If yesterday’s lines at UBC hold, Ryan McLeod is about to get a push. The Edmonton Oilers were running the centers three up the spine, found six wingers true and let’s see how high they can fly.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: What if the Edmonton Oilers end up in the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery?
- Lowetide: 6 ways the Edmonton Oilers can improve in November
- Lowetide: Oilers already leaning on a push from the AHL. Who could be next?
- Lowetide: Can Connor McDavid come from behind to win another Art Ross Trophy?
- Lowetide: Will Edmonton Oilers redeem themselves after baffling October?
- Lowetide: Can the Edmonton Oilers make room for Raphael Lavoie?
- DNB: Oilers rewarded for their season’s most complete game in Heritage Classic win
- Lowetide: Oilers top prospect Xavier Bourgault is spiking in an important area
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ injuries already a major story in 2023-24
- Lowetide: Can the Oilers count on any short-term help from AHL Bakersfield?
- Lowetide: Can defenceman Noel Hoefenmayer help the Oilers?
- DNB: Connor McDavid’s injury only adds to gloom for Oilers
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ third line showing promise but not scoring yet
- DNB: Oilers, in early-season disarray, left searching for answers: ‘It’s just unacceptable’
WHAT TO EXPECT IN NOVEMBER
- At home to: DAL, NAS (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-2-0)
- On the road to: VAN, SJS, SEA (Expected 1-1-1) (Actual 0-1-0)
- At home to: NYI, SEA (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: TBY, FLA, CAR, WAS (Expected 1-3-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: ANA, VEG (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: WPG (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 7-6-1, 15 points in 14 games
- Actual November results: 0-3-0, 0 points in 3 games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 2-8-1, 5 points in 11 games
This is a complete mess. No way on God’s green earth the record should be this bad. Edmonton has a golden opportunity to lift themselves beyond the Flames and others with a nice run in the next 10 days. I have no confidence in this team.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
- McLeod-McDavid-Hyman
- Holloway-Draisaitl-Foegele
- Kane-RNH-Gagner
- Lavoie-Hamblin-Ryan
- Nurse-Ceci
- Ekholm-Bouchard
- Kulak-Desharnais
- Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard (no starter named)
I find the lines wildly encouraging and have a little bit of hope based on Jay Woodcroft’s new trios. It recognizes the need to spread out the offense, it gives young players a chance to have some success. If McLeod and Holloway pot a goal, confidence will rise and maybe the two men will reform on a third line and the puck will start going in.
Folks, this is how a rational team builds things. Philip Broberg should be where Evan Bouchard is now, and Bouchard should be with Kulak. Other than that, I think Woodcroft has finally found the key to the highway. Remember, it isn’t what McLeod and Holloway do tonight, that’s kind of immaterial. It’s about keeping them there, about making sure these men have enough minutes to get comfortable and find chemistry. They will fumble the puck and turn it over, been that way ever since the world began. Stay the course, Jay Woodcroft. Back them off when needed but give each left-wing on the top two lines 200 minutes there. See how they shine.
There is plenty of trade talk around goalie help but the Oilers don’t have enough in my opinion. If you’re looking for a trade proposal, I’ll give you this one: Warren Foegele, Brett Kulak and the 2024 first-round selection to the Calgary Flames for Chris Tanev, Daniel Vladar and AJ Greer. Flames retain a little over $1 million to make the money work. I wouldn’t do it but it addresses need. Broberg replaces Kulak on the third pairing.
At noon today, we hit the ground running on Sports 1440. Bagged Milk from Oilers Nation will join us and we’ll discuss this funky new set of lines and what is shaking in Bakersfield (they play Abbotsford). You can reach me in the comments section, @Lowetide on twitter, or text us 1.833.401.1440 directly.
Ryan Rishaug
My sense is there won’t be any movement on the coaching front today with the Oilers.
Edmonton Oilers, 2006-present:
When the needed a direction, they were lost.
When they needed to play it safe, they were foolish.
When they needed to be bold, they were risk-adverse.
Oilers are probably going to overpay for Jake Allen lol
But what can they really do? They have no cap space and limited resources to move out.
