We’re only a handful of days away from the beginning of the COVID Cup NHL Summer Hockey Tournament where one lucky team will be crowned champions and handed the Stanley Cup but will be required to socially distance whilst celebrating and wear gloves while holding the trophy.
All facetiousness aside, the Edmonton Oilers haven’t been this deep since 2006 I’d say but even with that, I’ve still got some concerns as to how far they could go.
One, can the Oilers’ bottom-six outplay its opposition?
I’ve loved the play of Riley Sheahan, Josh Archibald, and whatever winger was playing with them at any given moment. In addition to that line, I’m very excited to see what James Neal, JJ Khaira, and Alex Chiasson can do because that is the kind of heavy line that, in theory, should have some success in the post-season.
That said, Sheahan is out right now and Haas is in. Now, I love me some Gaetan Haas because he’s as unpredictable as the Calgary weather. His forechecking is really good, he’s a righty, and he’s a relentless hockey player, but he’s no Riley Sheahan. He’s easily knocked off the puck and doesn’t have the defensive IQ that Riley has.
The other thing with that line is since he was moved off of Draisaitl’s line, Andreas Athanasiou has been lining up on the 3rd line. That could be a bit of a wildcard move on Tippett’s part, mind you. I mean, I don’t see AA as a checking winger at all, but if Edmonton’s 3rd line is out against the other team’s bottom-pair of defensemen, the Greek Streak could really take advantage.
Two, injuries.
We’ve seen three players go down in the last five days. First, Darnell Nurse got tangled up behind the net during a training camp scrimmage. Second, the aforementioned Sheahan blocked a shot with his foot and had to leave the latest practice game. Lastly, Kailer Yamamoto took a bump from Ethan Bear in the neutral zone and it looked to me that possibly his left leg might’ve been hurt when I re-watched the incident.
Of course, we’ve been told that these players should be back for the first game against Chicago but I’m willing to bet that they won’t be 100% and that was the whole thing about this 4-month layoff.
So now Edmonton’s second-best left-handed defender, their top-scoring right-winger, and their top-center on the PK all have question marks surrounding their health. These are players that are critical to Edmonton’s future success, are they not?
I don’t think it’s all gloom and doom though. Nurse, Yamo, and Sheahan are very tough and I’d be willing to bet they’ll be playing through the pain for the duration of the post-season.
What would be a bit more cloudy is if something happens to Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Oscar Klefbom, or Adam Larsson say in a meaningless exhibition game against a team that employs a player who is notorious for playing on the edge…
Three, 4 months between games.
This past season has been one of the best seasons in a long time for the club. Their combined special teams were near record-breaking and they had the two best centers in the entire league. Yamamoto and Nugent-Hopkins were tearing up the league and Ethan Bear was emerging as a legit top-four blueliner. But I want to know, what does a 4-month break do to all of that momentum?
This is probably why a lot of pundits are saying it’s anybody’s Cup this year. Who knows how the break is going to affect each team.
BLH Interview Series Vol.6: Corey Potter
Who was your favorite player growing up?
Nik Lidstrom, hands down. Huge Wings Fan growing up and what better player to watch than Nik.
Which team was your favorite?
Red Wings and Michigan State University hockey. Grew up near Lansing so watched a lot of MSU Games and made it down to Detroit to catch the occasional Wings game
What’s a memory from your playing that stands out the most?
Just being around my teammate’s day in and day out. The hockey community has amazing people in it and I have met some of my best buddies through hockey.
Who was the best player you played with?
Too many to name, Jagr, Crosby, Gaborik, Nugent-Hopkins, Rosi, I could go on for days.
Who was the hardest player to defend that you played against?
I played out in the West for the majority so the Sedins were a pain in the ass and any of the bigger power forwards were always tough. Lucic, Kopitar, guys like that.
What is the difference between the NCAA/ECHL/AHL/NHL? What I mean is, what is the thing that you noticed about each level after you graduated? I think most will say the speed of the game, is there anything else?
