would be a simple thing to ask the two territorial governments of Nunavut and NWT. It is never wrong to be sensitive and respect our fellow Canadian citizens feelings.

Harpers Hair

Just heard that Rogers Place has suffered massive flooding.

Anyone hear about this?

godot10

pts2pndr: Eskimo is defined as eaters of raw meat. Having worked with Inuit people, only briefly, and spent time in the Arctic I have nothing but admiration for the Inuit people. The choice should be theirs!’

To satisfy the cancel culture “progressives”, 100%, every Inuit supporting the name would probably not be enough. The majority opinion of the Inuit, if it were for continuation of the name, is not good enough. Maybe temporarily, but the issue would keep coming back. Since the cancel culture types are “winning”, since they have seized control of the Overton Window, by their control of the media and the universities, and the wealthy influencers with actual power. The Edmonton football team is likely to cut their losses now, and rebrand, rather than be forced to relitigate the issue over and over again.

The mob in our “Cultural Revolution” (or our “French Revolution”) is always “right”. They define truth.

Harpers Hair

DieHard: Pseudo progress is not progress. Someday, they will come for you. You will be mocked for your beliefs in 2020 in 2050.

As a side note. Will the word Eskimo be lost forever. Never to be seen again.

It won’t take nearly that long.

Every surrender to the mob accelerates the process.

The E word should now be verboten in any discussion.

Ribs

DieHard: As a side note. Will the word Eskimo be lost forever. Never to be seen again.

Yup. That’s a sad part of this. A platform used to promote culture is now lost. It is a disservice to the people up north that did not find the term offensive. Ah well…

OriginalPouzar

defmn: It would be nice to see the organization show some courage and keep the name. There is nothing disparaging about the word ‘Eskimo’.

Giving in to bullies just tends to make bullies more aggressive.

As it was and forever will be.

Did you read Jordin Tootoo’s statement on the matter a few weeks back?

DieHard

Genjutsu: It’s called progress.

I’m guessing you’re an old man.

Old poeple generally are pretty adverse to change.

Maybe that’s colouring your opinion in part?

Pseudo progress is not progress. Someday, they will come for you. You will be mocked for your beliefs in 2020 in 2050.

As a side note. Will the word Eskimo be lost forever. Never to be seen again.

Justthestatsman

Genjutsu: It’s called progress.

I’m guessing you’re an old man.

Old poeple generally are pretty adverse to change.

Maybe that’s colouring your opinion in part?

We need to be careful with generalizations. My Grandmother was making a meaningful contribution to the family business into her 90s. She started her formal education riding a horse to a one-room school and embraced the modern technology required for the business in her later years.

I’ll admit that she was perhaps an exception, but that being said, we ignore the wisdom of our elders at our peril. Sometimes the ‘resistance to change’ has been influenced by ‘I’ve seen this before and it didn’t turn out that well’. Sometimes they’ve seen the latest change go full circle and come back to where it was, because as it turned out, the old way was the best way all along.

I recognize that change must happen if we’re to advance as a society. I also recognize that all change isn’t progress. The problem is figuring out what is and isn’t.

Now get off my lawn!