Where Is Everybody?

by Lowetide

Ilya Konovalov was injured so unable to perform in a pre-season tournament in Sochi (Daniil Isayev filled in). Konovalov is reportedly fine and ready for the regular season with Lokomotiv. Yaroslavl’s first game in the regular season is September 3.

THE ATHLETIC!

Great perspective from a ridiculous group of writers and analysts. I am proud to be part of The Athletic. Here are the most recent Oilers stories.

JOAKIM NYGARD

He has been loaned to Farjestad BK in the SHL, a team he played seven seasons for before heading to the NHL. He’s a proven scorer at this level posting 21 in 52 SHL games during 2018-19.

TRADE TALK

Fussy Britches has been right in the past and this is an interesting item. The only player who fits is Andrew Cogliano, who can still skate at age 33 and has a contract ($3.25 million) with a season to go. He plays a substantial amount (34.2 percent of his five on five time) against elites according to Puck IQ, delivering 51.40 DFF% and a DFFRelCorsi of 3.4.

He’s not an offensive driver, posting 1.17 points-per-60 while playing with Blake Comeau and Radek Faksa. He went 68, 3-11-14 in 2019-20, those are all five on five numbers with a dozen (3-9-12) primary points. Cogliano-McDavid-Kassian? It’s one online rumor let’s all calm our various appendages. One thing I will say: This does suggest Ken Holland is interested in a two-way forward for the McDavid line, something I suggested here.

What would Dallas want? Well both Andrej Sekera and Roman Polak are unrestricted this summer, so Kris Russell, Adam Larsson or Matt Benning might be of interest. In every trade discussion this summer, I’m going to mention Andreas Athanasiou and Jesse Puljujarvi, although it sounds like JP might be signing here. I’ll also mention Alex Chiasson. Note: Some of these names would require a pick to be added imo, we’re just blue sky here.

IS THIS IDEAL?

Of course not, but then again not every solution is going to be from the “A” list. A year ago, Holland’s solutions were:

  • James Neal for goals and getting out from under the Milan Lucic deal.
  • Alex Chiasson for a veteran winger with some offense.
  • Mike Smith as No. 1A starter.
  • Josh Archibald for 12-15 goals, a checking role and penalty killing.
  • Markus Granlund for 12-15 goals, a checking role and penalty killing.
  • Riley Sheahan for checking center and penalty kill.
  • Joakim Nygard to add speed and two-way play into the top-9 forwards.
  • Tomas Jurco as a possible top-9 forward solution.
  • Gaetan Haas as a long shot checking center.
  • Patrick Russell as a low event fourth line checker.

HOLLAND’S 2020-21 LIST

He’s already underway of course, trading for Andreas Athanasiou was clearly a 2020-21 transaction. Here are the items I think Holland will look at this offseason:

  • No. 1A goalie option. Suspect a free agent, from Holtby to Greiss.
  • Top 4-RHD. I do think Larsson is a candidate for trade, and Holland will need to replace him. Mike Green might have been an option, I think Sami Vatanen or Tyson Barrie might fit here.
  • Two-way winger for McDavid’s line. Andrew Cogliano fits here.
  • No. 3 center. Extremely difficult to find.

Holland’s solutions a year ago helped Edmonton to finish second in the Pacific Division in 2019-20. The Oilers system delivered three exceptional talents (Ethan Bear, Kailer Yamamoto, Caleb Jones) who pushed the team to greater heights. I believe Evan Bouchard, Tyler Benson and William Lagesson can and should have an impact on the 2020-21 campaign, although not at the Bear-Yamamoto-Jones level.

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Ribs

Lowetide: I don’t think we get to decide that anymore, my friend. I think that’s the sound of the earth moving underneath our feet.

Catching up a bit… This made me lol :p

The world today is a strange, silly thing. Seemingly innocuous things are no longer harmless. Seemingly unrelated things are now spewn to be intriniscal. Rabid consensus and sansationalized narratives are available on demand and they can strike like thousands of hammers at any given time.

LT is 100% correct in how to deal with this, of course. Conform to the silliness.

There is no winning against the correctors. They usually have very valid points! They may be very trivial points and super annoying and/or contextless, but they are likely right in a basic sense, when you big-picture things.

Defending our outdated ideals/opinions doesn’t usually help anything in the long run. The wheels are already spinning and we should know what that means (move along or get run the F over!).

It’s the way it has always been.

I believe there’s still room to say your piece to try to get some context out into the world, but anything beyond that is shaking your fist at the clouds.

