The Edmonton Oilers are playing the final games of the 2022-23 season with a chance for the Pacific Division title and the conference title, too. Vegas Golden Knights will play the Dallas Stars in an afternoon game, with the Oilers and Sharks facing off about 30 minutes later. The VGK have held serve through the last three months, a time when Edmonton set a blistering pace. The season is running out of black top, but this could be a photo finish.
THE ATHLETIC!
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Kailer Yamamoto’s future may hinge on 2023 NHL playoffs
- Lowetide: 5 ways Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm has delivered since trade
- Lowetide: Oilers’ second half spike owes much to Jay Woodcroft’s innovation
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers post an incredible March with playoffs in sight
- DNB: The Oilers ‘found a way’ against the Kings
- Lowetide: How many more college players will the Oilers sign this spring?
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers at 2018 NHL Draft, making the final call
- DNB: How the Oilers’ playoff path looks rockier after loss to Golden Knights
- Lowetide: Should the Oilers re-sign trade deadline acquisition Nick Bjugstad?
- DNB: Why Edmonton Oilers and their star players believe Pride night is ‘important to celebrate’
- Lowetide: Evander Kane, Zach Hyman and the Oilers’ ideal Connor McDavid line
- DNB: Connor McDavid joins the 60-goal club
- Lowetide: Is the Oilers’ defence deep enough to win the Stanley Cup?
- DNB: What I got wrong: Jack Campbell hasn’t given Oilers a goaltending upgrade
- Lowetide: Stock up or down for every Oilers prospect in the system
- DNB: Oilers’ recent play gives 3 reasons to be optimistic about a long playoff run
- DNB: Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl shows he’s more than Connor McDavid’s sidekick
- Lowetide: What to expect from the Oilers’ 2023 NHL Draft after trading first-round pick
- DNB: Connor McDavid’s importance to the Oilers keeps showing no bounds
- DNB: Why Mattias Ekholm is a big addition for an Oilers team that needs to win now
- Lowetide: Oilers’ mediocre February shows importance of protecting the puck
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, winter 2022
WHAT TO EXPECT IN APRIL
- At home to: ANA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: LAK, ANA, SJS, COL (Expected 2-2-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- At home to: SJS (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- April prediction: 4-2-0, eight points in six games
- April results: 3-0-0, six points in three games
- March results: 12-2-1, 25 points in 15 games
- February results: 4-3-4, 12 points in 11 games
- January results: 8-2-2, 18 points in 12 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: 47-23-9, 103 points in 79 games
Edmonton could finish with 109 points, that would be the highest total since 1985-86. The Oilers as a franchise have exceeded 100 points in a season nine times, winning Stanley three times in those campaigns. The most impressive team stat this season? Since January 1, the record is 27-7-7. That’s a championship performance.
RIGHT WING
I think we’ve known for some time the Oilers were going to overhaul right wing. When Ken Holland arrived, he had bigger fish to fry, and the last couple of seasons featured an interesting but flawed group in Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi and Zack Kassian. This season, Zach Hyman has been the mainstay, with Yamamoto and Puljujarvi constants until the big Finn was traded. Klim Kostin spent time there, so did Warren Foegele and Mattias Janmark and and and. I think the Oilers will tweak this summer, but it might not be at the level some believe.
The Oilers would like to acquire a proven scorer but cap is an issue and there are other areas. I think Raphael Lavoie has done enough for management to at least ponder the idea of running auditions from October to the trade deadline. The offseason, and opening night roster, might look like this:
In this model, Kailer Yamamoto was traded to the Seattle Kraken for a pick in the 55-65 range, Brett Kulak to Columbus Blue Jackets for a selection in the same range. Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod, Klim Kostin and Raphael Lavoie were all bridged. Unrestricted free agents added include Scott Mayfield, Nick Bjugstad, Mattias Ekholm, Derek Ryan and Sam Gagner.
