The passing on display by the Edmonton Oilers last night was a thing of beauty. The tape-to-tape sequences were some of the best I’ve seen in many years. The goals and assists belonged to just four players, fairly unusual on a four-goal night. Zach Hyman (1-3-4), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1-2-3), Connor McDavid (1-1-2) and Leon Draisaitl (1-0-1). This team is absolutely thunderous right now. What changed?
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ 2022 NHL Draft class gains momentum
- DNB: What I’m hearing on Oilers’ trade deadline plans
- Lowetide: Is Oilers’ Vincent Desharnais an NHL defenceman?
- Lowetide: Unusual Nugent-Hopkins line gives Oilers coaching staff options
- DNB: The Oilers scratching Jesse Puljujarvi shows it’s time for them to part ways
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ defence evolving through a period of transition
- DNB: Why 11/7 works, Klim Kostin the folk hero, Jack Campbell’s progress
- Lowetide: Are the Oilers creative enough in cap management to make a strong trade?
- Lowetide: Oilers should consider obscure options as reinforcements
- Lowetide: Oilers winger Warren Foegele has been odd man out, so what’s next?
- DNB: Oilers must act at the trade deadline
- Lowetide: Oilers midseason review of 2022-23 reasonable expectations
- Lowetide: Should Oilers GM Ken Holland trade the 2023 first-round pick?
- 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 top 20 prospects, winter 2022
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 3-1-0)
- At home to: SEA, TBAY (Expected 0-1-1) (Actual 2-0-0)
- On the road to: VAN (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- 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: 7-2-1, 15 points in 10 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: 27-18-3, 57 points in 48 games
January is already the most successful month for the Oilers this season. The final two games of the month might put some daylight between Edmonton and the Kings and Flames for third place in the Pacific. The team booked passage to third place with the win last night. Every spot on the depth chart looks re-energized and stronger than just a few weeks ago.
SUMMARY
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made a play I’ll count as a favourite for a long time. He anticipated a pass through the slot in front of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, intercepted the deadly pass attempt from JT Miller to (I think)Tyler Myers and sent a fantastic pass to Connor McDavid in a lovely game of catch that ended with Zach Hyman’s goal. Nuge went 1-2-3, two shots, one HDSC and a takeaway. Tremendous night from the veteran.
- Connor McDavid scored goal No. 40 and appears destined for his first 50-goal season. He is 40-48-88 in 48 games now, that’s a 150-point pace. 1-1-2 last night, seven shots, seven HDSC, two TK. We’re watching peak hockey here, he’s so fast and so skilled and so consistently elite the mind can barely take it all in.
- Zach Hyman had his work boots on as always, 1-3-4 with five shots and two HDSC. Had a takeaway, blocked a shot. Hyman combines an all-world work ethic with skill and intensity and the result is good arrows every night. He has averaged 73 points per 82 games in Edmonton and set a career high in points last night.
- Dylan Holloway played 11:37, took a penalty and drew one, had a takeaway and had good looks if not good results. Great hit on Vancouver’s Jack Studnicka, it was a real wallop. He’s coming on now, I suspect he’ll have a binge in goals and points by the end of the year.
- Ryan McLeod had one shot, a giveaway and won seven of 12 in the dot. His speed on the forecheck caused some bother for Vancouver’s subpar defense.
- Warren Foegele is quickly becoming the new Todd Marchant on breakaways. Mrs. Lowetide once famously said during a game in the late 1990’s “why doesn’t Marchant just skate the puck into the corner and freeze it on breakaways?” because the rebound inevitably led to a two-on-one the other way back in the olden days. He had one shot that hit the net, one HDSC and a penalty. I don’t think he’s trade bait, but the 1-2-3 points in the last five games, combined with some subtle work turning over pucks, will have him looking good to scouts these days.
- Evander Kane had four shots, one HDSC, had a good chance on a rebound and looks better each game. Made a poor pass and covered up his mistake with brute force and determination. I bet he scores before the All-Star break.
- Leon Draisaitl scored a nice goal, won 10 of 16 faceoffs, had a shot on goal that was a high danger chance and had one giveaway. Leon is close to equaling his 2016-17 season (29-48-77) after just 48 games (28-45-73) in case you’re wondering how things are going.
- Derek Ryan had four shots, two HDSC and took a penalty that wasn’t a penalty. Some fans are angry he is playing in front of more skilled wingers, but Ryan’s job is to help mind the store and chip in offensively. He’s doing it, but those chances that don’t cash get noticed by coaches. Suspect Ryan has the job until Yamamoto returns of there is a trade.
- Klim Kostin has been quiet in his last three games, after going 4-0-4 in the three games before the current run. He’s still working hard and has no hesitation to jump in to the fray, but needs to contribute to stay with the top players.
- Jesse Puljujarvi had a productive night to my eye, broke up plays, got some looks, played a physical style. Puck was in the opposition end much of the time JP was on the ice. That’s what he contributes to every night.
- Darnell Nurse played a steady and physical defensive game, matching puck carriers looking for daylight. I thought it was one of his strongest games of the season. The man is a hammer, but many fans treat him like a nail.
- Cody Ceci had one shot and four blocked shots on the night. Screened goalie Skinner on the JT Miller goal, he was delayed getting to the point by some effective Vancouver interference off the draw.
- Philip Broberg had one giveaway and took a fairly big hit from Elias Pettersson during the game. He’s settling in now, even on a night when not everything worked out, he was in a good position to make a play.
- Evan Bouchard had one shot and another sequence he should have shot but tried to make a gorgeous pass. His instincts are a little off, but the numbers this year are strongly in support of his overall ability. There was a time just a few weeks ago where it felt like he was headed for a “Devan Dubnyk has been traded to Nashville because it’s hopeless here” result. I’m glad things recovered. Luck can be punishing for young blue. He was caught on the Kuzmenko goal and couldn’t get back in time.
- Brett Kulak had three shot blocks and the puck was heading in a good direction while he was on the ice. Effective defensively, when he’s playing well it’s easy to pass over his good work.
- Tyson Barrie had one takeaway and made effective passes that contributed to a 7-2 HDSC share while he was on the ice at five-on-five.
