There is plenty of uncertainty in discussing the Edmonton Oilers and Bakersfield Condors this summer. New Oilers coach Mike Babcock is going to make roster decisions and line deployments we can’t anticipate at this time.
Someone from the roster will have spent the summer running up the mountain in their backyard, and someone else will have lost another step on the long, slow decline to becoming a mere mortal.
We don’t know what we don’t know.
Each year, I do a ‘farm workers’ post, and the bullet points discuss prospect history and what we should look for:
- Men who are over 30 and come out of the minors to establish (or re-establish) themselves are pretty much a thing of the past.
- Pretty much everyone who is in the AHL past (say) 21 has some issues and is going to do some meandering (this is universal from 1965 through 2026).
- No minor league regular is likely to do anything incredible like play in 1,000 NHL games.
- If you haven’t established yourself as a prospect of interest by 22 you are in trouble.
- Exceptions are college men.
- A large group of players on the current team could be described in the “tweener” division.
- If we make a list of the minor league RFA’s each summer, we can probably as a group pick the cuts and be fairly close.
- Daniel Cleary, Fernando Pisani, Jason Chimera and Ryan McLeod became productive players in the toughest league on the planet. THEY are the stars in this study.
- There’s exactly ONE pure offensive player who made it: Mike Walton.
So, when Jordan Oesterle was signed by the Oilers out of Western Michigan we didn’t know much. The word we received at the time? Andy Murray told Craig MacTavish to scout him, and MacT signed the fleet defender. Oesterle had zero prospect pedigree, but would enjoy a significant NHL career of over 400 games. He retired from the game this week.
We don’t know what we don’t know.
I wrote about Eduards Tralmaks recently and am fascinated by his story. He can score goals at the AHL level, and is the owner of a 20.5 shooting percentage in that league. He is 29, but reports have his boots as being a real positive. Added to his frame (6.04, 225) and he’s a unique player coming to camp this fall. He scored three goals at the Olympics.
Where would I have him on the depth chart at training camp? I’ve published these lists before, but let’s do them again:
GOALIES
Left Defense
RIGHT DEFENSE
CENTER
LEFT WING
Right Wing
There are 14 forwards listed as NHL roster players. Rookies? Just one, Josh Samanski. The odds of Tralmaks playing in (say) 10 NHL games this season? Quite low, considering Max Jones and Connor Clattenburg will be pushing for work. No sir.
In the article linked above, I wrote “It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Mike Babcock takes a liking to him in preseason and remembers the big Latvian when injuries hit during the year.” That’s a reasonable conclusion.
The Tralmaks story isn’t “Oilers signed this guy and he’s going to make the team!” but rather “The Oilers signed this guy and he has size, reportedly significant speed, and he cashed on 20 percent of his shots one year ago. You never know.”
If Tralmaks does anything at all in the NHL next season, I’m not going to say I told you so. I’m going to say look at this guy, coming out of nowhere to find his place in the sun. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, and let’s also shine the light bright on the player. If he makes it, Tralmaks will be a helluva story. Suspect he scores 25 in Bakersfield. I bet he impresses at camp.
God love you LT, always pumping the tires on some distant bell in the minors.
That said if a 29 year old third liner in the AHL plays more than 1 game for the Edmonton Oilers next season, then something went horribly wrong.
Tralmarks is not quite 30, but you’re bang on with this:
Men who are over 30 and come out of the minors to establish (or re-establish) themselves are pretty much a thing of the past.
He definitely wasnt a third liner – he led their team in 5v5 scoring by 6 points. And was 2nd in the league in 5v5 goals. I agree with the last paragraph mostly, but there are always exceptions and late bloomers. Speed, size and ability to score goals is a nice combo for that
Or shockingly right….?
Rightly shocking.
Connor Bedard signs a 5 year $15 AAV with Chicago.