And if they are a lottery team, why sell the farm now?
Is it better to not make the playoffs and get high picks and reload for next season or maybe squeak into the playoffs (fantasyland at this point) and lose in the 1st round?
I don’t know if the organization knows, or agrees, what the problem is. Let this season sewer, grab a top 5 draft pick, and reset things for next season. Get everyone healthy, find a coaching staff that can lead a group of men (especially when things get tough), and (someone other than Kenny) make the few roster changes they are capable of doing.
I remember when the Golden Knights hired Bruce Cassidy, the pundits were labelling him as the coach who wears on a group of players. Well, if they were insinuating that he is too demanding – what’s wrong with that? He posted back-to-back 50 win seasons with 2 different teams! Coaches need to support players, but they are also responsible for challenging them, to get more out of them. I don’t think this has happened with the Oilers highly talented players (McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard). Woodcroft’s nice guy routine only goes so far, and it clearly does not work well when the team faces adversity.
Darryl Sutter, anyone?
Don’t be a weenie,
there’s Mack Celebrini!
Not sure that a coaching change will help anything.
Poor Rodrigue. Probably the best goalie in the organization right now and he’s stuck riding pine while they try to rehab older goalies.
See also Lavoie, Raphael. gets a whole 7:44 when the team needs a shooter.
There is no way in the world 29 and 97 will be extending their contracts with this franchise. I hope Katz is shrewd enough to find a horse trader that can bring in a prize haul for each that will keep this team competitive for years to come. It’s time to cash in these assets at their peak value.
I think/hope with the Jackson hire, Brown signing etc that McDavid has given some assurances about signing another contract. If 29 and 97 leave, I genuinely believe this team will be playing in a different city by 2030.
Belief and reality are completely different things.
There is no way in hell this team with that arena, this owner and this history is leaving town. This IS rock bottom. I stayed up late to watch this game and it is brutal. It sucks to be a fan of this team, but it does not mean the end of the world is near.
A young worker of mine took his own life on Sunday, so this has been a very dark week for me and my crews. The Oilers are normally a great distraction from cold harsh reality for me, but it does impact us negatively, for sure.
But this is not the end of the world. The Oilers are not going anywhere at anytime. In fact, perhaps this is what is needed to make this team better in the long run. We will know in a few years.
Hockey is just a game. Can’t forget that it’s just a game.
Im sorry to hear of your loss and am wishing you and your colleagues well during this difficult time.
Sorry to hear about your coworker, that’s horrible.
I’m not exaggerating, I really believe that could be it for the team. There will be no goodwill toward this organization from anyone under 50 at that point. We sat through the Decade of Darkness to be rewarded with the best player on the planet and one of the next best forwards. That’s dangerously close to amounting to absolutely nothing, not even a win in the Conference finals. I don’t know who is going to shell out $200-500 to watch this team muddle through a rebuild.
The only alternative is if they hit home runs on McDavid and Draisaitl trades and actually make the team better. The odds of that are probably about as good as the 6/49.
Edmonton had 41 shots on goal, and an additional 35 were blocked.
SJ had 18 shots on goal and an additional 12 were blocked.
This season is straight from the twilight zone.
i think it’s Woody and Manson and Holland out, Bruce Boudreau in (this team needs some fire). Coffey temp GM. of course none of those things will likely happen. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The moment Bart finally lost faith that Krusty was coming to Camp Krusty. That’s me last night vs. SJ.
This season has been Barney in a clown suit.
If the Oilers were a Transformer their vehicle form would be a clown car.
what time this morning after “Wikin, Blickin and Nod” fill the heads of the fanboys with sugarplums and fairy dust do we hear how we had a random stretch of 3-7 last year and Woody system will carry us past the Knights and Av’s come Playoff time.
I was a believer in trying Woody’s system, but it just hasn’t worked.
The loss to Dallas…well, you can say Dallas is a good team.
The loss to Nashville, at home? Totally inexcusable. Time to pull the plug.
The loss to Vancouver, after the 19-3 shot count? Evidence that this thing is broken.
