Time flies when you’re pushing for Stanley every spring. This is the Edmonton Oilers 2019 draft list, with rankings from various sources at the time. Five years later and there’s nothing to show, beyond a college defenseman and some draft picks. Last night, we got a look at Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. What I wrote yesterday about Broberg, Holloway, Vasily Podkolzin and Ty Emberson proved true: The four men here are all NHL players, but their roles (and jobs) are not yet at a level where either team can consider their presence on the ice crucial at any point in any game.
The Athletic article today is about the 2024-25 Bakersfield Condors, possibly the most unique team in Edmonton Oilers farm club history. Article is here.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN DECEMBER
- On the road to: VEG (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- At home to: CBJ, STL, TBAY (Expected 2-1-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- On the road to: MIN (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: VEG, FLA, BOS, SJS, OTT (Expected 4-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: LAK, ANA (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: UTA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 9-4-0, 18 points in 13 games
- December results: 2-1-0
- Oilers in 2024-25: 15-10-2, 32 points in 27 games
Oilers are 15-7-2 since the awful start and on a 97-point pace. The playoffs aren’t in question and it’s possible this edition of the team could push for the Pacific Division title. There are so many things to like about this team, and the concerns you’ve expressed to me (Evan Bouchard, Stuart Skinner, scoring wingers, No. 4 center, RH second-pairing defense) held together pretty well. Miles to go, and Stan Bowman could trade for help at any time, but the wise man keeps his powder dry until he’s sure of the target. Goaltender? Top-pair defense? Second-pair defense? Scoring winger? I have no worries about Bouchard and believe Skinner can backstop this team to Stanley. Zach Hyman is improving the outlook on wing and the Nurse-Kulak train keeps a rolling.
THE NUMBERS
Stuart Skinner has a .956 save percentage in his last four starts, the young veteran playing well in front of a less chaotic blue line where structure rules the day. Music! Skinner is an important bet for this team, with the cap template relying on quality goaltending at a great value price. It’s always going to be a big story, but for now at least, it’s a good story.
The top pairing (Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard) is 22-20 five-on-five goals (52 percent) overall, with a 60 percent x-goal share. In the last two games, the expected goal share is 68 percent (2-2 goals) so the duo should be landing some good luck in the future.
Darnell Nurse with Brett Kulak are up to 118 minutes together, 3-1 goals (75 percent) and 62 percent expected goals. I would run this duo all the time, their results are fab. A move Bowman could make today is finding Emberson a lefty partner on the third pair.
Connor McDavid is flying now, he is 25-22 goals five-on-five (53 percent) for the year. One thing worth monitoring is his outscoring without Leon Draisaitl: It’s 44 percent (14-18), while the Glimmer Twins are 11-4, 73 percent when together at five-on-five. Leon solo is 9-9, both men have an expected goal share when apart around 55 percent. I think the coaching staff needs to get higher skill wingers with the two centers. That includes Zach Hyman, who looks back, baby, along with (probably) Jeff Skinner and eventually Viktor Arvidsson.
Five-on-five scoring tells the tale. McDavid (2.85) and Draisaitl (2.29) lead the way, followed by Mattias Janmark (1.79), Jeff Skinner (1.58), Vasily Podkolzin (1.47) and Zach Hyman (1.28) so far this season. Connor Brown (1.26) has been more productive than Viktor Arvidsson (1.1) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (0.99). Need more from some of these folks.
I believe Stuart Skinner was quality again last night and that’s the big takeaway. He’s settling in now, the defense has more structure. I won’t belabor the point, but that’s what I’m seeing.
Juan Soto signs for 15 years!!! and $765 million with the Mets.
Picking the Mets over the Yankees over 5 mil might be the dumbest decision I’ve ever seen by a player. Especially one that good.
Enjoy losing for the Mets…
Saw Caleb Jones on waivers and was reminded that Duncan Keith was an Oiler. What a trip down memory lane that was.
Condors tie it up late in the second. They cause another turnover high in the offensive zone and Perrault snaps home the loose puck from the circles.
Take the lead in the 3rd as Philp wins the draw and Kemp snaps one home from distance.
