Ken Holland has added some real talent to the team he inherited. In addition, he and the rest of the management group were patient with developing players like Jesse Puljujarvi, Stuart Skinner and Ryan McLeod. Get good players, keep good players. If that’s the key to winning, Holland did good work in his first four offseasons with the Oilers.
I mention this from time to time, mostly because that’s how opinions are changed over time. If you believe something to to be true, and receive strong push back for reasons that aren’t hills to die on, keep sliding that verbal into the ether. Sooner or later, people will change their mind, because most people are fair-minded and that is the truth of it.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New DNB: Ryan Smyth on Oilers memories, keepsakes and the current team: Q&A
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers start October slow but finish month strong
- Lowetide: Oilers prospect Tyler Tullio adjusting quickly to AHL
- DNB: Oilers’ Skinner, an Edmonton native, closes door on Flames
- DNB: The Oilers have a third line that’s settling in
- Lowetide: Early season trade unlikely for the Oilers
- Lowetide: How the Oilers are working to solve second-pairing issues
- Lowetide: Are the Oilers finding chemistry with their skill lines?
- Lowetide: 5 Oilers prospects delivering exceptional early performances
- DNB: 5 takeaways from the Oilers’ first 5 games
- Lowetide: Oilers’ defence depth impacted by Philip Broberg’s early woes
- DNB: Warren Foegele Q&A
- Lowetide: Did the Oilers find the right fit for winger Zach Hyman?
- DNB: Another Oilers loss isn’t ideal, but it shows why they have little to be worried about
- DNB: How the Oilers can manage Connor McDavid and star players’ workloads
- Lowetide: 6 Edmonton Oilers positives from an uneven start
- Lowetide: Why Oilers’ Evan Bouchard will be a key to 2022-23 season
- New DNB: 11 bold predictions for 2022-23 season
- Jonathan Willis: Jakob Chychrun would look good on the Oilers, but is there a deal to be had?
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers reasonable expectations for every player in 2022-23
- Lowetide: Oilers top-20 prospects, summer 2022
WHAT TO EXPECT IN NOVEMBER
- At home to: NAS, NJD, DAL (Expected 2-1-0 ) (Actual 1-0-0)
- On the road to: WAS, TBY, CAR, FLA (Expected 1-2-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: LAK, VEG (Expected 1-0-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: NJD, NYI, NYR (Expected (1-1-1) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: FLA (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: CHI (Expected (1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- November expected result: 7-4-3, 17 points in 14 games
- Actual November results: 1-0-0, 2 points in 1 game
- October results: 6-3-0, 12 points in 9 games
- Oilers in 2022-23: 7-3-0, 14 points in 10 games
The month started well, but the degree of difficulty rises with the New Jersey Devils in town. The NJD have a higher goal share than Edmonton at five-on-five, and score a higher number of goals-per-60 at five-on-five than the hometown Oilers. New Jersey has 10 skaters posting more than 1.50 pts-60 at five-on-five, some rugged types and some finesse types, and they’re in a groove, too. NJD goaltending is a half bubble off plumb, that may be the difference should the home team win tonight.
POSSIBLE OILERS ROSTER
The Oilers need some scoring from the depth lines, and got one from Derek Ryan Monday. Perhaps the third line will score one tonight. There isn’t much to bitch about so far this season, Jack Campbell’s inconsistency and the PK chief among the issues.
CONDORS
Bakersfield won last night, Mike Kesselring scored again and Noah Philp scored his first. Klim Kostin is coming on. The player who impressed most? Xavier Bourgault. His PK work is impressive, constantly a nuisance. Good young player with a range of skills.
HOLLAND’S PROCUREMENT
- Free Agency: Evander Kane, Zach Hyman, Derek Ryan, Devin Shore, Cody Ceci, Tyson Barrie, Brett Kulak, Ryan Murray, Jack Campbell
- Trade: Warren Foegele
- Recall: Ryan McLeod, Dylan Holloway, Markus Niemelainen, Stuart Skinner
Holland’s free-agent additions that have delivered strong impact counts four or five to my eye, plus two or three solid secondary pieces. That’s some significant roster upgrading. Value contracts? I’d argue Kane, Hyman, Ceci at the top end, and a guy like Derek Ryan has been strong. He also retained Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, I count that as a win.
