Xavier Bourgault scored a goal and picked up an assist last night in AHL action. Through 22 games, his eight goals and 13 points has the Oilers 2021 first-round pick No. 6 in the AHL in goals for freshman. Do you remember what reasonable expectations were discussed for his season? Let’s have a look.
A year ago, Raphael Lavoie had one of the best games any Oilers prospect has enjoyed since the Condors hit the AHL in 2015. This year, injuries, lack of playing time have the player sliding down the depth chart as his entry deal nears completion.https://t.co/ebkjzHMEVt
Xavier Bourgault RE 2022-23: I think he’ll see the NHL this season, but we’ll be watching him in Bakersfield for most of 2022-23. He’s a smart, skilled player and even though it might take some time to adjust to the difficult AHL game (it’s a tough damn league) I suspect he will post impressive numbers. A 30-goal season is possible.
Xavier Bourgault is 8-5-13 in 22 games. If he plays in all 72, he would land around 26-17-43. Bourgault is already an impressive AHL player and seems to be improving every week. He is most dynamic on the power play, which isn’t a surprise. His work on the PK (two goals) is a bonus and uses his great anticipation and quickness to best advantage. The Wallstedt fans will never give this pick its due, but Bourgault is a fine young prospect.
Dylan Holloway RE 2022-23: In my ‘reasonable expections’ series (here) I had him playing 48 games in the NHL this season. He’s dynamic in several areas (speed, passing, aggressiveness, one-on-one) but the shot will get him a free ride to the skill line if it’s true. No. 1 LW or NHL.
Dylan Holloway has been in the NHL all season, scoring 1-3-4 in 24 games. He has a 1.29 points-60 at five-on-five and despite a 35 percent goal share in the metric his expected goals total (47.6 percent) suggest he’s ready in the right situation. Possible he sees Bakersfield when everyone is healthy, but he’s showing progress. His game in Manhattan was his best one.
Tyler Tullio RE 2022-23. He has a slightly different set of skills than the other newcomers on wing and I do believe it will work to his advantage. I see a third-line winger who gets some special teams opportunities by mid-season and is a player the coach counts on by playoff time. Top-nine forward.
Tyler Tullio is progressing exactly as anticipated in the reasonable expectations. He has scored four goals and seven points in 20 games. He has a great deal of utility and I believe he’d be getting more special teams minutes but Bourgault is ahead of him on the depth chart. He is a confident, determined player. On pace for 14 goals and 25 points in a complete season.
Carter Savoie RE 2022-23. Pure scorer is ticketed for the AHL no matter what he does (and he was injured in Penticton) during training camp. I’m hoping he can get significant playing time at evens and on the power play. We might see some impressive totals by the end of the year. Top-six forward.
Carter Savoie has been used in a part-time utility role this season. He has played in just 16 of 22 games, and often plays depth minutes. He scored an impressive power-play goal on Saturday night, perhaps he’ll see more minutes in the days to come. His 3-2-5 totals don’t look fab, but I’d estimate the young man is playing around 10 minutes a night. If that’s true, he scoring at about 1.5 points-60 even strength, not bad considering his linemates. I’m not certain there’s room for him on the top two lines (feature left-wingers are Tyler Benson and then I believe Justin Bailey but it moves) but No. 3 line deployment would seem like an obvious spot for a fine young prospect.
Mike Kesselring RE 2022-23. The awkward skater with the big frame who looked all arms and legs at summer camp a few years back is all grown up. He has size, mobility, can move the puck and defend. I don’t believe he’ll see the NHL this season but is making progress. Top-four defenseman in Bakersfield.
Mike Kesselring has emerged as a real NHL prospect with a strong first 22 games. He has scored EIGHT goals, and has 11 points. He is second among AHL defensemen in goals and leads in shots (77). He is a key defender on the team, has a real edge now to his play and is establishing himself as an agitator for the opposition. The RE didn’t capture this spike, but then again this is an unusual progression. He’s good. Kesselring still has some work to do (got walked last night and hs taken a hit in goal differential at even strength in the last four games) defensively, but I could see him getting a game or two in the NHL at the end of this season.
Markus Niemelainen RE 2022-23. Huge defender isn’t waiver eligible, putting him behind Dmitri Samorukov if both men perform well. It’s possible Niemelainen, with his size and hitting ability, makes the NHL team. AHL work should be top-four at even strength and PK duty. Top-four D in Bakersfield.
Markus Niemelainen played in 15 NHL games before heading to Bakersfield. He was 5-4 goals at five-on-five in 132 minutes with Edmonton, and I believe he’ll be back at some point. In his nine AHL games so far this season, he looks reliable and mobile on defense, while playing his rugged style.
Tyler Benson RE 2022-23. He likely starts the season on a feature line, but if Holloway and Savoie adjust quickly he could be a third-line winger getting PK instead of PP time. That would be a good role for him, as those things could be on his jobs list when he gets an NHL recall. Top-nine forward.
Tyler Benson hasn’t played much this season, just two NHL games (no points, 0-0 goals at five-on-five) and four with the Condors. I wanted to mention him because Benson’s sublime passing has been on display in Bakersfield (five assists) and show just how much talent this player has at the AHL level. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to make enough plays in the NHL to have a career, but there’s talent there and a desire to make the NHL for good. He’s still working after all these years. Hope he makes it eventually.
Olivier Rodrigue RE 2022-23. It was good to see a strong performance in the young stars game. Rodrigue posted a .907 save percentage in the ECHL and it’s probable he will be in the same league for much of the coming year. He was a high pick (No. 62 overall) so the club would love to see him flourish. Stuart Skinner has moved on, so this would be Rodrigue’s time.
Olivier Rodrigue’s season rivals Mike Kesselring as a determined career spike. The slender goalie has been outstanding when Edmonton needed a goaltender (sound familiar?) in Bakersfield. His .915 save percentage ranks him No. 15 in the AHL, and he has been by far the most effective Bakersfield goaltender this season. An impressive season.
Vincent Desharnais RE 2022-23. Huge defenseman could make the NHL team this fall but is more likely to join Samorukov on the top pairing in Bakersfield. His even-strength work and PK acumen could see him recalled to Edmonton during the year.
Vincent Desharnais has battled injuries all year long. He entered camp with a chance, got optioned to Bakersfield and played five highly effective and penalty-filled games before his injury put him back on the shelf. The season isn’t a complete loss, but the first 22 games weren’t kind to the big man.
James HamblinRE 2022-23. He has emerged as a real solution for top AHL center (NHL teams badly need them to play with their young skilled wingers, we saw an example this weekend in Penticton). He could be an NHL option and that represents a big victory for the scouting staff. He scored 21 last season with Bakersfield, and will play a key role helping young wingers this seaosn on the top line.
