The Edmonton Oilers have won three in a row and look to continue the trend during a difficult road trip. The team faltered so early that climbing the standings in a quick hurry isn’t necessary. Still, you’d like to see a winning record while the club eats the road food. Tall order. Beginning today.
THE ATHLETIC
- Lowetide: Oilers winger Connor Brown and the question of his optimal usage
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers forward Dylan Holloway’s injury highlights concern over offensive potential
- Lowetide: What Oilers management must reckon with in roster construction
- DNB: Edmonton Oilers’ transition of power happening in real-time and the stakes couldn’t be higher
- Lowetide: Are the Oilers suddenly able to develop their own goalies?
- Lowetide: Do the Edmonton Oilers have enough value contracts this season?
- DNB: Edmonton Oilers’ crisis shifts to embarrassment after loss to the Sharks
- 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?
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 1-2-0)
- At home to: NYI, SEA (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- 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: 3-4-0, 6 points in 7 games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 5-9-1, 11 points in 15 games
KRIS KNOBLAUCH THOUGHTS
We know he wants Warren Foegele on the third line. He’s willing to run Sam Gagner on the McDavid line to make it so. He’s also (from reports) willing to run Connor Brown out of the box after injury on the 97 line in order to make Foegele-McLeod a thing. I respect it.
I don’t know if the team can afford to run Stuart Skinner this often for a long period of time, but Jack Campbell isn’t a recall option and Calvin Pickard is getting rusty on the bench.
I also wonder about the defensive deployment at five-on-five under the Knoblauch-Coffey administation. Here are the TOI totals in the discipline for each defender under the new coaching staff, with the Woodcroft-Manson numbers in brackets:
- Darnell Nurse 18:45 (17:17) Plus 1:28
- Cody Ceci 18:41 (16:11) Plus 2:30
- Evan Bouchard 17:30 (16:27) Plus 1:03
- Mattias Ekholm 16:52 (16:11) Plus 0:41
- Brett Kulak 12:49 (13:36) Minus 47 seconds
- Vincent Desharnais 12:49 (11:47) Plus 1:02
- Philip Broberg 00:00 (9:45)
There are more five-on-five minutes per game so far under Knoblauch, so the numbers do not match perfectly. We can say that Cody Ceci is getting a push, he and Darnell Nurse don’t have strong possession totals but haven’t allowed a GA yet. I’d like to see Philip Broberg play soon, although the road trip is difficult and he’ll have to wait for a loss in order to get in there (I expect). Mattias Ekholm seems to be coming along, that’s going to be key over the rest of the season.
Connor McDavid’s five-on-five points-60 is going to climb. The Oilers have four guys over 2.00, once 97 joins they’ll have enough firepower to win games even if the special teams doesn’t give them an extra goal a game.
- Leon Draisaitl 2.74
- Zach Hyman 2.71
- Evander Kane 2.42
- Warren Foegele 2.00
- Sam Gagner 1.47
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1.46
- Connor McDavid 1.43
- Dylan Holloway 0.40
- Ryan McLeod 0.34
- All others zero
What’s really really surprising to me is the lack of blaming the ref. Have Lowetidians gone soft?
I was surprised to hear nothing from any of the media regarding those two horrific calls: Nurse trip and Ceci head contact. Although not the reason they lost those two awful calls resulted in goals shortly after. An end of the period goal and a tie goal to start a period.
My whole thought process is done. I always thought the argument that McDavid would want to leave is silly because why would he leave? Edmonton would be a contender so long as he wanted:
But I did not have lottery on my radar.
But I also didn’t have McDavid at 91st in scoring on the radar.
Then again I didnt have his agent as team President on the radar.
Jackson better have a goalie on his radar.
What credentials does Jeff Jackson have that makes anyone think he’s capable of running a hockey team? He had Bobby Orr gift him a couple of superstar clients.
Otherwise, apprenticing for one of the worst GMs in Leafs history surely isn’t be a badge of honor is it?
I know he said the word analytics in his interview and that for some around here a little hot and heavy, but otherwise what ummm has he done?
Lavoie has been loaned back to the Condors.
May as well. There’s no easy minutes available with the way this roster is constructed. What forward is going to teach and shelter him on this team?
No worries we still have Erne…….
Whatever. Can’t play young guys because we’re chasing Stanley. Oh, uhm … wait.
