The Edmonton Oilers are 7-3-0 under new coach Jay Woodcroft and things are going well. The road trip is now 2-2-0 and a winnable game in Chicago is just ahead. A small concern, the team rode five skaters over 22 minutes, and four of them were forwards. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Evander Kane are going to be exhausted by the end of this trip, and there’s a game every two nights in March. Everyone will be tested this month. It was a good start.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Oilers fans still adjusting to Ken Holland’s management style
- New DNB: Ken Holland Q&A
- Lowetide: February tests Oilers’ mettle but playoffs are still in sight
- Lowetide: Positive early returns on Oilers’ 2021 draft class, but there are miles to go
- Lowetide: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers’ quiet man, is making loud noises on a new line
- Jonathan Willis: Salary cap limits Oilers’ options, no excuse not to look for a goalie today
- DNB: Mike Smith keeps showing he’s not the Oilers’ answer in net.
- Lowetide: 3 trade targets that could help Oilers this season and beyond
- DNB: Oilers trade deadline expectations? Mailbag
- Lowetide: Evan Bouchard’s new role with Oilers and the promising early results
- Jonathan Willis: With easy upgrades done, hard work remains for Oilers as trade deadline nears
- DNB: Oilers setting their sights on challenging trip ahead
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Raphael Lavoie has turned the corner as an NHL prospect
- Lowetide: The furious race to land Oilers’ open job on left defence
- DNB: Derek Ryan flourishing under new Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft
- DNB: Oilers picking Philip Broberg over Trevor Zegras is still debated.
- Lowetide: Connor McDavid’s remains a transcendent talent. Here’s why.
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2021
WHAT TO EXPECT IN MARCH
- On the road to: PHI, CHI (Expected 1-0-1) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: MON (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: CAL (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: WAS, TBAY, DET, BUF, NJD (Expected 3-1-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: COL, DAL (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: SJS (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: CAL (Expected 0-1-0) Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: ARI, LAK (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 8-5-2, 18 points from 15 games
- Actual March results: 1-0-0, 2 points in 1 game
- Oilers in 2021-22: 30-21-3, 63 points in 54 games
Edmonton is on a 96-point trajectory at this time, I suspect that is good enough for the playoffs. This morning, it’s touch and go, with Vegas and Dallas percentage points ahead for third in the Pacific and eighth in the conference, respectively. It’s an insane season. 15-5-0, then 3-11-2, and then 12-5-1. Avoiding a second 3-11-2 would seem to be vital to making the playoffs.
GOALTENDER
Mikko Koskinen posted a shutout, stopping 39 shots (including nine HDSC). For the season, he has 19 wins and his SP has climbed to .905. Koskinen has a .925SP in his most recent eight games. I think he’ll get an NHL contract next year, but unlikely to be in Edmonton. Like Cam Talbot, Koskinen’s main issue has been playing for coaches who don’t give him enough rest. I wonder if Woodcroft has an app for that, too.
DEFENSE
Darnell Nurse had a strong game and played tons of minutes. A power-play assist, penalty drawn, a couple of looks in the offensive zone. A terrific night. He’s tireless. Tyson Barrie battled the forecheck, won some battles along the wall and (mostly) got the puck out and to a good place. His coverage isn’t fabulous, but he could be more effective with a shutdown partner. The possession numbers weren’t good. The pairing had 10 defensive zone starts.
Markus Niemelainen played just 8:44 and had just two hits plus he got himself out of position looking for a hit in the neutral zone, but he drew a penalty, his possession numbers were good and he played well with Cody Ceci. Cody Ceci played a steady game and calmed the waters no matter who was out there. He is emerging as one of those foundation pairing veterans every team needs and is mentoring the yutes with aplomb.
Duncan Keith had a pair of giveaways and had a shot on goal and looked calm, especially with his passes. He finished 1-0 goals at five-on-five in his return, I expect he’ll play a larger role in Chicago. He is the best outlet passer from the left side, even at this age. Evan Bouchard had three shots, some (4) blocked shots and played more than Barrie on the power play. Sublime passer, is the best on the team and is a wonder at getting the shot through to the net from the point. William Lagesson’s 12:09 at even-strength, more than the rest of the young set. I wonder how long the team runs with seven, and who sits when someone has to draw out.
FORWARDS
Evander Kane was more involved in this game, some big hits and aggressive pursuit of the puck. He didn’t get an assist on the Yamamoto goal, but was part of the chaos net-front that led to the marker. I liked his rambunctious game far more than his Carolina performance. Kailer Yamamoto scored a goal, the kind of opportunistic chaos tally he’s good at burying. Had a takeaway, took a high-sticking penalty on a play that did not involve his stick, and worked hard suppressing Flyers all the live long day. Leon Draisaitl was exceptional in this game, three shots, HDSC, drew a penalty and created juicy rebounds at five-on-five; he scored a power-play goal, got an assist on McDavid’s empty netter and was quality on the PK. Lots of criticism for his passing mistakes on the PP, but for me the overriding story here is the big man’s brilliance across 200 feet.
Connor McDavid showed why he’s the best player in the game, 1-1-2, drew a penalty, blocked a shot, skated miles, interrupted progress. As he matures, and adds pieces that come naturally with experience, McDavid may become even more dominant overall. His speed is simply out of this world. Zach Hyman had an assist, four HDSC (two at five-on-five), drew a penalty and consistently placed the puck in favorable areas for Edmonton has he came through the neutral zone. The man is textbook, I love his game. Warren Foegele had a takeaway and a HDSC on the power play, he was quiet but that will happen with complementary players. I think he’s coming along well now.
Tyler Benson continues to build on his game, he’s agitating consistently now but also showing those dynamite passing skills. If only a trade deadline piece, he’s building value. I think he could be more than that, the hiring of Woodcroft means a head coach who has seen those quality passes and values them. If you just look at his stats from last night, you’d think he didn’t do much. He did a lot with the puck by passing to great spots and using his brain. I’m thinking he’s going to make it. Ryan McLeod had a nice tip from the high slot that could have been a counter. He’s touching the puck more now at five-on-five, making plays and completing moments even if it’s just getting pucks to safety. With his wheels, if he can do that, he’s going to play 15 more years, it’s only a matter of his spot in the batting order. Derek Ryan had a great HDSC and played well across 200 feet. He’s 35, so he won’t be here as a player five years from now, but Ryan is a smart guy and he’ll bust through walls for the coach who gave him a chance. A great story.
