We are back! I’m not even going to complain about the late start tonight, just happy to see the Oilers back in action. Leon Draisaitl skated with the team yesterday, Connor McDavid will be present at the game and one imagines Kris Knoblauch will be unable to HS the captain even if he wants to do it. Adam Henrique is going to play, and we’ll see about the rest. It’s game day! Please read this.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FEBRUARY
- At home to: TOR (Expected 1-0-0) 0-1-0
- On the road to: CGY (Expected 1-0-0) 0-1-0
- On the road to: ANA, LAK, SJS (Expected 2-1-0)
- Expected Record: 3-2-0, six points in five games
- Actual Record: 0-2-0
- Season Record: 28-22-8, 64 points in 58 games
When we last level our heroes, they were just God awful in every possible way. The nonsensical eight game home stand was followed by a farcical road trip to Calgary. Oilers have themselves in a small pickle currently, and a losing streak to end February is not an option. California, here we come!
I imagine we’ll see McDavid tonight, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman on his wing. If 97 isn’t playing, my guess is he’s injured. Draisaitl’s cohorts should be Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen, but Kapanen is hurt. I’ll suggest Jack Roslovic slides in on right-wing on the second line, but who knows? Adam Henrique returns, Matt Savoie will also be on the roster. Lots of pre-game news to come in the next few hours.
Chris Johnston has a new trade board up at The Athletic, my goodness it’s going to be difficult for Stan Bowman to make a trade this season. No cap, not many assets to trade, it’s a real tight fit. Rachel Kryshak mentioned Shane Wright on the Lowdown Monday, that’s an interesting bet. Edmonton needs to shop the low AAV aisles and Wright is a fit there. Suspect Bowman is looking for a more experienced player.
CONDORS
Some troubled times for the skilled men on the team, nothing rhymes lately and I suspect some of that has to do with the difficult life of a minor-league player. I’ve read some pretty wild stories over the years about long bus trips, unusual trainers with unusual ideas about injury cures, and on it goes. I’m sure the Condors have top help in the medical area, but it’s a tough season for these fellows. Need Ike Howard to go on another hot streak, Quinn Hutson, too.
Alec Regula has a chance to be in another organization at the deadline, but my goodness he’s done well in his rehab. I don’t think Stan Bowman will risk waivers, but he might deal Regula. Money since he arrived.
Goalies save percentages are going down, and SP is a reflection of these men. That said, Condors haven’t been as sharp defensively as early in the year.
On the Lowdown today, Kevin McCurdy stops in at 1 to talk about the Oilers-Ducks, maybe we’ll have a trade by then. We’ll talk NFL combine and draft, and NBA favourites to win it all. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.
How can the Edmonton Oilers solve their predicament at No. 3 centre?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7067640/2026/02/25/edmonton-oilers-centre-depth-chart-roster-trade/
Ryan Strome is a right shot centre who has become surplus to the Ducks needs.
But is would be complicated.
easy answer…. josh samanski.
If we are going to insist on henrique being in the lineup we can run Rico-Samanski-Savoie as the 3rd line.
The Oilers can solve their predicament at 3C with a time machine. Go back in time and do not trade Ryan McLeod.
LOL But that would mean we wouldn’t have Matt Savoie.
Better yet, we wouldn’t have Savoie or Henrique.
Howard should be getting the stone hands Savoie treatment.
Howard has hit the wall in Bako. Hutson too.
The’ll get back producing but, for now, the grind of the pro season, being used to a college season, has hit both hard.
Samansk and Jarventie are the current deserving call-ups.
I agree with the call ups.
But how is Jones doing? If they don’t allow any more call ups this year, then if injury strikes, surely Jones is on top of the list for call up as they know what they are getting.
How is he doing?
Jones has been highly inconstant.
I had to go back and make sure he even played last night (he’s dealt with injuries, been in and out). He did – zeros across the board except for his -2.
Don’t think he’s near the top of the list – maybe if they really just want someone that skates fasts and bangs.
Confidence is a thing if a coach doesn’t like you your career can be derailed. It won’t shock me if Howard is traded at the deadline and then watch him zoom on his new team.
Of course, this has absolutely zero to with coaching.
The re-assignments didn’t kill their confidence and Collin Chaulk certainly didn’t either as they continue to get all offensive opportunities and PP1 time.
I encourage you to watch some Condors games to inform your strong opinions.
Will shall see who’s spitballing is correct again. Poulin deserves a call-up as well Jarventie-Samanski-Hutson-Howard. It stupid asset management not to test drive everyone of these players. If you don’t think a trade is coming for 1-2 of these players including Akey I have a double lot of lakefront property for sale in Florida.