PuckPedia:
The #Blackhawks signed 21 y/o F Connor Bedard to a 5 year $15M cap hit contract
Yr 1: $7.2M Salary, $9.8M Signing Bonus
Yr 2: $6.2M/$9.8M
Yr 3: $5.2M/$9.8M
Yr 4: $4.2M/$9.8M
Yr 5: $3.2M/$9.8M
Full NMC in Yr 5, deal covers 1 UFA season
I thought he didn’t even want to play in Chicago anymore?
If you look closely, the contract is designed with an out clause after year 4.
Should he not be willing to extend after year 4, he can force a trade.
The Blackhawks are on the clock just like the Oilers are with McDavid. the difference being Bedard will only be 25.
His agent is brilliant.
Or he just got an NMC the only year he was eligible for it, like every star player gets
LOL – the first four years are RFA years and trade protection is not available.
You think you are smart but, really, you just don’t know the nuances of the CBA and contracts and make yourself look, well…..
Less than brilliant.
He wants to win nothing wrong with that attitude. If they can build around him the next 5 years Chicago could be relevant again. They need to protect the kid you can’t let the Ozzy’s of the league take free runs at your kid. Your star player gets his jaw broken without instant retribution from his teammates reminds me of the Taylor Hall days in Edmonton.
Too bad they didn’t have a Clatt ride shotgun.
Yep you can’t allow your franchise players Jaws to be broken, Florida had a couple of really good regular seasons with Huberdeau-Weeger then they got bullied in the playoffs. Zito trades 2 players coming off career years for some functional toughness. It took 3 Cup finals to burn them out for a year. Florida is not done winning Cups. Zito is ahead of the curve no way Carolina beats them in a 7 game playoff.
1) If anything, Bedard needed to learn that you can’t have your head down lunging for pucks you last coming across the blue line on a 1 on 2….. not to mention, totally clean hit.
2) Foligno faught Dillon right after – pretty much the only thing that Clattenburg could have done. It would not have deterred any such hit on McDavid or Drai (not to mention neither would have put themselves in that position) one iota.
Clattenburg can have a positive impact in NHL games if he puts in the requisite work but it won’t be by deterring anyone from doing any thing on McDavid or Drai.
Anybody know why Zadorov refused a trade to Edmonton, a team supposedly in contender status for a SC ?
He’s an ex-flamer who hates Edmonton.
Four down votes for asking a question is almost funny . Are you sure that is the reason or is it your opinion ?
I’m sure it was because of Babcock getting ready to destroy Zadorov’s career.
🙄
There is lots we don’t know but it’s mainly about forward line set up which will have bearing on which two of Howard, Samanski, Janmark, Jones and Joseph are off the team.
We know they will carry 3 goalies, we know who they are. Who starts game 1 is of intrigue (and all subsequent starts).
We know the 7 d-men they will carry and we just don’t know if Stastney and/or Regula will get claimed (or if Stastney gets moved).
Yes and we also know that Savoie, Samanski and Howard are waivers exempt.
and that could be, although shouldn’t be, a factor.
If they believe the Oilers are better with Samanski/Howard than Jones/Janamrk – then it should be an easy waive.
Everyone discounts Max Jones. Will Babcock have the secret to get him playing a power forward game consistently. Jones has the pedigree it wouldn’t shock me If he scores 12 goals this year.
It would shock me, but he was a different player last season compared to previous NHL stints, so maybe that is who he is now.
I only hope the best for him.
🤞 🤞
The Max Jones types are the key players Babcock needs to pull on the rope to Cup #6. Then with the pressure off Connor will sign a 7 year team friendly Sidney Crosby contract. Leon-Connor-Bouchard-Levi will retire with 3 Cups in their back pocket while bringing the Cup back where it belongs in the City of Champions.
Jones can earn a spot in camp I guess but with Dach and Frederic scheduled for the 4th line (and both are indeed ahead of Jones) and one (at least) of Janmark and Joseph on the roster, he’d likely need at least one, if not both, of Samanski and Howard re-assigned.
