The Edmonton Oilers won the 1990 Stanley Cup with two men averaging more than one point-per-game. The 2006 Oilers lost in seven at the SCF with two men posting over .90 points-per-game. The 2023-24 team also went seven in the Final before bowing out, and boasted two men over 1.30 points-per-game. Plese read this.
You can see the impact of the trade with the Detroit Red Wings in 1990, that Kid Line added another layer of scoring. Incredible. The top two lines of that 1990 team were Line 1 and Line 1A, just an impossible team to defend every shift. The shooting percentage was lights out, too. Didn’t need many chances.
The 2005-06 team didn’t have a number one line like the Messier trio, and certainly didn’t have six above average wingers. The 2005-06 team did have checkers to the moon. Man I loved Radek Dvorak and Michael Peca, and of course Shawn Horcoff. Hemsky would have gone well past 1/1 per game with more skill in the middle. Loved that team.
The 2023-24 team had two outrageous talents, two exceptional support players, but didn’t have much more to give. If you look at the number of players under .40 points-per-game in 2023-24 (six), you can see where the offense stopped. The other two teams had more sustain when the third and fourth lines jumped over the boards.
I’ve already run the reasonable expectations for this year and have two players over 1.3 points-per-game (you’ll never guess). That ties the 2023-24 team for most elite offensive talents in this group of SCF teams. The 2026-27 Oilers are projected to have three players between .50 and .99 points-per-game, easily the lowest in the group.
The 2023-24 team deployed four top-12 forwards who scored under .25 points-per-game. I am projecting the Oilers 2026-27 to have just one of its top-12 forwards under .25 points-per-game. The 1990 team had zero players under .25, the 2005-06 just one.
I think Babcock is going to dole out playing time using the third and fourth lines more than Kris Knoblauch. He will also match lines to get an edge, and increase the number of forwards contributing offensively. When I say ‘play Nuge as third-line center’ the immediate reaction is ‘you hate Dickinson’ but that isn’t the case at all.
I sincerely believe the best way to deploy this Oilers group of forwards is by using Dickinson’s line as an own-zone start trio ala Boyd Gordon. The coach can run McDavid and Draisaitl lines away from those minutes, and he coujld try to find the soft parade for the Glimmer Twins, but the opposition is going to adjust quickly.
The key is a Nugent-Hopkins line, with Ike Howard and one of Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Frederic, Colton Dach or Max Jones. Make that the soft parade line, and see how it shines. Nuge arrived in the NHL and was forced up the depth chart immediately due to Shawn Horcoff aging and Sam Gagner’s shortcomings as a center.
I think Nuge is ideally suited to a line that receives offensive zone starts, jumps over the boards when the fourth line is out there, and outscores opponents.
I have zero idea how Mike Babcock is going to deploy his lines, but everyone is talking about fewer minutes for 97-29 and playing the big weaponry on the same line. That means Nuge at center. Might as well place him in a spot where he’ll trhive.
On the Lowdown today, our feature guest will be Shawn Belle. We’ll talk about foot speed and how much a hockey player can increase his pace over one summer. Jays, Elks and Oilers, plus NFL preseason. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube. See you on the radio!
Why the Edmonton Oilers are on the hunt for a right-handed centre
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7515134/2026/08/18/edmonton-oilers-righthanded-centre-depth/
Shouldn’t be that hard. 9 out of 10 centres are right handed. I’ll show myself out
This is exactly why NHLe metrics are completely useless, in my opinion, in particular for older players.
My goodness, I’m even sure he can come close to that in the AHL and he’s a distant bell to play in the NHL at any level above 4C – in fact, his goal should be tweener at this point.
Ryan Holt said, in talking to Keith Gretzky, Vinni may not have had a spot in Finland coming back from the injuries, etc. That’s why they signed him the AhL deal, bring him over, get him close the development coaches, etc.
There is a logjam but I don’t think this singles they are moving Matt Tomkins.
For those who think guys just sign an 8 year deal and then relax. Maybe that does happen, but this conversation about the responsibility that one feels, from Votto with regards to Guerrero is a good little video:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/technically-theres-something-off-votto-weighs-in-on-vladdys-struggles/
There are a ton of athletes, and frankly professionals of all kinds, who can’t handle things like an 8 year contract properly. You need to know the source of someone’s motivation before going down that road.
