This is the Oilers’ lines and five-on-five totals from February 1 through April 4, the night Edmonton would play Game 79 (2016-17) versus the Los Angeles Kings. I like to look back on previous Oilers teams to see if the current group is on par, deeper or developing youngsters more efficiently. The rookies on this list of 2016-17 Oilers active as the season reached a close: Anton Slepyshev and Drake Caggiula. Where are the Oilers rookies on the current roster? What have they done in the most recent 26 games?
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Oilers midseason review of 2022-23 reasonable expectations
- Lowetide: Should Oilers GM Ken Holland trade the 2023 first-round pick?
- Lowetide: Oilers’ next wave of first-shot scorers adjusting to pro hockey
- Lowetide: Making the call on young Oilers in need of a contract this summer
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Klim Kostin’s sudden impact, injury and immediate future
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ December sleep walk a touch of deja vu
- Lowetide: Bakersfield Condors’ 2022-23 season review to date
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Philip Broberg, Markus Niemelainen pursue final defence spot
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Darnell Nurse remains the top defenceman despite struggles
- DNB: How Oilers are different yet similar to last season through 35 games
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Evan Bouchard’s difficult season disguises elite talent
- New DNB: Why the Oilers should, but probably won’t, acquire Jakob Chychrun
- New DNB: Oilers throwing away points as defencemen continue to make crucial mistakes
- DNB: Why the Oilers need to make a trade to give Darnell Nurse more help on defence
- Lowetide: Ranking Oilers GM Ken Holland’s 5 best trades in Edmonton
- DNB: Oilers’ Klim Kostin much happier in Edmonton than he was with Blues
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2022
- Lowetide: Will Oilers pro scouts help identify quality at the deadline?
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers reasonable expectations for every player in 2022-23
WHAT TO EXPECT IN JANUARY
- At home to: SEA, NYI, COL (Expected 1-1-1) (Actual 1-1-1)
- On the road to: LAK, ANA, SJS, VEG (Expected 3-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: SEA, TBAY (Expected 0-1-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: VAN (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: CBJ, CHI (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- January expected result: 7-3-2, 16 points in 12 games
- January actual result: 1-1-1, 3 points in 3 games
- December results: 7-6-2, 16 points in 15 games
- November results: 7-7-0, 14 points in 14 games
- October results: 6-3-0, 12 points in 9 games
- Oilers in 2022-23: 21-17-3, 45 points in 41 games
The Oilers play a strong opponent tonight, the Kings under coach Todd McLellan. The LAK are 7-2-1 in the last 10 and are just coming off a big win against the division leading Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. There’s plenty of opportunity for this Oilers team on the California road trip. Edmonton is seven points behind Los Angeles, with two games in hand. A win tonight would put the Oilers on a trajectory to post 92 points on the season. Edmonton’s in the mix for the final wildcard spot, this is the time to improve the situation. Calgary helped last night, time to take advantage.
THE 2016-17 ROOKIE FORWARDS
Jesse Puljujarvi (28 games as a rookie, final one January 5, 2017), and Jujhar Khaira (10 games as a rookie, final one on March 25, 2017) played during the regular season but weren’t a factor on April 4. Drake Caggiula played 60 regular season games (7-11-18) and got into 13 playoff games, scoring three goals. All three men (JP, Khaira, Caggiula) have played in the NHL this season. Anton Slepyshev played in 41 regular season games (4-6-10) and played in 12 post-season contests, also scoring three times.
- Jesse Puljujarvi: 300 NHL games. Per 82GP: 13-16-29
- Drake Cagguila: 281 NHL games. Per 82GP: 14-13-27
- Jujhar Khaira: 314 NHL games. Per 82GP: 8-11-19
- Anton Slepyshev: 102 NHL games. Per 82GP: 8-11-19
LAST 26 GAMES
Evander Kane will return in the days to come and that will impact the depth chart. The 2016-17 No. 1 line featured Patrick Maroon and Leon Draisaitl, clearly more firepower on that line than the current top unit. This year’s second line is superior to the 2016-17 trio by some margin. I like the current No. 3 line more than the 2016-17 group, your mileage may vary. I also think the fourth line is better now, more depth and a better future. The rookies? Just two:
- Dylan Holloway: 37 NHL games. Per 82GP: 6-5-11.
- James Hamblin: 10 NHL games (no points).
LAST THREE SEASONS
Oilers forwards have been highly productive offensively over the past three seasons. The great baseball writer Bill James used a three-year sample as an established level of ability. Here are Edmonton forwards who have played 1,000 or more even-strength minutes and their ranking plus totals in the even-strength points-60 category.
