The Edmonton Oilers won all three games of the California road trip and are in a very good spot in the Pacific Division. This isn’t over, the week of hell begins Saturday, but it’s also true the Oilers are 19-7-2 under new coach Jay Woodcroft with a 57 percent goal share in all situations. Wow. This season, always intriguing, is writing a final chapter that serves to tie all the plot twists together while also having a happy ending. Music!
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Stock up or down for every prospect in the Oilers system
- Lowetide: Finding Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ wingers elusive challenge for Oilers
- DNB: Oilers player poll
- Lowetide: Making the final call on the Oilers 2017 draft
- Lowetide: How many more college players will Oilers sign this spring?
- DNB: Oilers fend off Blues but will need to fix defensive woes
- Lowetide: Strong March puts Oilers in position for top-3 finish in Pacific Division
- DNB: Connor McDavid at 100 points
- Lowetide: Early look at Oilers free-agent targets for 2022 offseason
- DNB: Why Ryan McLeod’s best outing matters so much to the Oilers
- Lowetide: The legend of Oilers prospect Matvei Petrov continues to grow
- Lowetide: Are Oilers approaching a crossroads with Zack Kassian?
- DNB: Should Oilers budget for Evander Kane beyond this season?
- Lowetide: Oilers’ 2022 draft strategy takes shape after trade deadline
- Lowetide: 7 Condors who could impact Oilers’ fortunes in the playoffs
- DNB: How Jesse Puljujarvi, as a player and person, became perfect fit for Oilers
- Lowetide: Revisiting the Oilers’ choice of Evan Bouchard in the 2018 draft
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2021
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM APRIL
- At home to: STL (Expected 0-0-1) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: ANA, SJS, LAK (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 3-0-0)
- At home to: COL (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: MIN, NAS (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: VEG, DAL, COL (Expected 1-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: CBJ, PIT (Expected 1-1-0) Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: SJS, VAN (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 7-6-1, 15 points in 14 games
- Actual April results: 4-0-0, 8 points in 4 games
- Oilers in 2021-22: 42-25-5, 89 points in 72 games
This is a helluva run, folks. The Vegas Golden Knights went 7-3-0 in its last 10 games and lost ground to Edmonton (7-2-1). VGK are seven points back with 10 to play, meaning an 8-2-0 run (and 98 points) could be exceeded by Edmonton running 5-5-0 in the last 10. The Kings have played one more game and trail the Oilers by three points. Impressive run by Woodcroft and Dave Manson.
GOALTENDER
Mike Smith played another great game, and is making Ken Holland look like a genius. He stopped 30 of 32 (.938) and stopped 93 of 97 on the California trip (.959). Smith stopped plenty of difficult chances, while also doing a great job of clearing the puck from danger. Absolutely zero doubt he was a major factor in the win. His save percentage for the season is up to .903.
DEFENSE
Darnell Nurse took a penalty (Kempe was gone), had a shot on net, a takeaway, six blocked shots, and a nice job in the ‘bend, not break’ art of defense. Spent 15:31 versus Kopitar line, 8-8 shots and no goals. That’s a win. Cody Ceci was on the ice for the Arvidsson goal, I think the ref got in the way when McDavid and Puljujarvi were trying to finesse an exit. Ceci had two shots, two giveaways and five blocked shots.
Duncan Keith took a penalty, blocked three shots, and continues to land on the good side of the goal share. Evan Bouchard scored 1-2-3 on his strongest night of the season (to my eye), both his passes were quality and his shot was a bullet. It’s the exact reason you play young players, even through tough stretches, if they’re worth the investment. Bouchard is definitely worth the investment. He’s 10-28-38 in 71 games this season.
Brett Kulak had three blocks, two giveaways and a takeaway, he made some fine plays in spots that could have been high danger. Tyson Barrie had the turnover on the shorty, I think it might have been a penalty. Two giveaways, some chaos, he was scrambling but delivered a clean slate at five-on-five.
FORWARDS
Evander Kane had an assist, a silly penalty, three shots on goal and another five at goal, hit three fellows, and had four HDSC’s. I don’t think he’ll stay, but the man clicks off a lot of boxes seemingly every night. Connor McDavid scored 1-1-2, four shots, one HDSC, Todd McLellan ran him against Philip Danault but 97 was too much (6-4 shots, 2-0 goals) for the quality center. Jesse Puljujarvi had one shot, one HDSC, hit several people and irritated the hell out of the LAK veterans. He makes everyone’s job so much harder just being a pursuit player.
Zach Hyman had two shots and two hits, but was effective in other ways. He (along with 29 and 97) ran out the clock 200 feet from Edmonton’s net with some fantastic forechecking and puck retrieval. An absolute clinic, my what a player. Leon Draisaitl had three shots and a blocked shot, he wasn’t as dynamic as normal but still managed to play a heavy game against a heavy team. He did have one HDSC. Kailer Yamamoto had two shots, four hits, a takeaway, took a couple of big hits, played two clean minutes on a busy PK.
Derick Brassard played 5:51, Zack Kassian 7:39.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two shots on goal, and was far more effective with Warren Foegele and Derek Ryan. In five minutes with Foegele, the goal share (1-0), the shot share (5-2) and expected goals (70 percent) were all top drawer compared to Brassard-Kassian. I wonder if Woodcroft was holding back on putting the band back together? Anyway, the trio fit like a glove last night.
Warren Foegele had two shots on goal, scored a goal, skated the puck to safety often and looked comfortable on the Nuge line. Ryan McLeod had two takeaways, played in all three game states, skated miles, and is also 8-10-18 on the season. His development should not be overlooked as one of the positives this season. Derek Ryan made a quality pass to Foegele for the goal. Also had three shots of his own, all HDSC. He is 8-11-19 on the season, and after a terrible start, has his five-on-five goal differential at 29-32.
KEN HOLLAND
The Oilers since Holland arrived make decisions by sundial, some of it makes sense and some of it seems to be an “we’ve always done it that way” exercise. Today, Holland is looking pretty damn smart truth to tell, Mike Smith is “up and running” and the playoffs, while not yet secured, are heading in a good direction.
So, what level of success this spring would represent success for Holland and the Oilers? I think winning a playoff round would be the line in the sand for success. Shows progress, allows the general manager to address areas of need. You?
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
At 10 this morning, TSN1260, we kickstart the weekend with two hours of fun and conversation. Steve Lansky joins us at 10:20 to talk opening day Jays, the Masters and the Oilers. Matt Iwanyk will discuss the Yankees, Oilers and Masters, too. What a sports weekend ahead! 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter.
Foegele saying “how do you like me now”
Almost time and I’m Super Excited! Had an awesome roast dinner and already got a Scotch under my belt and raring to go!