Brad Malone impressed with hard work and physical play, he has some skill, too. I think he might carve out a role. Devin Shore played 5:54 at five-on-five to Malone’s 8:19, something to monitor as the days go by.
POSTING
I monitored pretty well yesterday but when I turned off my computer there was a bit of silliness on the blog. So the first half-hour of my morning was spent reading hilarious words like “asshole” and some politics. So, new rule. From now on, any baiting or bad language, references to politics or general tomfoolery gets you a 30-day ban. No exceptions. There are several hilarious people currently on 30-day timeouts who refused to respect the simple request to stay away from politics. Folks, we can’t handle it. This blog is almost 20 years old, I know you think you’re the first guy who thought of whatever brilliant thing you think of, but I’ve seen it and deleted it. Please be respectful.
Zach Hyman is a human tutorial video. Details plus inspiration every shift.
25 passes to someone with red all over him, 29? flies by and 22 ends up in the midfle of a 2 on 1, must be 22’s fault……
What can the Oilers get if they package up the future considerations owed by Carolina from the Dylan Wells trade with the future considerations just acquired from San Jose for Stalock?
Considerable future?
“Weaponized” futures!
3 rolls of tape and a used water bottle.
Well.
The Kracken knock off the Predators. What’s the opposite of everything coming up Millhouse?
In any case, thank you weaponized cap space.
Nash now 3-6-1 in their last ten.
=====
They still managed to pick up a point on the Wild who went 3-7-0 and only one point now separates them. You might call it a lost opportunity but they’ve both got the Stars licking their chops and closing hard instead.
Minnesota has a couple of games in hand, but they (and Nashville) really did fall back to the pack. The playoff teams in the west are very very much up in the air now and there’s lots of hockey left to play.
The Oilers have traded Alex Stalock to San Jose for future considerations. Just not enough starts to go around with all the goalies healthy.
https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/1499240758510981120
Godspeed – I hope he gets back to the NHL some day.
I should have opened with “The Oilers make a goalie trade!” to create a little buzz.
Perhaps SJ will need another NHL goalie pretty soon?
Some say they never look out for players. well, they’ve done a lot of good things for the troopers toiling in the minors these past two weeks, starting with the Malone contract.
LT keeps talking about how strange this current season has been. And he’s 100% right, it’s had the highest highs and lowest lows, and in quick succession too (the Oilers actually did have the NHL’s best PTS% in their 1st 21 games, then the NHL’s worst PTS% over their next 15).
So where are we at overall? I’ll look first at this season compared to the previous two (and why not, I’ll throw in the last Chiarelli season for fun too).
Overall all strengths results, expressed as %:
Year — SF SCF HDCF GF PTS
18-19 47.9 48.8 47.9 45.8 .482
19-20 48.0 48.2 50.2 50.9 .585
20-21 49.4 49.2 51.4 54.3 .643
21-22 51.2 51.1 51.4 50.7 .583
And at 5v5:
Year — SF SCF HDCF GF
18-19 47.6 47.8 46.4 45.1
19-20 48.3 47.7 49.6 47.3
20-21 48.5 47.8 49.8 49.8
21-22 50.8 50.3 50.3 49.6
Seems like steady, modest growth in shot and scoring chance number year over year. Happening at both at 5v5 and overall.
Goaltending and special teams have obscured what seems to be some real growth in the ‘process’ part of things that’s happened this season.
So what about this season, since that’s where I started.
There are 3 chapters so far (hopefully the latest one doesn’t end till June).
Chapter 1 Oct. 12-Dec. 1 21GP 16-5-0 .762PTS% (#1 in the NHL)
Chapter 2 Dec. 2-Jan 21 15GP 2-11-2 .200PTS% (#32 in the NHL)
Chapter 3 Jan. 22-Mar.1 18GP 12-5-1 .694PTS% (#7 in the NHL)
I guess folks are going to want a Woodcroft Chapter separated out (I do too), so we can split Chapter 3 into 3A and 3B.
So, as above:
Overall, all strengths results, expressed as %:
Ch SF SCF HDCF GF
1- 48.7 50.0 49.0 56.7 16-5-0
2- 52.4 52.1 51.2 36.1 2-11-2
3- 53.1 51.4 54.4 56.0 12-5-1
3A 54.1 51.7 53.8 52.1 8GP 5-2-1, .688
3B 52.4 51.1 54.8 59.0 10GP 7-3-0 .700
At 5v5:
Ch SF SCF HDCF GF
1- 47.8 48.4 46.8 48.9
2- 52.6 52.1 50.2 39.7
3- 52.8 51.0 54.6 59.4
3A 51.4 50.0 51.3 54.8
3B 54.0 51.9 57.5 63.2
This really is such a strange season. Based on underlying numbers the team has continued to build stronger and stronger as the season has progressed. The actual results haven’t followed though, with a truly horrible 15 game dip in the middle.
The 5v5 results have improved markedly but at the same time the special teams have fallen off.
Anyway, I’ll stop there.
A season’s story of shooting percentage, slot shots, and special teams.
And the ending is still in doubt. Yet to be written. I’m hoping to leave the cinema with a smile on my face.
Do you have the raw data? Is the improvement due to an increase on the For side of the ledgers or due to a decrease in the Against? Of course, I’m especially thinking about 3B there.
(Sorry, this is why I love raw numbers)
Yes, all those components have had their say at different times. Add injuries too I guess.
It’s late (east coast) so I’ll just do the raw all strengths numbers:
SF-SA rates
1– 31.9 33.6
2– 33.5 30.4
3A 34.7 29.5
3B 33.4 30.4
SCF-SCA rates
1– 28.9 28.9
2– 29.8 27.4
3A 32.7 30.5
3B 29.3 28.1
HDCF-HDCA rates
1– 11.7 12.2
2– 11.5 11.0
3A 12.9 11.1
3B 13.6 11.2
GF-GA rates
1– 3.77 2.87
2– 2.32 4.10
3A 3.04 2.79
3B 3.60 2.50
I don’t think there’s a smoking gun there. Though I also don’t feel like it’s all goaltending.
At 5v5 it’s pretty similar. If anything the ‘for’ metrics seem to have improved with Woodcroft.
Thank you so very much, I know what a pain it is to format on here.
