There are nine names remaining from the start of Ken Holland’s time with the Edmonton Oilers. Eight remain and Sam Gagner was sent away and returned like the swallows to Capistrano. It has been an interesting ride. Tonight, the Oilers have a chance to edge nearer to a all-time record to remember. I can’t believe how many very good players left in the last five years.
THE ATHLETIC!
- Lowetide: Why Oilers forward Sam Gagner is having success in his role
- DNB: Stuart Skinner’s superb play should give Oilers more trade deadline flexibility
- DNB: Why Oilers signing Corey Perry isn’t a surprise — even in these circumstances
- Lowetide: How the Oilers winning the Stanley Cup in 2024 could impact future
- Lowetide: The Edmonton Oilers’ 6 biggest 2023-24 first half surprises
- DNB: Oilers win 13th straight, most by Canadian team in NHL history
- Lowetide: 5 AHL Oilers prospects with the most value ahead of NHL trade deadline
- DNB: Edmonton Oilers midseason report cards
- Lowetide: Revisiting Oilers’ Dylan Holloway pick at the 2020 NHL Draft
- DNB: Oilers are back as a Western Conference power
- DNB: Projecting the Oilers’ 2025-26 salary-cap situation with a Leon Draisaitl extension
- Lowetide: Ranking Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland’s 10 biggest moves
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects ranking, winter 2023
WHAT TO EXPECT IN JANUARY
- At home to: PHI, OTT (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- On the road to: CHI, DET, MTL (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 3-0-0)
- At home to: TOR, SEA (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- On the road to: CAL (Expected 0-0-1) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: CBJ, CHI, NAS (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 7-3-1, 15 points in 11 games
- Actual January results: 9-0-0, 18 points in 9 games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 27-15-1, 55 points in 43 games
The Oilers are in third place Pacific this morning, the LAK losing again and Todd McLellan taking blame for the losses. PLD has a 4-11 goal share in the last 12 games, Vladislav Gavrikov 5-13 (both numbers five-on-five). Anze Kopitar has scored 0.71 pts-60 at five-on-five in those 12 games. Cam Talbot has an .878SP in January five-on-five.
Oilers can catch Vegas but their goalering has been splendid in January. Logan Thompson (.923 in nine games, all numbers five-on-five), Jiri Petera (.966) and Adin Hill (28-shot shutout) are all fire. In Edmonton, Stuart Skinner’s five-on-five save percentage in January is .938, with Calvin Pickard (.875) playing just one game this month.
PACIFIC DIVISION QUALITY
These are the 12 Pacific Division players who are under 23, in entry contracts, currently in the minors and employed by NHL Pacific Division teams. Danil Gushchin is the player San Jose drafted after dealing the picks that landed the Oilers forwards Tyler Tullio (.42) and Carter Savoie (.41) in 2020.
Gushchin is a small forward with a great shot, and he’s a recall away from being an NHL player. He owns a .68 pts-game at even strength, that’s a fine number. A year ago, it was .39 pts-game at even strength, showing real growth.
Ty Tullio was .33 pts-game at even strength a year ago, he’s .32 this season. Carter Savoie was .18 last season. He is .34 this season and appears to be turning a corner. He is 3-3-6 in his last 10 games.
Developing NHL players is the key role of the AHL coaching staff. There’s a new man in charge (Jeff Jackson). Results matter.
OILERS 50-MAN WITH HOLLAND’S EXIT IN VIEW
- GOALIES (2): Stuart Skinner, Jack Campbell
- LEFT DEFENSE (4): Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak, Ben Gleason
- RIGHT DEFENSE (5): Evan Bouchard, Cody Ceci, Phil Kemp, Max Wanner, Beau Akey
- CENTER (6): Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan McLeod, Lane Pederson, Jayden Grubbe, Carl Berglund
- LEFT WING (3): Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matvey Petrov
- RIGHT WING (6): Zach Hyman, Derek Ryan, Xavier Bourgault, Tyler Tullio, Brady Stonehouse, Jake Chiasson
- RFA (10): G Olivier Rodrigue, Ryan Fanti, D Philip Broberg, Markus Niemelainen, Cam Dineen, Noel Hoefenmayer, F Dylan Holloway, Raphael Lavoie, Carter Savoie, James Hamblin.