Love the games against the top teams and can’t wait to see our guys flying and taking it to them!!!
Jersey ✅
Hat ✅
Scotch in a fancy glass ✅
Lets Take It To Em!
Lets Do This!!
GO OILERS!!!
👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽
Here’s a nice promising stat: team records in Points% since the trade deadline (9 or 10 games for most teams so a small sample size):
1Florida Panthers – .889
2Colorado Avalanche – .833
3Toronto Maple Leafs – .833
4Minnesota Wild – .800
5Boston Bruins – .778
6Edmonton Oilers – .750
7St Louis Blues – .750
8New York Rangers – .722
9Dallas Stars – .722
10New York Islanders – .700
11Vegas Golden Knights – .625
12Nashville Predators – .625
13Vancouver Canucks – .625
14Calgary Flames – .611
Opponents left with lower rank:
NSH, VGK, DAL, CBJ, PIT, SJS, VAN
Opponents left with higher rank:
COLx2, MIN
So a 7-3-0 record to finish seems reasonable by this metric. 103pts.
If Vegas went 10-0 to finish they’d only get to 102pts.
If they’re pretty much in the playoffs now, then it becomes more about climbing for home-ice advantage and lesser opponents. A win vs MIN, PIT, DAL & NSH might help in that sense. A win vs VGK wouldn’t hurt just to be safe. The only way they meet PIT is if they make it to the final, but, hey, why not. They’re only 3 pts back so a win vs. them might mean home ice. A road win vs Colorado would be a huge confidence boost. If they manage that, it would be huge.
if you project points for each game left from this year’s head to head results you also get to 103.
With playoff bound teams I’d exxpect results to regress to close fought matches.
Will someone please tell the Islanders that their season is over?
I would say most NHL stars show themselves pretty early as well. It is probably at least a 75/25 split of stars having good NHL seasons at age 20 or younger. Kopitar put up 60 points in his draft +2.
In the Kings favour They have some cap space but guys like Turcotte and Byfield struggling in their draft +2 and draft +3 likely lowers the team’s eventual ceiling considerably.
I still think Byfield will be one of the best in those 3 draft years. When you look at birthdate, Lafreniere was almost eligible for the previous year and could have been drafted ahead of Jack Hughes in 2019 had he been born 1 month earlier. And Byfield is only a couple of months older than Owen Power and Matty Beniers, so he could have been 1st overall in 2021 had he been born one month later. That would have left Stutzle as 1st overall in 2020. And if you compare Byfield to players in the 2021 draft, I think he’s by far the most accomplished. He’s still really young and had a big setback due to injury, so I still expect him to be one of the best in the NHL in the coming years.
In fairness to Byfield, he is sorta at where Draisaitl was at the same age though not the same relative to his draft year. Draisaitl as a 19 year old got sent back to the WHL after 37 games, then had his break out year centering Hall in his 20-21 yr old season (and there were still doubters among the fanbase). From an age perspective, that will be next season for Byfield. The reason it is draft +2 for Byfield is his August Birthday vs. an October birthday for Leon. Byfield has 9 points in his first 39 NHL games over 2 seasons, Draisaitl had 9 in 37 in one season. Not saying Byfield will become like Draisaitl or Kopitar, but it is too early to say he can’t. I will say though that Kopitar was an August birthday, and in his 19-20 year old season, he almost instantly became LA’s best center though he had no real competition on a bad team.
Great post … back in the DoD, we used to lament here how our management kept trading away top NHL talent for “magic beans”. That’s all LA has right now … a bunch of magic beans, and some vets who are past their prime.
Summarizing!
Chiasson with another multi-point effort tonight, 2+2 and first star in the Wheaties’ win.
Lachance with a PP goal for Youngstown,
The Bourg was held off the scoresheet.
Is Broberg hurt and out for the season? Halloway hurt too?
Broberg has been out for about 2-3 weeks – it was a very bad looking injury that isn’t as bad as it looked – On Monday Gretz said he’s coming along and ahead of schedule – probably in the next few weeks.
Holloway was out injured tonight, don’t know what – it was out of the blue as he finished the last game on Wed.
Nothing official but both Samorukov (shoulder) and Lavoie (knee) may be out for the season.
Oiler luck.
Really opens up an opportunity for Savoie if he signs with Lavoie and Holloway out. Hopefully Holloway’s isn’t serious.
Jake Chiasson is 2G/1A and plus 2 through two periods (5-1 team lead).
Goal 1 and Goal 2.
Now has another assist for a 4-point night.
How we were told they were gonna destroy the Ncaa this year or you gonna give them the Dellandrea treatment?
Of note: a full 2 years older than Ryan Fanti with, essentially, the same save percentage and GAA this season.
Peters beat off the side-boards to the front of the net and the Eagle jams home a rebound to take an early 1-0 lead.
Avs playing Francouz tonight – saving Kuemper for the Oilers tomorrow.
Yep, they know who the threat is!
Bring it.
Maybe he wants more experience at Rogers before he is the full time starter there next season.
There are no threats to the Avalanche.
They lead the Central Division by 15 points over the very good Minnesota Wild.
Minnesota is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.
Colorado is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.
There are only 2 teams in the league with a win percentage above .700.
Florida is at .746
Colorado is at .757
Colorado keep winning without Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Sam Girard in the lineup.
I’m pretty sure they will lose a game or two down the stretch but their personnel decisions won’t be based on “threats”.
That may be true as far as the standings go, but they would certainly believe that there is almost zero chance they will play Winnipeg in the playoffs, and some non-zero chance they will play the Oilers (if the Oiler fall to 2nd wild card or if both make it through 2 rounds). So they might want to have Kuemper play the Oilers as practice for that eventuality. It is also possible to keep Kuemper sharp, they want him to keep playing the more challenging opponents in back to back situations.
Occam’s razor would likely say it doesn’t matter who the opponent is and they will just alternate their starters for the rest of the season. They do have two more back to backs left which may affect their plans but likely not to a large degree.
They already know they will be facing the second wildcard team in the 1st round which, at this point, could be any one of 5 teams.
No need to overthink it…just make sure you enter the playoffs with a rested starter.
Well in the last 10 games for Colorado a stretch also not that critical to Colorado’s place in the standings, Kuemper has played 5 playoff teams and 1 non-playoff team, while Francouz has 4 starts against non-playoff teams. The simple answer would be that Kuemper continues to generally get the tougher opponents and about 60% of the starts. Occam’s razor would likely say you’re just making up stuff to be contrarian to any positive point anyone raises about the Oilers’.
And Will Smith thinks he has a slap!
