Laurent Brossoit and Leon Draisaitl were teammates for about five minutes in 2015-16 with the Bakersfield Condors. Draisaitl was recalled after six games, Brossoit played 31 in Bakersfield and five in Edmonton that season. Brossoit continued to gather air miles through 2017-18. He would eventually find steady NHL work with the Winnipeg Jets, and will see the Oilers more in 2021-22 as a backup for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Five years from now, we’ll know the story on Ryan McLeod, Tyler Benson, William Lagesson and Stuart Skinner. Today, this morning, decisions are being made on their futures that could have massive impact on these young men. Will someone hit waivers today? One of these young men is going to get optioned to Bakersfield, and two of them (Benson, Lagesson) are staring at waivers, high noon local time.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Oilers prospects thrive as junior, college and European seasons begin
- Lowetide: Does Dom Luszczyszyn’s 2021-22 preview mean math hates the Oilers?
- Lowetide: When will the Edmonton Oilers fully embrace analytics?
- Jonathan Willis: How the 2021-22 Oilers mirror their coach’s best teams from the past
- DNB: Maxing out LTIR
- Lowetide: What might Oilers do if Kailer Yamamoto’s goal scoring slump continues?
- DNB: Oilers’ Mikko Koskinen much happier with family by his side again
- Lowetide: Is this Jay Woodcroft’s final year coaching the Bakersfield Condors?
- Lowetide: How could waivers impact Oilers’ roster decisions?
- New DNB: Duncan Keith’s decline, by the numbers and video
- Lowetide: 9 bold predictions for the 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers
- Lowetide: Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman and line chemistry
- New DNB: Oilers training camp invitees tell us what it’s like to face McDavid in practice
- DNB: Oilers training camp observations
- Lowetide: Why Colton Sceviour could be an important addition for the Oilers
- DNB: Derek Ryan Q&A
- Jonathan Willis: How can the Oilers find a long-term solution in net?
- Jonathan Willis: Darnell Nurse, in context
- DNB: Warren Foegele Q&A
- Lowetide: Oilers reasonable expectations for 2021-22: Goal differential
- Lowetide: Oilers’ reasonable expectations for 2021-22: Goal scoring
THE STORY
Mikko Koskinen was rock solid with his start, 11 saves in 20 minutes and six were HDSC. That’s not unexpected, to see a large number of difficult shots, as Vancouver’s roster was superior. Well done by Koskinen and he’s ready to play next week. One hopes he gets a regular rotation opportunity this season.
Stuart Skinner looked good throughout, he gave up two late but the Canucks were desperate and some of the Oilers were wilting. Stopped 14 of 16, .875 and one of two HDSC’s. He is going to get sent down, but has done enough to warrant first recall position.
Duncan Keith-Cody Ceci played 13:57, going 3-8 shots and no goal. Keith had one shot, two giveaways and four shot blocks (all of these numbers are five on five via NST), that’s a Kris Russell evening. Keith was 1-3 away from his regular partner. Ceci had one shot and two shot blocks, had one reasonable look. This pairing was the main PK duo, going 1-1 shots and 1-0 goals (that’s stellar). Duo had minimal PP time. They are going to make the team, the shot differential at five on five during presesaon was 46.5 percent, the goals 2-1. I thought the pairing was solid on a night when the Oilers were outmanned and needed veteran acumen. Here’s the key, though: Small sample sizes are dangerous things. Beware of those who get ahead of themselves in describing this pairing. I think Corsi and shot differential are going to take a powder, but this duo might make like Kris Russell and run around even in goal differential. Early days. Keith spent 5:07, Ceci 4:12 against the Pettersson line.
Slater Koekkoek-Evan Bouchard played 12:10, going 5-5 shots and no goals. Koekkoek had two shots on goal, performed well in 2:28 PK, plus took a penalty. Bouchard scored a fabulous PP goal, four shots and six minutes in penalties. He also spent 1:01 on the PK. Bouchard looked composed and effective, and the last penalty call was a poor decision by the referee. I prefer Koekkoek to Russell as Bouchard’s partner, we’ll find out this week what the coach thinks. Koekkoek played 3:04, Bouchard 3:01 versus Pettersson line.
William Lagesson-Kris Russell played 10:33, going 3-3 shots and 1-1 goals. Lagesson had one shot and drew a penalty, he got zero special team minutes. I was surprised, because the idea of last night was to audition players. All five blue got PK time of more than one minute, Lagesson none. That’s a tell, in my opinion. Russell had an assist, shot, penalty, two hits, three blocked shots. Lagesson played 4:37, Russell played 5:43 against the Pettersson line. The duo went 1-0 goals against the Pettersson trio because of course they did. Edmonton has six defensemen, the coaching staff of Vancouver got their best forward out against Russell for almost six minutes, and Van loses the goal share 1-0. Luck is a very powerful thing.
Zach Hyman-Nuge-Kailer Yamamoto played 9:19, 1-5 shots and no goals. Hyman had a HDSC, worked hard all night and never gave up on a play. Two clean PK minutes. TML observers told us Hyman could play anywhere and flourish, turns out they’re correct. Nuge had a power-play assist, was effective around the puck and found a forechecking groove with this unit. Yamamoto scored a SH goal, it was a beauty. All three men were over two minutes on the PK, Nuge was the only PP regular. If there was one thing I wanted to see last night, it was a Yamamoto goal. The fact it was a great one only added to the fun.
Warren Foegele-Derek Ryan-Jesse Puljujarvi played 8:01, going 3-4 shots and no goals. Foegele had two shots and two HDSC (one at five on five and one at five on four) and battled hard. He had some good looks, we know from the Carolina scouting report it takes a few more chances per goal with this player, I think we’re seeing that now. Ryan had an assist on the Yamamoto goal, smart player doing good things. He’s like Letestu a little, a real Swiss army knife of abilties. I bet he could help the power play. Puljujarvi was aggressive, skated, forechecked, turned over puck, joined the rush. He didn’t have another top level player on his line and because of it his natural talent wasn’t able to shine. Give him a skill center. Always.
Brendan Perlini-Devin Shore-Kyle Turris played 7:06, going 4-3 shots and no goals. Perlini scored at five on five, the only Oilers goal of the type on the night. Turris had a shot and two takeaways. Shore got pucks deep, and had one good look. Turris got some PP time, Shore was on the PK for one minute. I believe all three of these men will play in Edmonton in the week to come.
Tyler Benson-Ryan McLeod-Colton Sceviour played 5:46, 2-6 shots and 0-1 goals. Benson had a difficult sequence that led to the first Vancouver goal, that’s the kind of thing a player trying to make the club doesn’t want to do. McLeod was quiet again offensively but showed real life late and maybe that’s enough. Sceviour set up the Perlini goal with a stunning pass, and played the consistent game coaches have been add to he roster forever. He also spent time on the PK.
