Let’s start with the foundation pieces. I count the roster spots as prominent starting goaltender, top four defensemen, top two lines and No. 3 center. That’s 12. You want to be optimal in all, and the last time the Oilers managed it was 1987:
- Goalie: Grant Fuhr
- Top Pair: Coffey-Huddy
- Second Pair: Lowe-Muni
- No. 1 line: Tikkanen-Gretzky-Kurri
- No. 2 line: Nilsson-Messier-Anderson
- No. 3 center: Craig MacTavish
Now you can tweak this list, Randy Gregg played quite a bit in a feature role that season and I think Charlie Huddy was out of the lineup often. Andy Moog played more regular season games than Grant Fuhr, but Glen Sather always went back to Fuhr in the playoffs during these years. Mike Krushelnyski played a big role. Anyway, that’s the best team I’ve ever seen, and I’ll argue the best team ever. What a group. Now let’s look at what we know (and in the case of Connor Murphy what we think we know):
- Goaltender:
- Top Pair: Ekholm-Bouchard
- Second Pair: Nurse-Murphy
- Top Line: Draisatil-McDavid-Savoie
- Second Line: Podkolzin-Nuge-Hyman
- No. 3 center:
This is reportedly the plan. I don’t like it at all. Its a wrong way and it will be abandoned early in the season, possibly Game 1. You can check down to the Glimmer Twins, but you can’t start that way because you don’t have the depth and no real answer up the spine for the other three lines. If you had a young center with size, I might endorse the idea.
However, the Nuge has posted stronger numbers on the wing since helping a line that went screaming right up to the pandemic in 2020. That winter a recall of Kailer Yamamoto, and Leon in the middle, led to the most dynamic run of Nuge’s career. As a winger.
I long for the olden days of Glen Sather. If you airlifted 1990 Sather into the GM’s office at Rogers Place, he would hire Bruce Cassidy today. Then he’d do something creative, like send Darnell Nurse and Ike Howard to old Ken Holland for Quinton Byfield and a young player who could develop in Bakersfield.
That’s a Slats trade. Howard is going to be good, but Byfield played 38 percent of his five-on-five time last season versus elites and was 51 percent and three percent better than average relative to team. If you don’t get him now, you’ll never get him.
You could then move Nuge to No. 3 center, less than ideal but maybe Josh Samanski emerges. I don’t think Jason Dickinson returns, his value will be high in a poor FA market for pivots.
Sign Connor Ingram. If you have Cassidy as coach, he’ll thrive.
- Goaltender: Connor Ingram
- Top Pair: Ekholm-Bouchard
- Second Pair: Walman-Murphy
- Top Line: Draisatil-McDavid-Savoie
- Second Line: Podkolzin-Byfield-Hyman
- No. 3 center: Nugent-Hopkins
Less than ideal but it gets you closer and you’re building up the middle. I’m not sure why people have soured on Ingram, but he’s a good goalie. He was .901 in the regular season and .904 in the postseason five-on-five. That’ll play. People are ripping Ingram for his playoff performance on the PK, but the Oilers were so injured up the middle they had three guys from the Boer war playing center.
I’m left with the same feeling this spring as all the others since the Oilers became contenders again. Worried sick the team will make a mistake. Bad place to be.
On the Lowdown today, Bagged Milk will be our feature guest and we’ll talk about the rumours out there surrounding the Oilers. We’ll also chat about the Ducks, Habs and more. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.
if a $7million Wallman is not in the top 4 then let’s go fishing.
On man thix just hit me regarding broken pp logic of forever 1 unit to rule them all.
Short handed goals against.
32. VCR 16
31 TOR 15
30 MON/SJS 13
28 ANH/CGY 12
26 EDM/BUF/NYI 11
16 OTW 9
Etc (majority of teams 6-8 SHGA except DAL/COL/CAR)
Why this is funny:
Net PP efficiency is actually what PP should be measured by
PPG-SHGA/PP attempts
New rank
1. DAL 26.6% (28.6%)
2. EDM 25.7% (30.6%)
3 CAR 23.2% (24.9%)
4. MiN 22.5% (25.5%)
5. TBL 22.0% (22.5%)
6. COL 21.7% (23.0%)
Octover 21st vs carolina is the game that i had enough of this.
2 SHGA
1st by jordan staal:
->6vs5 prior to PP:52 seconds
-> 1:02 min in.
->”mcdavid unit” was at 1 min 54
2nd goal by slavin:
-> 6v5 prior to PP: 1 min 12 sec
-> 12 sec into PP scored
-> “mcdavid unit” was at 1 min 24 sec
11 SHGA
1st 30 sec: 1 G
31-60 sec: 2 G
61-90 sec: 5 G
91-120 sec: 3 G
Mcdavid on ice for 6 but two more just was shifting
Bouch on ice for 8 of them.
2 of the 3 late onea look like 2nd unit trying desperately to make 1 rush in their little “chance” before PP ends.
And yeah. This point needs absolutely zero more clear outlining and it should be embarrasing anyone needed to try and make this point clear because it was so imfirriating this season and not having any 2nd option like predicted truly might have cost them at least a game difference in playoffs.
No head coach in best league in entire world should not see this big a blind spot.
Just because brain gets annoyingly hyper focused when puzzle solver engaged
60 second 1st unit and forfeit 2nd mimute
1st 60 sec
PP% = 50/222 = 22.5%
NetPP% = 47/222 = 21.7%
5 of remaining SHGA seem clearly related to 1st unit bad line changes or extended shifts
2nd 40 ish? Sec
PP%=13/172 = 7.6%
NetPP% = 8/172 = 4.7%….
I disagree, LT, and this is a hill I’ll probably die on (absent any kind of conversation since nobody wants to touch the topic with a ten-foot pole).
The correct choice is Todd Nelson.
He has the tactical chops of a Cassidy, but he’s known as a player’s coach.
Has won at every level he’s been a head coach, sometimes more than once.