Occam’s razor – start the better goalie against the better team. No need to overthink this.
There are strategic decisions made down the stretch i.e. play backup goalie vs weaker team and see how starter does against a potential eventual playoff opponent. Heck, that old master Sutter is already reverse-trolling the Avalanche, acting verklempt at their awesomeness. The Oilers matched up very well last game in Colorado, on the road, at altitude, and got a point.
The Avalanche would do well to take notes tomorrow night, these Oilers, they’re coming.
Could you please predict a shellacking by the Av’s?
If you’re a true Cup contender you’re also looking at the East to see who you may face in the Cup final. Florida is only 2 points behind them and they may be playing for home-ice advantage in the final. You still want to maximize your points, so you play your top goalie against the better opposition. Plus, nobody wants to let off the gas going into the playoffs as long as everybody is healthy and rested.
If Gretz was right (that they are going to try and get Fanti a start this weekend), it will be tomorrow.
Also, terrible news, don’t know why but both Holloway and Perlini are out tonight:
Ryan Holt
@CondorsHolty
·
11m
Alright here we go…
Stuart Skinner gets the start. But the injury list has grown. Condors without:
Broberg, Marody, Holloway, Perlini, Lavoie, and Samorukov.
Ooof, that hurts. That’s a lot of production lost.
Saw a tweet by LT re: updated Puck IQ and Nurse’s minutes vs. elites.
He is now up to 40% TOI vs. elites on the season and, since Woody took over, 48% of his TOI vs. elites and 7-2 goals – that’s a 28 game sample.
Effing stud – legit 1LD – top 10 1LD.
I’ve been laughing since I found the anomaly in his advanced stats regarding low danger scoring chance differentials being way out of realistic range.
Even really before woody he was rolling along another better than it appeared (even though he was still showing solid with that rash of badd goalie sinking him).
Thanks for this! Good to have in the pocket for when the “trade Nurse” comments come out. Geesh.
Friedman was on Oilers Now for his weekly spot and was asked about the potential for Savoie signing after he’s done this weekend. Friedman didn’t have any inside info but thought it was possible.
No surprise there but what was interesting was his thoughts seemed to be related about him play in the NHL this season. He talked about this type of signing being tough for teams in a race and then that there being a bit more time as the NHL season doesn’t end until the end of April and it might have to do with if they feel they can get him in games.
For me, I don’t see him as an NHL option at this point this season – I would have thought we’d be talking about AHL this year and see what happens in camp (and likely AHL next year as well).
I was thinking maybe even the ATO to go along with an ELC starting for 2022/23 but it sounds like we’d be talking about an ELC starting now (an the first year would burn as soon as he signs).
Interesting stuff.
I have to say I thought Savoie playing as well as he has and then helping Bakersfield would be a hugely successful season. Had no clue there was even a possibility of him on a playoff roster for the Oilers. That’s to Carter’s credit that Friedman can state that without ridicule.
Honestly, if he was talking about Savoie as an option on the Oilers, ahead of Holloway, then he probably had only the vaguest idea about the player and confabulated rather than stating that he wasn’t familiar enough with the player to comment.
Savoie not going to be seen in the NHL playoffs … this season.
Just to be clear, Friedman didn’t quite state the expressly but that’s what I inferred from what he said.
The Oilers have to go 3-5-2 the rest of the way to get to magic McDavid 97 Pts and guarantee a playoff spot. Here’s what that might look like:
#73-COL@EDM-L
#74-EDM@MIN-L
#75-EDM@NSH-L
#76-VGK@EDM-W
#77-DAL@EDM-W
#78-COL@EDM-L
#79-EDM@CBJ-L
#80-EDM@PIT-T
#81-SJS@EDM-W
#82-VAN@EDM-T
The sky will definitely be falling after the next 3 games if this is how things go and it could be quite likely. Those are 3 tough teams. Colorado will be the toughest. and then MIN and DAL who they can beat but their opponents will have home-ice advantage. They might only get 2 regulation wins in their next 8, but it will still be okay. Not great, but okay. I think they’ll do better than what I’ve shown here. But this is what they need to do.
There’s some danger there.
A loss to Vegas would be a kick in he nards and we don’t know if they will have any further players back from IR.
Dallas, for whatever reason is much better on the road (22-9-2) than they are at home.
On the other hand, Columbus has been dreadful for a while so that should be a win.
That’s the Stars home record according to nhl.com. Road record is18-17-2
Even the money in Vegas stopped thinking Vegas is getting in.
They can’t
vegas is stuck until playoffs if they make it
I don’t think that’s quite true. They can for sure activate one of Pacioretty or Smith or maybe even Stone, but only of of those three. Pacioretty is on standard IR not LTIR so his salary is already counting against their regular total, so if he gets healthy, they can put him in the line up with no impact. If Reilly Smith is healthy sooner, they could transfer Pacioretty to LTIR no problem (unless he gets healthy soon too). It would be close, but if Stone the first one healthy, it is possible that they might squeeze his salary in with Pacioretty being transferred to LTIR the same as if they were trying to activate Smith. All of this assumes no other player with a sizeable salary sustains an injury that would put that player onto LTIR. Bottom line is Vegas will have to go without at least 2 of 3 valuable players for the balance of the regular season.
If any two are deemed by doctors fit to be activated before the end of the season, Vegas is in deep trouble. Bettman and Daley both say they stay on top of the health status of players in this circumstance, but I am somewhat skeptical. They categorically stated after the recent meetings that no GM in the league raised concerns that they believe any team is circumventing the cap rules using LTIR nor are they worried that teams would try to do that. I am just relaying what I heard them say, not on the veracity of their statements.
Also since Oil need only about 8 points from their last 10 games unleashing the Vegas Cap Hits on an unsuspecting Flames team or Avs team would be nice kick in the nards to them
Yup, some danger, for sure. Although MIN & NSH could be wins as well. Definitely not easy wins though. And VAN could be a win instead of a tie as well. I think 3-5-2 is probable and 7-3-0 is possible as they have been better than 7 of their 10 opponents since the deadline. Somewhere in between maybe?
Correction: DAL is 22-9-2 at home, not on the road. They are 18-17-2 on the road, so I still like that as a win.
All of the California teams firmly in the middle of their rebuild/retooling.
In addition to some serious injury issues/ trade deadline moving.
Oilers are full credit for the sweep – but some perspective is needed.
Tough to tell their injured list is – long. Very long.
Could ask for a better match up for the Oilers if we meet in the 1st
round.
LA – like San Jose and Anaheim – is attempting a retool on the fly.
Its odd to read this as, just last night, I was told that Broberg’s development was stalled, albeit by someone that does not invest time in watching the players outside the NHL although has strong opinions.
