Edmonton Oilers Talk: The Honey Badger’s Slump Will Pass says Former Oilers Beat Writer

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Sportsnet

Oilers’ revamped third line providing much-needed balance

The two major factors that have left Edmonton wanting in the post-season are depth at forward, experience on defence, and the lack of a proficient third-line centre.
Today, head coach Dave Tippett is running out a third line of veteran faceoff man Derek Ryan between six-foot-two left winger Warren Foegele with the six-foot-three Kassian on the right side. Ryan has gone 62.2 per cent in the circle through his first three games as an Oiler.
Ostensibly, the Oilers have gone from having two legit lines and a mish-mash of players in their Bottom 6, to having three defined lines, and a fourth line with a collection of players who do what fourth-line players are supposed to do.
It’s a proper third line filled with legit third-line NHL players.
Kassian should never be in your Top 6. He’s a Bottom 6 winger, and teams that have players in their proper positions are always the best ones, by season’s end.
Bouchard stepped up to the top pair with Darnell Nurse on Tuesday, taking some ice time from a struggling Tyson Barrie as Edmonton tried to hold a lead. So far, Bouchard looks like a Top 4 D-man, despite being employed on the third pairing for now.
Why are the Oilers a better team this season? More good players, that’s why.

BLH’s Thoughts: Not shocking at all, this third line doesn’t have even one rookie or young player on it. Warren Foegele is the youngest at 25 but he’s played nearly 200 games. To add to that, every player on the line has a clearly defined roll and it’s one that plays to their strengths.

Remember when the pundits in town were saying that it would take until Christmas for Evan Bouchard to make it to the top-four? Those were the days…

I’m just being facetious, my feeling is that the plan on the right side of the defense was for it to always be in a fluid state of affairs. Bouchard and Barrie are completely interchangeable and there’s going to be games where Tyson’s veteran savvy will be needed alongside Darnell Nurse as well as times when Evan Bouchard’s flat-out skill and IQ will help the team more.

I think the key isn’t to worry about where player A is slotted in the lineup but to relish in the improved depth the team has and be elated that the club even has Player A (and Player B, C, D, etc).

Oilersnation

Kids These Days

Watching Evan Bouchard and Kailer Yamamoto heading in opposite directions in Dave Tippett’s line-up during the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 win over the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday was an interesting juxtaposition and another reminder young players seldom develop in a straight line.
Bouchard moved up from third-pairing duty alongside Slater Koekkoek to Tippett’s top pairing with Darnell Nurse on a night he’d score a goal and add an assist in 19:36 of play.
At the same time, the coach took Yamamoto off a line with Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and had his backside stapled to the bench for most of the third period because he didn’t like what he saw.
The kid fans dubbed the Honey Badger hasn’t forgotten how to play smart, productive hockey. It just looks like it. This will pass.
I won’t be surprised to see Yamamoto back with Hyman and RNH on the road trip. Likewise, Tippett could put Bouchard with Nurse or he could drop him to his third pairing. These kinds of moves come and go with the ebb and flow, to borrow from Tippett, of a season and they are part of the normal development of young players like Bouchard and Yamamoto.

BLH’s Thoughts: Yamamoto started his career with 26pts in 27gp and now he hasn’t scored in over 30 games… in Bouchard’s first full year with the Oilers, he only got into 14 games, but now he’s getting top-pairing minutes alongside Darnell Nurse… Peaks and Valleys, baby! Embrace the volatility!

NHLRumors.com

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: The idea of the San Jose Sharks terminating Evander Kane’s contract should now be gone. It’s going to be a delicate situation until it’s finally dealt with.
The Ottawa Senators will want real value from teams that are calling about defenseman Erik Brannstrom.
The Vancouver Canucks – Travis Hamonic situation may be more complicated than what is out there.
Anaheim Ducks pending UFAs Ryan Getzlaf, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell are not close to any extensions.
Cal Peterson’s three-year, $15 million contract he got from the Los Angeles Kings this offseason could be a comparable deal for Toronto Maple Leafs pending UFA goalie Jack Campbell.