Nothing was accomplished in preseason. The roster you see here was ‘certain Oilers’ at the beginning of training camp. There’s room for one more, but the current player (Markus Niemelainen) will be sent down eventually. This isn’t fatal, and yesterday could have been far worse. Today I’d like to talk about possible trades.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New DNB: Why Raphael Lavoie didn’t make the Oilers and other roster questions ahead of regular-season opener
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Brady Stonehouse signing an important indicator for the future
- Lowetide: Why the Oilers’ veteran-laden AHL team offers better depth
- DNB: Jack Campbell has earned the right to start opening night for the Oilers
- Lowetide: Why Mattias Ekholm’s injury situation is a worry for the Oilers
- Lowetide: With Oilers rookies in short supply, expect more from sophomores
- DNB: Five intriguing Edmonton Oilers developments from the preseason
- Lowetide: Do the Edmonton Oilers have a blockbuster trade in their future?
- DNB: Oilers release Brandon Sutter from tryout offer
- Lowetide: Oilers reaching critical pressure point with prospect Raphael Lavoie
- DNB: A third Edmonton Oilers tenure, no matter the odds, is Sam Gagner’s goal
- Lowetide: Should the Edmonton Oilers alter how Connor McDavid is deployed?
- DNB: Oilers, Flames unveil Heritage Classic jerseys: How do we rate them?
- DNB: Vincent Desharnais Q&A
IS THE ROSTER SET?
My guess is the Oilers will make a move here. If we look at what’s left and focus on possible recalls, there’s two areas of great depth that could be culled.
The areas of great depth are (imo) left defense and young scoring winger. I think the Oilers could safely send away Markus Niemelainen for a RH defenseman, ideally a two-way type. Scoring wingers include Raphael Lavoie, Xavier Bourgault, Carter Savoie and Matvey Petrov.
Could Ken Holland cash Lavoie today for a player who could help Edmonton when Niemelainen gets sent down? I think it’s reasonable to suggest that kind of deal. In Daniel Nugent-Bowman’s piece for The Athletic it’s easy to project the club sending away Lavoie for a RH center who can PK and score a little. That may be the play here.
CAN THE OILERS WIN THE STANLEY CUP?
Yes. Jack Campbell’s performance in preseason is most encouraging, Mattias Ekholm’s absence in preseason most disturbing. The Oilers are among six or seven teams I can see winning the Stanley. It’s my opinion that the cap farce currently facing the team will be a problem all year long. I know that no one (including me) wants to trade Warren Foegele, but unless there’s a market for Cody Ceci that’s probably the best move. I don’t see the Oilers doing it. Luck and cap inspiration will be key for the team this year.
It’ll be a big show today on Sports 1440. Legendary broadcaster and writer Dan Patrick will visit us to talk about his new book and I’ll find out for you if it’ll be in the fiction or non-fiction category at the book store. Daniel Nugent-Bowman from The Athletic will follow up on his article with the latest intel from Oilers central. If anything breaks, we’ve got it. You can reach me in the comments section, @Lowetide on twitter, or text us 1.833.401.1440 directly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v08Si-3qN_0
Uncertain smile
A very young Matt Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKfJ-bAVEgQ
This is a live version from 1993 – The The was one of the guests on Later with Jools Holland
Jools Holland played piano on the original recording on Soul Mining in 1982
To describe the VGK in one word.
Relentless.
To describe you in one word.
Pointless.
Disingenuous.
Also true! I said very much the same in another post but said apparently “too much” and it was spam filtered…
The sentiment was there and is shared with you.
— Pre-season doesn’t mattter always except when it does.
— It’s doesn’t matter except that a brutal goalie last year is “looking to be in the best shape of his life, really figured it out”
— But for others “they are just treating it as pre-season so don’t read too much into it”
— It’s doesn’t matter but when pants put in knots because the alleged #2 prospect didn’t get “Ray Whitneyed” because no one wants your teams # 2 prospect for free.
— Guys are flying, team is clamping down, attention to details, learned a lot, bidness, 110 % focus.
— Gawd I hate pre-season (in any sport). The roster was set before the first sheet got Zambonied prior to the first practice except for the “who cares” part. For every team. Every year.
GOILERS!!!
Connor Bedard with an assist for his first NHL point.
Good thing Kyle Davidson has accumulated a lot of top picks for 2024 and 2025….this is going to be a long year for Bedard.