- Vincent Desharnais had his first night of struggle since arriving in the NHL, and even then it was a controlled burn. 3-6 shots, 1-2 HDSC, played 11:13.
- Stuart Skinner was quality, stopping 27 of 29 and making several hellacious stops when the game remained in doubt. One of the best stories in recent Oilers history in terms of draft, development and then deployment in the NHL.
CONDORS FORWARD PROSPECTS LAST FIVE GAMES
- Tyler Tullio 3-3-6
- Raphael Lavoie 2-3-5
- Carter Savoie 4-0-4
- Xavier Bourgault 1-3-4
Colin Chaulk is playing these men in good spots and the young forwards are responding. I don’t know if they’ll all play in the NHL but they are all pushing now and that’s a good sign.
Wow, Vegas loses to the Coyotes.
The Kings (Blackhawks) and Jets (Flyers) won, but any mis-steps against the bottom feeders are notable. Hopefully we don’t see any (many) more from the Oilers.
Colin Chaulk is playing these men in good spots and the young forwards are responding. I don’t know if they’ll all play in the NHL but they are all pushing now and that’s a good sign.
Is it ever! It seems to me like one of the under-discussed stories this year is how disappointing all four had been in Bakersfield. They (and Schaefer and maybe Petrov) are our future at forward.
This progress is excellent news. Let’s hope it continues.
I wonder if he now better understands his role (or is more comfortable with losing), given that Bakersfield has the fifth worst record in the AHL. He had been with the club as an assistant when they occupied a higher position and had won a Division Championship, so he may have lost the plot by trying to make a good impression by winning games as an interim HC when he tools reins when JW moved up.
It is so great to see, but he had been driving me crazy since he first started as the HC.
Summarizing!
Petrov potted his 20th goal of the season with 4 SOG in a North Bay win. With 61 points, he is in a three-way tie for 2nd in the O, three points back of 1st.
Wanner’s Warriors were whitewashed by Winnipeg, so Wanner was without a point.
Prospecting takes a break until Thursday.
Yotes hanging onto a 2-1 lead over the Kniggits after two
3-1 now with 7 min remaining
LA over CHI 2-1 final
4-1 final score. Knights begging ARI to come back and fight them like a man!
A Minnesota fan suggested Puljujarvi for Jordan Greenway, 1-for-1. At first blush Greenway seems to be slightly inferior both offensively and defensively, and is under contract for another 2 years after this one at $3M. He’s huge though, very physical, skates well for a big man and is just 1 year older than Jesse… thoughts?
Greenway is interesting.
He’s actually got quite nice results prior to this season (he missed time with injury, so maybe that’s part of it?).
He was close to 0.5 pts/game, and has a 1.80 p/60 (5v5) over the previous 3 years. His on ice numbers were all good too (over 50%, and positive rel to team).
And like you say big and physical. I’ve usually noticed him when the Oilers play Minnesota.
He’s played mostly with Ek on a tough minutes line though.
That’s good in that he’s playing against good players and having good results.
It’s also bad in that his results without Ek aren’t nearly as good. I didn’t look at his line mates away from Ek, but it may be that Greenway is mostly a product of playing with Ek.
I’d prefer the $3MM in cap space for next year and the year after.
Agreed I’m not paying 3 million for muscle. We had that in Kassian. 1.5 million tops.
I would make that trade. The 2years at $3mil and LW, not RW, aren’t great but there’s enough positives there, compared to keeping JP until the offseason. He would be a great addition to top off our “muscle”, but also has speed and some skill. Right age group and would be great for playoffs.
Shooting at 4.7% and missed time due to injury, his numbers would probably rebound?
Jp commented on his numbers with/without Ek, which is concerning but his center would be Nuge or McLoed one would think? So his results may not dip?
Nope, would be looking to trade Greenway faster then Foegele.
Trading Jesse really only boils down to 2 options, he’s part of a package for a significant rental. Or he’s shipped out for draft capital which has no cap hit.
In no sensible world are you shipping out Jesse for someone that’s mediocre with his own cap hit at 3mil. I’m hoping Kostin comes in at 1.45 at most.. The idea of shipping out Jesse for a 3mil Greenway is all types of Vancouver Canucks.
Comparisons to Kassian and Foegle? Haha I simply don’t agree with you guys on this player.
$3mil in cap space is nice, depending on how it’s used. UFAs are overpriced and a trade involves sending away quality players or picks that other teams actually want.
I saw that yesterday, took some time to digest and I don’t like it. Greenway is too expensive for what he is, I doubt he scores 10 goals in a season.
However, I am 100% onboard with a JP for Gurianov swap.
AJ Greer or Trent Frederic are good targets.
Agree, but how do you figure Boston could make the cap work?
Don’t know. Also don’t know what they need.
This could be a game of field goals the way these two lit defenses are playing.
And the half ends 9-6.
Touchdown! 9ers break a 9-9 tie with the first play of the 4th quarter on a big drive hugely helped by Dallas penalties.
Big win against a tough opponent. You know what this means now, right? We can’t be friends with LT next Sunday…
JP brought up the idea of a Dylan Larkin trade target.
He’d likely be a cheaper option than Horvat. Holland has done business with Yzerplan in the past.
Larkin is a left shot, but he’s 53.5% on faceoffs this year.
He has a $6.1m cap, so we’d need retention.
EW has 86 percentile 1-year and 83rd percentile 3-year ratings.
He plays tough minutes over at PuckIQ to good effect.
What’s not to like? At 26, it’s hard to imagine Yzerman not trying to sign him to another contract though. He does have a NTC and he’s American.
Why would he be cheaper?
Yzerman is not known for making poor deals.
Maybe in his previous job. But his current one is littered with bad deals.
For example?
He’s made some curious anti MacT trades at the draft.
2021 1st round pick (WSH – #23 – Wyatt Johnston)
2021 2nd round pick (NYR – #48 – Artem Grushnikov)
2021 5th round pick (OTT – #138 – Jack Bar)
for
2021 1st round pick (DAL – #15 – Sebastian Cossa)
then
2021 2nd round pick (DET – #38 – Daniil Chayka)
2021 4th round pick (TBL – #128 – Jakub Demek)
for
2021 2nd round pick (NJD – #36 – Shai Buium)
Other than that he’s sold a lot of deadline rentals
The Mantha contract was a disaster.
