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
Was out tonight and only watched the extended highlights.
Nice goal by Philp but I also notice he played the least on the team at 5 on 5 (just under 7 minutes) and got throttled by the Ben Myers line (although playing with two non-NHLers was part of that I’m sure.
Clean sheet in 3 minutes of PK and dominant on the draw.
For those giving the 12F spot to Philp over Ryan, Derek Ryan seemed to have an excellent game – including 2 primary assists as well as 2-0 goals at 5 on 5 plus shorty.
Could we not run a 4th line of Podkolzin-Philp-Ryan? That looks better to me than Perry.
They could but, again, they are likely to carry 12 healthy forwards plus Kane on the cap so, in order to do this, they would need to send down Perry. I’m not overly against that but I don’t seem them doing it.
They could carry an extra forward but it would take their cap space down to under $200K and would crater their daily accrual and that seems important to the GM.
Ryan isn’t a 4C anymore except for draws and PK. He also can’t play 82 games at his age. Perfect setup is to give both Ryan and Perry 40 games (but then we don’t add cap). If you want Philp ready at G82 for the playoffs – you play him G1 of the regular NHL season and let him learn. He has little to prove at the AHL level and sure doesn’t look like one with that sweet top shelf sauce.
I’m not the one that needs to be convinced to play Philp over Perry or Ryan.
Certified prick Gourde runs Rodrigue in a game that means nothing.
Glad they won and good show by Rodrigue coming in in a tough situation.
Lots of rats on that Kraken team tonight. Seems like they are going to try to overcome their lack of talent by being extra greasy this season. I don’t think it is going to work out for them.
Make the final 5-4 Oil as Lavoie’s late snipe capped the comeback.
Les trois etoiles:
1) Ekholm (1+2)
2) Lavoie (GWG)
3) Philp (1 G)
Tarkus selects E.L.P. … go figure.
I can’t like this enough.
Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends….
Nice to see Podkolzin Putgoalsin (or one anyway) with a shortie as he and Ryan come in 2-on-2, then Ryan draws both defenders to him and sends a pass to #92 for the tap-in.
Pictures of an exhibition… game.
Multiple Cups please…. Works Vol 1 and 2, if you will. Just no to Love Beach…
Gold Jerry, Gold.
Well 4C is not a problem. We have a young guy (Philp) who is obviously the answer to this gap at a very low price. We don’t need to waste resources at the trade deadline and should spend the regular season playing him and getting him ready for the playoffs. We also have a million 6/7 dmen so no need there. I remain convinced that all we need is a bit more toughness on the wing (bring Kostin home) and that 2RD. We will fix the 2RD issue as soon as we accumulate enough cap space for the winger. Then we can send Kane to LTIR until the playoffs and make the deal for a 2RD.
Summarizing!
Clattenburg had his first goal of the season and 5 SOG.
Day, exactly like yesternight, stopped 19 of 23 but in a losing cause.
Nicholl and Berry were denied soup and so shall have to content themselves with celery leaves.
Wakely remained out of the North Bay lineup.
Prospecting takes a break until Thor’s Day.
If you recall, I recently mentioned Saginaw’s Michael Misa and his torrid start. Well, chalk up another pair of goals tomight to give him 7 goals in 3 games. Madness.
Not to be outdone, 2026 prospect and former #1 bantam pick Ethan Belchetz of Windsor has his first four OHL goals–incl. two shorties–with two apples this evening. 6’4″ and 231 lbs.
Ooooh…. me likey!
I liked Stetcher’s passing that period. He has his eye’s up ice when the opportunity presents itself. He was also good making safe, quick passes as well.
Laid out one of their biggest players too.
Dylan Holloway with 2 goals including the OT winner against Chicago.
GFYS
Just why. Another season of this shit. FML
Dylan Holloway thrives in the exhibition season – 7 career exhibition goals and 9 career regular season goals
5 goals in the playoffs. I believe 2 in the Stanley Cup finals.
Yeah…but except for that.
Inconvenient truths.
Sure, he also got demoted out of the top six and continues to struggle to find consistency and to manage the puck in between the bluelines.
I wonder, has GM every made a mistake of over-paying a player based on a small sample of playoff performance?
is HE the NExt Brogan Rafferty? :P:P:P
There are already two.
One is a serial killer.
Need a guy to Philp the net?
I Noah guy.
Noah way! Philpthy!
I am proud of both of you. Bravo.
Mid-season form!
Nice to see him get on the score sheet!
It looks like the big body Laine will be gone for awhile l wonder if Habs will now take Lavoie off the waiver wire.
