Todd McLellan has a helluva task this season. He basically has the job of resurrecting the 2016 Oilers from the dead, right? The difference being, he’s got some new sidekicks who are actually good at their jobs.
Manny Viveiros is going to light up the NHL with his PP systems. Trent Yawney is going to usher in a new era of great Edmonton Oilers defensemen and Glen Gulutzan is going to be the best clipboard holder the Oilers have ever had. Plus I’ve heard he can tell a pretty funny joke from time to time.
I understand how you feel if you’re an Oilers fan and you think that Edmonton has a less-than-zero chance at making the playoffs in 2018/19. Nearly all of the other teams in their division went out and improved their roster somewhat and Edmonton merely shored up their depth players and the backup goalie and to add to that, they’re in a stand-off with Darnell Nurse over a new contract and Andrej Sekera is gone probably for the year.
(I hope Nurse doesn’t sign before this is posted)
But here’s the thing. Since Chiarelli, McLellan, and McDavid have taken charge, the Oilers are f*cking outstanding versus Pacific division teams (this is important when you play over a third of your games against those teams and when you need every win possible) and when everybody went out and loaded up, they loaded up on players who aren’t fast or quick.
- Kovalchuk (LA)
- Pacioretty (VGK)
- Neal (CGY)
- Lindholm (CGY)
- Stastny (VGK)
- Galchenyuk (ARI)
Sure, from a goal-scoring perspective, a few of those players are frightening. But do any of them scare you from a speed aspect? The same aspect that so many pundits said was dragging the Oilers down last year?
“To me, they have massive problems. When you are slow, you are always going to be chasing the puck…and they are slow. I know Peter Chiarelli has talked about we need to play fast…playing fast is the new buzz phrase in hockey. Well, they can only play at a certain speed and quite frankly, that speed is not up to the competition.
Until they address their speed problems, they are going to be chasing the puck all night long, giving up Grade A scoring chances. Outside of Connor McDavid, there is no other player on the Edmonton Oilers who threatens with speed. That leaves you with eleven forwards, and that includes Draisaitl. He is not a fast player, he has quickness and is a solid player, but when we talk about straight up speed…” – Craig Button
I’ve never agreed with Button’s sentiment there. Nevertheless, it’s a talking point for some I guess.
My point is, the Oilers are adapting to the everchanging lay of the land in the NHL. They WILL be quicker. They WILL play faster.
You’ll see. It won’t just be the Pacific they take care of. It’ll be the entire league.
So without further adieu, here are the 10 things to watch out for at Oilers training camp.
1. Connor McDavid
How good will he be this year? I know the first time I watched him live was in a pre-season game versus the Jets (Laine’s rookie year) in the new building and even then he was scoring highlight reel goals.
It’s simply inevitable, right?
What I want to see in training camp and the pre-season is how he gels with his linemates be they RNH and Rattie or a different combination of players. Will we see an even more offensively dominant McDavid or might we get a peek at a more responsible two-way McDavid?
He’s stronger, we’ve been told he’s faster, and it sounds like he’s going to take that competitive drive and kick it into hypersonic. He wants the playoffs and he wants them NOW!
2. Will People Stop Talking about Jesse Puljujarvi?
Until he scores 70pts, I doubt it.
Pulju will always be a point of contention for that certain faction of Oilers fans who have a hard time not getting their way. He’ll be Yakupov 2,0 until he scores 30 goals. He’ll be a wasted talent as long as he’s on the 3rd line, and to a few xenophobes, they don’t like him because he’s European. These are the kinds of things that will prevent folks from talking about someone else.
That said, he’s going to break out this year. He’s a year older, the English is MUCH better, he’s stronger, leaner, more coordinated, he’s shortened his stick and altered which flex he’s using. I reckon he’ll top 15 goals with ease, maybe 20 if he really gets going and depending on where old man McLellan puts him, right?
I was told from my source in Finland that he’s determined to get on that top line with Connor and if he does that it means he’s having a good year and that he’s built confidence and trust in his captain.
If the Oilers let this boy play his way, he will figure shit out and he will thrive in it.
3. Will Darnell Nurse Get his Contract Signed Before the Regular Season?
I reported yesterday that the Oilers have sent their pro scouts out to look at a dman and not one our later Dustin Neilson sent this tweet out.
