Minor leagues matter. Last season, the Edmonton Oilers brought Ryan McLeod, Tyler Benson, Stuart Skinner, Philip Broberg and Markus Niemelainen to the NHL from Bakersfield. This year, McLeod, Skinner and Niemelainen are playing roles on the team, with Broberg a possible recall. Who will we see this season?
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers start October slow but finish month strong
- Lowetide: Oilers prospect Tyler Tullio adjusting quickly to AHL
- DNB: Oilers’ Skinner, an Edmonton native, closes door on Flames
- DNB: The Oilers have a third line that’s settling in
- Lowetide: Early season trade unlikely for the Oilers
- Lowetide: How the Oilers are working to solve second-pairing issues
- Lowetide: Are the Oilers finding chemistry with their skill lines?
- Lowetide: 5 Oilers prospects delivering exceptional early performances
- DNB: 5 takeaways from the Oilers’ first 5 games
- Lowetide: Oilers’ defence depth impacted by Philip Broberg’s early woes
- DNB: Warren Foegele Q&A
- Lowetide: Did the Oilers find the right fit for winger Zach Hyman?
- DNB: Another Oilers loss isn’t ideal, but it shows why they have little to be worried about
- DNB: How the Oilers can manage Connor McDavid and star players’ workloads
- Lowetide: 6 Edmonton Oilers positives from an uneven start
- Lowetide: Why Oilers’ Evan Bouchard will be a key to 2022-23 season
- New DNB: 11 bold predictions for 2022-23 season
- Jonathan Willis: Jakob Chychrun would look good on the Oilers, but is there a deal to be had?
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers reasonable expectations for every player in 2022-23
- Lowetide: Oilers top-20 prospects, summer 2022
FAMOUS ROOKIES
How many AHL rookies, as a percentage, make the NHL for 100 or more games? Using the Oilers farm teams since 2010 to answer the question, here’s how things have gone over the years. Have to have played 10 games in the AHL to be considered a rookie season. Some players were rookies for more than one season, I chose the first season in which they were a rookie with 10+ games.
- 2010-11: 10 rookies, two NHL players (Jeff Petry, Chris VandeVelde)
- 2011-12: 12 rookies, two NHL players (Tyler Pitlick, Anton Lander)
- 2012-13: 13 rookies, four NHL players (Justin Schultz, Martin Marincin, Taylor Fedun, Brandon Davidson)
- 2013-14: 9 rookies, two NHL players (Oscar Klefbom, Laurent Brossoit)
- 2014-15: 11 rookies, two NHL players (Jordan Oesterle, Jujhar Khaira)
- 2015-16: 9 rookies, one NHL player (Anton Slepyshev)
- 2016-17: 5 rookies, one NHL player (Jesse Puljujarvi)
- 2017-18: 9 rookies, two NHL players (Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones)
- 2018-19: 8 rookies, one NHL player (Kailer Yamamoto)
- 2019-20: 7 rookies, two NHL players (Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod)
I count 102 rookies over 10 years, and 19 rookies who played 100+ NHL games. That’s 18 percent, and the number will grow as names like Stuart Skinner, Philip Broberg and others reach 100 games in the league. It’s also about two players per season. What might that mean for this year’s crop? Let’s run through the Farm Workers questions for the 2022-23 team.
If a prospect can establish himself as an AHL regular at 20, it bodes well for an NHL career, but does not guarantee it.
This year’s crop is strong already, and Carter Savoie is just getting started. I’ve seen the Condors games this season, and am confident both Xavier Bourgault and Tyler Tullio will have success in the league. Why do I say this? At 20, you still have some room to grow, but if you can start as these two men have (impressive amount spent with or near the puckk; 3-2-5 for Bourgault and 1-1-2 for Tullio, in six games for each), then AHL success of some sort is likely. NHL success? Too soon to know.
Pretty much everyone who is in the AHL past 21 is having some issues and may spend time meandering.
This is an important group, really 21-25 age group can produce useful players. Chris VandeVelde was 24 years and two days in age on the night of his first NHL game. There’s still time for several young players who are currently playing for the Condors.