I’m admittedly not as seasoned as some on this blog. I have young children now that I am going to be helping navigate through this world. The more I can learn to understand and participate in it is only going to help my family and myself through the journey. I hope others start feeling the same 🙂

Munny

Buddy:
Misogynist.

You all keep using that word.

I do not think it means what you think it means.

It is fundamental to mob morality to heavily overstate the case in order to ensure the indictment is echoed in faraway places like this tiny corner of the internet.

The word is entirely inappropriate and inaccurate; however in today’s world that’s a good thing, and sadly endorsed by good people.

JimmyV1965

Holy crap. Did HH hijack the blog tonight or what. Arguing with him Is like grabbing a ghost.

Tragikomix

leadfarmer: You just said 10 points in 10 games as elite production
Have some consistency man!!
It’s only been 5 minutes

AHL level trolling. Definitely not an elite troll. Not enough skill 🙂

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: At Bouchard’s age, Theodore had 53 NHL games to his credit.

Makar…are you kidding?

Virtually every NCAA draftee spends at least one more year in college before signing.

Like Quinn Hughes who is exactly the same age as Bouchard.

One of these players scored 53 points in the NHL and the other scored 36 points in the AHL.

Can you spot the difference?

How deep up your ass did you have to dig to get those numbers
Because those are not true
Theodore post draft 1 Whl
Post draft 2 Whl
Post draft 3 Ahl with 19 nhl games

Bouchard post draft 1 ohl and 7 NHL games
Post draft 2 Ahl
Post draft 3 ???
You’re not even trying anymore
Theodore got to the games you listed in post draft year 4
Also known as when Bogdan Rafferty was pretending to be a freshman

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: At Bouchard’s age, Theodore had 53 NHL games to his credit.

Makar…are you kidding?

Virtually every NCAA draftee spends at least one more year in college before signing.

Like Quinn Hughes who is exactly the same age as Bouchard.

One of these players scored 53 points in the NHL and the other scored 36 points in the AHL.

Can you spot the difference?

Yeah one is a lotto pick
I did like the Joe Colborne on top of your forwards list
Was that intentional?
It had to be intentional

Harpers Hair

leadfarmer: Your question Is nonsensical And you are just trolling
Because a lot of D have two years in juniors or ncaa after being drafted
Bouchard had the option of Ahl after one year
Makar even needed two years after being drafted and he was a lotto pick

Oh yeah that Theodore guy is not half bad either
Now back under the bridge

At Bouchard’s age, Theodore had 53 NHL games to his credit.

Makar…are you kidding?

Virtually every NCAA draftee spends at least one more year in college before signing.

Like Quinn Hughes who is exactly the same age as Bouchard.

One of these players scored 53 points in the NHL and the other scored 36 points in the AHL.

Can you spot the difference?

leadfarmer

Giordano Theodore Yandle Weber Keith Kronwall spurgeon got to play in Ahl

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair:

Your question Is nonsensical And you are just trolling
Because a lot of D have two years in juniors or ncaa after being drafted
Bouchard had the option of Ahl after one year
Makar even needed two years after being drafted and he was a lotto pick

Oh yeah that Theodore guy is not half bad either
Now back under the bridge

Harpers Hair

godot10:

Calvin De Haan (Medocre second pairing)

Ryan Ellis played parts of two seasons ( Not a full season and on a stacked Nashville D)

Ekman-Larsson played parts of two seasons (Only 35 AHL games)

Dylan McIlrath (BUST

Brandon Gormley (BUST)

Derek Forbort (THIRD PAIRING)

Adam Larsson parts of two seasons (MEDIOCRE)

Duncan Siemens (BUST)

Ryan Murphy (MEDOCRE)

Jamie Oleksiak (almost zero offence)

Griffin Reinhart (BUST)

Hampus Lindholm (half season at 19 in AHL and then full time NHL

Derek Pouliot (BUST)

Slater Koekkoek (3rd pairing)

Samuel Morin (BUST)

Josh Morrissey (good catch)

Ryan Pulock (MEH)

Haydn Fleury (not established)

Julius Honka (BUST)

Jacob Zboril (BUST)

Olli Juolevi (BUST)

Jake Bean (Not established)

Erik Brannstrom (Promising)

Cal Foote (2 full AHL years but TB blue line is loaded)

Evan Bouchard (I THINK YOUR LIST HAS HIM SURROUNDED)

Based on the above his ceiling is somewhere between bust and mediocre.

Josh Morrissey is the only player in the group who might be first pairing.

Reja

Buddy:
Misogynist.

You all keep using that word.

I do not think it means what you think it means.

Milbury played the game hard and with passion. I hope he doesn’t go down begging on his knees for the terrible sin he committed.