This Chicago team looks worse than last year…
They are getting lit up.
Three rookies on defense to start the year.
Oops.
Going to be a longer year for the Pens. Hope Dubas has a plan B….
I have not jumped on their bandwagon and become one that thinks Karlsson, as dynamic as he is, changes them from a bubble team to a contending team.
Not as bad as Pittsburgh. 4-2 Chicago win.
Five teams starting the season with a 21 man roster, 11 with a 22 man roster and the Senators have only 20 players listed on capfriendly.
Going to be an issue this season I think.
Vegas, Colorado and Dallas in good shape.
Of course they are….
ESPN showed Bedard off-ice stretching before the game. The kid has Martin St. Louis like thighs at only 18.
Don’t think Pierre McGuire hasn’t noticed!
Per ESPN, Crosby, Malkin and Letang will break Jeter, Posada and Rivers’s NA pro sports record of 17 seasons together in the same team. Tonight they start their 18th together.
Be nice if Connor, Leon and Darnell could get close to that. Can’t see Nuge getting to 22 years to make it a quarter, but who knows.
I guess Nurse likely has a better chance of being the 3rd, but yeah it would be cool if they could get close.
Is Nick Dowd the RHC we’re looking for?
Seravalli mentions him as a near certainty to be traded on his DFO podcast.
Dowd’s next birthday will only be his 34th….a bit too young for Kenny .
His box cars look good for a 4th Line guy though…no idea who his line mates have been
Holland must really be off his game since Dowd would be the 2nd oldest Oiler.
Just looked, he was basically joined at the hip for years with the now departed Hathaway.
The WOWYs show them shining together, but look really concerning for Dowd without Hathaway.
Even aside from his age and salary, I’d have legit reservations about Dowd after seeing those WOWYs.
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/linestats.php?fromseason=20202021&thruseason=20222023&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&rate=n&team=WSH&vteam=ALL&view=wowy&loc=B&gpfilt=none&fd=2022-10-07&td=2023-04-14&tgp=2000&strict=incl&p1=8477903&p2=8475343&p3=0&p4=0&p5=0
I’ve liked him for ages, he’s the one for sure. However KH isn’t the type to make room even though it would be an upgrade to depth and fill a big hole. No shortage of LW
Puck IQ likes him too
In addition to the WOWYs I just posted, Dowd’s salary is a problem.
He makes close to $200k than the Oilers can fit on a 21-man roster, and the Caps don’t appear to have space to retain or take back salary.
The cap is a problem if a GM makes it one. As we see with active GMs
I think a RC that has an established set of needed skills on a team lacking right shot anyone and C depth given how the team deploys, is more valuable than a lot of vet LW the Oilers seem incapable of shedding cap with
Wowys without Hathaway no like, Puck IQ says good against tough comp
Meaning active GMs who aren’t sentimental don’t seem to have a problem
Good to see that the annual hand-wringing, teeth-gnashing, hair-pulling waiver wire panic has come to its usual predictable end (also an annual event).
I wonder though if the Holloway experience last year played into the decision-making. What if last year, Woody had told Holland that Holloway wasn’t ready yet? There would’ve been a real conundrum, because Holloway had a great camp, was a 1st rounder and had some fame attached to his name. Old Dutch sent down Janmark instead whom he had just signed. Then Holloway did look like he could’ve used another 40 AHL games early on and the Oilers struggled, playing much better once they got Janmark back up.
With Lavoie looking more likely to clear, I don’t think Holland was willing to carry him on the roster… and if the coach doesn’t like/trust him enough to play him at this level, then you’re not doing the player any good. The coach is really the critical input in these situations.
In the end everything worked out as it should. I wonder too if the Oilers think he’s lacking in some more intangible area that we can’t see, like drive and off-ice work. If so, he’ll be traded soon. If not, we can consider that a vote of confidence on the player.
Remember that last years we were in LTIR and that factored in the decisions
Caleb Jones acquired by Colorado from Columbus.
Smart little move by the Avs because Jones has cleared waivers and is in the AHL. They can keep them there and call him up as necessary.
They must really be desperate.
Caleb Jones looks like he’s on his way to being the next Martin Marincin.
This Ekholm injury is a real bummer.
This team seems like it’s constantly trying to fill that Oscar sized hole.