@stephen_taylor
Hallelujah at Notre Dame.
https://twitter.com/FranceTV/status/1865496886330663124/video/1
Caggiula and Savoie coming in waves now – causing turnovers and odd-man rushes – both stopped in close on two sperate rushes around 15 second apart.
After the whistle, Grubbe drops em with a d-man – spirited fight
Philp takes a cross-ice transition pass from Brown at the center ice line.
Time and space but its a one on two as he crosses the line, takes the d-man wide down the left side, outside/inside to beat the d-man and go bar down short side.
Beauty!
Perrault showing some skill and offensive IQ with a soft pass on the rush against the grain – Kemp can’t handle it though.
Massive shot block by Phil Kemp on a cross-seem PP one-timer by Hudon, a top AHL scorer.
LOL – another Ontario PP and Kemp just made the identical block on the identical cross-seam pass – wow!
Savoie with a very aggressive/rambunctious forecheck pops the puck loose, Pederson and Caggiula both with deft little passes to spring Savoie with a quick break right in on net but can’t bury – heartening sequence though.
Summarizing!
The only crooked number of the day belonged to Akey who registered an assist. Everyone else were not recipients of soup.
It was Day’s day to rest too.
Prospecting takes a break until Wodin’s Day.
After making the finals and coming within a mega cup win, Oilers are far and above anything they have been since the 82-91 team.
Vote now.
I don’t know which version of the Oilers people saw that voted against this statement. 06? Hardly.
There is a culture to offer sheets as well. It’s not just that the GM may get some blowback, it’s in the locker room as well.
The player must sign the offer sheet. And going against your team is taboo. That’s a huge reason we see few offer sheets.
Agree or not, it’s a thing.
You seen McDavid last night have a poke at Holloway. A very rare thing from the Captain.
Joe Sakic signed an offer sheet to leave the Avalanche. Do you think his teammates were upset with him? How about Scott Steven’s doing it twice? Sebastian Aho? Brendan Shanahan? Sergei Federov? Shea Weber? Ryan O’Reilly?
The draft pick cost and the $$ cap hit risk are the primary factors in its limited use (making the cap hit high enough so that the team doesn’t match is very risky, which is why it usually isn’t high enough and most get matched).
McDavid punched de Haan just 3 games ago. He can be feisty.
Agreed, and there are tons we never hear of because they don’t get accepted. Roberto Luongo said he was tendered an offer by TOR right after he was traded to VAN.
I’m telling you, it’s a thing. Believe what you want.
I’d be happy to look any any evidence to support what you believe. You telling me is not convincing. In the meantime, you’re free to believe what you want too.
I would wonder if McDavid cares one little bit. Hey Connor: what are your thoughts on Broberg signing an offer sheet? Broberg? Who does he play for?
Well that was fun.
The Rangers took a 3-1 lead over the Kraken then the Squids scored 5 straight goals to take a 6-3 lead.
The Rangers then scored 2 to make it 6-5 but Seattle scored another to make the final 7-5.
You have to wonder how long Laviolette is going to last.
Can anyone recall a time that HH said an Oilers game was fun over the last decade+?
If they lose to the Hawks and Sabres he’s done. Don’t be surprised if J.T heads to Broadway in fact it’s in the works now. Booook it……..
There has been a ton of chatter about that but denials all round.
The latest here:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/j-t-millers-absence-is-not-about-a-trade/
Do the math the Trumbo trade was done to clear up cap for J.T. Rangers are going to acquire Miller for cheap.
Why the fook would the Canucks trade J.T. Miller?
For cheap?
You two trolls say some really dumb things.
You should post this on a Rangers forum, or Kraken.
For really good Oiler talk there is Lowetide.ca.
For the out of town scoreboard I have tsn.ca; my NHL app, the TV in the bar I walk past…
And Harper’s Hair.
McDavid appreciation post
Thursday we’re recognizing him for his 1000th point and he already has 1019.
Gord willing Leon stays healthy, and approximately 1 year later we’ll be celebrating his 1000th point, along with Nuge’s 1000th game
Savoie will play with Caggiula and Pederson again this afternoon (4pm).
Philp will center Wright and the new guy, Perrault.