- No. 1 Connor McDavid: 3.45
- No. 17 Leon Draisaitl 2.94
- No. 35 Evander Kane 2.68 (also with SJS)
- No. 80 Zach Hyman 2.29 (also with TOR)
- No. 219 Derek Ryan 1.71 (also with CGY)
- No. 225 Jesse Puljujarvi 1.6
- No. 262 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1.58
- No. 288 Kailer Yamamoto 1.50
- No. 296 Warren Foegele 1.48 (also with CAR)
- No. 300 Mattias Janmark 1.44 (also with CHI, VGK)
- No. 338 Devin Shore 1.24
- No. 345 Ryan McLeod 1.19
There are 96 players who play on No. 1 lines around the NHL. Edmonton has four of them. That’s good! There are 96 players on No. 2 lines across the league. The Oilers have none of them. That’s bad!
Anyone else think it was kinda dumb to start Stu tonight?
I know he had a banger last game but man on the first two Goals against he couldn’t have been any deeper in his net. I counted three brutal rebounds before he got the hook.
The man has other things on his mind, which is legit and I know he’s now gone for the rest of the trip so I get the start but that wasn’t a good performance.
Also why is Gulutzan not fired yet? Does he have pictures on Katz or something? A hanger on after 2.5 coaches have been turfed should make a guy wonder. More to the point what exactly is his role on the coaching staff? I hear PP (gross tonight) but if it’s PK or coaching up the Young Lads I’m not sure he’s fit for purpose anymore.
#FireGully!
~Great comment.
“I don’t know what Gulutzan does, but let’s fire him.”
Yeah, the PP is the problem here.
Genius.~
Skinner is leaving the team to be with his wife for the birth – Jack is scheduled to start Wed and Friday. Skinner is the starter and last night was the biggest of the three games. Part of being a pro is being mentally tough and prepare. Darnell Nurse played 60 minutes in a triple OT game and left straight from Winnipeg to meet his wife for the birth of his kid.
Gully’s main job is to work with the PP – which is currently the top in league history since stats were kept on it…..
Vladar
Comrie
Wedgewood
Lindgren x 2
Kotchetkov
Petersen
Dostal
Delia
Copley
Are all goaltenders that have beaten the Edmonton Oilers this season, this represents 10 losses. The Edmonton Oilers are a team with a historic PP and the 2 top point producers in the game.
Some of these players are currently in the AHL and all but 2 make less than $1,000,000 this season.
A total embarrassment
Hyman is the leader on this team. Give him the “C”. I don’t know if it will fix things but it can’t hurt.
I’d be willing to say that was Hyman’s worst game of the year.
Two really dumb penalties, both cost goals, he did nothing offensively then got in a scrap out of frustration. The first one was a real kick in the stones cause coach put him out there after the first PP goal against and he promptly took another and burned his team.
Terrible game by a great player.
A brutal take, both his penalties were 50/50 battles..both players could have had penalties on both plays, and in both instances the king player committed the first infraction.
I disagree and think out of the 13 calls tonight Hyman’s were the least controversial. He had his stick where it shouldn’t have been in both cases.
The first one was a trip. Clear and obvious.
The second was a battle yup, but he got his stick inside, had it parallel, twisted and jackknifed the guy. Penalty.
Now the two bs calls on Bouchard I’ve got all day to bitch about those and I man after a good run I’ve got a lot of ire to direct against that wretched PK but Zach was at fault on both them Penalties.
Another player that has a higher commitment and effort level to offence over defence?
WTH is wrong with Draisaitl? Falls down while shooting, can barely get on and off the bench.
If he’s messed rehab him now and trust the team he
As for lazy changes that’s Leon. I think it’s unacceptable
I was repeatedly assured by the Local Oilers PR crew in here the PK under Woody was improving.
Until last night…
Fair to say JP woke the group up with that big hit/ensuing tussle? Obviously it was too late, but for once the team showed some actual passion. Maybe the refs pulled the passion out of the boys due to sheer frustration. What an embarassing game by the officials.
When was it last season when Drai got pissy? It almost seems like they need that edge to elevate their game and get rolling.
Looked it up. Jan 18, 2022. We are a few days ahead of schedule hopefully!
6-3, 5-2.. Was fairly evident what the data was suggesting as a result unfortunately.
The longer this continues to be the group deployed, the further from contention they’ll drift.
Unless Holland can somehow trade his way into acquiring a pair of top 4 defenders, this season is nothing but putting up personal stats and staying healthy.
Bring in Trotz and make that Hollands last coach.
You were very close on the score alright
I didn’t want to be, Homer so much for this team and well the water is poisoned and Mark Spector seems to be only getting stronger. It’s the worst of times truly.
Pumped and dumped.
They played hard tonight. The effort was there.
Yup, start making the sale list.
