Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet has the Edmonton Oilers number. Coach Kris Knoblauch is attempting to ease his veterans into the preseason, like he’s handling the third imperial Fabergé egg. Tocchet brings an old school approach even in preseason, and that means living on the edge of the rules, skating the legs off the privileged, and communicating one true thing: Beating the Canucks means you better pack a lunch, because it’s going to take all day. Added to the fact Tocchet brought a bunch of AHL guys to get it done, and it’s very difficult to look at last night as a victory for the home team. There were things to like, and plenty that needs work.
THOUGHTS ON LAST NIGHT
Josh Brown is in need of some reps. He ran a five-on-five expected goal share of 26 percent, and the actual factual eye test surely came in somewhere close. The Oilers need him as a physical presence and a deterrent against tomfoolery. I don’t believe any one player can stop a vicious hit or attempt to injure, but for me last night (once again) showed why you need big, physical players who can play. Brown hasn’t shown well in the hockey portion of the games he’s played in.
Ben Gleason scored a goal and had the puck moving in a good direction five-on-five. He’s about where Jordan Oesterle was when the Oilers let him go for free. He can play.
Travis Dermott and Troy Stecher played well together, that could be a tandem at some point this season. Stecher’s timing offensively is a little off, owing to injury recovery and Knoblauch’s Fabergé egg approach to veterans. Ty Emberson and Brett Kulak looked like veterans who are getting close to being ready for the season. That’s a welcome piece of news.
The continued absence of Darnell Nurse is a concern, although he has been cleared to play and we should see him appear in a game soon. This is one part of the roster where the Fabergé egg application makes sense. The Oilers need the best version of Nurse possible, and that includes a healthy player.
Stuart Skinner had a nice night, boasting a .933 save percentage and making some big stops. There are lots of critics, but Skinner is ready and looked sharp last night. That’s a big damned deal. I wasn’t especially impressed with the Oilers blue physically in front of the goalie, and at least one cross-ice pass led to a goal due to a defender being out of position. There are things to clean up on the Edmonton side of the ice.
Connor McDavid is ready, honestly he seems to need about five shifts to reach mid-season form. Corey Perry cashed on a lovely give-and-go with the captain, and Vasily Podkolzin should have but did not. When God gives out soft hands for hockey, he means business and it sticks.
Leon Draisaitl scored a lovely shootout goal, sending this hockey fan back in time 50 years and a similar moment delivered by Montreal Canadiens center Pete Mahovlich. I liked Draisaitl’s game, he refuses to be a Fabergé egg and I worry about his all or nothing at all approach. His wingers could use more time with him, and that’s only fair to Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. They’re quality veterans, the coach needs to stop auditions and deploy his starters.
Adam Henrique with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown didn’t win the possession game but had as many good chances as the opponent and played a good game. I saw them good, and would suggest they weren’t at their offensive best.
Drake Caggiula, James Hamblin and Lane Pederson played well to my eye. I don’t think they will be here on the weekend. Caggiula had a fabulous sequence later in the first, but he couldn’t cash.
At noon today, Sports 1440, we have a loaded show. Daniel Nugent-Bowman at The Athletic will pop in to talk about Mike Hoffman’s release, what he saw last night and an update on Calvin Pickard. Jason Gregor will also make an appearance to talk Oilers, Elks and more. PLUS, Rachel Doerrie returns! You loved her analysis last year and she’s back to talk all things Oilers and NHL. I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
Brown is not/should not be a full time NHLer on a cup contender.
Has to be Emberson + Stretcher and sign Dermott.
I’m not sure they head to Seattle.
I think the team cuts down to two extra forwards, being Lavoie and Philp today.
Listening to some of the post-game pods and shows and listening to the texts and calls and it seems some are already wondering how long of a leash the new second line should be given.
My goodness, its one game and neither Drai nor Skinner were playing the game we will see from them come October 9 – they were doing the veteran thing where they were doing what they needed to do to get themselves ready for the season which often does not directly corelate with the best game on the ice.
If that game for the forwards means anything, we might as well cancel subscriptions and find a hobby, because they won’t make the playoffs playing like that
I was pleased that the D group as a whole were mobile and played a pretty good tempo, were mostly moving the puck pretty quickly. It will take a while to settle but encouraging signs
“If the Oilers haven’t won the Stanley Cup by October 10, this team is DONE and ownership should fire EVERYONE!”
They are all smart, talented players, and the likelihood they figure out each other’s rhythms is high. Last night was their first game together, I would think they need at least 10 more to get a sense of whether it works or not.
For me, I saw flashes of it in the third period, and I think it will be helped by a strong puck moving pairing behind the three of them (either 2-14, or 27-49).