A knee is definitely not supposed to be pretzeled like that, feel for the kid.
Clattenburg opens the scoring with a PP marker.
Video evidence of the goal as he deftly tips a point shot for the icebreaker.
BTW, he has also been named team captain.
Bourgault and Chiasson sent down by the Senators.
In other news, we do not care. Another season of this BS.
Go discuss it on a Sens forum.
— Based on all I’ve learned about pre-season for players who don’t show up healthy in all sports, forever
1) narrative always from team player and supplicant press: he’s fine just working on getting back to 100%
2) player shows up and performs poorly for a rushed few pre-games. Supplicant press players and team: he’s fine just working through the rust
3) player struggles at beginning is season: player press and fans: that’s ok, he just needs to ramp up what do you expect he missed spring training needs to get up to speed.
— Then at some point in season fans turn on him, press throws him under bus. Player then: “I came back too early in retrospect”
— I believe this time honoured sequence of events is what is unfolding with Nurse.
— So many kidding themselves with the current D and the likely scenario outlined for Nurse IMO
Sit him until healed for me, or it will be a problem all season. He played terribly with this, how will it be better now, especially if it gets aggravated? Will he play better than Kulak? I doubt it, it has never panned out before when they choose injured players over lesser healthy players
— sure they could that.They remain quite a few actual Dmen away from being a league average D which is what they need to be, based on roster construction: ie hoping for 3 lines that can score.
— There has been disregard to their pending Nurse problem. It’s the trap that teams players and fans fall into every year in every sport when key players don’t show up to training camp 100% and it’s brushed off untill it becomes apparent that it was always a problem.
— Hope runs eternal in pre-season of all sports.
Spending the money on Skinner instead of Broberg and Desharnais was foolish.
The only thing that can blowup a McDraivid season is a lousy defense.
$1.25 million to Broberg to make it $2.25 million. $1 million to Desharnais to make it $2 million. And $750K million to Holloway to make it $1.75 million.
And then Ceci for Emberson.
Desharnais at $2 million would always be tradeable.
Yes…and slotting in Broberg at 3LD would have made Kulak a trade option.
Skinner’s contract had zero effect on signing Broberg.
If they wanted to sign him for the reported ask of apx $1.8MM but they Oilers were holding ground on the reasonable contract offers provided.
$2.25MM would have been a $1MM overpay for a 2-year contract notwithstanding the likelihood that he would provide value for it.
$1.75MM would be a $750K overpay to Holloways even if he may have provided value for it – my goodness that’s almost $1MM more than Tomasino got – a player that has outproduced Holloways’ entire career in each of the last 3 seasons.
Overpaying Deharnais by a million is not the answer.
Skinner may have the best value contract in the league this season.
If Skinner was on Drai’s wing for 200 minutes in the playoffs like Holloway was last year, the Oilers probably win the cup.
You lost me when you criticized Jackson for signing, most likely, the best single-year value contract in the league. (excluding those on ELCs)
$2m for a guy that was sat in the finals. Give me a break.
They sat the wrong guy. It should have been Ceci, not Desharnais.
Actually, based on the results of the SCF, they should have sat Kulak (and, no, his results being worse than Ceci weren’t simply due to playing with Ceci).
Quite a few actual defenders?
Ek/Bouchard.. perhaps the best duo in the league.
Nurse/XX.. He’s scheduled to play in the preseason, he’s always been a horse and will continue to be.
Kulak/Ember.. Kulak is as a legit #5 defender as you can get, if he was RH he’d be #4 and 3 times as much salary wise.
Brown/Stetch/Kemp/
They Oilers have 4 top defenders, 3 happen to be left handed, a common occurrence in the league.
Certainly appears as though they are short 1 defender on the right side depending on where Emberson’s play leads him to be slotted.
Overpaying Vinny is wild, Broberg never wanted to be an Oiler, thankfully they have the top 9 forwards that are clearly stacked and loaded. Only the most miserable naysayers can possibly try to act like the Oilers are not a wagon upfront.
It’s absolutely bonkers to be acting like the Oilers are in a world of hurt because they’re currently fostering 1 hole on the roster. 31 other GM’s wish they only had 1 legitimate roster hole to solve
100%. And this is the Oilers’ way.
This team undervalues defence, is not very good at drafting, evaluating and developing defenders, especially shut down types. Pairing an injured Nurse who’s quickly approaching 30 with a shut-down defender with 30 games NHL experience (Emberson) is the wrong choice.
Jackson built-out the wings in free agency. And they filled the defence with question marks.
