This is the Edmonton Oilers roster in the summer of 2015. At the time, we all did agree the time to push for Stanley was right now. Why? Look at the cap hits on the impact guys! Holy crap! Leon Draisaitl had $3.4 million in possible cap dollars depending on bonuses, Connor McDavid was an amazing bargain, Cam Talbot was on a good contract and was poised to be a major part of the team’s success.
That defense isn’t right, just not enough on the right side and Darnell Nurse needed time to find his way behind Andrej Sekera and Oscar Klefbom. There wasn’t enough depth on the wings up front, either.
Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle were top drawer, and I liked Benoit Pouliot and Teddy Purcell but they were eroding and foot speed would be an issue. Anton Lander had the boots issue, too. If the Oilers had signed men like Erik Gustafsson and Tobias Rieder, it would have helped. Peter Chiarelli bled too many assets for Griffin Reinhart and needed to aim higher. My goodness it all happened in the wink of an eye.
OILERS AND 20 YEARS OF PROCUREMENT: WHERE DID IT ALL GO?
THE ATHLETIC!
- New DNB: Why Paul Coffey’s surprise Edmonton Oilers coaching opportunity is paying off
- Lowetide: How much has Oilers trading prospects and picks actually hurt?
- DNB: Stuart Skinner takes blame as goaltending leads to end of Oilers’ win streak
- Lowetide: Are the Edmonton Oilers able to make a strong trade this season?
- Lowetide: 3 young Edmonton Oilers prospects looking for full-time duty
- DNB: Calvin Pickard’s play and improved defending give Oilers time to make a goalie trade
- Lowetide: The Oilers’ 4 most famous midseason demotions in franchise history
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Evan Bouchard has the points. But is his recent defensive uptick legit?
- Lowetide: Oilers organizational depth chart reveal elite centres, real needs
- DNB: Oilers’ Philip Broberg seeking trade, per source: Why he could be on the move
- DNB: The Oilers penalty kill has finally found its groove. What’s changed?
- Lowetide: What do the Edmonton Oilers still need to be a Stanley Cup contender?
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects ranking, winter 2023
- Lowetide: Oilers begin rise from the depths during a stunning November
- DNB: Is it time the Edmonton Oilers expected more from Ryan McLeod?
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Darnell Nurse impressive in all areas after coaching change
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Philip Broberg reaches crossroads as NHL defenceman
- DNB: Four reasons why the Oilers are very much in the Western Conference playoff race
- DNB: Oilers must address goaltending situation before it’s too late
- Lowetide: Why the Oilers making a productive goalie trade is an expensive proposition
- DNB: Who is new Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch? These 3 traits define his approach
WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER
- At home to: CAR, MIN, NJD, CHI, TBAY, FLA (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 4-1-0)
- On the road to: NYI, NJD, NYR, SJS, LAK, ANA (Expected 3-3-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 6-6-0, 12 points in 12 games
- Actual December results: 4-1-0, 8 points in 5 games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 13-13-1, 27 points in 27 games
The start to this month is exactly what the doctor ordered, but you don’t want to slide back to 4-4-0 after all these good things. That makes this game pivotal. I don’t mean for the entire season, but the club crawled from the wreckage there’s no need for another accident scene. I would start Stuart Skinner. Give him a chance to get some confidence before the road trip. He saved this team’s ass a year ago, showing faith in him is the right play here.
50-MAN (47)
- Goalies (5): Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, Jack Campbell, Olivier Rodrigue, Ryan Fanti
- Left Defense (8): Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, Brett Kulak, Ben Gleason, Philip Broberg, Markus Niemelainen, Cam Dineen, Noel Hoefenmayer
- Right Defense (6): Evan Bouchard, Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais, Phil Kemp, Max Wanner, Beau Akey (slide)
- Center (9): Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan McLeod, James Hamblin, Lane Pederson, Brad Malone, Greg McKegg, Jayden Grubbe, Carl Berglund
- Left Wing (8): Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Warren Foegele, Adam Erne, Dylan Holloway (inj), Drake Caggiula, Carter Savoie, Matvey Petrov
- Right Wing (11): Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, Derek Ryan, Sam Gagner, Seth Griffith, Raphael Lavoie, Xavier Bourgault, Tyler Tullio, Jake Chiasson, Brady Stonehouse
I think that’s everyone, let me know if there’s an omission and I’ll fix it. I predict AHL contractor Cameron Wright gets an NHL deal before next summer, he is playing very well for the Bakersfield Condors. The team needs are:
- A goalie who could carry the load if Stuart Skinner falters (I don’t believe he will). A Cam Talbot acquisition is the dream.