What are you thinking of?
He’s made some bad signings as the Red Wings GM as well – the Copp deal, the Ned deal.
Chariot
And too early to say anything definitive on Husso, but I’m sure the expectation was more than a .900 SV%.
You can add Patrick Nemeth, Anthony Mantha, and Jakub Vrana to his list of poor signings.
I know the Oil could always use more forward depth,
But I thought the biggest need would be 2nd pairing LHD?
If you agree then probably an asset out to off-load one of our under-performing contracts to createcap space, then more futures to trade for help on the blueline.
Will there be anything left for a forward beyond a depth 4th liner type?
Appreciate your perspective on my questions if you can, thanks
I still think it is, but… The only available LHD who can move the needle are probably Chychrun and Ekholm.
The Oilers reportedly don’t want to pay the price for Chychrun nor do they reportedly like him.
Ekholm is an impossible trade given his $6.25m cap than runs for 3 more years after this one. The Preds aren’t going to retain half or a quarter for the duration of that contract.
The rumored asking prices are a 1st for Edmundson and Gavrikov.
Those prices are actually hilarious.
Edmundon is physical, but he’s at best a 4/5 defenseman. I’m comfortable calling him bottom pairing.
Paying a first for Kavrikov would have been like paying a 1st for a more physical Kulikov.
So if you’re looking to spend, there appears to be better value elsewhere.
That’s where I’m at.
Boston rented Taylor Hall for a 2nd rounder.
I’d rather use the d we have than overpay for Gavrikov or Edmundson and spend the assets elsewhere.
I say keep the 1st rounder and trade Jessie, Foegele, and a 2nd and 4th for Gostisbehere and Bjugstad.
Oilers don’t have a 4th
1st + Puljujarvi
for
Larkin (50%)
2nd + 3rd + Foegele
for
Gost + Bjugstad (both 50%)
Not sure if that’s realistic, but it would actually clear cap space.
I am extremely skeptical that a DCorps that has Barrie would have Stanley Cup success by adding Gostisbehere to its ranks. A defense with these 2 is also opposite Holland, who has not drafted a defenseman under 6’2”, for the Oilers.
We all saw how good Barrie was in the last postseason, but he doesn’t have the best wheels and he will take a pounding and be out-muscled in front of the net. That will take quite a toll on a smaller player who is now a year older.
Gostibehere is as good as Barrie and has the mobility that Barrie lacks. He is a bonafide top 4 Dman, but I think it would be best then to trade Barrie for Ghost, which would leave a RHD hole (would that then trigger an Edmunson acquisition?).
Ultimately I’ve done a 180 on Gostisbehere, but I really don’t think Holland would shop in that aisle.
100% agree Gost isn’t the ideal add for the current Edmonton Oilers. He does seem likely to be one of the best value hockey players available at the deadline though (top 4 quality D as you say, on a reasonable contract, and will likely cost less than a 1st).
The relevant question IMO is what else is available, and at what cost. Gavrikov may be a better fit (he definitely is theoretically), but it sounds like he’s going to cost quite a bit more.
Is Gavrikov for a 1st a better deadline move for the Oilers than Gost for a 2nd? And even if you answer ‘yes’, does it remain true if the Oilers use the 1st to add something up front?
I also don’t think it would be opposite Holland to add someone like Gost. I think his criteria for players is ‘good at hockey’ above everything else.
To your defensemen specifics, he’s only drafted 4 Dmen in 4 years, so the sample is very small sample. One of the 4 (Yevseyev) is also only listed at 6′ 1″ (though reports have him bigger).
He’s signed all of Barrie, Russell, Bear, Jones, Kulak, Koekkoek and Demers to NHL contracts, all of whom are under 6 feet and/or under 200 lbs. He traded Bear, but brought in Keith, who also fits that description.
Going back to Detroit, he employed lots of guys like Rafalski, Duchesne, Zidlicky and Lebda. Even guys like Chelios, Schneider, Kronwall weren’t big men at all.
I could be wrong, but I think he very well could shop in that aisle.
The only thing I wonder about is if Arizona would retain on two players. That would max them out on retained salaries (3) and limit their leverage for other trades at the deadline.
That’s a good point. They actually have OEL on retained salary forever, so they can only retain on 2 other players.
Gost, Ritchie, Bjugstad and Stetcher appear to be their rental candidates, so probably strike Bjugstad off the retained salary list.
Gost could still make sense though, and I’m not entirely clear who on the current roster Bjugstad is better than anyway.
I’d change puj for kulak
Better balance but I’m not sure ghost really is better fit for what’s needed here.
His usage looks to have shifted in Arizona to not predominantly OZ starts, logging massive minutes, even playing seeing a bit of pk duty and guess looking good relative to titration fire thst is Arizona but is here better fit than kulsk?
Makes sense,
Thanks for the thoughtful response 👍
Emminently logical.
Edmundson is arguably the worst defenseman on one of the worst teams in the league, it’s pathetic that they would expect a 1st round pick in one of the deepest drafts this century for him.
I agree – find the best value deal out there and make it happen. If that means strengthening Edmonton’s already-league-leading center depth, so be it.
I don’t think the Oilers should trade a 1st for him, but I also don’t think ‘worst defensemen on one of the worst teams’ would be a reasonable argument.
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20222023&thruseason=20222023&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&stdoi=oi&rate=r&team=MTL&pos=D&loc=B&toi=100&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single&draftteam=ALL
Quite reasonable, in fact. He’s been a turnstile this year.
His relative SF% is positive. xGF% is negative, but 3rd among the guys who’ve played more than 15 games.
He plays around 20 minutes a game every year. He’s faced top 4 comp every year, across 3 teams and at least 6 coaches.
I do not think he’s one of the worst defensemen in the league.