What the Jays did with Guerrero was absolutely nuts in this regard. He’s simply not that guy.
I think the Jays thought they were getting a young Manny Ramírez. He still has time he just needs a few diggers to get him going. It’s to bad Bo left they were a excellent 1-2 punch with Kirk-Barger-Clement racking up
the RBI behind them. I think Bo ends up in Colorado’s friendly ball park with him getting four or five 200 hit seasons.
He does have eerily similar number to his Dad who made the HOF when it comes to hits and rbi’s by the age of 27.
He seemed to handle it fine down the stretch last year and, in particular, during the playoffs where he produced at near historic levels. I know the contract hadn’t kicked in yet but the pressure of that contract was there and he produced on the biggest stage.
Sure, he’s been terrible this year but he’s already shown its not the contract.
So, how would the 2026/27 predicted roster “reasonable expectations” line up with these three previous teams?
Connor
Leon
Hyman
Nuge
Podz
Savoie
Kapanen
Dickinson
Howard
Frederic
Samanski
Dach
Using these 12 forwards for the estimate.
Im going to go look for the LT reasonable expectations post. Did I miss it? must have.
Connor 1.64
Leon 1.46
Hyman 0.76
Nuge 0.59
Podz 0.48
Savoie 0.50
Kapanen 0.43
Dickinson 0.28
Howard 0.45
Frederic 0.25
Samanski 0.16
Dach 0.19
Jones 0.25
Joseph 0.22
If you want to shelter Howard, while also giving him a top 6 role, could you call him up for home stands and line match?
How many top 6 forwards receive no PP or PK time?
On the Oilers? Plenty!
Remember all that talk about offensive players wanting to come to Edmonton because of Connor-Leon-Bouchard-Hyman-Nuge well that was just talk. Roslovic did well because of his sneaky good shot players like Skinner-Arvidsson needed to see some PP to gather some points so they don’t get washed out of the league. We should of went with a Fort Knox bottom six with three cheap
Samanski types with a Dave Hunter-Steve Casper and 1 Mike Peca. The only problem with this strategy is you can’t have below average goaltending for this formula to work. Weak goaltending cost the Sabres 2 or 3 Cups in the early seventies just as it cost us 2-3 Cups 50 years later.
Why would’t Howard get PP time?
You don’t seem to have much faith in his ability to contribute in the NHL.
Why do you hate Issac Howard?
Howard is not an energy player if he doesn’t make the top six he’s going back to the AHL. Meanwhile O’Reilly makes Tampa out of camp or he’s one of the last cuts. Reading anything to do with Tampa they are super excited by what O’Reilly is going to bring too the big club. Meanwhile Howard is the leading scorer in the AHL with Hutson not far behind. One of these players is not like the other. I guess we can get all warm and cuddly watching Howard-Hutson own the AHL skills competition and all-star game. Hutson and Howard are starting to look more and more like Marody-Benson . Meanwhile O’Reilly is starting to give off Peca vibes.
What does this post have to do with the conversation?
Who said anything about Howard being an energy player.
What does Tampa being excited about O’Reily have to do with Howard?
As an aside: Dylan Holloway, drafted 16th overall, played parts of three seasons in the AHL and Matt Savoie, drafted 9th overall, played a full season in Bakersfield.
Sam O’Reily is giving off Ryan O’Marah vibes every bit as much as Mike Peca vibes – the kid hasn’t even played a pro game yet,
Why in the world is the 31st overall pick playing 2/3 of his rookie season in the AHL such an affront to justice for you? Maybe, like the others, his development need it.
O’Reilly is not making the Lightning out of camp. He’s a full year plus in the AHL before he sees any NHL ice time. Maybe out of camp in 28-29
He is a perimeter player at the NHL level.
https://www.nhl.com/nhl-edge/skaters/isaac-howard-8483455/20252026/2/shot-speed/forwards
When Howard was first up I agree he was an outside the traffic player.
When he came back and moreso in the WC he was very much an inside the shirt player. Very dogged on the puck and driving to paint aggressively.
Babs is going to love this player I suspect.
He was called up for the month of January.
In 11 GP his stat line was 0G 2A 16 SOG -4
He scored 3 goals and 1 assist at the WC but 2 of those goals came against noted powerhouse Great Britain and he finished tied for 86th in tournament scoring, an honour he shared with former Oiler draft pick Matej Blumel.
