I spent some time yesterday watching Dylan Holloway playing for the Wisconsin Badgers and it’s clear he could turn pro now. Edmonton may choose to leave him in college for another year, but the nature of the pro rosters (NHL and AHL) suggests there will be plenty of opportunity for the player to develop in the Bakersfield to Edmonton pipeline. It could be a busy offseason of exits and entries.
THE ATHLETIC!
I’m proud to be writing for The Athletic, and pleased to be part of a great team with Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis. Here is our recent work.
- New Lowetide: Jujhar Khaira, a waiver reset and the Oilers’ future at No. 3 centre
- Lowetide: What to do with the Oilers defence now that the rookies have arrived
- Lowetide: Mike Smith’s return calms the Oilers goalie hysteria — for now
- Lowetide: Bakersfield Condors are back, but true NHL prospects a roster rarity
- Lowetide: Dylan Holloway caps strong NCAA season with Hobey Baker nomination
- Lowetide: Oilers rookie Evan Bouchard’s 2021 NHL debut — a shift-by-shift review
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers report card for January
- Lowetide: Oilers’ line chemistry finally coming into view
- Lowetide: Some of the Oilers’ Russian prospects less than a year from the NHL
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers need misfiring elements to come together — and fast
- Lowetide: 3 auditioning Oilers who should be given time to find their groove
- Lowetide: Jesse Puljujarvi is ready for his No. 1 line audition
- Lowetide: Oilers’ scoring wing prospects having an impact.
- Lowetide: Oilers Kailer Yamamoto is the real deal.
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers risers and fallers: Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones among those stumbling early
- Lowetide: Is this peak Connor McDavid?
- Lowetide: Will Ken Holland let it ride in goal for the Oilers this season?
Signed and outside the system
Philip Broberg added four minutes a night to his SHL workload year over year and his offense (33 games, 3-8-11) also improved. His WJ’s was disappointing due to injury but Broberg’s SHL time suggests he’s ready to play in North America in 2021-22.
Dmitri Samorukov has already had the AHL experience, but the Oilers are absolutely loaded at LH defense in Edmonton and finding room in Edmonton for 2021-22 might be difficult. He’s more of a shutdown defender than Broberg, so won’t be applying for the same job. Lagesson is currently emerging at the NHL level, so one wonders what next year looks like for the Russian.
Raphael Lavoie should be in the AHL on a skill line now, but it’s hard to find fault with getting the rookie pro games in the Allsvenskan. He has played 42 games (18-14-32) and leads his team (Vasby) in goals and points.
Filip Berglund is signed and ready to come over, he is playing in the SHL this season (20 games, 1-4-5) although injury had an impact. He increased his playing time to just shy of 20 minutes and took on a greater role with a new team (LHC). I’m not certain where he’ll land on the Bakersfield depth chart in 2021-22, but suspect the Condors could have used him last night.
Phil Kemp is playing with Lavoie in Vasby and getting pro experience. He is delivering more offense than expected (3-4-7 in 22 games) based on his shutdown scouting reports. He’s a righty and that has extra value, I’d say that more than any other defender in this category Kemp is a lock to play in Bakersfield next season.
Unsigned and close to NHL-ready
Dylan Holloway looked human against Michigan but the overall quality of his season in the NCAA, combined with his physical tools, tells me he can turn pro at any time. He has scored 7-16-23 in 13 games, most of the goals dynamic and involving high speed and skill. If he does sign, Bakersfield would be the most likely spot but don’t discount his winning a job as No. 3 LW or similar.
Ilya Konovalov is not the starting goalie this season for Lokomotiv (KHL) but he’s worth a contract and will be a free agent this summer. Edmonton has a pile of goalies in the minors currently (Olivier Rodrigue the most promising but the Oilers like Stuart Skinner a lot and Dylan Wells is part of the group) so it may not happen. I think his abilities have been obscured by lack of usage this season.
Possibly departing
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the top name here, and his exit would mean a significant addition would be required via free agency or trade. Taylor Hall would be top of the list, but Tomas Tatar is another solid option.
Alex Chiasson is a veteran who has value but the Oilers have several players who can play NHL on the right wing side. His skills have some overlap with names like Zack Kassian and James Neal, and Chiasson (UFA) will make $2.5 million this season. Those dollars probably land on Kailer Yamamoto’s next deal.
Dominik Kahun has played well (16, 2-3-5) on the Draisaitl line and my guess is the Oilers retain him for at least another year. That said, it isn’t a slam dunk and he will have arbitration rights.
Adam Larsson is a strong shutdown defender and the coach relies heavily on him. However, he is less consistent now than he was five years ago and aging shutdown blue are not a sound investment.
Tyson Barrie brings offense and chaos to the blue line and the price on his next contract will be dear. The Oilers could walk him and still have solid quality and depth on the right side, and youngster Evan Bouchard duplicates many of his skills. I think Barrie gets signed by Edmonton.
Slater Koekkoek is a solid depth defenseman who should be considered for another contract, but it’s mighty crowded on the left side currently. He can play RH side, so maybe that means he’s worth a deal. Good player, he would benefit from a consistent role and usage.
Mike Smith is a riddle. If he were a stock, Smith would make and break investors on the regular. He has played brilliantly in two games this season and may return for another year. I can see Ken Holland bringing in an upgrade on Mikko Koskinen and retaining Smith as the backup.
Gaetan Haas has been unable to impact the game much so far this season, so remains an intriguing curio. I think he’ll be re-signed, nothing is certain.
Joakim Nygard is in a similar spot to Haas, but there are more left-wingers available so his return is less certain. I love his speed and the idea of Nygard’s skills with (say) McDavid, but he needs to play 20 games in a row in the same spot.
Patrick Russell is the new Zack Stortini, so he should be around as long as Dave Tippett is the coach and has control over much of the roster decision-making. He is a solid extra man but it’s uncertain how much he’ll play this or next season.
Cooper Marody is RFA this summer and if the organization has no plans to bring him up this would be a natural stepping off point. He is very skilled for the AHL, but if the Oilers thought he could play center in the NHL he’d be here now in my opinion.
Tyler Benson is in the same spot as Marody, although NHL teams rarely give up on higher picks right at the end of entry deals. Benson hasn’t been much of a factor in his two AHL games so far this season, but he’ll have a chance to impress now through the end of the year.
Joe Gambardella had 15 games in the NHL and looked good enough for another recall, but it hasn’t come. I expect he’ll be looking for a second opinion in the offseason.
Dylan Wells is an RFA and far enough down the prospect depth chart I expect the Oilers will walk him.
Theodor Lennstrom is worth another contract, based on math and very small viewings. I’ve seen him good.
Stuart Skinner made his NHL debut earlier in the month and played his first game in Bakersfield last night. In both, he showed flashes but he needs to post a strong set of boxcars to earn another contract. I think the Oilers sign him anyway, but his status as the top goalie prospect (I believe the Oilers think of him as part of the future) needs some proof from the player.
I have been busy with Death March™ lol recently but now have poured myself a large single malt whisky and flush with this am able to predict .600 hockey from the Oilers from now on.