I agree, no, everything went sideways in 2, so can’t just be goaltending. PDO blown out both ends, looks like from that. But there’s many reasons that could be built into that. Covid, injuries, luck, confidence, rookies, goaltending, give-a-fuck levels…
And I’m not sure about goaltending, but I’d say that as far as the season as whole goes, save percentage looks like it has a role. But look at the effect back pressure by the forwards has, when they have the energy to do that work well. Is that a reason for the bump in save percentage in Stage 3? Has to be part of it.
Another thing I wonder about is strength of schedule.
Because they’re facing more probable-to-guaranteed losses with the density of their schedule and the travel involved since the AS Break, that affects the stats and the win-loss column. Not to mention strength of opponent.
I think 3B has the potential for better numbers because of the difficulty of the journey that’s built into the current sample.
Yes, a PDO collapse at both ends for that 15 game stretch. And everything going sideways is probably a good way to put it (IIRC the simultaneously had the worst SH% and SV% over the 15 games).
Agree SV% has a role re. the whole season though, no question. Beyond that I’m hesitant to interpret the wild PDO swings too much.
The schedule I’m sure has affected the numbers too. On a surface QoC level, that road trip was a 10, but I think Woodcroft’s opponents before that were pretty weak. I’m not sure how the whole balanced out.
Friedman saying Ristolainen to Edmonton is heating up
oh please God no!!!!
I think it’s OK if it’s for Barrie, right?
sure or for Kassian
as long as we don’t re-sign
Yeah that’s definitely a worry.
I think he may be a bit of a Ceci situation though, where he’s no longer terrible. His on ice numbers in Philly are positive across the board this year, though that’s not a high bar.
That’s not an endorsement, but he’s likely not quite as bad as we think.
I agree with the premise that Ristolainen may flourish if placed in a better situation/role but he will likely cost double what Ceci does … do we really want to resign him for 6+ million?
He’s big, mobile and physical, can skate and handle the puck. He hasn’t quite put it all together, but man that toolkit is pretty good. I’d be real interested to see what Manson can do with him. Nurse, Ristolainen and Niemo on each pairing would be a helluva thing.
If Barrie is going back the other way it would be an interesting trade.
He’s the new E. Johnson.
what?
Saying that, I just don’t think this is a player for whom you blow up cap space and assets for. Interesting player though … all the tools with no toolbox.
https://twitter.com/friedgehntc/status/1499173973661257729?s=21
if there’s a time to say man do we need an analytics department this would be it
That’s a fake account.
The evidence points that way.
-175 over his career, all will bad teams.
7 playoff games since 2011-12…2 with TPS in Liiga and 5 during his NHL rookie season in the AHL.
Makes sense, the Oilers don’t like their Finns under 6’4”. 😀
So TO enters the goalie stakes this week… but did Vegas leave it?
Lehner played all sixty in their win last night.
Wow. Buffalo smoked the Leafs in Toronto 5-1. Another reminder that you really can’t take any team lightly in the NHL. A good team gets that overlap where their game is not near its best up against a bad team that played above its norm and this is what you get. So far, Woodcroft has done a good job of keeping the team focused on each game as it comes. They may not always execute brilliantly, but they are putting in solid efforts every games.
Meanwhile Hart Trophy “favorite” and 200 ft player Matthews was 1GF/3GA on ice and on all 3 goals against he was meandering around the ice not doing much to deter the Sabres.
I was just about to post a deep and heartfelt thank you to the Buffalo Sabres organization for all the grief, angst, and indigestion they’re causing Toronto tonight… but you got there first, ya rat bastard.
And just like that Hellebuyck has joined the pantheon of names linked to the Oilers in trade rumors.
https://thehockeywriters.com/oilers-showing-interest-trading-canadiens-jets/
Dear gord. 45 starts this season already.
Oh boy, I’d have time for Hellebuyck.
Does Costco, the 2022 1st and Broberg +/- Lavoie get you two years of Hellebuyck?
Would you pay that?
Let’s not get excited as its not really much of a rumor. It entirely consists of who Rob Couch, the author of the piece, speculates that Archie Henderson (the Oilers chief scout) might have been looking at the Habs/Jets game he attended in person this week. And his only reason for suggesting Hellebuyck (after first mentioning several other possibilities) might be in play for a trade at all, is another reporters’ comment that Hellebuyck is being wasted in Winnipeg and deserves better. He did not indicate having any source other than his own musings about this.
That smells a lot like Ben Chiarot.
That is super interesting.
I was looking a bit at Copp and Stastny as deadline possibilities. Hellebuyck would obviously be the actual ideal goalie add.
I said I’d trade the 1st and Samorukov/Lavoie for Varlamov last night, so I probably can’t say ‘no’ to Hellebuyck for one more young player. I do like Broberg a lot though.
And you can call it 2 years of Hellebuyck, but the only important part of 21-22 hasn’t happened yet, so it’s 2+ years of Helly lat the very least.
I could see at the Jets putting feelers out for interest in Hellebuyck – you’d have to think Toronto would be in the running as well – though they don’t have much left other than future draft capital to offer.
It would cost a lot, though, and I can’t see them being focused on Broberg/Samorukov, as they have Samberg and Heinola in the minors right now.
They’d be looking for draft picks and young forwards – so 2022 1st + conditional pick (e.g. 2nd that becomes another 1st if certain conditions are met) + Bourgault + cap dump (Kassian and Smith) to make the money work maybe gets you in the conversation. Otherwise, I can’t see Winnipeg being that motivated to move him.
Hellebuyck is one of the few goalies who’s worth shelling out for.
Holloway would be part of the ask for certain
For sure. I’d rate Holloway as a more substantial prospect than the Bourg at this time.
Ugh. But you’re not getting a player like that without giving up multiple pieces that hurt. Seems pretty unlikely still, on multiple levels (as Redbird62 is trying to tell us; this is fun though).
Well, he’s the number one guy, IMO. Him and Vassy. I’d be delighted to see him in Oiler silks. Fun to think about whether the problems could be overcome, agreed.
The cap considerations are one of those levels you alluded to… would we have to give up something like Pujo? I mean we can all say Kass or Barrie, but the problem is if Hellboy is up for grabs we ain’t the only team Chevy’s out tailgating with. We’d have to outbid.
I also think Skinner could be part of the ask.
They love Helly though. No way they’re trading him. And they have a core at that age. Cheveldae moves in geological time, chthonically. I would imagine this year is being written off to injuries and Covid and an opp to get a better draft pick and improve the team in the off-season… not tear it down.
