This is the Bakersfield Condors opening night roster for the 2015-16 season. Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse were on that team, but not for long. Also in the group? Laurent Brossoit, who has accomplished some impressive things in the NHL. Jujhar Khaira, Tyler Pitlick, Jordan Oesterle, Iiro Pakarinen and Brad Hunt also had some NHL success. The Oilers aren’t going to acquire another Draisaitl or Nurse for many years, the first-round draft picks don’t come ’round here no more. The club can find quality role players later in the draft, through free agency and via waivers. Stan Bowman and the pro scouts should be active this year.
OILERS ROSTER DECISIONS
At this point in camp one would like more certainty on defense, but injuries and curious performances leave us with a worried mind. Sam Malinski is a player I would have time for, and there are others, but the Oilers are still evaluating what they have in-house and auditioning another defenseman this late in preseason is risky business.
Based on what coach Kris Knoblauch has been saying, we’ll see more auditions this week, but on a lesser scale. If everything breaks right, the tea leaves suggest Mattias Ekholm with Evan Bouchard opening night. There’s a good chance we see Darnell Nurse with Ty Emberson sometime this week, and that may emerge as the second pairing. In a perfect world Troy Stecher would have received a look there, but like Philip Broberg one year ago, injuries have conspired against him. Brett Kulak with Josh Brown should get at least two games this week, but the coach may want to look at some of the defenders who remain.
We should see a massive cull of the roster by Tuesday morning, perhaps before. Max Wanner is in Bakersfield, Matt Savoie will be there soon, and the brilliant story of Sam O’Reilly probably sees a trip back to junior over the next seven days.
Based on my reading of Oilers fans, the defense will come together this week and worries are overblown. For me, I’ve seen this script before (Dallas Eakins couldn’t make up his mind one fall). There are too many defensemen in camp and too many roster spots being used for auditions. This much sadness is too much sorrow. The Edmonton Oilers have a rookie coach. I suspect he’ll be far more tenacious a year from now.
CERTAIN AND UNCERTAIN OILERS
THE DISTANT BELLS
LT, may I ask why you have Stecher as certain and Brown as uncertain given Brown has seemingly been ahead of Stecher all camp, from day 1 to today?
Does anyone know if Oilers+ has the full game available on archive right after it ends or not until the next day? The wife and I are at a play tonight and, if the game is available at like 10:30 tonight, I’ll stay off social media and watch it in full (well, fastforward full) late tonight.
Morning Skate today (per DNB):
Oilers lines and pairs at morning skate:
RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Podkolzin-O’Reilly-Perry
Lavoie-Ryan-Hoffman
Pederson-Philp-Savoie
Ekholm-Bouchard
Dermott-Stecher
Gleason-Kemp
Pickard
Rodrigue
Who am I but I think it’s a mistake not to have Philp between Podz and Perry. I mean, that is a legit place where Philp might play in the regular season and I do t see O’Riley getting a few games before they return him to junior.
I’m also very disappointed that Kemp is playing with a non-NHLer again. Don’t get me wrong, Gleason is having a nice camp (as he did last year), but he’s not making the team and its a continuation indication that Kemp isn’t really in the conversation either – at least to me.
It kind of looks like a hodge-podge after (Nuge-McDavid-Hyman) and Ekholm & Bouchard. Knoblauch can always put those lines through the blender during the game.
OP, I appreciate all of your many contributions to this community, but it would be nice if you got Sam O’Reilly’s name correct. You and I may never meet the young man, but my first rule of business is to take the time to get people’s name right. Thank you.
Hey, Kemp is playing.
The
@EdmontonOilers
tonight vs Seattle:
RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Podkolzin-O’ Reilly-Perry
Lavoie-Ryan-Hoffman
Pederson-Philp-Savoie
Ekholm-Bouchard
Dermott-Stecher
Gleason-Kemp
Pickard
Rodrigue
Good to see Stecher playing. But I like my line up better. I had Gleason & Kemp right.
Last individual player evaluation game. Three lines of fourth line players & those headed out of camp after this one. The Dermott- Stetcher combo interests me to see what they can do. I haven’t seen the Kraken roster yet.
The battle for 7D.
Stecher when healthy is capable of cover for Emberson. Unless injuries pop up we have months for Bowman to shake a deal loose from a friendly G.M for that coveted 2-D
After spending 20 years of cheering for this team that would roll out 5 forwards 2 defenders and half a mostly goalie, it’s hard to get worked up over 1 RHD missing from the group.
I am not worried about the D group quality – I think it’s better, or more in tune with what they are trying to do in style – but am worried about having 7 healthy players. Nurse and Stecher at 100% would be very good, as opposed to a season of nagging injury
There has been talk about having traded the #4 D etc. Ceci played more TOI/GP reg season than Kulak, but it was pretty even in playoffs after the top pair. The numbers are all over teh place, but I thought Kulak was being relied upon more as playoffs went, and was more effective than anyone but the top pair
Depending on where Dermott is at, I would try to rest Nurse until he is 100%. He was brutal with this injury, sinking every partner except limited minutes with Bro and Bouch. I highly doubt he will play better than Kulak with it, and the risk of aggravation is high, so get him repaired. Use Dermott at 3LD and if it doesn’t work try something else
They aren’t going to win every game, they just have to play at a decent level to start, as opposed to awful, and let things settle out
Agree on Nurse. If healthy Nurse should be able to anchor a very good second pair based on his historical results.
