This is my projection of the Oilers roster on June 23, 2015. Later in that week, Connor McDavid would arrive, and of course Leon Draisaitl plus Darnell Nurse would join and the new original Oilers were born.
If Peter Chiarelli had merely slotted 97 as 2line center, Leon at 3line LW (he wouldn’t have been there long), Nurse at 2nd pair LH side, signed Andrej Sekera and traded the same package for Slats for Cam Talbot? Music!
It was not to be. Ten years after, we are looking at a veteran ‘heart of the order’ and even though no one wants to say it the best Oilers are aging out of their peak years.
That’s why adding youth is so important. Remember when the Kid Line ignited the 1990 run? So, Matthew Savoie is an important player, and Sam O’Reilly will be, too. If Stan Bowman can acquire Isaac Howard, that’s the ticket! Edmonton doesn’t need 10 players between 20-23 on next year’s roster. The Oilers do need more than one (Vasily Podkolzin), the total from last year.
FIRST BLUSH LINES
This is via PuckPedia’s GM tool. The roster is 22/23 and comes in with $1,175,000 in cap room. I’m running Andrew Mangiapane on the first line (reason is here) because he may well be a better fit than Nuge (who does appear to be aging out versus elites if Puck IQ’s numbers are accurate).
I like the Draisiatl line, while also acknowledging Matt Savoie or David Tomasek might slide in over Trent Frederic. The third line has a fast young player and two veterans who could mentor him all season. The fourth line is much faster than a year ago.
FIRST BLUSH BLUE
The only real issue here you might have surrounds Darnell Nurse-Brett Kulak as the second pairing. That duo had a poor five-on-five goal share (44 percent in 399 minutes) but an expected goal share of 58 percent. I will argue that the actual goals (14-18 GF-GA) contains enough luck that would could run it back and get a much better number in 2025-26.
Why Andrew Mangiapane might be a more important player next season than one would think.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6475019/2025/07/06/oilers-depth-chart-roster-2025/
I’ll be listening at the gym tomorrow morning but, aside from the trade clause discussion, from accounts, another thing Friedman mentioned is that the Oilers really wanted Matias Maccelli.
My guess is the Oilers probably required retention on the $3,425,000
I think he breaks out and scores 20 in Toronto. It’s too bad we didn’t land him as he’s only 24 and is a interesting player that needs a fresh reset.
He was on his way, a solid upward trajectory until it crashed and burned last year – 13 straight healthy scratches is something, for a team that was fighting for a playoff spot.
It was too much cap to commit to the player with the risk (and he’s, well, not a large person).
Who are you picking to end up with more goals Mangiapane or Maccelli?
Mangiapane.
How many individuals in this room would agree to work for a single dollar for one season to attempt to secure a Stanley? I understand that it’s not a significant investment, but even for the most affordable cap space imaginable. This team would certainly be able to reach heights. My personal belief is that greed is the cause of the ultimate goal being compromised.
and pride.
Deadly Sin #7
How many millions do I need? The more I have, the more I need (want).
Right here is the sin of greed my friend
I am not going to agree to work for a single dollar if everyone else involved does not agree also, and that the capital providers to the endeavor are donating the profits to charity.
Everyone in the boat has to be rowing and contributing.
And if everyone is working for a single dollar, then the price of the tickets should be an order of magnitude lower.
And if it is not a charitable collective endeavor by all involved, than participants should be paid a fair wage, commensurate with their contribution.
But for a cup with you’re name on it I would do it. 1 dollar. Heck most of them already made million, the vets I mean. To the elc and RFA guys pay them.
So by what your saying “I am not going to agree to work for a single dollar if everyone else involved does not agree also, and that the capital providers to the endeavor are donating the profits to charity.
Everyone in the boat has to be rowing and contributing”.
Flordia has way better cap management since everyone took a discount to keep winning. Vs Edmonton. Ps im putting taxes state and provincially aside in this answer.
What is of more value? The grail or the grail quest.
Im going for the grail cotton 🤣
Talk about creating cap room… with a total team cap of $23.00 …nuts.