Wanner back playing with Dineen – that should be locked in my opinion (they were together most of last season when Wanner was so good – he’s had an inconsistent year, at best, to this point).
Chaulk is not a good coach.
Good coaches win the the AHL. They all end up with roughly equivalent rosters, tweeners and prospects. The coaching cream rises to the top. The sample size for Chaulk is long enough, particularly since he has not won anywhere in his career.
The Oilers should have fixed this yesterday already.
I think you’ve confused what an NHL team needs from an AHL coach, and that’s player development. I am not qualified to make that assessment, but I have seen several Condors matriculate to the NHL in the past few years, so there’s that. But we’re clearly not auditioning this guy for a Knoblauch replacement
Winning in the AHL is the proof that one is maximizing the tweeners AND developing the prospects, because everyone basically has roughly the equivalent roster.
Yes, one can have a bad year, but a good coach is not going to produce subpar results in the AHL year after year after year.
That’s an assumption. It also presumes that senior AHL players aren’t getting a disproportionately higher TOI and PP opportunities. Do you have the statistics to back that up? What about the Condors’ player development could be improved, and cite specific examples.
Chaulk’s points percent by year in the AHL:
21-22 .603 (last 34 games)
22-23 .542
23-24 .583
24-25 .447 (through 19 games)
Chaulk has never had subpar results in the AHL before early 24-25.
Blah, blah, blah… sniff, sniff, waaahhh.
What else do you want to cry about?
It is fair to question if Chaulk is the right coach for Bakersfield.
In doing so, you need to ask what he’s been tasked with accomplishing (development/winning) and to what degree. Seems that development is always the priority, and if you can win and develop great. If you win and don’t develop, you’re not providing full value. If you lose and key guys are developing, that may not be the end of the world.
I do wonder if the forwards are getting better at this stage. The defense has been turned over but Wanner is having ups and downs. There is a new goalie coach and looking at the stats, seems the Rodrigue is still progressing.
So your only measure of good coach is “win the AHL”? Philosophy being a guy like, say Bruce Cassidy, would consistently win championships with any generic ahl roster?
I don’t actually agree with winning as a singular measure. Nor do I agree with the theory that all ahl rosters are roughly the same. We have had pretty bomber ahl rosters in past years. The current one does not really conpare to some in the pasr.
I don’t have a clue if Chaulk is any good, i kind of agree that maybe hes not. But more so because of reports of deployment of prospects, then the reasons you state.
The first point is an opinion and there is no right or wrong but the rest on “equivalent rosters” is simply not true.
I would encourage you to actually watch a string of Condors games – start with today at 4 mountain – I’ll even give you my log in details.
You are a smart hockey guy but, to my knowledge, you don’t watch any of these games and you are basing your opinion on a pre-game lineup cards and some notion that all AHL rosters are equal.
But but but Chaulk developed Broberg how can this be!?!
Awww… poor snappy snake.
Did Chaulk not play Boreberg enough and you’re feeling salty about that?
Stick to what you’re good at… whining about Boreberg and Holla-who.
The Bakersfield Starboardians, not a lot of Right Hand Shooters in this line-up…
What is going on?
A strong reason for the team getting better at finishing and closing out games is that their (and our) goal is to get deep every year. Dialing in how to play in certain games and doing it is what the best contenders learn. Playing so many games each season takes a toll, and off time is shorter, you need to preserve everything that you can
I think it’s key as they move ahead this season. There is only much a person has physically and mentally, and having more challenging games than is actually necessary is draining. As is not doing your best against teams like Vegas, or any of them that are a challenge for the Oilers
They played Vegas well, but had the game there to win, and couldn’t quite. I would think that was really disappointing for them. You can’t win every time, but when it’s there… They’ve had enough of that
Darnell Nurse getting back to close to historical established level of play along with Brett Kulak playing the best hockey of his (Oiler) career is a massive development.
As LT mentions, that pairing has been LEGIT and their sample size is growing. I still think a more established 2RD would be optimal, if its available in a deal that works for the Oiler. If not, a really good 3LD could work as well, if Kulak really does have sustain.
I know that Cam Fowler “isn’t good any longer” and he’s got bad numbers relative to team but has he fallen so far that he can’t be a legit good 3LD (and a guy that can move to the right side, as far as I know)?