We all know what he managed once Craig went back upstairs, with a flawed and injured roster.
The reason this is the move Slats would make is its exactly what the pundits and “hockey men” would have never seen coming.
I liked Todd Nelson, but his time here was a decade ago and the fact that no other team wanted to take a chance on him since then could be telling.
Cassidy was not the problem in Vegas this year – they were one of the best defensive teams in the league but their goaltending was awful. He has coached strong teams and would provide the structure the team lacked thus year. They should be doing this change right now.
He was defensive coach of DAL when they lost to TBY in the Cup Finals.
He’s currently an assistant in PIT.
He’s due for a HC role.
Why not in EDM?
Boudreau mentioned that on Neislon’s morning show, get a coach that has won everything but has yet to have a HC job.
In watching other games, it is quite noticeable how much more aggressive most teams are compared with the Oilers.
They were aggressive all through the playoffs theclast two years, and during the regular season. Right from the get go they seemed to play a very passive game and that never changed. I’m not sure why, I think it was the style Knoblauch wanted but I have no idea
I presume any Nurse trade involves us retaining $4.6M/year. That is a TON.
I also presume any Nurse trade involves sweeteners.
That means we’re paying a sweetener to offload Nurse at $4.6M. I’m not sure that’s worth it. In today’s market, he’s worth $4.6M.
Of course, these concerns are moot, because Nurse has an NMC.
Im hopeful a team will be willing to take a chance on a big good skating athletic durable 25 minute a nite dman without much retention or sweetener.
Hoping.
No, I don’t think necessarily.
If they retain $3MM, at $6.25MM, Nurse has positive value and the Oilers would get some assets back, not a ton but something positive.
If they retain $4.6MM, making Nurse a $4.6MM cap hit, he would have substantial asset return value,
Let’s not exaggerate his value in a negative way. $4.5MM is Cody Ceci and Nurse has much more value.
This does add context, but you could argue no one would take Ceci at 4.5mil as well.
The major worry is we shoot nurse to the sun and retain so much that it would have been worthwhile keeping nurse for what we do with that savings.
When people say it would be hopeful for teams to look at nurse, how many minutes he logs, that there is positives.
Who is going to take that over when he leaves.
It’s a hard predicament.
$4.6 retained is ridic. maybe $3 at most ; maybe $2 mil.
No way the Oilers would retain AND sweeten. No way.
I think he has value at his current cap hit. The perfect storm of the whole league aside from maybe 3 teams looking to get better, a weak UFA class, and many teams with lots to spend make him a positive asset if positioned the right way
Hurricanes are currently unbeaten this playoffs.
Nikolaj Ehlers. That’s the player I hoped the Oilers could have somehow gotten last summer, but they would have had to shed a lot of cap space to do so. These are the types of players that Edmonton needs (maybe 3 years younger) to contend next year.
What about eight years younger?
I think it should be noted that Michael Postava is currently stating for Grand Rapids in the AHL playoffs, not Cossa.
The Wings signed him out of the Czech League last year and he had a 1.71/.937 in 25 games (Cossa played more, 39 games, 2.33/.915).
This dude just turned 24 but is still waivers exempt next season so they can stash him back in the AHL with new pro Trey A. and have Cossa split with Gibson.
Or……. they could trade Cossa and have this dude split with Gibson (but they don’t have to as he can be stashed).
Yzerman isn’t going to trade any of his prospect goaltenders (without an NHL trial) for anything but as part of a package for a legit top six centre.
You keep saying that, and maybe it comes to fruition, but you really have no idea and, well, honestly, you’ve been posting a lot of stuff as fact that is either opinion and, in some cases, objectively wrong- not sure what’s going on with you.
In any event, Steven Yzerman has made many transactions over the years that boggle the entire hockey world.
Cossa and Augestine are their goalies of the future. Its possible the Oilers could pry Postova out of their organization. No idea what it would take to do so.
Is there any chance Byram would be moved for Nurse in a deal? There were rumors that he wasn’t happy even in midst of successful season
The irony is that they bridged him for his remaining RFA years at 2×6.25, so Edmonton would be in the same position as they were with Nurse, a bit like turning back the clock. He’s been squarely their 4th best Dman, but on BUF this year that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
If he has a great contract year then you have a problem.
I don’t think anyone’s souring on Ingram … I do think that everyone is wildly underestimating what it will cost to resign him in a terrible UFA crop.
Bowman made his bed with Jarry. I myself wanted Binnington because he’s a gamer and his contract expires this year. The trade was probably never there as Armstrong pulled a nasty on us with the offer sheets. Jarry has to be your man to start the year this is why the trade happened to think otherwise you just backed yourself into a corner for no reason. I did think Jarry played an excellent game against the Ducks. Ingram had his moments but let’s face it Pickard would have probably won 2 games against the Ducks and he’s a 3rd string Goalie at best. Goalie is the hardest position to come in midseason Roloson was an exception. I start Jarry with 2 cheap DiPeitro in the bullpen if Jarry sucks or gets hurt throw in a fresh face look at Dobes carve it up as nobody knows his weaknesses
The trade was never there because Binnington was never considered haha. He ended up being one of the worst goalies in the NHL this year.
Ike off to the Worlds! Another good arrow in a season full of them for him.
Granota knows young talent watch the Iceman get thrown onto PP-2 and score a few with his above average shot. Ike does have value and you might as well trade him unless K.K gets sacked because he’s one of the few $50 chips we have. I myself was a O’Reilly fan and I’ll bet dollars for Doughnuts he doesn’t recieve the cold shoulder in Tampa and he’ll see action for the Bolts next season at some point unless injury happens. If it makes some posters feel better about the trade by saying no way the mighty Bolts integrate O’Reilly in a position to succeed on the bottom 6 sometime next season then have at it. The trade made no sense as it’s evident that the chosen receives all the ice time even when the core players are hurt and downing. O’Reilly is not vying for top skill minutes he’s what you have instead of overpaying a Dickerson. We’ve been chasing a bottom 6 Rem Murray-Jarret Stoll Centre that kills penalties-good on the dot for 20 years from the Belanger triangle to Bumstead to Henrique all assets-cap money out the door for basically no return.