Bouchard killing penalties this year is good news.
If he wants double digit salary he has to play all game states and he has to play more minutes. And I think he’ll welcome the opportunity.
Smart coaching here. I wonder if Coach will try and get him out with that 3rd line? That would be smart.
Imma lose my mind if the teams only PP QB and one of the best in the league gets hurts killing penalties when there’s 5 other defenders that can absorb those minutes.
Keep Bouchard juiced for the PP and tilting this ice in the Oilers favor during his even strength time on ice.
I hope they use him in the last 15-20 seconds of the PK with Leon and Mcdavid the opposition is usually scrambling on line changes at the end of a PP and this is a real opportunity to pounce on them just as the penalty ends.
He’ll only be on the PK for the last 3 seconds along with McDavid.
I don’t think we can afford Ekholm Bouch for 20-25 min just for the rest to get caved the other 35 min
I like the idea of an EE second pair, That’s Ekholm & Emberson. When Nurse is 100% pair him with Bouchard to prove once and for all he’s that $9.25M defenseman.
The two guys that got caved in most metrics are gone. The third line C is better, or at least more reliable and smarter, it might work out great comparatively. I think having D that defend the line more assertively instead of giving up the zone easily, are better at the O line, and move the puck better, is going to reduce D zone time
Stauff confirmed that Lavoie was back on the ice for practice yesterday. I know some (including myself) were curious.
Ok here’s my line up for tonight LOL.
Skinner-Leon-Arvidsson
Janmark-Henrique-Brown
Hamblin-Philp-Podkolzin
Lavoie-Pederson-Perry
Ekholm-Bouchard
Dermott-Emberson
Gleason-Kemp
Pickard & Skinner
I have difficulty blaming Knobber for the situation on D. Injuries and poor options provided by the GM seem like the true culprits.
Also, Eakins coached an inexperienced team that had 5-7 players that should have never been NHL options. Knobber is coaching a vet heavy team. A lot less riding on this camp.
Potential situation, in my opinion.
I’m not convinced Ty Emberson can’t play 2RD effectively with a partner that should be a very strong 2LD. I don’t know that he can either of course.
We haven’t seen anything in this regard yet. Emberson played last game as the 1RD, along with the team’s 3LD as a partner, with a 20% NHL roster with zero top 6 forwards to help against an 80% starts lineup for a playoff team last season. There is is no evaluation to his game that can really be made without a semblance of NHL structure and skill to play with.
Either he can or he can’t. Which one is it? He did it with Mario Ferraro in San Jose last season.
As I said yesterday on the Lowdown, it isn’t his fault but it is his problem.
What does Paul Coffey have to say about this so-called problem?
They aren’t poor options until they prove themselves so. If we are into stats around here, the stats like the choices (Brown excepted, but his key stat isn’t hockey related), of which there weren’t a lot that didn’t need 5M plus. The players they replaced are proven bad in playoffs, and not great at core play that these forwards and the coach’s system require
The main thing I saw as the problem to last year’s start was not as much injuries, as the ridiculous amount of pressure they put on themselves, starting with the GM and all in now or never talk. Connor over did training in summer he says
The first thing KK did when he arrived in his own worlds was calm everyone down. He knows what Connor is like, and the last thing he needs is to be amped up even more. I don’t think Holland did it on purpose, he was trying to placate media and fans after his slow work to date, but it was not mindful of the big picture or unintended consequences
Woody also didn’t help with his odd philosophizing and stubbornness. Good old regular hockey coach jock calm guy saved the day. Plain words, let’s settle down, enjoy playing hockey, and see what happens
Exactly just let the players play no reinventing the wheel. I believe Coffey will give the green light for Nurse to activate while driving instead of this attempt to turn him into a Jason Smith shutdown D. This team was chasing its tail from game one turn the boys loose. I’ll take 7-4 wins let them have fun. We all know this team can play low event hockey and win but I say let’s play Oiler hockey not Jacque Lemaire snoozefest style.
Just do what they need to do to win.
Woodie thought he was the star of the show.
Prospectoalogo!
Second verse, same as the first.
Double Nicholl on the dime last night with 2 PP goals as he continues to get prime time whilst O’Reilly, etc. continue camping. He shall oppose the Flintians again tonight but in Michigan. Clattenburg with two apples and Day-man with the W yesternight.
Wakely and Akey would oppose each other tonight but for the latter not returning yet. Mayhaps Wakely dresses this eve? We wait.
And Berry’s search for a crooked number continues.
London (Nicholl) @ 5 p.m.
Flint (Day, Clattenburg) @ 5 p.m.
North Bay (Wakely) @ 5:30 p.m.
Muskegon (Berry) @ 6 p.m.
All times, at all times, are Sundre time.
Mike Watt plays hockey?
Yup.