I love Bonnie Raitt. Her voice is pure heartache and honey, her choice of songs beyond compare. Her fame was long overdue when it came, and her sustain as an artist is exceptional. Throw on any old Raitt record and you’ll feel all the emotions under the rainbow. The lyrics to “I Can’t Make You Love Me” match her voice. It is a devastating song. If you’ve ever loved someone who didn’t feel the same way, or loved and lost, well, it captures a universal feeling perfectly. Bonnie Raitt is amazing.
The current Edmonton Oilers are also heartbreaking, with an equally complicated love story. Why can’t they act right? Why does everything have to be so difficult? Why can’t they play this game?
We’ve talked about the easiest way out of this mess for Stan Bowman (add a goalie) but it looks like that won’t happen based on reports.
That leaves us the rest of this season, and the playoff run. After that? Suspect Bowman will sign McDavid, sign Evan Bouchard, and bring in a veteran goaltender via free agency.
The current group of (reportedly) available stoppers includes several men who have major contracts for multiple years. I think Vejmelka is the play at the deadline, but Bowman appears content to wait for the summer.
Does he have a target in free agency in the summer? Maybe.
I like the trade for Trent Frederic and am hopeful he turns into the modern Patrick Maroon. Make no mistake, he’s an agitator and no fun to play against, but he also has (or had, before this year) enough skill to thrive when alongside a quality center.
During the 2023-24 season, he scored 2.51 points-60 at five-on-five with Charlie Coyle (as a for instance). This season, it’s 1.58 points-60 on a team that is not at the same level. I think this trade could be a big hit if Frederic can find chem with one of the Glimmer Twins.
Why is that important? Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is scoring 1.14 points-60 this season, and he’s 1.20 points-60 with Connor McDavid. WITH CONNOR MCDAVID!
There’s a version of the Frederic deadline acquisition that sees the Oilers hit a home run.
The Lowdown hits at noon today, and it’s going to be fire! Your comments welcome, and they will be read. Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal will join us and drop some wisdom on the nation. We’ll check out mlb and NBA, discuss goalie options the Oilers aren’t pursuing and generally have a really good airing of grievances. 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, it’s available post-show on apple and spotify, and we tweet it out on X.
New for The Athletic: Is Oilers defenceman John Klingberg doing enough to secure a feature role?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6173851/2025/03/05/oilers-john-klingberg-stats/
Not yet
If you have to ask the question…..
I agree with this article. I also think he should get more PP time. I admit I missed a few of the road games as I was in Mexico but the games I have seen I like what I see.
Good article. It’s been a worthwhile experiment, but he’s not helping in the areas that are really hurting right now.
Desharnais got traded again, this time to the Sharts for a 5th.
Coach talked alot about how bad they’ve been off the rush – 45% of goals are scored off the rush and since Feb 1 they are the worst in the league in giving up chances off the rush. Forwards not in position and not back pressuring – along with d-men giving up the line allowing the attackers to make plays.
I wonder if the Coach has a plan to right the ship, to get the likes of RNH and ZH scoring.
As someone who coached/still coaches d-men, it’s a lot easier for them to maintain gaps and not give up the line when the forwards work back to the puck.
It’s easier for the forwards to get back and slow the counterattack down when you play a 3rd man high and what I’ve noticed is the small forwards getting squeezed off pucks on the cycle, wearing themselves out and not having the legs to get back and help.
It’s also what’s opened up more breakaways too.
I haven’t seen the D as being the biggest problem either. Little support and being put in bad positions. Hurts the goalies as well, but that doesn’t mean they should give up weak goals so much. Other goalies don’t
Coach says maintenance for Ek today (something physical, unrelated to illness).
They’ll see if they’ll give him a few days of rest or if he’ll play. To be determined.
Did mention that he was very sick prior to the Four Nations.
Stauffer was saying he would not be surprised if Ekholm does not play tomorrow.
Summarizing!
O’Reilly picked up an assist.
Day yielded four goals on 30 SOG in a loss.
Nicholl was not a resoupient.
Oilers have recalled Max Jones as well as Dineen (again on an emergency basis). I have a feeling Ek is hurt.
Condors are effed for tonight’s game.
Sam Carrick just scored his 6th goal to go along with his 12 assists. I liked Sam in the playoffs and for one reason are another he was in the press box. I was hoping they would resign him as he went for the same money and term as Brown.
would a Bouchard for Dobson trade be an upgrade?
nope.
Worse offensively.
Worse defensively.
Which one? Surely Dobson cannot be worse defensively than Bouch.
This is not accurate over the course of his short career. I am confident that peak Dobson is an 70-80 point player with 97 & 29 on his team.
Dobson plays more even-strength minutes and on the PK and is a superior defender to Bouchard, but Bouch plays on a superior team this season. Dobson is having his worst season as a full-time NHLer.