I think the Oilers would be wise to run Lavoie on left wing, he’s more effective there and once he finds solid footing perhaps they can move him. There will be many candidates for No. 2 right-wing should the team move on from Yamamoto, and it will make the season interesting at this point we could see a complete overhaul on 2021-22 RW by fall. A reminder, the final Peter Chiarelli-Todd McLellan team began 2018-19 this way:
- Nuge-McDavid-Rattie were 13-10 in 17:19, 6-7 shots and 1-4 high dangers.
- Khaira-Strome-Puljujarvi went 5-6 (9:25 Khaira), 9-6 (9:22 Puljujarvi) 4-0 (1:39 Yamamoto) in what was an on-again, off-again trio.
- Lucic-Draisaitl-Yamamoto went 6-13 (13:04 Lucic, goals 1-1), 3-9 (10:28 Yamamoto 0-1 goals) and 1-3 (2:13 McDavid, 1-0 goals).
- Rieder-Brodziak-Kassian went 2-12 in 6:55, 0-2 goals.
DYLAN HOLLOWAY
A most encouraging Friday night from Edmonton’s 2020 first-round selection. He scored twice, is now 6-2-8 in eight games and 3-2-5 at even strength in those eight contests. This is fine production and honestly the most encouraging thing about Holloway’s season. We know he gets touches of the puck, but this little run, especially last night’s first goal, is serving notice that he may bring substantial offense with him to the NHL eventually. He needs to play as an NHL regular next season, I think he’ll be joined by Lavoie. Are these men the next Puljujarvi-Yamamoto? I think Holland will invest in them (and Bourgault) to find out.
LT I poured my Oilers heart out in a post last night and went to make a simple punctuation edit and now my post is gone 😢
Moonlight, I’m so sorry. This old blog is like a giant amazing old ship out on the ocean, and the sea can be an angry mistress at times.
It’s okay, I still love this blog. It’s been a part of my every morning for years. Keep well and Happy Easter.
There is a path to the Oilers fishing 1st in the Pacific and still playing the Kings (if Seattle passes them and Colorado/Dallas win the conference) – I think this would take the Oilers only winning one game and the Knights getting swept by Colorado which allows the Oilers to win the Pacific but not the conference.
Oilers could still play LA, SEA, WIN, CGY, NSH, I think.
It’s a marathon not a sprint.
These men learned from last year.
The balance is in place.
Its all about Peaking and my eye and the maths we’re damn near at peak.
It’s like the countdown to Christmas but for Oiler fans. Ten more sleeps!
If this was the Gretzky days, the entire country would be clued in and glued in to see if McDavid can hit 156. Connor and that number would be all over the national media, playoffs notwithstanding.
This is an incredible attempt by an individual to leave a mark on the record book and despite the attention that it is getting, it is not getting anywhere near enough attention.
This is Brad Pitt on the run… then leaping and impaling that pissant kingdom’s champion in the first act of Troy.
This is epic.
Maybe an audience would be a good idea.
It isn’t time for them to tune in yet.
Mid-June is when they will tune in.
30 Years since Lord Stanley’s Cup has been home.
Valhalla, Nirvana, the Promise and the Glory all await. Until then nothing else matters. And every slight, every smart ass crack, the pity and every criticism (so many of which were deserved) uttered over the years of futility will melt into nothingness.
Everyone will clap. And the sour ones will bend the fucking knee. Not even they will be able to deny Greatness.
The boys can feel it, they can sense it. The hard work has only just begun but they know what it takes.
I think lore sets its own pace, and often the story builds after the fact. That is my experience.
Pro scouting has been a problem on the Oilers since Sather left. Not any more with the TDL adds of Ekholm and Bjugstad. You can’t ask for better solutions to team needs.
The Oilers traded Miro Satan when Sather was GM. It was a problem then, too. However, the range in quality of general managers then was massive.
“Host: Two more regular season games. One more here at UBS Arena. How does this rank for you in playoff pushes, the excitement of this building and the fans involvement over the last couple of games?
Horvat: It’s been unbelievable. A lot better than Vancouver, I’ll tell you that for free.”
https://canucksarmy.com/news/a-lot-better-than-vancouver-bo-horvat-takes-shot-at-canucks-fans
Canucks may have won tonight but their fans were eviscerated by their former captain.