The farm system has delivered quality as well, should be noted all but Holloway were drafted before Holland’s arrival. What’s your call? Does Holland deserve credit? Or are the AA, Keith and other deals enough to flatten any credit he might receive.
LOWETIDE AND JAMIESON
10-2 TSN 1260, we’ll have James Duthie, Tom Gazzola from the rink and more today. Complete look at the World Series no hitter and tonight’s game versus the Devils.
does holland deserve credit for building a whole program in 4 years? yes. This team is primed for success for a decade at least. I admire Ken’s pragmatism, big picture thinking, focus on continuity, trust in people to do their job, communication and patience.
People forget that he’s a General Manager sometimes. Not a dictator. Stats bros love Brad Holland and have literally given him all the credit since he was named AGM. Meanwhile he was a part of analytics team for the Oilers through all the Bear/Foegele drama… Ken mentioned on a number of occasions that the organization had their own analytics and Foegele ranked top 10 in “net drives” (as well as Hyman).. and that’s why they targeted him. Ken was leaning on information he got from his son that everyone now adores.
The drafting has been superb. I truly believe they’ve deliberately picked older players (Holloway/Bourgeault) to get them in the program sooner. Prioritized shooters with pro frames and hockey sense (Lavoie, Petrov, Chiasson, Schaefer, Berezkin, Savoie.. also Blumel but thats a bit of a mystery.. but very unlikely the whole organization “forgot”).
Holland used a “bandaid” approach to avoid making a mess blowing things up.. Haas, Nygard, Jurco, Granlund, Ennis, Archibald, Kahun, Turris.. Real *pros* to give the talent from the previous manager drafted, assess them as assets, and integrate into his own program. Descharnais, Niemelainen, Benson, Puljujarvi, Kemp, Skinner, Rodrigue, Kesselring, Mcleod, Bouchard, Yamamoto are all still in the organization and other’s got their chance.
The only thing that hasn’t gone exactly to the 5 year plan is Dave Tippett was supposed to last to the end of the season/playoffs last year, retire and THEN pass the reigns to Jay Woodcroft who had been groomed for the job under Holland for 10 years.
I’m obviously a fan. I know Ken Holland has made mistakes, and it pisses fans off when he shrugs them off as business.. but he’s the reason the pieces are in place for long term success.
Good grief… Harper’s Hair with another 3 disappoint night.
Now with no clue and no points… 1st in league boring.
Good grief…Erik Karlsson with another 3 point night.
Now with 10 goals and 18 points…4th in league scoring.
With last change, Woody has a 3rd pairing rookie out against Bratt.
That is what home ice is for, right?
You would’ve left Kulak and Bouchard out there, I take it…
I might have looked for a different strategic match up.
Like what? Two forwards?
Nurse and Ceci had just played a stretch where they had essentially taken three of the last four and a half D shifts, covering the Hughes line who got double-shifted.
So, it was leave in the D pair who just got score on or put out the 3rd pairing for a neutral zone face-off. Exactly where you want to use them.
No analyst would be pissed at Manwood for their deployment there. Coaching against the set play is a whole different story…
The face off goal was, of course, a set play and not the first time a team has scored on us after the FO this season.
That bit’s on Woody. And as 97 mentioned tonight all the teams do stuff like that. They need to spend some of their week off after the road trip working on that aspect of their game.
But as for the D, and the goal is on both of them and especially Niemo…
Niemo is watching Marino’s eyes–not at Bratt–and he looks to the wall by the blue line, which is where the play often goes in that situation. Niemo bites on that look and makes a cut, which both Bratt and Marino recognize and take advantage of the opened seam.
But I have no idea why Barrie is also high and wide, considering the guy with the puck is looking at the right wall, although his winger, Yams is playing high and inside to follow his man. Hence the set play.
