The last time the Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup (1990) there were five rookies who played for them. Only two reached the 40-game mark, just one (Geoff Smith) would play the entire season for the team. This year’s team does have a new NHL arrival (Noah Philp) and we’ll see about recalls as the season moves along. I got a good look at the Bakersfield Condors last night and have some observations.
The Athletic article today is about the state of Edmonton’s prospect pool. It has been an active and productive 12 months since last winter’s top 20. There are some encouraging trends. The article is here.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN NOVEMBER
- On the road to: CAL (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: NJD, VEG (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- On the road to: VAN (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: NYI, NAS (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: TOR, MTL, OTT (Expected 1-2-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: MIN, NYR (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: UTA, COL (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 8-5-0, 16 points in 13 games
- November results: 1-1-0, 2 points in 2 games
- Oilers in 2024-25: 6-6-1, 13 points in 13 games
I have the Oilers starting a four-game winning streak tonight, aggressive even if Connor McDavid was in the lineup. Still, there are some good arrows for this team, and they are 6-3-1 in the last 10 games. Much has been made about the lack of offense, and I keep thinking the goals will come in bunches soon as regression occurs. However, the power play is an absolute travesty and that doesn’t appear to be getting fixed. Edmonton needs more power plays and more power-play goals starting any time now.
THE CONDORS
The first thing I always look for is prospects getting plenty of playing time. Max Wanner has received large doses since he arrived a year ago, and that continues through to today. I’m not sure we can call any of the rest of these names pure prospects, but Phil Kemp is getting his usual opportunities that is a fact.
Connor Carrick scores well here, he has played with several partners and had success. Cam Dineen and Phil Kemp have struggled at even-strength goal share, but both men have been productive in the past. I’ve been surprised by the expanded role Noel Hoefenmayer has this season, I see him often. The eye can play tricks, maybe he’s just impacting the play more this year. It’s just my opinon, but Josh Brown has not shown an ability to be Bakersfield’s best defenseman for any extended period this season. Early days.
The trade of Ben Gleason for Ronnie Attard is a good one because it gives the team more room to wheel under the veterans rule the AHL enforces. It does give the group a ‘right-orium’ feel, with all of Carrick, Brown, Wanner, Kemp and now Attard righties. The left side is currently Dineen and Hoefenmayer, Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated. I think we could see Travis Dermott sent down, and Josh Brown sent north (or similar) in the coming days. Righty-Righty pairings are rare for extended periods.
This is a fascinating and encouraging look at Colin Chaulk’s forward group in Bakersfield. Matt Savoie is scoring well (3-3-6) in early days and is also positive by even-strength goal share. He’s being lifted by linemates like Seth Griffith and Roby Jarventie, but the rookie is also lifting the veterans. Music!!! I can’t tell you how happy I am that Savoie is adjusting so quickly.
At the other end, James Stefan is struggling as an AHL rookie. I do think that the role he is playing is less than ideal and of course he’s playing down the depth chart with lesser offensvie talents. Important not to reach any grand conclusions about Stefan or Savoie, but we can observe two very different beginnings to pro careers in this case.
I’ve been impressed by Daniel D’Amato and the numbers (both even strength scoring and the boxcars) indicate he can play with authority at this level. Something of an unknown entering the season, he has emerged quickly.
Jayden Grubbe is rumbling in a good way, kind of like Chris VandeVelde two decades ago. We can all agree he doesn’t bring enough offense, but Grubbe brings other things that matter, just like VandeVelde. I think Grubbe is going to play NHL games in the next two seasons.
Seth Griffith has struggled for a couple of seasons at even strength, but is absolutely pushing the river this season. A very good player despite the advanced age.
A busy afternoon on the Lowdown, we get started at noon on Sports 1440. Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal joins us, we’ll also have Cam Lewis from Jays Nation to give us a preview of the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency and what may come at the winter meetings. I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly. We can be heard at sports1440.ca; iHeartRadio; Radioplayer Canada, we tweet out the show after it’s done and you can catch us on Apple and Spotify.
Surprised how many people are dragging Skinner after that one. He finished with a .912 save percentage and the team only scored two goals. I think only scoring two goals is a bigger problem than Stu was last night.
Also didn’t help that one team heard the last minute announcement, started playing for overtime, assumed the team they were playing would also be content with overtime, and then executed the most half-hearted swarm defense I’ve seen in a long while.