Avs win 4-3 beating the Kings in a game that has the commentators unhappy (they’re homers). I think I would have actually preferred a Kings win in this game, but can’t say I’m disappointed by it either.
There’s a path to 1. Vegas 2. Edmonton 3. Seattle 4. L.A. which I would be totally down for. We won’t get goalied by the Kraken.
There’s no way we can get goalied by the Kings either. It’d have to be systems or we beat ourselves… including our goalie failed, rather than the other guy stood on his head.
Jockeying for position is a fool’s game.
Just crush whoever is put in front of you.
Just watched most of the ot and shootout of flames nucks. Then watching panel and they show some clips of Markstroms saves. Suddenly I’m struck by the fact that we are no longer taking about our goalies as Oil fans.. or very little. I don’t remember a game our goalies have stolen for us this year but suddenly Skinner becoming enough.
calm enough
big enough
good enough handling the puck
stopping enough pucks
This team doesn’t need its goalies to steals games, just to be good enough.
so refreshing to not have to be so stressed about our goaltending!
Flames lose in a shootout. I’m drowning in my tears.
Beiska is just grinding Hrudey making him look like a Gumby on more than one occasion.
Pretty sure John Garrett was too, lol.
The Flames Canucks OT is straight bonkers.
And the Flames lose in the skills competition
I’m watching this girl, I dunno about 13 yo and her teacher in the Kings – Avs intermission, and she’s representing Team Green, they plant trees or some such, but I’m struck, okay disappointed, by the fact that every third word is “like”.
Coz, I feel, like, Millennials, like, already own that word. Why can’t the next, like, generation, get, like, their own verbal tic?
Y’know, eh?
😉
Sorry, my parents are making me drink. Something about being “sociable.” I told them I had drinks last weekend and I’m good, but apparently Christ didn’t rise from the dead last weekend and I wasn’t here at home and so on and such forth.
Pretty sure I’m going to have to rise from the dead tomorrow.
Mum is giggling as I read this out loud. She’s 84. Probably can drink me under the table right now.
She’s a Valley Girl which incidentally is song by a 14 year-old Moon Zappa with the help of her Dad.
Yah, for sure.
Arvidsson scores to even it up at 2-2 versus the Avs. powerplay goal.
Woody has to go back to 12/6 against the Avs, even with Ceci back in Edmonton, right?
If Ceci is there, I expect it to be 12-6.
That said, I don’t underestimate Manwood’s desire to play head games with opposing coaches, so who the hell knows…
I don’t think Ceci is flying back out so I doubt he’s playing on Tuesday.
I guess my point was its fine to give Broberg and Deharnais both full minutes and go 6D even without Ceci.
That’s it for Demers, right?
Why does the Norris winner have to be on a playoff team? That doesn’t make sense.
Why does the Norris winner have to be the highest scoring defenseman? That doesn’t make sense…
It doesn’t, and I really value defensive defensemen.
But when Karlsson hits 100, which has been done by only 5 people and none since 92, and no other defenseman will be within 20 points of him, that is significant.
Plus he plays on a garbage team. That makes his offence even more impressive and alleviates some of the defensive concern over his stats.
The Sharks are 25th in the league in GF, 89 less than the Oilers have scored. Their top forwards are Couture: 27G 66P, Hertl: 22G 61P, and Meier: played 57 games before traded – 31G 51P.
That’s what Karlsson has been working with on his way to 100 points.
That part I don’t find surprising. Even bad teams are going to core a certain amount of goals, and someone has to be in on them. On a team short on talent, it’s not surprising who’s getting the biggest slice of the pie.
And that’s not to say what he’s doing doesn’t exemplify something special–it does–but the circumstances are probably more of a help than a hindrance I think. There’s something similar to the Pareto Principle at play here.
Arizona Coyotes defensemen:
Moser 31P
The Ghost Bear had 31P in 52GP
The Not-so-mighty Ducks of Anaheim:
Fowler 45P
Shattenkirk 25P
Chicago Tankers:
Seth Jones 33P
It’s too ugly to mention second place.