For a guy who makes his living on the defensive side of the puck, Edmundson’s defensive metrics are pretty poor. Among 8 Habs defensemen who have played at least 200 minutes at 5v5 this season, Edmundson ranks
– 8th in CA/60
– 7th in FA/60
– 6th in SA/60
– 8th in GA/60
– 6th in xGA/60
– 6th in SCA/60
– 6th in HDCA/60
He’s bad. And his offensive contributions are next to nil. Points per sixty of 0.31 with an IPP of 15.79 is significantly worse than any of the Oilers LHD, Kulak being the worst at 0.80 P/60 (32.26 IPP).
He’s also 29 and makes $3.5M for 1.5 more years. Yes he plays top-4 but the results this year indicate that he’s not a top-4 defender, let alone a top-4 defender on a team with Cup aspirations.
Injuries are a concern also.
You’ll notice I said I do not think the Oilers should trade a 1st for him. My reply was about him being one of the worst defensemen in the league.
IMO, his coaches usage (the last 6 have used him as a top 4 D, in STL, CAR and MTL) is a better indicator of the players value than his on ice metrics are.
And you do realize he’s already been a top 4 D on a Cup winner, as well as a top 4 on another Cup final team?
I mean in my dreams the Preds are retaining 😭😭😭😭
I’d keep my powder dry on any trade with Yzerman, Oilers only need to spend any capital they have on forwards if that forward is clearly a skill savant, otherwise if they are to spend capital on mediocre players then defense would be the target.
Anything they spend on Larkin should be spent on a dynamo RW that 97 and 29 battle over who gets them on their line.
I watched the warm-up last night. So much swagger from the oil right now. It was amazing to watch. They were absolutely buzzing, in the zone. The lower bowl was filled with fans in the Oiler end watching the pre-game. It was like everyone just wanting to get a glimpse of Jordan in the 90’s. I think they are feeling it; always had the skill, the D is playing very well, the goalies are both on point, and they know they can play with the nasty teams. Kane+Desharnais+Kostin arriving all at once is a beastly development.
On the other end, the Canucks warmed up. Lots of standing around, poor body language, not a lot of commraderie. The swagger difference was yuuge.
Oddly enough, the Canucks absolutely owned the first two shifts and were unlucky to not be up 2. Then McLightning struck and it was mostly over.
My biggest takeaway was zone entries. The oil globetrotted right in very easily, and the nucks had a really hard time making it over the blue line.
Buckle up, I think we are in for a great ride the next few months.
Bengals look dominant already.
Nice to finally see some snow for one of these January football games.
Someone woke the Bills up and told them they’re the home team. They needed points on that drive, and come away with 7. 14-7 in the second quarter.
Petrov still playing the blue line on the PP, much like during rookie camp.
and then hits the post on a one-timer from the half boards on that same PP.
Petrov continues to snipe as he pounces on a juicy rebound for his 20th of the season:
https://mobile.twitter.com/OHLBattalion/status/1617252551723814915?cxt=HHwWhsC8mZKo0fEsAAAA
Petrov opens the scoring early in the first by snapping in a rebound pushed over to him.
Sorry that was early in the second, just blanked when typing that out apparently
Jack Hughes with his 30th goal.
The 21 year old might be pretty good.
Of course he’s pretty good! He just needs to stay healthy.
Woke up this morning to see Jack Hughes and Hyman tied for 11th in the league in points. For a Jewish fan, this is unheard of and it’s a big deal. Not going to say it’s a EDI win for minorities, but for young Jewish kids in North America it excellent to have role models like these playing prominent roles. It’s even better as an Oilers fan that one of these is Zach freakin Hyman
That great.
Also why I’m pulling for Ethan Bear…a huge role model for Indigenous kids.
Is it true bear missed a game because his dog passed away? That’s a tough choice
Of note, I believe I am the only person in history that has led both the Edmonton Jewish Hockey League and the Calgary Jewish Hockey League in scoring……
Then you would have had to break through the dirtiest checkers this side of the Rockies 😉
It’s true, Quinn is planning on joining him very soon.
I remember when we signed Hyman, some people observed, “who would have thought that Taylor Hall would get $24M and Zach Hyman get $40M+?” But while I like and cheer for Taylor Hall, I think Zach Hyman has thus far delivered better value, and at a better AAV too. He was exactly the kind of player we needed, and he has delivered on expectations and then some.
Hyman is 100% the player Oil needed, over Hall.
But damnit – it would have been nice to see a full season of hall/mcdavid or subsequent seasons of hall/drai
Sure, not gonna disagree. The phrase “the deal is one-for-one” will always live in infamy for Oilers fans.
But oddly enough, which player would you rather add right now: Taylor Hall or Adam Larsson? Pretty sure I would take Larsson. He’s exactly the missing D-man that we’re shopping for right now.
The biggest difference between the two is in character. Hyman is real team standup guy. Not sure Taylor Hall is or was.
High enough character that the brass thought it wise to have Connor room with him in his rookie season.
Is there anything to that statement, or is it just a garden variety drive by character assassination attempt?
I thought he had a good game. He’s not going to score every game or every second or even every third game. I saw him physical and aggressive as always. I saw him ensure the Holloway didn’t make a silly decision and fight. I saw a nice shot on net. I didn’t see any poor decisions with the puck. I saw chemistry with Jesse (and in a trio with McDavid). That’s a solid game for Klim, to my eye.
THAT was the Puljujarvi game that many of us cherish and think can be of great value.
I haven’t looked through the interview yet but I saw a tweet – Jesse spoke to the Finish media again it seems and said that last night was the best he’s felt on the ice in a while (paraphrasing) and that he had a good and fun dinner with the “big boys”. Maybe (MAYBE) there is a tiny turning point here. Lets see how Wed goes.
What I liked was that, after he was hit by EP40, Broberg got up, grabbed EP40 and let him know that he’s not backing down after that. Couple that with the aggressive protection of himself at the end of the TBL game and he’s clearly getting more comfortable with his place in the league. He also tried one of the rushes that we saw nightly in Bakersfield – it was foiled but it was also a good sign, I think.
It was nice noticing Jesse in a good way last night, he made the boards rattle a few times. It may not be over for him as an Oiler as I am starting to jump on the move Yamo bandwagon.
I also thought Klim played a good game last night, in his own zone he seems to have a sense when he can take a second and make a good pass and when to get it out quickly.