- A right winger for Leon Draisaitl’s line. If the Oilers could get the Flames version of Tyler Toffoli, that would be ideal.
- A RH defenseman who can plug and play on the top pairing with Darnell Nurse. It might be the second pairing by then, but getting Chris Tanev instead of Griffin Reinhart would be a good plan.
CONDORS PLAY TONIGHT
Mike Griffith is a fine writer who has covered the Bakersfield Condors for a long time. He wrote a quality piece on Philip Broberg. It is here.
I’m going to watch tonight’s game after the Oilers game is over. I’m going to be looking closely at the Cameron Wright usage compared to Xavier Bourgault. A player signed to an AHL contract playing ahead of the first-round pick is basically telling the world Bourgault isn’t much. However, Wright is having a helluva run. If he’s real, the Oilers need to sign him before someone else gets the idea.
McLeod and Brown, where hockey goes to die. If I have to watch Mr. Flyby again it will be too much. What happened to this guy.
Brown 1 point in 22 games.
Tell me this team is serious about winning the cup this year.
It’s still possible he rounds into form and turns out to be better, but good grief our ‘upgrade on Yamamoto’ has not been as advertised.
He’s our new Tobias Reider.
Whole team was off tonight. I wonder if they had something going on yesterday or just general Christmas related focus issues. This team gets to go spend a week in New York during Christmas then potentially heading home for a day or two. Maybe just thinking too far ahead and not on tonight.
They had their chances though, Bob was there but Pickard was not. It really felt like a game early in the year. Also featured the 10 bell chances although Pickard needs to make a save. The 4-1 Bennett goal is the back breaker. Pickard just needs to disrupt the play there and it’s likely over.
All the Oilers need for Christmas is another goalie. Hopefully this performance is enough to Santa Ken to pull the trigger on a big deal.
How about Antti Raanta? For no acquisition cost? On a $1.5MX1 contract? A guy who had a career 48 GSAA before this season? A guy who probably just needs a change of scenery?
Oh lordy pls don’t let this be the start of a miserable backslide
Devils, Islanders and Rangers all playing very well.
Did I mention I miss the WOODGUY standings. Games over / under .500.
was so clear and simple. miss that.
Got completely Oilered tonight.
Maybe a letdown game. I dunno. Got out-efforted, especially early, so I can’t dismiss it.
If KK foresaw this possibility then it was pretty smart to keep Skinner away from this match. Not saying he did. But I’m hoping he can tell when his team is ready to play for realz.
Sure wish one of these folks on the coaching carousel would teach/implement some subtle picks to open up some room for these guys.
Or, heck, even some not so subtle ones and play the law of averages that few will get called.
Effort in the d zone was terrible. When we were winning, we were killing cycles and effortlessly getting the puck up and out.
This was not the same effort.
We got outworked and out goalied. Getting goalied happens but you can’t get outworked, ever…
When are they ever gonna get this through they’re think heads for more than a few short stretches?
a reminder that Knoblauch is on After Hours
VASILEVSKY stole the last game. Stopped 52 shots and many high danger.
we’ve had lots of shots tonight, but not that many high danger?
seems like Bob has been good, but not spectacular.
When was the last time the Oilers won a game where everybody said “Wow, their goalie was spectacular?” …..
I would say that 3-1 win against Winnipeg.
That’s a tough ending to the 6 game homey
They need a strong road trip next week
This is one of those games they were going to lose no matter what.
Bad luck. Vezina-Bob. PP and offense not clicking.
Not meant to be. Not today.
Poor team defense…when you are bad, you are unlucky
didn’t hear that before the game?
This team doesn’t have the maturity to play from behind consistently. Didn’t look promising after 1 0.
Taking games to OT in the Bettman NHL is so important. Just have to keep it close and you have a chance. Get down and they open it up too soon. It’s like they can’t stand games that end 2-1 regardless of the outcome.
Leadership on this team when adversity hits needs improvement.
Leadership on this team when adversity hits needs improvement.
You mean like when the whole league sees the pre-season Oilers as a Stanley Cup favourite, and the team wilts under the pressure?
Unfortunately this team seems more like the Ovechkin Capitals or Thornton Sharks or Lindros Flyers than it does the Stamkos Bolts or Crosby Penguins or Yzerman/Lidstrom Red Wings.
Now they’ve had to spread the forwards and D and it looks even worse.
Sam played that 5 hole gambit hard! Damn the open top 1/3!
Team tonight looks exactly like the one that started the year so poorly.
Now tell me why given the 8 game win streak.
Players. This is where KK shows us he has something more. There needs to be a persuasive move to get them beyond this mentality and reversion
Check mate. The loose play started against Chicago. Their A game is off the charts. They don’t have a B game
This is what I saw too.
