2023-24 Game 36: Senators at Oilers

This is the ‘certain Oilers’ list from late August 2023. There are 20 names here, so you could expect all of these men to play for Edmonton (all 20 have played for the team). Five additional players have joined the party. Who are they, and how far back were they perceived to be at the beginning of training camp?

THE ATHLETIC!

• Lowetide: Why NHL’s goalie trade market a strange brew for Oilers
• Lowetide: Stuart Skinner, Ryan McLeod and the Oilers’ development system
• Lowetide: Oilers close NHL standings gap during a brilliant December run
• DNB: Connor McDavid marks 600th NHL game by coming to the rescue in pivotal Oilers win
• Lowetide: Evander Kane’s concerning season and what it means to the Oilers.
• Lowetide: How the Oilers measure up to ‘reasonable expectations’ after 31 games
• Lowetide: Did the Oilers solve Leon Draisaitl’s winger issues in New Jersey?
• Lowetide: What can Dylan Holloway bring the Oilers when he returns?
• DNB: Evan Bouchard is unlocking his potential on the Edmonton Oilers blue line
• Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects ranking, winter 2023

WHAT TO EXPECT IN JANUARY

• At home to: PHI, OTT (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
• On the road to: CHI, DET, MTL (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• At home to: TOR, SEA (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• On the road to: CAL (Expected 0-0-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
• At home to: CBJ, CHI, NAS (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
• Overall expected result: 7-3-1, 15 points in 11 games
• Actual January results: 1-0-0, 2 points in 1 game
• Oilers in 2023-24: 19-15-1, 39 points in 35 games

Several people I respect have suggested my prediction is too conservative based on December. I get it, the team seems invincible these days. However, when you factor in this club’s history of stubbing its toe against lesser lights, I’ll stick with my 7-3-1 Nostradamus. For those who asked, the three losses are Montreal, Toronto and Nashville.

UNCERTAIN OILERS

Four of the five names were on the ‘uncertain’ list: James Hamblin, Sam Gagner, Raphael Lavoie and Calvin Pickard. The fifth man, Adam Erne, was invited later on. In truth, all of the names here could play this season in Edmonton, although Seth Griffith’s on-ice goal share at even strength is a concern.

DISTANT BELLS

From this group, Ben Gleason has been recalled but did not play. Candidates for recall on this list include Olivier Rodrigue, and pretty much all of the blue. Funny, Brandon Sutter’s name seems like such a vague and foggy memory. Time flies when you’re having fun.

HOLLAND’S RECALLS

Fans want to see the future now and Ken Holland wants all of his children to live at home until they have enough to buy their first home with no debt. As much as I’d like to see Raphael Lavoie as a regular, the actual results of his uncertain Oilers have been rock solid in 2023-24. All numbers five-on-five.

• Sam Gagner 2.73 pts-60; 60 pct goal share
• James Hamblin 0.89 pts-60; 64 pct goal share
• Adam Erne 0.86 pts-60; 67 pct goal share
• Raphael Lavoie 0.00 pts-60; nil
• Calvin Pickard 2.87 GAA; .903 SP

I know it isn’t sexy. I would prefer Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg and Raphael Lavoie on this roster. I would like to see Olivier Rodrigue down the stretch. Holland’s aces are good. Flat out good. Credit where due.

I’ll have an article up this weekend looking at the Oilers prospect pool. One of the questions we can’t answer: WHO becomes the No. 7 defenseman and first recall if Broberg is traded? It’s not an easy answer. I think the current depth chart looks like this:

1. Mattias Ekholm
2. Evan Bouchard
3. Darnell Nurse
4. Cody Ceci
5. Brett Kulak
6. Vincent Desharnais
7. Philip Broberg
8. Ben Gleason
9. Markus Niemelainen
10. Cam Dineen
11. Noel Hoefenmayer
12. Phil Kemp
13. Max Wanner
14. Alex Peters

SATURDAY NIGHT

When I was young, my Dad worked six days a week. Mon-Friday and then Saturday until noon. He worked miles away, so wouldn’t get home until early afternoon. He would get out of his (yellow, his favourite colour) truck, I would grab his thermos and lunch kit and we’d walk to the house together. My dog, Colby, would be wagging his tail and being a wonderful fool. Labrador dogs live forever in your heart, they are beautiful. Dad would smell of sweat, it’s a sweetish smell, and Mom would tell him to have a shower as soon as he hit the front door.

I loved Saturday afternoons, we would play cribbage for awhile and then my brother and I would retire to the shed behind the house (where we discovered matches one rainy day and damn near burned down the whole damn thing. The giveaway? Smell of matches and my singed eyebrows).

Later on, we would walk across the property to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. On the way, there were old cars (that was commonplace in the sixties), apple trees, Grandpa’s sawmill (he made little boxes for the hatchery), the big horse Tom, a sheep, some strawberries, a big garden, various dogs and cats, a church pew, bikes.

At Grandma’s, the beer would flow, the food was endless, the cigarette and pipe smoke hung in the air like balloons. It was magic. Adults would play cards, the lights would go on, and I’d watch the hockey game. It was Hockey Night in Canada. All of the adults would watch the game at the start, but fade away to other activities.

Grandma and me were always the last ones standing for the hockey. She was a fine woman. She loved the game, knew the game, and taught me hockey more than anyone I’ve ever known. She loved Johnny Bower, Gary Smith made her nervous (Smith skated to center ice once with the TML and she damn near lost her mind), she loved Allan Stanley and we both loved Dave Keon.

I sometimes think of my Grandma on Saturdays. In a life blessed by strong women who knew what was important, she stood out as a person who took time. There’s a lesson there. She was present for so much of my life, offering guidance and being kind. I’ve been blessed so much in my life, I could write this about several people. Today, with hockey on the way and work to do, I’m reminded of a kind woman who offered love and support with a smile and freshly baked bread with butter and jam. What a gift she was to me. I hope she’ll be watching tonight.