Straight up business decision, you trade Yama
As a 20 goal scorer he should have more value. For me and what the Oilers need (which isn’t GF) Jesse does more game in and out and still has upside, if he settles
Yama is what he is, and the injuries are concerning. I like them both but that forechecking and breakout disruption, and that normally JP benefits any line is not common
He wants out, but if he changes his mind I can see him adding PK and I see no reason he couldn’t learn RS faceoffs and fill that hole
Leon played just over 7 of his 16 minutes (5 on 5) with Ryan and the results were materially better with Ryan than without.
I don’t like Ryan “in the top 6” – of course, he’s not at “top 6 player” but, as LT writes his job is to “mind the store” and it seems he’s doing it.
Woodcroft put Ryan with Drai after Drai and the McDavid/Drai combo got absolutely fed by the Lightning and leaked not just chances but goals against.
Ryan with Drai is obviously not a long-term option but, in the hear and now, it seems like a fantastic adjustment by Woody – for now.
Kind of the role Yamo fills on Leon’s right side when he’s healthy.
Yamo is yesterday news it’s obvious to me and it should be too Woody that sandpaper with better hands is needed in the top six if we are to advance come playoff time.
So perhaps the deadline target should be a top 6 winger thst can “mind the store”. Do any Canucks fit that criteria?
Any trade with the Canucks will require more capital being within the division.
I’d say Ryan was minding the store as much as the coach has no confidence in other RW options.
They should be testing Holloway in RW role as much as possible or permanently committing Hyman to RW.
Running 29,93, 91 and 18 all as top6 LW’s while 10 as RW is a disconnection imo.
I’ve enjoyed Ryan’s play, would like him to stick around.
Couple things: Bouchard had one job to late in the period up 3!!! Stay the hell home and go into the third up 3 or more. He just continues to lose focus then to compound the mistake he screwed the pooch coming back. He can be so frustrating.
Secondly, I’m not entirely sure the Oil win that game with previous years goaltending.
The Oilers coaching staff will be more disappointed with Hyman not covering properly for a defenseman who rightly went into the zone leading an odd man rush. He should have hustled more getting back, but he still wouldn’t have got back in time anyway. Hyman was in position to stay with Kuzmenko and didn’t.
Mike Smith was 5-0 vs the Canucks the last 2 seasons with a .939 save %.
Exactly
If the Oilers “sit back” with the lead they get criticized, right?
If the Oilers continue to try and press and score, they get criticized as well it seems, right?
I get the premise but I would suggest/presume that the direction from the coaching staff was to continue playing a hard and aggressive game and, for Bouchard, that includes recognizing offensive opportunities.
This was not a situation where Bouchard made a bad turnover/decision – this was a situation where Bouchard had 4 Oilers behind him – he had full support and I’m sure the coaching staff wants him to activate. After he did:
1) Kane made a poor chip pass
2) Leon made one of the worst line changes I’ve seen in years
3) Hyman, the high forward, did not keep support and circled down low
4) Hyman lost his man on the back-check
5) Deharnais did not realize there was an open man going towards the net and wrongly stepped on on the board
6) Bouchard didn’t get on his horse on the back check.
There were MANY mistakes on that goal and I do not think that Bouchard activating up to start was one of them – he had full support while the Oilers had full possession.
Bingo.
Have no idea why so many are on Boosh for that play. he was doing what he is supposed to. Almost no one else was.
As to point one I noticed a couple times were Kane was out of place or Toni g where off .. it will take a little time for Kane to feel the game again at his usual level
When I saw that play I was yelling at Hyman, he is a great offensive player, but he consistently flies the zone and does not do a good job on the defensive side of the house.
All of 97, 29 and 18 need to be better in this area.
Lastly, this team gets into trouble when they sit back after a lead, they need to keep putting the pressure on their opponents. Bouch did what he should have done, but every single forward needs to provide cover. Especially the forwards who spend the most time on the ice against the toughest competition.
I’m always floored by Hymans ego, he’s a great player and clearly lacks no self confidence but he’s got to come to a bit of a understanding that he’s not 97 or 29 with the puck. Team first Mr. Hyman, never forget that.
I wish they’d just staple him to Nuge’s wing and go from there.
What changed?
Woodcroft had fallen into the same trap Tippett did (“we have to defend!”), but survived and got the team back on the attacking track.
This is a scoring team. The baseline every night is whether they score 4. They are good enough at the other things. Score 4 and win. They are capable of that every single game.
In his press conferences, both last year and this year, he has been pretty consistent in his message that defending starts in the opponents end. He has never tried to get this to be a shut down team. Even on an attacking team, you can’t not have forwards skating hard back to your own end applying back pressure and marking an opponent. He hasn’t changed much, overall the team is just executing better again.
Unless a team can score consistently like the Oilers in the 80s, a team is not going to be a cup contender in this league giving up 3.5+ goals per game like they were in the first 2 months.
The OIlers have an outscoring D pair in Broberg and Bouchard are pushing the bottom five-six from 45% to over 50% in goals for. A good outscoring D pair can shift the probabilities with bottom sixers line up against each other.
The bottom 6 have been out scoring for much longer than Broberg-Bouchard have been.
Last night they were a bit too aggressive and lost the goal share and shot share for the first time in awhile. When they are playing a more simple game, the results seem to be better.
That’s an interesting position to take.
Oilers are 1st in the conference in GF, by 9 goals.
Oilers are 9th in conference in GA. The #8 team has allowed 12 GA less.
Holland looking like a genius with his patience on his young D core. Every Xmas the Oiler faithful are screaming for a big trade that empties the cupboards. Instead every year Holland keeps his first rounder and quietly adds Broberg, Holloway and Bourgault. The list of teams tanking for Bedard is growing by the day and teams trying to sell off veterans will have better luck trying to sell their Bitcoin. With the cap only going up around 1 million next year 80% of the teams can’t take on players with term next year without moving players out. The other 20% are terrible teams and not interested in taking on older players. The prices on March 3rd are going to be dirt cheap and I believe Holland will probably be able to add two good Veterans with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pick. Maybe only two of those picks. I’d love too see the Oilers get Jonathan Toews. Just as long as Colorado doesn’t get him.