Yeah, looking a bit more it really makes no sense that they’d entertain trading him. I was thinking they were aging out a bit (Wheeler and Stastny), but basically everyone else is under 30. There’s no reason for them to tear it down, and that means there’s no reason they’d trade Helleybuck.
He’d have cost too much anyway 😉
That’s an overpaid D corp on average. Schmidt is about to turn 31 and Dillon will soon be 32. The group is hitting the cap at $27 million compared to the Oilers at $21 million, and they don’t do a very good job defensively. The team gives up the 2nd most (barely behind Detroit) HDCA in the league, and a lot of scoring chances. They were near the bottom in that regard last season too. Hellebuyck is making them look better than they are. Hellebuyk being the goalie he is is the primary reason why the Jets beat the Oilers last season. I think he’d be great in Edmonton, but I can’t imagine the Jets trading him. He is not the problem they need to fix.
Some of that is how thin they’ve been over the course of the season, and losing Maurice. Jets used to be a very good pressure team like Woody has the Oil playing. It’s starting to look like the forwards can have a real material effect on those HD numbers.
But I definitely agree, Dillon would be a good starting point if they were to make changes. Schmidt’s numbers aren’t bad, but DeMelo is struggling.
Yeah it appears they are pretty awful defensively, and for sure Hellebuyck is covering up a lot of that.
Yeah, good point about what the Jets would want. They’re flush with NHL defenders too for a number of years. Though I suppose if they’re selling Hellebyuck then they’re probably moving a bunch of other veterans too.
3 playoff runs. That’s important.
So Chitown tomorrow night than a Saturday against the Habs and Monday against the Flames.
How would you divide up the starts?
Koski against CHI and CGY and give Smith the Habs…?
Just keep rotating?
You would give Smith CHi and CGY, and MTL to Koski?
🤷
Figured I’d flush my original answer out a bit 🙂
I guess I’d say, if you didn’t come at this thing already thinking Smith is a POS, then you might give some latitude coming off injuries and such.
So it wouldn’t be hard look at it like Smith had a couple of not good starts on his return (Chi and Veg before Tippett departed). Then showed he was rounding into form (3 straight wins, 6 GA, .940 SV%). Then a brutal start and a not good one vs. Min and TB. Then a strong recovery game vs. Car.
The 4 goals on 7 shots vs Min. really tanks his numbers (he’s 3-2, 2.43GAA, .921SV% in the other 5 games).
I’m not 100% there on the above, but we shouldn’t forget that Koskinen was also worthless a few weeks ago. So I don’t know if you’re at the point of strategizing which goalie gets which start because they’ve both had their struggles.
Smith – Chicago.
Mikko Habs
Then decide who plays against the Flames.
I think it has a pretty good chance of going down that way.
Smith is going to get some starts, and it is very likely the GM has requested that he play at least half the games before the deadline. Ken will want to see some consistency from Smith before he removes his finger from the goalie trigger.
Samo signed a one-way, one-year deal at a $775,000/a Cap Hit.
Desharnais signed a two-way, two-year deal at a $762,500/a CH.
Hamblin signed a two-way, two-year deal at a $807,500/a CH.
Jimmy gets $80k in the minors. Vinnie $150k first year, $250k second year.
================
Source: https://www.capfriendly.com/signings
Just looking at that. Hamblin also has a signing bonus both years so he’ll make $125k each year if he’s in Bakersfield.
Nice to see Holland get an extension for Samorukov sorted out early.
The others two are probably deep depth and mainly farm team contributors. Probably.
I wasn’t sure how the signing bonus was deployed so excluded it, I was hoping he got it regardless, so that’s good to hear, JP.
I would imagine the context in Eastern Europe was something of a motivating factor for Holland and Samo.
I’m 99% sure the players get the signing bonus regardless of anything else, hope that’s correct.
Samorukov’s other options hadn’t occurred to me this evening, but that could certainly have been a factor. He did get a 1-way deal a bit over league min though, so he may have been happy to sign it regardless.
Good for Samorukov to get that secured payday, and should keep him in N.A. I know his reaction time looked bad in his debut, but his minor league work suggests there’s something good there.
Huh.
I’d have thought you’d enjoy a good tire fire on the back end.
What a play by Sammy (and everyone should be following Bruce):
https://twitter.com/bcurlock/status/1499208987085979649?s=21
Nothing to summarize tonight, as Chiasson is out of the Wheaties’ lineup once again.
Whether he’s had a setback or is just being eased back into the lineup is uncertain.
Bourne has a niece piece at SN about goalies
Seems on the mark to me
Haven’t seen the article but Oilers #1 need is a starting goalie. I know Smith and Koski have both played well in recent games, and good for them. However in my opinion neither is a playoff calibre goalie. Numbers don’t lie.
Oilers re-sign Samorukov to a one-year extension and sign Hamblin and Deharnais to two year NHL deals.
i’ll need to do more digging but I presume all three are 2-way league min deals.
Congrats to all three who have earned it with their AHL play and progression.
Sambo is on a 1-way deal.
Did anyone else see Braun good last night?
I didn’t notice him, you thought good? Top 4 good cause, that’s what he has to do or he’s no help
Yes 2RD is what is needed!
He made a few subtle net front plays that prevented good chances, and threw a nice stretch pass to boot. With Provorov, Sanheim and Ellis being the only D on their books for next season, it would be great if Philly could be enticed by a package including Barrie. Dare to dream…
Yes I did. Great defender, very smart subtle plays, you won’t generally notice him and that is a good thing. He is a bonafide top 4 and would look great next to Nurse.
By TOI he was #4, but he played primarily vs 97 and just under 21 minutes (he was averaging just over 22 minutes his past 5 games).
Just watched the Oilers practice day interviews. Looks like Connor had at least 5 teeth badly chipped from the Skjei stick to the face. He was whistling just slightly a few times as he talked. Be a bit of dental work to get that fixed up. Nasty sport that hockey.
Good thing he’s rich or he’d have no prospects
In the immortal words of Jaro Pouzar “me married no need pretty”.
This and hearing about Lee Fogelin pulling out a bad tooth with a coat hanger are amongst may favourite old time Oiler stories.
Ha. Hadn’t heard that one.