Am personally loving the Canadian division, although there is something in playing the other teams. A home and home with everyone in future will be lovely to behold after this season.
Oilers look to be the dark horses of this Toronto/Montreal centric media hype fest lol
Remember where you heard this first. Oilers might take the division in the end. I expect nothing less. Mcdavid/Draisaitl are the sensation of the NHL; and with competent defence there is no limit to what these players might achieve.
You must be right Hunter. I picked 66 points!
Ha! I chose 3 points less than the all knowing HH
Okay.
So.
Now we assume Oilers have finally a defence pipeline in the works. Subtract Klefbom add the mercenary dude who replaces this, Nurse is stepping up finally and the rookie is looking like a true blue chipper as the Oilers have been .750 since he joined.
Broberg is arguably going to step in eventually, and others I’m not quite up to the speed of some of the posters here.
So Oilers need either to have Smith ready for the playoffs or else find a replacement that’s not going to be a 1st minute sieve; which playing Oilers hockey is bound to happen lol
Oilers basically demand goalies be able to fly on a magic carpet.
Leavins and another reporter, don’t recall who, were floating that the team would want RNH next contract to come in below 7.
Then things went on hold.
I wonder where they are with that.
Top 6 C’s are very hard to acquire. Ask WPG and MTL and others.
I could see a team paying RNH 8
Like Seattle. To be able to acquire a top 6 C in your first year would be a bonus. VGK could use him. He plays their up tempo style as well. They could move money to make it work. Others would be interested too obviously.
Oilers have the 2 top C’s in the NHL arguably.
RNH as a top 6 centre probably holds the team back from signing a top goalie.
Would you trade RNH for Fleury?
Not a chance!
Watched Fleury last night and he was very good and his numbers this year are excellent but last year not so much. next year? who knows? I think I’d keep Nuge but I would have to think about it. That high level goaltending changes games.
Tippett spoke to the media today.
Asked by Bob about if we should read much into Bouchard paired with Bear:
— We’ve got to talk with the doctors about Bearsy. We wanted to scrimmage a little bit today with a couple days off. We threw Bouchard over there, he’s played some left before in juniour, so we just wanted to have a look at him in the scrimmage today. We will see how things go moving forward.
Tych asked about JP coming back:
— It’s good to see (him coming back). It’s tough. You don’t expect something like that, bu we’ve talked about it so we deal with it. In Jesse’s case, you hate to see a young guy like that feel bad about how things turned out but everybody knows that that’s the world we live in now. He’s back, he’s smiling today, he’s working hard, it’s good to have him back.
Tych follows up asking about the schedule normalizing and furthering momentum:
— You get a little bit of time for rest, a little bit of time for practice. The importance of every game can’t be overstated. The players, when they get a day of rest they have energy, you feel like you can have a good practice. You know, the schedule, every game you just look at WPG twice, CGY twice, VCR twice, TOR three times. It’s gonna be a lot of fun, it’s gonna be hard moving forward so any time you can get practice and rest it helps prepare you for the stretch that’s coming.
Rishaug asked about the D on the off side, what qualities does he need:
— I’ve had more guys over the years that are left-handers that can play right than right-handers that can play left. But I have had a couple guys. Some of it comes down to foot position, being able to open yourself up, and not be locked into going straight up the wall. There’s a few tactical things that come into play that you have to look at, and you have to make sure a player is comfortable. We’re early in the process and we’ll see how things go.
Follow up about teeing up one-timers in the offensive zone:
— That’s certainly an option, probably a little more of a PP option. There’s a lot of other parts of the game that have to be in place before you get to stand there and hit a one timer. He can do that well, but there’s a lot of other parts that have to be in place before we get to that.
Gene asked about JP, testing and getting home:
— They come to us, and he’s pulled out. Basically, the trainers say he’s not available to you. That’s what’s said, he’s not available. They say he has to have some more testing done. Once those tests are cleared up we’ll let you know when he’s available. Basically, when it comes to the coaches, he’s out, and you have to look in other directions and let them go about their business and do their stuff. And then when he gets back, they tell you he’s back and away you go. That’s what the coaches find out.
Matty asks about placing Neal on waivers, is it about forward vs defensemen balance:
— Strictly because of that. That’s exactly why. We’ve said it before, when Chiasson went on, ‘this is a unique situation with us having nine defensemen’ and now with Bouchard jumping in there playing. You have to have flexibility in our lineup, and that’s the only reason we did it.
Follow up asking what body part Kassian hurt:
— Upper body — week to week with upper body. The thing about Zack, is he hasn’t been around because he was hurt, he came home from the road on a commercial airline. So he has to quarantine for a week or so before he can come back and around. I know he was having some tests this week. It’s a hand injury that he’s getting looked after, and hopefully we’ll see him back around here as soon as he can get out of quarantine.
Tom Gazolla asked about Evan and Ethan being able to defend as a young pairing:
— Well, we’ll find that out I guess. There’s two sides of defending: you can defend hard when you don’t have the puck, and defend by making good plays so you don’t have to defend as much. So we’ll see how that goes. Ethan Bear, he’s a good defender, he’s a smart defender that moves the puck well and can defend well. Like I said, it’s early in that process we’re just having a look at things to see where we’re at.
So, something I picked up on is that Kassian flew home commercial whereas JP flew back on a charter plane.
Interesting difference.
I think that is solely due to circumstance.
If JP flew commercial, he’d have to quarantine and would miss this week’s games.
Zack isn’t playing or practicing with the team for a while.
Also @wolf8888
Depends on the severity of the injury.
Further, if the health and safety of the players and team personnel were truly the top priority then they would have chartered Zack a plane home the same as JP.
Without knowing A) the internal team dynamics and what’s being asked by Tippett et al and being accomplished by Zack himself, and B) the extent of his injury and return timeline, we’re all just guessing.
It’s possible — though highly speculative and just a hypothetical on my part — that Tippett is sending a message to Zack by sending him home on the milk run with the plebs instead of a charter. An internal benching with the benefit of using injury recovery and quarantine as the reason for roster absence, instead of publicly displaying internal discord. They could be covering value for potential trade. Again, just a hypothetical, not saying I believe this to be so.
We do know the extent of the injury – we know enough to know that he is on LTIR and won’t be back for weeks.
I acknowledge the possibility you suggest but would be absolutely shocked if that was any sort of message – if that’s the case, Tippet had Holland should resign and Katz should see the team.
I lean much towards the priority treatment of Jesse so that they don’t lose their top line right winger for back to backs with each of their two current closest playoff rivals.
There’s circumstantial evidence that could suggest his injury isn’t the complete reason he’s on LTIR. That was the point of my comment. I was alluding to how strange it is we don’t know the extent of Kassian’s hand injury yet, and thinking about possible reasons why. Ordinarily, when a player is on the LTIR it’s not exactly a state secret. Matty also recently said as much in the EJ.
source: https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/oilers-notebook-evan-bouchard-has-long-caught-paul-coffeys-eye/wcm/19ec1b7a-42c4-49b1-91cd-3360632995a9
The obvious double standard and hypocrisy related to health and safety in relation to Covid with the handling of flights is just an easter egg. But it got me thinking.
