I’ve been writing daily about the Edmonton Oilers since about 2003, and one thing I know for sure is cutting-edge innovation doesn’t flourish in the halls of management. That’s okay, luck got the organization this far, luck and an owner willing to spend to the cap. True innovation (Bill Zito, Kelly McCrimmon) eludes the team, and one suspects part of it comes down to just how much the owner and CEO impact the general manager’s room to wheel.
We don’t know what we don’t know, so when Ken Holland left after five seasons it may well have been a matter of moving on. The offer sheets couldn’t have helped, but the die seemed cast long before the conclusion of the 2024 Final.
Stan Bowman is the last of three ‘window to win’ general managers who arrived straight out of central casting. Veteran managers, Stanley Cup rings, established success, owing at least a little to Jeff Gorton, Jim Devellano and Dale Tallon.
Bowman has proven to be the most interesting in the group, although he is the general manager of record on the offer sheets and the Trent Frederic signing looks bad, bad, bad. Positives include the acquisitions of Vasily Podkolzin, Ty Emberson, Kasperi Kapanen and Connor Ingram at low, low trade or waiver prices. I’m a big fan of his restocking the Bakersfield Condors via college (Quinn Hutson, Damien Carfagna) and European (Josh Samanski, Viljami Marjala) in one spring. The Jack Roslovic signing was inspired.
On the downside? The offer sheets, although that bird had flown by the time he arrived (Broberg wanted out early December 2023). Trent Frederic contract, Andrew Mangiapane signed with at least some evidence coach Kris Knoblauch wouldn’t find a spot for him (Jeff Skinner) and it appears the organization is on its way to a four year contract with Jack Roslovic.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN JANUARY
- At home to: Flyers, Preds (Expected 1-0-1) 1-1-0
- On the road to: Jets (Expected 1-0-0) 1-0-0
- At home to: Kings (Expected 1-0-0) 0-0-1
- On the road to: Blackhawks, Preds (Expected 1-1-0) 1-0-1
- At home to: NYI (Expected 0-0-1) 0-1-0
- On the road to: Canucks (Expected 1-0-0) 1-0-0
- At home to: Blues, Devils, Penguins, Caps (Expected 2-1-1) 2-2-0
- At home to: Ducks, Sharks, Wild (Expected 1-1-1) 1-0-0
- Expected Record: 8-3-4, 20 points in 15 games
- Actual Record: 7-4-2, 16 points in 13 games
- Season Record: 27-19-8, 62 points in 54 games
Currently, Toronto Maple Leafs fans are discussing the Brandon Carlo trade. Carlo was acquired from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Fraser Minton (who is playing well for Boston), a 2025 fourth round selection (Vashek Blanar) and a first-round selection in 2026. That first-round selection has some protection, as TML will make the pick if it is inside the top-five overall. It’s going to be humbling if the pick is 6-10 and it points out the dangers in traditional deadline deals.
The Oilers have three McDavid springs available, so must push every deadline for a championship. The first-round pick for Edmonton in 2026 is gone (Jake Walman trade) and more riches will be sent away at this year’s deadline. Ike Howard for Bobby McMann? Too rich. A second-round selection in 2026? Seems right to me, but we don’t know if McMann’s value among contending teams is making a trade for him more spendy.
What we do know is Bowman’s best skill so far is in finding players like Vasily Podkolzin. He cost a fourth-round pick, because the Vancouver Canucks wanted to move on. Who is the deadline Podkolzin? Stay tuned.
BAKERSFIELD CONDORS
I’m looking forward to seeing Josh Samanski again, and wonder if we’ll see Roby Jarventie or Viljami Marjala. I spoke to Ryan Holt, Condors play-by-play broadaster earlier this week and he was complimentary about both players. We’ll see.
The Condors have two bona fide prospects (Beau Akey and Damien Carfagna) but keeping them healthy is a chore. Akey took a puck to the face while sitting on the bench in a game versus the Barracuda. Damn it all anyway. Bakersfield needs defensemen like mars needs women.
Matt Tomkins is having a helluva run right now, emerging as the next Pickard is a stretch but he’s playing well.
On the Lowdown today, we’ll have Bagged Milk from Oilers Nation on the show to preview the game against San Jose tonight. We’ll talk MLB, NBA, NFL, CFL and more, noon to 2pm on Sports 1440 radio and You Tube.
The last two games showcase why we won’t have to worry about the Ducks and Sharks for a few more years.
Undeniable talent on both. But it’s boys vs men.
They may get there eventually but for now we’re the cream of the crop.
Bouchard 15th in scoring after another three point night. Best dman in the NHL right now.
Perhaps unpopular comment (and I only watched highlights from periods 1/2, full disclosure), but…
Moneypuck had Edmonton ahead in expected goals 5v5 from 5 mins into the game, where they maintained that lead (save for a few minutes in the 2nd period) until the end of the game.