And how.
Let’s be clear, that was a 100% Jarry loss.
The Sportlogiq stats have the Oilers absolutely dominating, like blow out dominating, at 5 on 5 – high dangers, low to high shots, slot shots, rush chances, etc.
100%
But that doesn’t absolve the vets on this team that collectively represent 30+ million in dead weight players with bad contracts
It has undoubtably been stated, but I will say, the Refs were completely dishonest last night.
The tilt of the ice resembled a climb to the summit of the Matterhorn, which is fitting given the Swiss Cheese goaltending.
I shut the game off at 5-5 and seen Jerry getting pulled and knew the game is over. The season is done. Toast.
The most they can get at this point is 110 points, going 23-0-0. Essentially, they have, at maximum, 7 more losses (96 points is a playoff team 95% off the time).
Tomorrow is essentially the season, especially considering LA has Panarin now.
It cannot be understated how devastating this loss is. It sounds hyperbolic because the wound is still fresh, but as Jack Michaels always says, mark this one down:
Depending how the rest of the year goes, this may have been the most consequential regular-season loss of the McDavid era.
Lose all 3 California games and they are basically cooked. I believe they have back to back games against the Avs and Stars down the stretch … mark those down as guaranteed losses.
I just don’t see the point of investing picks and prospects on a misguided attempt to get this team to the playoffs.
There is 30+ million in bad contracts … you can’t be a Cup contender like that. Bowman/jackson are responsible for 2/3 of that bad juju.
This TDL is an opportunity to shine up vet players, sell them off, and reset the roster and cap sheet going into the two most critical years of Connor’s career in Edmonton.
Demand always outweighs supply at the TDL, and vets on their last legs are traded every year to rival GMs on the hot seat that want more ‘experience’ in their lineups for their playoff runs.
They won’t do this of course because this team is run by a management group who took a team that was game 7 away from a Cup with young talent ready to emerge, and pissed it all away in under 2 years.
Instead they’re going to go into the TDL as ‘buyers’ and double down on this flawed roster and tighten the Gordon knot that they’ve created for themselves.
And we’ll all drink that Koolaid for a while because to do otherwise would make use feel as miserable as we do now after watching that clown show of a third period.
I’ve been thinking this for much of the season. This team is not playoff calibre. The goaltending, defense and bottom 6 are not dependable.And Leon’s linemates are kind of like the bottom 6.
if this team makes the playoffs, they will not make it as the Division champ, so they will not be getting a favourable match-up.
They will be one and done.
Sometimes they will actually stand in the right spot defensively. But they won’t do anything.
Wont remove the screen. Won’t pick up man or stick. Won’t box out, Allow rebound goals. Allow shooters to get their own rebounds.
They won’t hold the blue line.
so contrast that with so many other teams they play. Where defensively they hit, box out, crosscheck, they battle.
This has been all year. All year
It all starts with Nurse … he plays scared now. Doesn’t engage physically anymore. Skates around aimlessly and panics whenever under the slightest bit of pressure. With his years in the league and on this team, and with his bloated salary, he supposed to be a leader … someone who inspires the guys on the salary rung below him to defend. But instead he’s become complete liability and his career is on the same trajectory as Wade Redden.
It’s especially staggering given how physical he played when he was in juniors. He was a physically imposing player, and people were scared to go into the corner against him. His play now doesn’t resemble that whatsoever. It’s honestly hard to believe it’s the same player.
He’s turned into a modern day Wade Redden.
The Oilers are going to talk themselves into trading for Tyler “pylon” Myers with the misguided idea that they can fix Nurse.
“I think maybe making that money there and being the player I am… I felt like the first little while, things were going pretty good, and then they kind of fell off. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough, and like I should have been doing more. Once I started feeling that way, I think I just got away from the things that made me successful. Things just kind of snowballed from there.”
Wade Redden, circa 2013
Sometimes players just fall off a cliff.
This game was all about getting Quenville his 1000 win as a coach.
Savoie had a great game, got to lock that down in the third. Didn’t like the officiating seemed a bit one sided for the Ducks.
Savoie had a great game except for the major coverage mistake on the game winning goal.
This.
Stood around covered nobody waving a stick. Just like Bouchard and McDavid did on the 3rd.
The volatility of Jarry in that game was something to behold. Best of the best and get that bum outta the net bad all in one.
Hard to overcome a goalie spotting 2-3 muffins a game.