Obviously, speed and strength are the biggest differences, but for me, it was the small things and details that guys had. Body position in front of the net, stick lifts, getting beat back to the front of the net for deflections and screens. Just the little skills and details and knowledge that you pick up from the guys is what I think sets the NHL apart from all the other leagues
How would you describe your time with the Oilers?
It was my first 1-way contract and 1st full-time gig in the NHL so that was my goal and a dream of mine, so I can’t thank them enough for that opportunity. That being said it was a tough spot for a 27-year-old bottom-pairing defenseman trying to prove himself in an organization that was towards the bottom of the barrel and in constant change with coaches and GM’s year in and year out.
Some have said there was a split in the room around the time you played there, is there anything you can comment on with regards to the team dynamic during your time in Edmonton?
I couldn’t disagree anymore that there was a “split” in the room, I think everybody in that room got along and wanted to win but it was just a tough situation to be in and nobody wants to lose that consistently. The rumors of Nuge, Hallsy, and Ebs going out and drinking a ton and not caring are also completely false. The year with Eakins and Ferrence was a little weird. If anything, I thought those 2 guys were kind of on their own page and there might have been a bit of a split between the 2 and the team.
Why wasn’t there more success when you were there? The amount of skill at forward combined with some really good veterans and the goaltending looked to be solid.
Tough to say. We were just stuck in the losing mentally rut and were never able to gain the confidence and stability to get out of it. Going through 3 coaches and 2 gm’s in 3 years doesn’t help either.
In three years, you had three coaches, Tom Renney->Ralph Krueger->Dallas Eakins, what was that like going through so many coaches in such a short amount of time?
For a guy like me trying to establish himself as a full-timer it couldn’t have been a worse situation. My first season was obviously my best and I had the familiarity and trust with coach Renney and went well. It was tough to keep up that success and trust with the staff when it’s changing every year.
If you had one word/phrase to describe each of those coaches, what would it be?
Renney – BusinessmanKrueger – PassionateEakins – Loves his hair haha
At the 2004 World Juniors, you played for Team USA and won the gold medal, what was that like and are there any short stories you can share about that tournament?
Definitely the biggest win from my career. What an experience with an unbelievable team. My memory from that tourney is a little foggy because of a concussion I sustained in the semi-final game against Finland. I fell and got a knee to the head and was out cold for a good 5-10 seconds. After the game, I had zero short term memory and couldn’t remember what I had to eat that day or the previous days. Looking back on it I probably shouldn’t have played in the gold medal game but there was no way I was going to miss that game and I’m glad that there was no concussion protocol back then.
What are three things every defenseman needs in his toolbox today?
Skating Ability
Vision – head up as much as possible for passing and shooting.
Spatial awareness – knowing where everybody is on the ice and having good defensive positioning.
What is the secret to a good point shot?
Head up.
Getting shot through maybe 1 or 2 defensive players.
Being able to change the angle of the shot, walking the blue line.
Quick and quiet shot, sometimes the big slapshot is seen and heard and makes it easier for goalie and defensive players.
Placing shot for a rebound (shin-high) or shoot for a tipping option.
Who are your top-5 defenseman from your playing time?
Lidstrom
Pronger
Weber
Karlsson
Hedman
Doughty
Burns
A massive thank you to Corey! I’d say that’s the best interview we’ve had so far and it really has set the bar for those coming after.
Puck Racism
The sales are starting to trickle in with this design and I’m going to spam the hell out of it on my website and the BLH Hockey Instagram because I feel passionate about it and I feel like Hockey is Diversity deserves the proceeds that I’ll be donating to them.
So, please. If you’ve got an extra $20 lying around and you want to do a good thing for good people, click the pic down below and grab a t-shirt, a mask, a onesie, a tank top, or some stickers.
Hockey is Diversity is a German group whose aim is to draw attention to the ethnic diversity in society, which goes beyond the sporting borders in order to sensitize people interculturally. The diversity that has long been regarded as an enrichment in sport as a melting pot of people of different ethnicities, cultures, and religions should also be transferred to society.