How would the Oilers fit in JT cap hit?
Double max-retention. Slim chance, but it is possible.
Maybe a second to Chicago for Toews and salary retained. Then maybe a third or fourth rounder to Arizona for the rest of the Salary. Maybe they take Puljujarvi for less salary retained.
I thought Brogan Rafferty would have saved Boudreau’s job.
@batchhockey
The #Canucks have made it official. Rick Tocchet replaces Bruce Boudreau. Trent Cull also let go. Press conference at 1pm. @Sportsnet650
Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar added as assistants.
What a disgusting display by the Canucks. To treat one of the most decorated coaches in the league like that is inexcusable.
The Canucks are going to be one of the worst teams in the league for the next decade and I am absolutely thrilled its happening to this no-class and talentless organization.
Good luck getting players to sign there now. Enjoy the daily trade requests and non-stop “rebuilds”. I will be watching every minute of it with a grin ear-to-ear.
Rutherford is assembling the Pittsburgh Old Boys Club in Vancouver.
Thing is, the fan base is furious and I can’t see any way out of the spiral until Acqulini sells the team.
Maybe Tocchet is just keeping the seat warm for Mike Sullivan. He was Torts’ assistant in Vancouver before going to the Pens organization in 2015. He also filled in as head coach for 6 games while the hot-headed Torts served a 6 game suspension. I can see Sullivan possibly not keeping his current gig if Pittsburgh misses the post season for the first time since ’05/06 or even if they get knocked out easily in the first round, which they haven’t gotten past in the prior 5 seasons. It is not like Tocchet is coming in with a strong head coaching resume.
Tocchet apparently got a contract with 2 years after this one.
Coaching is not the issue in Vancouver
Or they start winning
Yes..that generally solves everything but hard to see that from here.
Tocchet has a career winning percentage around .475. Boudreau is a bit over .625. You could argue about the teams they had but that is a significant delta. Did the Nucks think that Boudreau got stupid all of a sudden or that he lost the room? The players love of Boudreau answers those questions. And did Boudreau trade for OEL or sign Miller over Horvat? They should have at least waited until the off-season since there would be more quality coaches available then and the Nucks ain’t making the playoffs this year anyways.
The OEL trade will hurt Vancouver for a long time
Oh to cull through the old comments and find all the: Canucks are the “next team up” with the likes of Horvat, Miller, Petterson, Hughes & Demko
That team does have a lot of good young talent. Good goalie, though not this year.
After this debacle, Vancouver may have trouble keeping talent.
Its hard to re-gain trust after losing it.
Especially Miller. I recall tons of comments about how Miller was such a good acquisition for the Canucks, compared to the Oilers who were getting players like Hyman.
Miller hasn’t even started his new contract yet and he’s not even close to Hyman this year.
“Not every team needs a decade to rebuild”. – HH
That Tocchet. Always into sumpin.
Why was Ceci charging the point on Miller’s goal? Shouldn’t that be a forward’s assignment? McD was standing in the blue paint ineffectively covering Horvat?
Woody after the game referenced a missed assignment off the face off resulting in that goal. Woody did not say which player(s) got it wrong though. Good face off plan by Vancouver on that one having Miller drop back to the middle of the blue line and having the two defenseman going wide drawing each of Nuge and Hyman to the boards with them.
Whether McDavid should have traded off with Ceci on Horvat and then followed Miller, its hard to say, since a lot of times the center is supposed to stay with his faceoff counterpart after the draw. I don’t think Woody would actually want to share how his players should have reacted after that face off loss, since he wouldn’t want to make it easy for other coaches to know their plan. They can scout the Oilers tendencies to get an good idea, but no point in just handing them the intel.
Puljajarvi, Kostin, Foegele, Yamamoto all appear to be all third line wingers. Light on scoring (tip of the hat to Kostin’s current heater), difficult to play against, 12-15 minutes a night guys. Foegele and Yamamoto are PKers so the add some more value, but Puljajarvi and Kostin have physical edge.
If you need to trade one guy to make the cap work. The 5’8”,156lb player in a big man play off league has to be consider at a disadvantage.
Would you be comfortable considering the fact he has already been concussed multiple times since last spring?
his size might be small, but he sure does piss off other teams and pack a punch when he hits. Draws a ton of penalties too. Don’t know if Yamo is the one out here.
The physics of collisions don’t favour yamo, even when he initiates contact the momentum force applied to his relatively small mass must be punishing… hence all the concussion issues. Plus he takes a lot of penalties…where does one find this stat to see his “penalty plus minus”
That may be so, but based on my collision last night bigger isn’t always better! Guy 1ft shorter than me full (unintentional collision) shoulder to the side ribs right where there’s no pads! I definitely got the worst of that one.
NHL.com actually posts penalties plus minus.
Yamo is 3rd on the Oilers in net penalties per 60 right behind Kostin and McDavid. Overall he is 12 penalties drawn to 5 taken or +7. In that stat he is second only to McDavid’s +15.
https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?report=penalties&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20222023&seasonTo=20222023&gameType=2&position=F&playerPlayedFor=franchise.25&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=netPenaltiesPer60&page=0&pageSize=50
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20222023&thruseason=20222023&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&stdoi=std&rate=y&team=EDM&pos=S&loc=B&toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single&draftteam=ALL
This year, Yamo hasn’t taken many penalties at all – the only forwards that have less penalties per 60 are Shore and Benson…….
Its interesting to note that both Kostin and Foegele have drawn penalties at a higher rate than Yamo – Klim WAY higher (unsustainable but he’s drawn a ton).
Bourgault is not very far away. Lavoie, Tulio. Yamamoto’s last year is likely next year anyways. Are the Oilers going to qualify him after next season at $3 million.
Yamo – Is he going to play this season? Last I heard he needed a reset and it would be a bonus to get him back. See Oilersnation.
Can you link to the actual Oilersnation article on this?
I believe it was DNB at The Athletic.
5’6 3/4”
I like Yamo and his tenacity, but he’s not a sturdy 5’7” he’s a feathery 5’7. I’m not sure he will be able to solidly that slight Frame of his like Martin St. Louis.. he was quite a bit heavier with a super strong trunk to him .. I hope he’s ok though and can stay out of trouble .
