When the Edmonton Oilers announced that Connor McDavid would be missing a significant amount of time with an amputated leg (what?!), three major narratives resulted,
- Kiss the playoffs goodbye!
- Leon Draisaitl will need to step up his game.
- This could have a galvanizing effect on the team and bring them closer.
We’re only three games into the 7-10 games that Connor might be missing but so far, two of the above have come true. Draisaitl has seven points in three games since 97 was airlifted to Toronto with that Charley Horse and the team is performing effectively as a complete unit which is resulting in some coach-pleasing performances and most importantly, points on the board.
The game yesterday afternoon against Florida was actually pretty shocking to me. I didn’t expect them to play like they were shot out of a cannon from the get-go, but I loved it anyhow. Every single line was executing their forechecks to perfection and getting sustained zone time in the Panthers’ end for at least the first 30-35 minutes. I was wondering to myself what is going on with Florida? They’re not this bad, are they? Egg on my face! Edmonton is that good!
I remember so many games in the Decade of Darkness where teams would simply outwork Edmonton and the game would be over before it started. So, safe to say, it’s a refreshing transformation that this team is going through under Coach Tippett and Coach Playfair. It should be said that Ken Holland needs his share of recognition as well for bringing in the playing personnel he has.
Adam Larsson: The Iron Swede was in immaculate form last night and I nearly shed a tear when he scored his goal. It’s been a long time coming and I’m really proud of him for putting up with the BS he has to sometimes with the Oilers fanbase. He’s such a rock for Coach Tippet’s team and his importance to the success of this team from a defensive point of view cannot be understated. Lots of people want to chastise him because his “FOR” metrics are not acceptable but overlook his “AGAINST” stats to which he’s very good at.
Darnell Nurse: Doc had one of his best games of the year against Florida. He was buckled in and in shutdown mode from the drop of the puck. Good on him for scoring his 5th of the year on that Hail Mary. His uncle Donovan was probably pretty proud. I’d like to see more of this kind of play from him. Meaning, defense first. I’ll continue to say it, I think he can be one of the league’s best shutdown defenders if he can accept that role. He’s got all of the tools to do it, right? Strength, intensity, Meanness, grit, defensive awareness, and he’s a great skater all-round.
Kailer Yamamoto: There was once a time when I’d say the Oilers need to go out and get themselves a Brendan Gallagher. I swear, I’d say that every year at least twice, but now I don’t need to write that blog anymore. Domo Arigato Mr. and Mrs. Yamamoto! Kailer is a KILLER! Like a wasp trapped in your car, a defenseman is fooked if they think they’re going to just walk out of a corner unscathed that is also occupied by Kailer Yamamoto.
Those three players impressed me the most yesterday. I will say good on Khaira for stepping up and somebody send a message to Matt Benning to take ‘er easy. Love the scrappiness, but good Lord, man. Take care of that coconut!
Why would we borrow your shoes? https://t.co/wTpvKFh041
— VisuallyBetter (@Isuckatpicking) February 15, 2020
Five “Out of Left Field” Trade Targets
Should Ken Holland get the itch to add some significant pieces to his team before the NHL’s trade deadline in over a week, I wanted to take a very brief look at some potential targets who might help the team.
Andy Greene (NJ) – D – 37yrs old, $5M (UFA) w/NTC – You can never go wrong adding a quality veteran like Andy Greene to your lineup for the playoff run. He would bring a calming presence and defensive consistency to Edmonton’s blue line and also relieve some of the pressures on Kris Russell and Caleb Jones. 53gp 2g 9a 11pts
Valtteri Filppula (DET) – C – 35yrs old, $3M/yr until 2021 w/NTC – One of Ken Holland’s boys from way back. The middle-six pivot would be an upgrade on Gaetan Haas and Colby Cave. He brings considerably more offense to the table and you can’t argue with how much experience he’d also bring. 59gp 4 g14a 18pts
Derick Brassard (NYI) – C – 32yrs old, $1.3M/yr (UFA) – This fella was nearly an Oilers this summer before the Islanders ponied up an extra couple hundred grand. For many of the same reasons Filppula would be a good fit for the Oilers, Brassard would be as well. He’d also add a bit of shine to Edmonton’s 2nd PP unit as well. 57gp 10g 19a 29pts
Mikael Granlund (NSH) – C/W – 27rs old, $5.75M/yr (UFA) – Granlund would be the ultimate wildcard add for Holland if he could make it. The Preds have been playing much better as of late, so I’m not actually sure if Poile would move him. But this is a player that could hop up alongside Connor McDavid as well as center the 3rd line if need be and wouldn’t it be nice to see him suit up beside his brother? 51gp 14g 10a 24pts
Evgeni Dadonov (FLA) – W – 30yrs old, $4M/yr (UFA) w/M-NTC+NMC – Now, apart from a little highlight on FLA’s powerplay yesterday, Dadonov was pretty quiet against the Oilers. So I was a little disappointed about that, but I’ve seen this guy take over games for the Panthers. He would most definitely be a great compliment to a center like Connor McDavid. 58gp 23g 19a 42pts
The Oilers have a shade over $1M in trade deadline cap room if they were to wait until then to make a trade. So most likely it’d be money in/money out were the Oilers to trade for any of these gentlemen.
For me, I’m not sure I’d go for these options as the price points might be out of Edmonton’s range, but I’m a little bored of talking about the same trade suspects over and over. How about yourself?
I will say this though, the Oilers and Leafs have been scouting the hell out of each other lately and Edmonton has also been watching quite a bit of the Sabres and Devils too. It wouldn’t shock me if Holland made a deal with any of these teams in the next 5-8 days.