Here’s a thought experiment. If NYR continue to struggle and Panarin is reluctant to re-sign, what do you say for a sign and trade for Panarin on a 4 yr deal near the same money or slightly less, for Nurse and whatever other padding necessary from either side to complete the deal? Rabgers get a really solid top 4 D group signed for term, we get a great player for McD or Drai on the LW during our compete window…
We woould have to be comfortable in whoever is replacing Nurse’s role in the D to consider this however… my one caveat.
Nurse and whatever else to Philly for Risto and Couturier.
Nuge McD Hyman
Mangi Drai Savoie
Podz Couturier Frederic
Henrique Philp Lazar
Ek Bouchard
Walman Risto
Kulak Emberson/Stecher/Regula
Talk about Center depth…that gives Coack K some serious options.
I hope nurse realizes that if he doesn’t waive next year to a place of his choosing he may end up at a place of his not choosing the following year
There’s a 10-team no-trade list he’ll need to submit, that’s a nice cushion.
It is. But once you get Ottawa Columbus Detroit Buffalo New York islanders, Calgary, Winnipeg, Anaheim, San Jose, Nashville. You may get a LA kings calling.
Or Boston. Or Chicago. Or NYR, Pit, Phi, Utah… the list goes on. And some of them could be very intriguing as trade partners…
It must be hard to both simultaneously acknowledge that you want to be here to accomplish a lifelong dream and hoist Stanley but also know that your contract could be a factor in not achieving that dream. That’s a real tough spot mentally.
Rich Winters says being over payed is a bad thing for everyone
More on the matter…https://thehockeywriters.com/oilers-quietly-explored-darnell-nurse-offseason-trade/
Trying to find out how many draft picks they would have to offload that terrible contract.
Or how much salary they would be expected to retain.
My first call would be to Ken Holland
With the contracts being thrown around this off-season? The Nurse contract isn’t going to be the boat anchor it is for very long. Nurse has some value. Despite the feelings of fans (myself included), he can play.
With Proporov approaching $9MM, the re-set market has made Nurse’s contract less of an over pay.
Or with Makars contract you can say Nuse is a massive overpay.
Stan is a proper pro sports manager
Nurse has time and the rising cap on his side. He can just wait Bowman out, while
the other three left D are all in their last season before free agency in a rising cap environment, two of whom are older than him, and the younger one in need of a big raise.
Every year Ekholm is a year older with more wear-and-tear.
Scoring Issues Loom Large in 2025-26
There was a time not long ago when opposing goalies had every reason to dread the Edmonton Oilers. With Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and a historically lethal power play, the Oilers terrorized the NHL scoreboard, peaking in the 2022-23 season with a whopping 325 goals (9th all time). But since then, the well has begun to run dry. By last season, the total had shrunk to 259 — a 65-goal drop. And while some might chalk that up to bad luck, a deeper look reveals several systemic factors converging to depress the club’s offensive output. This is not a blip — it’s a trend.
1. Fewer Power Play Opportunities: The Game Has Changed (and Not in Edmonton’s Favour)
Let’s start with what should be the low-hanging fruit: the reduction in power play opportunities.
In 2022-23, Edmonton earned 275 man advantages, one of the best totals in the league. Two seasons later, that number fell to just 213. That’s a 23% drop. Yes, it’s part of a league-wide trend — the NHL as a whole saw power plays decline from 3.07 to 2.71 per game the lowest since 1963. Teams that drive play and possess the puck — like the Oilers — should naturally draw more penalties. Yet that hasn’t been the case.
One reason may lie in the way games are being officiated. And here, we tread into uncomfortable territory. The NHL has a long-standing issue with game management by officials, and critics have pointed out that the playoffs often reward obstruction, not skill. But regular season trends suggest the same forces are increasingly at play. The man at the top of the officiating pyramid — Colin Campbell — happens to be the father of the Florida Panthers’ Assistant GM. Is that a conflict of interest? You’d be hard-pressed to find a national media outlet discussing it, but in Oil Country, this is becoming a commonly known fact.
On a recent segment on Oilers NOW (June 19th) captured the growing frustration. David Staples put it bluntly:
That quote may seem extreme to some, but it reflects a sentiment shared widely among fans who watch this team night after night. Edmonton’s top-end skill isn’t being rewarded. And it’s not paranoia if it’s happening in plain sight.
