This weekend at The Athletic, my winter top-20 list will be published. I’ve been doing these lists, twice a year, since 2003. There have been times when choosing a top prospect was difficult (Leon versus Darnell was a big one at the time). This year’s list is shades of grey even at the top. Edmonton has a procurement problem. It’s on display in Bakersfield right now.
In last night’s game against the Texas Stars, Bakersfield’s coaching staff rolled out the lines in a way that perplexes me. The team has several young forwards who are struggling offensively. They include Xavier Bourgault, Matvey Petrov and Carter Savoie. So when the lines looked like this:
Lavoie-Malone-Griffith
Caggiula-Pederson-Wright
Petrov-McKegg-Bourgault
Savoie-Grubbe-Kambeitz
I was a little flummoxed. There are several veterans struggling in Bakersfield, none more than Seth Griffith. His even-strength goal share is poor and his points-game is down again early this year. I wonder if the club, currently having a tough time scoring goals, would be better served with this attack:
Lavoie-Malone-Petrov
Caggiula-Pederson-Bourgault
Savoie-McKegg-Wright
Kambeitz-Grubbe-Griffith
It’s just a thought, and I do like Seth Griffith but he’s fading and the young wingers need the veteran centers. I thought that was the idea. Cameron Wright scored a goal last night, I like him a ton and would like to see the organization sign him.
The Caggiula-Pederson-Wright were on the ice for a GA, then the line scored a goal.
In the third period, Pederson scored from Caggiula and Bourgault. That’s the alignment I would like to see moving forward. Later in the third, Bourgault was scored on while playing with McKegg and Savoie, Caggiula scored with Pederson and Wright alongside and Malone-Lavoie-Griffith were the line for the late Texas goal.
I’m not calling out Colin Chaulk and the coaching staff. It’s a long season. I know that Dylan Holloway is having a tough time scoring goals in the NHL and he didn’t set the world on its head in Bakersfield. Maybe the Oilers are just drafting guys who can’t score?
Xavier Bourgault’s QMJHL numbers suggested he could. Maybe try him for 20 games with Pederson. It worked at the beginning of the year, not sure why the Pederson-Bourgault tandem isn’t a thing.
THE 2010 TOP 20 PROSPECTS
L Taylor Hall: The Oilers first ever #1 overall selection goes to the top of the list. His Desjardins NHLE (17-29-46) is in the range with Steven Stamkos (23-19-42) and John Tavares (25-21-46). I think the Desjardins’ numbers for Hall are a reasonable expectation, but would say there’s a chance he blows that out of the water if he gets to play with good NHL players and against the soft parade. Extended PP time will also help. My guess is that he’ll be a Calder finalist if he can survive the first few weeks and manage to post some offense. This is not a 30th place team when healthy, and should he manage playing time with men like Hemsky, Penner and Gagner he’ll deliver some impressive results.
L Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson: Hall’s selection could block his way to the NHL for this season, but the long range forecast is very strong. The Oilers are so poor at LW my guess is that MPS also makes the team and in fact if Hall plays center they could be linemates. We should remember though that Tambellini sent Eberle to the minors last season after he signed and the team is very much interested in making certain these kids are ready. His Desjardins NHLE (16-22-38)–considering the league he played in last year–make him the most NHL ready player in the system.
R Jordan Eberle: The third member of the “Calder group”, it is sometimes easy to forget how much skill this kid is bringing to the show. That would be a mistake. His NHLE (22-24-46), while not as impressive as Hall’s (Eberle was 19, Hall 17) does tell us that Eberle probably has enough offense now to pass men like Nilsson on the depth chart. He is somewhat at the mercy of the organization because if they can’t move out bodies (and then decide to keep O’Sullivan, as an example) that will impact his ETA. A wonderful talent, would rank #1 on this list in most seasons.
C Tyler Pitlick: Oilers fans should consider Pitlick a second 1st round draft pick, as most lists had him going in the top 30. A wide range of skills (size, speed, skill, grit, plus shot) elevate him to top 5 status. Stu MacGregor: “Who does he compare with in the NHL? Geez, I’m not good at that … maybe (David) Backes a bit. He’s a very good two-way centreman, a very hard shot. Strong on the puck.” He’ll play in Medicine Hat next season and I think the Oilers will be very patient with him.
C Chris Vande Velde: 6.02, 210, plays center and routinely rips off 55%+ numbers in the faceoff circle. His offensive ability (NHLE 13-21-34) suggests he may have the ability to play on a skill line in the NHL someday. Vande Velde got a taste of AHL hockey in the spring (2gp 0-1-1 +1) and will probably spend at least one full season in the minors before coming to the NHL.
D Theo Peckham: Sometimes in life opportunity knocks and man I hope this kid answers the door. When healthy and fit, he’s a strong, tough defender with a mean streak and a willingness to drop the gloves. Tom Renney has mentioned him in the last week as a player he’s excited about seeing at training camp in the fall. Injury and conditioning issues have been a problem, but the Oilers badly need developing defenseman and he is the best of the group.
L Linus Omark: And here we have the other side of the opportunity coin. Omark has terrific skills (NHLE: 20-15-35) and has played in both the SEL and KHL; he’s 23 and has been playing a man’s game for years. The problem is that he’s another small forward, and the Oilers have so many of this player type it may be easy for him to get lost in the shuffle. Omark needs to arrive at training camp and do something extraordinary. I think I’d tell him to do something crazy in pre-season against the Flames. Cheap shot Regehr, something like that. Get noticed early, young man. It’ll be key.
C Anton Lander: The more we find out about this player the more we like him. Already a responsible center, it is clear he is a leader and someone the coach counts on based on TOI totals and how he is used in the game (at a very young age). He won’t be a factor in the fall race for a roster spot, but someday soon this young man will arrive and when gets here he’s going to help win hockey games. NHLE: 9-12-21.
D Martin Marincin: Huge defenseman (6.04, 187 at 18) with good footspeed, positioning and intelligence. The organization loves his size (impressive wingspan) and the fact that he has competed on the international stage so often at a young age. Stu MacGregor: “We might put him in the American Hockey League; we’re wondering if he can make that jump. He was the captain of the Slovaks under-18 team, then moved up and played in the (under-20) worlds.” If not, he’ll likely play in the WHL. Marincin could be a very good NHL defenseman when all is said and done, he certainly has the skill set.
G Devan Dubnyk: He showed well in a late season run with the Oilers (he had a .912SP in his final 10 games with the Oilers). He also had a .915SP in Springfield on a team that apparently played blindfolded in front of him, so I’d say he has made great gains in the last season. It may not be enough, as the organization will have to unload one of their young goalies or risk waivers in the fall.
D Alex Plante: Made big strides this season and is certainly part of the future. His pro debut was the most impressive in the entire system. Injuries and callups forced Plante up the depth chart and he played well, so well in fact the club rewarded him with a call to the show (4gp, +1) last season. He’s in a position now to play well in Okla City and be one of the first callups when injuries occur. Alex Plante is not an NHL defenseman yet, but the light has turned on and he’s trending well.
D Jeff Petry: His NHLE (82gp, 4-22-26) makes him (once again) the strongest offensive defenseman in the system and his wider range of skills gives us some hope for a more complete defender than someone like Chorney (Petry is 4 inches and 20 pounds bigger than Chorney). Petry’s -10 in 8 AHL games to close the season once again gives us pause in regard to rushing college defensemen to the show, and I believe the organization will be very patient with him. A full season in the minors would probably be the best thing for Petry’s development.
L Teemu Hartikainen: His NHLE (82gp, 12-14-26) tells us he projects as more of a role player than Vande Velde. He is a little sluggish as a skater but has good size and I think enough offense to impact the AHL and get a long look when his NHL opportunity comes along. His size and strength make him an ideal prospect for the new Oilers, who are going to have skill on 2 lines and size/grit on the 3-4 units.
C Ryan Martindale: Has good size (6.03, 183) and plenty of skill (his Desjardins NHLE is 8-16-24) but scouts worry about his work ethic. When the Oilers took him yesterday I was down on the selection, but after reviewing the draft it looks to me as though the team was getting near the end of the bigger, skilled C’s and MacGregor/staff “saw him good.” He scored at near a point-per-game clip in a very good league and that has value. An older prospect, he turns 19 in late October.
L Curtis Hamilton: 6.02, 211 and has some skill. Regular poster Smarmy Boss: Hamilton played on the Blades top six for the most part. He’s not a coke machine–he can score and he was a touted first rounder. Got injured in the WHL vs Russia game and missed the top prospects game due to that injury. Recovered from a second break just in time for the playoffs and played really well without much in the way of rust. A blatant hit from behind in the Brandon series seperated his shoulder and put an end to a disappointing injury filled season. He is ranked below Martindale only because of injury concerns, I like him much better as a prospect. I think Smarmy’s point about being an actual player with size (as opposed to a Coke Machine) rings true and was a big part of the Oilers draft list this season.
