October 5, 2019 /

Edmonton Oilers GM2 Preview: Kings @ Oilers – Three Players to Watch

It’s the return of Todd McLellan! He’s a King now and he’s bringing his merry men into Edmonton to try and prevent the Oilers from going 2-0-0 to start the 2019/20 NHL season while at the same time looking for their first win of the year. Reckon he goes with the ol’ dump and chase tonight with Smith in net for the Oilers?

Jesse Puljujarvi Update: Pulju scored the GWG for Karpat today as they rolled over SaiPa 2-0. 18 minutes of TOI, 3 shots, and was awarded player of the game.

The big news today is that Joel Persson will be making his season debut and he’ll be injected into the lineup alongside Oscar Klefbom on the Oilers top-pair. It’s a bold decision and I might’ve gone with Ethan Bear there, but moving Bear to Darnell Nurse’s flank is probably a much better choice. If Coach Tippett is going to continue to play Nurse as much as he has been, it’d make more sense to put him with a player who can move the puck.

Personally, I don’t support giving Nurse that much TOI. The results of his play from an analytics point-of-view when playing big minutes do not reflect his game well at all and given how important this month is for the Oilers to do well, they can’t be mucking about here. Add to that the loss of their second-best defenseman, the coaches really have to get this one right. I really believe that Bear is going to be the one propping up Nurse, not the other way around.

I’m very excited to see Patrick Russell and Tomas Jurco in the lineup. It’s time to see if Jurco is the real deal. He showed very well in the preseason, but we’ve been burnt by that before. I do, however, like that he’s starting down the roster on line four. Baby steps.

If you like blue-collar players who work their asses off, you’re going to love Patrick Russell. He gives you everything he’s got on every shift. That said, it’s not just his work ethic that’s great, he also knows where to go on the ice. He’s a smart player that plays the role given to him with no questions asked.

Now, it’s their first game of the year and the Kings are a savvy squad laden with clever vets on forward. So we’ll see how Persson, Jurco, and Russell fare. Mike Smith is in net and it looks like Leon and Connor have been reunited for this one. I do have one request though, can Kassian take over from Drake Caggiula and really lay into Doughty tonight? Just give him something to think about if he’s contemplating doing something cheap to McDavid.

Three Players to Watch for the Kings

  • Tobias Bjornfot – LOVED this guy last year before the draft. So calm and poised. Reminded me of Andrej Sekera when he had two good knees. Great playmaker. I wonder how he’ll do against the Oilers top line though?
  • Adrian Kempe – Speed to kill and a shot to die for. He plays a pretty physical style as well. Definitely a guy I’d like to have on the Oilers. Being flanked by Kovalchuk and Carter is nice too, isn’t it?
  • Tyler Toffoli – How long until they move this guy? Edmonton has had interest in the past because he’s another guy with a wicked wrister who knows where to go on the ice to score. Had a tough go in recent times, but he’s young too. I think the Kings would do well to capitalize on that in a trade because they’re not making the playoffs with that defense.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • Joel Persson – I think he’s a fine playmaking defender, but from what I’ve seen so far, he can get flustered by an intense forecheck. He doesn’t evade checks as Ethan Bear does. Having Mike Smith behind him should help out. Does he get time on the second PP unit?
  • Patrick Russell – If he was a Batman villain, would he be called “DANE”? I’m just a big fan of this guy and his line ‘should’ give the Kings some trouble as it’s very physical and quite quick. I’m hoping for one right stanky goal. He’ll be a great addition to the PK as well.
  • Tomas Jurco – We’ve seen lots of good young AHL players come through Edmonton over the years but very few have stuck around to talk about it. They usually go on to another club and find a way to stick there (Zykov…) Will Jurco’s ability to puck handle with confidence and power translate to the Oilers new style of play? Can he find a way to get the pucks on the net as he did during preseason? He’s on a tough line if we’re talking about offensive production. My hope is that they keep their heads above water tonight

https://twitter.com/davehemp27/status/1180557428594577408

What do you think? Who will you be keeping an eye one this evening? Last time I predicted the Canucks would beat the Oilers and Edmonton found a way to squeak out a win. This time, I really want to say that the Oilers will take the two points, but I’ve been rapped on the knuckles by this sort of prediction before. LA looks like a team Edmonton should beat, right? Ah hell! I’ll take the Oilers anyhow!

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CategoriesBeer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL

TagsEdmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings NHL

Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!