Power Play regulars: Nuge, Puljujarvi, Turris, Foegele; PK regulars: Ryan, Yamamoto, Nuge, Hyman, Shore, Sceviour. Those names have a better chance to make it than the group who isn’t listed.
WAIVERS
There are several attractive targets available today, I would make a claim for sure. Here are the players worth choosing, in order of preference:
- LC Logan Brown, St. Louis Blues. He’s 6.06, 23, plays center. He has 79 points in 91 AHL games, that’s 35 points NHLE. If he doesn’t work out, you’re still the third (really, second) team to have a long look at a unicorn. Did I mention he’s a 6.06 center? 1-8-9 in 30 NHL games, his career five on five pts-60 is 1.36 in the world’s best league. Someone will take him before Edmonton has a chance, but my goodness this is a gigantic opportunity here.
- LW Richard Panik, NY Islanders. He is $2.75 on the cap, two years remaining. His possession stats are solid compared to teammates and has been for some time. His offensive output fell off last year and he is 30, but I like him as a waiver pickup. Oilers won’t take him but someone should consider it.
- RC Dylan Gambrell, San Jose Sharks. His underlying numbers are not fab, but he’s a right center with two-way skill with110 NHL games in the role. Sometimes losing teams employ players who thrive on better ones. I would take a chance with Gambrell.
TODAY
I would expect waivers today on one of the Oilers draft picks, one of Lagesson or Benson. The rights-holding media have been saying Benson won’t be waived for fear of losing him, and Lagesson didn’t get a sniff of the PK on a night when auditioning was kind of the point. Prepare yourself for anything. My guess is we see a Colton Sceviour signing today.
NEW for The Athletic: How Ken Holland is increasing the Oilers’ talent pool, and why fans are nervous about it
https://theathletic.com/2880296/2021/10/11/lowetide-how-ken-holland-is-increasing-the-oilers-talent-pool-and-why-fans-are-nervous-about-it/
This isn’t even a little bit true:
Zibanejad’s 8 yr $8.5M Cap Hit Deal:
Yr 1 1M Base & 7M Signing Bonus
Yr 2 1M & 9M SB
Yr 3 1M & 9.5M SB
Yr 4 1M & 9M SB
Yr 5 1M & 7.5M SB
Yr 6 1M & 6.75M SB
Yr 7 1M & 5.75M SB
Yr 8 1M & 6.6M SB
No Move until 7 days b4 Yr 8 Deadline, then 21 team No trade
Am I reading correctly?
There is a 7 day window, before year 8 of his deal, where he could be traded to one of 10 teams of his choosing? What an odd clause.
He’s a very good player, but I was surprised to see he’s only scored 1 point/game once in his career. Still, nothing wrong with the deal despite the player-friendly clauses.
totally off topic…but a sportsnet post came across my feed in Facebook. Black and white pictures of the Calder favourites. All I could think of looking at Zegras was that he should have beers bottles on his fingers and be calling the warriors out to play.
Anyone else see that pic?
At the theatre in 1979 (age 17).
“Can… you… dig it?!!!”
Is Connor Ingram still a top goalie prospect? He was placed on waivers today. I know he entered the NHL’s assistance program, but I haven’t heard much otherwise. I do know that he was once considered one of the top goalie prospects in the NHL. Would you pick him up and make room for him? It’s still a huge area of need for the Oilers.
At this point, he’s a lesser prospect than Skinner and no more likely to help the Oilers this year than Skinner, no?
HH, the list of potential options grows. Please let us know your preference:
Sea of Schenns
Pool of Poolmans
Puddle of Petans
Pond of Podkolzins
Channel of Chiassons
Lake of Lemkos
Marsh of Mottes
Harbor of Hunts
Inquiring minds want to know.
.
A Sparkle of Splendids.
Oh my.
But we can probably work with splendid or splendids for everything bad that happens around the Canucks going forward.
Pod of Podkolzins ??
A Plethora of Pinatas.
SigHH, the more things change the more they stay the same.
Bougault with his first of the season on the PP – Shawinigan tied at 1 after the first period (Bourgault with three shots on net in the first).
Update: Bourgault now with 2G/1A as the teams go to the third tied at 5.
5 shots and plus 1.
On this day in History:
Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky made his NHL debut, with the Edmonton Oilers.
Wow, thanks for that.
Turris is due $2.2M real salary…zero chance he gets claimed.
Of note, Brad Hunt is looking like he might see some ice-time for the Dys this season.
This should be good news for RNH’s 5v5 p/60.
That team really needs more all out offense, zero defense players
Luke Shenn nicely offsets some of those qualities.
Thomas Drance
@ThomasDrance
·
1m
Hearing the #Canucks will be getting back a pair of depth players in the Juolevi trade: Juho Lammikko and Noah Juulsen.
Lammiko is interesting, Juulsen has been on the move a lot in his career.
Juulsen has only played for the Montreal and Florida organizations…a former 26th overall pick by the Habs.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=164700
Dang that’s like giving him away for free
Pool of Poolmans and pile of Petans just got bigger
Kinda hard to call it depth when the pool is already shallow.
Maybe not depth but the Dys have certainly added to their press box breadth 🙂
Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) Tweeted:
Juulsen’s already cleared so #Canucks don’t need to waive him to send him to the AHL. Right shot D from Abbotsford, former 1st round pick from 2015 who’s development was hampered by tough luck with injuries. He can be useful depth with how thin VAN is on RD
https://twitter.com/harmandayal2/status/1447285504995586051?s=20
They don’t need depth the Pool is full
I don’t think useful means what you think it means.
Why the fuck don’t you go start a Canucks blog? Serious question.
Our host has demonstrated for years that a successful blog requires insight, writing skill, humility, and a keen sense of humour. Plus the kind of audience these qualities generate.
He did, remember. But if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, did that hockey blog even exist.
Vancouver claiming a scrub from San Jose in retaliation for claiming Gadjovic is just perfect
Who did they claim?
Brogan something or other
The other day Stauffer asked Hyman a question that I thought was kind of out of the blue about Babcock’s positive affect on his career.
In his 9 things or whatever column this morning, Leavins says Holland was at Babcock’s game the other night versus UofA.
Tippett is on the last year of his deal and doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to get a new contract for reasons unkown.
Something to keep our eye on.
If Tippett doesn’t get by the 1st round he’s toast.
Gross. I just threw up in my mouth.
Tip’s successor has been very nicely developed in-house. He’s waiting for his turn next year. Tip played an important role in righting the ship, and for that we are all grateful, but we need to improve behind the bench to make the final steps.
Jay Woodcroft = Nick Nurse
That is a great comparison. Will be interesting to see if it comes to pass.