I posted prior to the last Kings’ game that although L.A. has delivered well above expectation this season, that their veteran core (Kopitar, Brown, and Quick) are of the 2003 & 2005 draft vintages, while Doughty is a 2009 and although prolific, is often injured.
Rob Blake did a great job adding mid-career players (Danault, Arvidsson, Maata) to insulate their emerging core.
To George’s point the young core is hardly a replacement for Doughty and Kopitar, but by the time they ever achieve that level, if ever, Doughty Kopitar will be bound for the glue factory.
Its almost like their emergence is pre-mature and they could use a couple of aces from the draft lottery.
The obvious replacement for Kopitar is Byfield.
People tend to forget he was the youngest in his draft class, he’s only 19 now and had the early part of this season derailed by a broken leg.
From Scott Wheeler:
Byfield’s career hasn’t played out exactly like anyone had drawn it up. But he was also one of the youngest players in his draft class, the pandemic necessitated time in the AHL, and then he suffered a fluke injury. And there just isn’t a young player in the sport quite like him through it all. So I’m still not that concerned, frankly, about his ceiling as a top-of-the-lineup pivot. He’s too good a skater and too big and strong and talented for his size not to put it all together.
Byfield is going to be great, I have no doubt.
Brandt Clarke will also be very very good.
Kaliyev, Bjornfot, Durzi and a few others will have NHL careers, but they’re likely not all stars.
Shame about Turcotte. Had they instead drafted Zegras or Cozens or Seider they’d be miles ahead.
In all they may get worse before they get better.
Thing is…while the jury is till out on Turcotte…even if he doesn’t live up to his draft pedigree there is literally an army of other high end prospects right behind him.
And, of course, Blake can use all that prospect capital to make trades whe he thinks the time is right.
The other major advantage is the Kings can negotiate the cap much more easily since they will have so many players on ELC’s on their roster.
I expect he’ll continue to add mid-career vets (like Filip Forsberg) to keep the machine humming.
Figuratively speaking of course.
Like that Joe Colbourn fella
And Brandt Clarke:
:Clarke has offensive-zone skill that is extremely hard to find among defencemen. He’s just a roving, confident, attacking defender with an uncanny ability to beat opposing players side-to-side, find his way into dangerous areas and then execute NHL-level plays to drive offense.”
Sounds very much like Doughty except Clarke is 6’2″: and still growing.
Clarke seems to have a similar pedigree to Evan Bouchard. Similar draft position, right at the top in PPG for a D in his draft +1 (oh and OHL defenseman of the year in his draft +1 playing 15 to 20 games less than his peers – Clarke may not win that trophy). And Bouchard is 6’3″ and was a bit heavier than Clarke was in his OHL days. His style may be different, but Bouchard has definitely exhibited that he can excel at NHL offense. And all you have done is attempt to dump all over him since he was drafted. Hmmm, I wonder why that is?
Another few fun facts about Bouchard:
Of the defenseman drafted in 2018, he has moved up into 3rd in career points per game, and is first in 5 on 5 points per 60 as he closes in on 100 games played. If he adds full time first line PP duty, which is likely, he is well on his way to possibly being an elite offensive NHL defenseman.
Bouchard’s first full season in the NHL is as good as each of the first 4 full seasons played by John Carlson. Like Bouchard playing behind Barrie for PP time and Ceci for total time, Carlson was behind Mike Green and sometimes Dennis Wideman, but he took top spot on the right side in his 4th season and still didn’t score as much as Bouchard is doing this season even running their first unit. Green didn’t truly emerge from under Green’s shadow and become an elite offensive defenseman until his 24-25 year old season.
Yet Clarke didn’t make the Canadian World Junior team. What’s up with that?
OP my friend, it’s Friday. Hope you enjoy the Oilers-Kings game tonight. 😀
Well done kind sir…..
I don’t see Woodcroft getting canned if he loses the first round. Holland was prepared to extend Tippett after Tippett got bounced in the first round twice.
I can’t imagine the players will want to see Woodcroft go either, and we know Holland likes to listen to his players
I agree. Unless they flame out in spectacularly terrible fashion in the first round, I think Woodcroft will be retained even with a first-round exit.
If they flame out it wouldn’t be bcs coaches
It will be either goalies, a lack of defensive defenseman and normal size D, or both
It should be Holland catching the blame
Holland fully admitted when he let Tippett go that he is ultimately responsible for the performance of this team. Still, if the Oiler make the playoffs, which seems likely, no matter what happens in the playoffs, Holland will still be the GM next season and probably would be even if they missed. In the 3 seasons, he has GM’d, after taking over from a team that made the playoffs once in 13 seasons and following up that 1 playoff year with two seasons with less than 80 points, the Oilers have made the playoffs twice and likely a 3rd time in a row, for the first time in 21 seasons, with Points % around .600 or better. The previous 3 GM’s had high first round draft picks galore as well and couldn’t get anything done other than one year by Chiarelli. Hollands’ performance thus far has been good enough that Katz and Nicholson wouldn’t be ready to start over again yet.
I also believe that if the Oiler’s make the playoffs, Woodcroft will be the head coach next season, round 1 win or not. I actually think at this point there is a good chance he is coach next season even if they don’t make the playoffs which we are never likely never to know if that were to be the case unless Holland admits it.
Really? I was told by many and many that the Oilers lost out in the first round each of the last two years primarily due to being out-coached.
When thinking about Savoie’s ELC which may be signed in the coming days (may), here is hoping it’s like some of the others and starts for 2022/23 with an ATO to allow him to join the Condors.
He turned 20 on January so, if it’s for this season, the first year will automatically burn even with zero NHL games played.
According to Naturalstattrick, on average this season, the Oilers have given up ~29 SCA per 60 and ~12 HDCA against per 60 (all situations). While I don’t place high value on this data as a definitive description of the play (and even less so for individual games), it is worth noting that in the last 4 games the Oilers gave up to St. Louis, Anaheim, the Sharks and the Kings, 40, 30,32,& 31 SCA respectively, and gave up 19, 14, 8 and 11 HDCA respectively. Since Naturalstattrick mostly uses shot location in its definitions for these events, it still doesn’t convey the full picture on how well the Oilers covered. For example the open shot PP goal that Hertl scored in the San Jose game gets the same quality rating by naturalstatrick, whether he is alone taking the shot, or a defender is one him while he is taking the shot, and doesn’t take into account where the pass may have originated from.