Who is the most promising? Philip Broberg for sure, but I don’t think he’s part of this group and should be in the NHL soon (for a long time). Among the group who remain, I’m impressed with Mike Kesselring, James Hamblin, and I want to be impressed by Noah Philp and Klim Kostin.
The players who will be successful have played at least some games in the NHL during entry deals.
This is a tricky one. For instance, Raphael Lavoie is in the final year of his entry deal and has played in just 81 AHL games. There’s a “Curtis Hamilton has signed in Austria” feel to Lavoie, but we know he has talent and 81 AHL games isn’t a lot. I’ll tell you it’s rare to make it if the entry deal has run its course. The organization has made other plans. James Hamblin has a better chance from here than Lavoie, and Hamblin wasn’t drafted.
Exceptions are college men, who often turn pro at 22.
If you’re evaluating AHL players, the college men are on a different track than the junior grads and Europeans. Vincent Desharnais is an extreme example, but age isn’t the same pressure point for college men. I remember the Oilers being done with 2010 draft picks Curtis Hamilton and Ryan Martindale long before they moved on from Brad Hunt, who was older and less trumpeted. Entry deals matter, and performance in those years really matters. I think starting the entry deal at 22 is a good idea for all but the top drawer talent. Maybe the IHL needs to return.
No matter what you and I think about a specific AHL player, the largest category of player in the minors is ‘tweener’.
On the current Condors roster, I would put Broberg, Bourgault, Savoie and Tullio as legit, and have time for Kesselring, Hamblin, Desharnais but they’re probably tweeners. Kostin and Philp I’m not sure about, but we’ll see. Tyler Benson is a tweener.
Dan Cleary, Fernando Pisani and Jason Chimera are the success stories in this study.
Who is the Cleary-Pisani-Chimera in this group? If I had to bet money, my answer would be James Hamblin, although I’m not sure he’ll have a career in the NHL. He does a pile of smart things every game, has great utility. It might be Vincent Desharnais, who went the college route and has worked hard to get an opportunity.
Bourgault is tracking like a young Yamamoto, not sure that fits the definition here (although Cleary was a first-round pick). I think Tullio might be capable of that kind of range, that’s miles down the road. Klim Kostin is a player I barely know, his Condors games suggest he has size, speed, skill and some kind of stash he loves in the penalty box. Still finding out about him as a hockey player.
LOWETIDE AND JAMIESON
A busy show, 10-2 today, TSN 1260. Guests include NHL Insider Darren Dreger and Joshua Kloke, author of The Voyaguers (Canadian Men’s Soccer Team). We’ll add guests, possibly a Saskatchewan Roughrider guest, and talk Oilers after the strong finish to Octonber. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio!!
Will one of our young $3 million dollar men score a goal tonight? Foegele, Yamamoto, JP? Who is the next one to score and when?
Also when does Holloway notch one?
Foegle has been sniffing, he’s overdue.
Scott Wheeler has published his list of the top 64 prospects for the 2023 draft.
Some notable names:
Ziemmer – #23
Sawchyn – #41
And at #28, right around where the Oilers might pick (if they keep it), a RHC from Alberta who happens to be a teammate of Chiasson. Hmmm…
I feel we’re at that time when the Oil have to trade their first pick to win it all. I think it’s been about 10 years since the Cup winner had their first rounder.
I think I understand HH’s purpose on this blog.
Marcus Aurelius hired a servant to whisper in his ear “you’re just a man” whenever Marcus’ ego would get inflated.
HH is that servant, without him we would all be planning the parade, glad handing, circle jerking….he provides balance…he’s the yin to our yang…
Never change HH
HH is the Marcus Aurelius in your analogy. His trolling is not a counterbalance.
LT is Marcus, he hired servant HH to troll us and keep us grounded
Weak analogy. You think you’ve stumbled upon something. Please think a little bit more.
2 nights ago, the Oilers beat the Flames for their 4th win in a row and the comments were happy but not ecstatic. There was no parade planning, no arrogance, no overhype. And DSF was pretty absent that night, as he often is after the Oilers play well and win.
This blog is generally for the level headed, at least for the vast majority of the usual suspects. You might have this place confused with ON.
I think he’s more like Antoninus of Spartacus
Wrong.
More like tits on a boar; DSF serves no purpose.