O’Reilly will get playing time in TB because they have no money for their bottom 6. That doesn’t mean he’ll be good in that playing time.
Unlike us Tampa is very top heavy. You’re probably right there is no room for a cheap homegrown 4-C then 3-C in a few years as our window is closing quickly. We need to overpay a Jason Dickerson that’ll show Connor-Leon how serious we are.
Ok, we all know the bad contracts on the team. Probably universal.
That said. In my opinion a couple are unmovable (nurse for several reasons)
So, which is everyones top priority? For me its no doubt jarry. He was garbage (even his decent run was not great by any stretch) AND he does not come across as part of this team. Lets not forget this team was back to back finals. Anyone who has played or been part of tight teams knows ability is big but going to war for each other also is.
He is my #1 contract I would want gone.
I would happily trade him for another equally bad contract with a guy that might at least mesh better.
Is there a 3c/4c that is overpaid? Thats the move i think.
Lastly. I feel replacing jarry would be cheaper than a decent 3c?
Jarry for Kotkaniemi.
It would make sense, even if the Oilers immediately bought out Kotkaniemi, because Kotkaniemi has no signing bonuses on his contract, and one would gain a lot of cap space.
The only risk is it might be costly to the owners pocketbook, but it is extremely advantageous from the cap space perspective.
Problem is JK has 4 years left at $4.8.
If you buy him out you’re in the hook for ~1.6 until 2034.
You could perhaps do Nurse for JK or Nurse for Graves (Pit) with the intention of buying out the returning player. Then you save >$7.5M against the cap for 4 years.
The only years that matter are the next two years, improving the cap situation for the next two years. And improving the goaltending for the next two years.
If one did the trade in June, and immediately bought him out, his cap hit is only $860K for eight years, because it is still a one-third buyout this year.
I would keep him as a player though. I think he would be playable in Edmonton in the bottom six.
If it is an immediate buyout, then the trade has to be done in June. If not, and one intends to try him as a player for one year, to make it more palatable to Carolina, the trade is done in July, which makes paying Jarry for the rest of his contract cheaper than buying out Kotkaniemi. It is actually close to a wash in actual dollars for Carolina if the deal is done in June (between paying Jarry and buying out Kotkaniemi).
If the Oilers did this trade in July. The Oilers would pay Jarry’s signing bonus, which would make the deal much more palatable for Carolina. It would make Jarry cheaper in actual dollars than Carolina buying out Kotkaniemi.
If they can’t trade Jarry, and I don’t know what’s behind the scenes, good captains and leaders would sit down with Tristan, try and hash things out and be behind him.
When Ethan Bear was struggling, and I know that’s a blast from the past and a much younger leadership group, that support didn’t happen amidst the fan backlash.
Make lemonade if you can?
I’ll continue to suggest DiPietro should be a target and I’ll wear that good or bad next year. It will be interesting to see what he gets traded for (if he does) and how he plays.
Boston will likely trade Korpisalo to make room.
Bowman should have picked him for free off waivers instead of clutching his pearls that someone would take Pickard if he was waived to make room for DiPietro.
Carolina claimed Bussi and he helped them get through a rough patch – the Oilers just have never used waivers effectively.
Never use never:
Kasperi Kapanen (F): Claimed from the St. Louis Blues on November 19, 2024.
Ironically, available because of the offer sheet debacle
Add Alex Regula – claimed and stashed on non-active IR with zero cap implication for the season he didn’t play – kept his rights.
Sorry that thought came out half-formed cause I was busy at work.
The Oilers have been paying a premium for their goalies either in cap dollars or assets to acquire for a while now. Other teams have done a better job at using tools like waivers, and of course the draft to target less heralded guys to better effect.
Dan Vladar was not a guy on the Oilers radar, but he’s done a commendable job for Philly at nice cap hit and contract length. Alex Lyons is another.
Guys like Dipietro and Bussi were free, and our management passed as they were to zeroed in on the former Oil Kings goalie.
They even passed over giving Ingram a shot before they pulled the trigger on that deal.
Going farther back into the McDavid era, they let Talbot go for nothing, and he’s had a solid career since.
Don’t get me started again about Wallstedt – I was mad about that the day it happened, and I’m going to be salty about that for a long time.
Our goalie scouting has been bad forever.
That was undoubtedly a planned transaction.
They did exactly what some of us had hoped – not claim him on waivers (as they’d have to keep him on the NHL roster (or re-waive him) at full cap hit.
Trading for him, post-clear, with retained salary was a foreseeable transaction and they nailed it.
on a very affordable contract i do wonder about a guy like patrick laine. he has been injured the last few seasons but on a roslovic deal and ripping bombs from the opposite drat spot on the pp could be a nice dynamic.
The Oilers are going to have to hunt for value on the UFA and trade market. Under-30 guys with something to prove.
Laine’s big issue is staying healthy … but if he can stay healthy for next season, I can see him being motivated to prove his doubters wrong and having a big season on the RS with Leon.
I’ll add – Finns win. I’d go after Kotkaniemi as well, if Carolina would take some salary off our hands going the other way (Frederic for instance). He’s fallen out favour with Rod the Bod … but that doesn’t make him a bad player … just a bad fit with a contract that has been hard to move in the flat cap world.