For me, I won’t feel comfortable until Ekholm plays a game and looks like the Ekholm the Oilers need him to be. It’s a long season and no reason to panic. Ekholm doesn’t have a big injury history or anything either. But I don’t trust defencemen in their 30s. Their backs start going or their hips and nothing’s ever the same after. A good game from him would be encouraging, either against Vancouver or soon after.
Ryan Rishaug
@TSNRyanRishaug
·
7m
Ekholm paired with Niemelainen in an early drill.
Nurse-Bouchard
Kulak – Ceci
Broberg-Desharnais
Maybe they still don’t expect Ekholm will play game one. It’s good that Nemo is on the ice.
Or maybe they are just using this opportunity for Ekholm to work with Niemelinen in practice.
or maybe, Ekholm is keeping his feet moving and his fitness up while his UBI is healing, while doing some mentoring
It was (is) a hip flexor for Ekholm, so him being on the ice shows progression.
PuckPedia
@PuckPedia
·
13m
The #LetsGoOiler
signed ’23 2nd Round Pick RD Beau Akey to 3 year Entry Level Deal:
Yr 1 775K Salary, 95K Signing Bonus, 80K GP Bonus, 82.5K Minors
Yr 2 800/95/55/82.5
Yr 3 825/95/30/82.5
Cap Hit 895K, AAV 950K
————————
He’ll spend this season and next season in junior – his ELC will slide both years.
He’s not eligible for the AHL next season.
Beau Akey will very likely play this season and next season in the AHL. It is a remote possibility he stays with the Oilers next season out of camp, or gets traded between now and then for immediate help for the Oilers and manages to get to play next season in the NHL with that new club.
Wow!!! He’s already on the trade block. LOL.
No more or less than Schaefer was last season at the trade deadline.
Yah that guy is gonna break some hearts.
In my first sentence I meant to type OHL.
I’m not sure I understand the post.
Akey is currently back in the OHL and, unless he’s on the Oilers next season, he will again be in the OHL as he won’t be eligible, age wise, for the AHL until the 2025/26 season.
As I typed in my 12:03 reply, I mistyped OHL and ended up with AHL in my original post as I do know he is ineligible for the AHL (except I believe for playoffs or possibly late season if his OHL team has been eliminated from the playoffs soon enough – which also doesn’t impact the entry level slide)
I had meant to type that he would very likely be in the OHL for the 2 seasons. By the time I noticed my typing error, it was too late to edit it, and since others had already posted a reply, I didn’t think I could delete it and re enter it with the correction either. The main point of my post was to be that there are other possibilities, though remote, besides him spending the next two seasons in the OHL.
Great news, good for him and the org. He was my favourite prospect the second he was drafted and I think he could play a big role for the team a couple years, or more, down the line.
Rishaug posting that Skinner is in the starters’ net at practice this morning – for what that is worth.
I think you have to give the vet that level of respect. Nor do you want to be messing with his head or his confidence. It’s the right choice, IMO.
I’m not sure I understand – its the vet that might be the back-up on game 1 despite the better exhibition season performance.
Does who is in the starter’s net in practice the day prior to the game as opposed to the morning of the game, generally say who will start the next night? I guess we’ll find out for sure tomorrow.
With the back to back against Vancouver, seems likely each goalie will get one of the starts, but I would have thought giving Campbell the road start would be the more likely choice due to the added pressure of a home start particularly when it is the home season opener.
The Oilers are playing tonight? Rishaug is just causing trouble. He knows better.
Are you absolutely sure the Oilers are playing tonight? Rishaug does know better.
Bakersfield Condors
@Condors
·
15m
The following players have been released from training camp and will report to the team’s @ECHL
affiliate, the @FWKomets
:
Carl Berglund
Connor Corcoran
Jake Chiasson
Ethan De Jong
Jack Dugan
No real surprises there given the strong veteran presence in Bako, although based on De Jong’s play this summer I thought he stood an outside chance at sticking around there longer.
Crickets on Paul Stastny. What’s up there? Waiting for a certain team/teams to get cap sorted or what?
Headliner aside from Kane/Toews of maybe more unsigned talent than I’ve seen in a long time.
Stupid cap.
He probably doesn’t want to sign for league minimum.
I imagine that given the Oilers don’t roll lines it makes the 4th line less appealing to players that think they can play well and want to play. Also the 11/7 getting used frequently
Last season, Stasny averaged 11:52 a game on Carolina, good for 13th among their forwards (and less TOI per game than Jesse got after he was sent to Carolina).