I am asking honestly as I personally have no informed idea.
Slicing his contract in half has him at $3.25MM (through next season) – I guess – is that too much combined with Kulak for 4/5D?
Slicing it another quarter might not be as easy as its not for just one season.
Fowler is just returning from injury. He’s now 33 years of age, never been overly physical, but he is a fine puck mover, is reliable defensively and can quarterback a PP, though not great on the PK. Apparently, he can play RHD and IMO would be a suitable partner for either Nurse or Emberson. He may only need a change of scenery from Anaheim. The stumbling block would have to be the cost of acquisition. He has another year on his current contract that would need to be 50% retained. If Bowman could finagle something with the Ducks
IMO he would be very close to an ideal player for Edmonton.
The Pacific Division race is over 1/3 of the way into the season. Ditto for the Western Conference as a whole.
Unless you think Calgary can remain ahead of Colorado, the 4-4-8 split in each division is already crystal clear.
Pretty much.
Moneypuck: Make playoffs %
Pacific
VGK – 91.5
EDM – 87.4
LAK – 80.4
VCR- 65.9
Central
DAL 96.4
WPG – 91.6
MIN – 88.9
COL – 74.7
————–
UTA – 43.5
CAL – 34.3
St. Louis is going to have too many D when Leddy gets healthy.
Various levels of ability
On the left side (Broberg and Suter are not going anywhere)
Leddy
Perunovich (plays the right side on occasion)
Joseph (plays on the right side on occasion)
One of these there will likely become available. Perunovich might be an interesting complement to Emberson. He has failed to establish himself in St. Louis, but is a skilled puck mover, who has so far in his NHL career been defensively unreliable.
26, RFA at the end of the season with a $1.15 million dollar salary.
He is a player in need of a 2nd opinion. It probably would not work, but there is stuff there for Coffey to work with.
(Leddy has another year left at $4 million.)
Wouldn’t that be special to find a suitable partner for Emberson via the waiver wire.
I’m not sure a Dman that has “failed to establish himself” on a team like the Blues is the answer for a serious SC contender, especially when that one will be paired with basically a rookie.
Where did I say he was the answer. I said he was a cheap suspect (“it would probably not work”) with puck moving skills in need of a 2nd opinion. His contract is almost entirely buriable. If one were to trade for him, one could probably get St. Louis to retain the non-buriable amount ($150K)
It is an opportunity that might present itself in the near future that would not impact the ability to continue to pursue better opportunities at the trade deadline.
Say Kemp and a late draft pick for Perunovich (considering the rightorium that now exists in Bakersfield).
It is another Dermott-like move, with likely similar results. When options are really cheap, there is nothing wrong with buying as many of them as you can. Most expire worthless. But once in a blue moon, they become winning lottery tickets.
Ya sure. You are posting about it on an Oiler forum and calling him “an interesting compliment to Emberson”.
The most likely casualty will be Pierre-Olivier. Joseph who was signed to league minimum deal after Pittsburgh did not given him an offer at the end of his ELC.
He ain’t much.
Disagree. Blues are not gonna make the playoffs and most certainly will flip Suter for a draft pick
The bonuses in Suter’s contract make it unlikely he gets traded, as they would likely roll into next season for cap strapped playoff teams. A team trading for Suter could be on the hook for $1.1 million in bonues off the cap next year. It would only be $500K if Suter his 60GP bonus before the trade.
(PBs: $225K for 10 GP — $400K for 30 GP — $500K for 40 GP — $600K for 60 GP — $500K for playoffs and at least 60 regular season GP — from Puckpedia)
Those bonuses hit the cap of the team he was on when they vest.
The 60 GP possibly and the playoff bonus would accrue to the team he is traded to. That is $1.1 million. The other $1.15 million for fewer games would accrue to the Blues.
How many teams are going to trade for a D that comes with a $1.1 million cap hit next year in performance bonuses.
Oilers winning and most players are still underperforming as far as finishing.
I think they definitely push for the division.
Go grab Pettersson or some other utility LHS D.