Skinner takes a post-game after a hanging up a loss.
That is a great sign as to the kind of guy he is.
The game is never in the bag.So don’t play like it.
Bouchard led the team in TOI tonight.
But what a strange game. Deferring in the OZone and passing off when he’s wide open. Waiting for the puck to settle on the 2 on 1. That behind the back pass that threw the puck out of the DZone.
I don’t know what to think abut this guy sometimes. I think he’s in his own head right now. He never seems to come out for post-games either. Do you have a feel for what kind of guy he is? Coz I don’t.
He looks like the guy who could get laid in Junior High… but acts like the guy who can’t even ask a girl to dance.
I’m noticing, now that I’ve had a couple of conciliatory kolsch’s, that Boosh’s number was increased by the fact he played the last 2+ mins of the game by himself on D (except for one FO).
Not a good night for the trio of $3MM men.
Not a good night for the rookie center or the rookie d-man.
Not a good night for the young goalie (40 saves is great but two awful goals in the third simply renders the rest inconsequential).
While I agree, it’s hard to get into the game when the first two lines get the balance of the ice time…Woody needs to run four lines…
Give some credit to the opposition.
Quite the position for a rookie D to be put in…..
Increasingly hard for the defenders of the trio of 3MM men….
That game was destined for them…2 wide open nets missed by us and an absolute muffin to tie the game. Devils should enjoy it while it lasts…no way they have that luck all year. Way overhyped IMO.
And it’s a damn good thing Skinner was in net tonight. If that was Campbell letting in those softies, this place would be an absolute gongshow right now.
Well, if Campbell was in net, the Oilers probably win…..
Suspect. Campbell has looked like a trainwreck at times. Not sure why he fares any better than Skinner tonight.
Campbell.5W-2L
Skinner. 2W-2L
I think Nimeo has “hunting early” on the winning goal – presumed the puck was going up the boards to the forward and he was already stepping up – I think.
By my eye…Drai got eaten alive by Hischier on face-offs tonight too. I dont think he won a single one against him.
Hischier blew me away tonight. His strength has come so far. Holding on to the puck and keeping his feet too. He’s come a long way. But face-offs were where he especially impressed me. Every time he need to beat Drai, he did, and there’s maybe three other guys in the league who can do that.
Rookie 3rd pairing D against Jesper Bratt.
Holloway with 4 minutes of ice, Shore/Ryan with 6. Third line with 10-11 min of ice.
Meanwhile Nurse with 21 minutes and Barrie with 18.
That’s bad deployment right there. I figured Holloway was working towards 10 min TOI, but if it’s 5 yeah he should be in the AHL.
I don’t think goal 4 happens with Nurse – Ceci on.
I said it on here this morning (or maybe last night) that Holloway at 10 minutes plus on the fourth line in a game will really only happen in the scenario where the Oilers control the game early and its never really in doubt.
If the game is close, if the Oilers are chasing, if there are a ton of special teams, the fourth line will be down near 5 minutes at evens and, unless Woody is able to find a way to get him more ice, he’ll be near 5 minutes much more often than 10-11.
So far Woody has not been able to, or tried to, find him more.
That approach though will run his big guns into ground, no?
I’ve long talked about a key to this team being a true contender is a 3rd and then 4th line that the coaches can run out there all game long – true bottom 6 depth.
I actually think the current personnel is there but we have another coach that doesn’t view it that way (or that will default to shortening the bench and riding the top end at, really, the first sign of adversity in a game – sometimes without even adversity).
Concur:)
You shouldn’t.
The bottom 6 remains weak..well below NHL average.
If I’ve got one complaint off this one it’s the nothingness that is the 3rd line.
Im not actually that mad about the 3rd goal cause I put a lot of that on Stu but they didn’t piss a drop anywhere. And that’s a recurring theme.
Need to do something or Coach needs to make a change there for a period or two. Way to much meh for too many games in a row now.
I understand what you’re saying. However, the fourth line hardly played at all and lines 1 and 2 got most of the ice time. The ice time was not baalnced out very well tonight.
