I began last season hammering Colin Chaulk about prospect development like I was Dick Pound at a drug-testing convention. I’ve never seen anyone with the zeal Pound showed in uncovering ne’er-do-wells, and ciphered I was on my own journey of truth. Then, a funny thing happened.
The Athletic article is on Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid and the top line’s future. It is here.
LAST SEASON
I spent early fall 2023 trumpeting the fact all of the skill prospect wingers (Xavier Bourgault, Carter Savoie, Tyler Tullio, Matvey Petrov) weren’t getting a full chance. I implied Chaulk was playing veterans over youngsters, but the truth is everyone struggled and no one could find clean air at even strength. Last year’s points leader in the metric (Seth Griffith, 36 points) was well clear of everyone, old and young. Raphael Lavoie had 28, Lane Pederson 21 and if you squinted you could get to Tullio and Savoie, but the entire roster had trouble scoring at even strength.
Meanwhile, Chaulk was playing the kids who were making progress. When I watched last season, both Jayden Grubbe and Max Wanner were far and away the best pure prospects in Bakersfield. They weren’t offensive demons, but did help along the way. Here are the prospect even-strength point totals from last season:
- Dylan Holloway 12 (.667 pts-game)
- Raphael Lavoie 28 (.424 pts-game)
- Philip Broberg 19 (.388 pts-game)
- Tyler Tullio 19 (.351 pts-game)
- Carter Savoie 18 (.286 pts-game)
- Matvey Petrov 12 (.226 pts-game)
- Max Wanner 15 (.221 pts-game)
- Phil Kemp 14 (.219 pts-game)
- Xavier Bourgault 11 (.2 pts-game)
- Jayden Grubbe 13 (.194 pts-game)
Looking at that list, it’s kind of hilarious how many of these prospects, top and bottom, are gone. Only Petrov, Wanner, Kemp and Grubbe remain. Changing managers is hard on prospects, same as it ever was. Here are the totals for this year’s prospects through three games (small sample warning):
- Matt Savoie 2 (.677 pts-game)
- Jayden Grubbe 2 (.677 pts-game)
- Matvey Petrov 2 (.677 pts-game)
Early days, but the Oilers are playing the kids, this time they’re scoring. Chaulk had too many prospect wingers, and as much as he could be ripped for not playing individual prospects a year ago, he usually dropped one struggling winger for another struggling winger. Many rivers to cross before spring, but I’ve watched many of these games and have to say that this roster has a much smarter look in 2024-25. Sail on, former Condors, I wish you well. It wasn’t working in California. Not Grapes of Wrath level tragic, but sad all the same.
I’m glad I didn’t bury Chaulk, had planned to do it. Most often, it’s the AHL coach who is trying to win and get an NHL gig. Sometimes, it’s the players. Chaulk has developed players like Wanner and Grubbe, plus Holloway and Broberg developed on his watch too. Mike Kesselring, Raphael Lavoie, Olivier Rodrigue and others. I think the Oilers will have something to show from this season in Buck Owens’ city.
Do you know that ‘Together Again’ is a rarity? A slow song that is also happy. It sounds like a tear jerker, and it is, but it’s a happy song. That damn Buck Owens! By the way, Tom Brumley played steel on that Buck Owens song, inspired Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead to learn the instrument.
COVID
I’m feeling much better today, suspect I’ll wheel by the office tomorrow if thing keep going in a good direction. The blog is late because I slept in (WAY in) this morning. So that’s good news. Have a great day, and please listen to Declan Krueger and Kate Gullekson today on the Lowdown. They are talented broadcasters and fine young people. I recommend them.
I really really like that you can turn on the Prime hockey feeds half an hour before the broadcast starts. No announcers or anything, just a feed of the warmups. I love that so much. I like watching warm up.
I threw on the Leafs/lightning game and there’s so many great shots. Getting to see Matthews and Kuch handling the puck. Vasi gave Rielly a snow shower at the center line.
Question for OP or LT.
regarding Philip
you say he can fill the 4C position. I do to.
do you think he has the ability to play 3C?
i dont see it happening this year, perhaps once henriques contract is up philp could fill the 3c role once he has a season and a half or so of nhl experience.