*Posted late yesterday after watching Buffalo’s 2nd unit be the difference in that game…a way to extend point to beyond obvious this morning.*
Fun fact
2025-2026 PP top 5
1. EDM @ 30.6% (68/222)
-> goals in 1st minute: 50/68 = 73.5%
2. DAL @ 28.6% (71/248)
-> 1st minite: 41/71 = 57.7%
3. MIN @ 25.2% (65/258)
-> 1st minute: 32/65 = 49.2%
4. CAR @24.9% (60/241)
-> 1st mimute: 29/60 = 48.3%
5. NYR @ 24.7% (53/215)
-> 1st minute: 26/53 = 49.1%
If Edmonton would have had a special rule where they just waived the 2nd minute after the 1st unit had it’s 60 second attempt: 50/222 = 22.5%
In whatever time beyond 60 seconds 1st unit was on ice 13/172 = 7.6%
*The 5 least effecient powerplay teams from the previous 10 seasons
1. 2020-2021 ANH 8.9%
2. 2023-2024 PHI 10.1%
3. 2021-2022 PHI 12.6%
4. 2018-2019 NSH 12.9%
5. 2018-2019 MON 13.2%
Average of the 10 worst in past 10 seasons = 13.9%
So it’s fair to say without bothering to try and get as exact amount of 1+ min PP time 1st unit used to only score 13 more goals -> that the vast majority of it up to and including offensive zone faceoffs after 1:30 min into shifts they were on. Aka the vast majority. Their comversion rates with those excessive minutes was actually worst than the worst team results of every team in the past 10 seasons. In fact its dangerously close to half as effective as the average of the 10 worst efficiencies of all teams in NHL over that span.
Like not even close to good enough to justify. By eye or by metric. Add to this the risks of either bad lime change when powerplay ends or guys who have been on ice for way too long suddenly stuck on in defensive end…
Like near #1 with a bullet this surely needs to be a tactic that needs to get sent to glue factory.
Yeah, saw your post late last night. Right on. This over usage also contributes to post season fatigue.
Really good post here.
One more thing to consider with the PP. The impact of the coach loading up 97/29/2 5v5. When the opposing team took a penalty against them, the coach rarely (I can think of 1x all season) would start the #2 PP. Consequently, you have a fatigued top line going out against fresh PK’ers.
The amount of goals the #1PP scored in that instance I believe is less than 5%.
Unacceptable that the coach refused to change things up.
The night earlier in season where they were out for like 1.5 min 6 on 5 and then just stayed out there…was last biy of patience i had left for this hlaring self induced injury.
Like pretty sure it was against st louis…i think PP had at least 3 if not 4 unsuccessful attempts before it and oretty sure they got a SHG against.
I saw this last nite as well. This is great info and should certainly be considered for next years pp.
Great post – really shows how stubborn KK was … he said all the right things in his end-of-the-season presser. But they have to have had access to this data all season long. So quite frankly I think he was just gaslighting us, and would go back to the same stubborn plan of rolling out the glimmer twins for 2 minute PPs.
Its time to gas KK and hire a better head coach.
Was late to reading the post yesterday, so didn’t comment. Some of all that was said had me more concerned than ever. So after today’s post I am edging upwards so that I am now mildly pessimistic. That’s progress!!
two things:
If Connor is calling the shots for who coaches and who is signed, even a little bit, we are in trouble. That’s the impression I had from yesterday, hope I’m wrong.
from today’s post, I’d say fire the mall and hire LT as GM. (Except where would we go to hash this all over?)
what did the mall ever do to you good man!
dcsj. noted germezian detractor!
Hmm, what have you got against LT?
I have no idea what your second line means
Ghermezian family built WEM
Damn! We’re in a tight spot!
The GM is going to need to build some financial flexibility into the roster. The primary mistake of the past two off seasons was signing J Skinner and signing Mangiapane, thereby hamstringing what they could do later.
Nurse, Jarry, Frederic, and possibly Jake Walmart are all overpaid relative to their contributions. They’re all unlikely to find takers, but alleviating one of these contracts allows the team to address another area of weakness (ie 3C or in goal).
Damn, we’re in a tight spot … but we used to have Milan Lucic signed to what Bruce McCurdy referred to as a “four horseman” contract: -expensive -unproductive -unmovable -huge term … and with conviction management divested themselves of the contract, freeing up money to sign one Zachary J Hyman.
“I don’t want Fop, goddammit! I’m a Dapper Dan man!”
-Fan of Constant Sorrow
in a somewhat shallow center market where dickinson likely gets too much $$ and term… i wonder about teddy bleuger as a 3c option.
Numbers from 2024-2026
Bleuger playd 117 games, Dickinson played 123
Teddy bleuger.
12.30 toi 5v5
Xgf% 44.92
Hdcf% 44.71
Gf 40.63
Pdo 0.981
Jason Dickinson
12.47 toi 5v5
43.97 xgf%
44.01 hdcf%
Gf 41.09
Pdo 0.979
Bleuger Pk.
2.01 toi
GF 20%
Xgf 10.15 %
Dickinson pk.
2.16 toi
Gf 5.71%
Xgf 6.02%
Total 5v5 points.
Bleuger- 11g. 25a. 36 points
Dickinson 12g. 15a. 27 points
diamond in the rough? has likely had enough playing on a garbage dys team and is ready to go back to the playoffs. i can imagine he only costs about 2/3 or so of what dickinson does.
I like Bluger
I consider him as more of a high-end 4C but he’s a satisfactory bottom-6 Center in a mix with Nuge and Samanski. Shoots left though.
It’s too bad that I had to learn about the details of what Michael McLeod did one night he would otherwise be a nearly perfect 3C target.
this 100%. Mikey does however seem like a young man who requires some major help in his personal life which i hope he gets but i would rather not have the drama/behavior anywhere near this team at this point.
Goalie wise I’d be resigning Ingram asap. Jarry, I’d give another chance to start the year as the 1B, he’s shown in the past that when he’s injury free he can deliver quality netminding. His issues seem to be bouncebackability when he does get hurt.
I’m still quite bullish on the goalie prospects overall, both Jonsson and Ungar look to be material prospects. I’m not saying rush them to the NHL by any measure, but having them run as a pure tandem in the AHL for a year would be a reasonable step.