This team is difficult to watch, yeah, sure they will start playing better, but this current roster is not going far.
I said it before, there needs to be a seismic shift. They have to go for it. Wearing my fantasy GM hat (you betcha, the lining is tinfoil) I blow it up like this:
RNH + a 1st to Buffalo for a 50% retained Tuch and a 2nd
Stu, Bouch, Hyman, Klingberg, Kapanen & Kemp + 2026 and conditional 2028 & 2030 1sts.
For:
Sorokin, and 50% retained Dobson, Pageau & Nelson + 3rd team partially retaining Pulock + Alec Bolduc and 2025, 2027, 2028 2nd’s.
Why do they do this? The promise of Bouchard’s offense and Skinner’s relative youth. I’ve read a lot of comments from Isles fans who just do not like Dobson’s game. The time is ripe, despite the flag his 2-way skills are very high end. Also to get out of the very long Sorokin & Pulock contracts.
Other trades: JSkin and Arvidsson to Cgy for Yegor Sharangovich +. Maybe they go for this since Calgary is desperate for offense, YS is far below last yrs snipe show results and they have lots of cap room.
Brandon Carlo 50% retained for Emberson + 2 x 2nd rounders.
Donato 50% retained for a 2nd.
Stecher to Nashville for Nick Blankenberg.
Nelson – 97 – Perry
Donato – 29 – Tuch
Sharangovich – JGP – Podz
Janny – Henrique – Brown
Kane/Frederic
Ekholm – Dobson
Nurse – Pulock
Kulak – Carlo
No way possible that they move any of these core players though.
Chiarelli managing 1/4 of the league?
I was thinking vintage Mike Milbury… but similar result.
Lou is pretty old, it’s like a phishing attempt, catch him in a weak moment and there ya go!
Excuse me, there are no Spooners, Mannings or Petrovichs in this trade
There is no chance the Islanders or Sabres make either trade.
I think the Sabres would entertain this idea.
Haven’t posted in a little while. Not sure what to make of the last 2 weeks.
Feels like 4N broke the oilers… 3rd best team before the break. …
I wonder how much the let down after it is? Or if coaches tried to tweak something over the break?
Anyone look at any underlying numbers that suggest a stylistic change beyond the eye test???
Im holding out being total gloom and doom. The reality is the reg season never mattered to Mcdavid. That hasnt changed. Will the oilers get into the playoffs? I would say so. Does the final position actually matter? Have to likely play lak and veg anyhow…
Lets not write the entire roster off just yet.
Remember 3rd overall in league before that break…
Annnd Savoie gets sent down. Young players get the shite end of the stick with this org. That isn’t a fair shake for him. All the while this yrs vet plugs skates circles to the corner
i think they did so to ensure he is eligible for AHL playoff roster, if need be
i hope so. I scrolled and saw Op’s earlier comment on that so we will see I guess, frustrating to watch the way they treat the talented prospects. thanks 🙂
Bowman has traded for two players too injured to play. Jarventie and Frederic. Maybe we should be scanning the LTIR lists to figure out who he is trading for next.
Don’t forget Regula although a claim
I don’t get it. The team needs help and players too injured to play were the moves.
This team reminds me of the Philadelphia Eagles of 2023/2024. Good start, fall apart late in the season and then get rinsed in round 1 of the playoffs. Hope I’m wrong. Or hope I’m right and they win the cup in 2026…
I don’t follow other sports very closely but I heard descriptions of two of this years’ high functioning yet finals-losing teams from this year, and I fear these Oilers could follow one of these models: 1) The New York Yankees, described as a group of highly skilled individuals who lack team fundamentals (and as a result were Oiler-bad in the worst inning in World Series history) or 2) The Kansas City Chiefs who rested on their laurels all year and when they finally had to meet the moment they realized they had been in cruise control and it bit them.
Do either of these make sense? I hope not.
Tampa proving they don’t give a rat’s tuchus about the future when the now is staring them in the face.
They needed forward depth, they got 2. Kuch, Hedman, Point, all aren’t getting any younger.
Kuch and Hedman are 31 and 34 so they probably feel they’re on the back end of their core’s prime, if not past it.
McDrai are in the middle of their prime years, the Oilers window should be open a lot longer than TBs.
Apples and Oranges
My two cents trying to figure out this year’s McDavid’s Oilers.
This year feels like a team that took the right lesson from last year but never knew how to implement. Has McDavid been load managing himself? If he has, it may have been a big mistake. He still has a bit of time to get into gear, but prudence has turned into malaise, and I wonder if it is shared by his human teammates? (Leon the exception…)
The recent losses, to my eye, have been a factor of laziness. So sloppy. Passes are meh. Light on the puck everywhere. The secret to Edmonton’s success is waves of support so the puck can be moved quickly and with skill. But you gotta hustle for that, and hustle has been, from the very top of the roster, MIA.