Ranford.85

Harpers Hair,

Unhinged is visiting a blog for a team you don’t cheer for, only to be a constant critic and create conflict. And you do it on the daily. You are truly pathetic.

leadfarmer

Nothing like claiming Theodore as success
Without acknowledging his almost 100 Ahl games

godot10

Buddy:
Misogynist.

You all keep using that word.

I do not think it means what you think it means.

A misogynist is a white-cis-male! -).

Buddy

Misogynist.

You all keep using that word.

I do not think it means what you think it means.

godot10

Harpers Hair: Name the defensemen picked in the top 15 (a concession to your whining) in the last ten drafts who spent an entire season in the AHL.

Exclude 2019 since it’s very early for them.

It’s a really, really small list.

Calvin De Haan
Ryan Ellis played parts of two seasons
Ekman-Larsson played parts of two seasons
Dylan McIlrath
Brandon Gormley
Derek Forbort
Adam Larsson parts of two seasons
Duncan Siemens
Ryan Murphy
Jamie Oleksiak
Griffin Reinhart
Hampus Lindholm
Derek Pouliot
Slater Koekkoek
Samuel Morin
Josh Morrissey
Ryan Pulock
Haydn Fleury
Julius Honka
Jacob Zboril
Olli Juolevi
Jake Bean
Erik Brannstrom
Cal Foote
Evan Bouchard

Not so small. Around two per draft year from 2009-through-2018.

jp

godot10: Nill passed on re-signing Russell once already after having paid a heavy price at a trade deadline forhim.If Russell has let you down once already….fool me once, shame on you….fool me twice, shame on me.

Let Nill down.

Russell was 3rd in TOI for them while leading the team in goal differential and finishing 2nd in points.

Definitely let down by his deadline addition.

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: You’re becoming unhinged.

Don’t you have a police department to de-fund or something?

Oh is stupid troll unhappy his stupid troll argument got turned inside out
Silly troll

Decidedly Skeptical Fan

Harpers Hair: You’re becoming unhinged.

Don’t you have a police department to de-fund or something?

Jesus, if you’re not careful, the trolls in here will kick the shit out of you.

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: You’re becoming unhinged.

Don’t you have a police department to de-fund or something?

How do you get WiFi under that bridge
You lame troll

Harpers Hair

leadfarmer: Now that’s some lame ass trolling from a lame ass troll because you clearly realize that most of Bouchard peers have to play in Chl or NHL
So Moritz Seider
You see what I did there
You stupid stupid troll

You’re becoming unhinged.

Don’t you have a police department to de-fund or something?

Scungilli Slushy

barry.moore23: Yes I get that. What was misogynistic about what he said ?I guess maybe the whole thing went over my head. Saying “there are no female distractions in the bubble” is construed as misogynistic ? What if a female announcer had said the same thing about guys at a women’s world soccer tourney ? Hmmmm. OK. Well, go Lightning, I guess.

You’re right Barry, not misogynist.

Lowetide is right, in the times we live there is a cancel culture where some people want to decide what should be said and the validity of their judgment is not a factor many times.

One of those pick your battles propositions. Milbury needs to be smarter or he’ll soon be out of a gig.

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: Meh…lot’s of hockey to be played.

Not like you’re going to pay up if they lose anyway
Sad day in the life of a troll

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: How much time do they need when the young guns are blowing by them?

Now that’s some lame ass trolling from a lame ass troll because you clearly realize that most of Bouchard peers have to play in Chl or NHL
So Moritz Seider
You see what I did there
You stupid stupid troll

Harpers Hair

Munny:
If anyone here has a wager on the avalanche, I’ve got some bad news for you.

Meh…lot’s of hockey to be played.

Harpers Hair

Munny: That’s a function of the question.Pretty tough to demonstrate late-bloomers without significant time elapsing to allow them first to bloom and then to prove themselves..

How much time do they need when the young guns are blowing by them?

Harpers Hair

Sean Shapiro
@seanshapiro
Stars take Game 1 5-3. They are the highest-scoring team in the playoffs.

Harpers Hair

OriginalPouzar:
Giordano
Josi
Zibanejad
Miller
Wheeler
Draisaitl
Panarin

Name the defensemen picked in the top 15 (a concession to your whining) in the last ten drafts who spent an entire season in the AHL.

Exclude 2019 since it’s very early for them.

It’s a really, really small list.

leadfarmer

OriginalPouzar:
Giordano
Josi
Zibanejad
Miller
Wheeler
Draisaitl
Panarin

No!!!
That’s a generation ago. I mean now!!!
Show me all the players drafted in the modern game (that’s about 3 years old) that are 24 years old
(Am I doing this right)

Munny

Glovjuice:
HH is schooling you all. Most of your counters are from a generation ago.