Hopefully the exact same way!
given the speed of the roster makeup, I’d say Gallant would be a candidate. (Or is he an assistant somewhere right now? Too lazy to look)
Head coach for NYR
Turris move is paper only. Once season starts and they can put Klef and Aeichbald and stalock on LTIR, then it opens more room money wise to exceed the cap for the Oilers.
.
We will then see if Sceviour gets his deal. Cause once two or three go on LTIR, then Turris called up and Sceviour gets his deal.
100%.
Turris will clear and will be assigned to Bakersfield tomorrow but that is solely for cap structuring and to maximize the LTIR reserves that will be created when Klef and Stalock are placed on LTIR.
I don’t imagine he gets on a plane and is likely recalled on Tuesday.
Look for Broberg to be recalled today/tomorrow as well to be on the opening day roster in order to create the LTIR bonus reserves so that, if he is recalled during the season, he won’t have a full $1.8M cap hit but only his $925K (I believe without looking). He’ll be re-assigned to the Condors on Tuesday.
McLeod vs. Sceviour on the opening day roster is the real question right now…… subject to Kass – if Kass is on IR, they will be able to keep both (I believe they will have the cap room if each of Stalock and Archie go to LTIR and Kass is on regular IR).
Pierre LeBrun
@PierreVLeBrun
· 7m
Hearing the Canucks have traded Olli Juolevi to the Panthers
@TSNHockey @TheAthletic
Juolevi traded to the Panthers. I remember when he played 9 minutes in a playoff game and was told he had “arrived”.
I remember when Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones were going to be defensive mainstays for the Oilers for a decade.
It’s true. Beware of a general manager who wasn’t around when prospects were drafted.
Bear is a defensive mainstay for Carolina as he was traded for a fast physical winger which don’t come cheap
i don’t think anyone had Jones rated as mainstay
for years I’ve had Bear as 2nd pairing Jones 3rd pairing Lagesson miss
These two players are essentially what they were largely professed to be. Juolevi was professed to “have arrived” – seems that may have been a tad aggressive.
What is the return for Juolevi? That will tell the story of value. Bear and Jones were moved for two different reasons imo.
Bear for value and Jones because he was superfluous given the guys coming up behind him.
Juolevi got beat out by Rathbone in training camp.
In any case, he needed a second opinion.
Zito must see something, though. He has made enough strong moves in a short time that I think you have to assume he sees potential where Green saw failings.
Looks like a couple of players who needed a new address for one who needed the same.
Both Juolevi and Juulsen suffered serious injuries during development so pretty much a saw off there..
Lamikko doesn’t look like much although he had a pretty good season in Liga in 19/20
Yeah, I think that explanation would qualify as an example of a ‘most optimistic explanation’. 😉
Top 5 pick busts happen. It is never a good thing for an organization. And, yes, Oiler fans know this as well as any fan base.
You’ve got it wrong, HH. The forward is the better player.
Curious to hear why you think so.
Juulsen has cleared waivers this season already – he’s essentially a Lagesson level prospect.
The Canucks were just done with Juolevi and, presumably, his attitude.
Enough of Rathbone tell me what Brock’s girlfriend said to Horvat,s new squeeze after she drank a bottle of red wine.
Juolevi did not just get beat out by Rathbone – from all accounts Juolevi was highly disappointing in camp and he’s nowhere near ready for the NHL.
Juolevi got beat out by Rathborne just like Kesselring got beat out by Bouchard.
He was…but Rathbone has been excellent in all areas since leaving Harvard.
Just like Bouchard has been excellent since leaving London and, technically, beat out Berglund and Kemp and Kesslering.
Rathborne is legit and NHL ready and, technically, beat out Juolevi but Juolevi is not even close to an NHL player right now. He didn’t make the team because he was beat alone, he didn’t make the team because he didn’t earn it and didn’t come close to.
Your whataboutism count is through the roof lately.
is Florida far enough away to break free from your curse? Or does he need to resurface in Europe?
Something something about whataboutism and scoundrels.
Ethan Bear was traded in a real hockey trade for value – an equally valuable player was returned.
Caleb Jones was traded for what looks like a clear upgrade at 2LD – the trade was not a good one due to cap hit of the acquisition.
“Equally valuable player was returned” is a hot take. Better turn the tint down on those Oiler-coloured glasses. There a plenty of people who like Foegele but do not think he was a sufficient return for Bear. Young top-4D > solid middle-6 winger.
Bear is playing on the third pair. He’s not in the top four.
And lots of people who think Bear tops out as a 3rd pair dman on a good team. Oiler-coloured glasses work for players as well as for the team. 😉
Of course players don’t have to be of equal value as players in order to be of equal value to each team. Does Foegele improve the Oilers as much as Bear improves the Hurricane?
A little early to say imo, but Foegele does improve the Oilers.
Bear was traded to fill an area of need. Seems to be value out for value in but early days.
That’s been my take since the day of the trade.
There are many that think Foegele wasn’t value for Bear and there are many that thing Bear is not an established top 4D, which he isn’t.
Teams find effective third line wingers in free agency or on waivers all the time.
No need to spend precious assets to acquire one.
Bear was a ‘precious asset’? I distinctly remember you claiming that his peak was 3rd pairing.
Expressly would not trade Brogan Rafferty for Bear.
I remember that now. Thank you.
An accomplished 3RD is more valuable than a 3rd line winger all day long.
So now he is ‘accomplished’?
I guess we will know more in a few months but I think both teams will be quite happy with the trade because both teams had needs that the trade satisfied while not having a good spot for the guy they traded.
Likely true but there is always a premium on RD…not so much on 3W.
Why did the Canucks use a 10th overall pick on a player that, if they develop him properly, could turn out to be a good 3rd liner?
Are contracts signed in free agency usually on great terms for the team?
I’m curious to see all these legit 3rd liners available on waivers without egregious contracts.
Also, for good teams like the Oilers being in (or right near) the last 3rd in the waiver claim order…..
Because he has the potential to be much more than that your obvious and desperate bias aside.
I believe desperation would be Jim Benning keeping this guy on the team and Travis Green playing him in the middle six – i mean based on his exhibition results – looked nice on some plays – zero results, zero points, 7 5 on 5 shots, on the ice for zero goals scored and 5 against with over 60% offensive zone starts.
By all means – play the man in the NHL.
Yeah…I mean we should all pass judgement on a player who just turned 20, has played 4 exhibition games while adjusting to life in a new country, learning the language and and learning to play on a smaller ice surface.
But then again many would call us idiots.
What else would you like to judge his NHL readiness on?
We know that since drafted, he was disappointed at every stage (every regular season, every international tournament) but for apx 10 games in one playoff season.
By all means, I hope they throw him in to NHL games based solely on draft pedigree – there may be something more to go on in the future but there isn’t yet.
This is of course absolute nonsense.
He led the Russian team to victory in an international men’s in a 4 nations invitational tournament while an 18 year old.