With that time on ice per game, Stasny would have shot all the way up to 12th on the Oilers (and still behind Jesse).
I doubt the Oilers and Stasny spent much time talking at all.
Oilers 4 line he might not even play is what I meant. 3 C would only happen with injuries I would think
It was unofficially announced that he was retiring back in the summer.
Nothing is fatal and, when Holland calls up Pederson or Malone over Lavoie it won’t be fatal but, subject to Lavoie not starting the season well in the AHL, not something I agree with.
These “growing pains” that Holland is presuming that Lavoie will have don’t see like on-ice actions/in-actions that differ from what we’d see from Pederson (who made MANY defensive mistakes in the exhibition season) or Malone (who isn’t as sound in the NHL as I think the verbal is).
I don’t think the “veteran options” would/will be provide fewer “mistakes” than the rookie.
Lavoie will have more opportunity to hone his skills with more ice time than he would with the big boys. Holland openly said he wasn’t going to make the team except possibly as a 13 or 14th forward. There might also be some cards up Hollands sleeve that he hasn’t played yet. Meanwhile Lavoie and his cohorts on the farm await their opportunities when they arise. It’s all good.
Agreed on preseason nothing tried or accomplished.
That lineup was the same one we pencilled in July1st when Connor Brown signed.
Which is probably a sign of a contending team.
Regular season will not mean much ( can we finally dispense with the playoff home ice thing?)…both San Jose and the Ducks appear to be targeting the 1st overall pick for 2024.
Calgary and Vancouver are also rans.
The regular season we need to hone our zone Defence and stay healthy.
We need to see a much more spirited effort to prevent goals from our team across the board. Defence wins championships.
No idea at all what to expect of our goaltending this year.
Just hoping for league average I suppose.
Home ice isnt as important as not facing LA in round one or VGK on round two, home or away. Huge advantage if we can dispatch of the Wild or Canucks or some such fringe team in 4 or 5 games.
The roster as they stand is in a stable position. The only question mark is 4C. For the time being they have Janmark & Ryan, two reliable veterans. Along with another veteran of 355
NHL games in Adam Erne filling in until they find a suitable 4C to fill the void. So, there are no dire straits. Plenty of other teams around the league would be and, no doubt are, envious.
They also have that old Jay Woodcroft standby of 97/29/93/71 rotating through the fourth line in an 11/7 alignment.
Absolutely.
Niemalen is definitely going LTIR in the next few days. I was checking out cap space today, and came to realize that the Oilers are not really as bad off as several other teams with no aspirations of even making the playoffs. And not starting the season with any LTIR’s is a huge improvement over last year.
Credit where credit is due to Kenny.
Gregor indicated over the weekend that Niemo’s injury is not serious enough to warrant a stint on LTIR. MSM are certainly wrong enough that it is not guaranteed, but I think he’ll be cleared to be sent down in the next week.
Niemo was at practice today – I presume we aren’t long from him being on waivers and assigned to Bako.
I have a feeling this is the year that the Oilers use LTIR shenanigans to make additions at the trade deadline. Kane seems like the most likely candidate to sit until the playoffs.
Of course the Oilers using it means that the NHL will immediately close that loophole in the offseason, and somehow find justification to deduct the amount the Oilers’ playoff roster was over the cap from their next year’s salary cap ceiling, but it will all be worth it to win a Cup.
Kane looks like he’s ready to rock.
You forgot the 2nd round pick to Calgary.
Good morning LT. I’m curious as to why you think Lavoie would have trade value atm after he just passed through waivers unclaimed? Why would you trade for a player now that you could have had for free yesterday. What am I missing here?
Samarukov didn’t have much trade value. But Holland pulled off a wonderful trade with the Blues for Kostin. I suspect we see another trade like that very soon.
Most teams need to make room by sending assets out. There are a lot of teams up against the cap.
If you pick up a player on waivers, then that player needs to be added to your NHL roster (and go against your salary cap). If you trade for a player who has just cleared waivers, you can send him down to the AHL. If you trade for him and he has not been put on and cleared waivers, and you want to send him to the AHL, then you need to put him on waivers.
Trades this early in the season don’t happen. Every GM in the league wants to see what they have on their own rosters first.
Lavoie will stay in the AHL, until one of the top 6 wingers get hurt. Then we’ll see. He’ll have to outplay Bourgault to get the call up, which is by no means a sure thing.