Both NST and moneypuck only had SJS with xGF in all states to be 1.68 and 1.64, respectively.
I watched the replays, saw the ghastly mistakes. And I still think Ingram should have made 1 more save just as the fancies indicated (xGA were at 0.336 when 3 goals were on the board, which the eye test would disagree with, however). Good on him for not letting in any more when there was at least 1 more xGA to come, but I’m giving him the same scrutiny I would have to Skinner.
Given that 3-0 comebacks are incredibly rare, it is still fair to say that they won in spite of Ingram tonight, but that he held it together until it once again mattered. And I am glad for him that he was able to redeem himself in this scenario, when the GA were mounting but that neither in isolation were egregious
Only goal he had a chance on was the breakaway. A save there would have been nice for sure. The other two there were no goalies in the world that would have stopped them.
#neverindoubt Mr. McCurdy!
McDavid just tied Malkin for most NHL OT assists in a career. He will soon hold that record for a long time.
Just 2 pts behind Crosby for most all time
McDavid just overtook MacKinnon for P/G, with a 6 pt lead in 3 more games and both averaging ~1.7 P/G
Except McDavid has 60 in his last 30.
MacKinnon 51 in his last 30.
Kuch? 63.
Veteran team attitude: why play 3 periods when you can play one? (+ a few pond hockey seconds)
We know this team is essentially just “getting through the regular season”
You’re right about that. Serves me right for getting mad about how they start games.
I feel for ticket buyers. They don’t get to just pay for the third period.
Loved Ingram’s response about getting pulled early last time and not tonight. Just pointed out they won both times, they can pull him every night if it gets them the win. Cheering for the guy, you can tell his struggles have brought perspective.
As we know, the Cult of Hockey tracks every “Grade A chance” in every Oilers came (and provides a contribution to a chance for and a mistake on a goal against – sometimes multiple).
Tonight, the Oilers had the last 15 grade A shots of the game…….
Two goals for Yamamoto tonight. Nice to see.
He’s revived his career this season – good for him.
I’m happily conflicted about how I feel about this team. At the end of the day, it’s the wins that matter.
This team reminds me of myself. I’m not a morning person, so I’ll hit snooze 5 times then make a mad scramble to get ready for work and out the door to get to work on time. I’m happy I made it but it’s not the best way to start the day. I tell myself I need to be better, and make it easier on myself, and then I do the exact same thing the next day.
Same, except my office is ten feet out my front door… good thing I’m my own boss or I would fire me
My son’s like that. Now I walk into his room at 7am and turn on the light. At 7:20 I open the door and let the dogs in, and turn on his bedroom fan. At 7:30am I tear his bedsheets off him and threaten to pour water on him, sometimes I play the stereo or various other alarms. That’s as far as I’ve had to go, so far.
I got home in time for the 3rd period. Why was everyone complaining, what I saw was incredible effort!
😉
They should start all their games 6 on 5, it is their best game state, don’t you think?
That effort in the 3rd was so palpable, I don’t know why this team has to make it so hard on themselves, but incredible nonetheless.
Thank goodness that “3 in a row” irrelevance can no longer be a talking point.
It was very nice of Warofsky to sit his stars in OT, and instead go with Ferraro, Liljegren and Wennberg. Yes, I’m sure the plan was to win the draw or try and tread water if the Oilers won it, but there was nobody on the ice for the Sharks who could do *anything* with the puck.
Kings lost in regulation
Knihts down 3 heading to the third
Mammoth lost in reg
Kraken up by 2.
Back to back -3 for MacKinnon. Zero points in both.
Makar with a -3 tonight and two games in a row he’s had multiple giveaways for goals agains – he’s literally playing like October Bouchard right now.
NHL regular season is a marathon, not a sprint. Teams get hot, they get cold.
And Team Canada should know that Bouchard starts cold and finishes hot.
Bouchard with a 2 point lead over Zack W. for d-men scoring.
11 points in 4 games.
He took a -2 early tonight – first goal was all Ek/Nuge and the 2nd he had his man tied up and got unlucky.
No Olympics, lol!
Looks like the Nhl’s top scoring defenseman is not good enough for team Canads…hmm
That was such a crafty play by Hyman to push the Sharks D into Askarov gain separation and fire that home. His shot is really underrated.
I gotta say, I was yelling at the TV for that line to change with possession. Draisaitl made the smart play to get fresh legs on
Nice comeback, especially considering most of the top players were a little off.
Agreed. So many un-Drai like passes from the Meister. I was surprised he was one of the night’s three stars. He got points, but oh my…
In football, Hyman would’ve been flagged for offensive pass interference. Thank Gord this ain’t football.
If it was the NFL, the Sharks could have just passed up the last 2 minutes of play and the game would have been over.
Stupidest part of the NFL by far.