Forward wise, weren’t we hearing rumours of Berezkin coming over next season? If he knocks it out the park in training camp then maybe we end up with a top 6 of:
Savoie-McD-Hyman
Pod-Drai-Berezkin
Nuge drops to the 3rd line and can play PP1. Maybe I’m too optimistic but with better injury luck I don’t think we’re as far away from having a very strong 4 lines of forwards as some folks are making out.
The defensive second pair is still my biggest question mark for the team. I’d love an upgrade on Jarry but due to the sunk cost (fallacy or not) we’re going to have to ride with him for next season at least.
I think this is the correct action, unless a superstar shakes loose (highly unlikely). Give Jarry training camp to see where he’s at, then claim a young goalie off waivers if you don’t like what you see. Its not ideal, but you can always send Jarry to the AHL.
Whomever i could get on a cheaper 2 year deal (hagve option of extending beyond end of jarry contract in 2028 season or clean reset point that way) between cooley and ingram would be whom i signed -> in an ideal scenario…but given how weak the ufa goalie market is:
I’d becokay if they lock ingram in prior to free agent open sesson. (a lot of elder statesman that not only make less sense than 28/29 yr old cooley/ingram but have worse cummulative results in however many games they have each played the past 3 seasons.
Only other 2 vets in rearview i might consider:
Broussoit and Mzarek(mzarek has been absolutely shelled, had heaviest workload and is decently in range statistically of “best of known options that only cost money”. He’s got the best chance of a “coming out of nowhere on cheap contract to have great season” IMO.
I also am advocating they grab best young non waiver exempt goalie any team tries to slide through and run a 3 goalie roster.
1. give jarry at least 50% starts (win and stay in aside from B2B type system). If he gets injured which is way higher than a nom zero percent chance than your cooley/ingram vs 23-24 year old have a chance to establish (literally this happening was only reason ingram hot in action…like i remember screaming to send pickard down in november/december before trade and being repeatedly respectfully disagreed with here that based on ingrams lackluster AHL’s he clearly at best was months and months away if not next season being ready…like i’m sorry to point it out but dithering goalie fearing losing pickard MAYBE on waivers and the rumored discussions that fell thru with buffalo on lyon when they looked like lottery team…like if lyon cost less than kulak, skinner and a 2nd or even crazier if lyon costed pickard plus 2nd and maybe even kulak….like skinner/lyon for less thsn jarry with lyon having 1 more cheap season…with ingram also seasoning just still makes me shake my head at process logic they took. Love know whst buffalo actually wanted.)
But yeah 23 man roster even with 3 goalies is still 1-2 more skaters than this team has had on roster the last 2 if not 3 starts of season….like get a free pifk’em option who maybe is a longer term solution. Seems logical way without real goalie depth developed
I was definitely in the camp of Ingram needing more time before coming to the NHL given his AHL numbers, I had Tomkins looking more likely to be the guy to come up. I can happily admit to being completely wrong on that one. The Pickard being lost to waivers thing was ridiculous though, there was no way he was going to be picked up given how poorly he was playing last year.
I like Brossoit a lot, but the lost injury time the last couple of years is a red flag.
Mrazek I’m also wary of, he was absolutely crushed for GSAx/60 last year (-0.930 which is good for 88th out of 98 goalies). Granted he only played 10 games, so small sample alert. 2024/25 he was at -0.404 GSAx/60 in 38 games played and 75th out of 103 goalies. I think he might have hit the wall.
Rittich maybe? He was 34th in the league this year at 0.153 GSAx/60. Could be an interesting $1 mill contract add with upside to be the backup if Jarry is broken again.
It’s not a strong free agency like you say.
Buffalo ran a 3-goalie system much of the year with 16 starts going to Colten Ellis who went 8-4-2 with a .903. Really good goaltending from Lyon and UPL limited Ellis, but he was performing on par with them midway through the season.
I’d be over the moon with acquiring Cossa, but DiPietro or Ellis make for decent check-down options.
Ingram, Jarry, and a young inexpensive up-and-comer is a hedge against catastrophe.
Pittsburgh won nothing backstopped by Jarry.
I would encourage you to go back to yesterday’s thread and read the detailed game by game information on the playoff appearances.
Zero Cups. Zero playoffs series wins. Playoffs, only one time, delivering a choke job.
On a team with Crosby, Malkin, and Guentzel. Some teams with Karlsson too.
How did the Penguins do this year with Skinner? He of the back to back Stanley Cup appearances, even he couldn’t drag the Penguins to round 2.
Going back to the first post I was saying Jarry as 1B, we’d still be using Ingram as 1A in this scenario. I’m not sold on Jarry but I’m also not going to say let’s bin him immediately. He will get another shot next season regardless of what we all think unless Bowman and Knoblauch are fired, so we should get behind him. I wish him great success next season. If he gets it, then music!
Pissing away one of the two years left is a strategy.
In Jarry’s only series, he remained the best option.
Would have been the starter after his excellent 58 game season but he injured his foot 2 weeks before the playoffs and Pittsburgh was outplayed by the higher seeded NYR, who went to ECF and in turn lost to TBL. Shesterkin might have been the only goalie capable of helping PIT that season, and even then a better NYR team with him couldn’t get past TBL
Skinner has been the starter in the playoffs and has been pulled for 4 straight seasons by 2 different teams. Not for a game of rest. Because his team has watched him be a net negative factor each playoff season and were on the brink of bowing out. In each instance, the incoming goalie either delivered a critical win, and in 3 cases (Campbell 23, Pickard 24, Silovs 26) had better stats including GSAA/60. Pickard was worse last season in traditional/advanced stats but Skinner’s quality start/really bad start rate was brutal, with him being positive against end VGK through DAL (1.5/4 series), likely not returning if it were not for Pickard’s injury. Also forgot about Campbell saving their bacon down 3-0 against LAK in 23 before being bought out
Again, go back and read the game by game summary of Jarry’s play and the game (and Crosby’s production), etc,
Read the effin response from yesterday and respond to me. Seriously. Otherwise you are just here spewing verbal diarrhea without being able to back up your claims.
