Previous to the 2019-20 season, Leon Draisaitl was a tough out for the Chicago Blackhawks. In 12 career games, he scored six goals and 10 points. This season, in three games, he flattened the ‘Hawks 1-6-7. Music! Who else delivered quality numbers? You might be surprised.
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.
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Bang for your buck: Ranking the Oilers based on contract expectations
- New Lowetide: Could Oilers’ lack of centre depth mean postseason roster shuffle?
- New Daniel Nugent Bowman: What the Oilers should be thinking after watching Chicago in exhibition
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: ‘One of oddest games I’ve ever played’: Oilers adapt to games without fans
- Lowetide: Splitting the Draisaitl line may create hot August nights in Edmonton
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Take our Oilers refresher quiz and prove you remember the 2019-20 season
- Jonathan Willis: Is Philip Broberg on track to be a top-pairing defenceman?
- Lowetide: Oilers’ productive prospect pipeline a welcome change for playoffs
- Lowetide: Will the last stay-at-home defenceman please turn out the lights?
- New Mark Lazerus and Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Breaking down storylines, scouting reports and X-factors for Blackhawks-Oilers
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Oilers scrimmage: Colby Cave gets Maurice Richard treatment in fitting tribute
- Lowetide: Imagining the city of Edmonton with the Oilers in a deep playoff run
- Lowetide: Ken Holland’s roster construction options over the next five months
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Inside the bubble: Details on where and how NHL players will live in Edmonton
- Jonathan Willis: Evan Bouchard’s AHL debut has him on track to become a No. 1 NHL defenceman
- Lowetide: Philip Broberg fortunate to arrive with Oilers under mature management
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: A ‘different’ Oilers initiation leaves Olivier Rodrigue wanting more
- Lowetide: What should Oilers fans expect from Connor McDavid in the playoffs?
- Lowetide: Dave Tippett’s postseason strategy against the Blackhawks
OILERS NUMBERS VERSUS ‘HAWKS 2019-20
- Leon Draisaitl 3, 1-6-7
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 3, 2-2-4
- Kailer Yamamoto 2, 3-0-3
- Josh Archibald 3, 1-1-2
- Zack Kassian 3, 0-2-2
- Darnell Nurse 3, 0-2-2
- James Neal 2, 1-0-1
- Riley Sheahan 3, 1-0-1
- Alex Chiasson 3, 0-1-1
- Mike Smith 3, 3.56 .906
- Mikko Koskinen 1, 0.00 1.00
Connor McDavid didn’t get a point, the defensemen were not contributors to the offense. The Oilers didn’t have many players rolling high numbers against Chicago. Mike Smith’s goaltending was at times fantastic, then loose and ultimately below average. Small sample size.
BLACKHAWKS NUMBERS VERSUS OILERS 2019-20
- Patrick Kane 3, 2-2-4
- Adam Boqvist 2, 2-1-3
- Jonathan Toews 3, 2-1-3
- Brandon Saad 3, 2-1-3
- Dylan Strome 2, 0-2-2
- Alex DeBrincat 3, 2-0-2
- Ryan Carpenter 3, 0-2-2
- Alex Nylander 3, 1-1-2
- Kirby Dach 2, 0-1-1
- Dominik Kubalík 3, 0-1-1
- Duncan Keith 3, 0-1-1
- Connor Murphy 3, 0-1-1
- David Kampf 3, 0-1-1
Five men scored twice, that’s better balance and there are some fine skill veterans on the roster. I think it’s safe to say the ‘Hawks best players (Kane, Toews, Saad) are going to get their points. Important for Edmonton to outscore.
ONE TRUE THING
McDavid is rested, hungry and focused on his ultimate goal (Stanley). He will be a major factor.
PULJUJARVI’S IMPACT
I had another thought on this today. I’ve said previously signing JP would allow the club to move a veteran (say Chiasson) and save more than $1 million in cap.
It’s also true his return could impact procurement. A right wing depth chart of Kailer Yamamoto-Zack Kassian-Jesse Puljujarvi would be under control for at least four seasons. It doesn’t mean it’ll stay, but you can project with some certainty, perhaps Puljujarvi passes Kassian and plays on the second line.