Years ago, Woodguy espoused the “4 actual top 4 NHL defensemen” theory.
From what I can recall, he had said that you can fairly reliably predict which teams make the playoffs by picking teams that have 4 actual top 4 NHL defensemen.
The corollary to this is that it’s difficult for teams to make the playoffs without 4 actual top 4 NHL d.
With Nurse and apparently Stetcher both injured, things could get interesting.
Ekholm – Bouchard
Kulak – Emberson
Dermott – Brown
As far as a potential waiver claim discussed yesterday, I was hoping for an upgrade at Brown, which probably would be realistic to find.
A Bouchard injury would be devastating.
Agreed, any team that loses a top 5 defender in the league to injury would be devastating. Makar, Hughes, Fox, that fella in Dallas, all those teams would be feeling the effects of their top 5 defender not being available.
Doughty isn’t a top 5 defender and that’s devastating to the Kings.
Nurse being nicked up is apparently a mound the Oilers can’t possibly overcome.
So yes, a Bouchard injury would be devastating lol.
Bouchard is not a top 5 defender..all the others you mention except an aging Doughty are.
The Kings at least have a couple of young guns who might step up in Doughty’s absence…Spence and Clarke.
Emberson and (pick one) don’t have that kind of upside.
Correct. It looks like you worded that very carefully 😉
Dom has him at #6, but I suspect he’ll move up this season.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5750903/2024/09/24/nhl-best-players-list-2024-2025-season/?redirected=1
and a Makar injury, along with a Hughes injury and a Dobson injury and a so on and on …….Man, you really need a life changing experience.
I suggest electroshock aversion therapy a la A Clockwork Orange…
Bouchard is a Iron Man he’s missed 2 games in 3 years. I would be more concerned with your boy Hughes who wouldn’t last more than a week if he lived in Lethbridge or Medicine Hat because the stiff wind in those parts would blow that lightweight off his feet.
There aren’t many teams that have 4 good top 4 D. Maybe Colorado, but they are small and playoffs don’t suit them it seems post cup. Maybe the Rangers. Not many, the cap seems to have reduced it to a top 3
Vegas has 6.
Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud would be second pairing on many teams.
In your world
Just today coach said he expects Nurse to play in 1-2 exhibition games and this is a player who hasn’t missed a skate or a drill.
“Based on all I’ve learned about pre-season for players who don’t show up healthy in all sports, forever”
Some examples would be nice.
I remember Ekholm being injured to start last year. Don’t remember press and fans turning on him.
“So many kidding themselves with the current D and the likely scenario outlined for Nurse IMO”
Why would so many be kidding themselves if the scenario is likely “IMO”. Based on my sample size of Ekholm, maybe you’ve got the likely part wrong…?
I think the more likely scenario is Nurse has a good year. because that’s generally what he does: have good years.
— It’s a truism in sport. Always forever players that don’t show up to camp 100% it’s the same game script: “he will be fine”. “He will come back slower” “Of course he’s struggling he didn’t have pre-season”. “I came back to early”
— The media and fans are most often too invested to ask the hard questions when players don’t show up 100% to camp.
— Off the top of my head on teams I follow: last year Ek wasn’t ready at start of camp and it took a long time for him to come around. Brown sucked all year and he wasn’t at camp.
— Over the years Sek Klef Ferrance
— CmC wasn’t healthy at camp for the 49ers this year and now out. Justin Herbert recovering from injuries and didn’t play pre-season now he sucks amd playing hurt.
— Romano Bichette Swanson Gausman: all didn’t show up 100 % all struggled this year
— So many golfers and tennis players that miss big chunks of time due to injury and take a long time to come back.
— It’s endless professionals who teams and fans rely on that aren’t 100% yet the press just doesn’t get access writes what they are told, fans believe them wonder why so an so isn’t playing great
— Most fans and media are unconditionally loyal. They never see any issue with the guys they like who are recovering coming into camps. It’s just assumed the athlete just can bounce back in no time.
— I’ve seen the playbook too many times. These are professional athletes: missing camp is a red flag full stop.
— I hope I’m wrong and Nurse comes back and is impactful out of the gates. I just know better than to expect this.
— But I’m not the GM. Let’s hope they have stuff in the pipe because they ought not be all in with the current D composition IMO.
— And yeah they did turn on Ek: he was slow he was aging out he needed better partners etc. then he got better.
— His slow start was a big contributor to the lousy start of last year IMO
You’re a guy who tends to oscillate between being analytical and data-driven at times, while also making bold, sentiment-driven statements.