I say it’s broken fingers or wrist that’s what can happen with helmets anyhow can’t see him being back for weeks. Trust me I’m sure Tippett was pleased that Zach was engaged it’s to bad about the injury but that’s his job at times.
Probably because Kassian will be out for some time with the injury and JP is ready to play, no?
An article in the Journal yesterday by Neil Greenberg, reprinted from the Washington Post in various Postmedia papers, ostensibly on scoring in the North division looked also at defense in relation to why scoring is higher than the other divisions. His analysis included the fact that Nurse/Barrie had the most shots against/60 in the league and that Nurse/Bear had the 5th most SA. Nice to see something other than sign him or trade him regarding Nurse and that maybe the team defense has a way to go yet.
Badgers hold on for the 3-2 win.
Holloways finishes with 1G/1A, plus 1 with 7 shots on net (9 for 22 on the draw).
“I don’t have him going tomorrow…… we’ll take him, we’re taking everyone but as of now I don’t have him going for tomorrow”.
Paul Maurice on PLD:
https://www.tsn.ca/winnipeg-jets-head-coach-paul-maurice-not-sure-how-long-pierre-luc-dubois-will-be-out-1.1592902
Something must be wrong with the NHL standings, the Oilers don’t seem to be in fifth place heading in to tomorrow night’s game……
That’s because they have the highest scoring D in the league.
Oh wait…they don’t.
That’s because they have the highest scoring D in the league by PPG.
Oh wait…they don’t.
That’s because Darnell Nurse is shooting at a massively unsustainable percentage.
What could go wrong?
He’s 45th in the League and miles behind the top shooting percentages for Dmen (Schultz, 17.65%), He’s second behind Bear on the team, just a titch back… and just a titch ahead of one Mr. Quinn Hughes.
Stats with context… just imagine…
YTD John Marino 12 games 1 apple
next year starts a 6x$4.4 contract.
I will just leave this here and quietly walk away.
So…?
I know right,
Over paying for under performance is historically the Oilers jam.
Step off Penguins!
https://youtu.be/GY_i32emIZQ
Holloway’s second period assist on a nice pass down low that helps create the scoring chance:
https://twitter.com/BadgerMHockey/status/1361093558317420545
He’s only 7/15 on the draw though through 2 periods….
Holloway adds an assist on a late 2nd period goal to give the Badgers back the lead at 2-1 – this one on the PP.
https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/1361084764980060161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1361084764980060161%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=
savoie scores
Yes, that was last night – I posted in the thread at the time.
don’t be a dick,
We already have a resident phallus
Funny thing is the guy that is pettiest about others peoples posts doesn’t himself read other people’s post.
Who is being a dick or petty?
Some who aren’t up to date on the Pioneer’s schedule may want the information that this highlight is not another goal in addition to the one he scored yesterday.
The twenty pluses above say the obvious
pluses?
Ok, then.
As we know, if one really wants to look for a fight, he’ll find one…..
No reason to be a jerk about it
most of us have a life and don’t read through every post
especially when one poster posts 50 times a day
I’m not the one being a jerk – I’m not the one that is only posting tonight to criticize another (policing the forum and now implying that I don’t have a life and post too much).
I was simply pointing out the this was the goal he scored yesterday as many would have read/heard/seen the goal he scored yesterday and perhaps thought this was a second/additional goal.
Now I would encourage you to please, either post about substance and not personal issues, or go back to that stated vibrant life of yours and let me wallow in and try and fill the apparent void in mine.
Thank you.
Don’t sweat it OP. We seem to have some very sensitive posters on this site. I can only hope that their feelings were not too hurt and that they can recover quickly from the emotional strain.
Grezkys rookie years in Sault Ste. Marie. On. Part 1 n 2 and part 3 next Sunday. Unfortunately my cut n paste are not cooperating. http://www.sootoday.com
https://www.sootoday.com/columns/remember-this/looking-back-on-the-great-ones-time-in-the-sault-part-one-3358874
https://www.sootoday.com/columns/remember-this/looking-back-on-the-great-ones-time-in-the-sault-part-two-3427343
Thank you much. 🙂
Not at all! Those made for some great Sunday reading, and I am looking forward to the third and final chapter 🙂
Holloway’s first period goal.
?
https://twitter.com/BadgerMHockey/status/1361079904087928832?s=20
Thanks – forgot to hit paste!
Very nice shot! Starting to wonder about “shy on offensive skill” story.
He doesn’t have great “puck skills” – not a great stickhandler and he’s not going to be a d-man with a fancy move (but maybe by speeds and aggression) but he does have a plus release and a sneaky good shot from viewings.
Anyone notice that Michigan’s Goalie has the captain’s “C” on his jersey? I thought the Canucks were the only team wacko enough to make their goalie a captain?
Can’t find a stream (ughhhh) but Dylan Holloway has a 1st period even strength goal
It’s just abstruse way of saying they have had a very good start to their season.
since 2014 since 2014 since 2014 since 2014
ABSOLUTE FINAL DEADLINE
GO TO THE SITE LAST EVER FINAL DEADLINE FOR HUNTER1909’S FAMOUS(SINCE 2014) DEATH MARCH™
Death March consultants are sitting by their computers waiting for you to register!
Hunter’s 1909’s 2020-21 Death March™
You can register and vote here:
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We seem to have some critics!
Seems you’ve got quite a few fans over at oilersdeathmarch.com.
Death March™ could probably have benefited from an earlier and firmer deadline though.
New for The Athletic: Philip Broberg and the Oilers’ Leftorium
https://theathletic.com/2387626/2021/02/14/lowetide-oilers-philip-broberg-sweden/
Question about the European Assignment Clause. If Bro plays in Sweden for another year, does that count as a year on his ELC no matter what?
He got an entry level slide on his contract the first year, and probably will for this season, but I believe 2 seasons is the maximum number that can be slid in an ELC.
That is correct – with an 18-year old signing age, a contract can slide twice (if 10 NHL games are not played) but that is it.
Broberg’s ELC will kick in for 2021/22 no matter if he plays in the SHL, AHL or NHL or any combo thereof.
Chaser and Neal both cleared waivers and you physically grimace watching them both skate.
Turris and Shore?
What, exactly, does Nygard have to do to get back in the lineup?
From this distance, it appears to be a classic case of sideburns.
Nurse
Klefbom
Laggeson
K Russell
Caleb Jones
Broberg
Samorukov
Nielemainen
In other news – Trevor Zegras struggles continue in his first few games
of pro hockey.
2 goals & 4 assists in 4 games played in the AHL.
I assume there will be time needed for him to adjust to pro hockey so we can’t be too concerned.
Why are his struggles? 6 points in 4 games doesn’t;t seem too bad?
You’re sarcasm meter needs to be calibrated
Ah!. Have a concussion. That part of me brain might be little impaired. Thanks
There is already enough regret in players that were drafted by edmonton who were subsequently either improperly developed or bum rushed out of town for pennies on dollar, after the painful part of developing was completed.