Oilers pressured Broberg with success Broberg is going to be a fine D if he stays off the IR. Broberg sure allows himself to be crushed and will be against certain players.
Good players don’t let themselves get hit hard very often. It’s hockey so it’s always going to happen at some point, but you don’t see Sid, Marner or Eichel or most top players get caught very often. Health in a large part is also a skill- form, technique, awareness
MTurtle is a hard player to be against and a jerk, and still he’s very hard to get back, he won’t give you an easy one. It’s frustrating to play guys like that. He did get caught and broke his sternum, but that’s your can’t avoid everything
Bro will probably not get much better at it, we’ll see how he fares. Awareness is his Achilles, covered by his considerable physical attributes. Almost like Nurse minus the physical play. His points will get him payed, but I’m not sure he’s going to be that playoff rock you need D who are paid what he’s getting next time he’s up
He may be that weird guy that is below water in most stats and still wins goal share, but I would wager the more he plays higher comp the regression will catch up. So a decent offensive player who isn’t a defensive stalwart. I’d rather pay Bouch and it seems Bowman as well
Hey I’m just as pissed at Armstrong poaching Broberg&Holloway as the next guy. Broberg wanted out and I’m sure his agent made that known around the league. The losing of Holloway was collateral damage. Armstrong effed his good will around the league he opened up Pandora’s box if no ther G.M’s decide to get sleazy they may make it a conscious team effort to screw with smarty pants Armstrong down the road.
There’s definitely some bad karma coming to Armstrong.
Lowe tried to be some sort of wizard and it cost the franchise for years. Armstrong will find out it’s not worth messing with the system.
I expect most GM’s approved of the weakening of a potential opponent.
Some have already said so.
This is all tongue and cheek only way I do business with Armstrong is if he over pays. Nobody respects a G.M that steals a mans girlfriend while he’s in the washroom at TGF.
Most GMs understand that offer sheets are a part of the CBA.
I expect we will see a lot more of them after St. Louis picked up a couple of good roster players for peanuts.
Pretty sure all GMs know it is part of the CBA.
The full cost to the Blues for these 2 was a 2nd, 2 3rds, prospect Paul Fischer and $7 million in cap space (you, and others, have argued vehemently that cap space is a valuable asset). They have both gotten good results early, but there’s a long way to go to determine the success of this transaction.
Carolina, over 3 years after the offer sheet for Kotkaniemi, are still crossing their fingers that it will ever pay off.
Cap space is indeed an asset and STL acquired a top 6 forward and a top 4 D for around $7 million total.
As for draft picks, turning a 2nd and two 3rds into two former first round picks who are already developed is a stroke of genius.
You write these two sentences like they are 2 separate transactions. Miserably, but predictably, weak logic on your part.
And you completely glossed over Paul Fischer, who is already a better prospect than Brogan Rafferty ever was (the hockey player or the murderer, take your pick).
Rafferty scored 24 points in his rookie NCAA season.
Paul Fischer scored 16.
Meaningful comparison. Maybe you should have noticed that Paul Fischer was 18 in his rookie season, while Brogan was 21. How many invites did Brogan ever earn to a team USA camp?
Not to mention, given that Fischer’s primary skills are defensive, those point total comparisons are pure evidence of his superiority at the noted level of development.
The last 5th round pick that played for the Oilers was Tyler Bunz 10 years ago.
After that 1 game he never played pro hockey again.
The odds of a fifth round pick ever playing in the NHL are around 30%
Oh stop.
Zach Hyman was a 5th round pick and he played for the Oilers just last night.
Not to mention we had a 7th rounder in the lineup all last year.
What an asinine argument and, to noone’s surprise, factually incorrect in any event.
Ethan Bear
Nothing against Broberg/Holloway.
Just happy as anything to see Nurse suddenly emerging as a dependable Defenceman.
it’s essential
Great win, glad for Stu and glad a role player gets the insurance on a heads up play
Every player has their MO and with Stu it’s not quality, it’s consistency. I’ll take the Principal over some other goalies on teams with aspirations all day. To me the goaler question is about depth, not Stu. Is there enough? Can Pick carry the day if needed? Does Rod have a Dryden moment in him?