Jarry played one series in entirety and Crosby scored 2 pts and was a -2. Malkin was injured. Jarry outplayed Varlamov but Sorokin played out of his mind.
Karlsson is far less of a D Dman than Bouchard and I believe they only made the playoffs once with him.
I know it hurts to hear this, but if you believe that Jarry’s 3.5 mil or less salary with above average to elite play for 5 seasons was the reason Pittsburgh didn’t win a cup with Jarry, then by your logic Skinner singlehandedly prevented Edmonton from winning a cup.
(neither are true, whatsoever)
I am expressing my opinion. I am not trying to persuade you. You are entitled to your opinion, and to your stats, and to be wrong.
I do not want to waste one of McDavid’s two years.
Perhaps your critics should ask themselves why Pittsburgh traded Jarry to the Oilers.
It certainly wasn’t an effort to acquire Brett Kulak who they promptly dealt to Colorado.
And it certainly wasn’t a need for cap space since they have more than $42 million in the off-season.
None of what you typed has any relevance to Godot’s unsubstantiated claim.
Dubas made the mistaking of re-signing Jarry. And at the first opportunity to get rid of him, and his horrid contract he did. A lesson Bowman should emulate.
Perhaps you should respond to the claim he made, which was in question, not the belief that the Jarry trade was good. I literally wrote that above and you’re too stupid to read that.
If you are just writing to be contrary, I am going to tell you to STFU. Every time. Because it’s unacceptable and I will name it and tell you I don’t agree with it.
P.S. You only get to pick one team. And it was Vancouver, and they suck. How’s Demko worked out? 😆
So basically, you’re saying you’re entitled to spew BS with no accountability or attempt to prove your point on here.
There are opinions, and there are lies. You are lying.
Crosby had 2 pts in a 6 game series and Jarry let Crosby down?
Delusional. That’s not an opinion. You have a firmly held, false belief.
Spot on. It’s his M.O.
What does it say when your opinion has been completely dissuaded by facts that you chose to ignore? And this isn’t the only topic where this occurs.
Dahlin, Makar and Werenski the finalists for the Norris.
It’s a competitive year, hope this motivates Bouchard.
Disappointing. But par for the course.
As expected. Microscope Bouch snubbed but Dahlin has a reputation, Makar is Makar and Werenski got a huge PR push despite being dogwater when his team’s season was on the line while Bouch stunk in October.
Bias is bias, not sure why writers get to vote on anything.
Makar with the reputation votes.
For many, he won the Norris in October.
Trying to remember when and who I heard/read that referred to Makar as the Wayne Gretzky of defensemen.
McDavid already drinking wine on a boat in Utah with Lauren, Lenny and friends.
A healthy and rested and re-set McDavid is going to make Jackson Lacombe afraid next season and tear up this league.
OP are you starting Mammoth rumours 🙂
LOL – of course not.
Just noting that he’s already in full on relaxation mode enjoying his time off.
I said that to a buddy last night lol
We are all having a blast out here.
Dish the dirt! What are they talking about?
Utah has the prospects to trade for him. The Oilers could reload overnight.
I would suggest that Jake Walman is a legit top 4 d-man notwithstanding his tough playing though injury season and deployment in the playoffs.
All day it’s just health that’s the worry
he has an established level of ability that we did not see in most of the regular season but did see in the playoffs. he should bounce back
Walman is a suspect until proven otherwise. Ekholm is aging until proven otherwise. Two subpar playoffs in a row. I have never seen Bouchard get mad at himself for a blunder like Hutson did yesterday.
“I have never seen Bouchard get mad at himself for a blunder like Hutson did yesterday.”
You don’t know what you don’t know.
Bouchard’s stoic public demeanour doesn’t preclude a personality that is geared to taking responsibility behind closed doors.
I would suggest that Stauffer opining that he thinks McDavid and Drai together provides the opportunity to get more forward involved does not equate to what the org will do come October.
I mean, we don’t even know who the head coach will be for sure or who will be on the roster.
Criticizing the org for decisions they have not made – a long standing tradition.
In fairness, telegraphing the disappointing plans of the org is also a long standing tradition. But your point about holding off on criticizing is correct and well taken.
Trial balloons are lofted, trial balloons are shot down. A long standing tradition.
Well there’s a whole lot of talk of just running it all back for some asinine reason, so criticizing the organization for rumors of something they did just this past October isn’t that out of pocket.
Mayhaps the public outcry deters them from such prehistoric thinking.
Landing a river pushing center would allow the organization more runway, but the core doesn’t want Nurse traded so?
They didn’t want to run it back when they were within 1 goal of Stanley, we should not allow them to run it back after such a disastrous season.
They need to do what Holland was doing in the sense, identifying weaknesses and gaps and addressing them while being careful not to fix what isn’t broken and any major move needs to have significant research and data backing it, no fly by your pants for this crew.
Maybe that involves running it back maybe not. Without injuries and with Murphy and Dickenson this was a better team than their record implies. Not a champion team but top 10
THE FABLED “LAST 11” GAMES (Mar 22-Apr 17, 2026)
11 games, with only Draisaitl on injury list
7 wins, 4 losses (2+2); pts% .727 ranked 6th
A 5-game win streak (only one of the season)
GFA 3.36 ranked 13th
GAA 2.18 ranked 4th
PP 28% ranked 9th
PK 84.6% ranked 6th
Quality of competition
7 playoff teams (3W, 4L; wins v UTA, VGK, ANA; losses v VGK, UTA, LAK, COL)
Is this an “average” team? Or, a better-than-average team finding its defensive game? Not sure. But this moment of cohesion got lost in the injuries and poor play and the horror (!) of the Anaheim series. The season was a roller coaster of expectations. I suggest this final 11 portion of the season indicates this was indeed “a better team than their [full season] record implies.”
The sky is not falling, Oilerville. Resist the temptation to listen to Chicken Little and her fellow travellers!