If I gather correctly, our list of problems is:
1) McDavid, Nuge, and Henrique are sucking
2) PK stinks
3) PP sucks
4) 5v5 pretty good for chances but PDO stinks and not regressing
5) part of the PDO being bad is the players are shooting blanks
6) goaltending porous
And that is before we get to the revolving door of D men playing the 2nd/3rd lines
That is a lot of problems for a team treading water
Tough night to be a Condors fan in Calgary. 4-0. Sad how few people were attending. That Wranglers team is huge and nasty.
On a positive, I thought Kulak had a very good game. By eye test.
I missed the third because I had to pick up my daughter from work. Sorry. What happened to Stecher?
Blocked a shot. Left the game.
If Mcdavid is going to play like he did tonight, somebody else could have had at least some of those 21 minutes. Noah Philp and/or the Drake for example. I’ll not ride him too hard just getting back from injury, but even before injury he has not been the best player in the game and has merely played at first line level. Seasons past he made you stand up from your seat every time he stepped on the ice. He has been very average and this team will not win without supernova Mcdavid doing supernova Mcdavid things. Someone please tell Nuge the season started a month ago and exhibition games are over.
Good lord just saw the 1st GA
#2 should get 250k knocked off his next contract for that effort.
LT mentioned floors the other day…
Oilers missed a number of glorious chances (earned chances) to extend the one goal lead, then Nuge takes an awful and obvious penalty and a meh goal is allowed. Oilers press but also allow two great chances from the slot, the 2nd is buried.
McDavid may as well have taken the extra 3 days by not playing tonight as he didn’t impact the game at all – Derek Ryan had a bigger impact.
3rd worst PK in NHL history.
Should add “at the 14 game mark of the season”. It feels not even real…
This team is on life support. Special teams are going to get a coach fired/a bad trade made.
How did you see the last goal? I yelled “help” at the TV for Bouch to go but then almost instantly said “no” (for him to back off). Obviously he did neither which stinks but Ek probably most at fault for me.
I saw it as Skinner please make a save
Thats a tough save on a good shot by Hanifin. He had just stopped him from a similar spot a few mins earlier but Hanifin made a better shot on that one. What he NEEDED to do was stop that rim around behind the net and it’s a nothing play
He’s paid to stop them
Not just in front of the net but behind it as well
The player most at fault is Skinner, both Hanifin’s goals cannot go in, I bet if you look at every single goal on skinner the majority will be low left side.
Both those need to be saved.
I player cannot beat 4 players to puck and pass to a second entering the zone. It was 1vs 4, Then it was 2vs 4
Nuge penalty was definitely turning point, and perhaps two missed Arvidsson chances prior. However, this was oils 3rd game in 4 nights while Vegas didn’t play at all in that time. Pretty tough to be at your best in 3rd period in that scenario.
Players take penalties, it’s a part of the game, being dead last on the PK is the biggger issue, defence & goaltending are a massive issue, more so than the player taking the penalty.
Agreed it is a part of the game. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t the turning point. Similar to what Calgary’s narrative was the other night about Posposil costing them the game. Penalties in offensive zone especially at inopportune times have a significant impact. Especially when our pk sucks.
Out goalied again. Wake me up when the goalies start trying again. Mike Smith did it too. This team seriously has to play perfect or they lose.
It’s a good thing. It’ll tighten them up out of necessity then once Stu gets it together they’ll be ready for the run.
A couple more goals wouldnt hurt.
They scored twice.
They need 4 – as it has been for some time and they can rather easily do.
When they score – they win. And Vegas gave them all the room they needed. No urgency. No execution.
All correct
Not much of a chance to stop the 3rd goal after the breakdown but he HAS to stop that puck behind the net. Skinner was lollygagging in the crease and by the time he realized it was coming around it was too late. That put Ek and Bouch in split second scramble. Bouch still needs to find a way to deflect that pass and lastly, Podkolzin was late coming back, Hanifin should not beat him to the slot.
Wow. Are we back in the spot where morale victories are important? Nuge penalty. Brutal. Bouchard not recognizing and puck watching with 50 seconds left. Yuck! Tough, Tough loss. Special teams loss to boot. What is with the brutal PK. Feels like the club gets scored on every second penalty. Oh wait….
This team can’t get out of its own way. Painful.
We can bitch all we want about our D and goalering but this team isn’t going to win many games if they can’t score more than 2 goals a game.
And we lose the special teams battle again. How often has that happened this year????
More than 1 or 2 PPs per game would help
Seems like we have drawn very few calls so far this season.