If not, then he’ll spend the year down in the Bake and get used as trade fodder at the deadline.
Sometimes you draft and develop so that you can have assets to trade if your team is in a position to win the Cup.
As for the 4C hole … the Oilers are going to wait and see if Johnny Toews wants to resume his playing career before they make a move to fill that spot. The have RNH who can slide over to C if there is an injury. Janmark, Ryan and Holloway can all fill in as needed or Pederson can get called up. There’s no immediate need to do anything.
LOL, there isn’t a GM in the league that isn’t interested in improving his roster any time of year.
Last year at this identical juncture Holland traded Samorukov for Kostin. Both had *just* cleared waivers in the manner Lavoie did yesterday.
Of course some complained that Holland could have gotten Kostin for “free” on waivers, but the advantage of a post-waivers deal is that the guy can then be sent out until he’s needed, rather than forced directly on to the roster. Worked out well for the Oilers.
Fair enough – but that was an AHL player for AHL player deal. Is there a RHC in the AHL that looks like a good target? Because right now there is no cap space to take on another player on the NHL roster.
Point I was trying to make is this … I don’t get where this discourse is coming from that the Oilers are looking to move Lavoie. It’s just as likely that they see him as a valuable asset that they now have stashed in the minors, and have no intention of moving him for the foreseeable future unless they get theirs socks blown off by an offer.
Lavoie isn’t the only tradeable asset on the farm.
Both teams believed the player that they themselves were giving up were AHL players, but it’s possible the Oilers thought that Kostin had a chance to be nice add to the bottom of their NHL roster at some point in the season. And Kostin had already played 46 NHL games.
Kostin was available at the start of ladt season because the Blues believed they had lots of forward depth, but had significant injury issues on their left D so needed to add more depth there. For the Oilers, several D had moved past Samorukov on the depth chart, so he became expendable, and the Oilers wanted more larger fast skilled forwards. It worked well last season for the Oilers, but not so much for the Blues.
Have the Oilers scouts/new analytics team spotted any player sent down by another club and is possibly expandable to that club that fits what the Oilers are in need of yet? And what Oiler AHL players possibly coveted by other teams that are less likely to fill a near term need for the Oilers as much as the player they could get?
Holland pretty much said if he could carry 23 on the NHL roster, Lavoie would very likely have been one of them. So even if he wasn’t yet quite the right fit for the starting 12, that he seems to be forward 13 or 14 on the depth chart indicates he isn’t that expandable (unless they trade him directly for a player that replaces him in that slot or better). I mean almost all players are tradable, I just don’t think they are aggressively looking to move Lavoie.
I myself feel the Roster was already set before preseason with the 1 exception in being they had Sutter 75% pencilled in as 4C. Lavoie will be traded this year it’s become clear since the early summer that he doesn’t FI so it’s FO for him. Most times when they interview someone from a championship team they talk about growth and coming together doing the regular season and peaking at the right time. If growing pains are off the table this year it doesn’t bode well for Broberg, McLeod and Holloway.
I wonder if there is a Ceci + that can land us the stabilizer needed on the right side.
IMO, they have more depth on the left side of the defense. So, I could see a LHD on the block, because Ceci is a stabilizer on the right side.
So few RHD fit the bill, are conceivably affordable ($4 million) and possibly available: Pesce, Carlo. Who else? NYI is one of the few team with extra high-end RHD but only Dobson doesn’t have a NTC. Only way that deal works is if Broberg blows up – and I don’t think I do a deal of Broberg and Ceci (who would need to be included for cap) if Broberg goes nova.
Only deal I can see is Dumba for picks at the deadline – and only if Broberg proves he can’t handle top 4.
I wouldn’t consider Dumba a “stabalizer” at this point in his career.
No he’s obviously just more depth and I’d consider him equal to Kulak (4-5) at this point on a good team. Point is that quality, affordable RHD are rare as hen’s teeth in the league.
The Athletic expert panel with their picks and predictions.
https://theathletic.com/4937676/2023/10/10/nhl-season-predictions-2023-24/?source=user_shared_article
Dallas is too old. A smart one once said you can’t win with an old team.
In June we’ll get the obligatory article about how they were wrong on 90% of their predictions. The only one that they will get right, is McDavid winning the scoring race.
I don’t think ‘expert’ means what HH thinks it means. 😎
They’re are all more expert than you.