Nevermind mind four very clear missed calls in the 2nd.
You have to close out games when you lead 4-2 entering the third against good not great teams like the Ducks. Yikes.
Maybe next year? This team has zero balance!
After 40 mins, this team was looking to go +7 above Bettman with Anaheim down to +6.
20 mins of shittastic play and its +6 to +8.
The season is on the line. It was right for McDavid to come back, this is the final stand and it is going to be spectacularly bad.
This season is getting away from the Oilers very quickly now but it has been the same story all year. As LT has eloquently written, the difference between ceiling and floor for the team is quite dramatic, even within a game.
An unfathomable loss.
Two two-goal leads. A third lead in the third. An offensive zone draw with 1:40 to go, and a GWG the other way not 18 seconds later.
How can anyone possibly see a playoff team here? Four-game losing streak. Unplayable starting goaltender.
I can’t imagine a worse February for hockey.
So that was one game. They started out a smart, talented, puck possession club. Fixed some things.
But they cannot compete physically.
And the second half of the game they went back to old habits allowing anything and anybody in front of the net uncontested. Awful, awful. Coffee if you can’t fix that, stay home.
Nurse still backing in giving up time, space and goals. Can’t fix that, just stay on the bench.
I hate to say it but the anchor contracts may be the ruin of Oilers playoff chances for this year and coming years. Some significant overpays. Nurse. Walman. Frederic. All signed long term at major overpays. Mangiapane. Jarry overpays for next two years. It’s a huge problem. Probably add Henrique to the list.
Holy shit. This team should be sellers at the deadline, but they don’t really even have pieces to sell.
Continuing their trend of giving up goals within 3 minutes of a goal for, this time doing is too many times to count.
Unwatchable. Hard to even cheer for
Ha. What a mess.
KK HAS to go. I’m sorry but he just does. They need fire on the bench. Not vanilla.
Pete Debor get on a plane.
Wow – that is….. not good.
What a mess
Savoie and that 2nd line the only bright spot
Gauthier was Savoie’s man on the winning goal. Savoie was covering air.
Nurse tripping over himself was the bigger issue
If Savoie just covers his man, there is no goal. All the other mistakes on the play get erased.
It was not the only mistake on the play, but it was the worst and costliest one, because it was such a basic mental error.
Nurse bobbling the puck and then losing his check was the main culprit.
It’s started and ended with Nurse, as it does all too often.
I don’t think so? Why would a winger be covering a winger in the D-zone? Their job is covering the D, not the front of the net
Hello darkness my old friend
Just an awful game – this is NOT a playoff team. They’re an embarrassment.
Strip it down at the deadline. Send whatever deadweight you can out the door.
Apologize to Connor and accept that spending prospects and picks on a team this flawed is absolutely foolish.
Fire Bowman and get new GM with balls to get Nurse to waive his NMC.
How do balls get Nurse to waive?
Nurse sucks … he’s just craptastic. We need a new GM with the gumption to tell him that. That he is THE liability that has prevented the Oilers from winning a Cup. That he is no longer wanted on the team.
That he will sit in the pressbox until he waives his NMC.
The Oilers will NEVER win a Cup with Darnell Nurse on the team.
Other teams and GMs do this to players that are found wanting. They find a way to get rid of bad contracts.
you tell nurse he isnt playing if he doesnt waive.
Nurse is awesome.
The issue with Nurse isn’t generally the first mistake. It tends to be his recovery. He loses his head and position on the ice trying to remedy the error. It happens every time.
Where was Nurse after the turnover. He plays LD. Wtf?
The issue with Nurse is that he sucks.
His play is just so… unintelligent
How many goals has the Walman Nurse pairing been on for tonight? Most I’d say.
4
Nurse sucks; the go ahead goal was completely on him.
Draisaitl was also in photo.
Gauthier was Savoie’s man. Savoie totally lost in coverage on that play.
Should be benched indefinitely..
The play started with Nurse botching a routine play … then it was a scrambled, with Nurse somehow ending so far out of position that the forwards had to try to cover for him.
On the tying goal he just backed into his goalie mesmerized by the puck like a deer in the headlight. Jarry was terrible too, but Nurse couldn’t defend that play to save his life.
Nurse misplayed that and it’s in the net
Ingram with some big… some saves. More than Jarry offered. I think KK needs to go with Ingram for a bit.
I can’t help but imagine what an Oiler team would look like if they didnt have $20+ million in replacement level guys on the roster.
Closer to $30m depending how you you feel about Nurse.