Friedge and Marek talking about the Oilers looking at Vladislav Gavrikov. Sounds like a steep price in my opinion.
Keep the powder dry:)
According to other sources, at least ten teams have inquired on Gavrikov, including the Leafs. Also, Gavrikov is on record as not wantng to leave CBJ, the issue is the contract number. And reports are, CBJ is looking for mroe than they got in the Savard deal (1st & 3rd).
Friedman must be good buddies with agent Dan Milstein considering all the pump he’s added to this trade possibility. Or maybe it’s just because there is Leaf interest, who knows.
But given all of the above, I’d say it is very unlikely (but not impossible) that Gavrikov becomes an Oiler. That’s too big a price, too much defenceman (would block Bro), and too many interested parties for this to be a value deal fr Holland.
Gavrikov as a rental, at normal rental acquisition cost, is something I could consider.
Unlike the Canucks with Horvat, the Jackets are being smart and allowing teams to talk with Gavrikov re: extension so that they can acquire more than rental prices in a trade.
The only way extending Gavrikov as an Oiler makes sense to me is if Kulak is moved out and, given Gavrikov’s next contract will probably be in the current Adam Larsson range, I don’t think that makes sense for the Oiler given Broberg will very likely be 2LD ready within 2-18 months.
I’d rent this guy for a 2nd and Phil Kemp (or similar) but that’s about it.
The Oilers need to buy injury insurance on Nurse. Gavrikov is that insurance.
The Oilers can survive an injury of moderte length to Nurse if Gavrikov is added. One should cover single points of failure with a realistic workaround.
Is it just me or is the Calgary media turning on Sutter?
When the kids cash strapped family has to follow the team around because Sutter doesn’t tell them when he is playing until warmups, it’s pretty bush league.
Huh?
https://theathletic.com/4111903/2023/01/21/jakob-pelletier-nhl-debut-flames/?source=user_shared_article
Huh!
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sutters-mockery-of-pelletiers-debut-wasnt-just-bad-leadership-it-lacked-human-decency/
Nothing there about his family following him around.
It wasn’t in that article Harpers. Look harder!
I am curious what the data says about the socio-economic situation for the parents of NHL and AHL players. It’s an expensive sport to have a kid go through the many years of training and development. It requires a large financial sacrifice for a middle income family (household income between $75K-$150). There are exceptions and outliers, but I’m guessing most parents of professional hockey players are upper middle class earners (or higher).
My nephew played top level hockey through Midget AAA and is now in a second tier junior league. His parents shelled out around $25k a year in bantam and midget and $10-15k per year before that. He was invited to play at the same academy Savoie played but the base cost was around $30k without factoring in travel, equipment, etc. My family income is more than the range you put out there by a decent chunk and I think we could barely afford that. I think you’re probably looking at needing a family income of $250k+ to comfortably afford that. However the high end players in those programs can get a free ride if they cannot afford it.
Yesterday, and those comments in the post game, are the beginning of the end for Sutter. Mark my words.
His manner of answering the question was so goddamn smug and premeditated — the prick was prepared for the question. If you watch the video, as soon as he hears the name Pelletier from the reporter, he starts reaching for his spectacles to read the game sheet. But he pretends like he didn’t hear and confirms with the reporter that the question was indeed about Pelletier. He was primed and ready to embarrass him with his stat line for the night.
It’s sure been nice to see the Nuge playing at the level he is. Every game there are the sublime steady plays that probably go unnoticed much of the time, and then there’s that vision and passing.. and he does have a Great shot to boot.. As a late bloomer physically he appears to be coming into his peak years a couple years behind the normal pace. He’s now come into his full man strength and winning battles all over the ice.. what a win for Ken Holland.. As good of signing you could ask for .. oh wait it’s probably tied with the Hyman singing .. What a game he had and season. it almost seams as though the tables may be starting to tilt Ken’s way as I could think of quite a few more bets he’s made that don’t look so bad after all.. I think I’m definitely enjoying the patient, calculated approach over the more river boat gambler style of the past GM.
The Nuge. Love to see it.
Hyman has been heck of an add, a beast game in game out.
The Canucks debacle is mind-blowing. They are going to piss away a very good young core. But at least they have JT “Tantrum” Miller signed for eternity.
Reminds me of the DOD Oilers. They cannot get out of their own way.
It’s nice to not be the laughing stock of the league anymore!
Wonderful watching McDavid blocking out Nucks in front of his net late in the 3rd!!!
The schedule will make it difficult for the Oilers to gain ground/create separation against the other Pacific teams prior to the All Star break. The Oilers play 2 winnable games, but the Flames see both of those opponents too plus have a 3rd game against Seattle. LA meanwhile has 5 games before the Allstar break with 2 games they will be favored to win in Chicago and Philly before doing the SE trip to Florida, Tampa and Carolina. At least if the Kings struggle on that leg, the Oilers can stay close in points with 3 games in hand if they win their 2.
Vegas has 4 games, first facing Arizona then then dreaded Megapolis roadie to play all 3, ending with back to back Rangers and Islanders. Seattle has 3 games, the above mentioned Flames game, the Blue Jackets as well and the Canucks. A few early wins by the Canucks with their new coach will be just fine for the Oilers.
Yeah and it goes to show that even with this winning streak the Oilers are currently on, they need to take care of business in these next two. That should easily keep them in a wildcard by points and likely in the top 3 in the Pacific by points percentage.
The Oilers should aim for either second or third in the division. No need to come in first.
As I expressed a few weeks ago…the Kings are going to fall short unless they fix their goaltending.
Copley was pulled last night after giving up 2 soft goals in the first few minutes.
A couple of weeks ago you trumpeted the goaltending in an exchange between us.
Outstanding, Allan
Fun trade thought for the day: with all their good young forwards, wouldn’t a Karlsson return to Ottawa make for a great story.
The more I see the prices for D leading up to trade deadline the more I think Karlsson is the guy Holland should bring in.
If 30 games of Gavrikov or a season and a half of Edmundson is going to cost a 1st, another pick or ‘B’ prospect, plus Puljujarvi to clear cap room, then it seems preferable to add a fewmore pieces and get four and a half seasons of a much, much better player.