The Toronto media likes to say the Oilers would be garbage without McDavid, but imagine what a tire fire the Leafs would look like without Matthews:
Marner – Tavares – Nylander are a pretty unexciting core to lead offensively. The rest of the forward group behind them are bottom-10 in the league.
Their D are average, or slightly above, but nowhere near elite.
Goaltending is average at best, putrid at worst.
I’d easily say the Oilers without McDavid are vastly superior to the Leafs without Matthews.
Better top-end and depth scoring, similar D, far superior goaltending.
Don’t disagree on star power, but that omits the AAV going toward Matthews that could be put toward someone else.
So, Marner/Tavares/Nylander/+
Also omits McDavids AAV that could be put towards +++
I am wondering if Shanahan is setting the stage for the removal of Dubas
The teams media company had this as their main headline the other day: Dreadful road trip shows Maple Leafs GM Dubas has not built a cup contender
Trotz said “I’d consider an Original Six Team”
I thought then either Montreal or TO
St Louis is doing better than exptected so…
It’s clear they can’t keep bowing out in the 1st round and not change anything. Plus the clock is ticking loud on that core.
I’m not sure what the bar is for Dubas to remain, but I’d guess it’s conference final +.
If this year is more of the same for Leafs nation, Shanahan will surely want the next GM in place to navigate the final year of Matthews, Nylander, Muzzin, Bordie et al.
McDavid is the first star of the week for the NHL. They gave a very good reason why, besides him getting 8 points, he was selected number 1:
“McDavid topped the NHL with 4-4-8 – with all eight points earned on goals that tied the game or gave the Oilers the lead”.
That sounds very, mmm.. valuable.
Really though, that is extremely impressive.
Marchand, Bergeron, Staal, Toews.
These are the only 4 active players out of the top 99 in what all-time NHL stat? [per quanthockey]
Also, it was super interesting to compare the career boxcars for Nuge and Hemmer just now. Nuge comes out ahead in most categories, though Hemmer surely snapped the whip on more waterskiers/60.
Without looking, my guess is short handed goals.
Which Staal we looking in?
Early days, but wouldn’t Bourgeault be trending ahead of KY based on AHL production? Particularly if he can maintain that 0.5 goals per game production.
Perhaps, though Yamamoto had made the big club out of camp 2x before he played an AHL game.
As far as players on the existing Bakersfield Condors, I have Bourgault and Broberg as the locks to have substantial NHL careers – that is, every day NHL players for a full career, likely substantial – top 4 and top 6 at their peaks.
I think Kesselring and Tulio have really strong chances to have a long career as every day NHL players – they may top out at 3rd pairing and middle/bottom 6 but legit NHL players for a long time. Not a lock and they will both need additional time (in particular Tulio) but they are tracking we’ll at the pro level.
I think Hamblin and Deharnais may get some NHL games but I’m not sure either will be able to etch out an “every day lineup player” career. They could be tweeters for years though and there is some value there.
Savoie is a bit of a wild-card – he needs to make it as a sniper and offensive producer. His best asset is that shot but we don’t know if he can score from distance at the pro level (let alone the NHL level) and I’m not sure he’ll be able to produce from the inside.
Lavoie, well, I just want him to get healthy and “catch-up” this season – earn a second contract and start to push next season. He’ll be so far behind this season, it will be really hard to push in the short term.
VGK are off to a hot start (Ryan Dixon – Sportsnet article today) this year @ 8-2-0-16 with Edmonton in second in the Pacific at 6-3-0-12.
Dixon: ‘have played home-heavy schedules and haven’t exactly been going up against the cream of the crop every night.’
Dixon does not provide context for the statement so here is some:
VGK: 10 games with 6 against 2021 non-playoff teams and 6 at home
Oil: 9 games with 3 against 2021 non-playoff teams and 6 at home
Early days but the schedule will catch up with Vegas. Oil will finish first in the Pacific which should provide an easier opponent in the first round.
That may be true in the short term but the schedule for both teams is relatively easy for the rest of the season.
http://powerrankingsguru.com/nhl/strength-of-schedule.php
Of note, the Flames have the easiest remaining schedule by a fair margin.
Also, the Flames are actually second in the Pacific by points percentage and have 2 games in hand on the Oilers with winnable games at home against Seattle and Nashville coming up this week.