The 4th line made up for their mistake and scored in the 2nd! They forechecked and got a few chances. Holloway made a nice play in the 1st to block a chance against. They did something.
The 3rd line didn’t do anything of note, at all, at any time, in any zone. McLeod got one nice chance but I believe that was with McDavid.
Its not that they’re costing the team or bleeding chances.
They just don’t do anything. I find it weird that they are so low event everywhere.
I agree, but like you said, the 4th line did something and did not play….I question the overall deployment tonight…..it’s not sustainable over the entire schedule. In the end, it doesn’t matter where they finish because they are a playoff team. They need to create the conditions for their top guys to be fresh for the playoffs. I could not care less about winning the division or not.
I really want to disagree with that – but I can’t….
The 3rd line is a solid 4th line.
Yup outside of Mcleod they can’t piss a drop. I’d be tempted to run Holloway, Mcleod, Ryan and see what happens. Not like they could produce less.
McLeod can’t really piss a drop either.
While he has 3 goals on the season, he has only 7 SOG in 11 games played.
His 42.9% shooting percentage gives him away.
His pass to Leon short handed is a tell…..art work
However, McLeod is forced to play with Warren Foegele.
A player that even McDavid could not pump last year.
So bad, Foggies PR crew in here pretty much quit on him.
Like with Ryan Murray, McLeod needs to be free.
Reminds me of the Tyler Benson argument.
All he needs is to play with better players.
The answer is HE needs to be a better player.
If I had to posit I think it’s a lack of driver. There is nobody that’s a natural, offense first, person on that line.
So they can cover off defensively quite well. They transition quite well. They know how to forecheck and retrieve a puck. But after that there’s no one with the creative flair to make a play. They try a cycle game but it doesn’t work cause no one gets into a good spot to make a play.
McLeod has shown bursts of it at times but it’s not his natural state.
If I wanted to jump start them I think I’d drop a forward and double shift McD/León through sets of wingers for a game. Get a little pep in their step.
Granted on a six game winning streak I don’t expect the coach to make that sorta change but now with an L maybe we see a change up.
that’s the kind of pitching mistake that can cost you
but they get out of it and the Stros win
Even more depressing. Hate the cheating Astros. Smug ass Altuve most of all. Fuck that guy.
Did the fourth line play at all in the 3rd?
One shift. A short one because of the penalty (Barrie)… and never saw the ice again.
Excellent hockey game. There aren’t many teams that can play with the pace and energy showed tonight. Oilers pk held, there were opportunties to get the fourth, give the Devils credit for never giving up. The Oil need to learn from this.
They’ve been trying to learn for 30 years this team is not a bunch of 20 year-old kids like New Jersey. Play dates are over it’s time for them to impose their will on teams.
Oilers met a young fearless team with a great transition game and maybe even a bit more energy and speed, coulda gone either way.
Coaching a bit questionable if the 3rd line was indeed on for the face-off after the third NJ goal with them having all the momentum.
Skinner back to earth, although still made 40 saves!
Meh it’s a volume team with young legs for now. Reminds me of DoD Oilers. They’ll flame out around Xmas and will start getting ground down in February.
Too small, not enough man strength.
Fun game tonight though. Oiler vets didn’t cash when they had the chance and it cost em.
This team still isn’t wired to check and protect a lead.
Well I counted five brain farts that period.
Ceci has to score a tap in, Bouchard needs a better shot on that 2v1, Nemo was MIA on the winner and Stu should have had both (but after his run I’ll cut him some slack).
That should leave a sour taste in the Home Teams mouth.
Oh well, onto the next one!
NJ
39 Seasons
(GP-W-L)
3075-1422-1257
0.53
Math wins again?
Was hoping for #1258
Record before this game
39 Seasons
(GP-W-L-T-OTL-SOL)
3075-1421-1257-219-89-89
0.527
Source code: HockeyDb
how do oilers have so many shots against every night?
Maybe I’m delusional, but I feel like this is the one stat that has always been high.