This team, when great, is a high-wire act. They can’t play it simple. They can’t Rothko. Everything has to be a Rembrandt. Chiaroscuro is a dangerous game and leaves little room for error. But their cockiness, when they are locked-in and intense, motivates their play. Pull that intensity down even a bit, and they have nothing to fall back to. McDavid still intuits the extra little deke, but even he, if he’s not into it, is going to get stripped.
This is a team that has deferred-away shots on net all year in search of the hi-light reel because it is in their DNA. I respect that about them because being good is one thing and being beautiful is another, while the truly legendary are both. So appealing toward both is worthwhile. But they have been doing it in such a nonchalant manner–dare I say taking their talent for granted–for so long now this season, it has devolved into a boring lack of finish and awareness.
The good news is, all they have to do is work themselves out of it.
McDavid said he anticipates management finding a significant piece to help the team in the playoffs. This is the kind of thing someone says when they think its still a Cup year. Based on his play alone, it doesn’t read as one. But this could be the messaging of a captain still thinking back to a trajectory for the season established in October: tread lightly until the deadline and then hit the gas.
I only hope they remember to pull out of park.
tldr: Original Pouzar is probably right, this team gets better by internal regression to historical levels by their best players not named Leon. Just has to happen, is the thing!
I’m no hockey tactics expert, but there is a distinct lack of puck support offensively and cover defensively
I concerned that the coaching is at the heart of it. More so as we go. When a entire team except one player is struggling
They need to be more of a hybrid style. More direct attacks to the net, not always heading to the boards. Endless cycling with fewer set ups than this team should produce and too many point shots is a problem. Also that they are thinking too much (hello PP) and playing too slowly
The puck support has been egregious. But it also really improved after KK came in initially, and can still be seen in fits and spurts lately, when they are playing well as in the first 10 minutes last night. I think all of this along with what you mention is a function of thinking too much, which is a function of playing too cautiously, which is a function of wanting to keep some in the tank… This team is a Ferrari you have to let it go all these trips to the grocery store and back are not healthy for it.
— this team needs a young LHD that is capable of logging 20 minutes a game and score some
— this team also needs a young winger that will score 25 goals and move up and down the line-up
I hear St. Louis has a couple of guys like that, think they picked them up last summer …
Repeating the Oilers not countering St.Louis offer sheet is bonkers.
at the time of the offer sheet Holloway had 6 goals……..6.
Holloway was making $900,000 Nobody on here would have given a guy who played 40 NHL games 2.35M…Nobody.
you could make the argument then Holland should have signed him before it got to that point.
I agree with that depending on what Holland offer was and what the Holloway camp rejected.
Did the Oilers gamble with Holloway? Yes they did, but at the time of the signing so did St.Louis, in fact, I think Holloway was the sacrificial lamb of both signings for St.Louis.
that’s why hind-site is bloody stupid.
— or St Louis had a better sense of the player evaluation and projections than Oil.
— not sure that’s hind sight.
— But hing sight clearly shows the error or the Oils at that moment and what got them to that moment.
— Those who felt it was a massive negative equity are looking astute : that’s not hind sight just the right call
Did you not watch the playoffs? $2.3 million for Holloway was as easy match, and the Oilers probably could have gotten him for 2 x $1.5 well before the offer sheet, but they put a 3 x $1 million take it or leave it offer in front of him.
Broberg was clearly ready to play. Showed it against the toughest opposition imaginable against Dallas and Florida, after playing extremely well in the AHL without pouting. The OIlers could have had him for 2 x $2.5 if they have offered him that well before the offer sheet.
But even matching the offersheets was the better option, because both were high probability play up to the value of the offer sheets, and because of their importance to the immediate and medium term future of the Oilers. In St. Louis, both players have made them bargain contracts.
Yes
Plenty of people wanted to extend Holloway at that price when they had the chance.
To me the first mistake was not trading Bro when it was clear he was done with Holland and the org. He had value, obviously, was dominating in the A, big and fast. Not many like him. That is what set it all in motion
The second big whiff was going into the summer without a GM in place. JJ knew Holland wasn’t getting another contract, or didn’t want one
This ^^^ smart post.
Yes.
Not using Broberg in a play for the likes of Nemec or Byram, et al, was a fail.
He wasn’t happy here, so it was encumbent on the org to parlay the asset instead of letting it die on the vine.
The Oilers have on LHD
Ekholm
Nurse
Kulak
The Oilers have on RHD
Bouchard
a man playing with repaired hips
Emberson
a bunch of tweeners who get ice time.
I agree, the Oilers could use a McCann & a goalie far sooner than they need a LHD or RHD.