I would also like them to refine their killer instinct. Put games away when opportunity knocks, especially with the EN which they should be deadly at, no letting teams hang around games that they have no business being in, finish them with no mercy
Playing the Oilers should move from opponents thinking (as they always do) that if they do the right things they have a chance, to a sense of underlying dread, knowing any mistake is going to be punished, any lost battles. Resistance is futile
Contenders won’t have that, at least as much, but there are only say 6 teams that are really that. Everyone else should feel they have little chance against a team with these players even if they do everything right. Mental advantage, putting the onus on the other guys, taking the subconscious thought away from the Oilers that they might mess up another one they could have won clean. I think that still exists for them
Another little step forward. Perhaps like the Chiefs. They have Mahomes and he wins. We have Connor. I would think at this point Chiefs’ opponents have underlying doubts about games against them despite any rhetoric, and it’s an advantage. Every little advantage helps at the highest level
A move Bowman can make today is finding a lefty partner for Emberson. That’s it in a nutshell. It sure is an advantage having Connor & Leon on the team and it sure was an advantage having Broberg on the other team last night.
If they have 2RD solved in house with Nurse and Kulak switching off on 2nd pair which at times at least they have done, it lowers the outflow
There are always outliers like Nicholl this draft so far, but really it’s your 1st and 2nd round picks and your best prospects that are your powder to keep. They should only be traded for significance like Ekholm, with term. There are extenuating circumstances at times, also another reason not to deplete just because its deadline time
The only real window the Oilers have is Connor and Leon aging out because they won’t trade them. So a pipeline (and league top other acquisitions as the org has mentioned) are critical to getting the most out of their careers
Anything under those assets are such long shots it’s not nearly as destructive to use them, even if the bet doesn’t cash. They are also far easier to acquire back. And bottom half players go for those prices (for a good GM)
Skinner played great and easily won the goalie battle. Good for him.
Was lucky and got to go to the game. Great atmosphere.
McD was electric last night and Drai is playing a great 2 way game right now. Hyman is on it right now and that is great to see.
thought Broberg looked a bit nervous and gave up a couple bad giveaways. Hated that hit on Hyman and was hoping someone was going to have a chat with him, or at least hit him hard with some hits.
Holloway looked great last night and especially in the 3rd. He is a very confident kid right now, and is so fast. Good for the kid, still wish he was here.
One thing I didn’t like last night was skinner getting his helmet knocked off and then run over hard with no response from anyone. To me that was unacceptable. You need to protect your goalie a bit better boys, and show the other team they cannot do that crap.
The next 4 games ( the 5th against Boston probably as well) are tough ones and the boys are going to have to have that A game with great goaltending.
Should be fun.
That hit that knocked Skinners helmet off should have been called. But Stu looked to be running some interference, accidently on purpose, getting in the way and he got a little bump. I think the only way that got called was because of the missed call earlier.
Skinner was happy with the team’s defensive play Infront of him. That seems to be the key.
Tough call. They really wanted to get stu off his game. If the team lost their heads and started retaliating they could have ended up short handed a few more times. Better to stay cool, maybe a 4th liner could lay some lumber once you are up 2 near the end.
I’m glad Stu has come around and playing better. Goalies are voodoo, so we can argue whether it’s better team defense, or better tending. I’ll go with mostly better tending.
The team defensive metrics have been fine all year, with some glaring mistakes included. All teams make these mistakes. It’s part of the goalies job to bail the team out when this happens. Stu is now doing this, more often. Hope he can keep it up
The numbers this year, by pretty much every model, show that it has been mostly goalie but, of course, our eyes provide a little more context.
McDavid being dialed in and Nurse finally being Nurse around the beginning of November changed this team.
“finding a left D to play with Emberson on the third pair”. Broberg would have looked fantastic in that spot… too bad
I don’t know? I was happy Broberg was playing for the Blues last night.
Prospecticism!
Akey & Wakely, Attorneys at Law have been remarkably consistent this season. Akey has seven points (all A’s) his last nine GP, while Wakely has registered goals in over half his GP (10 in 19). They oppose Stonehouse and the Ottawans.
Day’s two December starts have been mediocre, allowing four and five goals. His season stats are still an improvement over yesteryears, but will it be enough to earn a contract summer next? We wait.