G Olivier Roy: An impressive QMJHL season (his .908 SP was 5th among regulars in the Q) added to a solid resume make him the next great hope for an Oiler picked goalie to have an impact in the show. He’s done everything right since draft day, including shaking off a slow start to have a strong season. As an aside, I like what the Oilers are doing under MBS with goalies: one pick a year, somewhere in the bowels of the draft pool. They only need to get lucky once, and they may have done it with this fellow.
D Johan Motin: Motin made his pro debut and performed well. His numbers (he’s not an offensive defender) are rock solid in the AHL (55gp, 1-5-6 -5 on a terrible team) and he would rank higher if there was any evidence he played against tough competition in the minors. I think he is the type of player who will improve over the next couple of seasons as he adjusts to the length of the season and the physical wear and tear. He is exactly the player-type this organization needs at this time, but something tells me he’s a fair distance from Plante in terms of NHL readiness. It’ll take some time.
D Taylor Chorney: Among the reasons KP was fired, surely “the poor performance of his NCAA selections” has to be on the list. Although Matt Greene worked out fine, names like Colin McDonald and Taylor Chorney have not developed as was hoped on their draft day. I know he looks like a player (wonderful skater) but there should be real concern about this player as a defenseman. He’s not strong enough, he’s not going to have a chance to gain the experience needed at this level before getting passed by other defensemen, and he isn’t going to have much trade value if he posts another similar season. I’m pulling for the kid, but they need to send him to Okla City and start his minor league career over again. He’s still young enough, but for heaven’s sake get him some help.
D Jeremie Blain: Honestly, I had no plans to include him on this list, but a few things made me do it. First of all, he was among the better offensive players for his QMJHL team (4th overall in scoring, 2nd in assists), plus he was -22 on a team that was 78 goals in the red overall (I don’t know their EV numbers). This may be a case of good old fashioned scouting, seeing a kid turn the corner in his draft year and then putting pedal to the metal. Backing up this train of thought is this item from Hockey’s Future: Blain continues to play a lot of minutes for the Titans, top four plus PP and PK. He currently has 3 goals and 27 assists in 49 games. He looks bigger and stronger than in earlier viewings. He battles and competes well. There is more upside here than first thought.
R Toni Rajala. His NHLE (82gp, 11-15-26) is in the “tweener” range and there’s a very good chance he’ll be much less than we’re hoping for based on how good he looked on televison. His season just wasn’t that impressive. Maybe he had a tough time adjusting or didn’t get the playing time that other prospects received, but the math says he’s a long shot
1) Soup gets sent down, probably feels terrible about it and strings together I believe it was three mediocre starts.
2) As the scenario normalizes for him, he relaxes and starts posting better numbers and looking not half bad.was it three games?
3) Rumors start to swirl that a recall is in the cards, with the Oilers on a break all eyes are back on Jack who needs a good start to rationalize those rumors.
4) Instead Soup lets in 2 goals that I think most people here could stop, provided you could put equipment on and get set in the butterfly.
5) Oilers recall him? How. How.
Tarkus
December 2, 2023 11:11 pm
Summarizing!
Day climbed above .500 for the first time this season, stopping 26 of 29 in a 4-3 win.
Stonehouse was denied a point despite a game-high 6 SOG.
Lachance and Mazura were also held soupless.
Copponi served a 1-game suspension following his boarding major and game misconduct yesternight.
Friedman’s reading your posts OP. “The first one’s ugly. I’m not gonna lie…”
Wow.Just Wow. Lead Oilers story on HNIC is Jack’s AHL performance. Sub .895 AHL SV% and they are going to go through with a recall. Unbelievably pathetic.
Lol, no offense, but that is the most self-contradictory statement I’ve read today. And I spent ten minutes on the MSM this morning (I’m okay, I showered after`).
Soupy should already have lots of experience with that situation….
OriginalPouzar
December 2, 2023 9:09 pm
Caggiula over to Cam Wright in the neutral zone – a great pass retrieval to stay onside and Wright rips one home from the top of the circles.
2-1 Condors in the first minute of the 2nd.
OriginalPouzar
December 2, 2023 8:43 pm
Savoie now picks off a pass at the defensive blue and, although at the end of a shift, did well to power down the ice fighting through the 2 defenders and get the puck to the net.
He’s had a very good 1st period.
OriginalPouzar
December 2, 2023 8:36 pm
Savoie with one of his best pro shifts – finds a loose puck for a great shot, steals it back and sets up Grubbe for a Grade A and then draws a PIM in the chaos.
Cagguila with a great chance down low on the PP, can’t finish. He and Pederson then go back and forth, Caggiula takes it to the net – Pederson bats it in.
Campbell has settled down.
jp
December 2, 2023 8:17 pm
I’m not endorsing this, just trying to think about possible scenarios.
I’d kind of forgotten that McLeod now makes enough to be a possible trade piece. And it’s not like his season (or goal drought) has helped his standing in the org.
That combined with bitumen saying that Stauffer has been mentioning Danforth has me wondering if this could be something being discussed:
Campbell, Foegele, McLeod
for
Merzlikins, Kuraly, Danforth
Kuraly-Danforth are 2/3 of Columbus’ 3rd line, and McLeod-Foegele are 2/3 of the Oilers 3rd line.
Kuraly-Danforth are 12-7 goals while facing 30% Ozone starts while McLeod-Foegele are 0-6 goals with 51% Ozone starts.
That deal would also save the Oilers almost $1M in cap.
Well, McLeod has some upside, and Foegele/McLeod looked like the better players last season. Merzlikins was even worst than Campbell last season as well, but truth be told, there would probably be a + on the Oiler side were this trade to go down.
If you’re trading Foegele and Mcleod just to trade Campbell, is it a good idea?
If you’re doing it because of the above AND you also think Kuraly is an upgrade on McLeod, aren’t we still short a C? I admit having room for another salary might make that acquisition a possibility. Still, we’re losing some youth and potential. I don’t have a problem with this part of the trade but it doesn’t wow me.
Danforth is having his best start to a year he’s ever had, but he’s only ever had 3 starts to a year and he’s 30. He’s also quite small. He would be a step down from Foegele.
Looks like a trade for change’s sake. Now we already know our new GM is totally okay with that, but it still looks like rearranging deck chairs to me. I’d rather the team keep some stability and see if there’s another way to get Elvis for Soup. Just remove the skaters and throw in a draft pick seems like a better idea to me.
No idea if it’s a good idea. I un-endorsed it at the outset because I have lots of feelings about the it in all directions. I’m trying to guess at what might actually happen here rather than what I’d like to see.
In that sense, I think the gap between Merzlikins and Campbell is fairly large. Merzlikins had a crap season and has recovered to a starter with a .911 SV%. Campbell had a crap season and has followed it with enough more crap that he’s playing in the American League.
And as I outlined, there is also an argument that Kuraly-Danforth are 2/3 of a very successful shutdown 3rd line. They’re having a great year (and Kuraly has a solid history). McLeod and Foegele are not.
I am too (trying to guess what will happen)… on the premise that the organization if attempting to do something, will attempt a good idea. Sorry, I should have made it clear I was using the plural, general “you”. Not you you, lol.
You’re at a disadvantage I think with this proposal because the likeliest outcome is the simplest. Unless the situation in CBJ is complex and the partner they’re most likely dance with is the one that accepts the wider trade.
I haven’t looked into this carefully because IMO its early days yet, so I have little understanding of what CBJ’s motivation is. Oz makes a good point (although its one you can make with every trade proposal). What’s in it for them? Are they tanking? They don’t seem to be going about this as a tanking team, so maybe not a wider trade? Dunno
I wonder too, if they’re thinking of signing your moniker to reunite Jesse and Laine and maybe that’s playing into their thinking. But I’m deep into the realm of speculation here.
It is conceivable the Kuraly-Danforth for McLeod-Foegele part of the trade is a wash, or even makes the Oilers better in the short term. Likely not though, and even less likely in the long term. Though they would give a ‘shutdown’ look compared to the current Oiler 3rd line, and that could be something the Oilers are trying to achieve.
The delta between Campbell and Merzlikins would be the larger factor. If you believe Campbell is no longer an NHL goalie then that delta will be rather large. I probably have a more favorable assessment of both Campbell and Merzlikins than most, but I still think the delta is pretty large.
Columbus’ motivation. They may have less kind thoughts about Merzlikins having actually watched his .876 last season. And McLeod would be the only young player in the deal. Could well be another pick or prospect heading stateside as well.
All that said, your point about ‘simplest’ is well taken.
OriginalPouzar
December 2, 2023 8:15 pm
Tuliio with a big hit on his first shift but it was a least 2 seconds late and he’s in the box.
OriginalPouzar
December 2, 2023 8:12 pm
An awful goal on Campbell 36 seconds in – a weak shot through the legs – Blumel.
Why?
Are you trading out Bouchard?
The Oilers don’t need another PP quarterback who struggles to defend.