It’s starting to look like Stan who had the upper hand may of had the Kansas City Shuffle played on him by BriseBois. If O’Reilly keeps improving and gets some man strength he’s going to be the 3rd line centre every G.M salivate over.
Too early to say but O’Reilly ia only 20 so has more runway.
His 8 points in 7 games at the WJHC looks pretty promising and he was in pretty good company like Tij Iginla, Anton Frondell and Brady Martin.
You mean good company like Issac Howard and his 7 goals (9 points) in 7 games at that tournament?
You don’t mean THE Matej Blumel! The prospect that you crowed about leaving the Oilers and was en route to stardom?
oh yeah… whatever happened to that guy?
I couldn’t care less what the NHL edge stats say about Howard 10 months ago before his development season in the AHL.
Pretending like the development season did not happen is more dishonest posting.
Good Grief.
The Oilers should not need to shelter Howard.
I imagine he’s already as suprerior all around player and retriever than Jack Roslovic was last year.
There’s still some good free agents that have no dance partner. With the short off-season will this kill the PTO market? Lots of good players will be washed out of the league.
34 team league will bring them all back
You are right. I didn’t think about expansion. After the Leo signing the league will become full greed mode like Golf did and many other pro sports. This is why I enjoy watching Curling during the intense tournaments they have Scottie’s-Brier-Olympic trails and Provincal Finals. When the 2nd on a team you like works as a pharmacist down the block you know the game is played for the Love of It.
It probably won’t kill PTOs. Lots of PTOs are favours to players (or their agents), insurance against injury, trying to spur competition or even angling for an experience AHL player. Halfway decent junior players get camp invites for the same reasons. Only 15-18% of PTOs get offered NHL contracts so I don’t see a big impetus from clubs to not offer them. I could see a shorter camp making UFAs more likely to sign their best offer before camp starts.
As OP keeps repeating over and over and over that the Oilers line-up is set except for 5 guys fighting to stay on the roster for the 2 last jobs. The Clan should take note that me whining about the O’Reilly trade posts has now been passed by OP’s repeated posts that the line-up is set. I myself can’t see Oilers going the PTO route just as many other teams. There’s Just not enough time with the adding of 2 regular season games. Then again injuries usually happen every training camp and depending on the position a PTO or a Roslovic type may very well be attractive and in play this October for our Oilers.
The lineup isn’t set but most of the roster is set – those are not the same.
As an aside, I believe this community has discussed the roster, the lineup and deployment daily as the top topic for a couple months now – this repeated opinion is part of substantive current discussion.
I agree we both believe Joseph if healthy will have a spot because of how dreadful our PK is. I also believe it’s almost near time Bowman fishes or cuts bait on Howard. I also believe a big centre-winger (Samanski) that can take face-offs and is defensively first conscious has to be a player that Babcock covets. Does Babcock who’s been out of game for 5 years have time for all of Savoie-Howard-Samanski-Dach and Frederic who needs TLC until his confidence returns. For some reason I think Babcock will instantly warm up to and pick a long shot to make the squad on opening night Raty-Shakir-Jarmark etc.
I believe the Joseph likely makes the team as he’s the Janmark replacement – younger, more physical, better PK guy, likely better offensively (has two 30 point seasons under DJ Smith), etc.
I don’t understand “finish or cut bait” on Howard – he just finished his rookie pro season and has two years of left on his ELC, he’s arriving right on time – anything else was unreasonable expectations. I do believe its time to give him the opportunity he earned with his pedigree and development last season.
I don’t understand the premise that the listed players need “TLC” – al those players have the ability to impact. Babcock doesn’t have an issue with young or inexperienced players provided they play with effort and within the required structure.
Shakir is not a long shot to make the team, he’s a lock – zero chance they put him on waivers.
Raty has no shot to make the team, there is no time to try out a potential tweener – not when they have guys like Jones that are likely to be waived.
We are in win mode Howard still has value. If Babcock sends him down to the AHL he becomes a Hutson that you can get for free. It’s vital in my opinion that Howard either makes the squad top 6 or you trade him for someone that’s a better fit with Dickinson. If we are to win the Cup we need the Dickinson line to crush it along with above average goaltending.