James Hamblin made it to the NHL this season. After scoring 3-6-9 in 15 AHL games, he has played six games with the Oilers. He is a winner on over 60 percent of his five-on-five faceoffs and looks at home in the middle. He has a 58 percent expected goals in the small six-game sample, and earned playing time over Benson, Brad Malone and other roster hopefuls in Edmonton.
Raphael Lavoie RE 2022-23. His injury gums up the works and this is a bad spot for him. There’s 10 miles of new players coming in, two on right-wing and two on left-wing and it’s easy to become yesterday’s papers. Rob Schremp got run over in this exact spot and he was a better prospect. I’ll say he plays some on a skill line and improves his overall performance, no idea if it will be enough. There IS a player here. Up and down the lineup this year, probably gets squeezed out of the power play.
Raphael Lavoie has played in 13 games, has a couple of goals. He’s injured now, but he wasn’t playing a feature role before the injury. I wrote a piece about him for The Athletic (above) and there are many wrinkles to his story. He started the season behind due to the injury, and remains there after 22 games. He’s in a helluva spot.
Phil Kemp RE 2022-23. Seems to be lagging behind the pack of RHD, things can change quickly with injuries and Kemp is a solid defender. I think he’ll move up the depth chart more often this season, but the role will be similar to one year ago.
Phil Kemp has been playing higher up the depth chart than anticipated, partly due to the injury to Vincent Desharnais and partly due to Jason Demers slow boots. Kemp isn’t a burner but he can get around, and I’d dispute anyone suggesting Kemp has been third pairing this season. He’s a solid defender and has shown more offense (3-6-9 in 22 games) than expected.
Ryan Fanti RE 2022-23. His resume is strong (in the last four seasons, his save percentages .922, .917 in the NAHL, and .907, .929 in college) and he’s 22. At 6.02, 190, and with a quality college resume, logic dictates he has a slight edge on the Bakersfield backup job.
Ryan Fanti has been unable to get traction in Bakersfield (four games, .892) or with the Fort Wayne Komets (six games, .878) of the ECHL.
Noah Philp RE 2022-23. Young RHC has a great opportunity with the organization. He is a lock for playing time in all situations and gives the club a strong No. 2 RHC. Always bet on a lower than hoped scoring totals but Philp’s range of skills means he can help in multiple.
Noah Philp is 3-1-4 in 21 games, so the lack of scoring predicted has come to fruition. I don’t think the Condors are using him properly, but he gets noticed when you watch the team. I hope they give him a more defined role in the later portions of the season.
Dmitri Samorukov RE 2022-23. He’s uncertain to be on the team because of the waivers issue. If he lands in Bakersfield, and healthy, he shouold be the biggest presence among LHD this season. His work under Colin Chaulk last year was quality and he could make the Oilers in the fall.
Dmitri Samorukov was traded by Ken Holland for winger Klim Kostin. It was an effective trade, at least so far.
The problem with your logic is that it leads to going out trading for guys like Alec Petrovic or Brandon Manning. The rugged sort of guys who struggle to win bottom pairing minutes.
Karlsson tilts the ice. He’s winning 20 minutes of even strength ice on a bad team. Every team needs a guy like that. He plays 25 minutes per game.
You put Karlsson on the Oilers top pairing, pushing everyone else down, and that’s about the most impactful single thing you could do to improve the team.
For the same assets out, would you favour Chychrun or Karlsson at 50% retained? (clearly neither would be your first choice, but curious which of the big, risky D trades you dislike more/less).
Also, to your reply yesterday regarding who might come out for Foegele. Fair enough the Hamblin line has even better fancies on Friday. I think the difference would/could be that the Ryan line has been together longer and has actually scored goals (3-1 in 51 minutes together vs 0-0 in 16 minutes for the Hamblin trio). Agree it’s not an easy or clear cut decision though.
ESPN announced that Brock Purdy becomes the first quarterback ever to beat Brady in his first start. …Not sure how long a list that would be, lol, despite Brady playing for over twenty years. But I’ll tell you this… if the Niners finally have a quarterback, y’all’s in trouble.
I don’t really follow football but I happened to see segment about that a few days back. Purdy was, I believe, the 8th QB to face Brady in his first start. The first 7 had lost (could have been 8 already lost, but I think it was 7 previous).
It’s time for Holland to pick-up a rugged D-man. When’s the last time not counting Nemo one of our D layed someone out? Exactly it’s time Holland uses up some of his good will he’s doled out to other G.M’s over the years and obtain a nasty prick.
I agree. The ideal Dman for the Oilers as presently constructed is an SOB Dman with sandpaper who is good defensively and can make a pass and take a pass. Good luck getting such a player. I feel Chychrun is just more of the same as the rest of the Oilers D, at least in “player type”.
Tarkus
December 11, 2022 6:01 pm
Summarizing!
Not much scoring to speak of, with only Petrov finding the scoresheet. He had a helper and a team-high 5 SOG in a North Bay win.
Chiasson, Munzenberger and Lachance were held pointless. Maatta was too, but he was able to flex on the dot in going 10-for-15 (66.7%).
Prospecting takes a break until Tuesday.
jtblack
December 11, 2022 4:30 pm
I am in the “Hell bent on Chycrun” camp.
But the camp is a lot more; “just make some MAJOR acquisition(s)”. Nibbling around the edges will not suffice.
The West can be had this year. AVS are good but lost key pieces. FLAMES not as good. Vegas is Good but can be had. DALL is good.
Take advantage of PEAK #97 & #29. Go all in. This is a year Edmonton can win the Cup, but only with key pieces added. And yes, I believe Skinner is good enough to win a Cup
I agree. Need to trade for [insert your favourite possibly available, star player].
Willing to deal any combination of picks and prospects to get it. The Oil cannot afford to trade roster players outside of JP and maybe Barrie for cap purposes.
I don’t love the idea of trading a 1st for a rental, which is why Chyckrun is so appealing. A value contract for 2.5 seasons. Worth a 1st and a top prospect.
From there you can trade 2nd rd picks to add depth to the forward group.
One thing to keep in mind is that next season, with Klefbom (and Smith) off the books, the Oilers should not be in season long LTIR – that means, accruing cap space to bank, pro-rating the yearly cap hit of acquired players in-season, etc. – it means there should be real cap space. Here is hoping trade currency hasn’t been too depleted when there is the actual ability to improve materially in-season.
OriginalPouzar
December 11, 2022 4:26 pm
Nuge could go pointless for the next 5 games and still be at a PPG.
When Janmark got sent down, he wasn’t able to join the team for like three weeks due to immigration issues. I think Woody was talking about him getting back up to speed.
Kulak flips to the right side. Broberg and Barrie the 3rd pairing.
Bouchard is not progressing fast enough and Chychrun has a great contract. I like Broberg better than Bouchard as a D. And Barrie has Bouchard’s skillset.
(I prefer Karlsson over Chychrun, but hard to see San Jose eating 50%).