Columbus Blue Jackets:
Their D didn’t play many games:
Adam Boqvist 22P in 43GP
Gubranson with the most points as someone who played at least 70 games: 13
They should re-name the Hart, “the most valuable forward to his team,” the Norris “the most valuable defenseman to…”, and the Vezina, “the most valuable goalie…”
Add a Selke equivalent for Dmen, maybe a Lindsay equivalent by goalies for goalies, and Bob’s your uncle.
Karlsson wins easily I don’t know what all the debate is about even though he’s not on a Playoff team he’s lapping the field. Erik is pulling a Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes.
Flip back to the Avs – Kings at intermission and Avs are up 2-0 on 7 shots.
Copley is in net for the face cards.
There is a lot of focus on VGK but the Avs have 2 games in hand after tonight and could possible be 3 points back of Edmonton.
Next game is the probably the most important game of the regular season.
Summarizing!
Exactly zero points were awarded this night. But at least Brind’Amour and his Quinnipiac squadron are the champions of the
worldNCAA. He went 12/20 (60.0%) on the dot in his college finale.Chiasson’s Blades lost to Regina, forcing Game 7 back in S’toon on Monday.
Lachance too was held soupless.
Also, thanks to Munny 2.0 for the intrepid reporting.
The flames just pulled the worst too many men penalty I’ve ever seen.
Was just over at Hockey Reference looking at Era Adjusted Points in a season. McDavid and Draisaitl are in pretty special company. It seems this season may not look as good as McDavid’s 2020-21 season. I think the NHL overall is scoring more so, comparatively his points aren’t as dominant as 2 years ago. Hard to believe this isn’t the best season for both McDavid and Draisaitl. Here are the best era-adjusted points per season since 1952-53.
# – Player – PTS – Season
1 – Wayne Gretzky – 170 – 1985-86 (25yrs)
2 – Mario Lemieux – 165 – 1988-89 (23yrs)
3 – Connor McDavid – 158 – 2020-21 (24yrs)
4 – Jaromír Jágr – 145 – 1998-99 (26yrs)
5 – Phil Esposito – 141 – 1970-71 (28yrs)
6 – Gordie Howe – 131 – 1952-53 (24yrs)
7 – Bobby Orr – 129 – 1970-71 (22yrs)
8 – Leon Draisaitl – 128 – 2019-20 (24yrs)
8 – Nikita Kucherov – 128 – 2018-19 (25yrs)
8 – Joe Sakic – 128 – 2000-01 (31yrs)
8 – Steve Yzerman – 128 – 1988-89 (23yrs)
Sakic was pretty old for his most offensive year.
I always figured Sakic had a bit of Nuge in him 😉
I’ve always seen Sakic and Yzerman as having fairly parallel careers. Era, age, production, quiet demeanor, gentlemanly but also would work so hard. Smooth skaters, good wrist shots. Playing their whole careers for one team and winning multiple Cups. Then their post-playing careers are similar too. Pretty smart Managers as well. All three are from BC (and we all know Nuge and Joe are both from Burnaby!). I could see Nuge following in their footsteps. Hopefully, the Cups come for Nuge. Nuge should have worn 19!
Solid take.
Sakic won his cups at age 27 and 32, Yzerman at age 32, 33 and 37.
Nuge will fit right in 🙂
Nice find! I didn’t realize Nuge is ahead of his time. He turns 30 in 3 days.
Nobody on this list is Cupless except McDavid and Draisaitl.
Bernie Nicholls is Cupless at 124pts
That said, it’s been way harder to win a Cup since 2005. Salary cap, and 32 teams, and league parity are pretty big deals. for instance, in 1970-71 there were only 14 teams and 8 of them were shitty recent expansion clubs. Orr and Esposito were able to feast on those teams and the Bruins had a +192 goal differential! In the mid-nineties to 2005, Sakic and Yzerman were on stacked teams that could spend whatever they wanted and the best players were very willing to go to either Colorado or Detroit in that era and still get paid whatever they wanted. Same with the Oilers of the mid-eighties and the Penguins of the early nineties, stacked teams. Howe had a 1-in-6 chance on an original 6 team, and really during his Cups winning era there were only 3 teams that ever won: Habs, Leafs, and Wings. From 1942-60, NYR, BOS, and CHI didn’t win once. So more of a 1-in-3 chance for Howe.