Apologies if this has been posted:
“The Other Nuge” is reporting that the Oilers have signed Samorukov to an extension, and signed Desharnais and Hamblin to NHL deals which begin next season.
https://theathletic.com/realtime/Sfxr0krBmzQy/
https://theathletic.com/realtime/7AbMb11u3Fkc/
Great news, they all deserve another contract
Lido missed the boat that day he left the shack.
But that was all he missed and he ain’t coming back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQZBaJAngH8
One more win for the road please.
Listening to Brian Lawton with Stauffer today talk about your Chycrun in ARZ. He feels he is definitely a top 4 D, but says current asking price is astronomical, and unlikely to be met at trade deadline time.
I agree with Holland not wanting to part with the 1st rounder for a rental, unless we significantly improve between now and deadline and look like a legitimate threat to go deep. However, in the offseason, before the draft, I would definitely consider giving up the first, a high end prospect plus another player for Chycrun, who is signed at a value contract for 3 more years. My condition would be they have to take Klefbom’s contract. Sure we can go over the cap by his salary if on LTIR but only after the season starts, and therefore use it for bit part players to fill out the roster. Would rather have someone with the roughly the same contract who can actually play in Klef’s spot in the batting order (2LD). Would really solidify the back end for a few years.
I like Broberg, but if he turned into Chycrun caliber and signed the same contract, I would be ecstatic! So why not just get the original version. So 2022 1st rounder, Broberg, Klefbom and whatever for Chycrun.
Arizona needs high end prospects (1st/Broberg), non payable cap filler (Klefbom) and actual players to play (Kassian please please please). We need to win now.
Mikko’s salary basically goes straight into Darnell’s pocket. Plus some significant RFA’s. We don’t have a lot of money to play with. Improvements on the team are going to have to come from some shrewd moves like getting reasonable contracts like this and moving similar money (Klef). That is going to cost us futures/prospects.
Win now.
This is a good suggestion but I doubt Kenny can swing it. Also, any possibility of offloading Barrie here as well? Would 2023 1st/ 2024 2nd, Lagesson (actual NHLer), Lavoie, Klef (cap) & Barrie work for Chycrun +?
Not worried about his knees?
A 1st and Bro is two 1sts
That’s a haul for the Dogs. How dominant is he two ways? They really don’t need more puck movers.
It’s a decent contract but that doesn’t matter if he doesn’t make the team an awful lot better at that price
It’s a reasonable expectation that Chycrun ends up in LA.
Theyre currently accumulating cap space and wouldn’t need to perform any cap gymnastics to add him.
I would imagine Blake is waiting to see if the Kings are true playoff contenders before pulling the trigger.
He has a cornucopia of assets to employ.
Speaking of the Kings…a very important game against Dallas tonight. Both teams playing well so a 3 point game is possible.
For those interested, here is a look at the end of their rebuild from former Canucks AGN Chris Gear.
Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) Tweeted:
ICYMI: @vangearman looks at why the Los Angeles Kings’ rebuild is already ahead of schedule https://t.co/2yFN1yW8Mb #nhl
https://twitter.com/DailyFaceoff/status/1499172705702084613?s=20&t=iXCpr8efCOLuzYBGLnhipg
Your imagination doesn’t make any sense. A Chychrun acquisition isn’t just about winning this season, it’s about the next 3 year (and probably more but 3 years on his contract). Blake thinking they are a year away should have zero impact.
Blake has been very methodical in his rebuild.
And the price to acquire Chychrun will change between the deadline and at the draft as will the available options.
He is in no hurry unless he thinks he has a decent shot of advancing this year.
Nah – my point stands and is correct.
If Blake is looking at this player, perceived team chances this year are minute factor. This is a multi-year impact acquisition.
Nah – it isn’t.
If the Kings miss the playoffs their draft pick is much more valuable in that it is eligible for the lottery.
If Blake decides not to pull the trigger before the deadline doesn’t mean he won’t be looking for a LHD in the offseason WHEN MANY MORE OPTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE and Chychrun might still be one of them.
The Kings have 3 blue chip RHD prospects so will be in the market for a young lefty but can afford to take their time if the playoffs aren’t likely.
Having said that…they lead Dallas 1-0 at the end of one.
Would you say that LA’s cap space could be…… weaponized?
Sorry to hear he has cornucopia. Hope he gets well soon. BTW Hoglander on the trade block but no takers.
As HH fiercely denied before the season started, Hoglander will be back playing in Europe in a few short seasons.
The Oilers need a right shot D, not a left shot D. The Oilers left side of the D is well covered. Apart from centre, the strongest part of the roster already..
Bigger relative improvement would come from spending assets and money on the weakest part of the roster, right D.
Adding Chychrun, when one already has Nurse, and one already has Keith, Broberg, Niemelaien, Lagesson, and Samorukov does not move things forward.
Reason. It’s a beautiful thing.
Kings choke big time tonight – no Bettman points. Best possible outcome … Oilers in good shape to leave the Kings by the side of the road, along with all the rubber.
It kinda made zero difference to the Oilers which team won tonight. That said, it does feel better that the Kings lost.
Oilers are fighting with both, so the most important thing is that it didn’t go to overtime, so no OTL point (unlike 12 days ago when LA beat Vegas in OT).
100%.
I’m still glad the Kings lost.
Me too.
Prospecting!
We’ll, there’s only one in action tonight, and even that is uncertain as Jake Chiasson continues to recover from the shoulder injury that’s sidelined him basically all season.
Will he play?
If so, will he post his first crooked number of the season?
These and other questions to be answered starting at 6 p.m. Devon time.
I get the feeling from hearing the players talk that they don’t want another goalie parachuted onto the roster.
There can be zero doubt that Duncan Keith is not appreciated by his teammates:
https://twitter.com/edmontonoilers/status/1499108008348979202?s=21
Not not?
I think the post and the video in the tweet speak for themselves.
That was really cool to see.
Ah. Clickbait.
What happens next will shock you!
What is your issue or concern here?
C’mon that was cool
Of course Connor then sits down next to Leo and says under his breath ‘Goof!’
Damn that’s cool.
Benson not on the ice for practice – per Tony Brar.
I’m surprised it’s not an optional today after seeing them play last night
Per Ryan Holt, both Broberg and Perlini options for the Condors tonight.
A bunch of signings yesterday.
https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/breaking-down-each-undrafted-free-agent-signed-by-nhl-teams/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Very benign post. I think we have a little HH Derangement Syndrome going on here.
I think the point is no one wants to see him here.