Can’t be too bothered cherry picking through drafts for players they could have drafted that with heavy hindsight would clearly be way better picks.
I gave up after the whole musil over saad pick.
Boone Jenner was the correct choice 😉
Oh Tyler Benson…..
Alex Debrincat update:
Missed a few games and continues to struggle without Jonathan Toews in the lineup.
8 goals & 8 assists in 12 games played.
Again, 16 in 12 games is struggling? What am I missing?
https://twitter.com/FakeOilersGM/status/1360735430673506307?s=20
Thought this was funny
Room service and the mini bar. Almost like a guy’s gotta be a billionaire to survive a hotel quarantine in Montreal…
I know, all that was just at the Super 8 on the Hyw
7 orders of pepperoni poutine!
What the hell Jesse??
I don’t know if we have been giving enough love to Dave Manson & Jay Woodcroft lately.
Bear
Lagesson
Bouchard
Jones.
Emerging Oilers draft picks contributing to NHL success, I mean what in the Hell is going on!!??
Stiff Willie has been the biggest & best surprise for me this season.
#8? He is performing like a #3
I can’t believe the cover he is giving this team right now in Klefbom’s absence
The coaching staff in Bakersfield has done a masterful job especially Mr.Manson with the D men. If they can’t promote in the near future I trust the team will assure that He as well as the rest of the coaching staff in Bakersfield are well compensated. The life blood of the organization springs from the farm system. Without it the organization wanders in the dessert of mediocrity for all eternity.
Don’t worry, once Woodcroft has ridden enough busses he’ll earn his due.
How plugged in is Kurt Leavins?
He called the D-pairings in practice today on the nose.
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/in-defence-of-the-edmonton-oilers-defence-9-things
Re:Nurse/Barrie/Bear poor results vs. Gritensity.
I posted a visual on twitter.
Who you play with matters a lot:
https://twitter.com/Woodguy55/status/1361041158936293376/photo/1
Chaos in his game aside, Tyson Barrie is making this team a better team. He is a good hockey player and he is showing that he is a driver of offence at 5 on 5.
At the same time, I see no reason for this player to be re-signed for term by the Oilers – it just doesn’t fit the cap structure going forward to pay him big money for his regressing 30s, in particular with a guy like Bouchard on the roster and establishing himself.
I’m not positive that Holland doesn’t look to sign him – Holland likes his veterans and stability on the back-end. I hope he walks from Barrie unless he’s able to get him on another value contract which seems highly unlikely.
For now, I will enjoy the fact that Barrie is on the Oilers on a value contract for this season and a material part of the Oilers having the highest-scoring d-group in the NHL.
Think about that – the d-group is currently the highest scoring in the NHL – the Oilers’ d-group.
No it isn’t.
Vancouver’s D has outscored Edmonton’s 39-37.
Also, Nurse’s shooting percentage is ridiculously unsustainable.
Vancouver’s #1 defenseman is now -21 behind Edmonton’s “not a #1 defenseman “
Harpers Hair would say you are wrong because Vancouver has games on hand over the Oilers so Oilers D have a better points % which matters more.
Which conflicts with Harpers Hair’s argument that points % does not matter because if it did he would have to pay the bet that he lost.
There are facts & then there are alternative facts
There are facts and then there are OP stats.
OP is wrong no matter how you want to slice it.
Colorado blows the Oilers out of the water in P/GP by defensemen and it isn’t even close.
Well it’s not explicitly stated that scoring is points, so one way it could be sliced where OP is right is goals scored by defense. That is a reasonable interpretation to take for highest scoring and they do have the most goals by defenseman at 13. You just assumed the stat that would make you seem right instead of behaving like your at recess at an elementary school. So unequivocally, OP is not wrong no matter how you want to slice it and BTW you are not the arbiter on how it is to be sliced.
It gets exhausting chasing these goal posts hither and yawn.
Darnell Nurse has a shooting percentage of 14.6
His career average is 4.3
Why are Oiler fans so fragile?
So you can dish it out but you can’t take it. Typical. He stated a fact, you jumped all over yourself to determine the angle that would make it seem untrue. If you find it exhausting, quit, otherwise suck it up when someone points out your mistakes, half truths, red herrings, non-sequiturs or just general BS. Petry, Faulk, and Ekblad are all well above their career shooting % as well – so what!! We all know that stat will regress for Nurse – but it doesn’t change OP’s statement.
One Oiler fan was so fragile that he has 30+ year grudge against the team because they broke his heart.
Can you guess who it is?
it keeps getting better… YOU of all people are talking about goal posts and fragile ?
So my Daddy is bigger than your Daddy! So There! Back to kindergarten troll!
Vancouver also has received minus 12 in their top four. They may score but they also get scored on a lot. They are given their games played as a group nothing to brag about. The team standing speaks for all of the above. Sorry I don’t have an expert to quote!
you’re embarrassing yourself… please continue 🙂
I remain very skeptical of Barrie’s overall value.
WoodMoney numbers paint him in a bad light, and I’ve seen him bad defensively on every pairing he’s been on.
Yes he brings offence, but he absolutely needs a baby sitter to play with him. Even with his resurgence on the PP, I’m not altogether convinced that Klef, Nurse, or even Bouchard couldn’t do the same job or better.
Another thing I am concerned about is Barrie as a top pairing D in the playoffs. That is a recipe for disaster. Deep in the playoffs? Forget about it.
It is a bad plan to have Barrie and Bouch right side. Old man Bouch is the one who warrants sheltering. Vets are supposed to provide that cover. Barrie is a fine player in the right role, but the Oilers need more competent defensively D that can move the puck, and less chaotic or limited D.
It’s kind of like Nuge, neither is a good fit on this Oilers roster, neither have enough offense and ability to drive it to warrant big contracts with replacements basically in place.
Bouch for Barrie, I am convinced if healthy Holloway is going to take the 1LW role very quickly, he is the type of winger Connor needs. He is physically mature, blazing fast, defensively responsible, and can help with faceoffs which he is good at. I don’t think he’ll blow up offensively necessarily, but neither does Nuge on Connor’s wing. I don’t think there would be a huge diff in production, but there will be a huge diff in dollars.
I would keep Nuge as 2LW for Leon if the price was right, because that is a really good fit as I see it, and having 3 top 6 experienced C’s is never a bad thing, I don’t see Holloway carrying that load well for a bit.
Barrie is empty calories. We hope Bouchard will bring more. If he plays, Barrie cannot play on the top pair. It won’t work. TML proved it a year ago.
Barrie is helping the Oilers win in recent weeks.
At the same time, I have all but zero interest in re-signing Barrie for term. I am just fine with him as a one-year stop gap while Bouch establishes himself as an every day d-man.
Winning is good and Barrie is bringing some offence, credit to him, but I still see Nurse covering for him defensively quite a bit. By GF%, that pairing is inferior to Nurse-Bear.
You have said before Nurse has been Norris quality this season. I agree!