The sad reality is that we don’t have any rentals to sell if we’re out at the deadline.
Derek Ryan, Janmark, Puljujarvi?
Sometimes it seems when things aren’t going well a taskmaster of increasing intensity is the answer
Doesn’t seem to have been the answer
This team needs a Sather – carrot and mentorship, not whip or mental arbitrary TOI tactics
This game was a dumpster fire, however at least Holloway played well and got a push, and Air BnB were both excellent.
Nurse and Ceci have been just putrid the last two games. Barrie was awful.
The crooked numbers are adding up for BnB. The org is ass stupid but they at least look at those.
And so begins the long march up the depth chart. BnB are second pair within a few weeks, although they should be right now.
GOOD NEWS!
Oilers currently ahead of St Louis on goal difference.
When does the Death march start?
OILERS 30 GAME SEASON WITH IN A SEASON STANDINGS UPDATE:
After tonights game Oilers L vs the Kings takes them to a:
2-3-1 record.
Like the team, expect some easy wins ahead lmao
Broberg was great tonight – a blip against the Avs but he’s coming.
Holloway with the fourth most TOI for forwards at 5 on 5.
That was an unbelievably horrible special teams performance.
Gully is a jackass for not spotting the 2nd unit a full PP. The top six guys had collectively their worst game in memory and f**king Gully just kept running them out there.
On the plus side… these pansies tossed a few haymakers tonight. That’s good to see.
A little emotion is nice after embarrassing yourselves on what is supposed to be your special special teams.
Gotta say a game live in LA is a fun time. The fans are a blast even if they have terrible taste and Staples Centre (I refuse to honor anything crypto related) is a gem
of a building.
Onto the Ducks!
Oilers poor game
Refs poor game
But, the Oil showed something there in the third. They have some balls after all. Too late for tonight but I seen some life.
They still need to find their catalyst but in my opinion if they get motivated, they can beat LA in a 7 game series.
They showed some heart . They are tougher than we give them credit for.
There’s a rivalry building.
Broberg plus 2 and 1 apple
Bouchard plus 3 and 2 apples.
Regression is coming!
Those guys are playing smart hockey.
Keep them both screw the rest
If Bouchard plays like that regularly, they can move Tyson Barrie.
Oilers outclassed again by another playoff team. Very disappointing.
They certainly weren’t outclassed .
Klim is the new Don Jackson
Lemieux gets a few on him, obviously Shady gets pissed off, whallops the goof and takes him down, gets up and smiles at him
What a beauty. True Oiler spirit
Best part of the game
Pumped for another 6. Phew…at least the oilers get a chance to stop their losing streak against Anaheim. Oh wait.. the ducks just pumped the Oilers in their own barn. Nhl’s bicycle. Lmao.
Pumped?
Dude, come now. Don’t lie it’s unbecoming
Ha ha. Whaddya ya think? You think the Kings are sitting in their dressing room saying that they just got lucky and that the Oilers should have won? Not a fat chance in hell…The Kings are in their dressing room boasting about how they absolutely pumped the Oil and can’t wait to play them again.
I was referring to the dumbass comment about the Ducks pumping the Oilers.
That didn’t happen, you lied, it’s unb coming.
They did pump the Oilers. In the Oils own building. The scoreboard dictates the end result. Not your dumbass comments.
I have NO idea why the Oilers ever pull the goalie… I could swear I’ve only seen them score with the goalie pulled 3x in 10 years. LOL
Cause it’s fun
When Hall was yelling at the coach about pulling the goalie.. Such innocent unforgettable times.
that Danialt is a shitbird. Gets away with everything
refs kind of spoiled this one for me.
He should have been pooping for us
PP seriously lacking lately.
Gotta give LA some credit there .
Special teams was the story. Who would have thought Edmonton couldn’t score on the PP. That doesn’t happen very often. Good game though.
3v1 at the most common game state… Smallll victories
Just zero give a shit on that powerplay.
They care, they are the blind leading the lost
Making a change, PP ending, crucial game 4 minutes left, Jack says ‘Draisaitl leisurely getting off’
That’s complete bullshit. I hope Woody grows a pair
This team goes nowhere until that stuff stops
Woody’s lost the room. He’s a goner at the end of the season.
I think they like him
But I don’t think he knows how to handle this team in the way it needs to be, experience aside
His mentor couldn’t, and has his current group over performing
Tipp retired
Whale by the tail
There is a lack of ‘the right stuff’ up top. Just choosing the obvious isn’t elite management. Didn’t an octopus once kick ass?