Barrie appears to be a good guy, and a good teammate. But he is not what the Oilers need.
Could have BOTH Barrie and Bouchard mannning the blue on the pp. Barrie as puck-distributor (he is a marvellous passer), and Bouch of course with the Bomb 💣
Could be interesting for the Oilers to have multiple pp1 options, with Barrie sometimes replacing Nuge, and Kane sometimes replacing Hyman net-front.
Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid are the two key puck distributors on the #1PP. Draisaitl plays a more hybrid role because of his shot. The power play would be muck less effective without Nugent-Hopkins.
The PP is really those three guys. The net front guy and the point guy can be any two guys. The just have to be competent, know their roles, and not screw up,
Going back to two defenders on the PP would be interesting.
Lebrun was mentioning on one of the podcasts that we’ve not seen three defenders out there at any time. I mean, you could roll with three D on the PK for instance, especially on a team dressing 7-11. For some reason, we’ve not seen it.
I actually like Barrie and like him more than Bouchard (when he doesn’t have the puck). But I think there are other teams where Barrie would be happier. Maybe he ends up in Vancouver. He would like that.
Do you think we will ever see Desharnais as net-front, the way that BOS deployed Chara? Granted, we have so much net front talent right now with Hyman and Kane, I don’t see it happening.
Barrie is a high event player no doubt, but he played some very good hockey for us in his time in Edmonton
I think he’d be welcomed back enthusiastically by the team, and he’d find a role even if Bouchard is getting the lion’s share of the PP work
NSH would have to retain some salary -their 3rd and final retained salary transaction – and, unfortunately, Kulak would be near (or at) the top of the list of players going the other way
Good points. Kulak is struggling big time. But I’d rather see Foegele go the other way. Using those few trade-worthy assets on a player like Barrie makes a goalie trade more difficult.
If it was easily movable it would have happened already.
Giving Barrie permission to speak to other teams means we tried to trade you and couldn’t so go trade yourself
No doubt you’re right. I thought the same when I read Gerta’s top post. But I’m guessing the reason it’s been difficult is because the Preds are trying to avoid the situation Gerta is proposing farther down… retention. He’s probably right too. Half-retained, I think he would be easy to move.
Giving Barrie permission to speak to other teams means we tried to trade you and couldn’t so go trade yourself
Do we know that with certainty though..?
I can see a scenario where NSH viewed Barrie as a trade chip right from the beginning of the season, and this latest news may still be very fresh – the news hit the public domain before Barrie was actually scratched from the Rangers game, tonight.
Perhaps Barrie expressed some frustration at the impending scratch, and was told ‘hey, we’ll move you along if there is a deal that makes sense for our club’
That’s a pretty interesting second line. Unless they’re a roll four lines kind of team, I’m surprised Tullio is that high up the line-up after the long absence. Would’ve guessed he’d be where Savoie is.
Kind of just sliding in to where Petrov played last night.
Munny 2.0
December 2, 2023 1:50 pm
Roslovic is going nowhere in the near term and likely not being shopped (at the moment). He’s on IR with a fractured ankle and out till at least the end of December.
These thoughts are in the highly unlikely range.
When I look at the CBJ, I wonder if 6’4” rookie LW Dmitry Voronkov is available. There are rumblings that he is homesick, despite all the Russians on that roster.
Very unlikely, given his age, size, youth and toolkit, but you never know. This is a player the Oilers no doubt would covet. He would be a better Kostin.
I also wonder about a retained Laine. But that would be a substantial price to pay.
I personally think nothing’s imminent other than continued due diligence. No doubt there have been discussions. That’s all part of the job. Scouts have to be somewhere always.
I think the Oil are committed to giving Campbell a second chance. It also has the chance of increasing his trade value, so it’s not an unreasonable strategy by the org. But we’re likely not to see something happen for at least a couple of weeks is my guess.
And there are likely other teams in these discussions, so who knows.
But clearly if something imminent does happen, Columbus looks like the available dance partner.
Oilers have a lot invested in Campbell and rightly or wrongly will give him every chance to succeed as an Oiler.
Part of me wants Campbell to fail to expedite the divorce, however that adds a high cost to disposing his contract.
Best perhaps if he rehabilitates to a .900 backup level where he can be dealt for another struggling goalie like Elvis, but as you say that will transpire over a longer arc.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence things have gone much better without him. The team is playing with a confidence that’s harder to find when he’s back-stopping them. He adds to the instability.
When they bring him back, they risk losing some players to waivers. I’m mostly worried about losing Pickard.
The Campbell-Schwartz relationship has not gone well. That alone is justification enough to remove Schwartz IMO. Combined with whatever evaluation Schwartz did to bring him to EDM. I would probably roll with Skinner and Pickard, sign Syl Rodrigue to an NHL contract, and recall/reassign Olivier as necessary. Leave Pickard and the extra forward in EDM.
The Campbell/Legace/CBJ/Merzlinkins situation has a lot of coincidence. I’m tempted to say there’s smoke, and where there’s smoke there’s fire. But I’m not seeing it.
I agree with you 100%. Campbell has been utterly terrible and my preference is for the team to move him along as painlessly as possible. A flip for Elvis would be a godsend.
I was among a minority who wanted the team to cut bait and make Jack walk the plank this past summer. Even if he can hack it as a backup his cap hit is a colossal waste.
I also like the idea of giving Pickard some games. He’s played well and deserves a shot at being an NHL backup … at least far more than Captain Jack
Three shots by Stonehouse with a minute to go in the 1st. All saved by Day. Brady has very good CHL speed. Not sure he has NHL speed. Pretty good acceleration though.
1-0 OTT, Stonehouse not involved in the first goal. Flint dictated most of the play, using a “full court press” forecheck, but were still out-shot… largely because of that flurry from the Stonehouse line near the end of the 1st.
Day allows another in the 2nd on a 67 powerplay. Challenged the shooter well, but gave up a big rebound while well above his crease, allowing an open net chance for the goal. Stonehouse is a second liner, plays on PP2 and typically the second last shift of the period. Had one good backcheck but a largely event-less second stanza.
FLT-OTT went to OT, with Flint scoring the winner with 28.7 left on the clock. Stonehouse got a shift in OT, setting up OTT’s best chance out of the corner. Day made a couple key stops in OT for the win. I like his combo of size and athleticism. Loves to challenge shooters.Lots of pucks at his feet in tight today and I don’t think they got one of those by him which is pretty good for a taller guy.
winchester
December 2, 2023 1:24 pm
Putting Smith, Skinner, aside for a moment.
How likely is it that Oilers would have played for the cup the last couple years if they had a elite goaltender?
If they have a Vasi, Helly, Jaros, Sheshterkin, Demko level goalie, it would have made the Avs series alot closer and likely very much led to them beating the Knights last season.
Oliver Kylington is back practicing with the Flames after a long time off due to mental health reasons (missed all of 21-22).
He may need at least a few weeks to get back to NHL speed, including an AHL conditioning stint. But the Flames brass probably already have a sense of his readiness.
If he can get back to where his game was when he left, he will be an improvement on Zadorov and this development is possibly related to the timing of that trade.
Pysyk is an extra insurance policy in case OK isn’t OK.
Seriously Harper, there’s no need for you to troll like this. With 30 teams to choose from absolutely zero need to mention the Calgary Flames.
Compared to talking about the Flames like we care, lol
Just for fun: Which team looks to have the most likely goalie available? Montreal? Columbus?
winchester
December 2, 2023 11:14 am
Theme today is “Laying Pipe”
One of Hitchcock’s old Sherwood Park team was sponsored by Pipe-O-Matic.
They had a large team banner hanging in the arena that said “We pick em up and lay em”
How times have changed
Last edited 11 months ago by winchester
OriginalPouzar
December 2, 2023 11:12 am
I would suggest tonight is a massive game for Jack Campbell in the AHL.
I know that some (many) don’t think this goalie should even be given an opportunity to show he can help the Oilers and others think that he needs a run of like 10 plus plus games in the AHL (not 4) before he could/should be considered an option.
I totally get those points and they are valid opinions with validity.
At the same time, I think we all pretty much know that the organization has a differing view/hope/opinion and management is hoping, or planning on, a Campbell recall in fairly short order predicated on his game recovering in Bakersfield.
After a horrid start, Jack had two VERY good performances and a third very solid performance. Tonight he plays again (I presume) and then the Condors don’t play until next Friday. I do think he might get tonight and next Friday, however, I don’t think a recall after tonight’s game is out of the question.
I thing to note though – the Oilers don’t have the cap space right now to just swap Pickard for Campbell – they’d have to send someone else down (Broberg, Erne……..). Don’t see it being Broberg as that would leave them with 6D.
Well, one would expect him to be absolutely elite at that level. Glad he’s trending up.
What I’m most interested in, since you’ve been keeping a close eye on the farm… how does Rodrigue look compared to Campbell once the latter got his mojo back?