There is another way.
The best teams have the depth to create 3 scoring lines.
Nuge could anchor a third line with Kapanen and Howard as wingers if the Oilers acquire a top 6 winger like Tarasenko.
Dickinson and Dach should be 4th line grinders.
We are in win now mode and Howard, on his ELC for two more years, helps wining.
I don’t expect him to be sent down by Bowman (the GM) and I think there are a few ways that Babcock can use him effectively.
And with the pre-season set up as it is, there will be a flood of players all hitting the waiver wire at once. Patience.
The waiver wire should be more interesting than July 1st free agent frenzy that’s been a dud for the last 5 years. If TSN was smart they would have a whole day of Craig Botton and new to the coverage Hrudrey talk how the Flames were able to go scavenge hunting of a 4th line centre at best who will play 3rd line centre in Calgary.
I do wonder if there will be some shocking waiver players this year. Including perhaps some ligit mid tier nhl players that perhaps are a bit overpaid.
A young player that can’t unseat a vet or a vet that needs to move to allow room for a youngster.
I think it’s a good thing to have cap space to take advantage.
Dach/McDavid/Draisaitl
Podz/Nuge/Kap
Savoie/Samanski/Howard
Joseph(janmark)/Dickinson/Frederic
Where’s Hyman going? Our 2 BEST centres need to be on separate lines. 2 smaller wingers on 3rd line is unlikely, Savoie has to be in top 6.
We know that McDavid and Drai will play together at 5 on 5 – we don’t know how much but probably more than most want, in particular at home.
To discuss lines when they are together has value as this will happen.
I dont expect Colton Dach to be the other member of that line any time soon – if he gets there, fantastic. First thing Dach needs to do is learn 2-way responsibility as, well, he wasn’t last season.
There are many ways to deploy the forwards and I think we will see many of them.
I think we will see time with McDacid and Drai apart with Nuge and Dickinson both on the 3rd line – likely a hard minutes third line. Howard on the 2nd line in this scenario.
I think we will see time with McDavid and Drai apart with Nuge centering a soft minute third line (with Howard) and Dickinson centering a tough minutes forth line (maybe with Joseph).
I think we will see load up with Podz/Nuge/Hyman as the 2nd line and Nuge has had success with Hyman away from McDavid.
I have no idea how they line up to start game 1 at home versus the Canucks – maybe option 3.
I think Podz-Drai-Kap could see time as the “Hard Minutes” line under Babcock. If they want to depart from traditional tendencies, put Leon in this role with 2 big, physical wingers that can skate and put him into legitimate Selke consideration. He’s always prided himself on the defensive side of his game, and this line would be a bear for opposing team’s stars.
I love the Podz/Drai/Kap line. Kap seems to play his best those 2 and as a trio they are an absolute load to play against. And then 97 hops over the boards.
LT breakdown really shows the warts of the last 2 SCF losses
31
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7519175/2026/08/18/nhl-prospects-rankings-pipeline-2026/
Pronman is an excellent analyst of prospects, and his ranking of individual Oilers prospects is always excellent. Worth the read.
Pronman has some wild stuff on his list, including Howard as fourth:
Zach Benson only ranked 6th for BUF
Lane Hutson only ranked 3rd for MTL
Gabe Perreault only ranked 7th for NYR
McGroarty ranked over Kindel for PIT
Ethan Wyttenbach only ranked 17th for CGY
https://x.com/NathanGraviteh/status/2089788690285429184
Pronman is never ever going to admit he was wrong about Hutson
Wouldn’t you know it, but the other teams you gush about, like Colorado, Dallas and Vegas, are right around the Oilers.
Interesting how you push that it’s doom and gloom for the Oilers though, saying it’s dire for them to not be drafting/developing and getting younger, but don’t preach the same approach for your dear Avalanche, Stars and Knights.
Soon enough he’ll act like he never gushed about those teams and instead its the Ducks, Sharks, Habs whoever else emerges that have been the gold standard lol
Periodic reminder that qualitative rankings are arbitrary by their very nature.
For instance, 33 of Pronman’s top 100 NHL prospects for the 2015-16 season never made it to 200 NHL games. That doesn’t make him a bad analyst it’s just the nature of counting your chickens before they hatch. https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/13409426/nhl-connor-mcdavid-jack-eichel-lead-list-top-100-prospects
54 of his top 100 prospects passed 400 games with 34 of those within the top 50. League-wide, his top 10 prospects by team yielded 94 out of 300 players passing 400 games or about 3 per team.