If I include Bouchard, I don’t have to give up Broberg, Holloway, or Bourgault in the deal. I like all three of those guys better than Bouchard.
Barrie has settled in on the PP, and understands his role in it. And would likely re-sign on an uber bargain deal after next season to stay as 3rd pairing RD plus PP.
There is only so much salary to go around. Broberg will be on a entry level. Bouchard becomes expensive for a 3rd pairing level D next year. He has shown no signs of progressing from 3rd pairing level D defensively. One has to pay for the offense without the commensurate defense.
Interesting thoughts.
Thing is Bouchard is a sure fire 2nd pair Dman can be signed for a 7-8 year extension for decent money, while Chyckrun has only 2.5 left on his discounted ticket.
1 for 1 it’s a fair trade, adding in Puljujarvi to make the money work.
Oilers haven’t had a homegrown RD forever, and replacing this position is very very difficult. I would much rather part with a young winger.
Bouchard is not sure fire 2nd pair in the next 2.5 year though, and one has to pay on the line for it starting next year because of offense without the defense. And Barrie will sign an uber bargain deal to stay to bridge to Kesselring or Wanner. And Broberg will be able to play right side once established.
Defensively suspect offensive D are a luxury item. Nice to have, but not an essential.
Bouchard had to make a statement this year, and he has not. So his timeline no longer really meshes with the McDraivid timeline.
I know that you love things being black or white but Bouchard not playing to your development timeline expectation for two months, 28 games, all of a sudden alters the entire path forward? Seems a bit panicy and reactive.
Bouchard was a very good 2RD in the playoffs, just a few months ago – to lock him at 3RD going forward seems really odd.
How did we get to the place where Godot is talking about keeping Barrie and re-signing him after next season? Is there going to be a suggestion to re-acquire Kassian as well?
What does this mean.
I think Godot is highly undervaluing Bouchard’s potential and continued ability to develop defensively and more up the lineup on merit.
Yet he’d have been Arizona’s #4 scoring forward last year. And they have $27M is cap space they could use to see if Puljujarvi re-gains his form from from last fall.
Negative value to the Oilers (who are over the cap with everyone healthy, and want to add at the deadline), and negative value to the Coyotes ($27M in cap space) are not the same thing.
For the Coyotes to take on Kassian , the Oilers paid:
3 draft slots in June
a 3rd round pick in 2 years
a 2nd round pick in 3 years.
That’s for $5.8M real dollars and $6.4M cap hit.
Puljujarvi is a better player today, actually has upside, and is owed less than $2M real dollars at this point in the season.
The Oilers didn’t pay that much to rid themselves of Kassian, and Puljujarvi is not a similar player nor contract.
This trade makes Cody Ceci the most valuable non-McLeon player on the team.
Ceci goes down and its Barrie plus off-side dmen and rookies covering the gap.
This trade doesn’t make the Oilers better now, in the future or in event of injury. Overloads the left side.
Oilersnation has Chychrun being Nurse light. Gives up the line a ton, can’t make outlet passes but can rush the puck and generate shots especially slappers from the point.
Watching Oiler fans talk themselves into this makes me laugh. This isn’t the player to be chasing. Go after Monahan and have three lines that can outscore everyone 2-1.
We need a RD that is elite. We’ve needed one for a very long time. Not many become available, if ever…so I would want Kenny to go hard for Karlsson.
Barrie + Pool + 2023 1st + 2024 1st for Karlsson (50% retained)
I think Broberg has the potential for 2nd pairing by the year’s end, when that happens, Kulak takes the 3rd pairing job to help steady Bouchard.
Nurse Karlsson
Broberg Ceci
Kulak Bouchard
We may never get another chance to acquire a defenseman like Karlsson during the McDrai years. We have enough prospects bubbling in the system now…no need to stock the cupboard any further. I believe draft picks need to be used as currency in trade to make the current NHL roster as good as it can be. Karlsson instantly makes the D group more balanced, and Nurse may even make that 9-mil salary look like a bargain with an elite partner by his side.
Its a lot to give up…but I just don’t see another opportunity like this being available for years…and we no longer have years to wait.
The key is you have to recoup a first and due diligence on Karlsson’s ankle. He’s ok now but has a lot of track on that contract
For me that’s Yama and something, if he starts scoring on a 20 goal pace again this season
Yama is great but I like Holloway more. Bourgault is pushing for next season if he’s scoring at a point per game. And in the last couple of games I’ve seen Yama’s head bouncing around a bunch. He just came back from another UBI. I hope the best for him but that is not going age well and he seems to not be able to avoid it
Harpers Hair
December 11, 2022 3:59 pm
Avalanche beats the Blues 3-2 in OT with a Rantanen hat trick.
Of note…Nichushkin and Lehkonnen back in the lineup off IR.
SayItAin'tSo, Gretz, SayItAin'tSo!
December 11, 2022 2:37 pm
Oilers media personalities want Chychrun. They and some fans are so hellbent on acquiring this player that they’re willing to send out everything not bolted down to get it done.
Silly.
Oilers aren’t going to out defense anyone. Silly to try and jam a square peg into a round hole.
Need to make sure he stays healthy but that target should be Monahan in Montreal. Send JP and maybe a pick to get it done.
Serious depth scoring if he’s healthy. It could be like adding Kane 2.0.
Ok so obvious there is a line in the sand where it makes sense. But I’d like to push back on the idea that we shouldn’t pursue a d man because we cant out d other teams. It’s what this team needs to get to the next level. One guy on the back end can change the entire complexion.
His cap hit is only $1.45 million this year and next.
John Chambers
December 11, 2022 1:29 pm
I’m certain Ken Holland will add a significant player to the roster at some point soon.
Jakob Chychrun seems to be playing very well. Leads me to ask a few questions and curious to know readers’ thoughts:
1) Money-in Money-out seems easy: Puljujarvi and Kulak get dealt. Is it fair to Kulak to trade him after he just signed a 4-year deal?
2) Can you rely on Nurse to be your #1D if you’re aiming to be a cup contender? With Chychrun are you inviting the possibility that he might be (or become) as good or Nurse or better?
3) What are the main assets the Oilers would need to sacrifice? The 1st rd pick seems obvious. Probably another former 1st rounder (Holloway, Bourgault, or Schaffer). Who would you trade? Who would make it a deal-breaker?
4) What if LA trades for this player? Or Seattle? If they do will we make it past rd 1?
5) Last question I have is this: who are the other options to trade for? I’m of the opinion that the Oilers need a good LD to take workload off Nurse and help elevate Bouchard. I think Chychrun can do that and I’m dubious of the alternatives (eg: Edmondson or Luke Schenn or Karlsson)
Oilers have the assets and Chychrun is entering his prime and on a value contract. Can they afford not to trade for him?