One would think an NHL player would be elite at the AHL level but, then again, we often see young developing talent that produce more in the NHL than the AHL – part of the reason being that NHL players are “in the right spots” generally, play their structure better, etc., etc.
This applies to d-men and defensive play as well, right? There are more mistakes in the AHL, more structure breakdowns, etc., etc. – you should see some of the crazy open looks and jailbreaks, etc.
I’m far from a goalie expert but, from my eye, Rodrigue is a more “technical goalie” that has much less movement in his game – he’s kind of the opposite from Jack in that respect – Jack has found his game a bit but he’s the same type of goalie that we’ve seen – he often makes saves without it “looking pretty”.
Yea I am sure Oiler management desperately hoping for a Campbell bounce back. They have a vested interest with his large and long contract. Personally 4 or 5 good games in the A doesn’t mean he is a legit NHL starter. Other than one decent stretch in Toronto has he ever been? It seems as if Holland made a bad gamble on him. Hopefully he does play well in next few games and MAYBE they can deal him.
Diablo
December 2, 2023 11:10 am
Looks like things are heating up with Columbus, who also happen to have a few days off now.
Merzlikins was considered one of the top young goalies in the league until the accidental death of his friend Kivlenieks. His numbers tanked after that. It’s not that Columbus wants to move him necessarily, but the scuttlebutt is that Elvis would like a change of scenery … that he wants to move on for personal reasons, much like Adam Larsson did, so that he can put those things behind him and get his career back on track.
His agent is Gerry Johnson who is Edmonton-based, so I don’t think the NTC is going to be a problem.
Also, Manny Legace was the former goalie coach for Columbus – if you’re going to get any team to believe in Jack Campbell again it’s going to be Columbus. Legace also worked closely with Kivlenieks, who died at Legace’s home in that tragic accident. CBJ parted ways with Legace when Brad Larson was fired as head coach.
The contracts are almost perfect match … so yeah, I think the change-of-scenery deal is definitely in the cards.
It’s the other parts that CBJ might be trying to discuss that given me pause:
CBJ has been trying to move Adam Boqvist since the summer, as they have a glut of RHD. Small but dynamic, he’s had trouble staying healthy. Paul Vincent has him on their third pairing. Would you trade Ceci or Kulak for him?
Gudbranson is an overpaid pylon.
Andrew Peeke is a less physical but more overpaid version of Desharnais.
CBJ would give Roslovic away if they could, as he’s part of the problem there – streaky, doesn’t forecheck, doesn’t PK, not good at face-offs. Just a complete liability in his own zone. Pass.
Everyone wants Boone Jenner … including CBJ. But Sean Kuraly is very good bottom 6 centre though.
I could see something like this:
Campbell, Foegele, and Kulak for Merzlikins, Kuraly and Boqvist
The contracts are a wash, with neither side needing to retain. If Merzlikins keeps playing how is right now, the trade is a win. If he can really find his form again with a change in scenery, then it’s a home run. I’m not sold on Boqvist at all, but his contract is one year shorter than Kulak’s. Kuraly would be useful but his contract is one year longer than Foegele’s.
Not opposed to the trade proposal. I do worry a bit about Boqvist being made of glass. We need more snarl on the back end, don’t think he’s got a hairy enough ass. But clearing out Kulak would open a path for Broberg, and then Des/Boqvist could sit based on the opponent.
I think Kulak would be sorely missed in the playoffs if moved. He always seems to elevate his game in the post season.
So Merzlikins just singed a new contract last season, after the accident, with a full NMC/NTC but wants out of CBJ (?). I hear you on the accident. I hear you on Johansson. But that move could have come earlier. And he’s playing very well now. And if he wants to go somewhere, I’m pretty certain it’s not to a Canadian team. He has a 10 team no trade list.
leadfarmer
December 2, 2023 10:51 am
According to Doms projection last playoff team in East will have 90 points and in west 92 points.
as I’ve been saying. We’re not the only ones who dug a hole for themselves
your reading comprehension is failing you .
they have the last playoff spot being under 92 points. Dom saying 92
so we can stop saying you need 95 points to sniff the playoffs. Not this year
If you could have combined the best attributes of MPS and Lander that would have been an all-star player. That said Lander was the one Oiler prospect who never really got a fair shake in the NHL.
Lander essentially had made it by the end, but was screwed by the handshake guarantees given by Chiarelli to Caggiula.
Lander then made the decision to be a top line player in the KHL over battling year over year for 4th line employment in the NHL for roughly the same money.
Hartikainen was never given a chance, but he basically made the same decision. Top line player in the KHL over battling for 4th line employment every year for the same money.
Lander no speed merchant but acquitted himself well, imo, in the tail end of the season his farm coach got called up. I thought he’d arrived, finally, and he might shore up depth at centre.
I like when these lists get reposted. I end up going to every players DB page. Always surprised at how many are still going strong overseas. 32 year old Toni Rajala leading Biel HC in points so far this year. Cool.
Scungilli Slushy
December 2, 2023 9:55 am
I hope they go hard after De Melo next summer. He doesn’t score a lot but seems to do everything else at a high level and played the most against elites last season for the Jets
Should be a modest cap hit higher than Ceci but maybe a better match for Nurse
Yes they should, but need an upgrade now to be better now
Then look for a younger guy or maybe Wanner will earn a job sooner than later and get his reps going
OriginalPouzar
December 2, 2023 9:14 am
That was a very entertaining game to watch last night.
The Stars are an elite AHL team with an elite offence and I think Chaulk was trying to rely on his veteran forwards to grind through the game. It worked but, at the same time, as fans of the Oilers, I agree with LT.
Pederson and Caggiula are both starting to find their form after signifgant missed games with injury. I would like to see Bourgault on that line as well.
Harpers Hair
December 2, 2023 9:03 am
The Oiiers may want to tap into whatever the “secret sauce” Dallas is using at the draft.
Their Head Amateur Scout is Joe McDonnell who followed Jim Nill from Detroit to Texas and keeps hitting home runs draft after draft.
Everyone knows about the 2017 dream draft of Heiskanen, Oettinger and Robertson but since then the hits just keep coming with Harley, Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnson all on the big club and now Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankhoven are leading the AHL in scoring.
And some guy named Matej Blumel is also playing very well for the Texas Stars.
And what can Oilers fans do with that information exactly? It’s already evident that Dallas is drafting well considering their draft picks are contributing towards their team’s success.
Again, what do you expect Oilers fans on an Oilers blog discussing Oilers draft picks and prospects to do with this information?
Do you also go to an Oilers game and when McDavid scores you tell the person next to you “if yoi think that was nice, you should see the goal Robertson scored in Dallas the other day!”
I have a hunch Andrew that you go to other forums and talk about how good their opponents are, parroting stats that people comment to prove you wrong on the other blogs. It’s quite the hobby.
Its reasonable that Blumel didn’t want to sign an NHL contract during the period the Oilers had his rights.
It would be nice to have him in the org but he’s older than Lavoie and a less player than Lavoie in the AHL – he likely wouldn’t be impacting the NHL team.
jp
December 2, 2023 9:02 am
In no way addressing the Oilers ‘procurement problem’, Brad Holland and Oiler scouts apparently took in their 3rd straight Blue Jackets game.
I’m having a hard time seeing anything other than Merzlikins-Campbell as the main pieces (though not the only ones).
The best I can come up with is:
Campbell and Foegele +
for
Merzlikins and Roslovic (50%)
That would save the Oilers $350k, and Roslovic should be a better top 6 wing option than Foegele (both on expiring deals).
Jenner would be great but I can’t see how the money would work. Peake isn’t cheap and isn’t good. Kuraly I’m sure would also be of interest but that would require more Oiler cap going out. Possibly some of the Jackets younger players could be on the radar too?
The Oilers certainly appear to be looking seriously at some of those pieces though.
Those trades would make the Oilers a better team. Foegele has been vanilla most of his tenure with this team aside from the odd stretches where he plays well. I really don’t think the team misses him at all.
I just wonder what the plus is to pull this off. Columbus would want futures plus the cost of dumping Campbell likely means a first and a prospect on that deal to make it happen.
It’s a lot for another goalie who has never had an elite stretch (in my opinion). It wouldn’t shock me to see Skinner keep the net this year anyways. He’s used to the Oilers crazy, it takes years to get up to speed.
Elvis had one bad (really bad) year. Sometimes that’s due to injury or otherwise but he seems to have recovered.
I mentioned in yesterdays thread that besides that year he has always outperformed Columbus’ other goalie(s), mainly Korpisalo, who we all got a long look at in last year’s playoffs.
Like Korpisalo, who played well in L.A. and is playing well for Ottawa, I bet Elvis performs at a higher level on a good team.
I can see where Columbus’ terrible management team has exhausted their patience with the player – they signed him to a contract to be a bona-fide #1, and it’s an opportunity to exploit their stupidity while ridding ourselves of Jack Campbell’s atrocious contract.