So let’s let that sink in. A Norris quality D-man can’t cover enough for Barrie to be on the top pairing.
All that is fair enough but I don’t think any of it takes away from my statement that Barrie is helping the team win.
Yes, Barrie is chaos out there and Nurse has to cover for some mistakes but that doesn’t take away from the pluses that Barrie brings and, in recent weeks, he has been very creative in the offensive zone and very involved in joining the rush – he creates chaos in the offensive zone as well.
I don’t, and can’t, disagree that Nurse/Bear are a superior pairing against the tough comp as Bear is a better defender and breakout passer than Barrie. At the same time, Nurse/Barrie is having success and, while it may be “lesser success” than a Nurse/Bear pairing, it “allows” for the Bear to help out on another Bear and make it better – balances the d-core a bit.
Of course, there is every option to move Bear back with Nurse at any point.
All I’m saying is that Barrie has been helping the team win – not that it should keep Bear out of the lineup or even off the Nurse pair.
This x 1000.
“Empty calories” lol. Well put!
How was that “proved” in Toronto?
Was that proven before or after Babcock? Because by the stat splits it looks like two completely different players.
So much angst about Nurse’s next contract – he is 17 games in to a 2-year contract.
Yes, if Nurse continues to play like he has through 17 games for the remainder of this season and next, he’ll warrant another raise on his next contract (even with his offence regressing back to sustainable rates).
At the same time, he will 100% deserve that raise and he will have been a value contract at $5.6M for 2 seasons. Just like he was a value contract at $3M for the last two seasons.
Darnell Nurse is playing like a legit top pairing d-man, shit, he’s playing like a #1 d-man – he’s in Norris trophy conversation. Its been 17 games but that’s how good he has been this year.
If this is Darnell Nurse going forward, I’d happily pay him $7M for his prime years (5-6 years starting now).
Doesn’t look like Haas is ready yet. I wonder what the eff is wrong with him?
Would rather have Nygard than Shore but not a huge deal.
Bob Stauffer
@Bob_Stauffer
·
55m
Oilers Forwards:
RNH-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Kahun-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Ennis-Khaira-Archibald
Shore-Turris-Chiasson
Neal/Nygard-Haas-P. Russell
If you have to play Turris in your line-up, it is a very big deal. Waiver and taxi that guy and we may win some games!
They’ve won 6 of the last 7 with Turris.
I look forward to Haas getting healthy and seeing Turris on the RW (assuming Khaira remains a legit center option at the time).
From what I understand, Covid is a real bitch. That’s my guess.
Yeah I’ve said so before, I really hope Haas isn’t a long-hauler. If that were the case he wouldn’t show up on the league’s Covid list but could be significantly impacted by long term effects.
It would be odd if its Covid related give he’s played games post-Covid. As I understand, anyone that tested positive has to go through rigorous additional health and fitness testing (including heart and other tests). Hass must have passed that.
If this was Covid-related, he’d be on the Covid-protocol list as well I would think.
Long-haul or whatever you want to call it. Lingering effects AFTER you have cleared the virus. He did play a bit and looked okay, but he could be suffering from Covid effects for a while. He would not be in Covid-protocol.
That’s not how it works for long-haulers.
They are the ones with long term affects after having had, and recovered from, Covid. Ergo, they wouldn’t test positive and therefore not be subject to the NHL Covid reporting policy.
Perhaps you’ve read the policy differently.
I think Shore is playing 4C not Turris….Shore was taking all the faceoffs against MTL
Turris took 8 FO vs. Montreal (and won 6/8), Shore took 3 FO (won 2/3).
Guess they’re going lefty/righty.
Wow – Lots of confidence to play a rookie on his off-side so early in his career – a risk but I’m intrigued. There has been verbal about Bouch playing the left side in London but (a) that was mostly PP I believe and (b) doing that in junior is not in the same stratosphere as doing it in the NHL.
Will be great to have Bear back.
Its great to see the coaching staff agree that Bouch is a legit everyday d-man on this team, so much that he may play his off-side while both Russell and Koekkoek sit.
I’m still not sure they go with this lineup on D as Tip might still want another PK guy in there.
Bob Stauffer
@Bob_Stauffer
Oilers D:
Nurse-Barrie
Lagesson-Larsson
Bouchard-Bear!
Russell-Koekkoek
Jones
i knew Tippett wouldn’t yank Bouchard he’s playing great hockey and the object is to win games unless your rebuilding. If you don’t think Tippett wasn’t impressed with Bouchard’s compete and physicality in the Habs game then you don’t know your Coach. I myself was surprised how tough on his skates Bouchard has been the kid’s a brick shit house in sheep’s clothing.
Very cool, even if it’s just a practice experiment.
And there are 4 PK guys in there, surely that’s enough cover if the 5v5 is better with this crew?
I forgot that Bear back means a PK guy back – duh, stupid OP.
OP never call yourself down there are plenty of others that love to do that for you. By the way good on you admitting the oops!?
I’d like to trade Barrie and Samorukov (and stuff to make the money work) for Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim has already signed Fowler long term.
It lets the Oilers run for this year and next year and maybe longer.
Nurse Bear
Lindholm Bouchard
Lagesson Larsson
(Toss in the rights to Klefbom and ask for Sam Steel).
Ducks are rebuilding Steel is part of the rebuild. Klef is damaged goods. If only we can find another GM like PC to deal with. LMAO
If the team is foolish enough to move Samorukov they will regret for the next ten years. Left shot that plays the right side a lot. Big man that can skate, pass and plays with a mean streak. Very possibly will become the elusive first pairing D. Will probably eat lagesson’s lunch this upcoming season. I like Lagesson a lot but he doesn’t have the skating ability of Samorukov.
You’re projecting a guy with 0 NHL games, 100 Pro games, 20 Pro points as a first pairing NHL Dman?
I hope you’re right….and I’m a massive homer….but that’s an absurd projection.
Even if he does develop to a top pairing guy, it would take minimum 4-5 years.
Given the McDavid window…this is the type of futures GM’s should trade for present value.
This is a good post.
Take a look at his KHL year! With the exception of a very short period of time he has had up arrows. Having watched him in the world juniors as a top pairing D for the Russians and his continued success this year in the KHL I state categorically that moving Samorukov for a possible upgrade at another position is a move a panicked GM would make and the organization regret. I do not see Holland as that man. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.
Agree this is a good post.
That’s a quality D corps.
Not sure they’d want to move Lindholm though, or that Barrie/Samorukov would be enough even if they do.
I’m not sure why a rebuilding team would trade for pending UFA.
I’m sure they would love to get Samorukov but I’m sure Oiler fans also want this developing prospect that is on the cusp of NHL readiness as part of their future.
We talk about that “stay at home” or “tough defender” and where that comes from if they move on from Larsson – well Sammy is all of that plus more (of course, not established at the NHL level).
I’m not saying that Sammy isn’t available to trade in connection with a legit NHL top 4 d-man – of course he is but, if that d-man is one year from pending UFA and there isn’t the ability to know what he wants on a re-sign of if he’d want to re-sign in Edmonton – that’s some risk.