And Berry still has just a single goal in his score of games thus far.
Barrie (Akey, Wakely) @ noon
Ottawa (Stonehouse) @ noon
Flint (Day, Clattenburg) @ noon
Muskegon (Berry) @ 1 p.m.
All times are two times and are also Pincher Creek time.
Broberg looked really bad last night.
Holloway looked really dangerous. Would have been nice to have both on a value contract as they would have completed the roster.
https://x.com/hockeystatcards/status/1865633443486322952
McDavid’s goal was a blunder.
The Oilers first goal was a blown Blues line change that allow Perry to get to the front of the net uncontested from the opposite side of the ice from Broberg.
The “haters” are slightly overstating Broberg’s level of negative play. Clearly not his best game, but only his 3rd game on the first pair. He is still even in the three games against Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton. Parayko and Broberg gave Schieffle and Connor nothing and were fine in Calgary. McDavid is a level higher.
And the “lovers” are…..
What about the giveaway for a Drai breakaway?
I believe he was only on the ice when Kapanen hit the post.
Did Broberg make a mistake when Kapanen hit the post? No, he was covering Draisaitl. Something happens somewhere on the ice that was not his responsibility, and its his fault?
The Drai giveaway happened when the Blues were down 3-2 and the Blues pressing to tie, so yes one makes more higher risk passes, but he got back to put back pressure on the shot and limit Drai’s options to a backhand.
Evan Bouchard’s 2-way game has been coming along and, last night, all-world elite 2-way play driving d-man.
His slow starts are frustrating but his peak game, which he tends to provide at the most important times of the year, is all-world and it’s arriving.
That play where he elegantly stripped the puck off Kyrou (I believe) on an odd man rush against then sent an aimless lead pass for an icing was pure opposite George. I genuinely believe EB is one of the more confounding hockey players I’ve ever followed.
It was good he recognized the pass was there, it just missed.
To use a baseball analogy, he’s like an ace starting pitcher who always needs the first month of the season to get command of his stuff. Once he does, watch out! Delivers his best games when the stakes are highest during the playoffs. Kinda like an anti-Leafs superstar.
Bouch wasn’t alone. Most of them took a while to get going, which is normal given the end of last season
Enjoy this well deserved full day off at home and 2 days between games boys.
Rest and recover – you’ve got Tampa, Minny, Vegas and Florida coming up!
It’s going to be fun.
Have had a helluva time getting a read on this edition of the Edmonton Oilers. I was more confident this time last year, despite results. Glad to see the team coming around and looking familiar — lately has been reminiscent of the kind of games they were winning on the 16-game streak. I remain convinced that the forwards dictate the defensive success of this team. The system finally seems to be locking in and the legs are finally really moving.
Darnell Nurse is looking like the 7 million dollar defenceman he needs to be to justify a 9.25 million dollar contract. Thats my baseline, and he’s meeting it.
Was as happy to see Holloway score as I was to see Broberg cough up the puck repeatedly. I don’t deal in rationality evidently.
I still think this team deeply misses Evander Kane. But with the multiple team Canada snubs, I think this might help the club who infamously requires some shoulder chip to get them really engaged. Take a look Hockey Canada: Skinner just outplayed Binnington, Bouchard is capable of an exquisite transition game, and Hyman is about to score more goals between now and 4 Nations’ puck drop than any other hockey player on the planet, mark my words.
I wish Hit the North by the Fall was their goal song.
Prediction: Canada doesn’t play in the final game for the 4 Nations leaving conclusions obvious for the real tournament: MOAR OILERS
They definitely miss Kane’s tenacity and toughness. We don’t hit the opposition D very hard in the O zone. Be nice to get a bigger, tougher good skating beast in that bottom 6 at the deadline to add some grit and toughness. Be nice to grab Matthieu Olivier and his 1.1 mill contract ( with 1 more year) out of Columbus. RWer ( which we can use) hits hard and is tough as nails, and having a career year with 8 goals already. Great in front as well.
Not sure they would move him.
I won’t belabor the point,
Huh. That’s never gonna catch on here.
Damn, quote fail….