It’s hard to not be considered vanilla somewhat when you play on a team with McDavid, Draisaitl, kKane. Big personalities. But.Foegele provides a high level energy and work ethic and that’s what’s needed to support the top six. I like his game. Unfortunately he’s exposed to trade due to his cap.
Roslovic might be a good idea to his skill. He can score, but hasn’t been trusted by his coaches much during his NHL time. Inconsistent.
Still, he would be a good ad, I just think we have to be careful when evaluating Fogle that energy and work he brings every night is very important.
Their P/60 rates have been similar (Roslovic’s better if you look a little further back), but it’s the GF% and xGF% that’s tipping the scales for me.
Roslovic’s career (5v5) GF% is better than Foegele’s on worse teams. His 14 games this season are the first negative GF%rel of his career, while Foegele has been negative more than positive.
Their fancies are polar opposites, but Roslovic seems to have been able to consistently outpace his underlying numbers (GF% > xGF%), whereas Foegele has most often been the opposite.
I don’t see Merzlikins excluding EDM from his no trade list. Same as Jake Allen. Friedman had mentioned that EDM would have a deal done already for a goalie, were it not for the NMC-NTCs of certain players and the fact that a lot of players do not want to come to a Canadian team.
Legace, Merzlikins’ buddy, is trying to rehab Campbell. Do you think his feedback to Elvis going to EDM would be positive or negative? Is Johansson going to recommend his client come to EDM? It hasn’t been a great place for goalies.
You never know I guess. Danforth does seem vaguely interesting, and his AAV is right.
Would seem like a bit of an odd target though since he isn’t a center, he doesn’t PK much and he’s undersized.
I could see his being part of a larger trade, but it’s tough for me to believe he’d be the guy they’re scouting – he just doesn’t check enough boxes.
Tarkus
December 2, 2023 8:48 am
Prospectory!
Just like yesterday, a quintet of NA amateurs will be employed this night. And in a true rarity, not one but two prospect head-to-head matchups.
Copponi vs. Lachance Round 2 tonight. The latter had the last laugh last night, lighting the lamp twice. Meanwhile, Copponi’s capers caused consternation concerning his point streak–he will attempt to begin a new one.
T’other duel is the healthy OHL tandem of Day and Stonehouse, who oppose each other in matinee activity.
Flint (Day) @ 1 p.m.
Ottawa (Stonehouse) @ 1 p.m.
Merrimack (Copponi) @ 4 p.m.
Boston University (Lachance) @ 4 p.m.
St. Lawrence (Mazura) @ 5 p.m.
Let’s review:
1) Soup gets sent down, probably feels terrible about it and strings together I believe it was three mediocre starts.
2) As the scenario normalizes for him, he relaxes and starts posting better numbers and looking not half bad.was it three games?
3) Rumors start to swirl that a recall is in the cards, with the Oilers on a break all eyes are back on Jack who needs a good start to rationalize those rumors.
4) Instead Soup lets in 2 goals that I think most people here could stop, provided you could put equipment on and get set in the butterfly.
5) Oilers recall him? How. How.
Summarizing!
Day climbed above .500 for the first time this season, stopping 26 of 29 in a 4-3 win.
Stonehouse was denied a point despite a game-high 6 SOG.
Lachance and Mazura were also held soupless.
Copponi served a 1-game suspension following his boarding major and game misconduct yesternight.
How long did Copponi’s point streak end up being?
12 games
Friedman’s reading your posts OP. “The first one’s ugly. I’m not gonna lie…”
Wow.Just Wow. Lead Oilers story on HNIC is Jack’s AHL performance. Sub .895 AHL SV% and they are going to go through with a recall. Unbelievably pathetic.
Olivier Rodrigue has a .936 this season over 4 games. And he can’t get a game in any league.
Lol, no offense, but that is the most self-contradictory statement I’ve read today. And I spent ten minutes on the MSM this morning (I’m okay, I showered after`).
?
They are giving Rodrigue’s games to Campbell and called-up Pickard. Is that better?
No, no nothing against your point. I see stuff I disagree with all the time, doesn’t mean it requires a reaction. Just expands my context. All good.
Just that .936 over four games, and yet can’t get a game in any league. You can break an AI with shit like that, lol.
It’s so great to hear that the Oilers AHL team’s priority isn’t developing prospects!!
Who really needs prospects anyways!
Two Stars left all alone in front – Blumel shovels it on net and buries his own rebound – terrible defensive coverage.
4-3 Condors.
One-timer PPG for the Condors but, nope, it wasn’t Lavoie, it was Pederson who lazers one from the top of the circles.
Caggiula and Griffith with assists – multiple points for each (I think 3 for Drake).
Lavoie with the 3rd assist on a reversal.
Stars goalie Murray pulls a Connor H. – a wrister from Gleason goes off his glove and in.
Condors with some of the loosest defence you’ll see – a Star player allowed to just walk in to the mid slot and roof it for a 2-2 game.
Soupy should already have lots of experience with that situation….
Caggiula over to Cam Wright in the neutral zone – a great pass retrieval to stay onside and Wright rips one home from the top of the circles.
2-1 Condors in the first minute of the 2nd.
Savoie now picks off a pass at the defensive blue and, although at the end of a shift, did well to power down the ice fighting through the 2 defenders and get the puck to the net.
He’s had a very good 1st period.
Savoie with one of his best pro shifts – finds a loose puck for a great shot, steals it back and sets up Grubbe for a Grade A and then draws a PIM in the chaos.
Cagguila with a great chance down low on the PP, can’t finish. He and Pederson then go back and forth, Caggiula takes it to the net – Pederson bats it in.
Campbell has settled down.
I’m not endorsing this, just trying to think about possible scenarios.
I’d kind of forgotten that McLeod now makes enough to be a possible trade piece. And it’s not like his season (or goal drought) has helped his standing in the org.
That combined with bitumen saying that Stauffer has been mentioning Danforth has me wondering if this could be something being discussed:
Campbell, Foegele, McLeod
for
Merzlikins, Kuraly, Danforth
Kuraly-Danforth are 2/3 of Columbus’ 3rd line, and McLeod-Foegele are 2/3 of the Oilers 3rd line.
Kuraly-Danforth are 12-7 goals while facing 30% Ozone starts while McLeod-Foegele are 0-6 goals with 51% Ozone starts.
That deal would also save the Oilers almost $1M in cap.
What’s in this trade for Columbus?
Well, McLeod has some upside, and Foegele/McLeod looked like the better players last season. Merzlikins was even worst than Campbell last season as well, but truth be told, there would probably be a + on the Oiler side were this trade to go down.
If you’re trading Foegele and Mcleod just to trade Campbell, is it a good idea?
If you’re doing it because of the above AND you also think Kuraly is an upgrade on McLeod, aren’t we still short a C? I admit having room for another salary might make that acquisition a possibility. Still, we’re losing some youth and potential. I don’t have a problem with this part of the trade but it doesn’t wow me.
Danforth is having his best start to a year he’s ever had, but he’s only ever had 3 starts to a year and he’s 30. He’s also quite small. He would be a step down from Foegele.
Looks like a trade for change’s sake. Now we already know our new GM is totally okay with that, but it still looks like rearranging deck chairs to me. I’d rather the team keep some stability and see if there’s another way to get Elvis for Soup. Just remove the skaters and throw in a draft pick seems like a better idea to me.
No idea if it’s a good idea. I un-endorsed it at the outset because I have lots of feelings about the it in all directions. I’m trying to guess at what might actually happen here rather than what I’d like to see.
In that sense, I think the gap between Merzlikins and Campbell is fairly large. Merzlikins had a crap season and has recovered to a starter with a .911 SV%. Campbell had a crap season and has followed it with enough more crap that he’s playing in the American League.
And as I outlined, there is also an argument that Kuraly-Danforth are 2/3 of a very successful shutdown 3rd line. They’re having a great year (and Kuraly has a solid history). McLeod and Foegele are not.
I am too (trying to guess what will happen)… on the premise that the organization if attempting to do something, will attempt a good idea. Sorry, I should have made it clear I was using the plural, general “you”. Not you you, lol.
You’re at a disadvantage I think with this proposal because the likeliest outcome is the simplest. Unless the situation in CBJ is complex and the partner they’re most likely dance with is the one that accepts the wider trade.
I haven’t looked into this carefully because IMO its early days yet, so I have little understanding of what CBJ’s motivation is. Oz makes a good point (although its one you can make with every trade proposal). What’s in it for them? Are they tanking? They don’t seem to be going about this as a tanking team, so maybe not a wider trade? Dunno
I wonder too, if they’re thinking of signing your moniker to reunite Jesse and Laine and maybe that’s playing into their thinking. But I’m deep into the realm of speculation here.
It is conceivable the Kuraly-Danforth for McLeod-Foegele part of the trade is a wash, or even makes the Oilers better in the short term. Likely not though, and even less likely in the long term. Though they would give a ‘shutdown’ look compared to the current Oiler 3rd line, and that could be something the Oilers are trying to achieve.