2. Declining Power Play Efficiency: A Tale of Two Quarterbacks
Not only is Edmonton getting fewer power plays — they’re doing less with the ones they do get. The power play operated at a record-breaking 32.4% clip in 2022-23. Last season, it fell off a cliff to 23.7%. Power play goals dropped from 89 to 51. What happened?
Many would point to the natural adjustments from defenders. But there’s another angle that deserves scrutiny: coaching and Tyson Barrie’s departure (??).
When Barrie was quarterbacking the Oilers’ PP1, during which time Jay Woodcroft was the head coach, he posted an eye-popping 8.65 points/60. Evan Bouchard, a brilliant young defender with a howitzer of a shot, followed with more minutes but lower output: 7.51 P/60 in 2023-24 and just 5.8 P/60 last season. For comparison, Bouchard’s own rate during Barrie’s peak season was 4.19 P/60.
Part of the issue? Shooting tendencies.
Barrie shot just 8.96 times/60, keeping the puck circulating and letting McDavid and Draisaitl do the damage. Bouchard? He fired 12.45 and 10.45 Shots/60 the past two seasons. Point shots are lower percentage plays, and while Bouchard’s cannon is a weapon, over-reliance on it may have helped to dull the Oilers’ once-razor-sharp man advantage. The other factor? Improved penalty kill tactics from the opposition.
It should be noted, however, that the very peak of the Oilers power play came with Bouchard at the helm, during the smaller sample of the 2022-2023 playoffs, when it clicked at a 46.2% success rate. During this period, Bouchard shot 12.78 times per hour.
According to Hockey Viz in 2022-2023 the Edmonton Oilers power play created 9.59 expected goals per 60 minutes, while in 2024-2025 they created 7.55. Notice the increase in chances from area of ice occupied by Evan Bouchard, and the decrease in slot and cross-seam opportunities. Is Bouchard to blame? I’m reluctant to blame him. But perhaps the next assistant coach will need to strike a better balance. Because the Oilers still possess the most dangerous weapons in the game, but they aren’t being deployed to their full potential.
3. Even Strength Woes: A Shift in Shot Quality and Personnel
The decline isn’t limited to special teams. At 5-on-5, the Oilers scored 191 goals in 2022-23, a robust 2.91 GF/60. Last season, that number slipped to 169 goals, or 2.48 GF/60. One clue lies in shot selection.
As pointed out by Sunil Agnihotri in a sharp piece for OilersNation, the Oilers are taking more shots from the point. That naturally decreases shooting percentage — and the results have borne that out. Long bombs from defenders look good on the heatmap but don’t often beat NHL goalies.
Compounding this trend is the decline in offensive depth.
In 2022-23, the Oilers’ Top-10 even-strength contributors by Points/60 included Warren Foegele (2.09), Klim Kostin (2.02), Evander Kane (1.96), and Ryan McLeod (1.86). All are now gone, as are Viktor Arvidsson, Corey Perry, Connor Brown, and Derek Ryan.
Many of these changes are the cost of doing business under a tight salary cap. The new contracts for Bouchard and Draisaitl have squeezed the middle class out of Edmonton’s forward ranks.
GM Stan Bowman has responded by bargain hunting: Trent Frederic (8 x $3.85M), Andrew Mangiapane (2 x $3.6M), and depth options like Curtis Lazar, David Tomasek, and Matt Savoie. Tomasek and Savoie are coming from lesser leagues and their production remains to be seen. But the math is not kind: the departed forwards posted an average P/60 of 1.56 over the past three seasons; the incoming group? An average of just 1.15 P/60 excluding the unknowns.
Unless something changes — a strategic rethink on the power play, a breakout year from a young depth piece, or a fortunate return to drawing more penalties — the Edmonton Oilers are poised to enter 2025-26 with a middle-of-the-pack offence. Not what we’ve come to expect from the high-flying Oil.
Thanks. I’m interested in the 5v5 outscoring numbers. LT made the point this past season that lower GF may be the price coaching staff is willing to pay for lower SA/GA.
Less firewagon hockey, more structure…
I would just say that opposing teams’ respect for the long range Bouch bomb (and Wal and Ek bombs) tends to open up the coverage closer to the crease. That kind of change up is necessary to the unit as a whole remaining less predicatable in the O zone.