— trade kulak keep younger : better then now and for the next 8 years
— a 25 goal scorer 4-5 years younger than mcdrai would be nice as well for window
1) I would like to see Frederic get a shot with 97. That player type (Maroon, Lucic, Kassian) has found some success with 97 in the past (albeit not for long). If the Oilers gave up the STL 2nd as part of the package to get him, it better not just be to play 14 5v5 minutes a night with Adam Henrique and score 2-3 goals before the playoffs.
2) I hope the Frederic move works out and wish him all the best in Edmonton. That being said, I don’t think he’s that much of an upgrade over other options on the wing. Has anyone seen/heard how he’ll be deployed? My understanding is he has played C but the results weren’t great, and is far more effective as a winger which makes sense based on the way he plays. Doesn’t PK, right?
3) I’d feel a lot better about the acquisition cost of the Frederic move if he had some term, but I think there’s an 80%+ chance he resigns next summer and that’s a lot to pay for 30-50 games of a player on pace to score 12 goals and less than 30 points. He’s American, on the cusp of his first opportunity as a pro to chose to play for whichever team will have him, and the smart money is on him signing with a U.S. team.
4) The Oilers continue to bleed quality assets and it’s getting to be concerning. They just used the best asset they received from the Brolloway/Hoberg offer sheets as part of the Frederic package, and unless he catches fire and/or resigns, it’ll be another squandered assets. If the team is so comfortable taking the risk the move doesn’t work out/he leaves this summer, they should be comfortable with using their high draft picks even though there’s a risk they may not all turn into NHL players!
5) After hiring Pracey, did Bowman/Pracey make any changes to the amateur scouts? If not and they’re stuck with holdovers from the Wright era, and you don’t think your scouts will find value outside of the top half of the first round, then trading away picks makes a lot more sense. Not sure if Bowman/Pracey want to clean house this summer…
6) What is it going to take for a new goalie coach in Edmonton? Dustin Schwartz has more job security than a supreme court justice at this point. Can anyone point to any goaltender he’s helped get more out of? It seems that the Oilers have constantly traded away goalies with good skill sets, only to see them unlocked somewhere else. If Skinner gets traded and pulls a Dubnyk, this guy has to go.
7) Last year it felt like the Oilers were primed for a deep run. Lots of players having good if not career years. This year, it feels like everyone outside of Draisaitl and Perry aren’t having particularly strong years and might be playing through injuries. I don’t think we can just excuse the team’s performance by saying “they’re saving themselves for the playoffs” anymore, there’s clearly effort/urgency to right the ship.
8) Bowman seems to be playing it cool, and I hope he doesn’t feel desperate to make a big move at/before the deadline.
9) KK has found good results before, but his deployment continues to leave me scratching my head. 53-29-92 looked like it finally unlocked something for Jeff Skinner before the break, and he’s back to press box duty. Kapanen playing center, 93 still stapled to 97’s wing despite the results, etc. I understand not wanting to play freewheeling, high-event hockey but I worry over-emphasizing low-event/shot-suppression hockey and winning close games doesn’t maximize the Oilers roster, particularly when they’ve only managed more than 3 goals once since January 28. What’s particularly baffling are some of the mind-numbing defensive zone miscues the past two months while actively trying to emphasize shot-suppression.
The same way that I didn’t blame Skinner last year for filling in for what was supposed to be Campbell, I don’t begrudge Pickard for not being consistent in the pipes. Pickard is doing admirably as a backup. He has a great record in that role, and we can’t make oversweeping generalizations about him after one game, when he helped us steal the game before.
I feel that this organization is owed a Binnington or Hamburgler story, but maybe that was Skinner. Maybe it is Skinner?
All I know is that if they do trade for a Pickard upgrade and people are expecting it to be the 2nd coming of Roli, they are going to be disappointed
Savoie re-assigned to the Condors.
Part of this is likely needing to be on the AHL roster at the deadline to be eligible for AHL playoffs.
KK doesn’t seem to think Philp and Savoie are doing as well as it looks like, based on his comments
It is odd to me that Kapanen is seen as a better option at C. Maybe there are too many forwards and no cap. Or more of vets vets vets?
I commented on this before scrolling but this is a pisser for me. The kids needs some time and this org does not do well with their youth. I hope it is as you stated OP because he should be up and getting some games. The plug vets have been terrible, give him some rope.
I haven’t seen any indication that Knob would give Savoie minutes over any of Kap, Brown, Janmark, etc. at this stage.
Knob, like Woody, like Tippet, likes his vets.
The fact the vets.
truth.. and sad at times
I think the price for renting Frederic was too high, and I sure hope they don’t look to extend him at big money. Last year they paid too much for Henrique, and then doubled down by extending him. And that didn’t work out at all.