The delta between Campbell and Merzlikins would be the larger factor. If you believe Campbell is no longer an NHL goalie then that delta will be rather large. I probably have a more favorable assessment of both Campbell and Merzlikins than most, but I still think the delta is pretty large.
Columbus’ motivation. They may have less kind thoughts about Merzlikins having actually watched his .876 last season. And McLeod would be the only young player in the deal. Could well be another pick or prospect heading stateside as well.
All that said, your point about ‘simplest’ is well taken.
Tuliio with a big hit on his first shift but it was a least 2 seconds late and he’s in the box.
An awful goal on Campbell 36 seconds in – a weak shot through the legs – Blumel.
I really hope they don’t plan to call him back up. The last thing this team needs is a distraction. They are finally playing well, why mess with that.
they made a mistake signing him. They need to own it.
can’t rely on him
just need to move on
Am I the only one who wants to see a Zadorov fight?
https://theathletic.com/5106587/2023/12/02/predators-tyson-barrie-trade-discussions/
The Athletic reporting that Tyson Barrie will be healthy scratched tonight and has been given permission to talk to other teams regarding a trade
Not sure how the Oilers could make this work financially but I’d welcome him back
Why?
Are you trading out Bouchard?
The Oilers don’t need another PP quarterback who struggles to defend.
Barrie appears to be a good guy, and a good teammate. But he is not what the Oilers need.
What they need – a RH Ekholm – isn’t available
Barrie is a marked upgrade on Desharnais, albiet a different skillset
The Oilers went to the final 4 with Ceci, Bouchard and Barrie 2 seasons ago – and Ekholm is an upgrade on Duncan Keith
Cap hit aside, Kulak-Barrie was a great pairing. I don’t know how he’d react to not getting PP time though.
Could have BOTH Barrie and Bouchard mannning the blue on the pp. Barrie as puck-distributor (he is a marvellous passer), and Bouch of course with the Bomb 💣
Could be interesting for the Oilers to have multiple pp1 options, with Barrie sometimes replacing Nuge, and Kane sometimes replacing Hyman net-front.
Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid are the two key puck distributors on the #1PP. Draisaitl plays a more hybrid role because of his shot. The power play would be muck less effective without Nugent-Hopkins.
The PP is really those three guys. The net front guy and the point guy can be any two guys. The just have to be competent, know their roles, and not screw up,
Going back to two defenders on the PP would be interesting.
Lebrun was mentioning on one of the podcasts that we’ve not seen three defenders out there at any time. I mean, you could roll with three D on the PK for instance, especially on a team dressing 7-11. For some reason, we’ve not seen it.
I actually like Barrie and like him more than Bouchard (when he doesn’t have the puck). But I think there are other teams where Barrie would be happier. Maybe he ends up in Vancouver. He would like that.
Do you think we will ever see Desharnais as net-front, the way that BOS deployed Chara? Granted, we have so much net front talent right now with Hyman and Kane, I don’t see it happening.
Barrie is not a vert good fit in Vancouver since Hughes and Hronek eat up the PP minutes.
Barrie is a high event player no doubt, but he played some very good hockey for us in his time in Edmonton
I think he’d be welcomed back enthusiastically by the team, and he’d find a role even if Bouchard is getting the lion’s share of the PP work
NSH would have to retain some salary -their 3rd and final retained salary transaction – and, unfortunately, Kulak would be near (or at) the top of the list of players going the other way
Good points. Kulak is struggling big time. But I’d rather see Foegele go the other way. Using those few trade-worthy assets on a player like Barrie makes a goalie trade more difficult.
Some chatter about Barrie landing in Calgary where the PP is rancid.
I think Barrie at $2.25M with an expiring contract will be easily movable
Yeah.
Flames have $4.3 million in cap space and could accommodate both Barrie and Kylington when he’s ready to go.
If it was easily movable it would have happened already.
Giving Barrie permission to speak to other teams means we tried to trade you and couldn’t so go trade yourself
No doubt you’re right. I thought the same when I read Gerta’s top post. But I’m guessing the reason it’s been difficult is because the Preds are trying to avoid the situation Gerta is proposing farther down… retention. He’s probably right too. Half-retained, I think he would be easy to move.
Do we know that with certainty though..?
I can see a scenario where NSH viewed Barrie as a trade chip right from the beginning of the season, and this latest news may still be very fresh – the news hit the public domain before Barrie was actually scratched from the Rangers game, tonight.
Perhaps Barrie expressed some frustration at the impending scratch, and was told ‘hey, we’ll move you along if there is a deal that makes sense for our club’
Barrie at $4.5M – in season- is a tough ask
I think Barrie with salary retained is doable
But why and where in the lineup?
Saw David Wilcox in Regina back in ’91 and again in Prince George around ’94. Great show.
Saw him at the UofA in the late eighties Great show if I remember correctly – memory is a little fuzzy from that night (and many others). 😂
Dinwoodie’s.
For the first time this regular season, Ty Tulio:
Caggiula/Pederson/Wright
Tulio/McKegg/Bourgault
Lavoie/Malone/Griffith
Savoie/Grubbe/Kambeitz
Dineen/Wanner
Hoefenmayer/Kemp
Niemo/Gleason
Campbell
Looks like Petrov gets the healthy scratch (and Peters as Noel H. comes in).
That’s a pretty interesting second line. Unless they’re a roll four lines kind of team, I’m surprised Tullio is that high up the line-up after the long absence. Would’ve guessed he’d be where Savoie is.
Kind of just sliding in to where Petrov played last night.
Roslovic is going nowhere in the near term and likely not being shopped (at the moment). He’s on IR with a fractured ankle and out till at least the end of December.
These thoughts are in the highly unlikely range.
When I look at the CBJ, I wonder if 6’4” rookie LW Dmitry Voronkov is available. There are rumblings that he is homesick, despite all the Russians on that roster.
Very unlikely, given his age, size, youth and toolkit, but you never know. This is a player the Oilers no doubt would covet. He would be a better Kostin.
I also wonder about a retained Laine. But that would be a substantial price to pay.
I personally think nothing’s imminent other than continued due diligence. No doubt there have been discussions. That’s all part of the job. Scouts have to be somewhere always.
I think the Oil are committed to giving Campbell a second chance. It also has the chance of increasing his trade value, so it’s not an unreasonable strategy by the org. But we’re likely not to see something happen for at least a couple of weeks is my guess.
And there are likely other teams in these discussions, so who knows.
But clearly if something imminent does happen, Columbus looks like the available dance partner.
You are spot on … unfortunately.
Oilers have a lot invested in Campbell and rightly or wrongly will give him every chance to succeed as an Oiler.
Part of me wants Campbell to fail to expedite the divorce, however that adds a high cost to disposing his contract.
Best perhaps if he rehabilitates to a .900 backup level where he can be dealt for another struggling goalie like Elvis, but as you say that will transpire over a longer arc.
There’s a lot of risk to bringing Campbell back.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence things have gone much better without him. The team is playing with a confidence that’s harder to find when he’s back-stopping them. He adds to the instability.
When they bring him back, they risk losing some players to waivers. I’m mostly worried about losing Pickard.
The Campbell-Schwartz relationship has not gone well. That alone is justification enough to remove Schwartz IMO. Combined with whatever evaluation Schwartz did to bring him to EDM. I would probably roll with Skinner and Pickard, sign Syl Rodrigue to an NHL contract, and recall/reassign Olivier as necessary. Leave Pickard and the extra forward in EDM.
The Campbell/Legace/CBJ/Merzlinkins situation has a lot of coincidence. I’m tempted to say there’s smoke, and where there’s smoke there’s fire. But I’m not seeing it.
I agree with you 100%. Campbell has been utterly terrible and my preference is for the team to move him along as painlessly as possible. A flip for Elvis would be a godsend.
I was among a minority who wanted the team to cut bait and make Jack walk the plank this past summer. Even if he can hack it as a backup his cap hit is a colossal waste.
I also like the idea of giving Pickard some games. He’s played well and deserves a shot at being an NHL backup … at least far more than Captain Jack
Chinakov has asked for a trade as well.
Three shots by Stonehouse with a minute to go in the 1st. All saved by Day. Brady has very good CHL speed. Not sure he has NHL speed. Pretty good acceleration though.
1-0 OTT, Stonehouse not involved in the first goal. Flint dictated most of the play, using a “full court press” forecheck, but were still out-shot… largely because of that flurry from the Stonehouse line near the end of the 1st.
Day allows another in the 2nd on a 67 powerplay. Challenged the shooter well, but gave up a big rebound while well above his crease, allowing an open net chance for the goal. Stonehouse is a second liner, plays on PP2 and typically the second last shift of the period. Had one good backcheck but a largely event-less second stanza.
FLT-OTT went to OT, with Flint scoring the winner with 28.7 left on the clock. Stonehouse got a shift in OT, setting up OTT’s best chance out of the corner. Day made a couple key stops in OT for the win. I like his combo of size and athleticism. Loves to challenge shooters.Lots of pucks at his feet in tight today and I don’t think they got one of those by him which is pretty good for a taller guy.