EDM enters today 5-0 this year on the 2nd of a back-to-back, including 4-0 on the road.
Draisaitl has 7 points in the last three games w/out McDavid, 13-30-43 in the 44 that he’s missed in his career.
— Jack Michaels (@EdmontonJack) February 16, 2020
Three Players to Watch for the Hurricanes
- #20 Sebastian Aho – He reminds me so much of Igor Larionov with how he plays the game. Aho is so smart with the puck and his positioning. He’s also a fantastic playmaker which is good for his 19-year-old winger, Andrei Svechnikov.
- #37 Andrei Svechnikov – We’re seeing the emergence of the next great Russian superstar folks. He has all of the tools and he’s not even 20-years-old. Do you think there are any ‘Canes fans out there complaining about how Carolina’s management is wasting Svechnikov’s career right now?
- #88 Martin Necas – Ales Hemsky 2.0? Let me know after the game tonight if you see as much Hemsky in Necas’ game as I do. I’m not sure he’s as smooth as Hemmer was, but Necas is a ridiculous offensive talent that should be racking up the points for years to come for Carolina.
❗️ Updated Lines for the #LetsGoCanes –
(via @DailyFaceoff)Forwards:
Svechnikov – Aho – Teravainen
Foegele – Staal – McGinn
Niederreiter – Haula – Necas
Dzingel – Wallmark – WilliamsDefense:
Slavin – van Riemsdyk
Gardiner – Pesce
Fleury – Edmundson— NJDevils Game Bot (@NJDevilsGameBot) February 14, 2020
Three Players to Watch for the Oilers
- #41 Mike Smith – Smith was one of the main reasons the Oilers stayed in the game against the Lightning the other day and on the back half of a B2B, Edmonton is going to need another stellar performance from him.
- #39 Alex Chiasson – I feel like Chiasson has been a bit snakebitten recently. He had that breakaway yesterday that he couldn’t bury and his work ethic has been impressive. Unfortunately, the goals haven’t been going in as much as they should be.
- #49 Tyler Benson – I liked his game yesterday. He started to get a bit more comfortable and the things that have brought him success were starting to shine. He had some really nice passes and he was finding some passive ice for scoring chances. This is good news. I want to keep an eye on him for one more game here and especially against the Hurricanes who are a very fast and aggressive team. I’m curious how Benson will handle that.
No lines posted yet, but it wouldn’t shock me if Markus Granlund dressed and perhaps one of Colby Cave or Patrick Russell took a seat.
The Next Ten Games (51-60)
- vs. St. Louis Blues (31-12-8) – I’m not 100% sold that the Oilers will be focused on this game seeing as they play Calgary the next night. They have played well against the league’s best this season at times though. Can McDavid and Draisaitl beat the Blues in this one as they did at the All-Star game? (WIN) WIN
- @ Calgary Flames (27-19-6) – If you thought last night’s game was fun with all the fights and cheap shots, this game is going to be bonkers. It always seems to be in Calgary. Losing three times to the Flames and that post-game celly by Rittich will be eating away at the Oilers. They’ll be doing their damnedest to bring home the two points. (WIN) WIN
- @ Arizona Coyotes (26-21-5) – The Oilers put up a touchdown on the Coyotes right before their bye-week and I don’t imagine that sat well with Taylor Hall and co. That said, they’re on a bit of a slump in their last ten (4-5-1) and Edmonton is flying high as of today (6-2-2). On the other hand, just when the opportunity presents itself to the Oilers they usually take the night off. (LOSS) LOSS
- vs. San Jose Sharks (22-26-4) – Man, this Sharks team is bad. With Vlasic, Karlsson, and Burns on the back-end no less… Can you believe the Golden Knights fired Gerard Gallant to hire San Jose’s old coach? I think this will be a scheduled win for McDavid’s boys. Watch out for shenanigans from Evander Kane and Timo Meier. (WIN) LOSS
- vs. Nashville Predators (23-19-7) – Since the Preds hired NJ’s old coach, they haven’t been scoring much and that’s not a good sign when you go into Edmonton. Couple that with Pekka Rinne’s game falling right off of a cliff and the Oilers should be able to walk away with two points. (WIN) WIN
- vs. Chicago Blackhawks (24-21-6) – The Hawks are coming on as of late and I think they could pull this one off in Edmonton. Maybe Drake Caggiula does the ex-Oiler thing and scores. (LOSS) WIN
- @ Tampa Bay Lightning (30-15-5) – This will be a fine test for the Oilers. Tampa has found their stride at the right time and are looking very dominant. Might we see another ex-Oiler in Pat Maroon score or drop the flippers? I expect McDavid to be flying in this one. (LOSS) LOSS
- @ Florida Panthers (28-16-5) – This match-up is going to be a fun one. The Panthers have some really fun players to watch like Huberdeau, Barkov, and the very underrated Vincent Trochek. Which Sergei Bobrovsky might we see if he gets the call though? (WIN) WIN
- @ Carolina Hurricanes (29-18-3) – It’s hard not to like what they’ve built in Carolina. Andrei Svechnikov is already a scoring phenom at 19-years-old and it’s hard to overlook the wonder Finns (Aho/Teravainen), right? How will this team be sans Dougie Hamilton though? Can the Oilers sweep back-to-backs again? (WIN)
- vs. Boston Bruins (29-10-12) – Edmonton goes from one team who doesn’t lose in OT to a team that seemingly only loses in OT. The Oilers gave the Bs a pretty sound beating last time they played and we’re close to the trade deadline here so I’m not sure what the rosters will look like. I like Boston for this one though. (LOSS)
(Standings as of January 20th, 2020)