A number of the others were cupless at the time they posted the listed seasons (Mario, Kucherov, Yzerman in addition to McDavid and Draisaitl).
Oh, that’s true. I didn’t put in the work to figure out if they won them before or after their peak season.
Possibly an unpopular opinion, but… I am not completely worried if the Oilers and Bouchard cannot come to an agreement. If Holland managed to turn Barrie (plus futures) into Mattias Ekholm, then Bouchard should be able to net an even more significant return.
Erik Karlsson? Let a fool dream.
I’m also not worried about a possibility of McDavid and Draisaitl signing elsewhere. McDavid-Draisaitl-Nurse are going to be the Crosby-Malkin-Letang of this generation. They will stay here and win Cups.
What?
No, no and no. If you aren’t sold on Bouchard since he stopped have to carry the rookie Bro I dunno what to tell. It’s his second season and he’s up crack 40 again. Bridge him if you have to, take him to eight if you can get the money to work.
Guy is a stud and will crack 100 points in a season.
Even Godot dropped his weird and baseless criticism.
What wierd and baseless criticism? Is constantly comparing him to Larry Murphy criticism?
Thinking back to the times when LT was a Baby Blogger and the stats wars were just starting, before Emporer Bettmantine’s outposts imprisoned all the leaders
The years and years of discussing what matters most and what players and teams should look like to win
To think now that what I had always wanted the team to be like has basically arrived, despite things I still think could be better, you bet I’m enjoying it. I’m almost a bit worried I think they are so good, I’m enjoying it that much, the other shoe could still drop!
This is my favourite post in forever. Enjoy this!! Drink it all in! And remember, it’s the journey that you’ll remember good or bad. Just make sure it’s good! 🙂
I agree 100%!!
Plus they’re most likely won’t be much turn over, so we can enjoy a few seasons of this gold.
I wish my kid was a bit older so he could remember these games. Who knows if we’ll ever get an opportunity to cheer for a team like this again.
Well said! Such an unfamiliar feeling this! I feel very little worry when watching this team as it currently stands. None of the familiar dread of us not scoring immediately or coming from behind. Last dragon to slay in season is the Avs! Then let the real fun begin!
Shots 17-3 Kings with 2 to play in the first, but they are penalized as I tune in.
1st period ends scoreless
Strange that Harry Singher isn’t calling this game…
Horvat with the burn of the year on Canuck fans.
Part of me thinks it was unnecessary.
Another part of me thinks it was hilarious.
Quinnipiac scores TEN seconds into OT, starting it absolutely lit, like they started the first and 3rd… straight north with a mission. Set play off a faceoff win, sweet pass and Quillan goes in all alone for the OT winner.
Complete devastation for the Gophers.
Video evidence of the foregoing:
https://twitter.com/NCAAIceHockey/status/1644894256497061892?cxt=HHwWiMCzuY-n69MtAAAA
That was indeed a sweet pass from Lipkin to Quillan. Draisaitlesque backhand sauce.
“Couture compliments Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft for calling up San Jose Sharks fan favorite Jason Demers to play his 700th NHL game at SAP Center:
Just the name brings a smile to a few guys here that were fortunate to play with JD. Character. Just a great glue guy in the locker room. Great sense of humor. He was a big part of a lot of those teams that we had.
Happy to see him get a chance to play 700 games. I talked to him after he was done in Arizona, and he has a little upset about the way that ended. I think they scratched him a few times near the end of the season at 699 when they were out of the playoffs. As a fellow player, that didn’t sit too well with a lot of guys.
But good on Edmonton and [Jay Woodcroft] to bring him up and play in this building for 700. I think that speaks about the type of person that Woody is over there behind the bench.”
https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-couture-demers-hertl-karlsson-forward-locker-room/
You can’t ask people to go through a wall for you unless you reward them when they’ve done well.
Wow, that is almost as bad as Yeo benching Yandle at 989 consecutive games played.