Wow, 90% of the season to go and you are extrapolating this? How can anyone make a statement like this?
Perhaps you should take a look at the article I posted.
The methodology is very clear.
Their methodology references week to week data collection to determine and update the strength of schedule rankings.
You are extrapolating it across an entire season based on what it is as of today:
“both teams is relatively easy for the rest of the season”
Of course it does but is far more useful than asserting success based on the first 10 games of the season as Ryan Dixon has done.
And I am not doing the extrapolating…the Power Rankings are.
There will undoubtedly be week to week changes in those but, generally speaking, they provide insight into which teams are difficult opponents or not.
Yeah, it shows which teams are difficult as of today, right now. Not at the end of the season. The model even acknowledges it does SOME future projections.
“Some of these sites also project teams’ future success. We collect this info and calculate each team’s average points projection, playoff odds and Stanley Cup champion odds.”
It doesn’t make sense to say that 2 teams after playing 10% of the season have an easy schedule for the rest of the season when a lot can change and teams strengths can change.
A “easy” schedule now can become a “difficult” schedule later which is why it’s silly to say a team has an easy schedule for the “rest of the season”.
Exactly. Methodology may be clear but the robustness of any projections made off of that methodology is weak. Try peddling your bull shit somewhere where with weak math people.
He must have been very confused when Montreal and Buffalo were showing as strong opponents at the beginning of last year and then were showing as weaker opponents as the season progressed.
Last year it was “Wait til the rubber hits the road”. He is a bit early to be throwing that out there, but McDavid probably gave him nightmares on Saturday night.
Having trouble believing that a team that has only played one away game and has had a minimum 2 days off in between games has had the hardest schedule in the league.
While the opponents have been hard the schedule for the flames has been very very light.
Now they have to catchup games on the rest of the league
You’ve written this in a way that almost suggests you DIDN’T notice that the Oilers have the 2nd easiest remaining schedule in the entire NHL.
Calgary is literally the only team in the league with an easier ride from here.
My virus software warns me not to open the site
My virus software warns me not to respond to hairball.
you’re at this again lol ? how did that work out last season buddy ?
I caught 3 games of the Knights last week. They are a very smart hard working team. Yet I would not trust the Goaltending of Logan Thompson who’s in the same zone as Skinner is right now. Logan is big and covers the net but he’s not a reflex Goalie. If you can get him moving side to side he can be had especially top shelf where Grandma keeps the homemade Oatmeal Cookies.
It’s not just Thompson though.
Adin Hill who has started 4 games is at .940 with a GAA below 2.00
Must be something in the water.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. You have to remember these young men have a shitload of money and needs.
Small sample sizes are in the water
Yep.
Skinner has started 3 games while Thompson and Hill have each started 4.
My mistake..Thompson has started 6.
Also a lie.
You have a problem.
Skinner has faced Calgary twice, St Louis once and a Buffalo team, if not improved, at least off to a hot start (probably 6-3 after tonight).
Adin Hill has played Winnipeg twice, Seattle and San Jose. Winnipeg has started well but not as impressive as Buffalo yet.
Oh and since we’re comparing save percentages, Skinner has only played 16 minutes less that Hill (<5% difference) and he has faced 30 more shots. The starts don’t tell the whole story.
Its a long season, so as you said yesterday, unnecessarily I might add, “calm your tits!”.
Do you want to discuss Jack Campbell?
I repeat, it’s a long season, so CYT. I’m sure you’ll want to discuss it again in a few months if Campbell is playing poorly. But we won’t hear from you if Campbell Skinner out perform Thompson Hill.
Campbell will have a save percentage of 0.918 by Christmas time.
So you get absolutely flayed on the Skinner debate and try to deflect to stop looking like a complete POS. So typical.
This is absolutely AMAZING.
Month after month after month (for years) the Oilers’ demise and their rivals fortunes are speculated based off of strength of schedule – wrong, wrong, wrong, EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Here we are, 10 games in the the season and the same is once against speculated off strength of schedule.
That rubber road – its out there somewhere – hasn’t arrived yet though.
I wonder if the noted Aidan Hill’s unsustainable shooting percentage will be subject to regression or if its only Ryan McLeod’s shooting percentage…..