Some other highlights:
In 2018, Podkolzin captained Russia in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he won a bronze medal. In the bronze medal game against the United States, Podkolzin scored a hat trick in a 5–4 victory. He led the tournament in scoring with 8 goals, 3 assists and 11 total points in 5 games.
Podkolzin next played internationally at the 2019 World Junior Championships in Vancouver, Canada. He recorded 3 assists in 7 games, helping Russia win bronze.
He also played at the 2019 Under-18 World Championships, scoring four points in seven games.[5]
Podkolzin then played in the 2020 World Junior Championships in Ostrava. He scored five points in seven games, registering a goal and 4 assists. Russia fell in the final to Canada, leaving with a silver medal.
In 2021, he was named captain of Team Russia, where he led the team to a 4th place finish. He scored four points in seven games with two goals and two assists.
A very disappointing record LOL.
What about Bouchard?
The machinations of the site prevent me from posting his international record so I’ll just leave you with this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Podkolzin
Educate yourself before you spout off.
Oh that is rich!….kettle!…pot!…
I thought he looked pretty good in the last 2 games against the Oilers.
Made more plays than any Canucks forward not named Peterson or Miller.
I think he’s a keeper.
He’ll be just fine.
Small sample size of course, but Keith hasn’t appeared to be an upgrade at all.
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20212022&thruseason=20212022&stype=1&sit=5v5&stdoi=oi&rate=n&v=p&playerid=8470281
And last night, he got caved big time. CF 27%.
By way of comparison…OEL CF 80.95%
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20212022&game=10102&view=limited
It’s almost like you proved definitively that CF is a useless stat for evaluating dmen.
You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.
And having watched the game last night I would tell you that Keith was a good part of the solution. No real idea on OEL since I tend to focus on the Oilers during TC in particular.
There is no way that Keith was anything but a positive last night.
You being part of the solution is a terrifying thought.
Keith played big minutes in a meaningless preseason game with a bunch of players that are fighting for depth jobs against a team that played their starting lineup is the only thing you can draw out of that game.
But yes people will watch his fancies very closely this year. Fortunately for him it doesnt take much to be an upgrade on the guys that played in his spot last year
The Oilers won so his cf is inconsequential! It is also only his second game with a new D partner in a new organization. He was also playing first pairing which is not going to be the case moving forward.
It’s almost like Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones have nothing at all to do with the original post about the Olli Juolevi trade. Quit pissing on the rug.
You know if you don’t like the comments you can just stay away. You are not wanted here.
You say that, and I know you mean it, but people have expressed to me they enjoy HH here. So, I always recommend ignoring posters who you don’t like, and hopefully things go more smoothly.
Sage advice, as we’ve come to expect.
Villains are necessary for good story telling.
This is true. His comments on Oilers players have a great deal of bias that needs to be sifted, but when he’s trying to be objective HH does offer some worthy insights. I just wish he try that more.
Many people do not enjoy HH here – it’s one thing to point out our sometimes overly optimistic takes on players on our beloved Oilers … but HH’s comments are 100% trolling.
When I see long comment threads like this with HH going off on one of the other posters, after he successfully sucked them in … I usually just ignore this site altogether for a while.
Meh. The two most voluminous posters here are a mixed bag.
In spite of the fact that HH spends a lot of energy trying to needle people here for no purpose other than his own entertainment he actually understands hockey if he wants to be serious and you respond to him seriously.
I know, it takes some gritting of the teeth on occasion. 😉
On the other hand the other guy has never posted anything here demonstrating any particular understanding of the game that I am aware of in spite of numerous walls of text repeating things he has read somewhere else for the 137th time during a 2 week period.
Both bring news from other sources that I would probably miss without their contributions.
Different strokes for different folks I guess.
That pretty much sums it up perfectly
Hehe. I see from the red ink under my post that we are in the minority on this one.
I doubt we are, actually.
Most people can’t stand know it alls who monopolize every conversation they’re in
I see we started out from some way back but are picking up steam as we round the three quarter pole.
So much for us being ‘special’. 😉
Cool! Every time you REPEAT your opinion on this it definitely makes me strive to be a better person and try to adhere to your standards of community participation.
I look forward to signs of improvement.
HH’s crystal ball has been broken for some time but his arrogance goes on unabated. His motto being I’m not happy til you’re not happy. It helps him remain president of the ass holes are us club!
My bookie would tell you this demonstrably false.
@HH Maybe, but the first thing he would say is ‘hey, HH, please pay for your losses out of your incredible winnings rather than always welching on me’
I think we’re ready for the season!
as predicted Oilers hoping someone takes Turris and offload his cap
Could Ottawa be interested? I think there is a chance.
oh, i hadn’t thought of that. They would remember his success there.
His salary is greater than his cap hit, opposite of their M.O. though
I think you mean, as predicted, the Oilers waiving Turris in order to assign him for cap structuring purposes as there is no way to maximize their LTIR reserves with him on the roster.
Highly likely to (a) clear and (b) be recalled on Tuesday and (c) in the opening night lineup.
Transactions aren’t always what they seem to be in the two days leading up to the season – Broberg is likely to be recalled tomorrow morning but almost assuredly will not be on the roster for game 1, for example.
As predicted Oilers would be more than happy to have someone take him and have already tried to pump him by giving him a top 6 start
Yes but the chances of that are essentially zero and, realistically, he’ll be assigned on Monday, recalled on Tuesday and, likely, in the lineup on Wed.
James Mirtle
@mirtle
· 10m
43 players on NHL waivers today as teams make their final cuts.
Show this thread
Among those on waivers…Travis Hamonic.
The savior is waived
Pool of Poolmans and Pile of Petans
your 2021 Vancouver Canucks
Thomas Drance
@ThomasDrance
·
29m
#Canucks announcement suggests strongly that Travis Hamonic will legitimately be loaned to the American League upon clearing waivers.
To this point Hamonic’s absence throughout training camp has been described as a “personal matter”, but clarity has to be coming soon:
That right side of the Canucks D is godawful. They are gonna break Demko
To much baggage for what he brings.
Yeah…it gets to a point that he’s just not worth the continuing drama.
You would think Benning would have done his homework before signing him.
I’m guessing that the Canuck’s organization is telling Hamonic to stay away due to his unvaccinated status. If that’s the case they can’t suspend him (and get any cap relief) as vaccination is not a requirement to play in the NHL.
Their options (if they don’t want him around) are, essentially (a) keep him on their roster and then suspend him periodically (essentially when the team travels) on the basis that he can’t participate due to his unvaccinated nature and get periodic cap relief or (b) waive and assign him and just bite the near $3M cap hit.
Awful awful signing by Benning – it was bad even if he was vaccinated and available let alone this.
———–
This is essentially the Archie situation but Archie’s health issue “fixed” the issue for the Oilers.