For his 2015-16 rankings, Pronman had the Oilers as the #1 system. https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/13413499/nhl-ranking-every-nhl-team-prospect-strength
2 players on the Oilers list have passed 400 games. One of those was Connor McDavid.
Prospecting is a fun conversation but outside of the top end, it’s mostly following guys that are never gonna make it and are not going to dominate play but we cheer anyways because we like a good story.
There is an inversely proportional relationship between prospect strength and sustained team strength.
Ie when you lose your draft good prospects. Really you are paying the Oilers a compliment.
He doesn’t think much of Savoie or Howard. Has Savoie speed as average when hes really fast and has Howard with low compete level.
Not really fast…76th percentile.
Savoie’s shot is below 50.
Savoie likely recognizes his shot needs work. With plenty of room to improve gives me hope that his scoring will surprise to the good side.
I’d imagine his buddy Guenther would be able to teach Matt a few things, having one of the best releases in the league.
Perhaps…but at his age improvement is likely to be marginal.
That would be because he likely watched zero Condors’ games.
Howard competed as hard as anyone on the team.
He is projecting NHL performance not comparing players to AHL shlubs.
He doesn’t know shit about Issac Howard’s play since turning pro, of that I am confident.
Savoie-McDavid-Hyman
Podz-Leon-Kapanen
Dach-Nuge-Frederic
Samanski-Dickinson-Joseph
Jones
You say?
Whether Nuge is playing centre or wing on the third line it shouldn’t really matter.
Though Samanski mentoring beside Dickinson couldn’t hurt. But he might also benefit more beside Nuge, although I do like Nuge with two large wingers.
Oh yeah you were trying to fit Howard into the lineup somewhere?
Howard on a soft minutes scoring line is a no-brainer. I do like your fourth line wingers for Dickinson in the shutdown role.
This is the way.
— On paper sure. 1 by 1 though why it’s hope:
1) Savoie : no scoring history as elite trigger man on skill line
2) Hyman : getting more old more injured 35
3) Podz: sure maybe another level not a traditional goal scorer
4) Kaps: definitely not a top 6 winger for many years
5) Nuge: hasn’t been a C in a long time aging out
6) Fred : just hoping 7 points 8 years is gonna rebound
7) Howard: sure a good bet but get in line as one of 7 that need to pop after scoring 2 goals in 30 games last year and trying to prove
— there just isn’t enough wingers to go around that have track record of scoring and some aging out
— way too much emphasis and mis understanding of what will make this team win and that’s McDrai
— I just place lower certainty on there being horses for them to excel on seperate lines.
— Anderson is busted Jarry is broken and levi is a lot of hope.
— Let’s see. Just I’m tempered.
— They can add a stud at deadline though with cap space which could change narrative
Oh my. So much negativity.
Didn’t Savoie score a hatty with McDavid . Not that they don’t need a shooter with Mcdavid, but Savoie is a player they may have to make due with, who could breakout even more this season.
Hyman is a horse.That’s all there is to it.
Podz see Hyman.
Kaps & Podz were a force with Leon in the playoffs. Their best line without doubt.
Nuge continues to do whatever is required of him. Have no fear.
Don’t count Freddy out he was much better after the Olympic break and he’s only 28.
Connor & Leon will be great together or apart. They may actually only play together for home games.
The three goalie system (Anderson, Jarry & Levi) should be fine the percentages are in their favor, one of them is bound to be terrific. Besides Nurse will no longer be around to deflecting pucks past any of them. It’s all good.
It’s the dog days of August it’s time to be positive for the upcoming season.
I guess Frederic was marginally better in the second half, but non-existent in the playoffs. If he’s on pace for a 15 point year, he’s going to play himself out of the NHL pretty quickly.
Fredrick in his last two healthy years put up 17 and 18 goals while increasing his point totals every year to that point. I’d expect a healthy bounce back from him.
Age related drop in production is expected and rarely reverses. Injury related decline is most likely to reverse course.
One can have the “hope” view, one can also look at these as better bets:
A recent top 10 pick that has produced at every level after a shot acclimatization period and produced 19 points in 24 games in the top 6 as an NHL rookie. Very good bet to produce in the top 6.