Feels so strange doing off season discussion so early this year after the previous two playoff runs. Man.
How about those Ducks??
The coach seems to know what he’s doing. What a miss last off-season.
I have said that a few times and then checked last time I was going to, and they hired him while the Oilers were still playing. He would have been great
So much hindsight bias – Q might have been past his prime or gun-shy from the Chicago debacle, for all anyone knew.
That being said, Anaheim is a legit power and the path to cup #6 is narrowing.
True, I remember how the panthers were smoking hot when he had to step down which had me lean that way
Thanks for this… my memory gets worse with age. I thought we still had the option to hire him.
The Ducks now have home ice advantage in the series.
They were much better at home during the regular season with a 23-14-4 record…only Colorado and Dallas with 26 regulation wins were better.
They have a good chance to advance to the Conference final.
I’m hoping the Ducks win the cup so the Oil can say they only lost to the Stanley cup winner as usual.
Colorado may be too difficult a mountain to climb.
Haula and Mikheyev are best LW/RW with 15 plus goal pedigree and PK numbers. I like Mikheyev as a signing if they can’t sign Dickanson.
I like Mikheyev right now as well. To me ,however, he’d be in the mangipaine, Henrique, Dickinson, Janmark aisle.
I’d prefer that spot to go to a player with upside youthful energy. No more veteran, proven, only downside players.
In my opinion there was a time when the oil needed proven vets to steady the ship. 4-5 years ago. The oil have those players now and need youthful energy somewhere in the line up.
Spot on. The proven vets are McDrai, Nuge, Hyman, Ek etc.
Youthful energy, speed and size is needed.
Who do you propose? Preferably with size, speed, PK ability, and 15 goal upside
Noah cates. Cole sillenger
I’m also now concerned they are delusional enough to think Dickinson is a 2C.
Please let me be very, very wrong in that fear.
For sure. I commented the other day if they load up they have to get a 2C and still need a 3C. Nuge can’t do either other than spot duty at this point
End of the year Nuge was a third line winger at best. Hopefully he can get back first of the year Nuge.
Last year I felt going into this year Ekholm may fall to a good third pairing dman. He struggled to start the year then proceeded to prove he was still a first pair dman as the year went on.
I was wrong on ek and hope I’m wrong on Nuge.
If everyone is healthy and still around I think for reasons like still going well by playoffs, styles and stats they should run
Nurse Bouch
Walman Murphy
Ekholm Emberson
Run the pairs more evenly, shelter Ek’s body and let him mentor Emby
Dickenson is a 4C by production and history. He had a career high in a contract year that got him an inflated contract with Chicago. They better not mistake that for 2C.
(Dach-Dickinson-Freddy) fourth line next season.
No way Dickinson signs for 4th line money.
No way the Oilers can afford a 4th line centre at 3C or 2C money.
LT you traded Nurse and are still lining him up. Like a mafia deal, you get what you want but only send half of the agreed pieces. I like it
Well, I was trying to think like Sather and may have gotten too deep into the role. 🙂
I caught that too, had to look to see if it was already mentioned. I can’t see a world where Byfield is available for trade with Kopitar retiring though.
That’s probably correct, but one never knows what Holland likes or doesn’t with players. For me his takes were off a lot of the time with the Oilers
with gudas and trouba contact expiring and mason mctavish heavily out of favor i could deffo be talked into a mctavish for nurse trade.
Gudas and Trouba are both RD.
Anaheim is loaded at LD with LaCombe, Mintyukov, Zellwegger and Hinds with their top prospect being 2024 1st round pick LD Stian Solberg.
Very likely they re-sign John Carlson and Jacob Trouba and run a RD consisting of Carlson, Trouba and Drew Helleson.
Mason McTavish was shopped at the deadline but nothing came of it.
But with 10th overall 2025 pick Roger McQueen signed McTavish is very likely to be moved in the offseason however Nurse won’t get it done.
sorry fibonacci but the best your distressed asset can fetch is trent frederic and a lightly used josh brown.
Pretty sure better offers will surface.
So you’re saying there’s a chance.
If you’re ever going to make a more permanent move regarding 97-29, it is 97 that must go to the wing. Leon is better positionally and at faceoffs. It isn’t even that close.
But they should be on different lines. Any coach that would go with them together as a plan A is incompetent.
Bbbut they want to play in every situation. A more mature coach would tell them why the TOI will be spread. They’ll be fine and still get key moments, it’s the heart of the game that is the problem. A competitor coach a few years back said the Duo TOI was way too much and he wouldn’t do that. I think it was the Leafs and Matthews was a couple of minutes less
LAst dance for Nurse. he isn’t going anywhere. new baby, they will stay for one more year. To close to connor and Leon. Have to move forward assuming him and Frederick are here. be great to move them, but unlikely (and both players contro; it due to No Move clauses).
Can they get Kyrou?? Who else at 2 RW fits, with Kapanen as the check down (his stats and injury history will make him cheap enough to be a 3RW).
Savoie-McDavid-Hyman
Pods-Draisatl-Kyrou????
???-Nuge-Kapanen
Dach-Samanski-Frederick
2 issues.
1 is lack of penalty killers (Nuge, Savoie, Kapanen, Samanski), especially if you plan to ease up on McDavid and Draisatl’s playing time (as they mentioned in their exit presser).
2 is lack of size. Dickason would be great but not sure we can afford him at $4 mill plus Nuge at $5 mill on 3rd line if we want to upgrade 2RW.
Get a physical two way 3 LW who can PK. Find a way to deal for Kyrou using Howard plus. Not sure if we can do better at forward then that based on contracts and cap.
The only way it makes sense for kyrou is if nurse is going the other way. Based on money. Howard extra value on the roster of his low cap hit.
Podz can pk. Nuge can pk. Savoie and kappy are both solid on the kill. Would definitely need a center who can win a draw. bleuger is my guy.