Jones has not PK’d in the NHL since about 45 seconds/game in his early Anaheim days (and was a depth PK in Bako) – with Dach and Frederic locked on the roster and not PK guys, Jones is in tough.
Yeah…but are they “coachable”?
Your choice of activity on this Saturday summer night is to make the lamest troll jokes possible. I mean, if you are going to troll Oilers fans as your #1 hobby in life at least put some effort in.
I’d wager at least as coachable as someone who’s purportedly won “multiple awards for ethics in journalism” is willing to acknowledge his own errors in player assessment; or to pay up for bets lost.
How can you be so sure that Frederic & Dach are scheduled for the fourth line? The thing about Samanski & Howard is that they’re waiver exempt and that very well might become a factor in roster decisions.
Well, I know they are on the team. Dach could sit game 1 for Joseph and I suppose one of them could be on the third line but those as a duo on the 4th line seems highly likely (even more if they send Samanski down as Dach at center is something it seems the org is looking to explore).
The season is a marathon players will be rotated. Unlike Holland Bowman is not tight against the cap allowing the Max Jones to play a 20 game stretch them rotating to someone different. Unlike K.K I do believe Stan and Mike are on the same page. Our bottom 6 is a key a key factor in winning the Cup. I also think will see D men rotated in and out allowing Ekholm-Walman-Murphy load management.
Sure but that doesn’t mean that Max Jones does not have a ton of competition for a spot out of camp and likely is on the outside looking in entering camp
We don’t know about injuries, and that will have an impact on opening night lineup
Yes, I have said consistently in my posts when talking about Stastney/Regula being waived and two of the listed 5 been cut – that its subject to an IR injury saving a spot.
The Tralmaks story has yet to be told, indeed.
My points have been, all of the above, plus:
He has skills
He can shoot HARD shots
He can stand in front of the net and do stuff (the opposite Tomasek)
He does good board work
He is not ideally suited for a bottom 6 role (he does not penalty kill, his defensive effort is not a hallmark)
If he makes it, it will be in the top 6, where playing with elite talent will accentuate his talent and hopefully help to mitigate his weaknesses.
Tralmaks should not be competing with Jones or Clattenberg or Dach or Joseph, he should be competing with Nuge and Kapanen and Podkolzin and Savoie and Howard.
I don’t think this is a crazy high bar.
All he needs is for Babcock (and Bowman by not signing some past their prime vet or Tolvanen) to believe he has some ability, so all I am saying is there’s a chance…..that chance also depends on injuries and the willingness of the coaching staff to give an opportunity to an unproven player.
This is a player at his absolute peak, a former Euroleague MVP who hadn’t even been the top scoring player on his team over the previous 10 seasons. Except for that time when he set the record for goals scored in the USHL Clark Cup playoffs and won that MVP Award.
To be perfectly clear, I have zero expectations, but know that the man has a lot of positives going for him. Including sky-high confidence.
He will be a fun follow this season as it has the potential to be one of the best under the radar UFA signings in team history.
I won’t mention another word about him, unless he makes the big club.
I respect your support for the player. A big body who can score and play net front is rare and sometimes valuable.
The range on this player goes from Arthur Kaliyev to Alex Chiasson to Pat Maroon. Useful at times at the top of the lineup, but usually a 4th liner / AAAA player. At a glance it doesn’t appear that Tralmaks is much of a playmaker based on low assist totals. This likely disqualifies him from playing with 97 or 29.
Chiasson became useful because he could retrieve pucks for McDavid while also scoring and playing big. Tralmaks could develop some of that.
Maroon was fearsome – had the goals AND the PIMs. Tralmaks is not that player.
The Latvian will have to contribute other intangibles to merit a spot in the lineup ahead of Dach, Frederic, Samanski, and Jones.