So there’s that.
I never claim to be an expert though. You’re the guy who swallows whole.
If you consistently disparage the acuity of others, as you do repeatedly, you are obviously assuming you are more knowledgeable.
Nothing I’ve ever seen from you leads me to believe that is true.
Ah, you really want to get personal Andrew, because I don’t think that has worked out all that well for you in the past.
are you serious ? that’s VERY rich coming from you…
You can’t win with an old team if you are the Oilers. McDavid and Draisaitl signed long term until they are 37 or 38? Bound for failure.
Signing Kopitar until he’s 38? Doughty until he’s 37? Scheifle and Hellebuyck until they are 38? Jamie Benn until he’s 36? Mackinnon until he’s 36? Landeskog until he’s 36? Nichushkin until he’s 35? Wow, fans of Colorado, the Kings, Stars and Winnipeg are in for a treat!
We can only hope McDavid and Draisaitl are half as good as those other players who are playing on cup contending teams (sans Winnipeg) right guys?
In other words, you certainly can win Stanley with an old team.
Don’t have to read this to know the bent will be anti-Oiler. ESPN, sportsnet and even NHL.com have our team as a legit, top-teir, cream-of-the-crop, elite favourite (among a few others – NJD, VGK, Car)
I’m curious. I know that you’ve been a fan of Dallas for years.
I can also tell that the Canucks are near and dear to your fandom.
Other times, you have no troubles jumping on a Colorado, Vegas, Carolina or LA Bandwagons.
Isn’t it boring watching hockey when you don’t really care who wins?
Or do you just bet on games to keep it exciting to watch?
I’ll offer a perspective if you don’t mind.
My father was like this. He played hockey to a very high level in his youth – Allan Cup level competition if you remember that one – and he never had a team that he cheered for through the decades of 6 NHL teams and then 12 etc.
He claimed that it was more fun for him because not being emotionally involved he could see the skill & mistakes and subtleties easier. I think that was because he coached after he stopped playing. He saw the game technically rather than emotionally.
Now none of that explains HH’s perspective. My father was honest as the day was long – as they used to say – and generous and respectful but your question made me think of him.
He died over 40 years ago and when I read your post I suddenly saw us sitting in his living room watching Montreal & Toronto playing and him showing me what had really just happened on the TV screen so thank you for that.
He was, of course, right.
Watching hockey emotionally is like being obsessed by an unfaithful mistress.
Its all tits and ass.
Actually, my interest in the game has increased now that I’m not a mindless fan boy.
And I do care who wins as I like to see we’ll managed and constructed teams be successful.
Specifically, you mention Dallas and I’ve been consistent in my admiration for the job that Jim Nill has done over the years culminating (as I knew it would) in them being a perennial cup contender.
The Canucks only capture my attention because of where I live…they’ve been poorly managaged since Gillis left.
As for the rest you mention, Colorado, Vegas and Carolina are peak performers whom I admire for their competence and I mention LA often because they are trending that way.
As for betting, I engage because it forces me to focus on my conclusions and the results have frankly been spectacular.
Pro Tip: Take Dallas to win the cup at -1200. 5 units will buy a lot of whiskey.
My initial response here got caught up as spam.
I will be brief in hopes of making this small point. You are not an objective voice against “mindless fan boys” as you allege, you are simply a “mindless anti-fan boy” of the Oilers.
Doesn’t make you objective or insightful. Just obstreperous.
Preseason vague injuries are always scary. Friedman mentioned Norris not being ready, but Ekholm not being ready would be as brutal. Happened to Benson, Lavoie, really slows down a player’s year. When thing’s aren’t healing quite right at his age that’s certainly cause for some hand-wringing. Now that the Lavoie waivers is over, this is the thing I choose to be stressed about with this team. Campbell storyline be damned.
Get healthy soon Matthias!
Sounds like he’s pretty close to 100%, if not there. Fully practiced two days in a row (although on a 5th pairing).
I could see them keeping him out until Saturday (presuming Kulak is good to go as he looks to be) or maybe they do dress him as a seventh so he can get some game speed minutes in sheltered time.
Thank you for your great Thanksgiving piece yesterday. A couple of weeks ago I went to a Wolfe auto tent to thank them for sponsoring your show on 1440. I met Donna Z who worked with you many years ago. She said you are a good and gracious man. I concur. Good luck in all you do.