But I am intrigued by Max Jones. He looked like a pretty promising player with Anaheim a few years ago, don’t know what happened to him.
It wasn’t too high that they can’t make any more deals at the TDL. Plus, they had to give something in order to get all the salary retention. They also got Max Jones as a throw in for Bako and potentially an NHL call up scenario.
I won’t speak for OP but I think “too high of a price” is in terms of acquisition cost, not that it ruled out other TDL moves.
If you spend $20 for a gallon of milk but have enough $ to buy the rest of your groceries, you still overpaid for your milk
I’m not sure how anyone can compare a career wise top 6 center who was acquired at the age of 34 who performed well to a career wise bottom 6 winger who’s 27 and is yet to play a shift for the team other then fear mongering and sky is falling scenarios.
Bowman has no history as the Oilers GM of spending big money on anyone other then Draisaitl, we don’t know what Bowmans plan are for building the team out.
Maybe Trent comes in and plays lights out and Columbus signs him for big money in the off season.
Max Jones is basically a marginal NHLer in the prime age of his career. Scored 9 goals on a bad Anaheim team, regressed the next year, then caught on with Boston as organizational depth
We won’t truly know the strategy here until the Kane situation becomes clear.
“The current Edmonton Oilers are also heartbreaking, with an equally complicated love story. Why can’t they act right? Why does everything have to be so difficult? Why can’t they play this game?” -LT
“If we’re going to win the pennant, we’ve got to start thinking we’re not as good as we think we are.”-Casey Stengel
This was the first time I did to an Oilers game what I almost always do to a Canucks game: turned away to watch or read something else. I got the feeling that they thought the Ducks were beneath them.
ps. On the upside, both PK and PP were at 100%! Yay for that.
I still think most of last nights issue is goaltending. Dostal made some big saves, oilers didn’t bear down on their chances, and at the other end everything goes in.
I understand bowman not wanting to take on a goalie at the deadline out of desperation, though. Still – Gibson checks some boxes and might be available retained. Timeline is short (ish) on his contract. I think it’s a good option.
I agree our tenders could be better. Last night was a debacle defensively and it wasn’t mostly tending. You simply cannot leave good players alone out front to shoot at will, most of the time they will score and they did.
And yet, we only scored twice. We used to outscore our goalies’ mistakes, seemingly those days are gone.
what i am saying is we have outscored our goalies mistakes prior sometimes and our horrible defensive play. Both of these are contributing, one isn’t going to save the other. We can bring in another tender but unless they go back to structured coverage and not overplaying the puck, the man, bad pinches, not back checking hard enough when you are right beside the player (cough Leon) etc. and leaving players all alone this will continue.
All good points. When we play a detailed and structured game, we are a far better team. Problem is we have a large group of offense first players (especially when we’ve fallen behind on the scoresheet)… coach needs to be even more insistent on demanding that structured defensive game, paying strict attention to details. Increased goal scoring will follow. They are capable of playing that style… need to “just do it”.
If you get an ok tender now, with term, it closes the door on off season aquisitions. So the only way i say no to a tender is if stan thinks he can do much better in the off season. I dont like it now, but will like it later.
Contrast with a chia move – whatever i can get right now- gets you reinhart, manning etc.
From watching the game, I’d say 2 of the goals should have been stopped. Most of the issue is the team continues to bleed Grade A scoring chances against and is asking it’s goalies to do it all.
They don’t back check. They made terrible reads last night: What was Drai thinking on the pass to the Anaheim guy in front, what was Nurse doing letting a guy step to the inside and get to the net, Nuge has no d-man back covering and steps out, etc. They don’t cover the net and make it easy for teams to get to prime scoring areas. This has been going on for 15 games and it’s alarming.
Whether they’ve run out of gas, tuned out the coach, or don’t care (does Arvidsson know where the defensive zone is located) I don’t know, but they are in big trouble.
I think the issue is those two goals both happened in the first period and the team immediately is playing from behind. Dostal doesn’t let in anything. Anaheim leaked chances too. I agree some of the d work was egregious last night but pickard also bailed out his defence on some of those chances. The ones that went in were ugly.
This team is built to play with the lead and counterpunch, they need to find a way to prevent 4 of the first 8 shots from going in their net. You can’t win with goaltending like that in the NHL.
One was in the first (the goal off the face off so that’s the 3rd of the night) and the other much later.
Your point though is good and it speaks to why the coach is saying they are fragile. A goal goes in (regardless of why) and the team just sags. Better example being against Tampa, the 2nd goal, right at the start of the period and it’s Bouch and Skinner and “here we go again”.
The answer is you have to work though it. But right now, they look like they need a jolt of energy. A big hit, a fight, something to wake them out of the malaise. And that means, the answer is in the room. Time is running short.
Here we are again.
