This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!
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Copper N Blue (Hodgkinson)
The Copper and Blue 2021 Top 25 Under 25: #23 Maxim Denezhkin
Club: Lokomotiv Yaroslav
Age: 20
Pos: Center
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 170lbs
Shoots: L
- When Denezhkin was drafted he was viewed as a versatile forward who could put up a decent amount of points on the top Russian junior team.
- He was expected to eventually make the jump to the KHL to play for Locomotiv Yaroslav but, for whatever reason, he has only managed to appear in a measly two games with the big club.
- …he was able to show off some impressive passing plays and solid improvement in his game after a few shaky years in junior.
- The hope is that he can eventually make that permanent jump to the KHL this coming season where he can show how he competes against top-end talent…
- The Oilers do hold the rights to Denezkhin for the foreseeable future and should be keeping a close eye on him as he continues his development.
- …it is clear that the Oilers took a long-term gamble on Denezkhin.
BLH’s Thoughts: I tend not to spend too much time worrying about the development of 7th round picks let alone ones from Russia.
I am curious about the potential plan with this guy though as it seems Edmonton’s top-6 is pretty much set for the next 5-8 years. Now, if Holland is still around and Denezhkin, aged 25 or older at that point, is a star in the KHL, where would he slot in as a sub-6ft left-shot forward who most likely will be a Tyler Ennis-type? Does the club see him as an impact piece from the third line?
I do agree with Hodgkinson that Denezhkin is a long-term project though and the reason is not because he was picked in the last round of the draft, it’s because the good Russian players tend to get promoted quickly with the rest left to develop at a slower pace. Denezhkin was promoted but almost immediately sent back to his junior team and that tells me that his future is cloudy at best, even for the KHL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF8IuU95NMU
The Hockey Writers (Panganiban)
Oilers’ Nugent-Hopkins & Kassian Poised for Bounce-Back Seasons
On Kassian:
- Heading into the 2021-22 season, Oilers fans can expect Kassian to have a bounce-back season.
- He’s the type of player who excels in the playoffs, laying big hits and chipping in offensively.
- Most importantly, he’s the type of player that feeds off that energy off of the crowd. Looking back at the 2017 playoffs, he was throwing his body around heavily and playing to the crowd.
- This year, fans will be allowed back into arenas (fingers crossed), primed with pent-up energy to release and ready to cheer on their team. An electrified Rogers Place will be beneficial for Kassian and it will help him find his game that made him a favorite in fan’s eyes.
BLH’s Thoughts: This is the narrative going around right now and I can buy it. It makes a lot of sense to me too, but I would argue that without fans last year, Kassian was finding his feet again only to go down with an injury.
I reckon this will be a showcase season for Kass and probably the last one he spends in Edmonton. These kind of players tend not to spend too long with one club and he’s getting up there in age. Is there a chance that he’s moved along next summer to address a roster need elsewhere?
Whatever happens, Kassian has joined a special list of enforcers who’ve played for the Oilers and his legend will carry on long after he’s skated his last shift for Edmonton.
On Nuge:
- The Oilers led the NHL in power-play percentage last year at 27 percent, and Nugent-Hopkins was a big part of that. With the addition of Hyman, the Oilers have a player that can provide the dominant net-front presence on the power play, something that has been lacking since the prime days of Ryan Smyth.
- With goalies screened, Nugent-Hopkins will have the opportunity to bury more of his deceptive snapshots from the left side, or picking up more assists— while others bury his juicy rebounds.
- With less contract distractions, peace of mind knowing his stability with the team, new player additions, and the opportunity to play wing on a line with the last two Hart Trophy winners, expect Nugent-Hopkins’ point totals to increase this year.
BLH’s Thoughts: The last point here is the real kicker I feel. Last year, the distractions of his contract and a potential summer of uncertainty with regards to his long-term future, in my opinion, really played a part in RNH’s decline in production. So, I also believe that Nuge will bounce back next season and what I’m really wondering is how much of a rebound he’ll have. Could he get into the 70pt range or is that a tad optimistic?
NHLRumors.com
Luke Fox of Sportsnet: Latest notes on the top remaining restricted free agents.
- 1. Quinn Hughes – Vancouver Canucks – A bridge deal may be the only solution for Hughes and the Canucks. He’s not eligible for an offer sheet.
- 2. Elias Pettersson – Vancouver Canucks – Pettersson and Hughes agent JP Barry said earlier this offseason that given the Canucks salary cap situation, they won’t be able to do long-term deals for both players.
- 3. Kirill Kaprizov – Minnestoa Wild – Kaprizov and the Wild may now be willing to comprimise on a mid-range deal, maybe five or six years.
- 4. Brady Tkachuk – Ottawa Senators – Tkachuk has said he’s open to a long-term deal if the Senators are as well.
- 5. Rasmus Dahlin – Buffalo Sabres – The safe bet would be a bridge deal.
- 6. Nolan Patrick – Vegas Golden Knights – Patrick will get a fresh start with the Golden Knights and likely on a bridge deal.