What parameters would you use to evaluate a successful year for Nurse, when the season is over?
Nurse, for example, has played nine seasons in the NHL. Of those 9 years, he’s had a positive goal share 3 times, even goal share twice, and a negative goal share four times (at five on five).
What do you guys think about this rumor about Seth Jones being on the Oilers radar?
Could we see a Darnell Nurse / Seth Jones swap and how might that look.
Ekholm-Bouchard
Kulak-Jones
Dermott-Emberson
Gleason-Brown/Stecher
I don’t know even Nurse is probably better than Jones defensively. But Jones might have more offense and how does that leave the left side of the Oiler defense. Gotta say, that sure improves the right side drastically. I would be shocked.
My fear would be acquiring Jones to play him with Nurse.
I don’t see what the Hawks gain by doing that. They have 2 RHD on their current roster
It would leave their right side looking bleak, as it leaves the Oilers left side looking bleak. Interesting scenario. Bowman did sign Jones to that contract and the two defensemen are similar in a lot of ways, except one is RH & the other is LH. Bizarre.
Where are you hearing this?
It’s an interesting idea of Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, that isn’t going to happen. I just saw it and wanted to share it with people who care.
Thanks. Wyshnyski knows as much about the Oilers as my dead great grand mother.
So on par with hairbag.
This does not make the Oilers better
I would say that its a made up rumor with no substance and would be a poor move by the Oilers to acquire a contract that is just as bad, if not worse, as I think Nurse is the better player and, of course, Nurse is close with the high end talent on the Oilers’ team – I don’t think Jones is.
I don’t see Nurse waiting his trade protection to head to the Hawks.
I do think we see peak Nurse this year. Coffey is going to let him roam and use that God given talent of skating to his advantage. We are going to see a confident Nurse who will become a weapon with the best top 9 since the Eighties.
They both have full NMC. Nurse isn’t going anywhere until 2027 at the soonest.
No cuts after today’s game – next round will be Tuesday.
Coach says they are currently expecting Nurse to play 1 or 2 exhibition games.
Looking forward to seeing how Pickard performs with a very different group in front of him. His last outing was kinda lousy, but was affected by the weaker D group protecting (?) the blue line.
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?
Isn’t Stecher cheaper and Brown basically waiver proof?
He is cheaper but why would he be waiver proof? If anyone is waiver proof its Josh Brown.
In any event, the question, in my opinion, still stands given what we’ve seen consistently from the coaching staff from day 1 of camp through today.
Yes, to clarify, I said Stecher is cheaper and Brown is waiver proof
So for cap reasons, Stecher makes sense and they can call up Brown when needed.
Yes, that would make sense on that premise, and something I have been hoping for, but that does not seem to be the actual plan of the team based on what we’ve seen in camp until today – hence the question.
Who’s on first, what’s on second, I Don’t Know’s on third.
Stecher is hurt or he would play more
He’s not hurt as far as I know.
From accounts, his ankle did get re-infected during the off-season and its hasn’t been all that long since he’s been fully up to speed but he’s participated fully in camp and played 2 exhibition games – I don’t think he’s currently hurt.
In any event, he’s been playing and he’s clearly slotted below Brown given Brown has been with Kulak since day 1 and Stecher with tweeners and AHL vets.
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.
Earlier in pre-season I watched a game on Oilers+ after it had finished. I was tough to find a link to the game on their site but eventually I found it.
Thank you for the info – was that same night of the game or the next day?
It was the same night as the game but an hour after it ended.
Very nice – that would line up well as we won’t be home until apx 10:30. I’m not sure its not crazy to watch an exhibition game after the fact until midnight but here we are.
Thank you.
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.
The point is fair but I think the delivery seems a bit unnecessary.
It would have been more appreciated if it was along the lines of “Hey, OP, I’ve noticed you have the spelling wrong a few times, just wanted to let you know that his name is spelled O’Reilly”.
At least now I know and will thank you for that.
!@#$ %^&
The delivery was fine. The point is, for a lawyer, you know attention to detail is critical. Come on with the response to VO.
Hey, Kemp is playing.
Kemp is playing – with a non NHL player, not getting reps with a possible NHL partner in Kulak – a poor indication of him being in real competition with Brown – at least to me.
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.
Amen
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.
I agree with this, I’d like to see Kulak/Bouchard get some familiarity with eachother for this shift.
Ekholm will be worked like a rented mule on the PK, most likely heading off at the end of a successful PK while Bouchard optimally will be jumping over the boards. Popping smooth skating Kulak into that shift will lead the coach to roll out the Nurse pairing afterwards allowing the other 2 pairings to reset and hydrate.