In the McDavid era, they simply cannot avoid a 10-15 game stretch that jeopardizes the entire season.
Usually the December swoon, last year the worst start in 30 some years, and this year, surprising given their past when they always come on in the back half of the year, a February and March disaster.
Tomorrow is a must win. A loss genuinely calls into question a playoff appearance, let alone their performance if they get there, despite being first in the division not even 9 games ago.
Simply stunning.
Everyone gets trade protection.
In additon to $3M per year, in addition to SIX years, Mathieu Olivier got a 10 team no trade clause.
I don’t think a 10 team list is too bad, still leaves 22 or more
We’ve been talking about trade protection being something a player might negotiate to take less to sign with a team.
Olivier has popped this season – to a career high of 12G (formerly 5G) and 21P and he just got 6 years at $3MM plus some trade protection.
Wow!
10 team list means don’t trade me to the 51st state! -).
You really think this is funny?
Do you think the threat and/or fear of offer sheets is affecting (or going to affect) future overpayments to secure a player? Is there a need to apply a new way of thinking about and analysing contract offers, with a higher weight being placed on potential upside?
Max Jones is clearly a depth option right now but, adding Frederick, Kane and Jones to the current forward group and that certainly changes the dynamic of the group (subtract Kap, Savoie and Brown or Janmark from last night’s roster).
Give Savoie a run… He needs some games.
I thought Savoie looked good last night.
he hasnt looked any worse than about 6-8 forwards on this team… he is young talented and hungry. Hopefully they give him a chance to adjust to the speed and nhl game.
Loaned to the Condors today.
Max jones can fly and hit.
If only he could score (or crack an NHL roster)
Bringing in Klingberg given the LTIR uncertainty was the right move, but I hope Bowman has the stones to pull the plug if it needs to be. Don’t promise anything to anyone, it has to be earned. JK doesn’t have his speed back, and given he’s not physical that doesn’t work it looks like
At least Bowman is trying to do things in a tough spot. I much prefer an active rational GM
Even though they could use his cap space, and even if he wants to come back early, please do not trade Kane. Both he and Frederic will help this team out so much in the last 5-10 ( if Kane comes back early) and especially in the playoffs. Even Kane at 75-80% willbe better than several guys on this team currently. Ask Skinner and Arvidsson to drop the NMC and hopefully you can free up some cash. The coach hates Skinner so get rid of him. Henrique, Brown and Janmark have been terrible, Nuge and Hyman need to get going, both are way off. You can send Klingberg packing as well. ( Noodles brought up an interesting point this AM. He said as soon as Klingberg came in was about the time this team went south) .
Goalies , I don’t think they get one this year. But let’s hope they can free up some cash and if they actually luck out and could move one of Skinner or Arvidsson ( at least he can skate) and Kane agrees to sit out and they can somehow dish off of Klingberg in a package ( give him away). They would have 8-9 mill which would not only get them a D man. ( maybe one of Oleksiak, Ferraro, Murphy, Risto, Dumoulin( as a cheaper one) , and 1 more forward even
Now if they have that much space would they look at a Mrazek? I don’t think he upgrades.
1 thing not many are talking about is F Max Jones. Jones is really fast, big and hits and is very tough when needed.He never really panned out after being a highly touted junior and drafted in the 1st round. But if it is more speed and toughness maybe bring him up for a few games for a look see on the 4th line. Last year he scored 5G and 15 points in 54 games with Anaheim. Someone mentioned yesterday that the Oiler scouts apparently asked for him in the deal. It wouldn’t hurt with the way the rest of that bottom 6 has been playing.
Bowman must be busy.
If your Skinner/Arvidsson/Henrique, why would you waive your NMC? They clearly signed here for a run at a cup, and there’s only 7-8 teams that (arguably) represent a better chance at a cup than Edmonton. Even assuming they would waive, what kind of trade would a team like FLA or WSH say yes to, giving the Oilers a useful roster player in exchange for a struggling player who’s over 30 and looks to be declining?
Skinner because he is not playing.
Getting paid $3M not to work and maybe win a cup seems better than waiving and going to San Jose, no?
Even though they could use his cap space, and even if he wants to come back early, please do not trade Kane. Both he and Frederic will help this team out so much in the last 5-10 ( if Kane comes back early) and especially in the playoffs. Even Kane at 75-80% willbe better than several guys on this team currently. Ask Skinner and Arvidsson to drop the NMC and hopefully you can free up some cash. The coach hates Skinner so get rid of him. Henrique, Brown and Janmark have been terrible, Nuge and Hyman need to get going, both are way off. You can send Klingberg packing as well. ( Noodles brought up an interesting point this AM. He said as soon as Klingberg came in was about the time this team went south) .