You didn’t read carefully enough. It says:
“Here are a bunch of players the Oilers should have signed but didn’t.”
The reader gets to choose among ‘oversight’, ‘incompetence’, ‘lack of analytics’, etc. as reasons for this organizational failure.
Nasty Nasty where’s the bar of soap.
I guess you didn’t get the memo or else you think I’m a Point Of Sale terminal.
Ken Holland.
1) JP
2) Zach Hyman
3) Codi Ceci
4) Evander Kane
5) Derek Ryan
6) Warren Foegele
7) Dylan Holloway
I’m gonna have to order me a copy of the “NHL Guide Book”
If Holland finds a way to move Barrie at the deadline (and bring in another Ceci) AND can move Zach Kassian in the summer, the dude should get a couple of GM of the Year votes.
Well. He’s responsible for both situations in the first place.
👌🏻
To be fair to Ken, at the point they were signed, their play in the immediate past had been good. Yes, Ken should’ve reviewed the whole body of work not just the last season. However, if he can do a do-over like Randle proposes, it’ll show that he accepts his mistake and corrected course.
Let me help you finish your list:
Anthanasiou
Green
Shore
Smith
Koekoek
Kassian
Barrie
Turris
Granlund
Nygard
Sheahan
Haas
Kahun
Don’t rush out to purchase your copy😉
The combined Larsson and Klefbom circumstances delivered a blow to the organization that is 2nd only to the Milan Lucic kerfuffle
Reinhart a close 3rd but in hindsight at least 2nd with a bullet.
Sorry did not go down to read this before I sent my 2 cents.
Joel Eriksson Ek was the guy they were going use the rounder they sent away. I’ve heard they would have used the second pick on Carlo.
Sigh.
You forgot the Reinhart acquisition by sweet Pete?
I think it might be possible for Malone to beat out Shore and/or Sceviour/Perlini given the Oilers desire to be more physical.
I highly doubt he can beat out Josh Archibald.
There’s a “Post Malone” joke in there, somewhere. Probably not a good one, though. I got nothing.
Well he can play all the games in any city for starters
Randle’s Original Thought O’ The Day:
I am thinking that one thing that may have been in the calculus for Ken Holland when he traded for Duncan Keith was “a contract extension”
Here’s the logic.
Keith is/was on the record (via his agent) that he wants to play beyond this contract.
Keith’s actual pay this year is $2.1m and next year is $1.5m ( imo..inarguably “value” for money)
Keith is close to his family, and in no need of “more cash”.
Hence, the probability that Keith re-signs with Holland at close to league minimum is actually quite high imo.
3 things that most contenders these days seem to have
1) Talent
2) Talent on ELC’s
3) Old Talent who can contribute significant value on low cost contracts.
Value for money – inarguably
Value for cap hit – nope (although, really, not all that far off – $3.75M of cap hit value).
As far as re-signing – my goodness, that shouldn’t even be a thought until May 2023.
Max 2-way 1 year x league minimum with no clauses. Uncle Kenny will probably offer him 2 x $3m with full no trade.
#kennythegrinder
Leon “Selke” Draisaitl is 10-0 in even strength in the Dr. Woodcroft era.
But ‘The Score’ has Leafs AM as a leader for the Hart. Leon is a beast and may win the Hart again. Selke win would be appropriate also. Arguably a #1C, PK guy and leader in the scoring race – all day long one of the best players in the NHL.
EDM Goal Diff 53 gp(30-21-3)
EV(5v5,4v4,3v3)
97 w/o 29(31-26) 54%
29 w/o 97(30-24) 56%
97&29 On(18-11) 62%
93 w/o either(13-12) 52%
71(9-14) 39%
10(11-24) 31%
Other(4-8) 33%
Net EV -3
Special Teams 46-43
Net ST +3
Empty Net 14-9
Net EN +5
SO/PS 3-0
Net SO/PS +3
Goal Diff +8
Woodcroft Era
EDM Goal Diff 10 gp(7-3-0)
EV (3v3,4v4,5v5)
97 w/o 29(8-6) 57%
29 w/o 97(6-0) 100%
97&29 On(4-0) 100%
93 w/o either(5-3) 63%
71(1-3) 25%
10(1-1) 50%
Other(0-1) 0%
Net EV +11
Special Teams 7-10=-3
Empty Net 4-1=+3
SO/PS 0-0
Goal Diff +11
Is the 10 number only when he is at C? Or without 97, 29, 93? Just asking because he’s scored four 5v5 goals in the past three games, so I’m not sure what conditions are playing into your number above.
71 and 10 are only when they are at C.
This is to track “top 6/bottom 6” not actual individuals, but individual tracking is a byproduct for 97 and 29.
Awesome, that’s what I suspected but wasn’t sure. Thanks, Darcy.
Lol… Woody hasn’t made this easy on you with the 7-11 philosophy.
I don’t think this team can be expected to post a better 10-game stretch of outscoring than this one. Upgrae the goaltending, add a RHD who can play top four? that’s the key to getting better.
Truth, and probably the two things he won’t do
A babysitter for Barrie / Bouch might help a lot
I was a big proponent of the Evander Kane signing and think he’s useful in the top-6, but I don’t see him as a play-driver or any kind of elite player besides good board work and battle in front of the net.
Useful addition, but not quite the same level of value to the team as RNH or even Hyman.
At this point I’d cringe at the thought of any contract with term for the player.
I’d give him a few more weeks to get up to speed before a full evaluation.
Kane has never been elite though and that shouldn’t have been expected.
There seems to be a fairly new requirement that forwards be “play drivers” and I don’t get it. Complementary players in the top six and secondary producers that being other elements (like Kane) are real and can make a team spectacular.
Will see where we go but a $4M AAV short term (2 years max) could make sense.
I’d be on board for that.
But even squinting, this is not nearly a $7M / year player (Wilson signed him to a $7M x 7 deal)
I’m not suggesting the Oilers sign him for $7M or anything, but I think you’re undervaluing him a bit here.
$7M would be tied for the 42nd to 49th forward cap hit in the league currently.
In the 5 seasons before this one he’s tied for 65th in forward points, but 18th in goals, with an average season line of 69GP 27-23-50 (Covid shortened seasons are the main reason for <82 games).
At even strength he ranks 46th in points and 16th in goals. And he wasn’t riding anyone’s coat tails to put up those scoring numbers.
Based on his hockey playing he seems to have been pretty fair value at $7M.