Chris Johnston
@reporterchris
·
5m
Everyone on NHL waivers yesterday cleared.
Boom – there it is, Turris and Lagesson on waivers. I presume Turris will be recalled on Tuesday.
Looks like Benson has made the team for now.
T minus 7 minutes until Turris and Lagesson on waivers for assignment to AHL tomorrow.
Lagesson to get on a plan, Turris to be recalled on Tuesday.
I watched the goalies a lot during this pre-season and I am very impressed and believe we do not have a goalie problem. I’m not an expert, but any tandem of Smith, Koskinen and Skinner will do extremely well this year.
I always expected regression, both ways, with the top pair of goaleurs, but yeah the rest of the stable is looking surprisingly solid.
The Russian’s looking good. Did not see Skinner riding his first NHL win to the standard of performance he’s currently exhibiting. In fact watching that game I thought Sure the guy might have something to tell his grandkids now, but figured I’d just witnessed the highlight of his career.
Goalies. Sorcery.
No sorcery. That was the kid’s first NHL game and first game of any kind in over six months. Why would anyone put any stock in that single data point? He survived, won, gained from the experience and went on to have a very strong season in the AHL. This year with actual pre-season games he looks much more settled. No surprise at all. Expect a big years from him in the AHL and hopefully at least 5 NHL games.
So the Colorado Avalanche now employ both Jack Johnson and Kurtis MacDermid on their blueline.
They’ve been the clearest example of an analytics driven team, but I guess even they don’t always make decisions based on that kind of evidence. Strange times.
It’s a little more nuanced than that.
MacDermid was brought in to address the lack of size and toughness evident in last year’s playoffs.
He also plays forward which is where you might see him from time to time depending on opponent.
Johnson is nothing more than an insurance policy while Toews recovers. At league minimum he is easy to send to the minors.
Oh yes MacDermid is the answer for the Avengerslanche lack of size and toughness which was clearly holding the Avengerslanche back.
Even though they were playing a brand of hockey that no one has ever seen before they decided MacDermid was the answer.
Plus Johnson and a 19 yr old defender.
Joe’s taking some interesting tests.
Also of note….19 year old RD Justin Barron has been a revelation in camp and we should find out later today if he makes the team.
Also of note… https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-looking-to-trade-olli-juolevi
A 19 year old dman is almost never the answer, despite any preseason performance.
If any other player not named Benson had a game like his last night there would be screams to “fire him into the sun”.
The love for Benson here approaches the irrational level of MacTavish/Reasoner or Lowetide/MAP.
I know people will now argue that Reasoner & MAP were useful players to change the narrative but when a fringe player puts up Zero points and is turning the puck over it amazes me how many people are tripping over themselves to justify that he should make the team.
Guessing it is because he is a local kid who was outstanding as an amateur. He also had to overcome some pretty severe medical issues and did so. We all like hometown kid success stories……
Don’t forget AHL scoring that suggests an NHL quality player.
Agreed! You won’t have to wait very long until he washes out of the league. He is Europe bound.
Perhaps we want him to succeed as it would cushion the blow that was passing on Alex DeBrincat.
Yeah those “I belong here now” quips aren’t aging well in the early going.
I know I know I know, but:
Don’t think he’s a wash just yet.
Other than the boneheaded giveaway, I thought it was his best game. And I wouldn’t consider myself a Benson fanboy.
I thought so too but boneheaded giveaways don’t look good on 4th line guys. I agree with Leavins comment in his 9 thoughts this morning, though. Benson has been pushing too hard rather than playing relaxed. Keeping him a little longer is the smart thing to do but the leash is undoubtedly only so long.
I think Benson becomes a very reliable bottom sixer, eventually.
Maybe. To do so I think he has to change his mind set. The bone head moves are him trying to create offence rather than making the safe play so for me that is a shift in priorities. Some can make it and some go to Europe.
To the original post – Benson had a very very poor shift late in the game where he made multiple mistakes and it led to a goal against.
Does that define his entire game?
I though Benson was an effective 4th line player for the first 57 minutes of the game.
I don’t think there is any sort of overarching irrational love for Benson – the opinions on his vary widely in this community, from those that think he is an every day middle six player, to those that feel he could be that with an opportunity and time, to those that feel he can be an effective bottom six player, to those that think he is a tweener to those that think he is Europe bound.
The Oilers have watched this player for many years. They have a plan that extends past a few preseason games. The media loves the story that young man makes or breaks his career in the next few games.
The team clearly invests and thinks different than the narrative from a few. He is going to play 40 ish games before they shoot him to the moon. Relax and enjoy the process.
Or maybe Holland is trying to recover some pucks and a few water bottles for Katz?
Maybe someone else has observed this already, and if so, I apologize for repeating it, but the pre-season success of Perlini and Rattie are not the same. In Rattie’s 5 goal 8 point pre-season most (but not all) of his success came in the 35 minutes he played with Connor and Nuge. Perlini has played with Shore and Turris for 46 minutes and only a minute with Connor and even less with Leon. If he has learned enough to play a responsible defensive game and still contribute secondary scoring, this guy could really be one of the steals of the summer and a great redemption story. And Perlini is ear-marked for the 4th line, not on the first line like Rattie was, so he doesn’t even have to keep up anything close to his pre-season rate to be a success.
And just to add.
It also says something to those who complain about their favourite prospect (Benson, this year) not getting to play with top six guys in TC so that they can show how good they really are – like who could show they are real NHL players if they are forced to play with fringe guys on their line to repeat a line I have read here quite a few times by various posters. (Not you.)
If a guy can play he can show that no matter who else is on the ice with him imo. If you are a shooter, shoot. If you are a play maker, make plays. Professional coaches know what to look for.
Yup, I have mentioned this every time someone has tried to compare Perlini to Rattie – there is zero comparison:
1) Rattie played all but 7 minutes of his 5 on 5 time that exhibition season with McDavid – Perlini has played almost all of his 5 on 5 time with Shore and Turris
2) Perlini actually has a goal scoring history in the NHL – a season of 17 goals and two seasons of 14 goals (I believe). Rattie had 4 career goals when he had his exhibition season heater.
This is not to say that Perlini is going to score 10-15 in the Oilers’ bottom six – we don’t know – but his success in no way resembles what Rattie did.
Hadn’t Rattie scored 14 5-4-9 on McDavid’s wing (in the NHL) to end the previous season? Before that pre-season heater?
I agree with the general point here, but it’s not like Rattie was a training camp walk on who found fire with zero precedence for it.
Foegele isn’t a very sexy player but is he a big reason why Ryan looks so competent. Foegele seems to be a player that quietly improves any line he’s asked to play on.
Ryan is a guy who seems to have that effect as well (based on his excellent results, with lots of linemates, over years).