The loss to San Jose? It’s the photo that former heroin addicts show when they say “this was me at the lowest point of my life.”
I really like Woody, and I think he will succeed big time elsewhere. But you absolutely cannot just ride this out anymore.
The worst thing to happen was bringing back a injured McDavid and beating Calgary. Folks treated it like a Super Bowl win worth 10 points all it did was give Jay more time to suck the life out of this group. When you get thumped by the same team 3 times in 11 games and have a 2-8-1 record as a Cup Favourite your sleepy G.M needs to take action.
Woody is done if Holland is still on his Bali trip Coffey and Jackson need to step in and end his misery. Woody has been a dead man walking for 2 weeks now.
Would like to see coach Woodcroft show some fire in his postgame for once in his life.
Granted, we don’t see how he is in the dressing room, and he clearly believes in maintaining a certain style with the media. I know he protects his players. However, maybe these guys do need a bit of public lashing for once. It can sometimes have a positive team building effect, and I think its fair to say keeping their cools has not worked at all this year.
I mean, heck this is likely his last presser anyway, may as well go out with a bang.
https://x.com/commie22/status/1722861049068896574?s=61
Hey Jay…don’t worry flying to Seattle…you’re on a WestJet Flight to Edmonton in the morning….connecting at LAX & Vancouver….go back to the hotel and #PackYourShit
It’s not the time for any of your participation in any way.
https://x.com/spittinchiclets/status/1722733370336039218?s=61
If the Oilers lose to the Sharks tonight Whit is DONE.
Hopping off the Oilers ship for good.
📺: youtu.be/UGp_-J7gHfs
This team has been broken since game 1 playing injured players out of stupidity are because Sailor Kenny short benched us. Using the idiotic 11-7 like they’re geniuses. Allowing Holland to make any decisions after he seen Jackson come in then immediately fire Kennys boy Wright. If you don’t think the animosity didn’t start there than you need some Grasshopper life lessons.
Don’t you have a doctors appointment or anything positive you could be doing instead of this BS.
The mistakes are mistakes that weren’t happening with nearly the same frequency as last season with the exact same group of D. So either all 6 of them degraded over the summer, or the new “system” is an abject failure.
If this organization was really serious about righting the ship, the GM and HC would be out tomorrow morning. Certainly Jackson has already interviewed Gallant… right?
I don’t think the Oilers could beat the Condors with Jack Campbell in the nets right now.
It is a catastrophic train wreck yet I still torture myself and watch. Vinny is having a really tough time, Nurse can play solid minutes for almost the entire game but still give it away with a mental lapse, Ceci is close to not an NHL defenseman anymore, Kulak is what he is, Bouchard can’t make it through 60 minutes without a major gaffe, and Ekholm is trying to do way too much. Broberg is in the AHL.
Im sure the conversations have been had. The motivation talks took place. Everything that could said has been said.
They must be looking at each other in exasperation.
They need to come together for support. Win or lose they still need to play out the season and maintain some level of pride.
Tough stretch for the home team
Post Game – Woodcroft can’t even get mad NOW.
This is why you personality test people before a high end job I guess.
Just incredible. This is acceptable to them.
blackwood was outstanding, the sharks checked liked demons.. a deserved win for the sharks and a good effort by the oil. they lost a 3-2 game. But our journeyman guys fair enough are just not coming through with conversions.
Change the defensive system. It’ll make us a cup contender, they said…
This version of the Oilers are dead.
What comes first? Coaching change, Gm, or a trade(s)?
My money is on all three…
Should be all 3.
Coach can’t adjust and doesn’t have the presence. Look at his face and the team’s reaction at the end of the game.
Players need to be shaken to life.
GM made the mistake of not refreshing the group and addressing weaknesses.
Unacceptable X3.
This is so damn sad.
Well said and exactly what is needed right now. No dithering either, Holland and the coaching staff should be gone tomorrow. Not 2 weeks from now after another 3-4 losses. Then Jackson can decide who needs to go. There’s zero accountability here right now and the give a shit meter is at an all time low.
I have a theory.
Ottawa players have been very vocal about why that team is massively underperforming.