Since we are talking about the Condors, and have to read daily updates on any former Oiler doing well (but yet, never read about Foegele or Vinny and their performances this season), might as well note that Lavoie has zero points and a -2 through two games with Henderson. He did have five shots on net his last game.
Hope Lavoie does well and beats the odds.
If I was him I’d already have my trade request in. Maybe he is happy. Maybe the change will present opportunity for him.
But I have no doubt that was another Vegas ploy to use the system and grab another young player. Lavoie paid his dues, when claimed off waivers, that was his chance at an NHL shot.
Vegas shenanigans denied him of that NHL opportunity, then shoved him back to the AHL. Must have been disheartening.
Unless there is some kind of bright pathway ahead of him,he should get out of there asap. Screw you Vegas.
Every hockey player in the world over 18 has an NHL ‘opportunity’. Currently for skaters there are 672 jobs available. Unfortunately there are hundreds of thousands of players competing for them
If Ralph has the juice, his size and shot and that he isn’t timid actually give him an edge over many tweeners. I would say his chances are better in Vegas than Edmonton. They use his player type far more than Edmonton does. His demeanor is also not what JJ is looking for. Hopefully he’s not disheartened but pissed off, and grabs the ring before Stone gets hurt
The ship has sailed on Lavoie-Bourgault etc.we are basically down to Akey-Wanner of potential NHLers left from the last administration both who are long shots to make it.
The Friggin’ in the Riggin’ was the 2nd team though.
The team who put a claim in for Lavoie one day, preventing the Oilers from assigning him back to Bakersfield. Then the not putting a claim in the following day, allowing Vegas to claim Lavoie in order assign him to the AHL.
If there was a Vegas ploy, they did not act alone.
Has there been any more talk on what happened there?
Vinny is in competition with Juulsen for #3RD, who was with the Canucks last year. It takes time to displace a D the coaches are familiar with.
He is also in competition for Forbort who plays the left side, because they might prefer Juulsen at RD if Forbert wins the #3LD spot over Brannstrom.
It is sort of Forbort Juulsen vs. Brannstrom Desharnais. It is a competition that will take some time.
I would not bet against Vinny.
I’m fairly confident that, on July 1, Alvin and Rutherford did not sign Vinny to $2MM X2 contract with the thought of him being healthy scratched in the first weeks of the season.
As for Foegele, I thank Rob Blake everyday.
I believe Grubbe has 3 assists (2 empty netter assists, mind you).
I thought this may come before he even played his first game with London but O’Reilly has signed his ELC.
Of course, it will slide this year and also subject to slide next season (if he doesn’t play 10 NHL games).
He is NOT age-eligible for the AHL next season so it’s NHL or junior.
Just in case anyone wasn’t certain, from post-practice media, the PP1 guys “take a lot of pride” in being good on the PP.
The PP1 is costing us games it’s not crisp teams are overplaying Leon and Bouchard Connor and Nuge need to walk in and shoot It’s as simple as it gets.
Per Nugent Bowman:
Oilers lines and pairings at practice:
RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Skinner-Draisaitl-Arvidsson
Podkolzin-Henrique-Perry
Janmark-Ryan-Brown
(Rotating in bottom six)
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Dermott
Kulak-Emberson
Stecher
On the ice: Roby Jarventie
Should try:
Pod-McD-Hymietown
Skinner-Dria-Arv
Nuge-Henrique-Brown
Jan-Ryan-Perry
Does this mean they can send Jarventie down to Bakersfield? Will they accure more daily cap space when he’s sent down?
because Jarventie played 7 NHL games last season, he is on our cap (his cap hit is pro-rated to the amount of games on the roster last year, so its $107K, I believe).
Yes, it will increase the daily accrual by a smidge once he can finally be sent down.
Which works out very close to $600 a day or $18,000 a month
Personally, I’m just looking forward to him getting up an running and getting some games in.
I expect he’ll have a very slow start to the season and may struggle most of the year playing catch up to the league and catch up with his body
Mainly just hoping he gets through the year healthy and can train fully in summer and be rearing to battle and compete in September.
He’s a real prospect of interest but this injury, which MAY really kybosh the better part of two years (if he is behind most of the year) is a big deal.