I suspect they’re complementing each other a lot since they do have very different games and skillsets.
Ryan has been excellent in my limited preseason watching, he is noticeable every time he’s on the ice, pressuring, good decisions. Early days but early returns are good.
Foegele is very sexy. One of the skills I value the most is generating turnovers. I don’t care if it is a pocket picked in the neutral zone (a la RNH), a gentle rub out along the boards (a la Klefbom), or an explosive hit with crumpled bodies in the wake (a la Archibald). Getting the puck back and moving the right direction is king.
“Luck is a very powerful thing.” That is just flat out wrong! The Oilers do not scored on much with Russell on because he knows how to defend and luck has little to do with it. He may not win, what is in his case, the meaningless Corsi battle, but the other team’s players rarely get open look quality chances against with him on the ice 5 on 5 and even when they do, it is from where he and the goalie want it to come from, improving the chances of a save. He generally plays rope-a-dope style defense, which is what he is asked to do, and he does it very effectively. He has been doing this for 5 seasons on the Oilers, and people who don’t recognize that are not being open minded when they review his work. He is a quality 3rd pair left defender overall – first rate defender but doesn’t help generate positive scoring chances. His challenge at his age is to now stay consistently healthy.
Something something elite open-corsi defender something 4d resolution something NASA.
My assessment of Russell is based on watching his coverage techniques on the ice, not any advanced analytics. When a player constantly has a GF% that exceeds his xGF% (9 of the last 10 seasons and often by a fair amount) there has to be something at play not captured in the data). Russell’s anticipation, quickness and timing on disrupting or blocking shots and passes is a refined skill of his. He can’t overpower players, box them out or force them to the corner, so he waits until just before the pass or shot, then closes, giving them less time or space to get away a clean shot getting a piece of the puck or stick. The shooters also rush themselves a bit as well, making them less effective or accurate. He also makes better reads on the lanes to be in for shot blocking, and he is in those lanes fairly consistently which helps his D partner and the goalie react .
For the record, I do not subscribe to Rickibear’s philosophy on Goalies and Defense. I would take 6 Nurses over 6 Russell’s all day any day. But the Oilers don’t have 6 Nurses. Maybe Koekkoek passes Russell on the depth chart this season, or even Samorukov Broberg by year end, but the outcomes Russell achieves on the ice are no accident.
He got walked twice last night. Actual junior hockey stuff. I’m sure he’s rusty, but a pair of awful brain cramps. Not passing judgement on the player though.
I think you missed the point here. I’ve argued at length that Russell CAN defend, but he was part of a pretty slick goal, including a deft pass from Russell himself.
“Edmonton has six defensemen, the coaching staff of Vancouver got their best forward out against Russell for almost six minutes, and Van loses the goal share 1-0. Luck is a very powerful thing.”
Point being not only didn’t the Canucks score, Russell helped Edmonton OUTscore. I think Canucks coaches would take that matchup all day, knowing the worst outcome should be 0-0.
They didn’t get it.
Why would Vancouver believe that? Russell has played over 30% of his time against elites every season with the Oiler but one , and he has a goal share of 53.3%. Last season he played 34.5% against elites and had a 61.5% goal share (all from puckiq). It’s going to be low event hockey, but 0-0 is not the worst outcome possible.
He does defend pretty well. The problem is if you spend the whole time defending, you are going to lose the game. Corsi is just a mediocre proxy for zone time by measuring the events that take place in the zones. It is just telling us, when Russell is on the ice, the puck is going to be in the defensive zone. If that is where the puck is, it’ll eventually be in your net (through skill or luck).
He is good at sometimes prolonging the time it takes for it to get there though.
There is a lot that goes into being a useful NHL player. If you just look at what a player is good at and ignore what they are bad at you’ll probably find they are a good player. You might not be right though.
Corsi suggests that the puck will eventually go in the net but goals against rates has proven otherwise with this player – over many years.
That he has a 50% goal share 5 on 5 most seasons would tell me there is not a lot of bad overall He is not going to win you a lot of games with the low event hockey, but his primary objective as a depth defenseman is to not lose you games and he does that just fine.
Kris Russell is not a hill I care to die on, I think he’s fine as a 7th. Injuries will happen and he’ll end up playing two dozen games.
BUT!
If goal share is your defense of Russell, what would you think of oh a 23.5% goal share away from 97 and 29? It is unfair to Russell to discount his success with the talent, but this team needs to stop bleeding while 97 and 29 are on the bench.
Just for fun tiny sample size time: (I’m going to try code block to see if it formats a chart nicely.)
Oh, I think Russell starts in the pressbox in favor of Koekkoek (just as he did last season) but I expect he plays more than a couple of dozen games.
He played 35 in a 56 game season last year (including starting as a healthy scratch and, if I’m not mistaken, he did miss some with injury.
He’s currently 4LD but likely also 4RD – the hope is Berglund is in that conversation but I don’t think the coaches (and management) will go there until he’s got a few months of AHL time, with success.
He’s trusted by the coaches to defend and PK – he’ll play.
OP, I think we’re on the same page regarding 6. The team is better with him in the press box telling the youth that the cool kids block shots. Injuries happen, teams end up in situations where they need to ice less than ideal rosters; if Russell sees 20 games, that is fine.
I’m attempting to rebuke Redbird’s assertion “He is a quality 3rd pair left defender”.
That’s fair, and I don’t purport to get involved in the discussion fully.
I was just responded to the one point that was made about Coris and possession stats and the position that if a person defends but the puck is always just coming right back for more possession and shot attempts against (as is often the case with Russell) then the defending isn’t good as the puck eventually goes in.
I understand the premise and generally its true but it just doesn’t seem to be the case with Russell – year after year after year, the goals against and GA/60 show that the puck doesn’t eventually go in with him.
Of course, constantly being in the own zone prohibits goals for and creating momentum and leads to more fatigue, etc. but, with Russell on the ice, the puck doesn’t seem to eventually go in, does it?
I’m not sure what time window this is using, but over the past 3 full seasons Russell’s GF% without 97/29 is 43.0%.
With all 3 of them off the Oilers GF% has been 37.1%. So Russell’s results have been much better than the average Oiler when 97/29 are on the bench.
Eventually he’ll be pushed into the PB, and this may well be the year, but in general Russell gets far less credit than he deserves IMO.
To add other Oilers D for comparison:
(last 3 seasons without 97/29)
Klefbom 42.6%
Nurse 40.7%
Larsson 37.3GF%
Barrie 34.8%
Bear 32.3%
Jones 26.9%
I was just looking at the most recent season. I think the loss of sample size is justified for players outside their prime years.
I suppose.
But Russell was 50%GF overall last season (including the 97/29 minutes). You’re working awfully hard to paint him in a bad light if you’re ignoring his overall result from last season in favor of the without 97/29 slice, then also ruling out his without 97/29 results from previous years, which show him better than essentially all the other Oilers D. JMO.