Quinnipiac scores ten seconds into OT to win 3-2.
Brind’Amour makes like Carter Savoie and concludes his NCAA career with a national title.
Papa Rod is in the crowd watching
Cgy down 1-0
Lucic provides the screen
That’s a shame
Best haiku ever.
Oh that’s so much better than my response…
The Flames’ lame game shames their name and their dames. Same as as always.
2-1 Shames
Lames down 2-0
This is just terrible
Bobcats score on the powerplay to tie the game with 2:47 to play.
Brindamopur might have the 2nd assist, they didn’t show much of a replay
He was also distracting net front on the shot
Might have touched it going in, we’ll see. Replays inconclusive so far.
Goal awarded to Graf. No point for Skyler
Brind’Amour takes his second penalty of the game. This is not good. Not in such a big game with so few penalties. The first one took all the wind out of the Bobcat’s sails and it took them a good half period to get back into the flow of the play.
Bit of a chintzy call this one, considering what they’re letting go, but he did catch the puck carrier right in the hands with the blade of his stick on the backcheck. Bobcats are down 2-1 in the game and this was about 5 minutes into the 3rd so a huge penalty.
Bobcats kill it off and have a good pushback shift. Still in it.
6:43 to play in the 3rd. Quinnie outshooting Minnie 9-1 in this stanza. This is how the Cats started the game, but it was all negated when BrindAmour was penalized.
This has been one of the best Frozen Finals I’ve watched. Very fast, competitive hockey
Anyone know how many points McDavid has lost to video reviewed overturned goals this season? When splitting hairs against historical seasons those points lost to video review wouldn’t have happened in the 80’s and 90’s. Granted they didn’t have 3v3 overtime them either so maybe it’s a wash.
There were Oilers fans that did not like the Ekholm acquisition
True story
There are Oiler fans who don’t like a lot of things.
I seem to remember when the trade was done, there was a “in 2 weeks you will all regret the Ekholm trade!” that seemed to come up repeatedly.
Yeah, I’ll own up to being one. I was worried about the term on his deal (and still am). I was worried about our RD depth without Barrie (and still am).
I liked the player and thought he was kind of D-man we needed. So far he has been that, and then some. Incredibly good fit. (I doubt anyone could have predicted that he would be +25 in 19 games, but props to Kenny for identifying him.)
Right now, we are definitely winning that trade. I’m happy to be wrong so far, and I hope it continues.
It remains possible to finish 2nd in the league. Wouldn’t that be a hoot
Given that Toronto leads Montreal 5-1 late in the thurd period and the Rangers lead Columbus 3-1, the Oilers will be 7th in the league at the end of the night.
To realize your dream, all of Carolina, New Jersey, the Rangers and likely Vegas would have to go winless and Toronto and Dallas will still have a game in hand while Colorado has three.
I believe that’s why he used the term “possible” and not one like “probable”…
It is also possible I will be appointed Queen of England but don’t bet on it.
What kind of Queen do you mean? Could be an opening
Haha that would actually be “impossible”, look at you learning three new words today.
Looking at Camilla, would Charles notice the difference?
Thanks for the backup!
Astute observing old man, isn’t there some wind to go yell at?
Brind’Amour on the first shift of the game creamed a Gopher hitting him near the head. He actually got the shoulder on review and shouldn’t be a penalty but we’ll see. Under review…
Minor for indirect contact is the ruling
Kulak is a handy defensemen. I think Holland just runs with the seven D as is next year unless something interesting turns up.
Broberg is like Sergachev or Heiskanen in that he can play and cover for injuries on the right side. Kemp should be close for games. Niemelainen and Kulak can also play the right side in a pinch. And they will bring in a $1 million dollar vet.
Kulak will probably be the #7D. And Broberg will play regularly. Which is doable since Broberg and Desharnais will both be under $1.5 million
Nurse Ceci
Ekholm Bouchard
Broberg Desharnais
Kulak. $1 million dollar vet
Neimelainen Kemp
I think Foegele and Yamamoto are the expendible guys more than Kulak. That is where I free up cap space.