Can’t play young guys because we’re in the middle of a winning streak. Oh, uhm … wait.
Can’t play young guys because we’re loaded and they’re blocked. Oh, uhm … wait.
Can’t play young guys because they make mistakes the vets won’t. Oh, uhm … wait.
This is what self-inflicted hockey hell looks like.
The right side needs a massive upgrade…..stilll
ypu pick whether I’m talking about the wings or D.
when you use 2 – 1st round picks on RW and after 6 years, neither pick is on the roster and there was no trade added from those players….. that leaves you with a deficit at that position.
JP and Yamo were well liked, but bottom line is Edm needed to hit a William Nylander type.
D wise, Bouchard at least plays. what overall value he contributes is debated daily on here. He gets points but is more of a Dman Vampire (Woodguy saying) – he gives up more than he gets, so is a net negative player.
Broberg was supposed be a lefty who plays the rightside. He is just doing it in the AHL, not NHL.
All huge misses (Yes I know Broberg may still pop) ……
this is us.
Eberle has 3 points tonight ………..
since Holland arrived, let’s do a quick accounting.
PRO SCOUTS have brought:
HYMAN – GOOD
KANE – GOOD
FOEGLE – DECENT
EKHOLM – was great, seems ok, also 33
CECI – so so
KULAK – so so
CAMPBELL – terrible
________________
AMATEUR SCOUTS since 2019 DRAFT:
Broberg – jury still out but not been a smooth start
Holloway – jurt still out but not been a smooth start
Lavioe – not sure
?????????
________________
TRADES
A.A. for 2 – 2nds. played 9 games
Keith – ??
Foegele – a win, although he is depth
Kostin – Good, but couldn’t resign due to cap hell
Ekholm – Good. but 33 and not sure what the next few years look like and gave up 2 – 1st’s basically
BROWN – no show. maybe good metrics, but at some point the rubber has to hit the road
————————
OVERALL
I actually think Holland has been OK. But the problem is OK doesn’t move the team forward in a very competitve league. Add in the Cap situation and Edmonton is “stuck” with what they have.
You want Good news? Edmonton is only 1 point behind Columbus for 29th place 🙂
Yup. That’s the tale of the tape as I see it as well
Brown is in the wrong category.
realized that ….
Edm just needs to go 39-21-6 the rest of the way (to hit 95 points) ….
No biggie
IT’S GETTING LATE EARLY !!
Summarizing!
Stonehouse went 1+1 in a victory, earning 3rd star honours.
Lachance scored his 3rd goal of the campaign.
Copponi had an assist to extend his point streak to 10, during which he has 3 G and 10 A. Also went 10-of-18 (55.6%) on the dot.
Määttä and Mazura went without soup, though the former did go 12-of-17 (70.6%) on draws.
Münzenberger did not dress. Day got the night off.
Bouchard responsible for the loss tonight, and lucky he wasn’t responsible for the loss the other night. Responsible for about 4 or 5 losses this season.
His poor defensive play let Tampa into the game.
Against good teams, there is no way he will outscore his mistakes the vast majority of the time.
The only way to build accountability and provoke change and development is by withdrawing ice time and PP time.
You’re not wrong
But you are picking at the top of the list
Maybe getting some RD that can actually play current NHL hockey might help the O guy
Blaming talent as in forever isn’t the right approach
Accountability starts and is built from the top. Bouchard is getting all the privileged ice time.
To whom much is given, much is required.
Agreed. But as Woody and KK said when you’re behind you don’t bench the talent
In a desperate standings position
At the end of the day this completely comes down to the management. The coach is hooped. The only RS D that has any strong game in any way is Bouch
Ceci is a third pair D because he can’t defend entries or pass. But he’s paid 2 pair. Would play 3rd pair at best on a team with a deep D corp. Des is AHL
If the talent is the root cause of being behind something has to be done about said “talent”.
McDavid should be benched every bit as much as Bouchard based on tonight and based on, well the season.
Bouchard is out-producing McDavid (including a PPG basis) and McDavid is making multiple errors per period.
really, comparing McDavid to Evan Bouchard?
As far as performance this season, yes, it seems to be valid.
McDavid is underpeforming his contract – big time. Bouchard isn’t.
Bouchard is outproducing McDavid as far as straight points go and McDavid is making consistent bad plays.