Description of the player may be true but so is the fact that he’s a near 30 AHL player and a good not great AHL player. He scored a lot of 5 on 5 goals which is great and I look forward to him helping Bako and being the “scorer for the AHL” Stauff said was coming.
Fact is only 3 of Howard, Samanski, Jones, Janmark and Joseph can be on the team and he is being all of them. All the circumstances and context can be provided but he’s tiers below Howard as am impact player in the AHL and near a decade older. Shit, for many, 29 is almost past offensive prime.
He can compete with Hutson and Michaels and Marjala to be at the top of the list of next tier of call up options.
I hope he bangs in 7 in the first 10 and we have someone to talk about.
Bowman will call you up if you are playing well in the AHL. Bowman has filled up the cupboards with big skilled forwards. It’s amazing how we went from Benson-Marody-philp-Lavoie to what we have now.
As I said, if he bangs in 7 in the first 10 games…..
With Hutson getting 6 assists on his goals. Hutson may very well be leading the AHL scoring pushing his way into meaningful games in Edmonton. Bowman is not shy and I don’t think Mike is when it comes to rotating and getting the most of the bottom 6. It’s been years since the bottom 6 had real accountability I’m hoping this is where Mike shines.
Hutson could but, lets not forget, it was Samanski, not Hutson, that was leading the Condors in 5 on 5 scoring when Samanski was called up.
Seth Griffith was 5th an 3rd in AHL scoring the last two years….
It’s nice to have all these options Bowman is loading up if we see 1-2-3 players pop it wouldn’t surprise me. Bowman had many bottom 6 players pop in Chicago. This is his MO this is a carbon copy of his dominant team in Chicago.
I’d like him to make it because “Trailmix” would be an awesome nickname for the player.
In fact, Trailmix is his Insta handle.
Along with a high calorie snack for active folks on the go, he also a big fan of flapjacks, a fruit laden breakfast snack and what the British call biscuits:
https://youtube.com/shorts/TWPDXjjxDxM?si=z9l4YAVkhgR9K5hw
That was really funny, the guy has a great sense of humour.
He played 3rd line in the AHL last season but he should be in competition for 1st/2nd line NHL spot?
Context is important.
Grand Rapids had the 2nd best record and had the 2nd best offense. Despite being a 3rd liner on the 2nd PP sometimes, he had the 2nd most goals.
He has a certain set of skills….
I lied….
no more mention after this message string.
I love me a long shot. We are due for Bowman to hit on one-two-three big-skilled-fast wingers that dig and dig pucks into the scoring area.
You deride the likes of Haas, Nygard, Erne, Tomasek, etc, but at the same time are pumping Tralmaks’ tires.
Pick a lane.
and a crazy wild shooting percentage that is no sustainable in the AHL, let alone the NHL.
Again, he is behind the 2 cuts from Janmark/Jones/Joseph/Samanski/Howard notwithstanding what type of position he’d be suited for, can we agree on that.
He’s also at best even, if not behind, Marjala, Ownes and Hutson, can we agree on that?
I hope he plays for the Oilers this season as he comes in 15-18 on the forward depth chart and, if he plays, it means he crushed the AHL and that would be exciting. Its less likely than likely, can we agree on that?
I don’t think he was on the third line actually. Too bad we don’t have ice time data. But he led their team in 5v5 scoring and was on the highest event line by a fair amount as per the AHL Tracker site. I mean, he must have been on their top line.
They were a really good team – Colorado like stats. Reason to be skeptical of Cossa’s AHL numbers
I remember Sather picked a Russian in the 5th round with Anatoli Semenov making his debut at 28. He scored 15 and the following year 20. He also scored a huge playoff goal against the asshat Flames on our way to Cup #5 I know LT remembers the big Russian at 6’ 2” who played at times with Anderson and Messier they were dominant in the playoffs. Bruce would remember every game Semenov played and his stats.