Putting Smith, Skinner, aside for a moment.
How likely is it that Oilers would have played for the cup the last couple years if they had a elite goaltender?
Elite?
If they have a Vasi, Helly, Jaros, Sheshterkin, Demko level goalie, it would have made the Avs series alot closer and likely very much led to them beating the Knights last season.
Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe in 2021 for a reason. Agreed that a player like that can easily make the difference in a round or two.
Mark it down!
The #Flames have signed defenceman Mark Pysyk to a two-way deal: cflam.es/3t2YvZC
What aisle are these guys shopping in?
19-20 58 games
20-21 36 games
21-22 68 games
22-23 0 games – ruptured Achilles
23-24 8 games (ahl) 0 nhl games
AHL depth I expect.
They called up an AHL D yesterday.
Oliver Kylington is back practicing with the Flames after a long time off due to mental health reasons (missed all of 21-22).
He may need at least a few weeks to get back to NHL speed, including an AHL conditioning stint. But the Flames brass probably already have a sense of his readiness.
If he can get back to where his game was when he left, he will be an improvement on Zadorov and this development is possibly related to the timing of that trade.
Pysyk is an extra insurance policy in case OK isn’t OK.
Yep.
The potential return of Kylington was likely the trigger for the Zadorov trade.
Seriously Harper, there’s no need for you to troll like this. With 30 teams to choose from absolutely zero need to mention the Calgary Flames.
Compared to talking about the Flames like we care, lol
Just for fun: Which team looks to have the most likely goalie available? Montreal? Columbus?
Theme today is “Laying Pipe”
One of Hitchcock’s old Sherwood Park team was sponsored by Pipe-O-Matic.
They had a large team banner hanging in the arena that said “We pick em up and lay em”
How times have changed
I would suggest tonight is a massive game for Jack Campbell in the AHL.
I know that some (many) don’t think this goalie should even be given an opportunity to show he can help the Oilers and others think that he needs a run of like 10 plus plus games in the AHL (not 4) before he could/should be considered an option.
I totally get those points and they are valid opinions with validity.
At the same time, I think we all pretty much know that the organization has a differing view/hope/opinion and management is hoping, or planning on, a Campbell recall in fairly short order predicated on his game recovering in Bakersfield.
After a horrid start, Jack had two VERY good performances and a third very solid performance. Tonight he plays again (I presume) and then the Condors don’t play until next Friday. I do think he might get tonight and next Friday, however, I don’t think a recall after tonight’s game is out of the question.
I thing to note though – the Oilers don’t have the cap space right now to just swap Pickard for Campbell – they’d have to send someone else down (Broberg, Erne……..). Don’t see it being Broberg as that would leave them with 6D.
Well, one would expect him to be absolutely elite at that level. Glad he’s trending up.
What I’m most interested in, since you’ve been keeping a close eye on the farm… how does Rodrigue look compared to Campbell once the latter got his mojo back?
One would think an NHL player would be elite at the AHL level but, then again, we often see young developing talent that produce more in the NHL than the AHL – part of the reason being that NHL players are “in the right spots” generally, play their structure better, etc., etc.
This applies to d-men and defensive play as well, right? There are more mistakes in the AHL, more structure breakdowns, etc., etc. – you should see some of the crazy open looks and jailbreaks, etc.
I’m far from a goalie expert but, from my eye, Rodrigue is a more “technical goalie” that has much less movement in his game – he’s kind of the opposite from Jack in that respect – Jack has found his game a bit but he’s the same type of goalie that we’ve seen – he often makes saves without it “looking pretty”.
Rebound control is a Rodrigue strength.
Yea I am sure Oiler management desperately hoping for a Campbell bounce back. They have a vested interest with his large and long contract. Personally 4 or 5 good games in the A doesn’t mean he is a legit NHL starter. Other than one decent stretch in Toronto has he ever been? It seems as if Holland made a bad gamble on him. Hopefully he does play well in next few games and MAYBE they can deal him.
Looks like things are heating up with Columbus, who also happen to have a few days off now.
Merzlikins was considered one of the top young goalies in the league until the accidental death of his friend Kivlenieks. His numbers tanked after that. It’s not that Columbus wants to move him necessarily, but the scuttlebutt is that Elvis would like a change of scenery … that he wants to move on for personal reasons, much like Adam Larsson did, so that he can put those things behind him and get his career back on track.
His agent is Gerry Johnson who is Edmonton-based, so I don’t think the NTC is going to be a problem.
Also, Manny Legace was the former goalie coach for Columbus – if you’re going to get any team to believe in Jack Campbell again it’s going to be Columbus. Legace also worked closely with Kivlenieks, who died at Legace’s home in that tragic accident. CBJ parted ways with Legace when Brad Larson was fired as head coach.
The contracts are almost perfect match … so yeah, I think the change-of-scenery deal is definitely in the cards.
It’s the other parts that CBJ might be trying to discuss that given me pause:
CBJ has been trying to move Adam Boqvist since the summer, as they have a glut of RHD. Small but dynamic, he’s had trouble staying healthy. Paul Vincent has him on their third pairing. Would you trade Ceci or Kulak for him?
Gudbranson is an overpaid pylon.
Andrew Peeke is a less physical but more overpaid version of Desharnais.
CBJ would give Roslovic away if they could, as he’s part of the problem there – streaky, doesn’t forecheck, doesn’t PK, not good at face-offs. Just a complete liability in his own zone. Pass.
Everyone wants Boone Jenner … including CBJ. But Sean Kuraly is very good bottom 6 centre though.
I could see something like this:
Campbell, Foegele, and Kulak for Merzlikins, Kuraly and Boqvist
The contracts are a wash, with neither side needing to retain. If Merzlikins keeps playing how is right now, the trade is a win. If he can really find his form again with a change in scenery, then it’s a home run. I’m not sold on Boqvist at all, but his contract is one year shorter than Kulak’s. Kuraly would be useful but his contract is one year longer than Foegele’s.
Solid post.
Not opposed to the trade proposal. I do worry a bit about Boqvist being made of glass. We need more snarl on the back end, don’t think he’s got a hairy enough ass. But clearing out Kulak would open a path for Broberg, and then Des/Boqvist could sit based on the opponent.
I think Kulak would be sorely missed in the playoffs if moved. He always seems to elevate his game in the post season.
I don’t see how Boqvist would fit in an make the defensive group better (over Kulak).
I’m not sure inserting Broberg for Kulak and Boqvist for Deharnais makes this team better.
So Merzlikins just singed a new contract last season, after the accident, with a full NMC/NTC but wants out of CBJ (?). I hear you on the accident. I hear you on Johansson. But that move could have come earlier. And he’s playing very well now. And if he wants to go somewhere, I’m pretty certain it’s not to a Canadian team. He has a 10 team no trade list.
According to Doms projection last playoff team in East will have 90 points and in west 92 points.
as I’ve been saying. We’re not the only ones who dug a hole for themselves
Moneypuck sees things differently with both Minnesota,Winnipeg and Arizona all making the playoffs.
https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm
your reading comprehension is failing you .
they have the last playoff spot being under 92 points. Dom saying 92
so we can stop saying you need 95 points to sniff the playoffs. Not this year
Broberg for Barrie
But why?
Cause Barrie has more jam than Broberg.
I see what you did there.
I thought you would.
Depends on your pronunciation….
Perhaps Swedish Poster would like to set the bär?
Cause Bro, Barrie has more jam than Broberg.
Reunion would spread some good vibes, coaches would play him, can shave some points off Bouchard maybe knock the contract expectations down alil.
I loved Lander. I was convinced he would have a more significant NHL career.
Slow boots!
If you could have combined the best attributes of MPS and Lander that would have been an all-star player. That said Lander was the one Oiler prospect who never really got a fair shake in the NHL.
Agreed I thought Lander was a terrific hockey player. If he had a bit more speed I think he could have had a long career in the NHL.
Lander essentially had made it by the end, but was screwed by the handshake guarantees given by Chiarelli to Caggiula.
Lander then made the decision to be a top line player in the KHL over battling year over year for 4th line employment in the NHL for roughly the same money.
Hartikainen was never given a chance, but he basically made the same decision. Top line player in the KHL over battling for 4th line employment every year for the same money.
Lander no speed merchant but acquitted himself well, imo, in the tail end of the season his farm coach got called up. I thought he’d arrived, finally, and he might shore up depth at centre.
Nope.
You, me & Jani Rita
I like when these lists get reposted. I end up going to every players DB page. Always surprised at how many are still going strong overseas. 32 year old Toni Rajala leading Biel HC in points so far this year. Cool.
I hope they go hard after De Melo next summer. He doesn’t score a lot but seems to do everything else at a high level and played the most against elites last season for the Jets
Should be a modest cap hit higher than Ceci but maybe a better match for Nurse
DeMelo will be 31 next year. Shouldn’t they be going after the next Demolo, not the current DeMelo?