I suspect (hope!) we haven’t seen the best of what he can bring just yet, which wouldn’t be surprising after most of a year off from hockey.
Kane is the type that what he brings is more than his numbers. What Kassian was supposed to do, what Maroon did before Chiapet did the stoopid
From watching him I can see a Perry thing happening, not that Perry could ever skate.
Natural scorer and a brute, but Kane doesn’t seem like a great skater – could be the time away, but some heavy strides so far
Some guys get around that, some fall off big time
Someone asked below, “What happened to Mikko?”
What happened to Mikko is a pretty common affect. His team (under a new coach) became more convinced that team defense is the key building block to winning.
A goalies ability to play to his peak capacity is in direct correlation to his not having to “cheat” in an attempt to cover up his teams mistakes. And from there the confidence builds. Mikko’s “battle level” has risen accordingly.
That, and a balanced workload, give Mikko a chance to be a legit starter. ( he has always been an above average backup)
One thing I look for in a goalie, especially come playoff time, is mental toughness. The ability to shake off the last goal against. Mikko has developed his mental toughness… in the face of great adversity. (where “great adversity” means playing on a defensively sub-par team, and taking the brunt of harsh , often times unwarranted criticism from media, fans, and posters).
I think I was one of the first on here to state outright, that Coaches and Scouts around the league ( all of whom are well aware of the Oilers lack of defensive acumen), have made note of Mikko’s performance this year and will be looking at him closely in the offseason.
I will now take this a step further. Given that our GM is Ken Holland, and given that Mikko is only 33 yrs old, it would not surprise me in the least to see Holland re-sign Mikko if he continues his strong play through to the end of the season and into the playoffs.
Holland does not strike me as one who cares much what others think. (especially not people outside the industry).
Mikko has become “well liked” inside the room imo. He has the support of his team-mates.
Holland won’t have enough money to re-sign Koskinen .
I’m sure in this scenario, Randle is assuming a proper disposition of Smith which will free up some money and a roster spot.
The room seems to like everybody, and that should mean squat to the GM. It’s great they are bonding and want to win together but better players make a better team
Koskinen has been good, lately. But he calls himself old, and there is a track record. Stats hide fatal flaws, like Gagner’s inability for most of his career to be defensively solid, despite his personality and skill
Koski has weak technique (as does Smith) for an NHL goalie, if things go his way (‘it was my day’) he’s pretty good
If they don’t, he’s pretty bad, like Smith lately
They both let in weak goals often, despite a few games here. ‘Ideally’, Holland finds a stronger fella that can battle through more
Might be impossible right now, or always for the old guy
https://theathletic.com/3157897/2022/03/01/ken-holland-qa-on-the-oilers-trade-deadline-priorities-a-potential-josh-archibald-return-and-more/
Won’t post the whole thing but for non-subscribers interested in Klefbom’s status:
I talked to his agent, J.P. Barry, about two or three weeks ago. He told me Klef was trying to push it a little bit harder in December and early January and had some setbacks. He backed off significantly.
My information to J.P. was that I don’t really need to know exactly what’s going on in terms of planning purposes for next year until June 15 or July 15. I wanted to give Klef all the time. As of probably a month ago, I think that he is doing very good in terms of feeling better about everyday life and he’s not in pain. I think it’s much more pessimistic when it comes to if he’s going to play again.
That’s a shame about Klefbom, and I openly admit I’m being selfish when I say that. I was really hoping he would be able to come back to play. Whether it was at the end of the season into the playoffs or next year.
But, health and family come first so I’m happy that he’s not in pain when it comes to taking care of both.
He was a good player for the Oilers.
The goal against SJS is my favourite Klee moment.
Last night Malone took all of Shores futures.
Drai has routinely played 22 min plus every game and even 28 against Carolina but sure let’s just pretend it was special teams this last time
Don’t sleep on Yamamoto.
I’ve been a proponent of his through thick and thin. By eye, he has taken a step in the last little while. A little bit stronger on pucks, slightly better positioning in tough areas that allows him to maintain possession. He’s learning and getting better. He has always been fairly reliable along the wall, and in tight quarters is exceptional at making the short pass to continue the cycle.
His finishing is also underrated. 15% this season, 12% last season, and 25% the season before. Could he shoot more? Yes. But we’ve seen him score the grimy goals (like yesterday), and also on one-timers. We haven’t even gotten into his PK work, which is getting better and better.
Frankly, whether you see him as a top 6 or middle six player going forward is immaterial; he is a substantive contributor on a team with very good forwards.
Yams best play yesterday was his back check to prevent a tap in. Hard working RW as the defensive conscience in the top 6 or better yet 3RW on a cup contender.
And he’s likely to come in at $2.5M or under for the next season (or two), certainly under $3M – value.
Let’s wait and see come playoff time how the little fella does .
In the world of fantasy hockey there’s been a lot of work done indicating that undersized forwards take somewhere in the neighbourhood of 400 career regular season NHL games to really start breaking out offensively.
He played his 158th game last night.
The only worry anyone should have about him is that the decision makers give up on him too soon.
Just to note, I don’t see any indication on management giving up on him. They always speak highly of his overall game and place on the team and his teammates do the same.
Anyone can be moved for value but Yamamoto going anywhere seems solely a fan driven narrative.
Trade board has Samsonov on the block. I remember the last one working out pretty well so I think getting him is a slam dunk.
1st round goalies get 1000 chances, id give him one with us. No i dont know what trade would make that work but according to this blog Samorukov will be involved.
Big question is why is he on the trade block.
Still young
I had the same question come to mind as well. He’s only 25 and only making 2 million.
Might be on the outs with Ovie?
He would be a great pickup, depending on the cost of course.
Thoughts on the power play. The top unit looks ineffective out there . Connor is still the best at zone entries but once they get set up the problems start. The group looks very stationary and to make matters worse they each dust the puck off 3 times before passing it again. When Connor starts moving around you can see the penalty killers butt cheeks tighten. Leon also looks almost scared at fanning on his one timer these days. Anyone else notice that there is no place in the opponents zone that isn’t pressured by the penalty killers but when the Oilers are killing they don’t pressure the point or on the half wall. Instead they stay back 8 feet and wave their sticks hoping to knock down a pass. I think it was Stutzle a while back who had the puck low in the corner and was given all day to thread a pass into the slot because Broberg and Nuge didn’t engage him fully.