Definitely, however, scored 31 goals in 58 games last year after having surgery, no off-season training, no camp and starting the season late. Now, 5 months off to rest and hockey train – should be in for a substantial goal scoring season.
Agreed but 18 5 on 5 goals – doesn’t need another level necessarily. Impact in the top 6 is more than scoring.
For sure, he did score 20 under Babcock though and, when healthy, played like a top 6 winger most of last season. Podz/Drai/Kap were 12-3 goals in the regular season and 6-0 goals in the playoffs – that is real.
Except when he has had success as a center, for example, the 2025 playoffs. Not to mention, he’s never played 3rd line center as an Oiler against the soft parade.
I’m not expecting 18G and 41 points from a third line like Boston but, with a full and healthy off-season to train and get ready (not rehab), I do expect 12 goals (give or take) – I think he’ll have a strong season.
This is NOT the same player that we saw in October 2025 – a fantastic development year should continue. Hopefully Babcock puts him in a position to succeed. I have little doubt he can score goals with McDavid or Drai and I saw him expand as a player through hard work in the AHL.
Howard is likely on the team over Jones, that’s what I think.
I just don’t see Howard playing in the top six, or making any impact in the bottom six . And he certainly won’t be the 13th forward. That’s what I think. There’s just no room to pussy foot around this year.
I know you thoughts and I get it but I see various arguments against that.
I’m not sure why you can’t see Howard in the top 6. I
mean, he’s a legit top offensive talent, that is what won him the Hobey Baker and why he was drafted in the first round. He played 2/3 of a season in the AHL and was one of the most dynamic offensive players in that league, at 21, and by far the top rookie.
Kap can play on Drai’s wing but I think we can agree that Howard has the higher offensive potential and that there is definitely a spot open in the top six if someone grabs it. Babcock has never been against younger players and playing them in top roles. Babcock is against players that don’t provide effort or commitment but that is 100% NOT Howard – he worked his ass off at the AHL level, committed to developing a more well-rounded game – I presume he’ll continue to be coachable and provide effort at the NHL level – no reason to presume Babcock won’t play this player.
I think he’s best suited in the top six but that does not mean he can’t also play on a 3rd line if properly structure. No, I don’t want him on a third line with Dickinson but he can certainly play on a Nuge-centered third line (with a Kap or a Podz or a Frederic on the other wing).
At least in my opinion.
You don’t have to convince me, he does. Sure he’s supposed to have offensive talent, so did Nail Yakapov. But if that’s all he is, than it won’t be enough to make a Babcock coached team. He may or may not be ready to play in the NHL. I think there’s a reason Tampa wanted to move him out for Sam O’Reilly who is already seen as a more well rounded player.
At least in my opinion.
The point is that isn’t “all he is”. He didn’t go down to the AHL and simply produce offense and have fun. He went down to the AHL and got to work on the areas he needed to play on a Babcock coached team.
Sam O’Reily being a more rounded player is nonsense at this point – Howard has played well rounded game in the 2nd best professional league in the world. O’Reily did so against teenagers and the odd other 20 year old. I’m sure he’ll take the next step but he hasn’t yet.
He was not “by far the top rookie” in the AHL.
Ilya Protas was.
Season Highlights
Won the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the league’s top rookie.
Led all AHL rookies with 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 69 regular-season games.
Recorded the fourth-most points by a teenager in AHL history.
Protas was 19 years of age while Howard was 21.
Howard played 29 NHL games scoring 2 goals and 5 points while Protas got a late season call up with Washington playing 4 games and scoring 1 goal and 4 points.
Worth noting Protas is 6’6” 225.
Pick one.
But this hot-shot surefire prospect is somehow not in the NHL?
What are you lying about?
He’s only got one leg? He’s legally blind?
Where does today’s Fib Sequence begin and when will it ever end?
Maybe they could trade Howard to Washington for Protas.
Not a chance Washington would do that.
LOL
Ilya will be joining his BIGGER brother Aliaski 6’6” 251, in the NHL this upcoming season.