Not like for coaches it’s an easy task, they’ve had good coaches
They need the the right GM and coaches
As it stands what has changed wasn’t enough. But upstairs first. Maybe Woody would be better with a proper D
Can’t believe it’s still the D
Boo Holland. Hope he proves me wrong this season
That first pp unit is full value for their goose egg of production tonight
Holloway is Rodney Dan
I started that and he finally gets a call. Ha
Such an effortless skater .
McDavid just flattened Danault. Love it.
Everyone keeps talking about they are due for a run.
This looks like it will get worse before it gets better unless some changes are made
If Yamamoto scores on that grade A chance, I think they pull off the comeback. Foiled by the bar.
Have to shoot on the inside of those things
Campbell should play with two blockers.
And then charge to centre next Hyman tilt
Fuck it, give him three.
lol
Yams goes full gong show. And of course we get the penalty
5 on 5 monsters!
It’s like Woody’s trolling us – “ok ok what if we did like the worst possible system for these guys!”
5v5 swarmlegoober.
‘Let’s one up Eakins!’
Magic man casts his spell
Connor should give Zach the C
No disrespect but it would be better for the team and let him do what he does best
You’re drunk…
Human’s useless O-zone penalties led directly to two goals. He should have showered after the 30 minute mark.
The only termed player that always shows up and does the right things is Hyman. He talks to his guys and is good natured
Connor is way too silently intense for captain. Brooding. That is him and I don’t ask him to be different. I ask the team to treat him in a way that’s best for him and the team
He is a Jedi on another plane. He makes A LOT of mistakes. That’s ok with him
Just not as the leader of the group. I don’t just say that now, I said it then
Too young for his personality
I said the exact same thing after seeing Hyman step up at least twice trying to get them fired up. He’s a natural leader.
Hyman’s penalties cost them two goals ffs lol.
And then to show his leadership he sits for five when they needed him to score goals.
Like good god pick a game where he doesn’t shit the bed and maybe I’d agree with you but he played like crap tonight lol
I disagree completely.
Dang 97
Hyman is such a polite bulldog. but he’s a bulldog when he needs to be!
After that display by Ceci and Nurse, Broberg may be our best defensive D sooner than I thought.
Fait accompli
What a comedy on the back end.
Reminds me of the Ulanov, Cory Cross days
How dare you besmirch Igor’s good name!
How many GA for McDavid the last two games, all game states? 7?
Eight… eight
Campbell’s glove hand needs some work. He has gotten a piece of the puck and let it go in too many times this season.
At least he caught it this time. Weakest part of his game. He’s not getting worse.
I mean how does Ceci not see the danger there?
Just get back.
Nurse’s cpu is on the fritz to
97 on the ice for that one as well, my goodness.
Well shit. . .
No urgency at all.
9 points behind the Kings when they lose this game.
Holloway is a good hockey player
All that work and zero puck support as he twisted the D, no actual dangerous play there
No one in position for a good shot like our G have been facing
Yeah, lots of hard work, they just couldn’t get the kill shot
Just saw Jack, that suit is a breath of fresh air for everything stale about the Oilers
If 97&29 are loaded up to start the period I will roll eyes. Tire them out at the start of a road trip, not to mention they will be gassed halfway through this period.
The simplest explanation for the teams poor performance may be the failure for any young players to take a step forward. Yamo and Bouch have been especially disappointing this year. Pujo looks like a shell of where he was in calendar year 2021. McCloud may never score enough to be a good #3C. Bro’s been injured too much to develop into a potential top 4D (which always seemed like a reach). Skinners been good, but that only negates the Soup disaster. Other than Skinner, who’s done it for half a season, the Oilers don’t have any young players making a big positive difference this year.
The young one with the most game Woodhead won’t play for some arcane reason
Maybe this year’s poor performance and the milquetoast Tippet Oilers of last year are who they really are, with the Woody new coach bump last year being the outlier.
Consider how poor they looked in the first two rounds of last year’s playoffs at times, despite the end results.
They almost lost to the King’s in the first round .
I’d Like to see the big Condor roll out for the third. Just for fun. Wearing 56
Wearing Yamamoto as a cape?
Awesome
Terrible, horrible, no good refereeing.
What in the actual hell happened to the very good PK the last three weeks?
Woodcroft needs a slap in the head for not stapling Hyman to the bench. Two idiotic penalties in the O-Zone, two goals against and the coach tosses him right back out there. Gutless and pathetic by the coach.
Top guys are playing very bad hockey tonight. Very bad.
Oddly enough… there’s still time.
#FireGully!
Hyman currently is their best player so
Gully should not get props because his GM kept Nuge and he has the 3 best PP forwards in the league
It got shut down at critical times last playoffs and is completely predictable, it relies on the skill of the players only
I haven’t seen 1 wrinkle
They should be able to completely punk PKs no matter what they try to do with those guys, using a few different set ups