Sometimes I think we get locked into thinking top six has to be this, bottom six has to be that. The Brodz Storts Glenross “fourth” line was good for almost a goal a game over that one two week stretch. Not sustainable production but keeping that line together would have been a sustainable menace.
And….
He can bleed his own blood
A big cheer for the Clattenburg mention. Hip Hip……… Hooray! Connor will surprise many this year at the tender age of 21.
I think he has a far better shot next season, Oilers are going to do everything they can to rebuild Frederic, he has no shot of taking Patty Dach’s minutes.
I know but injuries happen we can’t play Florida-Lightning with no pushback they’ll eat us alive.
The Oilers will be fine against Florida and Tampa wth the projected lineup.
He can – he has work to do in order to get that chance. He refused to do that work after re-assignment last season. I presume he’ll take a different approach come October and do what will help him get to the NHL.
You missed Brodziak
I just pull three names from my brain, there are more.
He’s the deepest from left field i can think of as far as draft number and who he lapped in order to sieze role but fair
The Athletic ranks goaltending prospects this morning, putting Devon Levi at 11.
I love reflex goalies and Levi can move for his weight which is above 190 which is big for a 6 foot goalie. I remember watching him in the buffalo games against thinking that goalie has talent. I seen Wolf in person and he’s lucky if he’s packing 160 I also seen 6 footer Georgiev in person who is also 6 feet. There’s no way that kid was packing more than 160 as well he looked so slight like a ballet dancer. The organization I believe has high hopes for Levi who was pushed out of Buffalo. I really like the small deals Bowman makes.
There has been a move to athletic goalies. Levi fits that description so does Jarry and Freddy.
I think bowman gets it.
He lost several spots on that list the moment he was traded to the Oilers.
Looking at the right hand defense, how the hell did they trade out of drafting Brek Liske.
But hey the Oilers have yet another projected to be bottom 6 forward if all goes according to plan.
because Brek Liske is no better, nor worse, of a prospect at this point than Rudolfs Berzkalns.
The difference is in upside. Im pretty sure Pracey even said he sees him as bottom six, and his stats suggest 4C. But hopefully he has a year of at least a point per game in the USHL next year.
Meh – this is just as much a crapshoot as it is a conclusion on upside. The upside of countless mid-round picks on draft day has been very wrong.
Pracey spoke about untapped offensive ability they think they can develop – add that to his size and speed and aggression and there can be real upside.
Besides the uncertainty in goaltending, this team looks fantastic on paper heading into camp. Everyone in their right place and unlikely to play above their established levels.
If I may nitpick, and it’s only a nitpick, I wouldn’t mind seeing a higher end LW added for the playoff drive. Savoie, Podz, and Nuge are all great in their own way, but it would really tie the roon together to put a Hyman type goal scorer either beside McDavid or Draisaitl.
The third line could be among the worst in the league.
As always, it will be necessary for the top 2 lines to massively outscore to have any chance of ultimate success.
Good grief
Depends what your expectation is of the 3rd line. If your expectation is 20% zone starts and 20 goals each, yes you will be disappointed.
You may wish to revisit the offensive contributions of third lines of recent Stanley Cup winning teams.
The “shutdown” third line is an ancient relic.
Increasingly, NHL coaches are going power vs. power with their top 6 while their third lines outscore the dregs.
The more you talk, the less you sound like you actually bother to watch hockey.
He watches hockey purely to try to find narratives that could make the Oilers look bad in some way.
I agree with you here.
A third line of Joseph – Dickinson – Kapanen is useless other than neutralizing the other team. It won’t outscore.
Contrast that with a third line of Howard – Nuge – veteran RW could be fire 🔥 .
Dickinson is fine as a 4C and PK specialist. Nuge at 3C where he can amplify Howard’s offense is the key.
On many teams, the Oilers third line IS a fourth line composed of castoffs from failing teams.
How do you suppose they would fare against Loustarinen -Lundell – Marchand?