Many said because it’s a team in chaos….new owner, GM fired, players unsigned and/or suspended…fans calling for the coaches head.
While the factors involved are somewhat different, there is also chaos in the Oilers organization.
New POHO brought in mid season, GM is a dead man walking and the coach is not the new guys hire.
Compounding that is the relationship between Jackson and McDavid who, based on what we’ve gleaned, may actually be the defacto GM and is making personnel decisions.
The chain of command is clearly broken and I believe this a major factor in the underperformance of McDavid and those who follow him.
There is some of this, surely.
Combine it with the fact that they never have the Sather-style quick reaction to something that is wrong. They are literally never ahead of the curve. Ever.
The coaches stay even when flaws are discovered. Players are traded after they’ve rotted on the vine or are playing their worst. Weaknesses are not addressed. Strengths are not enhanced. Everyone’s allowed to get comfortable in the worst possible meaning of the word.
You have to be on all of this. And there’s no excuse not to be. And they’re burning at least two Hall of Famers in the process.
It makes me sick.
Even the most ardent Woody apologist is off that bandwagon now. The Oilers are the worst team in the league, and it’s time for the coaching staff to wear it.
“One more confirmation of a new low…”
Holland will be on the bench Saturday 😆
This org is a disgrace. I love the franchise, i can’t stand the org. No accountabilities. At a certain point, you can no longer blame the players, the coaches, or even the GMs. The rot it far deeper than that.
I honestly feel for Connor. I don’t think Moose could even turn this ship around. Seems like an unwinable situation and no matter what you do, you’ll shoulder much of the blame.
We are the best fans in the world … I honestly feel sorry for all of us who love this franchise with you.
Connor has it easy. Nobody is blaming him like “they” anonymously blamed and badmouthed Taylor.
Congrats to the SJS on their two-game win streak. Played some smart and determined hockey. Blackwood was terrific.
I assume they’ll fire the coach, but this I know: Holland does not deserve a chance to fix this.
First thing first – we need a new coach to turn this ship around tomorrow. Holland is a sitting duck no matter what … that’ll sort itself out at the end of this season.
So it’s official the Oilers are the worst team in the entire league.
One more chance with the game at hand
So does Gulutzan handle interim duties on saturday?
Losers lose.
Nuge with two penalties in the 3rd
Nurse spotting the defensive goal of the game (what was Ceci doing on that slide across?)
McLeon as part of a Powerplay that embarrassed itself.
Leadership core failed miserably tonight.
The Coach Killers bag another one.
WOW!
I was planning to wait until Oilers got through to the 3rd round and were at least up by a game before but this is hilarious
Woodcroft & Manson walk off the ice together to run and hide.
Coaches got to be done now.
They should go straight to Hollywood and start with their movie / television franchise etc.
San Jose had 18 shots on Skinner
10 HDSC produced 3 goals.
Terrible, godawful team defense
880 sv% is the result & yet another loss
The team is now losing on purpose and right now its only a matter of hours before they get another one.
Bahahahahaha
Hilarious 😆😆😆😆. Thanks for the laughs!!!
DEATH MARCH 2023 24 SEASON EMERGENCY POLL:
Do the players for the Edmonton Oilers want Woodcroft fired?
Vote YES – 1
Vote NO – 2
good hockey game and good effort by the boys.
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
shouldnt be on your phone behind the bench
Poor Gregor, can’t wait for his show tomorrow.
Can’t believe he did that!
Oh those Oilers.
The Sharks are really hot right now…
Lol
Hottest team in the league
Jack doing his best to sell hope. And in reality it’s all they got to sell
Feels like a Game 7 . . .
Golf isn’t played like that.
“only Nov 9”
Have these guys watched hockey in the last decade?
Surely 6-4 now right?
Leon just looks done.
At least he’s not pissy…
Immature game
Leon hates the coach like everyone else on the team.
Not beating the Sharks by 4 or more is a loss, for the record.
😂😭😭😭😂
Imagine if they tied it but still lost in regulation
Love it when Nuge scores.
Now that lethal PP.
BOOM! Nuge trying to keep the band together!!!