Of course, there is more context needed than that but, ya, I’m comparing their impact on the team in the first 15 games.
Then your original post should contain the proper context. Otherwise you just compared the best player in the game to a #4-6 D.
He’s right, he’s very right.
McDavid has been a wicked drag this season. Numbers back it up and that 1st PP unit blew the game again.
Surely the best player in the game for the last 6 years has more latitude than someone like, say, Evan Bouchard?
If hockey had a WaR he would be the green jacket leader. You can’t win consistently with those chaotic 20 min every night. Need to cut his 5v5 min drastically and nothing against elites. 3rd pair D
Desharnais went walking on the first goal against! 2-0 before that.
Did Evan Bouchard steal your girlfriend?
I’d rather blame that sad sack between the pipes last night. Two goals on 11 shots, 4 goals on 16 shots but yup it’s everyone but Stuart.
The 2nd was pathetic and KK should have pulled him then. On the 4th Stu was so overcommitted he lost his net, again by the way, two pushes back to that sundial speed back pass and Stu didn’t even make it to the middle of the net, nevermind in position for a shot. That weak sauce little tip for the winner? Yup Can’t Make a Save Stu at his finest.
Stuart Skinner has cost the team more games than anyone still on the roster this year. He needs to smarten up.
Errr meant 3rd goal, which also… watch the o-zone entry again and watch where Leon ends up…
Would have been nice had he curled back to the outlet position along the half wall he was supposed to be in instead of dropping down low along with his other two linemates. Maybe that puck Bouchard sent over to him would have landed on his stick if he didn’t drive deep into no man’s land?
call CHICAGO.
DICKINSON, TYLER JOHNSON & MRAZEK
for ….
CAMPBELL, BOURGAULT, 2025 1ST & ………
If Edmonton waits to get a goalie, the season is cooked. If they get one in the next 20 days, they can still be a wild card team ….
They need to play at a 105 point pace from now to get a wildcard spot.
That’s all I have to say about that.
You aren’t wrong.
Just feel like they NEED a goalie yesterday to have any chance.
One thing that isn’t a change that is hard to do in season is an increased effort at having good sticks and board play
The Oilers have not had good sticks in forever. Knocking pucks down, stopping passes, keeping them in, tips, deflecting pucks away from the net makes everything so much easier and helps momentum
Just emulate everything the Bruins do. What a well oiled machine. How the hell so they continue to get everyone to buy in every damn year? And when is the last time they had an Art Ross or Norris trophy winner? Some guy named B Orr? Lots of Jennings trophies though. At this point I’d trade every one of 97 and 29 awards for a Jennings – that would mean they are a real contender.
Oilers are lucky to get a a few D and a few forwards to commit to checking in any given game. Rant over
97 a dash 2 with zero points. My goodness.
Yes he’s injured but this is the world’s greatest turning into Josef Beranek wearing a pumpkin on his head and not back checking 🙂
If he’s injured then why is he playing?
This is madness.
Evan Bouchard will do that to you.
Bouchard was also a dash 2, includ8ng scoring a goal.
I saw in the game thread that people were going on about him outscoring his mistakes, again….or is that ‘still”.
He was good in the first, meh in the 2nd and brutal in the 3rd.
That’s the thing. He’s So erratic and there’s bo safety net in G. How do you game plan with that in the lineup for 20 min when its cup or bust? His 5v5 minutes have to be drastically cut, but the guys filling in those minutes aren’t much better. Old Dutch has not equipped his general with adequate troops
My post was about McDavid, not Bouchard.
IC. That’s a whole other discussion. Apparently physically he’s not 100%, but it looks like there’s more to it than that IMO. He’s skating ok and looks dangerous at times but the decision making seems forced and impatient. Low percentage plays. He’s looking young again for some reason
who is ‘he’ in both your posts?
2 then 97
So why do you need D that can move the puck?
If Boston would employ Cpt Shattenkirk, you know why
Have to improve the right side D, at some point. Hopefully soon
There has been mention of getting Jake Allen. Not sure he would be a saviour. Down 3-0 to the Bruins 25 minutes in.
Oh my stomach’s bubbling.
Allen was basically Campbell last season. He has a $3.85m cap hit that runs for another year.