Having said that, data doesn’t also provide any evidence that the Oilers defensive play was any better than they have averaged over the season since in these metrics, in 6 of 8 instances, they were above the season average and barely below in the one other instance. I would be curious if the scoring chances against by quality as recorded by the Cult of Hockey, would show an improving trend since they make an effort to factor in much of the criteria that influence the quality of an opportunity since they actually watch video and don’t just pull data off the NHL website which does not provide all the info necessary to truly evaluate shot quality.
I will say to my eye, Smith had to make a number of quality saves in all 4 games, sometimes in key moments. It is quite possible, besides him being healthier, so able to move better, that while the Oilers seem to be allowing similar quality of chances, their defensive play may be more predictable. This would allow Smith and Koskinen to anticipate the shots better, so even though the shots may be from equally dangerous locations, he has less difficultly with them.
Meanwhile Koski has had great games against Dallas in past years, and two stellar games against Vegas earlier this season.
You’re not seeing the complete picture.
LA has been surprisingly successful considering how many injuries and WHO is injured.
At one recent point they had EIGHT regulars on IR at the same time for an extended period.
That has recently been reduced to 5 but bear in mind 3 of those are top 4D including both of their top pairing but they are expected back for the playoffs.
You mentioned Durzi, a late second round pick (not top 10 like Bouchard) is playing much higher in the lineup than he would if Doughty and Sean Walker were not on IR.
Also worth noting, LA has THREE bluechip RD on the way.
19 year old Helge Grans (6’3″ 206) is thriving in the AHL with Ontario.
19 year old Brandt Clarke leads the OHL in D scoring by PPG.
19 year old Brock Faber just won the NCAA Big 10 defenseman of the year beating out Owen Power. Faber was not only at the WJHC but also played for the US in the Olympics.
As you mentioned, the vets are carrying the forward group and that is by design as their flood of prospects cooks in the minors.
The current Kings lineup has SEVEN players under the age of 25…the Oilers have THREE.
Going forward, the Kings will not only see those youngsters mature but their prospect pool is ridiculously deep.
Here’s a recent update.
https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/future-friday–la-kings-prospect-report/c-332773320
I recall you posting that if they ain’t shiny and in the big leagues post draft +1 then they aren’t a high end prospect so most seem quite meh going forward. Much like the Norris candidate Bobo Rafunkski
No…what I actually said is the ELITE defensemen arrive early.
What early is is not defined by post draft +1 as you are claiming because there are very different paths to the NHL…for example most NCAA players (like Owen Power who signed his ELC today) spend an additional year in college.
Swedish draft picks also tend to come over a bit later as they like to develop in the SHL.
I would rate Brandt Clarke as the Kings #1D prospect (8th overall). Not sure if he will be elite…but he has a chance.
So what I hear you say is none off them are elite kinda like 3rd paring defencemen. Serviceable but overall meh….. a dime a dozen
Just smile and pat him on the head 😁👋👋
I can’t wait to see Connor break their hearts
Like Stetcher last night! All series long, even Doughty can’t catch him legally
Kings have the post 2006 Oilers problem…the doughnut rosters….30 something guys and under 26-guys. Contenders are loaded with 25-30 year old guys.
The Oilers kept on doubling and tripling down, continually dumping the young guys entering their prime and bringing in 30 something guys to replace them.
The Kings have not dumped young guys.
They dumped a bunch of older vets who were declining.
I didn’t say that the Kings did. I said the Oilers did, doubling and tripling down.
The Kings roster has evolved into a doughnut roster. It will be interesting to see if they can escape the Oilers trap, and shrink the doughnut hole over time, rather than do what the Oilers did, and make the doughnut hole into a black hole.
A lot of LAs prospects I find very overrated. We were all worried about who was zooming who in that 2019 USNDP. Looks like everyone was zooming Turcotte. Villardi is almost 23 and looks like maybe a low 2nd line guy and more like 3rd line. Byfield is young and big young guys take a long time to get going but i never thought he had the upside that most thought he had. Kaliyev will be a good goal scorer for them. And their best D prospect is Bjornfot who looks more like a 2nd paiKopitar ring guy.
Bjornfot isn’t close to being their best D prospect. He just got there first.
LD
Mikey Anderson – 22 – generally paired with Doughty when healthy
Jordan Spence – 21 – 42 points in 46 games in Ontario
Bjornfot – 22
Jacob Moverare – 23
I mentioned the 3 RD they have coming in another post and it’s likely all of them project better than Bjornfot.
If they have not arrived by now, how can they be any good according to some around here.
By the way, Evan Bouchard, 38 points this season in the NHL. He’s 22.
Doughty made the Canadian Olympic team at 19. Nobody has ever compared Bouchard to Doughty. QHughes would not make the US Olympic team at 19.
Quinn Hughes could not have made the team at 19 because there were no Olympics…but he might have.
He was named to the 2022…Bouchard was not a consideration for Canada.
I find Byfield overrated for a #2 pick he just doesn’t have the hands to become a classic power forward like Kane or the Tkachuk family.
Kings made a mistake by not sending Byfield back to junior.
Not really.
The OHL season did not occur.
They had no choice but to put him in AHL or sit out a year.
Owen Power signs his ELC. We’ll see who else signs in the following days, and if Savoie wants to sign once the Finals are decided.
Big win last night. Dom has us at a 98% chance of making the playoffs.
Let’s hope LA hangs on for 3rd in the division and we don’t get an over the cap Vegas team to play.
A small, evil part of me wants to see Vegas qualify as WC2 to play the Avalanche. Once the playoffs start, your point about Stone, Pacioretty, Martinez and others re-join the club giving Colorado a much bigger challenge. Likewise, the refs swallow their whistles and Colorado loses their built in penalties drawn advantage.
If the Oilers are to make the cup, which would be nothing short of miraculous with our goaltending variance, we need some major breaks. Colorado getting knocked out early would help (and I would love to see the Leafs and Avalanche get knocked out early….)
I want them to play the Flames so they can knock the Flames out in the first round in Gadreaus last year in Calgary and we can hear the Flames whine all summer
Nashville can do that. Vegas is Colorado’s kryptonite.
Smith is a gamer! I don’t know if it’s been brought up but being on the Road he’s been able to mentally get his game back. For someone that’s been there done that when it comes to raising kids and being able to get away from them for spell. Mike has I believe 4 piss and vinegar kids with 3 boys wanting every second of his time. I bet if you asked him privately he would say he misses his family dearly when he’s on the Road but it sure is nice to kick back in the Hotel room and watch some Masters Golf at its best with a Guinness in hand.
Seeing how Mike Smith is a Pict…How about a single malt scotch?
I had posted some updates on Sammy and Lavoie (and Marody and Broberg) after listening to Gretz on Oilers Now on Monday.