Well, I think you’re working hard to defend him by including data from two and three years ago. And I think McDavid had a lot more to do with their 6-0 (100%GF) run together. 😀
I agree with you as far as Russell getting less credit than he deserves, some people don’t think he’s even a worthy 7th defenseman.
All I’m saying is his days of being a “quality 3rd pair left defender” are behind him. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what “quality 3rd pair left defender” means to people, but I don’t think we should be hoping he plays 82 games next season.
Haha ?
Yeah we’ll see. People have been calling for his replacement for years.
This very well could be the year he actually gets passed, or not.
Wonder if they are trying to dump Turris
I hear Stauff was saying last night that there may be a European offer in the table for Sceviour (which is interesting if the Oilers are offering a 2-way as he’s get paid more in Europe than the AHL potentially).
If management wants to sign the guy, this is where Katz can show his value by offering up a one-way or a 2-way with a large AHL salary or a guaranteed minimum compensation
Katz spends to the cap every year. He buys out a player a year. I am often critical of Edmonton’s owner, but not in this area. If Holland wants to make that move, it’ll get done.
To be clear, i have never criticized Katz and have long-praised his commitment to spend (and spend in areas outside of straight cap – paying multiple GMs and coaches, large AHL salaries, one-way contracts, burying one-way contracts in the AHL, etc.).
Was just pointing out that the contract may require some “ownership approvals” that would not be forthcoming from all owners/organizations.
Sceviour’s parents live in Red Deer.
Don’t know if that would factor into his decision making but I’m guessing he would prefer to play in Edmonton if the option is there.
Regardless of contract value
Nobody got hurt!
Benson’s turnovers hurt his chances, does that count?
Mika Zibanejad 8X$8.5 extension by NYR.
Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) Tweeted:
BREAKING: Rangers, Zibanejad agree on extension, Post has learned, eight years in the range of $8.5M per…A year or two more than NYR would have preferred, but allows the AAV to be workable…Should put a damper on Eichel talk.
https://twitter.com/NYP_Brooksie/status/1447222898951958530?s=20
Good for Mika.
This reminds me of when Hughes turned the puckover last night leading to a short handed goal.
He is that defensemen that everyone thought Faulk was
he will put up points and make himself rich but give up double the other way
I think a points cannibal was the term
This is related to the Oilers because after all the short handed goals they score from Quinn Hughes gifts, they have to go through the Rangers if they want to win a Stanley.
Trading contract length for a smaller cap hit seems to be the flavour of the season. Makes sense the way money projections are looking.
Yep.
Also interesting that his contract is a straight $8.5 million for all 8 years.
No mid or back loading and zero signing bonuses.
An encouraging pre-season.
Goalie tandem 1A/1B looks solid. The 3rd G, call-up for injury, is ready for that role and should show strong numbers in the AHL this year. I am keen to see how Konovalov does as well. I think he will be providing decent competition for Skinner
The D is still a work in progress, but one can see it working out “okay” this year. High event, but with more positive than negative at the end of the day – should Goaltending continue to be strong. I would like to see the HDSCA go down in the weeks ahead. I am most excited to watch Bouchard continue to develop. His ceiling is a legit 1RD. He is playing PK now and we need to be patient with that part of his game. Certainly his calm disposition will pay off in that role. IF Nurse and Barrie remain the top pair this year, I think it would be best if the Oilers ran the bottom two pairings more or less equal TOI and it would be interesting to see some mixing and matching to find the best chemistry. By Christmas, Keith-Bouch and KK-CC OR keep the vet pair together. Time will tell. Berglund looks ready to fill a 3RD role should injury occur. We have significant depth on LD. If there was a crisis next week, Neimelainen could cover 3LD for a few games. Sammy will be putting heat on KK by early 2022. A full year in the AHL for Bro will help him long-term with his development. Maybe a cup of coffee this year at some point, but he has already had some quality time watching games with the team and best for him to play play play and Bake this year.
I think Lagesson is an obvious waivers decision. I have been cheering for him for years, but he seems to have reached his ceiling about 2 years ago and has not continued to progress. He is a reasonable 7/8 and I would like to see him pass through waivers and be a call up option. Most teams have their own 7/8 D that will be on the waiver wire as well. I am not sure he has done much to garner the attention of another team looking to add a 7D to their active roster.
The addition of an entire new top 9 line is titillating. Hyman, Foegele and Ryan all bring their work boots and have skill. I had been hoping to land Ryan a few years ago when he signed with the Phlegms. With capable W he is a very good upgrade on 3C. Perlini is a fantastic surprise. Of course not expecting his goal per game pace to continue, but he just stole Benson’s job and can move up the line-up. JP 2.0 continues his upward trajectory and KY can fit in anywhere in the top 9 and make significant contributions throughout the 200 ft.
Shore and Sceviour have played well and the latter deserves a contract, although not necessarily a roster spot for opening night; Kass injury dependent most likely, but again a decent depth signing bet. Turris beat out Marody and will be a good option to keep around. I doubt he would be claimed on waivers.
I think the wise move is to send McLeod to Bake for about 20 games, keep Benson on the club and get him more games…then make a more significant decision on his future with this team. The ghastly turn-over in his own end leading to a goal last night could be considered a nail, but I would still try to give him a few more reps before potentially losing him for nothing.
Some line-up juggling to maximize LTIR, then “Done”.
Drop the puck and lets take this baby for a ride!
keeping Benson is smart. Lagesson is going down. doubt he gets claimed.
Sceviour can wait for deal. If Kassian is healthy I’d like them to wait on Sceviour. no need to rush. he is replaceable.
question is when to play Benson? unless Kassian is hurt or Perlini plays poorly, he won’t see the ice short of injury.
Yeah. Benson is a head scratcher for sure.
Assuming they go 14 forwards and 7 dmen, I see Lagesson being waived and quite possibly McLeod up front. Which is totally unfair because McLeod has been the best player on the 5th line.
However his waiver status works against him, plus he’s a guy you want playing every day because he looks like a sure fire NHLer.
Scevior and Benson can sit in the pressbox for now. They are good enough to play in an emergency, but both look like fringe players to me. So far anyways.
Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) Tweeted:
Alex Barre-Boulet was told he’ll be put on waivers today by @TBLightning, with hopes he lands in Syracuse. More on roster taking shape and what we learned about Cup champs during preseason (50% off sub link) https://t.co/wjzmZX3Lk0
https://twitter.com/JoeSmithTB/status/1447211112978657287?s=20
Where did you go last night? We were hoping for more insight on those great Canucks defensive pairings
Sorry..I stopped doing command performances years ago.
Sure you did
you’re not fooling anyone
The performances just turned into your life 24/7, you have embraced the moles and stench with arms wide open.