Your suggestion of a third line would of course depend on how Howard emerges and who the other winger is but certainly has more promise.
The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. The red zone has always been for loading and unloading of passengers.The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. The red zone has always been for loading and unloading of passengers.
-Airplane.
A man asked a widow if he could say a word at her husbands funeral. She said “Certainly.”
He stood up and said “Plethora” and the woman said “Thanks, that means a lot.”
The third line is likely to have a recent 100+ point player on it as well as a recent 20+ goal scorer.
Ya pretty tough to not suck. sarcasm
We don’t know what we don’t know.
Can someone ask Fibonacci to show his work? He blocked me but I would love to see his numbers around how it would be the worst in the league.
Easy man:
Avalanche have kadri. Bet hedging bandwagons they are likely to still have pretty solid regular season. Advancing this percieved “advantage” prior to season starting will aid in delusionally believing the oilers are terribly ill suited to accomplish anything.
As long as this holds he can constantly pester people on posts. If they falter no worries the “whose in 1st” subclause will be enacted and the bet hedgery musical chairs begins. He has been a fan of utah or st louis or dallas or vegas after all (he seems really hesitant to creep into VGK bandwagon which is understandable given aging vet contract drum and declines….i mean they literally just had to sell their highest goalscorer who is still RFA which is hilarious)
I don’t know what you are talking about as I blocked him as soon as the feature was available.
That is quite an accomplishment.
A troll lives for the pleasure of reading the anger and angst that their posts illicit.
For a troll to block you, means that you are winning and actually getting under his skin.
Well done.
If only they had the 7th best forward prospect in vancouver’s system!!!
If the oilers had a 3rd line we have multiple cups. Holland tried both Bumstead and Henrique both were not cheap with neither working. This is why you’re better off developing in house. MVP Memorial O’Reilly may become that player that becomes a really good 3-C. O’Reilly was handpicked as Dale Hunter knew this kid was going to take off the year he was drafted. Bowman didn’t know how long Hyman would be sidelined as I think he expected longer and traded our prized centre pick for a more ready USA development league shoot first scoring winger. I wonder if Sam makes the Tampa squad out of training camp? If Samanski can develop at the speed he did like last year we are talking a stand up triple on who ever first chased this kid. Everyone says Eakins but I betcha Leon’s Dad passed along good vibes and chose words about the big centre.
That small deal of Bowman’s, O’Reilly for Howard sure is becoming a big deal. But Bowman usually has a way of working things out. He got Samanski to fill the void of young Sam and if Coulton Dach ends up playing center also he’s got all the bases covered.
I’m still trying to get over the Satan deal. We lost a 360 goal scorer over a few dollars because Edmonton franchise was barely afloat.
Dude.
Are you over your 3rd grade sweetheart giving all your classmates a Valentines Day card?
Just let stuff go.
Janmark-Henrique-Brown was consistently one of our best lines in both 24 and 25 playoffs
Yes, but I was at the Vegas game when Janmark took that high sticking penalty to put us down 2 men and turn the series around for Vegas.
I can’t forgive him that any more than I can forgive Tony Gabriel for catching that touchdown pass, on one leg, with 26 second to go on the 1970 Grey Cup.
Not that I hold a grudge or anything.
1976.
Oh shit! My bad
1970 was Calgary’s Robinson in the Western final kicking a 33 yard field goal into a 33 mile per hour wind at 33 below to defeat the green and white.
This is a vastly over-stated narrative. The trip played a grand total of 55:34 together in those two playoff seasons and got killed with 42% expected goal shares but outperformed that for a real goal share of 2-1. On ice save percentage of .966.
Memorial Cup MVP – keeps getting mentioned. The last number of memorial cup MVPs:
SOR
Easton Cowan
Owen Beck
James Malatesta
William Dufour
Joel Teasdale
Sam Steel
Lets not overate anything done against other kids.