I doubt that Gorton would take Campbell back in trade, so I don’t see a likely deal here.
there’s no way I’d take Allen in a deal without Campbell going to them.
Imagine having $8.85m in cap for Campbell and Allen next season.
He’s .911 this season
Not perfect but better. I wouldn’t give much. And Hughes would crush Holland
I’m no goalie expert but his style looks similar to Cold Soup which was out of style in the 90s. Lanky, too light, and can’t flair his legs out enough to cover the bottom half.
Well, that was fun. Glad I worked around the house instead of watching. So, moving forward … it’s time and past to see what Pickard can do in net. And get Lavoie and Broberg into every single game and give them solid TOI. I don’t want to see either as a healthy scratch for the rest of the year. Lavoie should be top nine with skill. F the 4th line duty and healthy scratches. You can sit any of Brown, Ryan, Erne, Hamblin, Gagner, … .
Agreed, some of these kids can’t do any worse than the so called vets. Time to develop for 2024
Johnson/Gorton did a great job bolstering their RD in a trade and waiver claim
Barron and Kovacevic are big talented players. Not perfect but skating and puck skills helps a lot
Please Oilers
If Katz was interested in winning a Cup he should have punted Holland and/or Nicholson out on their asses and snagged Gorton the minute he became available.
Also Cassidy. Or hired Zito after the interview instead of KH
Hughes not J
LT had that article showing good underlying numbers for Brown but I just don’t see it.
Haven’t seen a single positive play with the puck from him.
Desharnais is now…1-7 goal share? Woof.
They really could use a Ceci Des upgrad
Amongst other things
And how are we going to procure Ekblad from FLA or Slavin from CAR, and Zub from OTT?
Magic?
Ain’t that the truth.
You’re not wrong.
Problem is the top end players are established and going to cost the moon.
Who can we find that’s ripe to level up and is either undervalued by their current team or being squeezed out because of the cap?
Weegar and Zub a couple years ago come to mind, Towes is a famous example.
Been trying to tell y’all he’s playing himself out of a job. Dragging down Kulak hard, can’t hold the zone, can’t make and exit pass or skate it out under control.
Broberg is going to get a chance here.
Connor Brown on-ice at five on five tonight: 11-3 shots, 81 pct expected goals and 7-2 HDSC.
He also had 2-3 shifts in the first with noticeable plus plays – the original post in this thread is not based on fact although this player did fade hard as the game went on, to my eye
Wouldn’t it be great to be surprised by a creative move or two. To be the fan of a team where the GM pulled an unforeseen deal that helped, and wasn’t a complete bloodbath. Suddenly a RD upgrade, a goalie and maybe a proper 4C
Boom!
The entire League can foresee the deal coming. Which generally means bloodbath.
I know. And it might be Kenny on the phone still
I’m going to guess half the league has Edmonton on their no trade list so it’s hard.
Why would any goalie want to play here? Every damn one of them regresses at some point.
True, some have no choice
Stuart Skinner
.783
Beyond useless
We outshot them 43-24 and I still think skinner was the better goalie.
Neither was good, but still lost the goalie battle again
Never
Better get a goalie on the quick hurry
Better get that deadly PP coach to pull his thumb out
I’ll reserve judgment on the PK coach ATM
So…goaltending. Am I right?
No. Defensive blunders by the D and the forwards. Team defense, of which goaltending is only one part.
It’s just a terrible team construction. You can have Devan Dubnyk in G if you have a Minny team D buy in.
Can’t have average at best G with E Bouchard getting 20 min a night and 12 defense optional Forwards
McDavid 91st in league scoring.
Maybe Pickard should get a crack at it, huh coach?
So the defensive can destroy him too?
Snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Scrambly goals against but I’d sure like a save or two somewhere in there. So far, that’s been a huge difference in games. Other goalies make one or two great saves they probably shouldn’t and ours don’t.
Hard to be a fan of Bouch. He’s dangerous on both ends of the rink. I keep thinking he’ll mature and figure it out. Any day now…
Can’t remember Connor and Leon both slumping at the same time. Usually it’s one and the other carries the team and drags the other back. How do we get both outta this slump?
If Coffee/Knobs can teach some self-awareness into Bouch over the year and really press him to improve his foot-speed in the off-season, then he can become something special because you can’t teach an NHL D-man that kind of shot.