Ideally, Desharnais gets better faster than Ceci declines.
I think the Oilers probably bring Bjugstad (max $2 million) and Ryan (max $1 million) back next year as the blockers for Lavoie, Bourgault, and Tullio. It should be possible to bring Janmark back too at the same salary. Bjugstad has made a lot of money. I think he would like to win.
The Oilers can wait till the trade deadline for a real top six RW like they waited for #2LD this year.
D have more value than equivalent level forwards for sure. Thing is I don’t see Kenny having a regular that he signed with term sitting. I think he’d trade him before that
The Oilers are a contender. The Kulak equivalent would have to be acquired at the deadline at huge cost. The season is best protected by having seven D in place.
I’m a bit confused.
Weren’t you saying a couple of months ago (pre-Ekholm) that Broberg needed to be the Oilers 2LD this playoff? Like it was a thing that could actually happen?
And now you’re saying that the Oilers will need to acquire someone to fill Kulak’s 3RD/7D role at next years deadline?
I don’t get it… Kulak is better today, but Broberg can 1000% handle 3LD next season (likewise Desharnais 3RD).
I have no idea why the Oilers should need to acquire a Kulak type defenseman for the 3rd pair next season, and even if they do there’s no reason it will be “at huge cost”.
What gives?
The only way Broberg was going to possibly be ready to be a #2LD by the trade deadline was to play him, instead of playing Murray and Niemelainen. They were not playing him. They didn’t play him, so he had no chance to be ready. Yet he still sort of saved the season when they began playing him, as Broberg was able to stabilize Bouchard on the 3rd pairing and they were able to kill those minutes.
Basically, my argument in the fall was that the Oilers desparately needed a #2 LD, and they only way they were going to get one was to play Broberg, and if he didn’t progress fast enough, to trade for one. Those were the only two possibilities.
A contender needs 8D going into the playoffs. So one should not trade away one of them in the summer before the season starts, The OIlers are now playing for Cups. Start as you mean to go on. Foegele and Yamamoto are exceedingly more replaceable than Kulak, and forwards are much easier to add at a lower price at the deadline.
There is no way a top 6 RW is ‘easier to add at a lower price’ than a 3rd pairing D.
Yamamoto isn’t a top 6 RW. He is “functional” there when one of the other forwards is elite and the 2nd one is legit top 6.
Yamamoto and Foegele are 3rd line forwards.
Pretty sure Kulak won’t be the 7D if he remains and Oiler.
Ceci hasn’t turned 30 yet, FYI. (actually he’s only 2 years and 5 months older than Desharnais).
Hard to see Kulak being 7D next year at $2.75 mln. That wouldn’t be a good allocation of cap resources.
The only thing that can hurt the OIlers is the D getting wonky because of injuries. Keep the 7D. Million dollar forwards who can fill in in a pinch are much cheaper and easier to find.
Ekholm, build this man a statue then a village around it.
Village to pillage?
Really proud that the team did Demers a solid. Woody had him out for the last shift of the game and he picked up the game puck when it was over. 700 NHL games is an incredible achievement. Happy trails JD.
Not bad for a 7th round pick.
I know Louie (or whoever picked the stars) had a lot to choose from, but I would have had the Viking Beast and his +6 as the second star.
I hope we play Winnipeg they’re terrible it’ll be over in 5.
Jets woke up in the 2nd period, which was played almost entirely in Nashville’s zone. Nashville is basically Saros backstopping an AHL team.
So that “Power of Love” vignette the HNIC did on their broadcast seems to have neglected the fact that the Edmonton Oilers are indeed a team in Canada. Anybody else notice that?
If the Oilers beat the Avalanche (then Sharks) and the Kraken can beat Vegas once in regulation…
How’s this for funsies? We win out, Seattle beats Vegas in regulation once, LA craps the bed. We win Division, get one of Calgary/Nashville/Winterpeg first round. Vegas gets Seattle in a Battle of Expansion Teams, and LA has to play either Dallas or Colorado first round. We get home ice advantage for first three rounds to boot!
MUSIC! , as LT would say….