There are 26 signed contracts plus 10 rfa’s, most of whom will be signed by the club. I would love to see the two Russians (Berezkin, Yevseyev) added, but that’s a distant bell. The new general manager will need a goaltender, a RH blue, and a two-way winger. I don’t think Jayden Grubbe will be ready to make their NHL debut next year, nor will Max Wanner, but right now I give both a better chance than any of the skill wingers in Bakersfield.
A busy day starts at noon, Sports 1440. We’ll preview the Oilers game, have the starting lineups and discuss the Condors loss last night. Bagged Milk from Oilers Nation will be our guest, we’ll talk NFL playoffs and NBA. You can reach me at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section or on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
Skinner .908
Pickard .915
AHL
Rodrigue. 922
Campbell .904
No assets spent on upgrading in net please unless somehow Kenny can make Campbell’s contract disappear for a reasonable cost.
Agree. The Captain looked great tonight (we’ll just forget about the last few seconds there).
Moving Campbell’s cap hit is worth spending a first on if a deal can be made. If not then keep him as insurance and buy him out in the summer.
I’m starting to get behind the idea of getting one more scoring forward though. What do you guys think about Mangiapane as a target? Fast, good hands, a bit of a prick to play against. Only a couple years left on his deal. Not a superstar, but more like a Barbashev level talent.
I don’t think Brendan Gallagher will play muck hockey in February. Holy smokes what a dirty hit by him.
He almost took Pelech’s head off with that elbow. He should get a double digit game suspension, and massive fine. That was some 70’s era maliciousness there.
I know that Brown is taking heat for killing offensive plays but, over the past two games, its become clear that Gagner is the player that comes out for Perry – Sam can be a liabilty in the defensive zone.
Brown down to 4RW and Perry at 3W – lets go!
Well 12 back and 4 in hand before we take our rightful place in the league.
Hrudey: “The unlucky bounces did the Flames in tonight”
Gazdic: “They had some unlucky bounces but the Flames have to play much better”
I am glad we don’t have such a cheerleader on our play by play team, it does the fan-base a real disservice.
Hrudey is a friggin ass hat. Impossible for him to have any objectivity when it comes to Flames (spits!)
Awesome for Pickard to get a shutout.
An otherwise lacklustre game by the Oil, but they are winning regardless and that’s what counts.
PK is beside himself watching such an adolescent win.
That would presume he even watched any oiler games.
Bob thinks we’ll see Holloway-McLeod-Perry against Nashville
well we know who will be the trailer / F3 / defensive conscience on those rushes – excited to see what comes of it!
Just need to move mcleod to drais wing and Kane down to the third. Give the opposing coach 3 lines to really worry about.
Holloway and McLeod are playing so well – have to give them more help than Brown
Phlegms.
Boo-birds out tin Calgary as BJ’s lead 4-2 late in the 3rd.
That’s a shame.
5-2 good guys.
My friend was bragging to me how the hometown fans were booing Johnny hockey at the start of the game. I remember being that bitter fan booing Pronger while his team beat the snot out of us. Good times
I did enjoy seeing McDavid stomping on that guy’s head.
Thanks, Picks! Made me spill my glass! lol Geez…
Boogity boogity!
Darrel Waltrip is in the building.
And Waylon Jennings
Don’t look Ethel!!!
McDavid is the fastest thing on two skates
The shutout for Pickard makes me very happy. And with a penalty shot, it was fully earned.
Stingy Oil goalie
Picks his spots subtly
Victory streak continues
Ugh
Poetry rains down
Not same as it ever was
La bamba baby!
BOOM!!! Saddest Connor has ever been scoring a goal! lol How no penalty was called is beyond me..,
Easier for the refs to just ignore it than having to overturn one upon review.