3) I would think the Coyotes would want Broberg in return rather than one of those forwards.
They already possess a couple of promising forward prospects in Dylan Guenther and Connor Geekie and will undoubtedly get another even better in the upcoming forward heavy draft.
Someone that thinks Brogan Rafferty was a sure thing thinks alot of things that are better left ignored.
SayItAin'tSo, Gretz, SayItAin'tSo!
December 11, 2022 11:44 am
Zach Hyman is in a six game point streak with nine points. Totally awesome!
Zach Hyman hasn’t scored since Nov. 19.
Over that time I think he’s had two called back and been on the highlight reel for save of the week plays at least thrice.
Its odd to see a player so goal snake bitten keep kicking out the jams.
My prediction – this week he scores one and follows it up with five or six in very short order. Got a feeling he’s about to go superNova goal scoring wise when the monkey falls off his back.
As I was reading this post I was going to note that he also has a penchant for scoring goals in bunches and then you spoke to a heater coming – its coming.
I just can’t get behind expected goals. I think there is something there but they haven’t quite unlocked it yet. It’s all based on shot location correct? Volume shooting teams then have the advantage. The Oilers- good or bad – go for no doubters consistently. But this can mean no shot at all. If you convert that cross seam pass 25% of the time, but the other 3 times means no shot at all, does this impact expected goals?
flyfish1168
December 11, 2022 10:48 am
I have to give credit to Darryl Sutter. He very rarely complains. When he mentions reffing in Chicago and then refers it also to toronto, I believe him. It just appears too obvious and too often that opposing teams are not on the same level playing field with the on or off-ice handling of penalties and fines. NHL needs to do better that is a fact
To put things into perspective, his comment has been voiced many times over by people here and on other forums. He is just voicing something I feel is a league problem and now SC winning coach is pointing it out. I like the fact he did what he did. It can only help wake up the league versus hurting it. His comment really isn’t about the phlegms that I too hate
Mcdavid could draw 6 interference penalties in the first period nevermind the game. Sutter is playing the long game remember when they showed Johnny Hockey getting Hooked and Slashed like 19-20 times on one shift. It was against the Minnesota Wild after that Johnny drew a bunch of penalties so many that teams backed off trying to slow down the little shit by means of hacking him. This isn’t Sutter’s first rodeo he’s trying to deflect the teams overall performance by whining about the Zebra’s
There was maybe 1 call that was questionable. But fact is Calgary was pretty careless last night with their sticks and those penalties – especially on the game winner were well earned.
Calgary looks like a team with no identity. I don’t even think they have a Captain how can a team not have a Captain? Treliving nickled and dimed his franchise player Johnny and It was lovely the way Johnny trolled Treliving. No way Tkachuk was staying without Johnny. Then Treliving blows his wad on Weeger and Huberdeau 2 players coming from no pressure Florida with both players having career years.
The calls against Calgary were all deserved. This s Sutter trying to take heat off a team that really is not that good..
Shamus23
December 11, 2022 9:58 am
The X man not playing on the top is a joke. Gretzky needs to tell his coach to get the high end prospects as much time as he can. The guys who will never play in the dance can fill out the card. If he doesn’t want to play this kids a ton he needs to go.
Agree 100%. If coach is replaced, who replaces him?
Todd Woodcroft maybe?
I trust Keith is making the right decisions down in Bakersfield. The AHL pipeline is producing, as fans it is sometimes frustrating when top prospects aren’t getting ice time as you indicated. However, we aren’t professional coaches.
No, they can’t all be playing prime time (generally) but there has been some really really questionable deployment – scratching real prospects on NHL contracts for literal ECHL call-ups, and older one’s (and playing those guys on the PP, etc.).
All I really know about Todd W.’s coaching is how awful Vermont has been, three years running now.
I’d like Munzenburger to have another year (or two) of NCAA but it may be a good idea to sign him and get him out of there for next season – even if to an AHL deal (if he’d be cool with that).
#2D (of the current crew) on the Oilers by the playoffs if things go well. Injuries cost a couple of months already. This isn’t actually saying much, because apart from Nurse, the Oilers D is a bunch of 3rd pairing guys.
OriginalPouzar
December 11, 2022 9:14 am
Mike Kesselring – been taking about this kid since back in his NCAA days. Was always going to be a project and a long-shot but has a “range of skills” that could “pop” once the rawness dissipated. The rawness has dissipated.
I see a lot of Darnell Nurse rover/roam in this player but he’s long a can be mean and skates well and can move the puck and can defend and can offend……
OP is a super fan and watches the Condors online often. I believe he is also plugged in with some local sports media types (Gregor, McCurdy, Staples for example) via text/email.
Calgary based I believe and I’m pretty sure he’ll at the Saddledome when the Condors fly into Calgary.
Yeah I get that but there is a difference between seeing game on TV and being there, at least from my amateur perspective. I’ve been lucky enough ( if you’d call it that) to have seen many NHL games live over the last few years. Granted it’s been the Coyotes, but we have seen almost every NHL team. My boss had season tickets and was very generous. And we could walk to the Gila from where we live. To me TV does not capture the entire game. I understand sometimes it’s the best we can do.
I wanted Holland to go after Lawson Crouse before he resigned in Phoenix. I don’t know if he was available or not but I thought he would be the perfect player on Connor’s line.
Saw him “good” in Penticton vs Flames prospects. He is very tough, doesn’t take any crap from opponents. Got into one scrap defending a teammate, might have been Holloway. Comparable to Nurse in that regard. Very good mobility, better than Niemo imo and is capable of defensive zone exits via pass or skating, however his upside in that regard is limited. He’s no Bouchard.
I agree with OP’s assessment above. To answer your question, I would say he has more to his game and upside than Niemo. He will get NHL games either this season or next.
I’m betting he will eventually be a full time NHLer.
I query if this rule about having to be at an arena to have an opinion on the players playing just applies to me? Wow, crazy how many LT community members (and Oilers bloggers and even credentials journalists) attend every Oilers game, home and away, so that they can post their opinions on the games, and the plays within games and the players in the games.
Yup, agreed. It is an odd take. There are lots of knowledgeable amateur “scouts” who don’t live anywhere close to hockey venues who provide excellent information on players.
I don’t think there is an advantage as a fan to watch players in a packed arena. In a less-busy rink, possibly, where the viewer is totally reliant on often lower quality camera work and camera coverage.
Lots of things are going on in an arena that can interfere with viewing, while you can hone in on a lot of things and in my case, I use record and rewind features liberally to follow players of interest.
In the end, this take is similar to “how could you possibly know anything about hockey if you haven’t played the game, nerd?” Since pond hockey doesn’t count, I guess I am a nerd.
Kesselring? I’l preface this from saying he’s far from a sure bet to “make it” but I think he has top 4 upside and I’ve been saying that since his N.Eastern days.