Welcome to the club 😀
Some say Holland needs to add my response is he already has in Kane, Kostin and Desharnais. I’ll even throw in the real Jack Campbell as a mid-season add by Holland. Do not trade your 1st Holland if your son Brad is taking over he’ll need cheap ELCers with skill to complement the 8 year extensions of Leon than Connor.
Bingo!!
Seven straight trap games lie ahead. A veritable gauntlet of trap. Going to be a real test for a team that loves to take nights off and play down to the level of their opposition.
They’ve been sooo much better since the team meeting and The Rumble in LA but this stretch is going to be a real test of their will and focus. Godspeed, young men.
I was thinking the same and I don’t think the Oilers played all that well last night, that they had played better in the previous 5 games.
To be fair they did say a number of players were ill. But yea they often let down against weaker teams.
Trap goes out the window if Oil can lead early. Here’s hoping.
Michael Russo
@RussoHockey
Hearing that #canucks coach Bruce Boudreau has been called into a meeting at 9:30 this morning
Is it a Skype meeting?
Maybe we can get a sampling of HHs Boudreau posts over the last year?
Boudreau was quite successful given the roster he had to work with.
https://theathletic.com/4114097/2023/01/22/bruce-boudreau-canucks-emotional-departure/?source=user_shared_article
LOL! HH talking out of both sides of his mouth as per usual.
You have been inundating this blog with fairy tales about how talented the Canucks roster and prospect pool is/was.
Now Boudreau was successful “given the roster he had to work with.”
Amazing!
Like the OEL trade where, within days HH said all of the below about it:
“Bad trade”
“Good trade”
“Great trade”
“Sedins scouted OEL and are building a great team Sweden. Every Swede wants to play for them”
“Brilliant move forced by the owner’s hand for cap reasons”
And now HH is currently at “the Canucks will keep spiralling down under Acqulini”
It’s great.
Canucks clown show season continues.
A wise man recently said that the Oilers need to go on a 10-game winning streak.
6 consecutive wins later…..
Mrs. Lowetide once famously said during a game in the late 1990’s “why doesn’t Marchant just skate the puck into the corner and freeze it on breakaways?”
Mrs Lowetide stories are the best.
Strength of Schedule remaining:
Easiest Rank:
#1 – SEATTLE
#2 – CALGARY
#4 – EDMONTON
#7 – L.A.
#15 – VEGAS
COL – #5
DAL – #8
A lot of the West have easy remaining schedules due to the Fact ANA, CHI, AZ, SJ & VAN (That ones for you HH) are bottom feeders in the West.
Edm may be able to catch Vegas, not sure about Seattle due to their easy schede.
LA appears to be really vulnerable. Their poor goal differential and lack of regulation wins make their position look like a bit of a mirage.
LT: What did change in your Opinion?
Great to see the Oilers Rolling 🙂
The team is consistently buying-in to the structure whereas before they were only sometimes buying-in.
Kane pushing forwards down the depth chart also helps.
11-7?
Everyone played min 10 mins last night.
Seems to keep people engaged and in the game
EC standings Jan 21/23 using points percentage shown as points over/under fake Bettman .500
Atlantic
BOS 31
TOR17
TBY14
Metropolitan
CAR 20
NJD 17
NYR 11
Wildcard
PIT 8
WSH 7
Out of playoffs
BUF 4
FLA 3
NYI 3
DET 1
PHI 0
OTT -3
MTL -4
CBJ -16
Love these. East is almost set. Bettman isn’t sleeping well. Game management directive will be in full force
Prospectorium!
A pair of prospects ply their trade this day.
Matvey Petrov has to stop, drop and roll because he has been on fire lately, ringing up 18 points (8+10) in his last 8 GP. His 60 points on the season have him 3rd in OHL scoring, four off the lead.
Max Wanner had a brief dalliance with the point-per-game mark, but has fallen off the pace with only 6 points in the 13 games since the Xmas break. Still, contract in hand + putting up career bests = a fine season indeed.
North Bay (Petrov) @ noon
Moose Jaw (Wanner) @ 4 p.m.
Both times, as always, are Strome time.
WC standings Jan 21/23 using points percentage shown as points over/under fake Bettman .500
Central
DAL 15
WPG 14
MIN 9
Pacific
SEA 13
VGK 13
EDM 9
Wildcard
COL 8
LAK 8
Out of playoffs
CGY 6
NSH 4
STL 2
VAN -7
SJS -10
CHI -12
ARI -13
ANA -16
Games +/- to fake Bettman over the past week:
COL +4
EDM +3
CHI +3
DAL +2
NSH +2
STL +1
WPG 0
SJS 0
SEA -1
VGK -1
MIN -1
CGY -1
ANA -1
LAK -2
VAN -2
ARI -2
1/3 of the league was in the Bedard race at the half way point. Similar to MLB.
Bettman to implement a new rule on Monday stating a team must win by more than 2 goals to get 2 points. Any game within 2 goes to OT
If I had to choose the destination Bedard ends up in, I would say Columbus. East conference non-Canadian team, and they probably have the worst record in the last 10 years (in the east conference anyway).
also, there can be ONLY ONE generational Connor per conference!
I think Bedard is going to be an incredible player but I don’t think he’s generational. I see Stamkos or Patrick Kane.
I was pleased to see the Oilers shutdown the Canucks in the last part of the 3rd. The team played well enough to win, against an emotional opponent. They’re in a good position to take care of business ahead of the all-star break.
I hope Horvat doesn’t end up a Kraken. He does many good things down the middle. At 3-2 he cleanly won a key o-zone face-off. Nice player.
Sounds like a easy jump for the Horvat family to jump over to Seattle. Seattle has the dough plus they’ll give him the keys to the City.
I like Horvat plenty and he would really add some spine to an already good Seattle team, he is however averageish defensively.
No doubt Horvat would give Seattle (or any good team acquiring him, such as the Avs or Kings) quite a boost but, at the same time, I presume the next contract is going to be close to $10MM per for a max term (7-8 depending) and based of this career season – I’m all for a Pacific division team singing him to that type of deal.