I think Lindholm is more than a ‘top 4 d-man’ though. He’s consistently taken on tough minutes and generally come out ahead by real and underlying numbers.
I’d think Lindholm is a clear 1st pairing D. So 1.5 seasons, and 2 playoff runs of that player (on a good deal) is pretty significant.
We don’t know yet exactly what Samorukov will be. He’s certainly looking like he’ll be an NHLer, and it’s possible Samorukov out and Lindholm in is a loss in the end. It’s most definitely a bet I’d make at this point though, since Samorukov is far from assured of even being a top 4 D in the NHL.
The trade is 1.5 years of Lindholm for a expansion exempt high end prospect D (Samorukov) and for a pending free agent.(Barrie) to match money in and out and to provide a body for this year.
It is NOT Barrie they would be trading for. They’ve signed Fowler long term. Manson will need to be signed. They drafted Drysdale. A left D to pair with Drysdale eventually is the lure.
The Oilers D becomes contending quality immediately. Broberg is still in the pipeline along with the rest of the leftorium except for Samorukov.
Would like to see everyone healthy and the coach to run:
Kahun McDavid Puljujarvi
Nuge Draisaitl Yamamoto
Arch Khaira Ennis
Nygard Haas Kassian
*
speed speed speed & more speed
I like speed
I like this as well. They still lack right shot face off takers.
JP is such a horse I think they should get him training on it. Often it’s the big C that are good at it.
Haas would have won his job solid by now if he could hit 50 on them, and stay healthy.
I also predict Baby Nuge grows up and moves out, and Holloway quickly finds himself as Connor’s LW.
I’m not sold on Kahun in the top 6, he’s busy and can skate, but he has to start earning a contract he doesn’t really deserve it he’s playing with Leon. 2 LTs per 60 is top 6 but shy still given the C imo.
Do the Oilers need to protect Klefbom in the expansion draft?
He isn’t going to skate this year & by the sounds of it, isn’t going to be ready for the start of next if at all.
We don’t know. It’ll be up to the league whether his injury is “career altering” enough or something like that. To avoid having to protect him.
Ron Francis isn’t brain dead he’s not starting his tenure in Seattle with a pick that may never play again.
Well if your options are Kassian Turris you may be better off shooting for the moon
There’s almost zero chance we protect Klef…he might be exempt from selection and if he’s not, Holland will roll the dice and hope someone takes his LTIR cap off our books.
I am going to say Holloway turns pro In April 2021
1.Last year he played 35 games and scored 17 points
-This year he has played 13 games and has 23 points
2.NCAA’s hockey season is about 35 games
-He can get 23-30 (with some play-offs) in Bakersfield this spring & another 25ish next fall
3.He will be 20 on September 23, 2021
-If he played CHL he would be headed to the AHL this fall
4.Wiconsin under Granato’s tenure is a .466 hockey club
-Holloway will benefit from the Oiler’s player development and coaching
5.By January 2022 Holloway will be cashing a $90,000 CND$ cheque for a month of games
-That BA degree is not going to pay that kinda money, ever
Ageed
Pro contracts are paid in USD.
RE: ” I think Barrie gets signed by Edmonton.”
I REALLY hope you are wrong.
This time next year he is replaced by a better D with the same core skill sets with less chaos and much less $$ in Evan Bouchard. Signing Barrie to the type of money and term he will be looking for probably drops this team out of being a serious contender in the McDrai Window. Playoff wins require solid defense and Barrie does not show that capacity.
Looks at Byron, looks at the cap. Fuck.
He is going on 2 consecutive years of under performing. Hard pass.
Galchenyuk is also on waivers. At his cap hit there is a chance he gets scooped by someone.
Going to be very interesting to see what Larson’s next contract with the Oilers or elsewhere is. He’s a first round pick who will be 28 at the start of next season and with a capable partner can play valuable top 4 minutes and wears an “A”.
Understand stay at home D aren’t in vogue and he has his warts but I’ll be shocked if he signs a deal of less than 3 years and less than $3M/year. Brodie is playing up the pecking order a bit but is two years older and signed for 4X$5M at the height of the pandemic uncertainty. Now, whether folks think that Larsson at 3 x 3 is value or something the Oilers should sign him to is a fair question.
If the choice is between bringing back Larsson or Barrie, you gotta go with Larsson.
3 mil/season for him is not bad. You need some insurance for the top 4 and someone who can PK.
From long term perspective I would like to see in the future something like: 1. line Sniper- Mc David – Jesse 2. line RNH – Draisaitl- Yamamoto 3.line Savoie- Holloway – Lavoie 4. line Benson – McLeod – veteran RW D1 Nurse Bouchard D2/3Broberg Larsson D2/3 Jones Bear G1 new Goalie G2- Rodrigues. Ideally the sniper could be some young and still cheap high first round pick (it’s rare but possible, something like Pasternak or DeBrincat, new goalie- maybe it would be worth a try to ask about the price of some goalies before expansion draft – Shestorkin, Samsonov, Merzlinskins… I don’t think European players especially Russians plan to stay in NHL as button 6 F/ 7thD/ backup goalie from long term perspective. They can find more important roles in Europe/KHL, more money and also are closer to family (especially in this COVID situation it’s important and we don’t know how it will look like…) Based on this I would currently use in trades players like Samorukov, Konovalov…They have quality and value but don’t see them in more important roles in the future on Oilers roster…
McDavid needs an all-around winger, like Tikkanen and Kurri, not a sniper. McDavid should be shooting more himself. It helps if the guy can take a faceoff
Holloway McDavid Puljujarvi
Nugent-Hopkins Draisailt Yamamoto
Zibanejad for RNH helps both teams. Zibanejad is having a brutal season right now but in the last 3 years has scored 98 goals. Plus is 6’2” 208 lbs. RNH has been through a rebuild with lots of top draft picks. Both players are playing like they need fresh starts
Hollaway will be on Connors wing next fall or sooner.
He’d be better off as the team’s 3C.
I think its unlikely that Ken Holland will have a just-turned 20 year old on the NHL roster and that Dave Tippett will start a just-turned 20 year old on the top line against the NHL’s toughest comp.
All three players like to transport the puck. This might not be a good fit and or crazy good. The size, speed and skill of these three together would definitely be fun to watch!
When you watch Samorukov a few times you wouldn’t even think of Jones instead of him. I am very doubt even Broberg will catch him if they give Samorukov first opportunity on the left side. The good news for the Oilers is both Broberg and Samorukov have been given plenty of time on the right side and in Samorukov’s case excelled. Both Samorukov and Broberg are big boys 6 foot 3 plus with plus skating. In my opinion Bear is the D that might have to be moved in two years, Jones has value but he doesn’t have the offence of Broberg and Samorukov is already better defensively. Jones may be moved after next year assuming he is no picked up by the expansion Kraken.
Samorukov is going to be a fan favorite – I agree that he’ll impact the NHL roster in the 2021/22 season, reasonably likely in October.