He’ll never be the uber-aggresive physical force that Niemo has to be to impact the game but Kesselring has developed his “truculence” to my eye and is now fairly aggrieve at closing the gap and stepping up on players – he’s thrown some big hits this season.
Kesselring is much more of a 2-way player and has a lot of Darnell Nurse in his puck moving. He is a good skater and likes to transition the puck both by skate and pass and has good vision.
If he’s able to have his skills translate at the next level, he could be a 2-way 2nd pairing guy but reality likely has him top out as a 3rd pairing – you never know though.
Ya, maybe – not a bad thought – the size and skating seem similar. I can’t say I’ve focussed on Myers’ game enough, as its evolved over the years, in order to respond with any authority.
OriginalPouzar
December 11, 2022 9:11 am
Where does the credit go for a find like James Hamblin? Who knows if he’ll ever play more than a handful of NHL games (or maybe he carves out a career as an every day roster player with utility) but he’s a story.
Originally signed to an AHL contract as an undrafted free agent. Is this a Keith Gretzky signing or is Ken Holland and his NHL team also involved in a signing like this?
I would credit Bob Green and the WHL scouts, but as is the case with all of us, am flying blind in crediting. I would very much like the NHL to credit but it’s not something that is in the culture.
Tarkus
December 11, 2022 9:01 am
Prospecticality!
Yet again, a quintet of prospects will do the hockey thing they do (Schaefer’s camping precluding a sextet).
Lachance is coming off a 2-goal performance yesternight, while Petrov had a trio of assists the night before. Chiasson and the Vermonters (a very little-known doo-wop group) round out the sched.
A quirk of scheduling means that after today, the Oilers’ NCAA prospects don’t return to action until the 30th.
I’m truly baffled by the Karlsson chatter. We don’t need an offensive dman. We need defence first, someone with snarl.
The problem with your logic is that it leads to going out trading for guys like Alec Petrovic or Brandon Manning. The rugged sort of guys who struggle to win bottom pairing minutes.
Karlsson tilts the ice. He’s winning 20 minutes of even strength ice on a bad team. Every team needs a guy like that. He plays 25 minutes per game.
You put Karlsson on the Oilers top pairing, pushing everyone else down, and that’s about the most impactful single thing you could do to improve the team.
^^^ Bingo
Ek65 to Oilers, let’s make it happen. If the Oilers implode in 2 years, the old hockey men have spoken.
LD and CM prob won’t be resigning. So let’s go balls to the wall.
There is HIGH potential for a trade of that player being a leading cause of said implosion….
For the same assets out, would you favour Chychrun or Karlsson at 50% retained? (clearly neither would be your first choice, but curious which of the big, risky D trades you dislike more/less).
Also, to your reply yesterday regarding who might come out for Foegele. Fair enough the Hamblin line has even better fancies on Friday. I think the difference would/could be that the Ryan line has been together longer and has actually scored goals (3-1 in 51 minutes together vs 0-0 in 16 minutes for the Hamblin trio). Agree it’s not an easy or clear cut decision though.
In isolation, I think it would have to be Chychrun for leftie/rightie purposes if nothing else.
Just so much risk with both these players.
Yes fair enough.
I can’t see Karlsson coming to Edmonton.
ESPN announced that Brock Purdy becomes the first quarterback ever to beat Brady in his first start. …Not sure how long a list that would be, lol, despite Brady playing for over twenty years. But I’ll tell you this… if the Niners finally have a quarterback, y’all’s in trouble.
I don’t really follow football but I happened to see segment about that a few days back. Purdy was, I believe, the 8th QB to face Brady in his first start. The first 7 had lost (could have been 8 already lost, but I think it was 7 previous).
That’s awesome, thanks, JP.
It’s time for Holland to pick-up a rugged D-man. When’s the last time not counting Nemo one of our D layed someone out? Exactly it’s time Holland uses up some of his good will he’s doled out to other G.M’s over the years and obtain a nasty prick.
Luke Schenn.
Divisional rival the cost will be to much Holland needs to phone his Eastern brethren.
Schenn lives in Kelowna and has said he doesn’t want to leave the area.
The Oilers could likely get him for a draft pick for a cup run, and then he would re-sign in Vancouver in the offseason.
Obviously, if the Canucks are in the playoff race, they won’t move him but that is unlikely.
We would be talking about a 60 minute vs. a 75 minute flight here, would we not?
I agree. The ideal Dman for the Oilers as presently constructed is an SOB Dman with sandpaper who is good defensively and can make a pass and take a pass. Good luck getting such a player. I feel Chychrun is just more of the same as the rest of the Oilers D, at least in “player type”.
Summarizing!
Not much scoring to speak of, with only Petrov finding the scoresheet. He had a helper and a team-high 5 SOG in a North Bay win.
Chiasson, Munzenberger and Lachance were held pointless. Maatta was too, but he was able to flex on the dot in going 10-for-15 (66.7%).
Prospecting takes a break until Tuesday.
I am in the “Hell bent on Chycrun” camp.
But the camp is a lot more; “just make some MAJOR acquisition(s)”. Nibbling around the edges will not suffice.
The West can be had this year. AVS are good but lost key pieces. FLAMES not as good. Vegas is Good but can be had. DALL is good.
Take advantage of PEAK #97 & #29. Go all in. This is a year Edmonton can win the Cup, but only with key pieces added. And yes, I believe Skinner is good enough to win a Cup
I agree. Need to trade for [insert your favourite possibly available, star player].
Willing to deal any combination of picks and prospects to get it. The Oil cannot afford to trade roster players outside of JP and maybe Barrie for cap purposes.
I don’t love the idea of trading a 1st for a rental, which is why Chyckrun is so appealing. A value contract for 2.5 seasons. Worth a 1st and a top prospect.
From there you can trade 2nd rd picks to add depth to the forward group.
I think Chychrun can be had.
Oilers should go for it.
What makes Chychrun appealing, contract aside?
How good of a defenseman is he, really?
What does he do differently than those already on the roster?
One thing to keep in mind is that next season, with Klefbom (and Smith) off the books, the Oilers should not be in season long LTIR – that means, accruing cap space to bank, pro-rating the yearly cap hit of acquired players in-season, etc. – it means there should be real cap space. Here is hoping trade currency hasn’t been too depleted when there is the actual ability to improve materially in-season.
Nuge could go pointless for the next 5 games and still be at a PPG.
You could stop posting for a week and still be at 50/day for the year
Petty
Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.
I’m sorry that my posting volume gives you feelings…..
24.3 PPB (posts per blog).
The comment section wouldnt be the same without the first 5 posts after 830am all by OP.
I just think of him as a friendly labrador who likes peanut butter…….
On Janmark going to Bakersfield, from Woodcroft:
“He was playing big minutes and got into top shape and he’s come up and he’s seized the opportunity.”