Who would that be?
Yes they should, but need an upgrade now to be better now
Then look for a younger guy or maybe Wanner will earn a job sooner than later and get his reps going
That was a very entertaining game to watch last night.
The Stars are an elite AHL team with an elite offence and I think Chaulk was trying to rely on his veteran forwards to grind through the game. It worked but, at the same time, as fans of the Oilers, I agree with LT.
Pederson and Caggiula are both starting to find their form after signifgant missed games with injury. I would like to see Bourgault on that line as well.
The Oiiers may want to tap into whatever the “secret sauce” Dallas is using at the draft.
Their Head Amateur Scout is Joe McDonnell who followed Jim Nill from Detroit to Texas and keeps hitting home runs draft after draft.
Everyone knows about the 2017 dream draft of Heiskanen, Oettinger and Robertson but since then the hits just keep coming with Harley, Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnson all on the big club and now Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankhoven are leading the AHL in scoring.
And some guy named Matej Blumel is also playing very well for the Texas Stars.
Stars draft do not get credit for Matej Blume, Oilers do. Same as Marino for example. Or Yamamoto who is an nhl player.
There is finding the talent (draft) and developing the talent. Two similar but different aspects .
One team recognized Blumel’s potential and signed him.
The other didn’t.
Speaks volumes.
You should write a letter to Jackson with your findings.
Pretty sure he’s aware that Dallas is the best drafting tea,
Wasserman represents Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn.
That’s nice. I am not sure why you are talking about Dallas’ drafting on an Oilers blog about the Oilers drafting and prospects.
What do you expect fans of the Oilers to do with this information exactly?
Gain some insight into what success and failure at the draft looks like.
And what can Oilers fans do with that information exactly? It’s already evident that Dallas is drafting well considering their draft picks are contributing towards their team’s success.
Again, what do you expect Oilers fans on an Oilers blog discussing Oilers draft picks and prospects to do with this information?
Do you also go to an Oilers game and when McDavid scores you tell the person next to you “if yoi think that was nice, you should see the goal Robertson scored in Dallas the other day!”
Dallas – 108, 98, 60(56 games), 82, 93, 92, 79, 109 = 722pts
Edmonton – 109, 104, 72(56 games), 83, 79, 78, 103, 70 = 698pts
Edmonton has had a better record 4 years in a row, this season is far from over with 12 wins in points separating the 2 club over the last 8 years.
In the last 4 years the difference is 348 Dallas
368 Edmonton
+20 Edmonton in end of year points between the 2 squads.
Woot.
Hold on, folks.
Can we just take a moment to savour this morsel, for a moment?
EDM drafted Blumel, not DAL, and now we’re being proselytised to about what successful drafting looks like.
Classic Andrew.
Classic
AndrewAsshole.Corrected that for you.
I have a hunch Andrew that you go to other forums and talk about how good their opponents are, parroting stats that people comment to prove you wrong on the other blogs. It’s quite the hobby.
Current players on roster via draft:
Just look at that gaping chasm.
I’m still waiting for a single one of your posts to contain anything resembling insight. Probably have to wait a while longer.
Its reasonable that Blumel didn’t want to sign an NHL contract during the period the Oilers had his rights.
It would be nice to have him in the org but he’s older than Lavoie and a less player than Lavoie in the AHL – he likely wouldn’t be impacting the NHL team.
In no way addressing the Oilers ‘procurement problem’, Brad Holland and Oiler scouts apparently took in their 3rd straight Blue Jackets game.
I’m having a hard time seeing anything other than Merzlikins-Campbell as the main pieces (though not the only ones).
The best I can come up with is:
Campbell and Foegele +
for
Merzlikins and Roslovic (50%)
That would save the Oilers $350k, and Roslovic should be a better top 6 wing option than Foegele (both on expiring deals).
Jenner would be great but I can’t see how the money would work. Peake isn’t cheap and isn’t good. Kuraly I’m sure would also be of interest but that would require more Oiler cap going out. Possibly some of the Jackets younger players could be on the radar too?
The Oilers certainly appear to be looking seriously at some of those pieces though.
Those trades would make the Oilers a better team. Foegele has been vanilla most of his tenure with this team aside from the odd stretches where he plays well. I really don’t think the team misses him at all.
I just wonder what the plus is to pull this off. Columbus would want futures plus the cost of dumping Campbell likely means a first and a prospect on that deal to make it happen.
It’s a lot for another goalie who has never had an elite stretch (in my opinion). It wouldn’t shock me to see Skinner keep the net this year anyways. He’s used to the Oilers crazy, it takes years to get up to speed.
Merzlikins hasn’t arguably been better than Campbell over the last two years, so disagree that it would cost extra to flip them Campbell.
Elvis was 107th out of 107 in GSAE last year. Jack was a *glowing* 104th.
Similar contracts, similar buyout structures. I think if the teams do this it’s a 1-for-1, see-if-a-change-of-scenery-fixes-these-guys type of move.
Elvis has a 10-team NTC.
It’s probably a reasonable thing to try if a buyout seems inevitable anyhow.
Elvis had one bad (really bad) year. Sometimes that’s due to injury or otherwise but he seems to have recovered.
I mentioned in yesterdays thread that besides that year he has always outperformed Columbus’ other goalie(s), mainly Korpisalo, who we all got a long look at in last year’s playoffs.
Like Korpisalo, who played well in L.A. and is playing well for Ottawa, I bet Elvis performs at a higher level on a good team.
I can see where Columbus’ terrible management team has exhausted their patience with the player – they signed him to a contract to be a bona-fide #1, and it’s an opportunity to exploit their stupidity while ridding ourselves of Jack Campbell’s atrocious contract.
Bring on the Honky Tonk man
1) I’m not so sure Korpisalo is having a good year – he’s under .900
2) I’m not sure the Oilers are known as a team where goalies will go and have their numbers improve……
I would make the Lucic for Neal type trade – two big negative value contracts.
It’s hard to not be considered vanilla somewhat when you play on a team with McDavid, Draisaitl, kKane. Big personalities. But.Foegele provides a high level energy and work ethic and that’s what’s needed to support the top six. I like his game. Unfortunately he’s exposed to trade due to his cap.
Roslovic might be a good idea to his skill. He can score, but hasn’t been trusted by his coaches much during his NHL time. Inconsistent.
Still, he would be a good ad, I just think we have to be careful when evaluating Fogle that energy and work he brings every night is very important.
Keep Roslovic away from this team … he is like three ply … soft.
I don’t think it would be that much, but I also don’t think there’s a world where Merzlikins gets traded for Campbell straight up.
What makes you think Roslovic would be better for this team than Foegele?
https://naturalstattrick.com/playercompare.php?fromseason=20222023&thruseason=20232024&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&stdoi=std&rate=y&p1=8478458&p2=8477998&loc=B&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single
Their P/60 rates have been similar (Roslovic’s better if you look a little further back), but it’s the GF% and xGF% that’s tipping the scales for me.
Roslovic’s career (5v5) GF% is better than Foegele’s on worse teams. His 14 games this season are the first negative GF%rel of his career, while Foegele has been negative more than positive.
Their fancies are polar opposites, but Roslovic seems to have been able to consistently outpace his underlying numbers (GF% > xGF%), whereas Foegele has most often been the opposite.
I don’t see Merzlikins excluding EDM from his no trade list. Same as Jake Allen. Friedman had mentioned that EDM would have a deal done already for a goalie, were it not for the NMC-NTCs of certain players and the fact that a lot of players do not want to come to a Canadian team.
Legace, Merzlikins’ buddy, is trying to rehab Campbell. Do you think his feedback to Elvis going to EDM would be positive or negative? Is Johansson going to recommend his client come to EDM? It hasn’t been a great place for goalies.
What other Blue Jackets do you figure the Oilers are looking at then?
Stauffer was suggesting it could be Justin Danforth.
You never know I guess. Danforth does seem vaguely interesting, and his AAV is right.
Would seem like a bit of an odd target though since he isn’t a center, he doesn’t PK much and he’s undersized.
I could see his being part of a larger trade, but it’s tough for me to believe he’d be the guy they’re scouting – he just doesn’t check enough boxes.
Prospectory!
Just like yesterday, a quintet of NA amateurs will be employed this night. And in a true rarity, not one but two prospect head-to-head matchups.
Copponi vs. Lachance Round 2 tonight. The latter had the last laugh last night, lighting the lamp twice. Meanwhile, Copponi’s capers caused consternation concerning his point streak–he will attempt to begin a new one.
T’other duel is the healthy OHL tandem of Day and Stonehouse, who oppose each other in matinee activity.
Flint (Day) @ 1 p.m.
Ottawa (Stonehouse) @ 1 p.m.
Merrimack (Copponi) @ 4 p.m.
Boston University (Lachance) @ 4 p.m.
St. Lawrence (Mazura) @ 5 p.m.
All times, at all times, are Owlseye time.