Thanks for putting that together daniel. Agree on all points. A couple of thoughts. Part of the drop off in calls outside of the game management towards Connor was a loss of younger players that could skate. I wasn’t opposed to changes at F outside of losing Holloway who was exactly the player type they needed, because I didn’t like key aspects of how Foegele and McLeod played. Kostin had a nice run but he’s not that guy much since. Kane is a loss. Curlock wrote a lot about it
But replacing them with the guys they did wasn’t the right direction. Players that always skate with energy and drive players and the net get the calls by causing problems. They as a team didn’t do that enough, and guys with speed like Brown weren’t getting into the fray enough. The coaches weren’t able to integrate the new players well for whatever reasons
The PP is stale and predictable. Having the talent they do masks a lot of underlying issues. It drives them further than how they play as a team in tough games. Because there are issues, it shows against teams like Florida and sometimes the elites can’t overcome it. I think the coaches get a lot of credit that really is more about the elite players. I give credit to the coaches for being able to coach such a group because it’s not easy. MacT said this recently
If Gulatzan was such a PP guru, why the problems? The PP should be red hot always with these guys, it should be able to make adjustments even on the fly. I saw a disconnect between using D shots so much in all states, which is the least successful way to attack as you said, but not at least doing what you have to if you want that, which is getting into the goalies eyes and tipping pucks. Being near or beside the net isn’t the same thing. Often there was no real traffic. Bouch was trying to shoot through blocks or just straight up from distance. He gets a few, but it’s still low percentage. Where were the adjustments to make their plan more cohesive, where was the growth in supporting the puck carrier?
High skill players tend to a certain style of play. Sometimes they can pull off great plays, but that isn’t how a team wins. I think they need to adjust their style 5v5 and dial it in to still be pressing through an entire game when the fancy stuff isn’t happening. If it’s there, stay on script and light it up. Battle away when it’s not. And of course special teams which weren’t great
The coaches need to be willing to adapt to play better against their current main rival and teams that play that way. To not have to rely on big plays and comebacks so often which is exhausting and doesn’t build real momentum and confidence. High flying is great when it flows, but what if it just isn’t there? And the players need to be on board if they don’t want to bang their heads against the same wall again
Being able to truly compete straight up against whatever will allow the great players to be the extra that the other team probably doesn’t have, and the way they get to where they want to go
Something that I miss from Barrie’s arsenal is that ability to keep pucks in at the blueline. Bouchard tries but Barrie was in another tier with his ability to keep the play going. More zone time = more opportunity to score.
Excellent analysis. Whenever “Coli” Campbell is involved there will be manipulation. We’re getting closer to WW “Entertainment” every year. Just look at the trend line. Players don’t just get more compliant to the rules like that. It’s blatant manipulation of games.
The Stanley cup final apparently was the cleanest game ever played FFS
I’m concerned with expectations for Mangiapane.
He averaged 13 minutes of ice time last season and only 11 in the playoffs. He was 4LW in all of the Caps playoff games. He didn’t PK last season, and didn’t PK much the season prior.
His last 3 seasons don’t scream top 6 winger on a SC contender. What am I missing that has people slotting him at 1LW or 2LW on the Oilers?
One season isn’t an indicative of a player’s abilities. Seems Washington didn’t use him to the fullest of his potential.
What do you see in his Calgary stats that say 1/2 LW?
The stats of his last season in Calgary aren’t much different than his season in Calgary.
5 straight seasons right at (or over) 2P/60.
When was this?
According to MoneyPuck, 1.59, 2, 1.87, 2.56, 2.06, 2.06, 1.69. And that’s all-strengths.
https://moneypuck.com/player.htm?p=8478233
Per NST, 5 on 5 P/60 from 2018/19 through 2022/23
1.79
2.02
2.15
2.24
1.97
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20242025&thruseason=20242025&stype=2&sit=5v5&stdoi=std&rate=y&v=p&playerid=8478233
This applies to 1 good season too.
You never know. If his play rhymes with either McD or Drai maybe he gets zoomed to everyone’s benefit.