Janmark’s response: “I didn’t really sign here to be good in camp. Obviously, I wasn’t happy [going down].”
When Woody says “got” into top shape into Bakersfield, I wonder how good of shape he was in to start camp?
And, how many players a year neglect their summer training (Bear a few years ago was a notable one) and come into camp less than optimal?
Is that something that can be improved upon from a team perspective?
How much of a difference would that make in the early games? In longevity throughout an 82 game season? In preventing injuries?
Pretty crazy that Janmark went through waivers on such a low salary. Wonder if word was out on not being in shape?
I wonder what the % of players get picked up on the Waiver wire. I’ll bet it’s below 25%.
Way below. Miles below.
When Janmark got sent down, he wasn’t able to join the team for like three weeks due to immigration issues. I think Woody was talking about him getting back up to speed.
Bouchard, Puljujarvi, 1st for Chychrun
Kulak flips to the right side. Broberg and Barrie the 3rd pairing.
Bouchard is not progressing fast enough and Chychrun has a great contract. I like Broberg better than Bouchard as a D. And Barrie has Bouchard’s skillset.
(I prefer Karlsson over Chychrun, but hard to see San Jose eating 50%).
Does barrie have worth? Can we do barrie jp 1st for him? Throw in hamblin or equivalent?
Throw in Hamblin lol. Hamblin has less trade value than a 7th round pick.
In my household when we shoot down someone’s idea, there is an expectation that you will have a different one inits place.
No reason to give up Bouchard to get Chychrun.
Trade futures, not roster players.
Why do you have to pick between Broberg and Bouchard???
If Barrie and Bouchard have the same skillset, keep the cheaper and younger player, no?
If I include Bouchard, I don’t have to give up Broberg, Holloway, or Bourgault in the deal. I like all three of those guys better than Bouchard.
Barrie has settled in on the PP, and understands his role in it. And would likely re-sign on an uber bargain deal after next season to stay as 3rd pairing RD plus PP.
There is only so much salary to go around. Broberg will be on a entry level. Bouchard becomes expensive for a 3rd pairing level D next year. He has shown no signs of progressing from 3rd pairing level D defensively. One has to pay for the offense without the commensurate defense.
Interesting thoughts.
Thing is Bouchard is a sure fire 2nd pair Dman can be signed for a 7-8 year extension for decent money, while Chyckrun has only 2.5 left on his discounted ticket.
1 for 1 it’s a fair trade, adding in Puljujarvi to make the money work.
Oilers haven’t had a homegrown RD forever, and replacing this position is very very difficult. I would much rather part with a young winger.
Bouchard is not sure fire 2nd pair in the next 2.5 year though, and one has to pay on the line for it starting next year because of offense without the defense. And Barrie will sign an uber bargain deal to stay to bridge to Kesselring or Wanner. And Broberg will be able to play right side once established.
Defensively suspect offensive D are a luxury item. Nice to have, but not an essential.
Bouchard had to make a statement this year, and he has not. So his timeline no longer really meshes with the McDraivid timeline.
I know that you love things being black or white but Bouchard not playing to your development timeline expectation for two months, 28 games, all of a sudden alters the entire path forward? Seems a bit panicy and reactive.
Bouchard was a very good 2RD in the playoffs, just a few months ago – to lock him at 3RD going forward seems really odd.
If Bouchard is a sure fire #2D then Chychrun is a sure fire #1D.
Why would Arizona take a bad contract in return for a downgrade?
Describing Bouchard as a third pairing dman who has shown no signs of progressing defensively is so uncharitable. Amazing.
Oilers fans love developing dmen and then trading them right before they breakout.
Where would Bouchard fit on a cup contender like, say Colorado?
How did we get to the place where Godot is talking about keeping Barrie and re-signing him after next season? Is there going to be a suggestion to re-acquire Kassian as well?
What does this mean.
I think Godot is highly undervaluing Bouchard’s potential and continued ability to develop defensively and more up the lineup on merit.
Also apparently forgetting that Bouchard was 1RD or 2RD for the large majority of last season and last playoffs.
You value Bourgault over Bouchard?
You must’ve graduated from the Chiarelli school of player evaluation.
Jesse has negative value.
Arizona wouldn’t want him.
Fact: You have negative value.
Whatever you want to think about DSF he’s not wrong here. JP has negative value.
JP performance value is lower than his CAP hit, making his CAP hit more valuable to the Oilers than JP is.
That’s negative value.
Yet he’d have been Arizona’s #4 scoring forward last year. And they have $27M is cap space they could use to see if Puljujarvi re-gains his form from from last fall.
Negative value to the Oilers (who are over the cap with everyone healthy, and want to add at the deadline), and negative value to the Coyotes ($27M in cap space) are not the same thing.
For $3M they would be able to find a much better bet.
Sorry, but your confusing dollars owed to CAP space, those are not the same things.
The Coyotes are not in the business of taking on actual dollars during the season.
They have an internal budget that’s set come training camp.
They can’t and they wont take on real dollars during the season without serious dollars going out & a massive over pay
Think Toews and Kane, 1 million in actual dollars but a CAP hit of 10.5 That’s what the coyotes want.
Think about what the Oilers had to trade to get Kassian out the door in the summer.
JP has negative value no matter what team is taking him..
I’m not confusing things, no need to apologize.
For the Coyotes to take on Kassian , the Oilers paid:
3 draft slots in June
a 3rd round pick in 2 years
a 2nd round pick in 3 years.
That’s for $5.8M real dollars and $6.4M cap hit.
Puljujarvi is a better player today, actually has upside, and is owed less than $2M real dollars at this point in the season.
The Oilers didn’t pay that much to rid themselves of Kassian, and Puljujarvi is not a similar player nor contract.
This trade makes Cody Ceci the most valuable non-McLeon player on the team.
Ceci goes down and its Barrie plus off-side dmen and rookies covering the gap.
This trade doesn’t make the Oilers better now, in the future or in event of injury. Overloads the left side.
Oilersnation has Chychrun being Nurse light. Gives up the line a ton, can’t make outlet passes but can rush the puck and generate shots especially slappers from the point.
Watching Oiler fans talk themselves into this makes me laugh. This isn’t the player to be chasing. Go after Monahan and have three lines that can outscore everyone 2-1.
We need a RD that is elite. We’ve needed one for a very long time. Not many become available, if ever…so I would want Kenny to go hard for Karlsson.
Barrie + Pool + 2023 1st + 2024 1st for Karlsson (50% retained)
I think Broberg has the potential for 2nd pairing by the year’s end, when that happens, Kulak takes the 3rd pairing job to help steady Bouchard.
Nurse Karlsson
Broberg Ceci
Kulak Bouchard
We may never get another chance to acquire a defenseman like Karlsson during the McDrai years. We have enough prospects bubbling in the system now…no need to stock the cupboard any further. I believe draft picks need to be used as currency in trade to make the current NHL roster as good as it can be. Karlsson instantly makes the D group more balanced, and Nurse may even make that 9-mil salary look like a bargain with an elite partner by his side.