It’s like groundhog day!
Another statement leading up to a lie.
Wait for it… it’s coming.
This is a lie.
32-something spends 22:30 minutes on the leafs. All negative. I love it almost as much as seeing the shamers lose.
perhaps too early for the McDavid Rocket Richard watch …. but quietly has 9 Goals in 9 Games ….
playing so well …only LT’s has the words to describe it ….
Not sure I buy “quietly”
Maybe not “quietly”, but this also isn’t a case where he’s blowing our minds and doing things of which we never imagined him capable. It’s just McDavid being McDavid.
I agree, but also think if Matthews had 9 in 9 theyd be projecting 82 and expecting him to topple Gretzky’s 92 with a bit of luck. He is the greatest goalscorer of any generation don’t ya know.
Location Location Location.
Nope. Not too early. Was anyone else not surprised that he provided ballistic level offense after f’ing up the coverage on the Lucic pass from behind the net? As Bruce noted “not sure I buy quietly”. The only question in my mind was will he be able to stay healthy operating as he does at
warpbreakneck speed.Cool… I feel like LT just gave us the Coles Notes on 20 years of hard learned experience here, similar to the Vulcan mind grip.
Finding Pool Party…and some were worried about his sideburns…
https://twitter.com/BarDown/status/1587052900576071687
That kid’s sense of humor…..you gotta love him.
Just brilliant. Even better if it was Markus dressed up, rather than Jesse’s GF 😀
Here is what his costume was modelled after:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQTe7r6DK3EhmBRjKya-aXmI6Lk_zq150_bkw&s
Capfriendly provides a glimpse into player acquisition – they categories players as Draft, Sign, Trade or Waiver Wire –
Which would suggest the Oilers are doing well getting 18 years into the NHL, but some opportunity to trade for more effective players.
Oilers
Signed 10
Draft 11
Trade 1
Flames
Signed 10
Draft 5
Trade 6
Avs
Signed 5
Draft 6
Trade 11
Waiver 1
TBay
Signed 7
Draft 10
Trade 4
Hurricanes
Signed 12
Draft 5
Trade 5
I don’t think the acquisition path matters so much as the right players, and the right mix of players.
Draft and development= low cap hit. This matters
Having value contracts helps, but players outperforming ELCs is not the only way to build a railroad.
Some teams have veterans on value contracts too.
While that is true, as the cap continues to squeeze the lower ends of rosters, full formed actual NHL players are increasingly available at league minimum or close.
For example, Tampa currently has 8 players on its roster making $1.5 million or less and only 1 is on an ELC.
Carolina also with 8 and 1 ELC.
You probably would NOT BELIEVE that the Oilers also (like TB and CAR) have 8 under $1.5M, and only one of those on ELC.
Agreed
The thing trades and astute signings do is push the dial forward faster
Most top contenders are pretty active and aggressive getting after it
Waiting for development, while necessary, can age out the core if it doesn’t work out quickly enough or the mix isn’t right
To me Sleepy Kev in the Peg did this
Extra egregious if it were to happen to the Good Guys given who they were gifted
The Jets were ready to take the next step and then had some very bad luck on D, led by losing Byfuglien. They knocked off the President’s Trophy Preds before running into expansion-year lightning-in-a-bottle Vegas.
Yes, but so just descend into what they did?
The point is action to rectify the issues, and if you do it well enough your team is better
They were on the cusp for seasons. But the culture was obvioulsy bad (Byf and Kane and more), they lost Trouba and Byf
Other teams have pivoted better
They are a good team but done now IMO
Its an interesting comment when one compares it to the Oilers post-2017. On the bring of the WCF and then lose Sekera (a low level top pairing/high level 2nd pairing D in his prime signed for term – gone for two years and replacement level upon return) and Klefbom who was really never healthy after that point (his last full season and he was DAMN good).
Was he, though?
I just recall a lot of disappointment with a smattering of good performances mixed in with a ton of injuries.
Not a great pick, but Klefbom gets a lot of love because the rest of the D was SO bad.