He fills a need that’s missing. If he can bring that it won’t be about his points, it will be about how he helps the talent play more to their abilities. He has skill, more than Pod. He brings that speed and he’s a distraction. They need wingers that help push, to keep a strong attack going, not just at times, and that can play a solid 200 ft game. Mang has played elites and was a big part of how the Flames did well until Treliving botched it
Bowman mentioned this saying he’s good at keeping the play alive. For Connor having two strong forecheckers that are fast and get into it will be better. For Leon it also helps having a less one dimensional winger than he’s had a lot of the time. I hope it works out
I hope it works out too, but I think expectations are far too high based on his history.
What’s the scouting report on Tomasek what makes him effective. With Holland ransacking the pantry Bowman is getting creative.
By typing in “Tomasek scouting report” in your favourite search engine, you can get the results in the same amount of time it takes to make those kinds of posts.
That’s a disappointing scouting report. It leads me to believe he’s one dimensional and if his skating isn’t up to par, he probably isn’t an NHL level player.
I was kind of hoping for fan or watcher of this player to give his view on Mr.Tomasek. I do understand that anyone including your gracious self can look up and read a generic scouting report.
Reach out to Curlock.
I wish Bruce was around for my own selfish need for accurate analysis of my Oilers. He was a prince of a man who will and is sorely missed.
Freidman reporting that Nurse was asked about possibly waiving his NTC. WOW.
Can I ask where you saw or heard this, was it his newest 32 Thoughts?
https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/
Starts at the 2:33:57 mark. FWIW there were a few caveats there by Elliotte, i.e. as to what he thinks was the approach.
Edit – full conversation on the Oilers starts at 2:33 with Bouchard’s deal.
It was a definite caveat. He is thinking ou loud about what he SUSPECTS the process was, no hard reporting on what ACTUALLY happened. Of course other more “click-baity” media are repeating that as though it was fact to get eyeballs on the ads… nothing to see here.
I read it here….https://nhltradetalk.com/no-trade-clauses-halt-potential-oilers-moves-as-2-players-say-no/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=no-trade-clauses-halt-potential-oilers-moves-as-2-players-say-no
Nurse and Henrique
LT, sorry if I broke the 24 hour rule but this was big news
No worries, there’s a link.
Thanks LT. I hope that everyone has an awesome day.
Do the Kings have enough cap space after signing the Ceci contract?
He’s perfect for Carolina.
Not really. Carolina has a leftorium. Slavin, Gostisbehere, Nikishin, Miller, Reilly.
First 20 games in pressbox will change his mind
Not sure the coach will go from playing him the most at 5 on 5 in the playoffs to not playing him.
In the immortal words of Ricky Bobby…dear tiny infant Jesus…
Last summer and season start the hoi polloi and some pundits were saying ‘best centre depth in the league’. It’s being said again
I don’t see it, again. We have the two most productive centres. By results they aren’t always the best in a game, scores and stats. If Nuge plays 3C, how good will he be? Will he stay there? They don’t actually have a 3C or 4C that we know outplays top teams. Leon is with Connor a fair bit (which might change if they manage games better next season and don’t get behind) and when he is then only Connor is a known quantity and three unknowns
Florida’s top 3 centres did outplay everyone and they have, spits, two to show for that. There are a lot of centres on the roster, or players that can play there or want to. Knob is pretty stubborn in deployment which is why I think he keeps mixing things up, if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing he makes a move
It sometimes helps but also doesn’t allow lines to work through things. Stan will add if he thinks it’s needed I’m sure, he can make moves, and I think is willing to make hard decisions more than Ken. After last summers blunders I like the direction and Stan’s adds. The current potential group I like better than the last at F. Younger and more range. Forwards need constant drive and that suits under 30’s, at least for the majority of players. Defense need experience more so them being a little older makes sense. A lot remains to be seen methinks
I also take that assertion about best center depth cautiously. Certainly we have the best 1-2 punch by a country kilometre, but centre depth goes 4 or even 5 deep overall. I think FLorida showed us strong reliable center play all down their forward ranks, leaving our 3 and 4 line in trouble consistently. We have the best high end centers, but they had the best depth overall IMO.
Lazar does not score much, does not hit much and has not been used as a primary pk guy by 8 nhl organizations. What does he bring? A pressbox type. play Philp for 30 games to see if there is upside.
Note that Tomasek may steal all the lunch money.