You definitely weren’t getting a injury free Jarventie for Bourgault whose stock plummeted faster than Bre-X.
Over the last few years, it seemed like whenever we needed someone to step up and fill a role, there was someone there who was more than capable of taking on the assignment. Some of that was probably overcooking prospects, but surely the coach gets some credit for having the prospects in good shape when needed. I think a lot of the angst gets directed at the handling of individual prospects, and maybe deservedly so in some cases, but the overall work seems reasonable to me.
Enjoying the thought of you sleeping way the hell in! Rest up! You deserve it!
On that note, I think there is no other explanation than a cold/flu going through the top guys. They aren’t all hurt, and they all didn’t lose their love for hockey over the summer. Give it a week.
Pumped for another great season.
Every time I hear Kate G on Al’s show, I want to pick up the phone and call social service to report a radio station violating child labor laws. Is she as young as she sounds or am I just an old, old man (Two things can be true at once)? Hope you feel better soon.
For me, I don’t have a huge issue with the way Chaulk deployed his bench. It’s not like the “real prospects” didn’t get a chance to play up the lineup, they did, they just never grabbed the opportunity.
Sure sometimes the leash wasn’t long but the players themselves need to perform. When they did, they played.
I mean Wanner hit the ground running and played legit minutes all year long. He had periods of struggle but played hard through it and retained ice time.
Tulio, when he has heater periods, played in the top 6.
Bourgault and Petrov never really ever earned more time in the top 6.
The year prior, Philp started as 4LW and healthy scratch and we know how he finished the season. He earned opportunity and performed when given it.
For this year, I would note the, after a horrible series of camps (prospect, main and AHL), Petrov started on the 4th line but has worked his way up to play with Hamblin and Griffith after a strong start.
That kind of resilience is a key attribute for a prospect to succeed.
Thanks for posting on Chaulk and his work with (what’s left) of the prospects.
Development is always crucial and making sure the kids get “at bats” and a good environment to progress in never goes out of style. Glad to see that Savoie, Philp, Grubbe, Wanner and Petrov are getting a chance.
It’s early, but it can also get late early too.
I see the coach said there will be some changes for Tom night against the Hurricanes. I wonder what those changes will be? The pp could use a shakeup and I wonder if he could drop Skinner in for Nuge. It seems the pp tries to get way too fancy and passes a bit much ( last game they did shoot a bit more) . When the passing is very fast and crisp it does work, but this year way too many fumbles and misses and much slower setting up those passes. Adding Skinner would give them another shooter option for sure. I know Nuge controls the half wall on the left side and the drop pass to Bouchard, but he rarely shoots thus far this season and teams are taking the x pass to Drai away a lot more. Maybe sticking Skinner in will give them 2 shooting sides and make teams not just cover Drai, thus possibly opening him up for more chances as well. Just a thought .
I hope there are some changes for PP1, but also a shorter leash. They don’t need to play 1:40 of the PP right now when they aren’t producing. Get some line changes in if they don’t establish/hold possession in the O-zone, and give the 2PP some more time.
Looking at your comment on your co hosts LT makes me think about how many up and comers have produced your show over the last 10 years. Lt Eric, Connor Halley, Tyler Yaremchuk. Maybe Declan is next. The path to success in Edmonton sports media runs through LT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHxf17yJsKs
Nurse has more time on the pp than Victor or Jeff. Conor, Leon. Zach, Nuge have almost 5 times more power play time than the new hired guns. (240 seconds compared to 50 seconds) Welcome to the team boys, now sit down and watch.
Would love to know what Allan and Bruce think.
Over the past 3 years that 5man unit has been the best PP in the history of the NHL. They are struggling. Handles are off, bobbles, dusting the puck off, too much looking for the one more. I think the coach has two options:
1 – PP1 gets told you’ve got 60-80secs and if the puck gets cleared or a whistle goes PP2 goes over the boards. Gets the new guys some looks and sends a message to PP1 (make the most out of your time).
2 – Pull RNH (he is very good at zone entries historically with his interaction with 97 and 2 to set up – but he is bobbling the puck and his shot looks weak) or Hyman (hasn’t been a net front presence and his handles on the pass down from the left point/half wall has been a grenade on his stick)