I don’t understand why they would be saying they are going to be playing McDavid and Drai together all year now?? Are they trolling us? Why on earth would they have decided this already, and is there still time to fire the coach
Ya where did this come from? Is there an actual quote from the Coach or GM?
I think it was Stauffer lol
Nurse plus for Clarke would also fill a need long term. Oilers should be all over Byfeild if available.
Similarly mctavish being a healthy scratch early this season and not living up to his draft hype. That type of player could be team altering long term.
I hope Bowman can do something Satheresque. I think we might have to wait a season past next to see some older guys move on as they should, I hope they all have great seasons but Bowman still does it to maximize returns
The fact Holland made some questionable trades during his tenure here, leads me to believe that Nurse-Byfield trade could actually be a base for a trade.
This will be like an opposite tank battle… Stan Bowman’s questionable trade-making ability stacked up against Holland’s questionable trade-making ability. We wait.
In a trade and sign scenario they both lose
I don’t know if you intended, but I laughed out loud at this. Thanks!
Bowman’s trades have been solid. Signings haven’t worked out, yet: Dangilitis posted lots of evidence regarding Jarry and the negative narrative doesn’t hold up to scrutiny
He also mentioned the error was buying Jarry high while Stu and Kulak were low. But sometimes you have to act regardless
The Podz trade worked out great. The initial Walman trade was good. I’m seeing 2 substantial good trades and 3 substantial poor trades. Am I being unfair? What am I missing?
I think you have it surrounded. Most folks lean your way. I agree the results haven’t been great a lot of the time, and I hope they are working on pro scouting to get it better. At the same time I would say most incoming players don’t play to norms on the Oilers, and most recover when they move on
That’s a lot to do with usage and the system, also to do with the GM not getting the players that might fit or making a coaching change so that doesn’t happen. We see other teams and that doesn’t happen. The panthers I’ve read it’s pretty much plug and play. The system isn’t complicated and guys know exactly what they are supposed to be doing
My take ‘assumes’ reasoning and situations we don’t know about but seems logical based on what they did. Bowman said when he got Jarry it was time for a change for the team and Stu. Sounds like pressure was building they didn’t wait for better timing. The team was playing poorly, and I think he wanted to move Kulak regardless for deadline cap and something back. The cost for a better regarded goalie was that
Trading what should be a late first means that pick has value more like a second. The return was to me pretty good. For a 1st and 2nd he got rid of Mangi clean, got 2 players back for clear roster holes, a solid prospect, and two salary retentions. It sucks he and to dump Mangi, but those incoming players were needed regardless
Frederic was a gamble that he would get healthy with that type off injury. I think the plan was for thinking longer term, to replace Kane. His production had been fine for that player type, two way play had been solid. The contract is unusual, I have gone through it in comments before and it’s not hard to get out of it they want to
The cap hit isn’t high especially now, the term was to keep the cap down, there were other teams interested as there always are with players like that. The buyout is palatable, and I don’t like buyouts in general. I think he’s tradeable because there aren’t that many players of that type. He also might get back to his game, especially under a better coach of that happens
For me this seemingly reasoned thinking is better than what happened before. I like the player types better. Bowman doesn’t have any more mulligans though I would think, maybe more things start working out as intended
I’ll add Ingram was a slick move. He got him with retention for nothing
Lots of good stuff in your response… thanks.
I’ll add Ingram to the positive trade pile… thanks, I had forgotten how we got Ingram.
not sure how you see the dickinson trade as an overpay.
dickinson on his own is worth a 2nd rounder+ an asset likely a 4th or 5th.
Laughton got a 3rd.
carrick for a 3rd and 6th.
Roy got a 1st and 5th
Mccarron got a 2nd.
dowd got a 2nd and a goalie prospect.
schenn got a 1st, 3rd, drouin, and a prospect
Dach is worth at minimum a 4th but likely a 3rd.
Jeff viel for a 4th
elmer soderblom for a 3rd
lukas reichel got a 6th.
so a single first rounder and you dump mangi for free or a 2nd, 3rd, 4th..
the pick in the 20s can be easily replaced by college free agents and euro backfill.
Ingram did an admirable job for the Oilers this season, Nobody should doubt that. I don’t think he’s the guy going forward for this club unless paired with someone other than Jarry. That is the problem we face. No way we can come back with this same tandem. If we could somehow move Jarry with something else to obtain either of the Wild tenders this summer then Ingram would be a great bet
Perhaps Jarry is the guy tandemed with Ingram……?
Jarry had a .909 in 14 games pre-trade.
I expect the Oilers to be “better defensively” as a team next season.
Top 3 vote getters for the Norris comes out today (Hart tomorrow).
Is Bouchard there?
Yes.
Nope
— yeah I’m on same page. For a decade :
x-McD-Hyman
pod-Drai-y
Nuge
— for a decade how hard was it to solve for 4 wingers to create 2 lines and Nuge as Guy Carbonneau and draft and develop and impact vets.
— not f&ng rocket science
Ok I don’t believe in this at all
But they still have Savoie & Howard.
How does (Howard-McDavid-Hyman)
And (Podz-Leo-Savioe) for a top six sound. LOL 😆 sorry I mentioned it.
I don’t think its for a lack of trying or players not being available. It is simply because of this:
Drai = $14M
McDavid = $12.5M
Bouch = $10.5M
Nurse = $9.25M
Total = $46.25M
Cap = $95.5
% of cap = 48.4%
Extremely difficult to fill out out those 12 positions with quality. Some spots have to be filled with ELCs or replacement level players.
is Byfield available? That’s an interesting trade, I don’t see how it gets done but it would be far more welcome especially once drai and mcdavid are switched back inevitably to their own lines.
If you truly want to reduce ice time for the two of them, having a third line with someone like Byfield would even everyone’s minutes out.
Ultimately the fact that we’re talking about yet another goalie and that the glimmer twins being stapled to the same line leaves optimism for something like that pretty bleak.