Team Defence my friend
I mean, I think this is why it is so importaint for the Oilers to have a 1A/1B or 1B/1B goalie tandem. A starter can’t be expected to run 50-55 games if you have 4 periods of shots in 3, on a regular basis.
Well that was a disappointing finish. Oilers missed some really good opportunities to score and it came back to bite them in the ass. Pretty shoddy defending by Barrie and Nemo on the winning goal. Devils every bit as fast as the Oilers.
Mostly Nemo I’m sorry to say.
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
i love Hyman but, man, he has soooo many chances…
We missed so many chances but the two missed by ceci and Bouch really hurt…
We we’re our own worst enemy tonight. In our own way all night..,
We lost but, really, we beat ourselves…
It’s amazing how quickly rookie mistakes end up in the back of the net. X2 tonight
Example of why GMs like Holland value veteran D, in particular down the stretch and in to the playoffs – there is little doubt Holland will be acquiring one.
Try convincing an opposition coach ( playing at home) to put his,third pairing, rookie D, against McDavid in the last 180 seconds of a game.
Try convincing an opposition coach that Bratt, a one-time 20 goal scorer and who truly has never scored 50 points in a season, is even an approximation of McDavid.
17 points in 11 games.
By far, the oppositions leading scorer on the Devils.
I am sensing you really like the match up …..
You’re the one comparing him to 97.
I’d say you like the match-up.
Good game.
Graves walked both Puljujarvi and McLeod on the game tying goal. Niemo doing maintenance work on the space station on the game winner.
Broberg needs to be ready ASAP.
I’m just hoping he’s 100% healthy to play for the Condors tomorrow and Saturday.
Skinner will stop that puck 99 times in a row. The 100th got by him today. That was a softie of softies
Haha- that’s what it looked like. I thought he had a good game tonight up to that point. Hopefully a lesson learned for him
What a terrible hockey game LoL..!!!
shit
Welp, so much for the undefeated season when scoring first…
If this chokery doesn’t happen again this season and they actually learn a fucking lesson for once, maybe this will be acceptable in the long run. Still a shit feeling result today.
Completely gave this one away. Hyman’s puck decisions near the net were frustrating.
Absolutely determined to score along the ice ….he must have a bet with someone.
Well, there’s the over.
Y’all were warned – Joisey is GOOD
I’ll betcha a dollar they miss the post season by >10 points lol
Terrible goal by Stu and then Whatever happened off that draw.
Ugly ugly ugly ugly
Where the F was Nemo going there?
As Woody.
Damn. This is what happens when you don’t put a team away and let them hang around…smh…
How was their top line on against our 3rd pairing there?
Thank you.
People hanging a rookie D here and our coach just whistles past the graveyard.
The coach is receiving his crisis for the deployment in real time.
The play on the ice, and the players making the play on the ice, is also discussed in real time.
When the Oilers score beauty, set-play, 5-player goal on the PP we sure talk more about the players executing than the coaches that surely had a hand in design.
This team man
Oh man, the knuckle puck squeezes through.,,brutal…
Gawd damnit!
Oilers had SOOOOO MANY chances to put this away…….
damnit!!
They’re going to lose this game.
didn’t think they’d get the next one that quick though
Mother fucker!
Game over.
Oh, Stu – that’s two this period!
This game is the what I think people were hoping for coming out of 2004.
13 has been quiet. Great time to get one.
Devils with WAY more shots this period but not sure more grade A chances – Oilers seemed to have had a ton this period….
I can’t remember seeing us get in our own way on passes and even skating than this game…so weird…
Flames gonna lose, 4-1.
McDavid slapper!!! lol Haven’t seen to many of those…
Whew
What a hockey game!
This feels like a really sloppy third period by the oilers. Passes aren’t crisp. Choppy play in their own end. Might just be me.
happy skinner has been in for this one
So good in the second and so flat this period. Their skill is so high they still almost scored a couple anyway…but they have to find the consistency.
Devils do look good. Best team the Oilers have played this year I think.
That didn’t age well.
must’ve read my comment during the commercial break