No argument here – CFL does the last minutes of their games waaay better.
Yeah, but Stewart Johnston wants to wreck everything that’s good about the CFL.
He’s only been on the job for a half a year, and I already put him in the “Bettman” category.
Great comeback but it took a long time to get there. Gotta show up and start games on time!!!!
Are you not entertained?!
Thats a lot of bounces. I’ll take em. Now clean up the unforced errors and you won’t need to go to OT
Coaching adjustments!
If one is going to “credit” the coach for the 1st period one should credit the coach for the third period.
I mean, it’s the same formula as before, and with all due respect to SJ, they’re no Colorado or Dallas. But a 3 point swing is a huge deal.
Play mcdavid and drai for half the game sit the rest of the guys. Extremely creative. Let’s see how this plays out in the playoffs.
this team.
We’re going streaking!!!
Just how they drew it up I’m sure.
I’m glad the Oilers came back and won, but a contender wouldn’t have given them a sniff after start.
You must be new here….
The Sharks faded like a cheap suit under pressure.
Gotta believe!
3 wins in a row!
This just occurred to me! 32nd to do it!
ZACH MF HYMAN!! 🚨
I know the M stands for Martin, but I’m not sure about the F.
FINALLY!
He meant ZACHARY MARTIN MF HYMAN!
LoL
Yep
Yeah, Team Canada definitely doesn’t have room for that guy.
Not when you can have a Parayko or Doughty. In 2026.
I posted this after the tying goal in reference to Bouchard. But it does serve double duty for the winner by Hyman.
Cirelli and Hagel played 36 mins cumulatively tonight and had 4 shots on goal and 0 pts, while Point is still taping his body back together, and had 11 G 19 A in 37 GP.
But sure, lets bring this group over Hyman, he of 22 G 10 A in his last 30 GP coming off an injury-delayed start…
I guess the game wasn’t over when the Oilers were down 2-0 – weird.
I’m happy I didn’t “have better things to do”.
Not the dunk you think it is.
This team’s roster should win 80% of its games.
It is an indictment of their coaching and consistency (which is a product of practice and coaching) that they do not.
Sometimes I get the impression they only have enough bandwidth to study up on 70% of the teams and they have to select the ones they’re not going to..
Yes, the coaching staff is holding them back from having the best record in the history of the game by a large amount.
The Cardiac Gang strikes again!
Cinema
This team man!
Nuge has been garbage this whole game. I wonder if there is some illness going on…
Most of the team has been garbage…
They just don’t have it tonight. Missed shots, bobbled pucks. The Sharks aren’t playing well, but the Oilers aren’t sharp enough to capitalize.
Stauffer is going to put this officiating crew on blast right away
McDavid’s passing tonight – just off by feet.
Draisaitl seems like his sights are off a little too.
Lazar needed to bury that – an early goal by the fourth line set up on a great drive by Frederic would have started the comeback.
I’m such a hippocrit. Not watching at all but if they come back and win I’ll be like really? This start again? They’ve done this at least 3 times now (Buffalo, Pitt, now) where the game hadn’t even started yet. Maybe stats would say they score first more often than i think but I doubt.
And here I was saying who cares how they win. This blows.
Fire. The. Coach.
How bout now
Such a frustrating team to watch and cheer for. At least the decade of darkness teams you could accept were just no good at hockey. These guys are so hit and miss. Bottom six forwards and bottom four defense mostly miss. Kind of reminds of the 2017-2018 team in that we all thought they had turned the corner the previous year, but they were just no good the following year, didn’t seem to learn a thing. This year’s edition will make the playoffs, but their inability to learn that you need to start games on time, and not take any team lightly in the nhl, will likely prevent them from having the success of the previous two seasons
Celebrini “that didn’t get me in the face”
Refs “yes it did”
I’ve never seen the high stick(er) and the high stick(ee) both claim it wasn’t a penalty, and yet, the refs called a penalty anyway
Coach should be throwing the stick rack on the ice.
Never seen much of Askorov but his play looks like a young energetic Mike Smith without the temper. Might be too active though and get himself into trouble. We shall see.
Askarov is only 23…still developing.
Worth noting, the sharks have three hall of fame goalies already.
No Ekholm, 2 games won, hungry young team with the next Mackdavid? – this was all so predictable. Mike Grier knows what it takes.
Go, Canada!
So is someone else wearing #14?
Well it’s not MacT or Eberle – my bad, off in an alt universe. Go Oil!
I don’t think it’s a goal, but goodness, Emberson is not a regular NHL defence man. They desperately need upgrades on that right side
Emberson has had a great season. Love him at 3RD – his GA/60 is like 1.7 on the season.
They keep calling Regenda and I keep hearing it as Remenda!
Lets-Go Kra-Ken!
Leafs losing is ALMOST like oilers winning fam