Out working, and forcing the opposing player draws penalty calls. Not enough of this happening. Not much forechecking. No hitting. The Oilers had 5! 5!!! Hit in the entire game last game. I mean cmon. Coaches have been fired for having historically bad PK’s. This is not going to end well for this coach if this keeps up…
Is a constant for a while now. Even when playing great, they do flybys and a lot of not forcing the play, and they just seem unemotional. It’s not a hardworking group. they might be outside their window to win already. It seems to be coming from inside the house, stoic no emotion. Could it be leadership? I don’t know. Oh, and I would have picked up a veteran like Talbot to split duties with Skinner. What’s he got .925 for 2.5 million???
Then win the damn 5v5 battle and have a quality PK instead of pining for more PPs.
McDavid with another stinker of a game for him.
I’m convinced he’s in his “I have to play different” era that nearly killed Ovechkin’s career.
Someone needs to remind him his job is to score, apparently.
A complete non-factor tonight.
I remain convinced that they have to do what they did for Wayne and get him a winger that can take the D Zone C positioning, at least if it isn’t a faceoff. Let Connor cover a point. He’s a hunter not a farmer and it’s 100% wired in, as you say trying to make him into something else will make him worse at everything
I don’t want him then trying to block shots, I think he wouldn’t have to with his quickness and smarts. I think the D on his side would be freaking at the thought if Connor gets the puck in stride he’s gone, or any puck bobble could lead to disaster. It might cause the other team to want to compensate for it which would affect their attack
Awful all around. 2 on 4. Terrible body position by Ekholm. Then the other three figure we don’t need to worry about anyone else.
Gah!
Classic Skinner. Down Thumbs all you want. He doesn’t make great saves. Put Hill in our net and we win.
All of my frustration is with the lack of offensive finish from the entire team. Also, that 3rd goal in particular was a defensive breakdown that shouldn’t happen.
Nor should the goal
Skinner does make big saves, some just don’t recognize/remember them.
This team sucks right now.
Bouch. No reason to drift, there…
Absolutely pathetic.
And there’s why you don’t play that awful, low scoring, passive garbage game.
There is a big save by Skinner at a big time – point blank on Hanifin to keep the game tied late.
That aged poorly!
How has no one chopped Pietrangelo’s arm yet?
Playing Hudson Bay rules now
Does this version of the Oilers not work hard enough to get PPs or are they not good salesmen?
Watched the Bruins and leafs and it was a circus act of embellishment. Worked for the Leafs
McDavid currently continuing a very pedestrian season.
No, I don’t think its injury related, he’s been pedestrian most of the season and a non-factor through 54 minutes tonight.
He could flip that narrative in an instant but its where we are now.
Completely agree – he was a non-factor in the game.
Knights could play any line against him
Time for a 97 goal.
As long as Skinner is our #1 we won’t win. He’s average and not elite.
Ugh. Changed direction.
Our pk sucks…
If the goalie can’t stop the puck the pk will always suck
That can’t go in on an nhl goalie regardless of the screen. It hit the middle of the net
Oilers had some glorious opportunities to extend that one-goal lead and couldn’t.
Its come back to bite them but they are pressing back right away.
Oilers are the better team tonight – need to get that lead back.
Terrible GA. Absolutely terrible.
The PK just isn’t getting it done.
Allowing weak wristers from the point to go in is on the goalie.
Bad penalty by Nuge – offensive zone – and the game is tied.
Not sure that’s a great goal on Skinner who, prior thereto, was having a strong game.
Jeezuz that was soft. How do Oilers not get more PPs if that is the standard?
Kulak getting very heavy minutes for him and having himself a game.
Nurse-Kulak is officially a real thing.
And Nurse’s range is allowing Kulak to be a 4th forward much of the time.
Terrible rebound by Skinner direct to the slot
Great backtrack by Brownie, though, right?
Well sure, saved a goal.
What a brutal opening shift against their 4th line. Every Oiler lost at least one battle and gave the puck away for free
Oh my goodness – what a play by the, now, 2nd line – how did that not go in.
Brown just saved a goal – wow.
Brett Kulak leading the team in 5 on 5 (and overall) TOI through 2 periods…..
Bent a little but didn’t break. Got our breaks and buried them. Now it’s Vegas feeling the heat and getting sloppy.
Skinners battle level is elevated!!!
Expect a push from Vegas but also some odd man rushes for us.
Got em right where we want em.
Great breakup by Derek Ryan there a minute ago.
Great defensive play by Podz there and then Skinner with a big save on Holtz and then another.
Some nights you just need a couple of breaks to get out of the funk. Very fortunate that Stone missed the open net, and then Hyman gets one off a bad bounce. Karma.
BOOM!!! Hyman is rhymin again!!!
Oilers entered the game last in the league in PDO. They are due these bounces.
Hyman’s “luck has turned”.
That came out of nowhere….
Clap clap.
Zach is back!