It doesn’t feel like Leon is injured but McD definitely is. These guys are operating at 60-70% what we’re use to in terms of agility, winning board battles, take-aways, passing accuracy, shooting accuracy. Basically everything. We would go entire months without ever seeing McD fumble a puck or screw up simple passes, let alone on the PP which is happening more and more.
McD might just be real stubborn about it and says he is fine to play but its really starting to show now.
If McDavid is definitely injured why in the phuck is he not sitting?
That was one ugly baby.
I missed the 1st goal and he should have had the 5th. Not saying he played well but I don’t blame him for 2, 3 & 4. That’s just me though. The team was a defensive tire fire tonight. I lost track of all the GD odd man rushes. Happened over and over again. Just pure stupidity that shouldn’t happen.
Got my goals confused. 2nd and 5th didn’t look good but defensively we were awful. It’s like we need a hall of fame goaltender to compete.
He let in 3 goals on his first 14 shots.
Stu sucked hard tonight.
Special teams pretty putrid today. Cost the game we should have won going away. Skinner has also had better days. Guessing there is even more urgency for a trade after this one. Would sure like to know what is going on with McDrai???????
You’d hope the $34 M PP would get at least one by a shaky G in 5 chances
We hped for the best but it turned out like always.
This season is going to end up costing the organization a substantial amount of treasure at this rate.
What an absolute wasted game. Terrible goaltending is maddening, should have at least had a point. McD and Drai off again, but seriously, 5 goals on 21 shots wth!
When you score 4 and have over 40 shots you should be winning.
Pissed a victory into the wind today.
Three bad games in front of the new coaching staff and McLeon absent again.
All Jeff Jackson’s former clients sans Bouchard, none factors, again.
Not good omens folks, not good omen’s.
I’d rather watch a plucky rebuilding team at this point.
Nah no way.
McLeon are each in slumps and are doing their damndest to get the other guy out of his.
Split them up everywhere for now. Let them work it out separately, including the PP.
Not permanent, no way, but there is no flow to their play right now. Too choppy, too pop gun.
Started well in the first at 5v5 but the PP sucked the life out of everything.
Split em up, different unit, one each. Nurse or Ekholm runs the 2nd, no two dmen crap. All the forwards need to find the net.
Bouchard lost the game. -2 His defensive blunders let Tampa into the game.
Probably the 4th loss mostly attributable to Bouchard’s lousy defense.
OK that dead cat has come to rest.
This was a lost opportunity for want of some committed defense or another save… same as it ever was
How many games have the oilers given up 5 or more goals this year?
missed opportunity this afternoon
the rest of the road trip is uphill now
Win the draw. Bouch Bomb and scramble.
Or lose the draw and get scored on. Whatever…
Your starting Bakersfield condors goalies
campbell and skinner
McDavid playing like he couldn’t care less
Our bottom six did their job tonight. Once again we are left bewildered by Macdavid and Draisaitl. I’m starting to get a little nervous about this.
Whew. Anothr key save
McDavid was horrid on that powerplay.
Should’ve sent the 2nd unit.
I think it’s an open secret that he’s not well – TB just driving at him to disrupt the play on that PP
So the team is playing him despite the “fact” that he’s not well?
Asinine.
Terrible pp by that first unit again
Its not fathomable how poor McDavid (and Drai) is playing right now.
It’s very weird. McD is under some kind of full-body ailing injury and Drai is just off all-around.
Absolute garbage
Be a good time for the pp to show up.
Nope🤬
Nope. Not good at all. What the hell has happened with our PP? Drai and Connor both mis handling the puck.
TBay stole their PP mojo from last season
Not only that ,but the bad decisions with the puck. Baffling
Here’s our chance. Puck to the net. Drive the net. Get dirty.
Basic rocket science.
Or you can just pass it around the outside until you fumble it and waste a pp. whatever…
Now that was a dumb penalty.
Ok PP1…
Perfect time for a penalty. please use it.
“Skinner keeps it at 5 goals!!” Really Jack?? Is that supposed to be a compliment or what?
Tampa looks like they’re on the edge of panic. We’ll get our chances. Gotta bury one!
Could sure use some 97 magic!
Brown can’t get a shot on a breakaway.
FFS…
Good Lord man, that was so sad.
Connor Brown falls over on a breakaway
Not sure what his plan was there