I mentioned it didn’t sound good on either Samorukov or Lavoie – Gretz mentioned that they were both seeing the doctor that day (which was odd with Lavoie given he had been out for at least 3-4 games) and that there was concern with long term on both – Sammy was a shoulder but he didn’t say what Lavoie was.
I just say this from Mattheson yesterday – not good:
Jim Matheson
@jimmathesonnhl
·
Apr 7
Not great inj news in Bakersfield. Samorukov having tests to see if needs surgery on his other shoulder (not the one he hurt in KHL). Lavoie (knee) might be done for season. Oilers waiting to see what sniper Savoie wants to do when Denver U season ends…if he wants to turn pro
Not good news at all…..
Thank you for the update.
That really sucks for Samorukov and Lavoie.
Savoie turning pro would be nice though.
Bob Stauffer
@Bob_Stauffer
·
3h
Mike Smith last 7 starts:
6-0-1, 2.13 GAA, .928 SVP
Bob isn’t exactly known for his nuanced view of hockey stats.
He also has an .861 and an .846 within those 7 games. Along with two .969s.
So what is he? Swinging wildly in the wind. And if you look at his season, this is his story. When not injured, he’s either been excellent or horrid. There’s literally no middle ground.
Exactly what a goalie shouldn’t be – inconsistent
This is the problem, and both have been meh when it counts the most
Why does Bob say “starts”?
To differentiate between starts and appearances which would included when the other goalie is pulled during the game.
And why would he do that? Would not a save in the 3rd period smell as sweet if it was in a game one entered in the 2nd period?
Funny you mention Vasilevskiy. I was looking at Woodcroft era goalies around the league earlier and noticed Vasilevskiy is tied with Koskinen with .906 SV%. And Smith is at .910 over that basically 3 month span.
Yeah, all goalies have ups and downs. And none of them is good all of the time.
The oft-mention Denis King doing what he does, screen shotting this on twitter and stating:
Dennis King
@DKingBH
·
2h
Oh god no. Until some of his draft picks show up and start making a difference, a lot of what Holland’s living off is accidental success
————-
Yup, signed Evander Kane by accident.
Acquired Brett Kulak by accident.
The Oilers getting a 6-0-1, 2.13 GAA, .928 SVP out of Smith’s last starts was not “by accident” – that was by taking a MAJOR risk that 99% of fans, bloggers and media railed against and having it pay off, at least in the short term.
Guys like King thing THEY are the “smartest man in the room” and, with their chosen narratives, will never admit they are not 100% correct and will always find a way to propagate their narrative – accidental – OK.
Its hard for people to swing the other way on the spectrum. If we’re going to heap the tough times on Holland, we should also recognize the successes. In reality, neither are truly correct.
I think Holland’s work has been fairly consistently a B. I don’t think it has been spectacular but the hyperbole over how destructive his moves have been is way over the top in my opinion.
Twitter lives on hyperbole!
Holland inherited a mess and he’s made the best of it, IMO. Retained Nuge, Signed Hyman, Signed Kane, made some astute trades at the deadline. He isn’t perfect but I’ve liked the team’s decisions under holland better than what I’ve seen from the prior 5 Oilers GMs. It’s a low bar, but still.
Lots railing on Barrie for the turnover on the shorthanded goal – absolutely, he was culpable – Leon sure didn’t help him out either……
Lets not forget, Tyson Barrie has been very very good over the last 6-8 weeks, give or take. He’s been making far less egregious mistakes (far less than Bouch has, for example) and he is full value for his increased production recently – he’s been moving the puck quickly in all three zones.
Of course, next season is a different story as Bouch will take many many more development steps and money needs to be allocated in various places but, for now, Barrie is a solid part of this team and helps.
He will continue to lose the odd battle and make the odd turnover but he’s actually proven to up his 2-way game in the playoffs in the past and the team needs him in the here an now.
He’s a good hockey player and value for his cap hit in the hear and now.
Is he any more culpable that Connor and Jesse were on the second goal? How many times has Woodcroft said, we aren’t perfect and no one is going to play a perfect game, but it is usually the cumulative effect of multiple mistakes that lead to goals against. Barrie certainly didn’t play that well, but you are right that Leon did not help him at all in that situation.
Yup, Connor was the main culprit on the 2nd goal (Jesse much less so as he had to cheat down low due to McDavid’s mistake and left the point to do so).
Mathew Panchyshyn
@mathewjdp
Fun fact: Bouchard tonight, would have broken the All-time franchise record by points for a rookie defenseman had the NHL ridiculous “rookie rule” not made him ineligible this year.
10:15 PM · Apr 7, 2022
If Evan Bouchard was an actual rookie, you know, like the 26 year old Michael Bunting, I believe he would have set the Oilers record for rookie d-point.
Correct, Bunting drafted the same draft as Leon 🤣🤣🤣 way to go NHL.
Bunting had played 26 NHL games prior to this season, Bouchard 21.
Stupid rules.
I would not call Holland’s decisions regarding his goaltending to be genius. Lucky maybe.
The issues with this tandem have been beaten to death and they won’t be any different come the playoffs. We’ve seen this before with the both of them where they go on a winning stretch only to poop the bed hard for other stretches.
From my eye, Mike Smith is not 100%. Relying on him to carry the team through the playoffs is folly. Was he to blame for their exits versus Winnipeg and Chicago? Not completely, it’s a team game after all. But he has to shoulder some of the blame as well.
I think it’s the structure Woodcroft has implemented that might be the saving grace for the team and goaltenders at this point. Not on Holland or his lack of foresight on the team’s goaltending.
Our defense played very well clearing the front of the net… after most of his toughest saves, Smitty was completely down and out. He really struggles to get back to his feet, so clearing those rebounds is job 1 for his defensemen… thankfully they succeeded.
The times where Smith has gone down and unable to recover quickly has me worried. Right now Smith has found a way for those down and out moments not to cost him, but it seems like a matter of time. Smith has proved me wrong before, but I would feel more confident with Koskinen in net.
“Genius” as LT used it above is a figure of speech. Dear Gord, people are taking that way too literally.
What you’re actually asking us to do is depend on your eye to determine playoff deployment. Sorry, no. I’ll take Woody’s and the trainers’ eyes over yours.
You also appear to be asking Holland to obtain goalies that have never lost a playoff round and to trade them as soon as they do. Sorry, no again. A GM can’t operate that way.
“Saving grace?” The structure coaches implement and how the team executes that strucxture effects every goalie in the League. Finally we have a team willing to do so. Think of all the good goalering that has been obscured by the roster’s lack of commitment to defense over the past decade.
You seem to be thinking that goalies should overcome that lack of commitment and poor execution. That’s not their job, althouigh it’s great when it happens in those few games they successfully do. But those games are outliers not the norm.