Definitely closer to $30m
Looking at Edmonton’s cap situation, it’s disturbing how much wasted cap they have.
– Campbell buyout $1.5 to $2.6 million until 2030
– Nurse $9.25 million until 2030
– Walman $7 million until 2033
– Jarry $5.375 million until 2028
– Frederic $3.850 million until 2033
– Mangiapane $3.6 million until 2027
– Janmark $1.45 million until 2027
– Henrique $3 million until 2026
Total Cost: $35.025 to $36.125 million
With the way these guys are playing right now, I legitimately feel like you could get comparable performance from players making ~$1 million, which added together would equal $7 million and a cap savings of between $28.025 and $29.125 million.
So yeah, ~$30 million in dead cap space sounds about right.
That’s four games in a row with a Leppanen goal…..
Call up Leppanen and banish Nurse to the pressbox. Leppanen can’t have more chaos in his game than Nurse, who, is, just, brutal.
Oilers have 3 goalies that have played in the NHL this season. All of them have been on waivers in the last year.
Ingram with an opportunity to establish himself as the 1A in the next 24 hours.
That Jarry trade…, man. Not looking good right now. Jarry/Ingram might not actually be better than Skinner/Pick. Once you factor in the cost of Kulak, it gets pretty damning. We aren’t better today…
This is hard to watch after Sunday’s heartbreak
The Jarry trade is a fireable offense.
I wonder if an order came from above Stan. It just seemed like a trade you make after your owner says I want a new goalie by the end of the week. Here’s my list and Jarry was the last name.
Imagine buying out a 5.5 unusable goalie only to over pay for another. It’s like a nightmare where you’re driving and your brakes won’t work.
The guy gave up assets and then 8 years for Frederic, signed Mang. I don’t think the owner needs to be involved to help make a bad decision.
At what point do you just accept that your team isn’t very good at preventing goals and just pay your goalies league min and call it a day. At least give yourself the most cap to our score your mistakes. Ha. Gosh. Can this team EVER get a save!?
This game has a little bit of everything, except maybe solid defensive play.
Don’t think defense has been too bad. Goaltending
Nah, the goalies have been fine. It’s the lack of defensive awareness that’s the problem.
Nurse says hold my beer.
Jarry should be sent to the minors again. And Pickard called up. That may go down as one of the worst trades all time. I thought it may have been a lateral move but it’s not that good. Jarry has been awful
Yeah. It’s bad. This team. Man.
Frederic, Walman ($ and term unjustified, imo), Jarry – so many unforced errors.
Bowman is worse than ChiaPet.
Ha. Let’s not get toooo crazy, now. But yeah, not great so far!!
NO ONE is worse than Chiapet!
Wait until you see what Stan has up his sleeve for the TDL
Maybe we can get Skinner at the deadline. Lol.
Can Jarry make himself any smaller in net?
Bowman should be fired for this trade, and for signing Mangiapane who can’t hit the broad side of a barn wide open in front the net.
And KK always waits way to long to pull the goalie.
Brutal
Just awful by Jarry and Knob must be PISSED to pull him with Ingram starting tomorrow.
Ingram has 2 weeks off. KK should have pulled Jarry after the 4th goal against.
Can they fire KK and promote Coffey to head coach please?
Ducks are winning this game. Oilers are Swiss cheese.
This is becoming a bit of a mess.
Oh cmon
Jeezuz…..Jarry is awful
Savoie…!!!!
He’s had a great game…3 point night
Savvy Marty Savoie!! 🚨
Really Oilers? That’s the 2nd two goal lead you’ve given up this game.
Why would Knob take Savoie off that 2nd line and put Podz on? For a defensive zone face-off? Savoie is fine defensively – Podz not in the shooting lane and its tied.
Ingram is the better goalie…
Skinner is the better goalie.
Jarry sucks – what a brutal trade by Bowman. This team can’t defend at all either. They’re a bubble playoff team that is quickly falling out of the race.
Jarry, the goaltender of record for Connor’s new two year contract.
There is no body of evidence that would suggest this is true. Interested to see if his S% continues to decline with Crosby out. Jarry/Ingram may not be the solution, but Skinner was not it, either.
Skinner does not have two years left on his contract at over $5 million AAV.
We are getting THE FULL BOUCHARD tonight.
Not sure Bouchard and McDavid taking up space and that’s all in front of the defensive net was ideal….
Gotta defend the man, not stare at the puck.
97 and 2 both very guilty there.
Excepted goals at 5 on 5 are 74% Oilers (88% in P2).
The penalty distribution though…..