That’s the problem. In the playoffs, the league/refs ensure that they are not allowed to play their A game.
I think WoodMan knew that and were trying to make a change. This team didn’t want it. So here we are.
Samwise penaty shot upcoming
DEE-nide
Doesn’t have the automatuc Samwise shootut move anymore. Remember that? That was fun
He was excellent in the shoot out back in the day – that little 5 hole move didn’t stand a chance tonight against bob
He’s 0-3 on penalty shots in his career (all taken as an Oilers).
He’s 31.3% on 83 career shootout attempts though.
I swear every time Singher does the pbp, its a guaranteed Oilers loss lol.
Literally every single time. Turn on the game… hear his voice, immediate ‘oh noes.’
I noped the hell out of that broadcast and went with Bally as soon as I saw Harry and Louie.
Kesler jinxed Bouchard.
oh dear….2 on 0 with Nuge and 97 doesn’t result in a shot and Verhege makes it 5-1 ten seconds later
woof
It’s another one of thooose games…
Hockey Gords spitting in the Oilers faces.
Nah they deserved this one. Florida shutout in two straight and they wanted it more.
Hangover from blowing the Tampa game. Can’t let it linger though. Gotta pickup the pace against the Isle’s.
They’ve been out worked all game.
Tell me it’s not the goalie.
It is not the goalie. It is the team defense.
What this lousy team defense really needs is a top notch goalie.
No guarantee an elite goaltender can fix this, and one would have to free up $10 million in cap space.
An average goaltender is not likely to fix this.
The only sure way to fix this is to play better team defense, which probably requires a personnel change or two.
Yep, that’s the rub
We need a $10M goalie who is only making $5M.
Holland needs to pull a Dwayne Roloson out of the hat for the price of some magic beans
I’m not gonna stop banging the Antti Raanta drum.
From 2015-23, he’s put up a .920 save percentage.
Available this very moment for literally less than magic beans.
Yah Holland has not matched the , D, F mix well. That’s really the job.
Everyone knew the D was going to be an issue.
Has a cheap, young Skinner with room for growth traded for something more proven and consistent been explored?
Despite tonight it looks like Pickard is playable for 15 games a year
How is Picard playing?
Locutius is missing the rest of the Borg Collective tonight.
I thought he had a strong 2nd period going to keep the team within spitting distance until the Kulak penalty
He hasn’t been awful but 4 goals after 40 minutes
He has not been assimilating all the pucks.
Resistance is definitely futile.
There are 4 lights.
There have been five now.
.833
Wouldn’t start him again, call up the rookie.
Ya not terrible not making his case either. Rod can’t be much worse, might be lightning
Pretty much the same as last time.
Edmonton Oilers @ Florida Panthers (Woodcroft)
2023-11-20
3 – 5
Final
Calvin Pickard
TOI 57:37
SA 32
SV 28
GA 4
xGA 3.00
SV% 0.875
Florida Panthers @ Edmonton Oilers (Knoblauch)
2023-12-16
5 – 1
Final
Calvin Pickard
TOI 60:00
SA 39
SV 34
GA 5
xGA 2.92
SV% 0.872
Friedman on Raanta
We’ll see if he gets claimed but there are some teams at least looking at it
This is not the droid we’re looking for.
you’d have to think
The 8 game win streak coincided with an 8 game Mcheater. So when McD scores 2 or 3 points a night, they usually win.
But we have been on all year and there is something we can’t quite put our finger on. The record is what it is, and it’s not good (given expecations).
there is still no reliable back up. There is still no depth scoring? Ceci is still 2 RD. Team is capped out. Drai can’t (hasn’t) been able to outscore with his own line.
Enough little issues seem to add up to a wildly inconsistent team. One which will be in a fight to get into the playoffs.
Drai has 4 ES goals in 27 games. That’s a significant problem.
yes it is .. I think it’s kind of the elephant in the room.
he’s awesome. His stats are awesome. But the reality is, when he is away from Mcd @ 5×5 he has shown sub par metrics given expectations …. PP assasin? yes. But not doing much 5×5 regardless of who his wingers are.
outside of the RNH – YAMO 40 game heater, has he been above 50% GF without McD?
Blaming the best player is usually the wrong approach.
Ever have a colleague that sucked down the entire mojo of your team? Dragged the entire group backwards?
That’s Connor Brown’s offense right now and Ryan McLeod isn’t far off. Those two need to be better.
Do they invest 12M in this or find a prime Orielly and Theodore to balance the roster?