‘Genius” is only a figure of speech when used sarcastically or ironically.
Are you suggesting that LT’s suggesting that KH ISN’T a genius?
Oh dear Lord,
Indeed. Smith has a few good games and we’re back to the start of the season where anyone who questions KH is an idiot, because, 16 and 5, right? This is a fair reflection of the team, right?
As if we haven’t watched the exact same show for two previous seasons in a row.
Suggesting that the GM is a genius for signing an injury prone, aging goalie just because he puts together a few good games after he had recently been playing, to be frank, terrible is asinine..
Saying that Smith’s current form is making the GM look like a genius is not.
I read Coiler’s post and wonder how you got out of it what you did.
I think if we had played more defensive then Talbot would still be here.
It is my belief that the Oilers will be the surprise team of this year’s playoffs. The key to their success in my opinion will be team health particularly in goal!
I think Holland needs some credit on transforming the defense to a more experienced, puck moving group.
Last year – we ended the year with too many young defenseman that had graduated from the AHL but were not YET established in the NHL, and this created issues, as they needed to stay on the NHL roster. This year we only have ONE defenseman still establishing his role in the NHL. 21/22’s balance is better for where the team want to be.
Lots of minutes were spent on;
Koekkek (167 games at the end of LY) – Playing the AHL now
Bear (132 games at the end of LY) – He has been a healthy scratch numerous time in 21/22
Jones (46 games) – Still establishing his NHL a year later
Lagesson (27 games) – Has only played 1 game for the Habs
This is a good example of trading asset that are valued to help other needs, while you develop prospects to back fill.
Jones and Lags I kinda shrug, but I don’t believe for one second Bear would be underperforming under the current coaching staff. When on his game his stick and his pass are as good as that of any vet Holland has acquired or retained. In his own end I’m certain he’d outperform Barrie no matter who’s behind the bench.
Bear was cleared to return to play for the Hurricanes for yesterday’s game, but he was a healthy scratch last night and that’s not the first time this season he was a healthy scratch. Currently he is the 6/7 defenseman on the Hurricanes. Tyson Barrie’s skating, playmaking and offense are all superior to Bear’s by enough to overcome any edge Bear may or may not have defensively. That might help explain why despite the fan world objections, every coach Barrie has ever played for consistently plays him 20 minutes per night. Someday soon Bear may be the become the better overall player, but that day has not yet arrived. Barrie outplayed both Larsson and Bear by a wide margin in the series against Winnipeg.
Bear has the problem that torpedoes all undersized players who have it – doesn’t skate well enough to be a small D
He also doesn’t have top offensive skills. He’s good enough to be in the NHL but other than passing what is he really good at? A Gagner type career seems likely – bounce around teams, decent enough
I think if Ethan Bear has a career like Sam Gagner, he should be thrilled. I think you sell Gagner a little short. No star for sure, but despite what fans think of him, Sam Gagner has managed so far to play 956 NHL games, which so far only 356 players have done since 1967 out of players top 10 % in that regard. And he has scored 501 points in those games. That’s a slightly better rate offensively than Shawn Horcoff who had 511 in 1,008 games though I fully appreciate Horcoff brought other elements to the game.
Big fan of Samwise. Love the fight in that guy!
Awhile ago LT posted some charts that showed Puljujärvis effect on other player and how he makes everyone better. Anyone remember what post those charts were in?
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/extending-jesse-puljujarvi-should-be-priority-one-for-oilers-gm-ken-holland-heres-why
Above is Bruce’s take on the subject. If LT posted something similar you’ll have to keep digging
This is what I was thinking about. Thank you! My apologies to Mr. McCurdy and LT for the incorrect credit.
LT has also written about Puljujarvi, for instance here:
https://theathletic.com/3168625/2022/03/09/lowetide-how-much-do-the-oilers-miss-jesse-puljujarvi/
I wrote about JP here:
https://theathletic.com/3062571/2022/01/12/lowetide-forget-the-connor-mcdavid-bump-jesse-puljujarvi-is-the-real-deal-after-all/
and here:
https://theathletic.com/3168625/2022/03/09/lowetide-how-much-do-the-oilers-miss-jesse-puljujarvi/
Having my first baby (a son) today!
So reflecting a lot on my 35 years…
This blog has become part of my daily reading and one of the most consistent things in my life.
I have so many screenshots of posts from this blog that I use everyday in my actual life.
Terms like “burning daylight,” “pushing the river”, and “get good players, keep good players” are part of my everyday speak.
Stories about humanity, life in Saskatchewan or your old cars, jobs or family members have been some of the greatest things I’ve ever read.
All of these posts have made me a better person.
People always think it’s a hockey blog. I don’t think so. it’s life lessons cleverly wrapped around 23 dudes chasing a puck.
Building a good team, I’ve learned from LT, is a lot like building a good life.
Really appreciate you, Lowetide, and all the posters, who make this a fun visit.
Thank you.
(If there’s anything I can do to give back, I’d love to reciprocate.)
Excited for parenthood, all the adventures that come with it (and beating the Kings in Round One.)
Back to the labor room!
Super mega congratulations, welcome to the jungle! All the best to you and your family.
And I agree – I’ve probably spent more time on this blog over the last 3 years than I have watching actual Oilers games, it is part of my daily routine.
Congrats to you and your family! My baby boy just turned one, enjoy the ride!!
Congratulations for sure. From someone whose young children days are behind them, enjoy every moment.
Congrats! Make sure you name him Connor or Leon…
What about Harper or Brogan?
Or Rutger McGroarty.
Congratulations Sir. Welcome to the club of fatherhood. Your life will never be the same but only in positive ways. Health and happiness to you, your wife and your son (future Oiler fan!).
LT, you and your blog are an absolute treasure. You’ve managed to bond people who don’t know eachother or are separated by thousands of kilometers. Thank you.
Couldn’t have said it better.
Congratulations and enjoy every moment as they are fleeting! Quite appropriate that Sunday is Mothers Day!
Only if you are using OP’s Oilers calendar. For the rest of us, Mother’s Day is May 8th.
Jokes no longer on me – Friday came a day later but, now that its here and evening is upon us, Saturday hasn’t even come yet – and what a Saturday: Blue Jays Game 2, Masters Round 3, Denver Pioneers and Carter Savoie in the NC game and Oilers host a powerhouse on National TV!
Welcome to the club. All the best to you, Mrs. 106 and baby 53 and 53.
Congrats and enjoy the hell out of being a dad. Best thing you’ll ever get to do! After 20 years of practice the only unsolicited advice I know to be true is sleep when the baby sleeps!
And drink when the baby drinks
Congrats! So exciting!
Congratulations!!