Its a lot to give up…but I just don’t see another opportunity like this being available for years…and we no longer have years to wait.
I agree this makes the team far better
Mikey might even do that
The key is you have to recoup a first and due diligence on Karlsson’s ankle. He’s ok now but has a lot of track on that contract
For me that’s Yama and something, if he starts scoring on a 20 goal pace again this season
Yama is great but I like Holloway more. Bourgault is pushing for next season if he’s scoring at a point per game. And in the last couple of games I’ve seen Yama’s head bouncing around a bunch. He just came back from another UBI. I hope the best for him but that is not going age well and he seems to not be able to avoid it
Avalanche beats the Blues 3-2 in OT with a Rantanen hat trick.
Of note…Nichushkin and Lehkonnen back in the lineup off IR.
Oilers media personalities want Chychrun. They and some fans are so hellbent on acquiring this player that they’re willing to send out everything not bolted down to get it done.
Silly.
Oilers aren’t going to out defense anyone. Silly to try and jam a square peg into a round hole.
Need to make sure he stays healthy but that target should be Monahan in Montreal. Send JP and maybe a pick to get it done.
Serious depth scoring if he’s healthy. It could be like adding Kane 2.0.
Outscore the opposition 👍
Chychrun helps outscore the opposition in a big way.
9GP 3G 5A 8P +6 on a very poor team
Ok so obvious there is a line in the sand where it makes sense. But I’d like to push back on the idea that we shouldn’t pursue a d man because we cant out d other teams. It’s what this team needs to get to the next level. One guy on the back end can change the entire complexion.
Monahan is injury prone as well
He is but his acquisition would come much cheaper and with no term commitment.
Forget the Eagles, how about those Detroit Lions.
Eeli Toivanen on waivers.
https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2022/12/eeli-tolvanen-placed-on-waivers.html
I wanted Edm to draft him.
I wonder if Nashville would flip him for Jesse.
His cap hit is only $1.45 million this year and next.
I’m certain Ken Holland will add a significant player to the roster at some point soon.
Jakob Chychrun seems to be playing very well. Leads me to ask a few questions and curious to know readers’ thoughts:
1) Money-in Money-out seems easy: Puljujarvi and Kulak get dealt. Is it fair to Kulak to trade him after he just signed a 4-year deal?
2) Can you rely on Nurse to be your #1D if you’re aiming to be a cup contender? With Chychrun are you inviting the possibility that he might be (or become) as good or Nurse or better?
3) What are the main assets the Oilers would need to sacrifice? The 1st rd pick seems obvious. Probably another former 1st rounder (Holloway, Bourgault, or Schaffer). Who would you trade? Who would make it a deal-breaker?
4) What if LA trades for this player? Or Seattle? If they do will we make it past rd 1?
5) Last question I have is this: who are the other options to trade for? I’m of the opinion that the Oilers need a good LD to take workload off Nurse and help elevate Bouchard. I think Chychrun can do that and I’m dubious of the alternatives (eg: Edmondson or Luke Schenn or Karlsson)
Oilers have the assets and Chychrun is entering his prime and on a value contract. Can they afford not to trade for him?
3) I would think the Coyotes would want Broberg in return rather than one of those forwards.
They already possess a couple of promising forward prospects in Dylan Guenther and Connor Geekie and will undoubtedly get another even better in the upcoming forward heavy draft.
Someone that thinks Brogan Rafferty was a sure thing thinks alot of things that are better left ignored.
Zach Hyman is in a six game point streak with nine points. Totally awesome!
Zach Hyman hasn’t scored since Nov. 19.
Over that time I think he’s had two called back and been on the highlight reel for save of the week plays at least thrice.
Its odd to see a player so goal snake bitten keep kicking out the jams.
My prediction – this week he scores one and follows it up with five or six in very short order. Got a feeling he’s about to go superNova goal scoring wise when the monkey falls off his back.
Possibly the best UFA signing in Oilers history. Getting Hyman and Ceci for under $8.5M was a tidy piece of business in summer ‘21.
Charlie Huddy. Randy Gregg,
As I was reading this post I was going to note that he also has a penchant for scoring goals in bunches and then you spoke to a heater coming – its coming.
MoneyPuck.com
@MoneyPuckdotcom
Check out the shooting talent of players like Zach Hyman too http://moneypuck.com/player.htm?p=8475786
I just can’t get behind expected goals. I think there is something there but they haven’t quite unlocked it yet. It’s all based on shot location correct? Volume shooting teams then have the advantage. The Oilers- good or bad – go for no doubters consistently. But this can mean no shot at all. If you convert that cross seam pass 25% of the time, but the other 3 times means no shot at all, does this impact expected goals?
I have to give credit to Darryl Sutter. He very rarely complains. When he mentions reffing in Chicago and then refers it also to toronto, I believe him. It just appears too obvious and too often that opposing teams are not on the same level playing field with the on or off-ice handling of penalties and fines. NHL needs to do better that is a fact
McDavid has more Goals than any Flame player has points. Sutter and the cry baby Flames can kiss me where the sun doesn’t shine.
To put things into perspective, his comment has been voiced many times over by people here and on other forums. He is just voicing something I feel is a league problem and now SC winning coach is pointing it out. I like the fact he did what he did. It can only help wake up the league versus hurting it. His comment really isn’t about the phlegms that I too hate
Mcdavid could draw 6 interference penalties in the first period nevermind the game. Sutter is playing the long game remember when they showed Johnny Hockey getting Hooked and Slashed like 19-20 times on one shift. It was against the Minnesota Wild after that Johnny drew a bunch of penalties so many that teams backed off trying to slow down the little shit by means of hacking him. This isn’t Sutter’s first rodeo he’s trying to deflect the teams overall performance by whining about the Zebra’s
There was maybe 1 call that was questionable. But fact is Calgary was pretty careless last night with their sticks and those penalties – especially on the game winner were well earned.
How about the calls that weren’t called against the leafs? I felt there were 3. I’m an anti-phlegm. I still like a good reffed game.
Calgary looks like a team with no identity. I don’t even think they have a Captain how can a team not have a Captain? Treliving nickled and dimed his franchise player Johnny and It was lovely the way Johnny trolled Treliving. No way Tkachuk was staying without Johnny. Then Treliving blows his wad on Weeger and Huberdeau 2 players coming from no pressure Florida with both players having career years.
The calls against Calgary were all deserved. This s Sutter trying to take heat off a team that really is not that good..
The X man not playing on the top is a joke. Gretzky needs to tell his coach to get the high end prospects as much time as he can. The guys who will never play in the dance can fill out the card. If he doesn’t want to play this kids a ton he needs to go.