I don’t think it will impact the first round of the draft, if the Oilers are going to draft Jacob Perreault and he’s available. However, if Holland and Wright have Perreault and (say) Connor Zary graded at the same level, maybe position will be a factor and Puljujarvi’s future could impact the selection. Here’s a mock from earlier in the year that sees Holland go heavy on forwards, with NHLE’s for all involved.
The Oilers are in good shape with this projected mock draft. Defense has several men pushing (Bouchard, Broberg, Lagesson, Samorukov), and two goaltenders tracking (Rodrigue, Konovalov) well enough to project as NHL options in the years to come.
If Holland signs Puljujarvi, and then spends most of his picks on center and left wing, the prospect pipeline would have a trio of top-drawer options (JP, Lavoie and Zary in this model) pushing for NHL time sooner or later.
The whole dance is expected. Destination unknown. Everyone has some level of spread at which they will worry and if enough are fatalistic it explodes.
Closer to home, the spread/worry feedback loop kept Edmonton’s new cases in the 20s most days in July. Calgary started July with similar daily cases then doubled for most of the month, but are currently improving.
Extensive testing leaves you less blind. First serology out of Alberta just published estimates that end of May we were picking up 1/6 of all infections. So we’re around 99% untouched perhaps halfway to a vaccine for the general public (depending on how it works out for the most at risk).
Sucks on the pick but would anyone undo that trade?
Still brilliant work by Holland.
Have your pick Flames, and enjoy protecting Looch in the expansion draft.
Flames fans having a good laugh on us this morning. I hope those pricks get blanked tonight.
The worst compensation was paying the second and third rounders for Chia and Todd to the teams that uh… fired them.
Were the Oilers the only team to get jobbed by that rule?
Refs this afternoon are Brad Meier and Francois St.Laurent – no Kozari.
GOILERS!!!!!!!
(I’ll say Archibald as the Pisani.)
Less than ten hours until puck drop. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
But seriously.
Are we there yet?
So do we give up the 93rd pick this year or the 96th pick next year?
LT said:
Leon Draisaitl is money against Chicago
The Oilers last playoff victory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpU_IVfH3zo
Griffin Reinhart played. Letestu had 4 points, and Leon… well Leon was a lion.
Game Day article and thread:
https://lowetide.ca/2017/05/07/2017-playoffs-g12-g6-ducks-at-oilers/
LOL @ THE FOLLOWING DEATH MARCH™ ANNOUNCEMENT:
THE CURRENT RUNNING COUNTDOWN CLOCK IS CURRENTLY VOID
please continue to register until further announcements are made:
https://oilersdeathmarch.com/playoffs-2020/
Hunter1909 2020 Playoff Death March™ NEW SCHEDULE KEEP PLAYING THE NEW DEADLINE WILL BE UP SOON
Enter Now!
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Returning Players: Use your original names for continuity purposes.
This is precisely the expert analysis everyone comes here to learn from.
Are you?
Is LeBrun suddenly a contract lawyer? If not, who gives a shit what his opinion is.
This is the NHL
N64,
What’s your take on increase in number of COVID cases in many parts of Canada the last couple of weeks? Expected part of opening things up a bit? Or should we be worried?
Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) Tweeted:
The Oilers have until the start of the third round of the draft in October to decide if it’s 2020 or 2021 for the third-round pick they owe their rivals. But I think the league here made the right call as far as the spirit of the trade.
FU
Go Jets go. Eff…er…off da Flames. And just when I was starting not to hate Bettman,
The conditions of the trade weren’t technically met but the time frame for performance of the conditions was altered by a force majeure – there are valid argument both ways which is why a saw-off of sorts (comp pick being added) would have made the most sense – in my opinion.
The conditions of the trade weren’t met, Holland being the wise, skilled, successful, multiple time general manager of the Stanley cup will take this personally and only continue to surround his superior talent with the pieces required to dominate the NHL for the next decade.
All 8:49 can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVobWHYI86M
Nope, they didn’t cut anything, they allowed that mother in current possession to either give up the child this year or to wait until next.