Congrats and all the best Bruhv, best thing in life
I hope your not too sore after!
Congrats for a baby and a fantastic post!
Congrats!
My girl just turned 1. Parenthood is very rewarding.
My wife wonders why I spend so much time on my “hockey blog”.
Been visiting this little corner on the Al Gore since the last Stanley Cup run … it’s the only place left on the Interwebs that’s not overtaken with toxic trolling. A wonderful haven that remains free from the insanity of the world.
That’s awesome. I’ll never forget the birth of my daughters. I was the first person they got to see. I even caught both of them, and got to introduce them to their mom. You’ll never love your family more than that moment.
That’s beautiful and I thank you. Congratulations! Being a parent is such an amazing experience. You’ll be great! My only advice: Sleep when your kids sleep! Man did I learn that one. 🙂
The thing is that a second round exit, while not guaranteed to be the case, would have a good chance at coming from the hands of Calgary. A second round exit against a St. Louis would type would be ok-ish. A second round date with Calgary is an absolute must win.
Agreed.
No guarantee the flames get past the likes of Nashville.
The first round will likely be decided by Edmonton’s goaltending performances and the ref’s tolerance for interference against McDavid. Two big question marks that have failed us in consecutive first-round exits.
I think a big difference this year is that the Oilers have three lines that can score goals.
Last year, Kahun, Neal, Chiasson, Ennis, and Archibald were all taking regular shifts in the top-9.
There is a lot less pressure on McD this season and a lot more pressure on opposing teams to contain three scoring lines.
100%
goalering – always a big issue for every team in the playoffs – some goalies catch fire (Binnington) and others meander.
the team is more resilient physically and psychologically this year. yes, there will be waterskiing displays but the Oilers are deeper and can dish it out too. they’re no longer naive to the whistle-swallowing and I expect the team’s leadership, with the vets added, to deal with it much better.
that being said, nothing clinched yet (97% in Dom’s model – yesterday’s win was a huge boost)
McDavid has been battling through that all season … but I’ve noticed that there’s been a real change in his response to all the interference he deals with since the coaching change. No more bickering with refs … consistently using 1 arm to bat opponents away, while he controls the puck with the other hand. Not trying to dangle through 2-3 players, but rather going on the outside and taking the puck hard to the net (e.g. last nights first goal), and cycling the puck, with quicker give-and-go plays.
And he’s been far more committed in the d-zone, coming down lower and being hard on the puck.
Same thing with Leon – he’s stopped throwing no-look backhand passes into the centre ice in the O-zone, and is more committed to cycling the puck deep.
Less highlight reel stuff but the kind of changes that lead to improved 5v5 play.
Woody’s Oilers are a vastly better team at 5v5 by comparison to last year’s team and the earlier season version that was very dependent on their PP to score. Some of that is improved goaltending, but most of it is simply better defensive structure.
The changes that Holland made from last year to this one are becoming evident as well … more mobile D all of whom can make a breakout pass. Bigger, faster wingers who are more effective on the forecheck.
It’s still a work in progress … the 200 ft effort can sag at times (e.g. first ten minutes of the 2nd period last night). And they need to manage the rush plays better too … Nurse-Ceci pairing has some gap control issues to iron out, allowing the opposition to bust through the middle.
But this team looks more playoff ready at this point than they did last year.
He seems to be drawing more penalties lately. When he uses the basketball forearm if that players locks it up it’s a easy call for the Refs. Mike Modano was really good with that move.
Excellent analysis!
Bouchard is one of the rare defencemen who can win you a game. He’s done so several times in his young career. The number and frequency will continue to increase.
Once they get a D-partner who can let him focus entirely on his job – it’s going to be very special.
I’d suggest for this stage in his career he has a great D partner to play with – Keith is David Justice in Moneyball and is surely helping Bouch. I noticed numerous times the last few games where Bouch tapped the brakes and let the play come to him rather than risk getting caught pinching. He’s like a teenager learning to drive a ‘67 Mustang. Then Shazam – he rewards himself ($200k bonus) and the team with a 3 point night. One of this season’s great storylines.
Agreed.
Keith – has ,generally, been better than I expected. But I suspect the mentoring role we don’t see is paying large dividends here.( no way to prove this of course)
Everything we’ve seen and heard about how the Oiler’s players view Keith has indicated they have mad respect for him.
I said it last year when he was sitting in the Hotel room for unknown reasons that he would be a 20 goal scorer once he gets some games behind him.
Reasons were not unknown – they were, and are, known. They have been explained to you dozens of times.
Just because you don’t agree with the reasons does not make them “unknown”. Many don’t agree. Doesn’t make the reasons not true and known.
Bouchard also became just the fourth blueliner in franchise history to score 10 or more goals at age 22 or younger, following Coffey, Kevin Lowe and Risto Siltanen. Further, with 38 points, he is just two away from joining that trio as the only rearguards in Oilers history to record 40 or more points in a single season at age 22 or under.
I’d say he’s arrived?
Still wouldn’t trade Rafferty for him though.
Absolutely the next six games are a tough stretch. All good teams but, guess what, so are the Oilers.
Sure, Avs are a beast although recent OT game.
None of the other teams are in any higher tier than the Oilers and the Oilers are objectively better than a couple.
Efff the never coming rubber road!
Recent moves by GM Holland:
Great in-season work. Bourgault signed with a low bonus deal was good work. Savoie maybe to come.
Changed the coaches, is another in season decision Holland appeared to get correct.
Albeit very reluctantly. Didn’t he mention something about wanting to sign him to an extension?
That quote from Holland is constantly taken out of context.
Of course his plan wasn’t to fire the coach in-season or “let him go” after the season.
The plan was for team success with the coach he had previously hired and, of course, team success and progression leading to another contract with the coach to, you know, continue.
The season, in aggregate, wasn’t working out as planned and the GM changed plans, in a material way.
As I watched Zach Hyman’s play during the last 42 seconds – to quote George Costanza – “it moved”. 🙂
Gretz mentioned earlier this week that they will try and get Fanti a game this week – they play tonight and tomorrow. I presume it will be tomorrow but we’ll find out.
Was the Fanti signing an indicaton that the Oilers are or were considering having Skinner in Edmonton and available from the beginning of the playoffs? Even if he gets no games, he gets to soak up some of the experience, learn from it, use it for future preparation?
Doesn’t look as necessary from where we sit today, but would not surprise me either
I wouldn’t think so. I think they plan on running Skinner in the AHL playoffs – nightly.
Fanti was just an astute signing for a mature prospect that should take the lead in Bakersfield next year and potentially play NHL games sooner rather than later. Potentially – he may never play in the NHL for all I know.