Agree 100%. If coach is replaced, who replaces him?
Todd Woodcroft maybe?
I trust Keith is making the right decisions down in Bakersfield. The AHL pipeline is producing, as fans it is sometimes frustrating when top prospects aren’t getting ice time as you indicated. However, we aren’t professional coaches.
Good post. 👍
i agree its frustrating to see your fav prospects not get prime ice time but they all cant be playing 20 minutes
No, they can’t all be playing prime time (generally) but there has been some really really questionable deployment – scratching real prospects on NHL contracts for literal ECHL call-ups, and older one’s (and playing those guys on the PP, etc.).
All I really know about Todd W.’s coaching is how awful Vermont has been, three years running now.
I’d like Munzenburger to have another year (or two) of NCAA but it may be a good idea to sign him and get him out of there for next season – even if to an AHL deal (if he’d be cool with that).
It would appear the job of top-line forward is harder to find than of sedan delivery.
What were your expectations on Broberg?
I didn’t write an RE for Broberg, my expectation was that he would make the team. He NHL projection was 51, 3-14-17. No. 6 defenseman.
https://theathletic.com/3525779/2022/08/22/edmonton-oilers-reasonable-expectations-2022-23/
That could end up being very close. He is looking steady now.
Very encouraging.
Can he stay healthy it’s crucial for his development that he gets minutes in the big league.
That’s what we’re about to find out.
Thanks LT! Ya he seems to be coming along the past 5 games but we’ll need some sustain here before we claim too much!
#2D (of the current crew) on the Oilers by the playoffs if things go well. Injuries cost a couple of months already. This isn’t actually saying much, because apart from Nurse, the Oilers D is a bunch of 3rd pairing guys.
Mike Kesselring – been taking about this kid since back in his NCAA days. Was always going to be a project and a long-shot but has a “range of skills” that could “pop” once the rawness dissipated. The rawness has dissipated.
I see a lot of Darnell Nurse rover/roam in this player but he’s long a can be mean and skates well and can move the puck and can defend and can offend……
Does the creator of the character OP go to a lot of Condor games ?
Lol.
OP is a super fan and watches the Condors online often. I believe he is also plugged in with some local sports media types (Gregor, McCurdy, Staples for example) via text/email.
Calgary based I believe and I’m pretty sure he’ll at the Saddledome when the Condors fly into Calgary.
Yeah I get that but there is a difference between seeing game on TV and being there, at least from my amateur perspective. I’ve been lucky enough ( if you’d call it that) to have seen many NHL games live over the last few years. Granted it’s been the Coyotes, but we have seen almost every NHL team. My boss had season tickets and was very generous. And we could walk to the Gila from where we live. To me TV does not capture the entire game. I understand sometimes it’s the best we can do.
I wanted Holland to go after Lawson Crouse before he resigned in Phoenix. I don’t know if he was available or not but I thought he would be the perfect player on Connor’s line.
How does his game and upside compare to Niemo?
Saw him “good” in Penticton vs Flames prospects. He is very tough, doesn’t take any crap from opponents. Got into one scrap defending a teammate, might have been Holloway. Comparable to Nurse in that regard. Very good mobility, better than Niemo imo and is capable of defensive zone exits via pass or skating, however his upside in that regard is limited. He’s no Bouchard.
I agree with OP’s assessment above. To answer your question, I would say he has more to his game and upside than Niemo. He will get NHL games either this season or next.
I’m betting he will eventually be a full time NHLer.
Very helpful, thank you.
Check this gem of an article (with video breakdowns) out from Bruce Curlock on X, 222 Leo, the Red Rocket & Kesselrun:
https://oilersnation.com/news/the-edmonton-oilers-prospect-report-the-premiere-edition
I query if this rule about having to be at an arena to have an opinion on the players playing just applies to me? Wow, crazy how many LT community members (and Oilers bloggers and even credentials journalists) attend every Oilers game, home and away, so that they can post their opinions on the games, and the plays within games and the players in the games.
Geez.
Yup, agreed. It is an odd take. There are lots of knowledgeable amateur “scouts” who don’t live anywhere close to hockey venues who provide excellent information on players.
I don’t think there is an advantage as a fan to watch players in a packed arena. In a less-busy rink, possibly, where the viewer is totally reliant on often lower quality camera work and camera coverage.
Lots of things are going on in an arena that can interfere with viewing, while you can hone in on a lot of things and in my case, I use record and rewind features liberally to follow players of interest.
In the end, this take is similar to “how could you possibly know anything about hockey if you haven’t played the game, nerd?” Since pond hockey doesn’t count, I guess I am a nerd.
Hey LT, did you ever play organized hockey?
The other players on the ice were organized, but I was not.
As an aside, Bruce C. is joining Oilers Nation and that’s a huge win for them.
Yes it is. Brucee does first rate work on prospects.
Kesselring? I’l preface this from saying he’s far from a sure bet to “make it” but I think he has top 4 upside and I’ve been saying that since his N.Eastern days.
He’ll never be the uber-aggresive physical force that Niemo has to be to impact the game but Kesselring has developed his “truculence” to my eye and is now fairly aggrieve at closing the gap and stepping up on players – he’s thrown some big hits this season.
Kesselring is much more of a 2-way player and has a lot of Darnell Nurse in his puck moving. He is a good skater and likes to transition the puck both by skate and pass and has good vision.
If he’s able to have his skills translate at the next level, he could be a 2-way 2nd pairing guy but reality likely has him top out as a 3rd pairing – you never know though.
Tyler Myers comp?
Ya, maybe – not a bad thought – the size and skating seem similar. I can’t say I’ve focussed on Myers’ game enough, as its evolved over the years, in order to respond with any authority.
Where does the credit go for a find like James Hamblin? Who knows if he’ll ever play more than a handful of NHL games (or maybe he carves out a career as an every day roster player with utility) but he’s a story.
Originally signed to an AHL contract as an undrafted free agent. Is this a Keith Gretzky signing or is Ken Holland and his NHL team also involved in a signing like this?
I would credit Bob Green and the WHL scouts, but as is the case with all of us, am flying blind in crediting. I would very much like the NHL to credit but it’s not something that is in the culture.
Prospecticality!
Yet again, a quintet of prospects will do the hockey thing they do (Schaefer’s camping precluding a sextet).
Lachance is coming off a 2-goal performance yesternight, while Petrov had a trio of assists the night before. Chiasson and the Vermonters (a very little-known doo-wop group) round out the sched.
A quirk of scheduling means that after today, the Oilers’ NCAA prospects don’t return to action until the 30th.
North Bay (Petrov) @ noon
Youngstown (Lachance) @ 2 p.m.
Vermont (Münzenberger, Määttä) @ 2 p.m.
Brandon (Chiasson) @ 3 p.m.
All times, at all times, are Warspite time.