I seem to recall from years prior someone calculated the new coach bounce at about 10 games.
So we’re done 10, and now we’ll see if the team and Woodcroft are for real.
Given what he’s done with the large number of injuries, I’m impressed.
This is the best they’ve looked 5v5 since the McLellan playoff run.
Don’t forget the team had gone 4-2-1 in the 7 games before Tippett was fired.
This might not be a bounce as much as a continuation (or accentuation 🙂).
I think that makes the results under Woodcroft’s less surprising, and I think also argues it’s more likely they’re real.
I am happy with Brad Malone’s role last evening. Colton and Devon you have competition
Agreed! Malone is the exact type of player we have been lacking on this roster. Oilers are too easy to play against and have lacked enough physical element for years. We all know what happens in the playoffs. The additions of Nemo, Kane and now Malone are positive additions and are making the Oilers a more physical team. You haven’t been able to count on Kass for quite some time now. That has turned into an ugly contract.
Zack will be back .
I’m honestly floored at how well the trip has been going with all the injuries. And I’ve been beating the drum as loud as anyone about needing a goalie, but I was reading somewhere that really right now is the first time Smith and Koskinen have been used in tandem like Holland planned in the fall. It seems a lot better lately. Woody should go to Smith Thursday now. Keep them both fresh and hungry, create some friendly competition.
The out-of-town scoreboard is getting to be as big a factor as the team they’re playing against these days though. Gonna be tough to find enough separation by the deadline to convince me that this team should be pulling out all the stops as a buyer.
Leafs fans really calling Draiastl a defensive liability during a 10 game stretch wherein he hasn’t been on the ice for a 5 on 5 goal against?
Toronto fans lol.
Where?
Leaf fans have tunnel vision and are not the sharpest knives in the drawer when it comes to assessing hockey talent.
I think it’s about time for players like Matthews, Marner, Nylander, etc… should seriously consider taking their talents elsewhere as they are clearly wasting them in Leafland with every first round exit. Realistically, can anyone see them getting out the first round this year? I don’t see it at all.
If things go their way they can. Probably win two rounds. But no way are they a Cup threat IMO. Fold like a house of cards
Great post game write up as always LT and good to see the new coach bounce continues, although a pretty dull game.
By my calculation, excluding the Wild game – when Mike Smith was pulled – in his last eight starts Mikko is 7-0-1, .923 SV%. (Previous seven starts 0-6-1, .855 SV%.) What happened?
I always like to see Yamo score but his last three seasons are shown below. I think you have his expected goals this year at 17 – this is not a good trend and such a disappointment. It has future fourth liner written all over it. What happened?
2019-20: 27 11-15-26 +17
2020-21: 52 8-13-21 +9
2021-22: 53 11-9-20 -7
In his past 8 starts Mikko has posted a .934 sv%. He’s faced 272 shots and allowed just 18 goals.
LT some quick clarification – this place has been four-letter-word friendly (when done in context rather than abusively) for as long as I can remember. In fact several of our trademark sayings conveying frustration contain that sort of language.
Is your blurb speaking of that as well? I’m assuming so but wanted to make sure.
Calm your breasts.
Four letter words are fine. I think ‘asshole’ is over the line.
Got it. Thanks LT.
I’m assuming “Marchand is an asshole” is okay, though.
Can’t ban axioms
No LT said not to use that word. ‘Marchand is a POS’ is more appropriate.
I think it’s a bumper sticker, although why I can’t say. The man is a saint!
Yeah that’s seven letters . Three over the line .
I think any form of “name calling” of fellow posters should be banned.
It’s the lowest form of dialogue.
How about “dink”?
Asking for me.
No, you’re good. 🙂
Dink is an underused classic of perfect weight and description
Those D-men numbers are extremely interesting. I’ll exercise my prerogative to ignore the Nurse-Barrie numbers and focus on the other pairings. If we are going to slide back to 12F-6D we could do far worse than two of the pairings being:
Keith-Bouchard
Niemelainen-Ceci
At least based on the numbers from last night. If anyone has time to dig back through the Keith-Bouchard numbers I’d be intrigued to see how those are looking on the year (limited numbers or not).
Still for now I think 11F-7D is the play to make, at least until Jesse returns, Nuge feels like he’s going to be further off.
On the d-man thing, man alive Risto looks just as terrible to the eye as he does by the numbers. If the rumours are true about him being resigned by the Flyers for greater than $6 mill a year they’re asking for eternal rebuild. Can we rescue Hart?
From the summer (yikes):
https://twitter.com/JFreshHockey/status/1418630900456296450?s=20&t=UnP8HgmmU8FbAu821KO9sg
From yesterday (yikes):
https://twitter.com/JakeD8771/status/1498838797055930378/photo/2
risto is horrible
I feel bad for flyers fans
And the Flyers paid a 1st, a 2nd and Hagg for him in the summer.
And they paid Arizona a 2nd and 7th round picks to rid themselves of the ghost bear who has 9 goals and 31 points.
Considering he was brought in to replace Ghostisbehere, you could even argue that they paid a 1st, two 2nds, a 7th, Hagg, and Ghostisbehere, just to bring in Risto. And he’s basically just a taller and worse Ghostisbehere.
you can’t include Ghost as a cost and then not include what they received for him.
No Bissonness is right, Philly didnt get anything for Ghost? Philly shipped off the 2nd and 7th round pick as part of the package and got nothing but cap space back.
Apologies, for some reason I thought they got a second and third back. Wow, what is Fletcher doing?
Well, there is also the Future Considerations that Philly got back from Arizona. No idea what that will amount to, but it would need to be huge to even dent the current imbalance in that deal.
Where’s the beef?
I noticed their numbers from last night too. And they’ve also had excellent results before last night in limited minutes.
Keith-Bouchard on ice for the season (5v5):
62 minutes
62% CF
66% FF
63% SF
67% GF (6GF-3GA)
66% xGF
57% SCF
67% HDCF
1019 PDO
44% Ozone starts
So yeah. I’d like to see that D pairing a time or two more.
the 44% Ozone start along with those numbers is a very pleasant surprise. Thank you for posting this JP. 200 mins is our line the sand for D-pairs isn’t it? So, just under 1/3rd of the way there.
How good would that D look if they could substitute Mayfield for Barrie ?
Happy for Miko, the man must be a mental giant. The best feel good story of the year would be him taking us deep into the playoffs.