Goalies , I don’t think they get one this year. But let’s hope they can free up some cash and if they actually luck out and could move one of Skinner or Arvidsson ( at least he can skate) and Kane agrees to sit out and they can somehow dish off of Klingberg in a package ( give him away). They would have 8-9 mill which would not only get them a D man. ( maybe one of Oleksiak, Ferraro, Murphy, Risto, Dumoulin( as a cheaper one) , and 1 more forward even
Now if they have that much space would they look at a Mrazek? I don’t think he upgrades.
1 thing not many are talking about is F Max Jones. Jones is really fast, big and hits and is very tough when needed.He never really panned out after being a highly touted junior and drafted in the 1st round. But if it is more speed and toughness maybe bring him up for a few games for a look see on the 4th line. Last year he scored 5G and 15 points in 54 games with Anaheim. Someone mentioned yesterday that the Oiler scouts apparently asked for him in the deal. It wouldn’t hurt with the way the rest of that bottom 6 has been playing.
Bowman must be busy
McDavid looked great last night offensively. He was dynamic and fast and creating.
At the same time, this is the 11th straight game without a 5 on 5 point and he’s 2-16 goals in that time.
I know part of this is linemates being ineffective but this team needs McDavidto be a material out scorer at 5 on 5 (away from Leon).
All teams need their top player to be a material out scorer.
Im heartened with how dynamic McDavid looked tonight but we need the results to come, now.
He gets no help from either Hyman or Nuge of late. Both are underperforming terribly.
yup he looked great last night and once again his linemates were ghosts, he is trying to do it all himself with those 2 who have been ineffective.
Leon Draisaitl’s wingers have been ghosts all year long and he leads the league in goals (by a large margin) and is, I believe, 2nd in points.
Actually Pods was very good at the start and probably up to Mid Dec. Even Drai commented that he liked the way he dug the pucks out of corners etc.
He was good at board battle and puck retrieval and keeping some plays alive – he was never good at, well, creating or finishing scoring chances.
I would say the Oilers are the hardest team in the NHL to coach, or at least one of them. Having the elite talent they have makes the team look stronger than they are, those players are so good they can drive a lot of winning by themselves when they are playing well, and get enough support in goal
Thinking about it I’m not sure Knoblauch or Woodcroft could ever get the whole group going and keep them there, them having the benefit of the best rosters during Connor’s time. Yes they still have won a lot and got to the finals, but that was after not being able to handle other top teams in playoffs a couple of times, then 7 games against the Canucks, having a bunch of players not playing well in playoffs twice, especially Ceci and Des (I’ll give Nurse a pass for injury), and going down 3-0 in the final
Admirable come back for sure, but that backs up my point, getting everyone going and pulling together on the rope. Sather had the same issues to overcome – a generational player and a bunch of stars, how to guide them forward and keep the rest of the team engaged to carry their weight. Most teams don’t have that, probably only Colorado at the moment with MacK and Makar. The Pens have aged out other than Sid (please don’t let that happen to the Oilers Stan)
Any coach that makes it to the NHL is a very good coach in some way at least. But at the top level of play it’s more than tactics, it’s more about people management, leadership and motivating. There is some time left, but if it doesn’t do a 180 they aren’t getting far this go round. Knoblauch seems as rattled as the players. Two rookie HC in a row, for a team that should be winning a championship. Not quite the same as Cooper starting in Tampa as a rookie
When good teams that are expected to win can’t get over the top it could be the players, could be the coach, or both. Maurice had enough of the Jets crew, left and won himself a Cup. McLelland had a stacked top team for years and couldn’t get it done. The Caps only managed one and didn’t bring back the guy that finally got them all on the same page
If they get bounced the GM will almost surely bring in his own HC. I haven’t seen what I think the Oilers need in a HC for a McDavid lead team. Or a HC I think suits the Oilers, not since the best of MacT. McLellan was the closest but I don’t like his style of play, and players don’t like playing it, and that matters. I like Knoblauch, but I’m not feeling it in this situation with this team. I’m not sure Stan should wait, but he will
Have the fastest, most dynamic player in recent memory, and surround him with passive, slow, old players. Let’s see it for what it is. That being said, there are changes that can be made to add grit and pushback in this line-up. I’m waiting for the calls that this is a caveman approach.
If the grit/pushback is fast, can play with skill, and put the puck in the back of the net, and doesn’t require mortgaging the future, then sign me up.
If it’s a couple of 3rd and 4th liners that take bad penalties, can’t score more than Connor Brown, don’t PK, and handle the puck like David Clarkson, I’ll pass
Not matching Holloway and replacing him with old and slow (and ineffective) forwards was a huge mistake. Ekholm falling apart before our eyes now means letting Broberg go was also a huge mistake. Not sure how the team recovers from this, especially with the NMCs handcuffing us next year as well. Man…
I am not so quick to jump on Ek… What is this man battling through?