Are you sure it works that way MO? Serious question, as my impression is that if there is no crossover in the wild card spot, then the bracket is based on divisions only. For the top team in the conference to play a team from another division, one division would need to qualify five teams for the playoffs.
Still music, but David Soul instead of David Crosby
When we signed Ekholm I was pleased but didn’t feel like we got the big “star” signing. Holy moly was I wrong. He is such a better player than EK65 when factoring in everything. EK65 would have been another cannon added to the HMS Victory, when what we needed was a stronger hull. We got the “star”.
And that’s without even acknowledging Ekholm’s under-appreciated offensive game. He genuinely might have been undervalued at NSH playing in the shadow of Josi’s spotlight. Coach used him as a shutdown D and Ekholm was happy to oblige. I honestly think he could win the Norris at Edmonton. We’ve the players to capitalise on his terrific passing, the dude can drill the biscuit and has a good instinct on when to activate.
Plus 25 now in 19 games. Leading the Oilers in plus-minus.
Are we calling him Ekhullm now? 😀
+6 tonight and full value for it. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an Oilers defenseman put up a +6.
Coffey and his playing partner at the time, Mike Forbes were both +8 in a game against Winnipeg November 1981. Coffey also did +7 in 3 games. Ekhol will join Coffey (2 times), Huddy (3 times) and Lowe (1 time) on the Oilers list for D who hit +6.
I knew Coffey had some incredible games back in the day, but I never watched it happen in real time. That must’ve been something.
It really was!
When did we “sign” Ekholm?
Oh shush you know what I mean
actually, I imagine he’d have to sign something. The Oilers are his employer after all.
Klim is aware of where the puck should go even if he was making mistakes before
A great sign for next season if he can keep progressing
Oilers have given up 3 goals in the last 5 games….
But we have a goalie problem, how could that be?
Ha!
Bernie Nicholls’ improbable tenure as a top 5 ‘max offence season’ player has passed.
The King is dead, long live McD
McDavid should of did the Pumpernickel on point 151.
Should “have”.
It’s should have, would have, could have.
How old are you that you keep making this grammatical error?
Is your phone incapable of English?
“Should” and “of” don’t belong in a sentence together.
Figure it out.
Jeebus!
All boxcar records during the age of air hockey are suspect.
In terms of adjusted points, McDavid blew by Nicholls sometime in late February. =Eeven Leon only needs three points in the last two games of this season to score more adjusted points than Nicholls did in 1988-89.
Maybe I’m just mad at Nicholls for being the return in the Mark Messier trade. Not his fault, but he sure never did much for us.
The fact that Gretzky was winning the scoring race by like 70 points, repeatedly, that is LEGIT!
Era adjusted points is the most meaningless metric ever.
Let’s just make up some numbers now because we feel it was easier to score years ago.
5-0 goals at 5 on 5 and 1-0 goals SH.
Ekholm is PLUS SIX – lol
Kane has broken a lot of sticks tonight.
Vegas does NOT get the bonus point.
Oilers stay 3 ahead of Dallas and gain on Vegas.
Seattle will split the 2 games with Vegas
It’s great TV, Oilers now need to beat the team that swept them last year to take firat.
The Av’s will have the Refs in their pocket but we have the Hockey Gods on our side.
I think the game against Colorado will live in a few players heads, one way or the other.
Karlsson -3 today and pining for the trade that never was. Ekholm +6!! Oil very happy with the Swede they got.
McDavid REALLY wanted another point – he’s been making risky puck carries all over the ice.
He wants 156 I think.
I sure hope so. I reaaaaally want him to get it. Two more wins and 6 goals work for me
Call me greedy, but I am what I am. I want to see 5 more points for McDavid, AND three more goals for Nuge. That would also mean we finish with a 30 goal scorer, a 40 goal scorer , a 50 goal scorer AND a 60 goal scorer.WHy dream in Black and White? Go big or go home!
To wit, If Kane had not missed substantial time to a freak injury, we might have been talking about already having locked down the COnference title, two 30 goal scorers, a 40, a 50 and a 60 goal scorer. Inconceivable!