Always go bar-down. Always.
Play La Bamba!
Baby!
I’d have liked to see and empty-net penalty shot. Give it to Connor Brown.
Why throw away a scoring chance like that?
🤣🤣🤣
Connor with another dinger.
Hollywood looks so much better since the return. So much more confident!
Hollywood!
Man Holloway can fly.
and dangle!
That was a wonderful play by either Holloway or McLeod.
So that’s two gimmes for CHI, first they didn’t get called for a too many men penalty, now a delay of game gets missed.
Last game it was two goals called back.
What’s next lol
No automatic goal on the empty net take down
What happened to the guy that used to write the stream-of-consciousness poems? I haven’t seen him here for over a year.
Rikki were art thou?
New Improved Darkness
Off tending his lemon tree I reckon.
Ah that guy. Hope he’s well and enjoying the run like we are.
BOOM!!! Hyman!!! This is the best show ever! Every episode ends my favourite way!!!
While I appreciate the goal, I wanted it to be Foegele.
Hyman providing the insurance marker.
Insurance goal is welcome (even against the Hawks).
Shine on you crazy Hyman!
Money
Will it get reviewed?
Third period is where Chicago’s scheduled fatigue should show up. Make it so.
Going into the third needing a push to put this away. Where have I seen this movie before? Oh, yeah, every dang game!
Once again, for the 15th time, let’s get it done!!
GO OILERS!!!
Time to double shift McLeod and Foegele.
They sure got their boots moving tonight! Love me some speedy hard workers!
One thing I will say about Sportsnet, is at least they put some effort into the intermission.
NBC has mostly been commercials.
This game has the excitement level of Anaheim vs San Jose in game 75 when both teams are 20 points out of the playoffs
Man, what was Connor Brown doing there? Usually, we have to wait for the puck to get on his stick for the play to die, but he was able to kill it while it was on Holloway’s stick.
Can’t believe the commentators are pumping his tires
Get Brown off that line. He’s got very little offensive instincts.
Broke up that rush by Holloway himself. Never seen a guy purposely skate over the stick of a team mate on a rush
Brown is like the Dr.Sam Beckett of hockey. He has somehow Quantum Leap’d himself into being an NHL player and has no concept of how to hockey but because he is in a pro-hockey player’s body, someone manages to not give away his true identity.
Slow clap. Well done. I approve of this Quantum Leap reference.
Quantum Leap references, haikus of varying quality. Is there a better place on the internet? Oh, and hockey talk, too.
Well whatever he was pre injury appears to be gone
I really don’t think we need to look for a goalie. I know it’s Chicago, but I just don’t see how spending assets on a goalie that might be borderline better than Pickard is worth it. Upgrade somewhere else or save the bullets.
Agreed unless it’s an obvious upgrade or there’s an injury. Never know what you might get with goalies – stick with what you know
Picard has definitely been solid in the back up role so far. Holland likely still looking for veteran tender though.
That was an okay 2nd period. Pretty mixed.
Engaged!
Congratulations!
Jean-Luc goes full “Tea, Earl Grey, hot.”
Great Job, Picks!!!!
Evansburg foiled again!
Ha! At least someone knows Alberta geography!
Terrible call. How many times a year does that happen to #97?
If Foegele was on that McLeod-Holloway line it would be fantastic.
Over this win steak we haven’t seen the team absolutely smash a team. They are playing a very highly structured game. Woodley mentioned on the PDOcast that the Oilers are 1st in preventing HD rush chances since Knobby. To me this means they aren’t cheating for offense and are focusing on taking care of their own end first.
Tons of back pressure from the forwards is allowing the defensemen to more aggressively defend the blue line and prevent zone entries. If the puck gets past them, they know the forward is going to be able to retrieve the puck.
Absolutely. And D are way better at pinching down to keep the zone since the change too. Resulting in way more OZone possession time. Would love to see those numbers.
love me some Foegnasty on the puck retrieval.
Foegele just keeps on working.
Great, great, L2 chances there.