Holloway + Desharnais >> Skinner and Josh Brown.
No need even for Broberg to be added to the equation.
Uhh what?
Skinner is one of the top producing 5v5 players in the league. Also, why is it Brown vs. Des? Stretcher >>> Des.
Of course you know all this.
Brown sucks but we are trending to a Stecher/Dermott combination at 6D/7D replaces Deharnais and Josh Brown playing the Ryan Stanton roll in the AHL.
Jeff Skinner had a down year last season and had more goals last season that Holloway has points in his career.
Jeff Skinner had a down year last season and had more assists last season that Holloway has points in his career.
Jeff Skinner had one point in the 2022/23 exhibition season (on the PP) and ended the year with 37G and 82 points in 79 games.
I like Holloway and wish he was on this team but he got overpaid by over a million and he’s not in Jeff Skinner’s stratosphere and that includes 2-way game as Holloway is still a player that makes puck mistakes in the neutral zone that lead to high dangers against, with regularity.
This is complete nonsense.
The drop off from Skinner to Holloway for 2nd line winger is so much more than the drop-off from Desh to Brown as the 6th Dman….never mind the fact that Brown is really the #7 D man.
Desharnais could become stetcher or dermott. If we have to read every game you’re giving Broberg the Norris and the 4,5,6 D suck I won’t be reading one word you write. Ceci is gone and clearly you need a new victim.
I sure didn’t see Brown as everyone else seems to have. He isn’t much different to me than Desharnais except he is a waaaay better skater, gets around a lot faster. Same wobbles passing like Vinny. He stopped a lot of forwards on the boards and trying to get to the net
That’s what big marginal D play like. If they play better than that and can also skate they make 5M plus like Zadorov. He also hasn’t had a year with Coffey coaching him yet, I did see him giving input to Josh during the game. Maybe he is 7-8, maybe he gets better and size wins the day
I’ve seen enough with Brown. He is not a NHL level player at this point, not even as a 7th D-Man. Waive him and have him help coach up the kids in the AHL.
0% WAR rating from JFresh looks to be completely accurate.
What qualifies Brown as being able to “coach up the kids in the AHL”?
For a franchise that has no idea what the Stanley cup feels like, last night would feel like a win for them lol
Nurse has been cleared to play and Pickard scheduled to skate today and take shots.
I honestly don’t have high expectations for Josh Brown, At the same time, I do want him to be successful (imagining the kid who was excited to do his dream job). But watching him last night there were too many times where plays died with him, or he wasn’t making simple plays to help his team. And aside from his tussle with Hoglander (?!?) he was fairly physically invisible.
I want tough team play, I just don’t think Brown fits the bill.
Brown is not the problem. The individuals responsible for targeting him are.
He was targeted as a hopeful #7 and will cost nothing when sent to the AHL. No harm, no foul.
They like his size and potential physicality. I’m disappointed we haven’t seen it yet, because that’s the edge he has over the other three incumbents and that is what the team needs from him. Not to mention he needs to relax and not be so nervous with the puck on his stick.
He wasn’t alone in less than polished play. Brown took a fair few guys into the boards that I noticed. That is the main physical play, when a guy that big takes you in it hurts. Like Kane does to folks. Or huge guys crosscheck a player, like Zadorov did to Leon, ruining the second half of his playoffs
Rishaug says he doesn’t see how Josh Brown makes this team. I agree given he’s outplayed by both Stecher and Dermott and Stecher looked great in the 3rd when he was playing with Kulak – QoC caveat.
Gleason has outplayed him too. This is a problem since they need that big tough third pairing defenseman. I’m thinking they may have to go into the season with 8 defensemen, if they want to wait for Brown to come around to what they expect from him or send him down to work on some things.
Send him down to work on things then. No one is claiming him. There is no reason to try to shoehorn Brown into the lineup.
I’m less concerned about the truculence factor. Given the length of the previous season it would be good to have some D options to save on wear and tear moving forward with the overall D corp
You still want to ignore Brown’s 6 years of NHL history. He is what we are seeing.
So, 8D and 11F?
Connor has sent out the memo, he wants the team together for the final two preseason match ups on the road. No more tryouts, no more hopefuls, it’s time to put it all together.
Its guaranteed Nurse will play the final two games and be ready for 82 games and more.
You got that from his post-game last night? He only mentioned it like 4 times. lol.
I do think they will give the third line a night off as the likes of Philp and Lavoie will each get at least one more game.
As the fourth line
At this point I think they get down to the starting line up right now. Let the boys gel together on the road for the final two tune ups.