Dub Housing

There is a certain sameness about AHL prospects. All of them have talent and all of them have flaws. They repeat, year after year, with only the names changing. Few win the day. Please read this.

When the band Pere Ubu were on tour supporting their first album, they came across a complex that featured many, many apartments that looked identical. It reminded them of dub music, a repetitive sound recorded ‘on a loop’ that gave a musical feel similar to the Baltimore housing project observed by the band. Dub Housing. That’s kind of the AHL.

You can view it as dreary, and most of the kids who are AHL prospects don’t make it. And you know, it’s damned hard to identify the future successes in real time. One of the best results for the Oilers during the Bakersfield years is Vincent Desharnais. The Oilers weren’t completely convinced of him even after drafting the guy! When Desharnais turned pro, he received an AHL contract from the organization, there were no promises the NHL would be the final destination. He didn’t sign an NHL contract until March of 2022, and I’d give Jay Woodcroft some credit for helping Desharnais but most goes to the player.

OILERS GAMES PLAYED BY AHL PROSPECT SINCE 2015

• Evan Bouchard 432
• Jesse Puljujarvi 387
• Ryan McLeod 381
• Kailer Yamamoto 374
• Jujhar Khaira 337
• Ethan Bear 275
• Caleb Jones 255
• Phillip Broberg 232
• Dylan Holloway 227
• Stuart Skinner 226
• Vincent Desharnais 220
• Mike Kesselring 193
• Laurent Brossoit 141
• William Lagesson 107

Matt Savoie and Ike Howard will be next to land on the 100+ games list, but the decade or so since the Condors became the top farm club has been fruitful. Evan Bouchard didn’t belong in the AHL but spent a year there anyway. Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto arrived in the NHL early and had peak seasons right away. The list of productive players lost along the way is large and painful, but the Condors develop them and the managers ignore or trade them.

There are this year’s Condors after two games. The top forwards are Quinn Hutson (total points), Daniel D’Amato (even strength points and goal share). Last season, after two games, Roby Jarventie was 2-2-4 and Jarventie and Rem Pitlick were 3-1 even-strength goals. I wish the Oilers had signed Jarventie.

Josh Brown is just being silly here, my goodness that’s an impressive start to the season. Last year he was trying to fight his way out of Bakersfield, this year it’s finesse. Also last year, Dineen-Leppanen was especially wayward in the early hours of the season. This year’s Condors have some impressive young prospects in Damien Carfagna, Tomas Cibulka and ‘the man time forgot’ Beau Akey and we’ll see how they shine.

Ungar’s first go of the season was a little rocky, but early days.

On the Lowdown today, our feature guest is Shawn Belle, plus we have the roundtable with the ‘future of radio’ trio of Declan Krueger, Josh Fenwick and Donovan Paulson attempting to insert the garlic-covered wooden stake through my heart during daylight hours. Oilers, MLB playoffs and more. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.