You don’t want it to be Eakins because you don’t like him?
Draisaitl Sr. didn’t have anything to do with it.
It’s well documented that Eakins made the call.
But hey, spin away.
a third line of Nuge/Dickinson/Podz (or Kap) could be among the best in the league.
I would have liked another solid bottom 6 vet center (Right handed preferably dominant FO with solid pk resume).
It’s stunning to see a soon to be 37 year old, often injured, unlikely to play over 35 games, Frederik Andersen at the top of the depth chart of the most critical position in hockey.
Despite the churn at the position over the last 9 months, goaltending continues to be the Oilers Achilles heal.
I truly hope within the depth built by the 3 goalie monster, that Achillies holds. Cause if it doesn’t…
I agree. We hope that Levi turns a corner but there is a ton of risk with Bowman’s goalie bets. I would have preferred Ingram to Anderson.
I’m stunned Ingram remains unsigned. I thought he was solid and calm considering the play in front of him last season. That has value, but maybe he priced himself out of the market early and now there are no chairs.
Ingram did well in Edmonton, However I believe he was pretty average which is something we hadn’t seen in edmonton for a while. That doesn’t mean you sign it up to be the long term sollution. As apposed to many of the media around he you need better than average goal tending to win
When healthy Andersen-Jarry are above average goalies. Levi is insurance against injury. I could see Andersen pulling a groin during the regular season while being fresh for the last 10 games and playoffs. I would imagine Edmonton offered Ingram a contract that was not to Ingram and his agent liking. Now the music has stopped Ingram may need to sign for league minimum while waiting for injuries. As the saying goes a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Ingram-agent may have over-read the market. Let’s face it Ingram was alright nothing special a G.M is not going to pay him nothing but low tier back-up money.
With anderson undergoing surgery here in offseason and contract he signed -> i think i get it. Like guy who is what he is and just willing to have a shot at running the table in playoffs if he can seize net on team with real chance at a cup.
Imagine ingram looking for term and higher dollars (3×4+ million type deal). Agent may have overplayed his hand as far as market or appetite for teams to go long on goalie with mental health issues in pretty recent past. I wouldn’t be suprised if oilers did approach him with some type of 1 yr offer in similar range as anderson.
Like not enough there to justify higher locked in especially with jarry and campbell buyout. Cap efficiency just not justifiable.
Brossoit (141 gp) just took a 1 yr x 1.1 million…like hard to argue he is that much better of a bet than that or a guy like anderson who almost has played as many playoff games (101 gp) than ingrams total.
Ingram (139 gp) is sitting right in that jack campbell honey hole where edmonton bet long (131 gp when contract signed) with mental issues….buyer beware not worst call.
Andersen didn’t have any surgery. he said his thing just needed rest. He also said he had no injuries reg season last year. There is risk, but also an awful lot of upside. They have been looking around for goalies for a while, it’s not easy to get a top end fella, and if you can it will cost the moon
I also think 5 more years of 33 YO Hellebuyck at 8.5M isn’t a great idea for the Oilers. He isn’t that great unless the team is playing to his strengths, as we have seen repeatedly in playoffs
Andersen said straight up he did not require surgery.
The Oilers are set up very in net this season.
The Oilers likely aren’t looking to, or needing, Anderson to play more that 35 games.
With a much better structure in front, a commitment thereto and to managing the puck and the acquisition of some really strong PK players, I suspect Jarry will have a much better season and there will be great environment for Levi to get comfortable in the league and he might even excel.
I know he isn’t super hyped or likely to make an impact at NHL level given his past but I’m very intrigued by Cibulka. Seems like a lot of skill and nice 4 way skating which I love to watch in a D-man
100%. I thought he fit in very well playing good mins for Czechia at the Worlds this spring and am really looking forward to watching his development.
He and Carfagna are in the running for the next Oesterle in my opinion, and that is a big compliment.
.. Thanks, Craig MacTavish!