I see that Lazar is excited to be an Edmonton Oiler. He is capable of playing all three forward positions, similar to Janmark & Kapanen but the difference is he’s actually good at faceoffs. All of Lazar, Tomasek & Philp are wild cards at center that have tremendous potential to add to the roster, resolving some questions about the bottom six center positions. Not only that, but they offer competition to the incumbents, Nuge, Henrique and Frederic who is also in consideration of being used at center. IMO the spine of the roster is healthy to say the least, those that aren’t used at center will certainly be used on the wing.
All NHL forwards are capable of playing all forward positions if Janmark and Kap are – they are wingers. If they are playing center there is a big issue. Janmark playing center in the playoffs was a big issue – he was bad as the playoffs went on.
He had a bad year last year but dealing with a screw from surgery that did not dissolve – he was a very good depth center the year before and that is the hope.
I still have Philp in pole position for 4C. Bowman has mentioned expectations for Philp a few times recently.
That second line isn’t going to score enough goals, and the wingers not being able to hit the broad side of a barn is sure to drive Leon nuts.
They need to find at least one more shooter before this gets rolling.
Play Savoie with Drai. A finisher alongside the best passer n the NHL.
Savoie will definitely get a look on Drai’s wing – when he does, he may be there for the term of Leon’s contract.
Drai was meant for Savoie and, if Leon liked playing with Yamk, well, he’ll drool at playing with the more skilled, smarter player with the better shot and better board work.
The Oilers need one line that does not try to pass the puck into the net. Draisaitl is one of the top three shooters in the league. He is the goalscorer (plus the D) one is looking for on this line. Podkolzin and Frederic will clean up the rebounds for goals near the blue paint.
Let Draisaitl play a power game on his own line. He will get plenty of pretty game time with McDavid.
One line able to impose its will physically will help all the lines.
If Drai is the goal scorer then does his line need a transporter and a playmaker?
It’s the in house template, and the centres are similar in style and temperament generally to the Oiler greats
Pest Pain – Greatest – two way sniper
X – Dominant Beast – Blazing Aggressive
The players jostling for top 6 are Nuge, Mang, Savoie, Frederic, Tomasek and Pod because he was there. Nuge can do it but I also think they need more from 1LW. He’s a utility knife, they need a throwing knife
Frederic probably doesn’t have the skill for top 6 full time. At least that’s how MacT sees him. Maybe he can reenact Maroon? Tomasek from reports isn’t fast, if he makes it I guess bottom 6. Does he have enough finish to be the sniper? Can he play with the centres well enough to justify it?
Pod is a worker, but like Janmark I predict his scoring is better in playoffs and will drop off. Having guys in the top 6 that aren’t productive enough at 5v5 isn’t ideal even if they do some other things well enough. That’s leaves Mang and Sav
Although smaller Mang fits the Tikkanen role. He’s does have hands, he is a pain and has the speed to be disruptive and perhaps be an option to transport if Connor is getting too much attention. Mang draws attention because he irritates, and that takes it off Connor to a degree and I think that’s important for players like Connor. I think that was behind Maroon’s success with Connor, a massive truculent driving the net that was scoring demanded attention from the D
Sav fits the Anderson role although again smaller and I doubt as crazy and aggressive, but there’s a similarity that suits that role. Speed skill and has finish, and wants to play like a buzzsaw in his own words. Is working to get stronger which is music
That would be my first go and the other guys contribute to an even better bottom 6 that can take more responsibility and some TOI off the top 6
What it comes down to is doing the best with what they’ve got.
And finding the right balance that makes Connor and Leon even better. Being a good player isn’t necessarily the right addition. It needs to be an ingredient that’s not there that’s needed. I feel Bowman gets this more than his predecessors
Like when Slats found Tikk for Wayne and Nilsson for Messier and made two of the best lines ever. Wayne needed a dick with skill and Mess needed playmaking to hit the perfect balance for the winger they already had
The thought this season might be that the goal is for all four lines to impose their will physically, kind of like that Florida Panthers team.
Neither of those two excel in cleaning up the garbage.
He needs Dino Ciccarelli and Mike Comrie.
Game 4 in Florida. Podkolzin pushed off the defenseman and backhanded the rebound over Bobrovsky’s pad.
More. Please.
The reigning rocket winner?
This thread isn’t mathing.
