Hey y’all! Welcome back for another season of Edmonton Oilers hockey! I’m BLH and I’ll be giving you the skinny on today’s game!
If you’re new here and are wondering what 3P2W means, well, it stands for Three Players to Watch and seeing I’m as lazy as I am, I figured we’d shorten it to 3P2W.
So with that out of the way, let’s talk a little bit about what’s been going on lately in the Oilogospehere and then get into the player’s I’ve put under the spotlight for today’s matchup!
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Random Pontifications
Via Oilersnation:
Ken Holland pulled off a big trade at last year’s deadline when he acquired Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators. Assuming he can make a similar trade again, what is the biggest area of need on the roster in your mind?
- If McLeod is going to remain on the wing, then a 3rd line centre. If a legit top-pair right D-man, with term, becomes available then I’d look at that as well. – Gregor
- I think adding a right-shot defenseman would be a solid move. They could also benefit from one more high-end top-nine forward. Either a centre of a winger would work. -Yaremchuk
- The obvious answer is goaltending but to go outside the box I’ll say a third line centre. – Horrobin
- Third line center should be a priority regardless of where Ryan McLeod sits in the lineup. I’m of the belief that him and Foegele will be stapled to Draisaitl’s ass for the rest of the season barring injury or some massive slump.
- If I had to guess, I think Dylan Holloway will get some reps at center to see where he stands. He possesses the necessary tools to thrive there and that’s where he played in junior and college if I recall correctly.
- That said, the options as I see them look like players that’ll be competing against the Oilers for a wildcard spot. Colton Sissons (NSH), Nick Bjugstad (ARI), and Nic Roy (LVK) would be ideal candidates for Edmonton as they are all right-handed and on expiring contracts.
- If you were to go for a left-shot center the options expand slightly. Boone Jenner (CHI), Jason Dickinson (CHI), and Sean Monahan (MTL) emerge as possibilities, but to be honest, I don’t really see any of the names mentioned here as realistic targets for the Oilers.
- So if that’s the case then the club will need to pivot to goaltending and depth at both forward and defense and that’s where I could see a guy like Nic Dowd (WAS) being brought in. I’m kind of curious about a guy like Erik Johnson (BUF). He’d bring that veteran swagger that Ken Holland loves so very much.
- I mean Pat Maroon and Klim Kostin I’ve spoken about before but those are on my wish list and not so much Edmonton’s. I like their size, physicality, and in the playoffs when the game gets ratcheted up a notch or five, these guys are handy.
- Watch the Flyers tonight. I think that team is built for the post-season sans a star goalie and an upgrade or two on defense. I love their forward group because it’s quick, it’s skilled, there are goal scorers sprinkled throughout, and there are high-energy bangers on every line.
- I’m going to be very interested how Matvei Michkov fits in there once he crosses the pond and combine him with Cutter Gauthier… Sweet Jesus. The pendulum has swung in Pennsylvania.
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Three Players to Watch for the Bad Guys
- #11 Travis Konecny (17g 14a 31pts) – Five points in his last five games. He’s Philly’s hottest scoring player during this 1-4-0 skid. Aside from that, he’s a buzzsaw out there and on every shift he’s letting his opponents know it’s going to be a long game. I like his style for a little guy.
- #86 Joel Farabee (12g 13a 25pts) – He’s currently lining up alongside rookie Bobby Brink and former Montreal Canadien Ryan Poehling on the Flyers’ 3rd line, but don’t overlook him. He’s a shadow sniper. Meaning opposing teams will forget he’s out there and he’ll come out of the shadows and make them pay.
- #6 Travis Sanheim (4g 21a 25pts) – Since the Philly brass committed to him long-term he’s turned a bit of a corner for this team. I remember his name constantly coming up in trade rumors in seasons prior and I think it’s safe to say that we won’t be hearing his name in the rumor mill anymore. He’s finally realized his potential. Watch, now that I’ve said that he’ll have the worst game against McDavid tonight.
Three Players to Watch for the Good Guys
- #29 Leon Draisaitl (17g 23a 41pts) – He’s got four goals in his last five games and like I said before, he’s starting to heat up. Shocking that his wingers are breaking out too, eh? Weird.
- #74 Stu Skinner (14-9-1 2.86 GAA 0.893 SV%) – Man, those early season results are making his numbers look like trash. If you dial it down to his last five he’s 3-0-0 with a 1.62 GAA, and a save percentage of 0.943 and those, my friend, are stupendous stats!
- #73 Vinnie Desharnais (1g 3a 4pts) – Vinnie’s on an expiring contract and I’m very curious as to how much it’s going to cost the Oilers to keep him. Sub $2M? He’s got a bit of leverage considering that the closest guy on the depth chart is Phil Kemp. Max Wanner is a year or two away and Beau Akey I’d say is a year or two away as well IF they aren’t used as trade fodder.
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