He has excelled on the right side in the KHL but that is far from equitable with doing so in the NHL where players are faster, the rink is smaller (and players are on the d-men faster), etc. There is less time in the NHL and I would not project Sammy (or Broberg) on the right side in the NHL.
There is a reason why it quite common for d-man to play their off-side in Russia but not in the NHL – the players, the rink, the style of game make it much tougher to do so without reduced efficiency in the NHL.
Thread on Oilers Dmen using Puckiq.com data: https://twitter.com/Woodguy55/status/1360973698287591424
Jones won’t get in until Bear gets back.
“Teach him how to PK” is well and fine, but you have to win games and liabilities on the PK is a great way to lose them.
Russell seems to be about done. When Bear gets back, I suspect he will go back to being a depth guy.
I was searching, but didn’t see the column for sub 2GA elite championship defenders…
Thread on Bear vs Barrie using PuckIQ data: https://twitter.com/Woodguy55/status/1360990792022548481
Bear is excellent and I *think* the org knows it.
Barrie is extremely flawed. I wouldn’t give him money or term. If you think he’s bad defensively now, wait until he loses a step.
I hope so. Leavins isn’t the only “plugged in” person I’ve seen/heard suggest that EDM would move Bear for a goalie.
I am hopeful K.H. can get E.B. signed to a long term value contract.
Who knows, we could have our very own Ryan Ellis type situation here after watching Nashville with envy all these years
Thanks for this Woodguy. I don’t have a deep understanding on the math yet but certainly by eye I would rather have Bear than Barrie. He is much calmer in his own end, makes those great short passes and offensively I think we will see significant growth when he gets his chances.
Am I the only one that thinks those numbers don’t make sense
how does Nurse Bear kill elites but die on gritensity
Maybe a reflection of how bad our bottom 6 has been until recently?
That’s exactly it
End of shift, perhaps? Or a stunning indictment of the bottom six on our team?
I stated it in the thread.
“Vs. Gritensity. These results are mostly with the bottom 6 which has been getting shit-canned until 63-16-15 became a line. The Turris experiment is running out of road imo. “
I also stated the reason they kill Elites:
Players that get the most time with McDavid or Draisaitl tend to do better vs Elites. Still is interesting to look at imo.
The fact that Nurse drops from 64% DFF with Bear to 40% with Barrie vs Elites is pretty telling as who Nurse plays with in regards to forwards doesn’t change.
I quoted from the wrong thread.
Short answer. Playing vs Elites you get a lot of time with Drai/McDavid lines. Playing vs Grits you’ll get a lot of time with Turris and non-JJ-lately bottom 6 lines.
The bigger lines seem to take the body hard on Bear and hit him/ finish the check every time he touches the puck. They tend to get him to turn over the puck a little more often by my eye.
Thanks Woodguy! I was somewhat surprised by the against gritensity.
When you play with EDM’s bottom 6 you get EDM’s bottom six results.
Hopefully 63-16-15 have turned the worm on one of those lines….
Is this reasonable to retain both Nurse & Nuge for $6.5M (AAV) for 6yrs?
Total $78M ($39M each)
Years 1-6…
Nuge: 7.5, 6.5, 6.5, 6.2 (x3 yrs)
Nurse 6.2 (x3 yrs), 6.5, 6.5, 7.5
I still think they should have tried switching Benson to center last year. He’d be a more valuable asset now.
Halloway maybe the future 3rd line centerman the way he wins FO
3C should be McLeods position next year. Holloway is a faceoff master I agree.
Consider how much speed and size we add with McLeod, Holloway and Broberg !
Mixed in with JP2.0 = cooking with gas
Benson would suffer the same fate as Gagner he just doesn’t have the speed!
What makes you think benson can play centre? Is his skating strong enough for centre? Can he win a draw? Is his coverage good enough?
What if the org spends time on this and he is a shit centre? What does that do to Benson’s development and value?
Anyone know if Neal cleared Waivers ?
Yes he did
Chris Johnston
@reporterchris
·
11m
James Neal (EDM) clears waivers.
thanks for the info
There was a better chance of Kyle Turris winning the Selke this year than James Neal getting claimed off waivers.
The Shakey’s Pizza Parlor NHL North Division standings February 14th using points percentage shown as points over/under fake Bettman .500
TOR +8
MTL +4
WPG +3
EDM +2
CGY +1
VAN -4
OTT -9
what?..no love for royal pizza?…
Why would you assume that?
My recommendation is the Mediterranean Chicken!
What was the pizza place in hub where you could get the personal size pepperoni and a pitcher of beer? I think there some video games in there – kung fu-ish/combat one??
That was launch point to many crazy friday nights in my undergrad…followed up with a long late night bus ride back to St. Albert that sometimes included watching my bud get off at a stop, throw up and get back on.
Those were the days.
Academy Pizza I believe, had a few of those personal pepperoni pizza’s…and then back to Dewey’s..
Yesssss. Thanks!
That was about 30 years ago for me. Brain cells…fading.
Yup. Academy. Will be 30 years since I graduated from the You of Eh next year.
Man.
you are just a young fella. I still have the Pewter beer stein that I was given 49 years ago when I left the CIBC in the basement of SUB. HUB did not exist yet.
Perfect outcomes last night IMO. Toronto lost, keeping them in sight (if you shade your eyes and squint a bit). Calgary and Winnipeg both lost, eating up one of those precious games-in-hand they were sitting on. The Jets still have a better win percentage than the Oilers, but a win Monday night will fix that.
The Oilers are in a pretty good spot at the quarter pole, hopefully they can keep it up going forward. IMO they’re one of the top 2 teams in the division, they need everyone playing at full value though and haven’t seen that yet.
I couldn’t be happier with how last night shook out. MTR is a catchable team as well. They played weak teams off the hop.
with bear and haas back in they will look much better defensively imo.
(also, quarter pole means 3/4 done — time for the jockeys to make their moves) (I just learned this as well)
Is your math a little off? quarter pole means 1/4 done, no?
Let me Google it.
so the pole that represents where we are now in the hockey season is the six-furlongs pole (there are two furlongs in a quarter mile). Half mile pole in the middle. The quarter pole is when you are 3/4 done the race. They are markers of how much track is left. <- that’s the important sentence to understand.
there are also 3/8 and 5/8 furlong poles.
we can all decide to use “quarter pole” however we like really (Words don’t mean things without us) but it’s good to be consistent.
What a shit line-up for hockey this Sunday.
Nygard has speed, that is all, he doesn’t have NHL puck handling skills…he chops the puck in half and the play frequently dies with him. He’s not strong enough to win board battles or forecheck effectively. I can’t comprehend the love he gets around this blog.
His biggest strength is the weakness of the rest of the bottom 6.
How do we know any of this? Or anything about the player at all? Has he even played 20 minutes this year? I know nothing about this player, other than he is fast.
He showed very well with very limited minutes with McD a few years ago.
I would like to see him there again for about a 5-10 game stretch with JP on starboard, when the Oilers gain a little more ground in the standings.
I’ve seen him play 37 NHL games…I’ve seen enough….he’s not an NHL player. I would even plug my nose and put Turris at 4LW ahead of him.