Not maxxing out Leon’s output is a mistake. He should be a 50+G and 60-70+A guy.
While I implore the Oilers to go get Pastranak, there’s a big difference between your first comment and the second comment.
Leon had 52 goals and 54 assists just last season, he missed 11 games. There’s a good chance it was 60/60 season if he played all of them.
Podkolzin works beautifully with Draisaitl, they need to extend him now before the counting stats pop.
I don’t foresee a pop but I do foresee an eventual overpay regardless if they don’t keep ahead of a rising cap resetting everyone’s expectations..
As mentioned a few times, solid accounts (Stauff) are that Bowman will be working on extending Podz and Walman this summer.
I wonder what it will look like, Podz similar to Frederic deal. 7*3 something like that.
Could see Walman getting 7*6 or near there.
I don’t think it would take $3MM to get Podz extended today. I think the points would be to get him locked in closer to $2MM before he has a season that warrants $3MM plus.
Walman likely in the $7MM range – I agree there. Given what the likes of Proporov got, that could likely be a value deal although term will be a big factor – he’ll be 30 when it kicks in so, anything more than 3 years or so will be regression years and SHOULD bring the AAV down.
But you see the size of em? It’s like a poor man’s Legion of Doom; the grumpy colleagues, the coworkers of darn, the acquaintances of apathy.
It is as if Bowman played Ice Hockey (NES 1988) and decided the best combo all big guys and a medium guy.
Greatest video hockey game ever. Rolling out a team of tubs was hilarious.
2nd greatest hockey game ever is up for debate.. Mutant league hockey, where you could destroy the ref in all sorts of fashion, blades of steel, nhl 94..glory days.
I see Walman as a better overall player than Kulak and probably Nurse. He also had solid fancies with Nurse. If they want to run the second two pairs evenly – if Ekholm makes it back to form he and Bouch will play the most – Walman on third pair is fine. Really it would be two second pairs. If not he needs to play more than the 5 6 7 D
I’d like to see more of Nurse-Walman myself, provided Ekholm can regain his previous form and kick out the jams with Bouchard.
Kulak is an exceptional 3LD in the league. Less TOI over the season will allow him to slide up in case of need during the playoffs or for injury/slump cover.
Number of posts these days seems to be pretty low. Maybe we should temporarily turn this into a Blue Jay’s blog 🙂
Jays are dealing for sure. I still think they need a lefty bat with hair on his ass.
But Walman is better than nurse. And kulak doesn’t like the right side
Knoblauch used Nurse more than any other defenseman at five-on-five last season, suspect he’ll be used less this year and maybe Walman moves ahead of him.
As for Kulak, the fact he doesn’t like RH side shouldn’t be a factor in deciding optimal deployment.
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20242025&thruseason=20242025&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&stdoi=std&rate=y&team=EDM&pos=D&loc=B&toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single&draftteam=ALL
How about trading Kulak for a true RD?
I don’t see Stecher playing 3RD over Emberson. I hope that’s not the case.
Stecher outplayed Emberson last year. Emberson has to raise his game.
By what metrics are you making such a statement. Looking at MoneyPuck, Emberson had the better stat in nearly every category over the regular season.
Emberson was 23 – continuing development is expected.
Ideally, the team would deal Nurse and keep Kulak. OR it might be time to deal Ekholm. I like Kulak’s durability and utility.
As do I, but he’s not an every-day RD. Nor does he want to be.
Agreed on both Nurse and Ekholm. I can see Ekholm being traded this season.
If Ekholm can’t stay healthy something will have to give. If his play drops they can shuffle. The weak spot to me is 3 RD. Maybe Emberson takes a step, but given Kulak is under 200 and Emb and Stech are it’s not ideal. Kulak helps more as a solid third pair than an on and off again RD. If everyone is healthy maybe it’s addressed at the deadline
There could be a new role for Ekholm this season, as a mentor for young RHD forging their way into the NHL, Emberson & Regula for example.
I see that as a next season kind of role, if he extends (hopefully to a value deal).
He can certainly boost the third pair and reduced minutes at this stage of his career could lengthen his longevity. No doubt he’s got a lot to offer for years to come .
Nurse/Walman makes so much sense to me based off of 106 minutes last season.
Still boggles me they refused to go there during the playoffs.