There has been some buzz that the Oilers will make a move for a veteran dman when Sekera goes on the LTIR. Not a sure thing but I've been told they are seriously looking at that option.
— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) September 14, 2018
Of course, my caveat was that it might be with a Darnell Nurse trade in mind and not so much Sekera but we’ve ALL been aware that the Oilers have been serious about using Sekera’s LTIR money to use on a player that would shore up the defense in his absence.
It makes ZERO sense for the Nurse camp to miss any training camp time over the minute amount of money that is being reported to be the gap. Be it 250k or 500k, in relation to the amount of money that he’s going to be paid over the course of his career, fighting over that is a joke and if I was Nurse’s teammate, I’d be questioning his loyalty to the team at this point.
The Oilers need Darnell Nurse in their lineup with Sekera out. They’re a better team with him than without and I think he pairs up with Adam Larsson quite well in a shutdown role.
Personally, I think the deal gets done but the last time Chiarelli went to war with Anton Thun, the player sat pretty much all of training camp. Which takes us back to this whole situation being a loss/loss situation for Nurse.
4. How Will Manny Viveiros Revolutionize the Oilers PP?
An interesting query indeed.
I’ve heard both Bob Stauffer and Jason Gregor talk about the Oilers running Connor McDavid the entire PP with the 1st unit going with five LH’d shooters (McDavid, Nuge, Leon, Klefbom, and Lucic) and having Connor get set up on left half-wall to set up one-timers.
Kinda like this:
Then the 2nd unit would have Connor switch back to the right side and have up to four RH’ers (Puljujarvi, Strome, Rattie, Benning/Bouchard).
I’ve only watched a few highlights of Viveiros’ PP in Swift Current and by the looks of that he had three lefties and 2 righties on it. That could be down to personnel too.
This year there are going to be way more shooting threats including Connor himself on the PP. So buckle up.
5. Who Will Surprise on Defense?
I was really down on him when the Oilers signed him but Jakub Jerabek could be a surprise for the Oilers.
He’s sort of an all-around defender in that he doesn’t lean one way too far or he doesn’t have one skill that really stands out. But he moves the puck VERY quickly and that is a skill that will really fall in line with the new playing style the Oilers are looking to implement this season.
Evan Bouchard might stand out as well. He’s a brilliant hockey player and it’s my belief that his learning curve won’t be that steep. It helps that he has the skills and the size but none of that matters if he can’t get used to the NHL competition in a timely manner.
I would’ve said Ethan Bear but he didn’t look great during rookie camp and he’s eligible to be sent to the minors. So if Bouchard stays and Bear goes down, that’s really similar to what happened with Yamamoto and Puljujarvi last season, right?
If the Darnell Nurse situation takes its time, the Oilers are going to need someone to step up. “Need” is putting it lightly. It’s imperative given the Oilers schedule in October.
6. Who’s the Odd Man Out on Forward?
RNH-McDavid-Rattie
Lucic-Draisaitl-Rieder
Khaira-Strome-Pulju
Caggiula-Brodziak-Kassian
Chiasson/Upshall/Aberg
That’s the way the lines look from a preliminary POV.
Personally, I wouldn’t have Rieder on the 2nd line. I’d rather have Puljujarvi. Rieder’s not really a 2nd liner but on the other hand, he’s older and provides speed for that line AND he’s got some previous playing experience with Leon.
I also reckon that Zack Kassian is on his way out of town either to open cap room or to bring in Sekera’s replacement. In that scenario, Chiasson gets signed and slots right into Kassian’s old spot.
So we’re left debating Aberg, Upshall, and Caggiula basically, right?
Don’t ask me what in Sam’s Hell is going on with Upshall. Was it Matheson or Spector that said he failed his medical but then Upshall posted a pic on Instagram saying he can’t wait to get on the ice tomorrow whilst holding a #10 jersey with his name on it…
Anyways, I think maybe none of the forwards are the odd man out… For the time being. I’d be willing to be later on in the season that there’ll be some moves to sort things out a bit more though.
Maybe that means Tyler Benson or Kailer Yamamoto comes up and Ty Rattie gets waived and sent down. That sort of move.
But if I had to give you a name, it’d be Aberg right now. I don’t think the Oilers brass are convinced his head is 100% in the game.
7. Which Player Will Shock Us and Earn Extra Time in Camp?
Think Patrick Russell of last year. He made it until the last cuts.