Ilya is penciled in as the Caps 3C next season.
https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/team-resets/washington-capitals-roster-changes-for-2026-27-season
I haven’t seen any studies related to handedness bias in hockey. I’ve felt it likely has to do with having your strong hand at the top of the stick – my preference – as it enhances stickhandling and poke checking etc. But over the years, some of the most ferocious shots in the league have been right handed shooters i.e. strong hand on the shaft.
I would have thought this would also translate to golf but clearly golf is dominated by righties.
Any thoughts?
If you google ‘the importance of handedness in the NHL’ you will be gifted with several thousand options.
Agreed.
I should have been clearer – why are there significantly less right handed hockey players yet significantly more right handed golfers (as a comparable)?
A combination of the bottom hand being decisively more important in golf, and the early lack of left handed clubs putting generations on a path where even naturally lefties switched over. Then kids learned from their parents, and on down the line. Though there’s this weird (likely hockey related) thing in Canada where a bunch of people who should have been taught right handed are playing left handed…including my wife and the husband of one of her close friends. I switched them around to RH as soon as I saw how they were moving…the improvement was staggering.
As for hockey – the amount of kids I see playing left handed (probably for the reason you note above) that can shoot and pass better right handed – is rather alarming. They might eventually learn to make it work…but it still doesn’t happen naturally.
The bottom hand is more important in hockey too…but this hasn’t been properly acknowledged just yet. Hockey is behind in terms of sports science. And not by a little.
Try explaining the “feel isn’t real” concept to a supposedly experienced hockey player while showing them the tape that proves it…and watch their minds twist. It is frustrating.
I still don’t get it. When I was playing hockey (not super well!!) almost everyone played right handed. This was late 60s, early 70s. Or am I just remembering wrong?
In those days they were still forcing left handed kids to write with their right hand.
I don’t remember it being the same with sports it was however you where most comfortable.
I hear the sticks were made from trees back then, too!
Crazy!
Yes they were! And the big discussion among us was what “lie” to use. Not that it meant any difference for me
And this situation has gone backwards. Big time.
They’ve decided to shoehorn everyone into a narrow lie range, barely any curves, and a low range of flexes compared to what can be done.
Not to mention there’s essentially no such thing as fitting at this stage.
Inexcusable.
I think it was availability of clubs that so few people played left-handed when I was a kid. The Pro-Shops had maybe 1 left handed clubs available for sale and that was usually a women club. There was only a few options purchasing clubs after the Pro-Shop like Woolco-Canadian Tire-Sport Chek. There was no Golf Town or any other store specializing in golf equipment. A few rich kids I knew as a kid bought clubs in various States their family visited and brought them home with them.
I read somewhere a while ago that more Europeans shoot right. The thought being that they are older when they start hockey than in NA, younger kids not being as strong would want their dominant hand at the top of the stick
They shoot left but want to play on their off wing.
Off wing, good for shooting off the rush, etc., bad for getting the puck off your defensive wall.
That might be more relevant for defensemen.
Nope, its getting pucks off the wall for forward in the defensive zone as well.
If they want to give the 3rd line a fighting chance, go with Howard-Nuge-Savoie.
But then they need a forward to play with MCD and Hyman.
Podzy-Drai-Kap should definitely start the season together IMO.
They may be able to get Tarasenko on the cheap.
23 goals and 47 points last season with the Wild.
Could thrive with Connor.
If they get Tarasenko on the cheap, I could definitely see a third line of (Dach-Nuge-Savoie).
I’d rather him with Nuge and Howard, but it would have to be at a pretty good haircut on the contract. Then Savoie can play with MCD and Hyman.
I’m kinda obsessed with the third line right now!
As you should be.
There is the potential for the entire bottom 6 to be a black hole of epic proportions.
As there’s potential for the bottom six to shine like a diamond.
Not much.
Your everyday, constant flogging of the Oilers is a pile of horse manure of epic proportions.
Enjoy the rest of summer HH.
I think that for the first time in years, we’re looking at a 4th line that will have a defined role and the tools to get the job done. Just be fast and physical, and put the other team on their heels a bit for more than half of theit 8-10 even strength minutes.
We know the top 6 will be great as usual. The key for me is having a 3rd line that can be relevant. We haven’t had one in exactly one forever. But it means putting some decent players on it.
Someone eat asparagus before HH ate his piss cornflakes this AM?
Awesome song choice, LT!
Do they ever need some right-handed forwards on this roster!
Bring on training camp waivers!!