That’s a function of the question. Pretty tough to demonstrate late-bloomers without significant time elapsing to allow them first to bloom and then to prove themselves..

Munny

If anyone here has a wager on the avalanche, I’ve got some bad news for you.

Glovjuice

HH is schooling you all. Most of your counters are from a generation ago.

Glovjuice

Caleb Jones is not an exceptional talent, fullstop.

Munny

I’ll admit it. I love it every time they say “in Edmonton.”

Munny

Klima’s_Bucket,

No M-NTC.

Munny

Material Elvis:
Heiskenen just makes the game look so easy.Maybe Josi is better now, but not by much and not for long.He’s the best young D in the league; a level above Makar and Hughes.

Agreed 100 percent. Every young dman should be watching film of Miro. Makes it look so easy.

Klima's_Bucket

Riley Nash.

Is UFA Next year, former Oiler Draft pick. Right shot C.

Maybe that’s who fussy britches is thinking about and not Cogliano.

OriginalPouzar

Giordano
Josi
Zibanejad
Miller
Wheeler
Draisaitl
Panarin

Material Elvis

Heiskenen just makes the game look so easy. Maybe Josi is better now, but not by much and not for long. He’s the best young D in the league; a level above Makar and Hughes.

Scungilli Slushy

Death By Misadventure:
If Adam Larsson’s back can’t be trusted to hold up over a 4 game series, how is it supposed to hold up for 82 games, and then, hopefully, a long playoff run?

Russell isn’t going anywhere. His $4m cap hit has no value with most teams cash strapped and capped out.

The play is therefore to trade Larsson while you can even if it’s for a couple of mid round picks.

This is not ideal but it is what it is. One year of RHD Bear, Bouchard, and Benning is what’s in the cards.

Book it!

What if a team wanted to trade similar cap hits it only had to pay at most 1.5M?

2.5M is a lot of cash especially now.

GordieHoweHatTrick

Let’s see if Francouz can bring it.
He is pretty sound technically (from what I have seen – IMO)

leadfarmer

Dang what is it with avs goalies and groins

Harpers Hair

Bling:
Zibanejad took some time to establish himself as a star level player. So did Blake Wheeler.

Mark Stone broke out at 22 in a big way but was sub PPG in his first AHL season. Pacioretty played a half NHL season at 22.

Duncan Keith played 2 seasons in the AHL.

These are just off the top of my head. Of course, we’re missing players like Connolly, who aren’t stars but score goals at an elite clip at even strength.

Yes and I noted most of them on my list.

Duncan Keith is 37 years old and started his career when the game was much different.

Pretty much my point.

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: Yes he did.

And he credits Alain Vigneault with kicking him in the ass to reach his potential.

He’s now a very good player but not elite.

You just said 10 points in 10 games as elite production
Have some consistency man!!
It’s only been 5 minutes

leadfarmer

Zdeno Chara also not elite before 24

Resident troll listing Joe Colborne top on his list is truly priceless

Harpers Hair

OriginalPouzar:
I recall JT MIller “meandering” in the minors in to his draft plus 4 season.Now that was meandering – eventually becoming a top 6 winger.

Yes he did.

And he credits Alain Vigneault with kicking him in the ass to reach his potential.

He’s now a very good player but not elite.

Bling

Zibanejad took some time to establish himself as a star level player. So did Blake Wheeler.

Mark Stone broke out at 22 in a big way but was sub PPG in his first AHL season. Pacioretty played a half NHL season at 22.

Duncan Keith played 2 seasons in the AHL.

These are just off the top of my head. Of course, we’re missing players like Connolly, who aren’t stars but score goals at an elite clip at even strength.

leadfarmer

Harpers Hair: That you have to reach back into the dark ages when the game was called bandy pretty much proves my point.

It’s a young mans game now…and it’s accelerating every year. Try not to get left behind.

Just naming people of the top of my head
As the originator of the name of the game is speed speed speed there’s been recent correction towards me.
10 games is just what it is 10 games in a very strange circumstance
I like the blue jackets and he’s a fine young player but he’s not a top 10 player in the league right now

OriginalPouzar

I recall JT MIller “meandering” in the minors in to his draft plus 4 season. Now that was meandering – eventually becoming a top 6 winger.

Harpers Hair

OriginalPouzar:
I wonder if one year in the AHL, showing massive improvement in the 2nd half, being an all-star at 20 and having comparable seasons to a multitude of top pairing and top 4 d-men is “meandering”?

It is until he can do it in the NHL…and being a second pairing D will NEVER be elite.