He is defensively sound and causes turnovers with his speed. Like many here have said we really haven’t seen enough of him to know. He came with not a great finisher on his resume.
I partially agree that his speed creates turnovers against lesser dmen…but I would argue that he’s not defensively sound because he doesn’t have the ability to establish or maintain possession in the O-zone. He panics with the puck, and struggles to win back possession.
Re: Holloway
After watching Michigan lock down his line last night, I’m not so sure he’s ready for pro. You’d like to see the offense develop a little more till he can handle top end comp (yes i know they just beat Minnie, but Minnie was on the road and not all there). Has to figure it out how to handle games like yesterday’s.
His usual wingers aren’t as good as Caufield’s, which makes his scoring this season all that more impressive.
He’s going to need pro awfully soon though, as he’s far too good for the bottom half of the NCAA table. He needs the physical challenge that the A would give him too. He also needs to learn pro habits. I didn’t see a single stop and start from him all game (or really anybody on the ice), it was all loop-de-loops when changing direction.
That will take at least 20 games to hammer out of his habits, if not longer. Don’t need any Barbara Ann Scott comments from old-timey coach and his onion belt…
Most of the rest of what he needs is decision-making to my eye. He already backchecks like a pro. Needs to manage the puck a little better. I’d love to see him on smaller ice. Wisconsin was not supporting passing well yesterday, very spread.
So I don’t think he’s ready today. Finishing the season in Madison should be useful and then we’ll see.
Thanks for that…excellent observations. I agree with most of your comments…he is playing within the system Granato demands and the league allows. Leadfarmer earlier in todays comments stated he has the option of signing after completing his year at Wisconsin AND still play 22 games in Bakersfield. BTW I was unaware the Badger rink was 97 ft wide.
Considering how few games he’s had like that (by reports) I’d be willing to bet that observation is affected by sample size more than anything. Or have you seen a number of similar efforts?
I don’t understand, isn’t the NCAA on an NHL sized surface?
To answer my own question, the rinks are supposed to be NHL sized but there is some variance.
source:
http://collegehockeyinc.com/key-differences-ncaa-and-nhl-rules.php
The decision to stay in College is more Holloway’s than the Oilers. If he states his preference is to remain in College, the Oilers have the choice of trying to convince him to turn pro if that is their preference, but that is his choice. If Holloway states he wants to turn pro, the Oilers would be foolish to tell him to remain in College and not offer him a contract. So the Oilers can try and persuade him one way or the other, but really what matters is what Holloway really wants to do.
What really matters is the player makes an informed decision, which includes an evaluation of where he is right now and what both paths would mean for his development. It is up to the org to provide that info to the player (as well as for his present team to do so).
And then final decision rests with the player… as it does really with all decisions.
True, you just hope that they don’t get bad agent advice that is geared to benefit something other than the players best interests
Holloway has already stated that his preference is to turn pro as soon as possible.
I hadn’t heard that but I like it. What is the source?
He has? Not saying its not true but I haven’t heard that. Was this recent? Post-draft?
Oddly enough, I can’t recall. It might have been Ryan Holt on the Lowdown? If so, others will remember
Hmmmm, that would be an odd source given Holloway has no relationship with the Condors, that I know of. Interesting.
Larsson at 2 yrs x $2 million? Is that too much for a 3rd pairing and PK RHD? Be nice to have him around to mentor young Broberg through his first NHL season.
Do you spend the RHD money on Bear or Barrie? I think Bear may be a little cheaper. Due to his more rounded abilities, he’s the one I invest in. I appreciate Barrie, but I imagine he wants more term than I would be comfortable giving.
The big question mark is the Nuge. He has major value to the Oilers. What to do? What to do?
Don’t get me wrong. Barry is growing on me and I do like Bear. Unfortunately, we do need a bigger body. If we don’t sign Larsson I feel we need to go and sign a big body on the right side. We can’t have both Bear and Barrie. We already know Bouchard will be one of them.
Future right side will be Broberg, Bouchard then Bear. Future left side will be Nurse, Sammy then Laggs. Got some players to sell.
I would encourage all to not equate the ability of d-man to play their off-side effectively in Europe (or any league that is not the NHL) with the ability to do so in the NHL.
There is no league in the world where players are as fast as the NHL and where plays and decisions have to be made as quick. The larger ice surface being a legit factor in this in Europe – players have more time to make plays.
I would not project either Broberg nor Samourkov as a right side d-man – it could happen but I don’t think its reasonable to project it.
As an aside, Sammy has had more success on the right side than Broberg (possibly a function of him simply being older, more experienced and more developed).
Holloway has the option to play 23 Ahl games if he turns pro this season.
I would leave Broberg in Sweden one more season unless he’s really set on playing in Ahl
I haven’t done the math….are you saying after Wisconsin`s season is done there will be 23 Condors games remaining ?
I did the math …..that is great news….he can finish his year as a Badger AND still have the 22 or 23 remaining Condor games option. Im sure Holland has the contract awaiting signatures.
Yes I can’t imagine the 23 extra games and a year off his contract isn’t a big enough incentive for Holloway to turn pro.
Caufield isn’t gonna stay so it’s not like they win a championship next season
Personally I will have seen enough of Broberg in Sweden by the end of this season.
The AHL is a different pro league and he needs to hammer the N.A. ice before we can declare him NHL ready.
I mean he is no Brogan Rafferty
He is such a great skater and very poised with and without the puck. I think 1/2 year in the Bake and he could be a call-up option next year with a high probability of forcing the issue.
I think he’ll play the stretch in the AHL and then be on the Oilers roster out of training camp next September.
I agree, this is a strong possibility. Thanks leadfarmer, also, for the math on number of games he could play in Bake this year. That would be a good sample size in the pro ranks and give him a taste of what he will need to improve on over the summer….then training camp – look out!
If by “he’ll”, you mean “Samorukov will”, then I agree.
I think Samorukov is more likely to impact the Oilers’ roster in October than Broberg.
Samorukov is playing top 4 minutes in the KHL (sometimes top pairing) and killing it – a material part of a very good team – leading the league in 5 on 5 goal differential.
Broberg is playing top 4 minutes in the SHL and has been very up and down through the course of the year. He had a stretch of 15 games where he was a minus or even player. His TOI spike is important and a great arrow but he’s earlier in his development.
Not to mention, Samorukov playing his junior in the OHL, on north American ice and playing a full year in the AHL, pro on North American ice – Broberg has never done so except for the odd tournament game.
I was replying to Leadfarmer’s post, which doesn’t mention Sambo at all. “He’ll” is referring to Holloway.
I think the plan is 100% to have Broberg in North America next season – Holland has mentioned it.
Having him in the AHL (presumably) gives the option for call-up if he pops down there but, for me, more importantly, its time – its time for him to start playing games on the North American ice, with the North American style, and being around the Oilers’ organization on a daily basis.
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Just as an aside, if Holloway signs his ELC and plays for the Condors this year, that burns the first year of his ELC and 2021/22 will be the 2nd year of his ELC.