I think we have to say “unfit-to-play body” theseadays…
NHL… still proud of our 100 years of Opposite George.
Still a great trade but, in the circumstances, hard not to be annoyed with the ruling. Surprised? Not really, but annoyed.
I don’t believe it would be “fair” for the flames to get nothing but the ruling is on the opposite spectrum of “not fair”.
Solomon is giving out haircuts now?
They aren’t pro-rating stats for the purposes of performance bonuses – only games played and for the purposes of technical matters like slides, waiver eligibility, etc.
For the Oilers not to get a comp pick back at the end of the round is egregious.
The heavy line will be tasked with breaking even and cycling hard.
It is really important in series play to physically disrupt and system disrupt.
Also in season play, but you can’t grind down a team you’re playing once or rarely twice.
Hold the puck and tire them out.
It’s like boxing, the little rib and kidney shots add up in the end, if you can land them.
The league had previously said the teams could work it out themselves and, if they could not reach an agreement, the league would rule.
Obviously, the Flames and Oilers were both going all in.
Flames get a pick but the Oilers get to choose when.
Seems the Oilers have avoided having no second or third round picks in 2020.
Could have been worse.
The Oilers get the bubble and the shaft.
Only a 3rd rounder for Neal with Oilers in the playoffs. And Lucic with Calgary!! Haha. Steal of a deal! We got off too easy.
I told you they would do this with the Neal/Lucic trade,
Yep. OP was right. Gary was willing to wade in and rewrite the deal. No precedent on trade conditions. Now there is
Oh good. We can send the upper body this year and the lower body next year
Wonder if now this means they pro rate goals for everyone? Ovi and Matthews hit 50. Just give Drai fifty again while they’re at it. This is compensatory picks for fired coaches and shitty gms all over again.
I would have bet my house on it. I don’t care how laid back Holland is but he needs to fight this atrocity
They cut the baby in half.
Seems fair.
There must be an appeal process. This decision is beyond bullshit.
Welcome to the Oilers, Ken Holland.
Wow, NHL has ruled on the Lucic/Neal trade and the Oilers have to transfer the 3rd rounder – either in 2020 or 2021 – Oilers have until the third round in the 2020 draft to decide.
Terrible – I believe the flames should get some comp but this is egregious.
NEW for The Athletic: Homegrown Oilers players will again take a featured playoff role
https://theathletic.com/1963422/2020/07/31/lowetide-homegrown-oilers-players-will-again-take-a-featured-playoff-role/
There is limited time off between series – Round 1 is scheduled to start August 11.
The play-in round will be completed no later than Aug. 9th. On Aug 10th the Lafreniere Draft takes place. Round 1 of playoffs starts Aug. 11th.
What’s the turnaround time between play-in series and the first “regular” playoff series?
Someone mentioned McDavid getting double-shifted and if there was ever a time to double-shift McDavid, it’s in a 5 game series after they’ve had 4 months off.
Don’t save anything. Win the play-in round and anything is possible.
There is a quick-read article at http://www.liveabout.com/nhl-salary-arbitration-explained-2778985
Good thought and info – thank you.
A, say, $4M award would be a troubling scenario but, in reality, do we see him getting an award that much higher than his QO? Not based on current season numbers.
I can’t recall exactly what is and what is not allowed to be used in arbitration.
This is definitely a factor and, when I do Oilers’ analysis, I often do “2020” to take in to account the Yamamoto call-up.
OriginalPouzar,
Never suggested that would be the main disappointment, just that they seem to be getting a disproportionate amount of hype (though I don’t think I’d call it that, a better word escapes me) for a line that didn’t show much in limited showings at 5-on-5 and just had a weak showing in the exhibition game. I’ll hope for a good showing but, after the performances of our bottom-6 through 71 games, I’m confident it’s among the worst in the playoffs.
Of course, our top-6 has the capacity to be among the best and our D is solid so it’s not all bad. I was merely stating that I’ve seen enough talk about “this line is built for playoff hockey” leads me to believe some people’s hopes are too high.
That would be a great idea!
Hell he could even put the 2nd best C (league MVP) out there once ina while on line 3 or 4.