He’ll only be on the PK for the last 3 seconds along with McDavid.
Not according to the coach’s stated plan…..
A double-digit salary wouldn’t meet the league minimum salary requirements.
He played 25 minutes per game in the playoffs including 1:40 more at 5 on 5 than the next guy and more the 3 minutes overall than the next guy.
In the small sample size, he’s been effective on the PK and working him makes sense but I’m not sure playing more minutes than he’s proven able to is required – he can likely handle it though.
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
I’ve been begging for a 3-C for years we finally have some cover for Connor and Leon. Holland made a nice trade for Henrique and Carrick. I had us resigning Carrick and not Henrique so that was a pleasant surprise getting Adam. It would of been nice getting a smart player like Carrick but he recieved a well deserved contract from the Rangers.
Ceci, McLeod, and Foegele had good to great numbers in the regular season.
I meant Ceci and Des. Reg season. Relative numbers:
Ceci 23/24 5v5, NST
CF% Rel -3.1 #7
FF% Rel -7.21 #8
SF% Rel -6.73 #9
GF% Rel -5.59 #5
XGF% Rel -5.87 #9
HDCF% Rel -7.38 #8
HDGF% Rel -14.6 #7
Des
CF% Rel -4.55 #5
FF% Rel -4.14 #5
SF% Rel -3.55 #6
GF% Rel -7.24 #7
xGF% Rel -3.92 #5
HDCF% Rel -1.31 #5
HDGF% Rel 1.95 #4
Kulak was better in most areas. Nurse was worse. Des did fine given he was 6D, but they couldn’t play him in the playoffs and his playoff PK wasn’t great, so why keep him?
Nurse vs Ceci, usually together:
CF% Rel Nurse -3.36 #4 Ceci -5.99 #7
FF% Rel Nurse -4.54 #6 Ceci -7.21 #8
SF% Rel Nurse -5.03 #7 Ceci -6.73 #9
GF% Rel Nurse -9.28 #8 Ceci -5.59 #5
xGF% Rel Nurse -5.03 #8 Ceci -5.87 #9
HDCF% Rel Nurse -5.22 #7 Ceci -7.38 #8
HDGF% Rel Nurse -16.07 #8 Ceci -14.6 #7
Terrible as a pair this way. If Nurse doesn’t recover some game, big trouble. Given they can’t move him Ceci had to go. If you look at his second most common partner Kulak as a pair the Rel numbers are still not good. Nurse with a skilled partner either Ekholm or Bouch did a lot better
Bouch can definitely play 23-25 min/game, even more for certain games.
Ekholm won’t play as much.
Bouch played about 1:40/G more than Ekholm at 5 on 5 in the playoffs and over 3 minutes per game overall.
Ek played just under 22 minutes per game in the playoffs which I think is just fine and there should the potential for him to play less as Nurse’s minutes were WAY down the playoffs – likely a combo of injury and poor play (and injury related poor play)
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.
I think the answer is pretty clear that we don’t know how he’ll perform as 2RD on this team going in to this season – that is a story that will start to be told starting in the second week of October.
Yes. My point exactly. 2RHD is a huge question mark. I am not particularly comfortable anointing a player with 30 NHL games as a lock to excel at 2RHD (especially when he will be playing with a much maligned and injured Nurse).
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.
To me if Nurse is healthy and has a partner that can skate and he can trust to back him up, and make a decent pass so opponents can’t key on one side, he is better off skating it out more and playing more as he did before. If he has the puck more and there is less defending because it’s up ice he will do better
And hopefully Coffey and Stuart can calm his D zone play a bit so he is making better decisions and focusing on winning the little battles more. When he does too much he loses the plot
Woodie thought he was the star of the show.
Yep he allowed the pressure to build with his stubbornness. They looked like a lost team to begin the year panicking after only a few games with confusion on line changes. All this happening while double shifting a injured Connor Woody was tearing this team apart.
I felt that at times
The Oilers do not have anything close to a sure thing at 2RHD. There are positives about Emberson but he is a huge question mark.
Easily the most important question mark on the team this season.
On the other hand I can remember many seasons where the discussion was focused on the certainty that the newly acquired guy wasn’t going to work out worth sh*t so at least we get some suspense out of the situation. 😎
Maybe Ference can come in and save the day or at the very least be a snitch.
They haven’t had one in a couple of seasons. At least they are trying something different. The Rel numbers I put up are terrible for Nurse with Ceci last season
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.