Definitely we have the core up front of McDavid, Leon, Hyman, Kane and Nuge Holland walked into a nice situation when he took the job but he’s done a excellent job surrounding Leon and Connor. Holland can now sit back and surround the team with players like Tullio and Schaefer players that have a edge which the Oilers are lacking in and Holland knows this. If Brad is going to resign Connor and Leon we need to draft-develop players who can do the job on a ELC contract.
I think All avenues are vital to win a Cup …
D + D is cheap labor as LT says …
but no way AVS win Cup without some of Sakic’s astute trades.
-GIRARD
-BYRAM
-D. TOEWS
-BURAKOVSKY
-KADRI
-LEHKONEN
same with Tampa Bay …
-MCDONAUGH
-COLEMAN
-GOODROW
-HAGEL
-PAUL
Edmonton is entering that window … FOEGLE for BEAR looks like a modest win at this point … Kenny H is gonna have to land a couple more good players before the trade deadline; and how effective he is (the players are) will greatly impact Edmonton’s chance to be the last team standing ….
Edmonton wasted so many years with ineffective drafting – otherwise known as lousy management – that they really didn’t have anybody or anything worth trading. Look at the opening night rosters of this team up until very recently and count how many ‘real’ NHL players were on them.
Holland was pretty much forced to go the UFA route due to lack of assets when he arrived. That is finally coming to an end but the long contracts, no movement clauses & overpays that are the defining aspect of UFA signings will become a problem that will have to be dealt with at some point.
I believe it wasn’t just poor drafting; poor trading as well. When we consider Eberle for Strome for Spooner, and #16 & #33 for Reinhart; the Oilers had terrible pro scouting and bled all sorts of value.
I know technically his current contract is a ufa contact, but Kulak should count as a trade acquisition as well.
You’d have to count Kane too if that’s the case.
Kane wasn’t acquired via trade though. He was signed as a UFA and the re-signed as he approached UFA status again.
Kane was signed as a UFA when his contract was terminated.
Oh yeah. Good remembering of stuff!
Got tix to Condors at San Diego Gulls for Nov 11th.
Sitting couple rows from the penalty box so I’ll be looking for the Kostim stash.
Will try to provide an update on players of note.
Last time I went, prepandemic, i was very pleased with Desharnais and didn’t know anything about him as he wasn’t discussed in these parts of the al gore.
A high school friend of mine is now the coach of the Gulls. If you see the coach, his name is Jason. Tell him Stu says hi lol
Will do Stu.
Great work.
See if you can grade both Bourgs and Tulio’s skating ability….
Thanks for this LT.
Any update on Benson, Lavoie and Desharnais?
According to capfriendly, Benson is on LTIR. Will his activation have line shufftle due to cap implications if he gets sent down? Do they keep him up and send Holloway down?
Not sure, but think Holloway has to play more or get sent down. When Benson is activated, he’ll be waived and sent to Bakersfield. I think the next recall is Broberg
As of last week, Benson was about 1-2 weeks away.
Both Lavoie and Dehearnais may be in the lineup this coming weekend.
Definite cap implications when Benson is ready and someone will need to be assigned – it could be Holloway at that time (if nothing changes on deployment) or Benson himself (after waivers).
LOL – there is a perfect example of who noon should pay any attention to the “voting”.
Purely factual information a direct answer to the questions…… minus votes.
Why would anyone give a single iota of credence to these?
Nobody was asking you.
Somebody logged in in a mood this morning – my goodness.
Hope your day improves, there is sure alot of it ahead.
Your sample size is quite large. I think the 18 percent or 2 per year probably has less to do with the actually players in the minors and more to do with “there are only so many jobs available” at the NHL level …
maybe on a bad team , like the DoD Oilers there were more jobs available but for the most part your numbers are consistent across 13 years …..
1 – 3 graduates per year … that’s it …
Yes totally agree even though Campbell hasn’t settled into the “zone” he’s more in position to make a save than both Smith and the Swiss Miss Mikko. I liked Smith but there was no way he could handle the rigours of playing 25 quality playoff games it takes to win a Cup.
Why are we calling Koskinen the Swiss Miss? He’s Finnish. Did I miss a memo?
It was something about swiss cheese
You have to convert Reja’s comments into 1958…fedora, trench coat, and the use of phrases like dame and knuckle sandwich
The cancel culture will never touch my Flintstones because we won’t let the very few weird ducks that find it offensive get their jollies.