What do they lightning have to do with Oilers?
Lemme guess, everything if they want a cup they have to go through Tampa Bay while also arm wrestling the avengerslanche, and that’s if they can get through Sutter hockey after somehow beating the mighty Canucks organization.
Sadly nothing, as no way that waiver option gets as far down the list as EDM.
It’s puzzling how a competently run team like the Lightning didn’t trade this guy earlier to get something for him.
As it is they’ve wasted 3 years developing him, and now have nothing to show for it. What an awful management of resources.
I won’t talk too much on the Keith-Ceci pairing, but will say Ceci is lucky to have Keith as his partner. From the couple games that I’ve watched him play, Keith is still doing the simple plays I recall him doing consistently in Chicago, specifically riding opponents lightly into the boards and quickly swatting the stick to knock the puck loose to his partner behind the net. He’s always got his feet moving, which is key, and I really like his detail on when to not commit behind the net. Often times he stays out front of the net to break up a HDSC and lets others help in the boards battles behind the net. I suspect Ceci will be 3rd pair sooner than later. Question is does Keith play with Bouchard or Barrie. Early days, but I think I like the thought of Barrie.
Also, sad for Benson, I thought he did some good things last night but when the broadcasters say “Oilers on a 3-2 but Benson over skates the puck”, and “A turnover by Benson” which directly leads to a goal, this is not a good showcase for a job.
Keith is very good, he’s going to help immensely imo.
I was at the game last night, and the impression that I got was that the Edmonton squad was the hungrier of the two. Their forechecking was impressive, always keeping the Canucks under pressure. Two late goals for the Canucks was unfortunate, but overall a pretty good game for the good guys. Particularly given the players they left on the shelf back in Edmonton.
I agree on Keith and Ceci – while there is some chaos in the defensive zone with positioning, I think this pairing had a very solid night and had been getting better as the exhibition season went on – in particular Duncan Keith.
The “expected goal differential” was awful for them last night and I care about zero iotas. Such stats in a one-game sample mean so very little and the pairing (and Holland) are getting criticized for last night’s game by many, some of which I now for certainty didn’t watch the game but are only looking at the post game charts.
I think Duncan Keith is going to be a really nice 2LD based on the skills he’s shown during exhibition. The man can still move and pass the puck and he’ll be passing the puck to an elite rush-scoring forward group. He is also very smart in the offensive zone, he knows when and how to shoot and get that puck through and fires pucks that create rebounds and are “tipable” – throw Hyman, Foegele and Jesse in front of that net.
Keith is going to produce 35-40 points this season I think.
The pairing may show some chaos in the defensive zone. To be honest, I haven’t seen the “defending” from Ceci that I heard about in Pit and has led to two straight real nice GA/60 seasons. There could be chaos and high event with this pairing but many will they help the goals for.
They helped kill many minutes on the PK last night.
I haven’t seen the criticism of Keith-Ceci, seems overly positive online based on what I’ve read. I would caution ALL to hold back your water on making any sweeping statements either way on this pairing. They may not be together a long time, for instance, and it could have more to do with Evan Bouchard than either Keith or Ceci. I know it’s difficult OP, but would encourage you to wait and take a cautionary stance on all of the blue. Work in progress.
Well said. Pretty easy to view a small sample size and come to concrete conclusions. I have been guilty of same. I think the positive outcome is we have 7 D who can play (certainly not an all star D line up but decent). How they line up through the season will be interesting, especially bottom 2 pair. Found last night’s game enjoyable to watch even without the star power.
I’m really liking the fact that the worst skater on the Oilers now at least has NHL level skating.
I think it will make a difference in being able to forecheck aggressively and retrieve pucks defensively which will really help the team defense, hopefully far fewer 2 minute D zone shifts to defend.
And that all the D can handle the puck and pass like they’ve done it before.
Who’s the worst skater on the Oilers now?
Probably Koskinen.
I’m not sure
Which is a good thing!
Ryan or Shore probably?
I was going to say it depends on the roster decisions today.
I’d have put all of Shore, Benson and Lagesson in the conversation, maybe Sceviour too?
I think Ryan is a little more in the Nuge/Yamamoto good edges family, though I still haven’t seen him play a ton.
Benson and Lagesson slipped my mind. You are probably right.
I’m surprised Benson is still in the bad-skating conversation after this preseason. He has had problems, but skating hasn’t been one of them.
Agreed.
Things like skating can linger for a long time. Until he plays in the league for a year, and gets in (say) 70 games, it’ll be an issue. Personally, I wish he would shoot more. Benson is a playmaker but shooting is always an option.
I only suggested him because the team doesn’t really have any bad skaters. IMO he remains among the slowest in the group, even though his skating is totally fine.
Oh, there is a ton of critisim on “Oilers Twitter” – they have poor possession metrics and their xGF% of the game was below 20% – the critisim is in full swing.
Jeff Veillette post a chart with the xGF% numbers and twitter had a hey day.
I wouldn’t call my post a “sweeping statement” but my projection based on what I’ve seen (this exhibition season and over the years) – I don’t think its any more of a “sweeping statement” than any of the countless other player and team projections we discuss daily.
Keith-Ceci might be exactly what Tippett wanted, they certainly have NHL experience. For me, I’ll have a good idea after 20 games. Until then, unless the coach checks down to another pairing, best to observe and see how the numbers are adding up along the way.
Sure but that premise also goes for essentially all player, in particular all new ones such as Ryan, Foegele and Hyman, in addition to Keith/Ceci.
Yes. I’m saying jumping to conclusions on anyone is a bad idea.
For sure, of course. All I’m saying is that we (and I do mean all of us) do that in this community, every day, with pretty much all players.
Some conclusions jumped to are more certain (i.e McDavid and Drai will produce on the PP) and some less certain (Keith will be a big upgrade over Lagesson/Jones/Russell/Koekkoek/Kulikov).
35-40 points for a dman who does not get pp time???
I will put woodguy, donated to the lovely host, on the under if you are interested?
He’s rocking a 2.55 P/60 through the exhibition season – is that not definitive of regular season production?
I say this will be the most creative as well as the highest scoring D we’ve seen in Edmonton since forever.
Not a high bar but I agree.
I don’t see a way for Lagesson to be on the opening night roster and anticipate he’s exposed on waivers (I also think he’ll clear).
I think Turris may be on waivers, for opening day cap structuring, but will be recalled for game 1 (Broberg on the opening day roster and then re-assigned prior to game 1).
At this point, I don’t imagine Sceviour doesn’t get a contract.
Leavins is confident that both McLeod and Benson are on the roster and the Sceviour has been offered a contract (although the player said he hadn’t last night).
Does that mean Leavins doesn’t think that Turris has made the team? He has to my eye.
Kassian’s status is a major wild card – active vs. IR vs. LTIR. I’m presuming he’s active.