It might be a silver lining if they miss and get a GM with some vision and cajones
LT talks about single events referring to the negative. I see single positive events or big games the same. To me showing up the majority of games and contributing the majority of the time as essential. To me there are a lot of players that are a drag on the team in a big way when not hitting their single events or games
Connor Mattias and Zach can’t drag these guys along game in and out, as they fade in and out of effectiveness or relevance to the game. You need all 19 guys pulling on the rope, or however many Holland can manage to ice
Bob looks unbeatable tonight. Should be a 4-3 game.
Maybe put Holloway between Kane and Draisaitl.
I thought 3-1 after 2 periods was still doable
It’s uphill from here
This was going to happen occasionally – rookie coach and all, but KK been schooled by Maurice tonight
Knoblauch has found himself in the same conundrum that befuddled Jay Woodcroft.
McDavid line is fire, 3rd and 4th lines ok every second game. But the combos for that 2nd line are getting shredded.
He’s swapped things up but if anything it’s killed both instead of just Brown being a drag.
Holloway may or may not be the right juice to unclog something. Putting McDrai together is another idea.
But when you have two key players posting goose eggs it’s an ugly concoction.
Well put. The thing is if he can find something new. He’s a bit hooped that Holloway is hurt, again This is Holland’s mess. 2/3 of an NHL RS D lineup, 1/2 a RW group, 1/2 a goalie tandem
Yes and no.
It’s reasonable to have bet that McLeod and Brown would post more than two goals between them.
McLeod had a fine end to last season. Didn’t break the bank. Fugly start offensively.
Yes, ACL injuries are bad so not super high expectations for Brown. One assist is comical.
Comical is accurate considering his linemates and ice time. Quite certain 89 could have done way more with it
It’s not points it’s playing poorly
Draisaitl has been very poor tonight
He has no wingers with any offensive aptitude.
As the 2nd best player on the team is it not Drai’s job to make those around him better?
McDavid couldn’t score with Kane and Brown to start the season.
Drai has 4 ES goals in 27 games, playing a lot with McDavid.
Drai’s upside doesn’t cover when he’s bad, for me. Because he’s so bad. He’s extremely predictable, and really only has puck protection and his one timer. He does SFA usually the rest of the time, or worse. Ok he can win faceoffs
A lot of the game he had we haven’t seen in a while. I think if things aren’t wide open 5v5 or bcs PP he’s limited. As the team gets better and is played harder, after his HS ankle thing, hmmm
Yes he’s scored a lot, but who cares if they can’t beat the strong teams? If his production is waning 5v5 that es no bueno
Foegele hit that pad clean! Only wussies would try the open top 80%. Child’s play
You’d figure a dressing room built by a pharmacy mogul would have the Cialis right next to the Advil.
Marty ReasonerWarren Foegele stoned on the reboundAnd when we get good chances their goalie does that.
Not looking good. We need a spark!
Ugh, that’s poor execution for an NHL level PK rush defence. Looks like multiple players not doing their job
What was going on with Nurse and Ekholm there. Bizarre defending on the PK.
Did they suddenly get arrogant about their defensive abilities? This is horrid.
They are doing nothing they were doing 5 games ago.
If a team can stymie the Oilers offense with some form of rope-a-dope, they can expose the Oilers team defense. This has been true for 4+ seasons.
Parted like the Red Sea…
Kulak didn’t need to whip his stick up like that. His choice, has nothing to do with being held. Brain dead
Yep. Careless
Deleted.
Can the refs actually do that?
that actually be a holding penalty by Barkov
What? we get two more?
The hold causes the double minor…that’s bs…
That’s a terrible call. Barkov is 110% of the reason for that high stick.
If Ceci has the league’s longest goal drought can we agree he’s not a top 4?
A top end 3 pair? At 1M?
Why is Brown not getting the same vitriol as McLeod? He’s contributed essentially nothing offensively and it’s no longer early in the season.
Brown should be demoted. Sounds like from OPs comments reading between the lines Lavoie has conditioning issues. Plays more down there and loses it. Maybe the issue up top
Sadly why that still happens is infuriating. The team should be all over the youth and their development all year. Make them accountable to someone for training
His touch is just gone. It’s seriously weird.
Condors lose 5-2 but Rodrigue only have up that breakaway goal – stopped 15 of 16.
Brown on the 4th line.
Yup
Ahh edit – nope might have been an on the fly stuff.
Ryan got banged up, filling in.
When we have the puck we’re doing some good things but, without the puck, we can get it back. Florida just keeping the puck and looking for an opening. In our d zone we’re losing most battles.
Pick up the intensity in the D zone!!!
Nice read and active stick by Bouchard to break up that 2-on-1.
Maybe the dreaded 3-0 will work for us this time
Zach decides to finish like an NHL scorer. Good on ya
Zach, scores as Hyman in the slot.