Because he’s playing in Switzerland. This is where players go instead of becoming a Schmock (myself) and having to get a real job.
It would be more apt to call him the Swiss-Stud given his .921 in 12 game for Lugano.
Truth be told, I’m sure Koskinen is making solid money and living his best life playing in Europe right now. I’m sure he’s happy and content, etc. and I’m happy for him.
He made close to 15 million dollars not to shabby. How many playoff games did Mr. Koskinen start for the Oil? Some say the play-in was the playoffs others say it shouldn’t count what do you think?
I don’t see how this has anything to do with my post.
What an odd “retort”…..
In the big scope of things first place and regular season means eff all. I’m going to fill you in and the players will say the same thing, It’s all about the Playoffs. I’ll ask you again how many playoff games did Mikko play in and what was his playoff record?
I’m not sure what point your trying to make or, more specifically, what conversation you are trying to have but it doesn’t seem at all related to my response-post to you and not a conversation I’m really interested in so I’ll leave it at that.
You talk about mikko like he’s one of the greats that played in Edmonton. Mikko never won squat so his save percentage means nothing to the Oiler faithful. I would rate Mikko somewhere between 15-20th best Goalie who has played for the Oil.
Well, that sounds quite made up…..
League wide about 55~68 draftee made it pass 100th games between 2000~2008, so 2 per team per year (give or take) sounds about right. These playera does not have to made it to 100 games in the team that draft them, so even the DoD Oilers let some through where players made 100 games elsewhere. Take into account there are now more teams, and a “tweener vetern unfriendly” salary cap and AHL roster experience limits the number of draftees making it to 100 games probably goes up in the past 10 years.
https://dobberprospects.com/2020/05/16/nhl-draft-pick-probabilities/
Last season, on almost every shot I would cringe …. or if the game was in the last 5 minutes I was always waiting for Smith to do something (wrong) … now it’s early days, but with both goalies this season I feel much more comfort and less fear about giving up a freebie / weak one ….
just a thought ..
The Oilers have been tied in the 3rd period and scored in the last 10 minutes to win in regulation twice this year (I think twice, at least twice).
Its the exact opposite of what I’m used to in these types of games.
In the prior two seasons combined, Edmonton had the highest winning/points percentage in the league when leading after the first period (.902) Colorado was second. When leading after 2 periods, Edmonton was 61-3-3 when leading after 2 for a .910 points percentage, which was 7th overall in the league. Both of these figures are ahead of their overall place during that two season span of 9th in points %. Mikko Koskinen (2) and Skinner (1) were the goalies in the 3 regulation losses in those games. Koskinen was in net for 1 of the OT losses after leading in the second, while Smith was in net for (2) of the OT losses when the team was leading after 2.
Not sure why you would be cringing when over 60 games played by Smith over those 2 seasons, when leading after 2, the Oilers only missed out on a total of 2 points in the standings.
The best data is the stuff you simply can’t argue with.
Thanks for this.
I’ve got lots of patience for Jack Campbell to find his game but at this point I do a lot more cringing with him in net than I did with either Smith or Koskinen.
I have to say I’m impressed with how things have been trending with some of the Oiler prospects these last few years. I could be totally wrong but given the make up of the club with elite players, free agents, long term contracts, etc…one to two graduates a year seems a very attainable and successful rate of turnover/development.
So much goes into these call-ups in terms of injuries, a coach who believes in you, money(!!). Basically a whole bunch of lady luck for many.
I would be curious to know if anyone has done a comparison to other clubs and how their systems produce NHL ready prospects as the Oiler’s have. Are they at par? Develop more players?
Vintage Stones. I think Mick was singing to Flames fans here…
https://twitter.com/robertt/status/1586922128527749121
Is there any updates on Benson’s status? Guessing he gets sent down when healthy.
There was an update from DNB and Gregor (I think) last week that he was getting close – another week to two away.
I wonder if, when he’s activated, if he’ll be waived and assigned or is that when they assign Holloway (if nothing really changes there) for the cap space to activate Benson. Someone will need to be assigned when he comes off LTIR (unless there is another LTIR placement).
Presumably Benson goes down since he’s no longer even in game shape.
Classic. Love it!