Age/Time. It comes for us all, eventually
I have been dealing with a flu bug since early December, some days okay, other daysbedridden. Suspect Ek has something similar.
Time to bring up Jones and Hamblin. At least they will provide energy. While Janmark and Brown kill penalties, that has been a disaster to this point. Team needs energy. I am sure that every team is told to be physical against the Oil. There is no push back. Different era, but the Dynasty players must shake their heads when they watch this team.
Need someone on D, also. Probably the least physical D in the NHL.
Last place in regard to hits with 800 vs Panthers 1800.
I agree with trying out some motivation. Play the guys who will bring it. Full effort win or lose. Dress Dineen as well.
The lack of push back reminds me of the Taylor Hall Oilers. Ouch.
Something has to happen. Brown has forgotten where the net is and skates it to the corner almost every chance. The ‘third’ line is awful. Frederic when available will infuse some energy, grit and skill into the lineup. I would love if Kane would come back as well, he may not want to play the cap game… BUT we need a D add badly.
I think that they are told to get the puck to the corners to cycle. Sometimes that goes too far, like when nobody but Connor and Leon can score because of it, as Adam Oates said happens to perimeter offences
Cycling is a tool, not the point
Frederic has about the same number of goals as Brown (8 to 7) in about the same number games (57 to 61). Don’t see the move as a material upgrade to Brown’s goal-scoring/offence.
Frederic will be wearing Gator’s #21.
This is perfect!
Prospectography!
You are treated to a troika of OHL’ers this day. Would have been four but for Clattenburg behaving badly and drawing a 2-game vacation.
As a result of a rare regulation loss, London slipped to #2 in the CHL rankings. (They have been overtaken by Moncton, winners of their last seven.) However, Sam O’Reilly has got a stew going after ringing up seven points in three games over the weekend. Nicholl, while off the p/p/g pace he was on earlier this season, still has 49 points and could very well triple last season’s 20 before playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, Flint has yet to put an “x -” beside their name but is closer to 5th than 7th. Day is the reigning OHL Goalie of the Week, but he opposes a Saginaw team with the most goals in the league and the top CHL point-getter in draft-eligible Michael Misa (57 GP, 57-63-120).
Flint (Day,
Clattenburg) @ 5 p.m.London (O’Reilly, Nicholl) @ 5 p.m.
Both times are the same time and are also Falun time.
The London match is available on TSN+.
Third time this season they’ve been outplayed by the Ducks during the guts of the game. Blew a 3-1 lead in Anaheim & lost 5-3. Blew a 2-0 lead in Edmonton & stole it late on a Leon miracle. Blew a 1-0 lead in Edmonton & kept right on blowing the rest of the night.
the Ducks are a team on the rise. Their U25 component is outstanding, & can push the pace against an older opponent like the Oilers. It’s happened 3 times now, is not a fluke.
Lacombe is going to be (already is?) a beast
Oh those Oilers.
Just wanted to get this out of the way. I agree about Bonnie Raitt and my favorite is Angel From Montgomery.
On to the Oilers. They can play stifling defense, we just saw it. Then the next game Leon is “in picture” way too much. WTF? Like the commentators said last night, the Oilers came in expecting to play the standings and forgot to play the team. Dumb asses…….
They took Podkolzin off his wing. Podkolzin was reliable defensively. Made Draisaitl’s defensive game simpler to execute. Now he has to worry about both of his wingers again.
Knoblauch tried fixing what wasn’t broken. Podkolzin has outplayed Arvidsson and Skinner for the job. It is time to stop trying to save Jeff Jackson’s July 1.
53-29-92 looked good, I’d like to see them give that trio another shot
Some more concern about Ek’s health as he didn’t play the last 10 or so minutes and wasn’t available for media as he was getting treatment.
In addition to still not having his voice back (so maybe still sick – don’t know).
Played just 3 shifts in the third, i hoped they were just resting him in garbage time, but with all the missed practices & ongoing poor play, i hve concern that he’s trying to,play through something that can’t or shouldn’t be played through.
but when your next LHD option is Cam Dineen, what do you do?
They have Nurse with a history of handling 30mins a night, Kulak who is capable of playing 2nd pairing minutes while literally being able to drop any available defender into the 3rd pairing minutes left over.
Put him on LTIR and bring in another defender. Seems like a cap gift from the heavens.
Considering what Florida is doing with Taycluck… Why not?!!! I like this idea 🙂
Travis Dermott come on down!
You are deeming a player that has missed one game the entire season unfit to play for the rest of the season?
Play Dineen, no problem. LTIR? Maybe opportunity strikes.
Either move Ek to 3LD to lighten his load or sit him until he’s right.
He won’t be much help in the playoffs if he plays like he has been.