It’s hard to say right now who might earn themselves some extra time in main camp because the roster looks pretty set. There’s not a lot of room apart from maybe a bottom-6 forward or a bottom-pairing defenseman and at this point, is that player going to be so impactful for the Oilers?
Two names come to mind though:
- Caleb Jones
- Ryan McLeod
What will happen when the competition ramps up? These two players have the speed and skating ability to keep up I believe.
Now McLeod was just drafted and unless he’s putting 4pt games up in pre-season, there’s probably no reason to keep him with the big club but is it possible that he could outplay Drake Caggiula or Pontus Aberg? He’s big enough and he’s definitely fast enough. Those skills alone might earn him a longer “look-see”.
Caleb Jones’ skating is so smooth and he’s a very good playmaker. He does look like a smaller version of his brother Seth on the ice. With Nurse out for any extended period of time, might that be the proverbial door opening for one person and closing for another?
8. What Will Happen with the Goaltending?
The Oilers have three NHL goalies going into camp between Cam Talbot, Mikko Koskinen, and Al Montoya. Who will be the one that stands out the most?
Yesterday Jason Gregor said he was told that there were some teams that were willing to give Koskinen more term and there were even some that were willing to give him more than $2M a year.
Did you hear that? That was some of the wind coming out of the sails of the Anti-Chia crowd…
I do think that Cam Talbot will bounce back. He’s healthy, he’s got a good frame of mind, and the ever-so-important factor in a player’s career… He’s on an expiring contract.
Actually, all three goalies are playing for a new contract. So the competition is going to be rampant.
I like Koskinen’s chances though. He’s a later bloomer, nothing wrong with that. I know I’ve heard some use the fact that he played for the best team in Russia as a negative but one must keep in mind, no matter how good your team is, if you don’t have a goalie that can save the puck, your team isn’t really that good. Or at least the standings will reflect something very different.
Al Montoya won’t be much of a factor in this competition I don’t think. He’s a fine no.3 goalie and he’ll be a great mentor for either Shane Starrett, Dylan Wells, or Stuart Skinner in Bakersfield.
9. What Will Be of Milan Lucic This Season?
I gave Lucic a mulligan for last season. I think the first year without his dad at Christmas was massive for him and he got into a hole that he couldn’t get out of. He was stuck in his head the whole time.
Now, this season he’s already stated that he went to a sports psychologist. So he’s aware of his problem and the onus is on him this season. There’s no reason that he can’t get back to being a 45-50pt winger for the Oilers and there’s no reason he can’t get back some of his growl.
Todd McLellan will move mountains to make sure that Milan is put into places to succeed and I hope it pays off. I feel like he’s far too young to start his decline and a drop-off like he had last year should be followed by a bounce back.
I’m not sure he’ll ever see LW on McDavid’s line again but I’m more than fine with him playing alongside Draisaitl or even Strome. I do not care how much money he makes as long as he’s impactful on the ice for the team and is helping them to the playoffs.
He’s the big bear on the team now. Maroon is gone and Nurse is unsigned and Khaira is still getting his feet wet as a power forward. So it’s gotta be now or never.
10. The PTOs
The list is short this year.
- Scotty Upshall
- Jason Garrison
- Alex Chiasson
A couple of veteran wingers and a veteran defender will be trying to make the Oilers this campaign.
There are already question marks about Upshall’s health but I think management and coaching like him enough to see him through that swollen knee. He’s an excellent PKer and he’s a beautiful man. Jokes aside, he’s a glue guy as well and the Oilers have gotten rid of some good glue guys recently in Maroon and Hendricks.
As for Alex Chiasson, as I mentioned above, if he’s on the team it’s because either Kassian and/or Aberg are gone. He had some decent seasons at the beginning of his career goal-scoring-wise but has seen his skillset being used more effectively in a PK/bottom-line role.
Jason Garrison is a bit of a wild card for me. I remember him as being a PP guy who could really fire the puck but age has supposedly caught up with him and to his admittance, he’s probably going to be more of a factor defensively than offensively. I suppose if the Oilers were to sign him, it’d be as a part-time player, more of a mentor than anything.
What kind of year are the Oilers set to have?
We’ll have to wait and gorge upon the appetizer that is training camp before gorging upon the main feast that is the 2018/19 NHL season.
