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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The Athletic
Why Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci have fit in well with the Oilers so far
- Most of the underlying numbers haven’t cast Keith and Ceci in as favourable of a light. Even Monday, arguably their best game of the season, shot attempts were equal (11-11) between the two teams in the 15 minutes the pairing was on the ice at five-on-five. Scoring chances were a wash, too.
- Part of the reason the ice tilted for Keith and Ceci was that they enjoyed a rare night where they weren’t tasked with having to start shifts so often in the defensive zone. They’d started five out of every six shifts there through the first five games. That total was essentially reversed, only 17 percent on Monday.
- …they each have averaged more than 19 minutes and are the second defensive pairing counted on to kill penalties. At five-on-five, the Oilers are attempting 46 percent of the shots but are narrowly outscoring their opponents 6-4 with Keith and 6-5 with Ceci on the ice in just over 130 minutes.
“We’re trying to learn off each other as quick as possible,” Ceci said. “He thinks the game at such a high level. It’s cool to get a chance to play with a guy like that, with so much experience. He knows what it takes to win. I’m just trying to follow his lead back there and try to help each other as much as possible and do a job for our team.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Not every night is going to be an all-star performance from Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard, so it’s of the utmost relief that the Oilers have an insanely capable 2nd pairing to cover for them and vice versa.
I had my doubts about Ceci and Keith when they were brought in, but I also knew in my heart that a couple of vets like these two would do this Oilers team a world of good considering who they had on the 2nd pair last year. That’s no slight on The Iron Swede, but his partner in 2020-21 was never as good as Duncan Keith.
The next step is to find the perfect partner for Tyson Barrie so that the Oilers defense will never be considered a position of weakness. Could that be Phil Broberg or Dmitri Samorukov? Time will tell…
McDavid and Draisaitl working magic in the offensive zone leads to Keith’s first of the year. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/weUYXKjLVo
— Dyl (@dhockey13) November 2, 2021
Daily Faceoff Show
Could Marc-Andre Fleury be a trade target for the Edmonton Oilers?
- Over at The Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli and former NHL goaltender Mike McKenna took mailbag questions from viewers, and one asked if Marc-Andre Fleury would be a realistic target for the Oilers…
- “If the opportunity exists to go to a team that really has a chance at winning the Stanley Cup, you have to think that it does enter his mind that it’s worth doing.” – Former NHL goalie Mike McKenna
- “We’ll see. Maybe there’s a part of him that wants to keep everything settled. As reported at the beginning of the year, he’s not the type of guy who’s willing to go and play in a city for a few months and leave his family behind. His family is along for the ride and is the No. 1 priority for him.” – DFO’s Frank Seravalli
- Fleury currently owns a .888 save percentage in six games, well below the sparkling .928 save percentage he posted last season in a Vezina-winning campaign with the Golden Knights. Still, Fleury is a very good goalie with a massive load of experience, so it makes all kinds of sense for a contender in need of a goalie to be interested in trading for him.
BLH’s Thoughts: Trade deadline acquisition? I don’t see the team making a move anytime soon considering Mike Smith is nearly ready to go.
That said, with the Blackhawks in the situation they’re in and with a rookie GM at the helm… Are they ripe for the picking?
Spector’s Hockey
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington also noted the Sabres’ unwillingness to retain part of Eichel’s cap hit… Harrington speculates Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams could be contemplating multiple deals. He pointed to NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes saying not to sleep on the Calgary Flames as a suitor. The Flames lack depth in prospects compared to the Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings but the Sabres’ strong start to this season could have Adams seeking more immediate help for his roster.
- Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk is probably not in play. Harrington wonders if Elias Lindholm or Sean Monahan might be available.
THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Hailey Salvian was asked what assets she would give up if she were the Flames general manager. She considers Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane as untouchable. Johnny Gaudreau, Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson are likely “aged out” for the Sabres plus Gaudreau’s a pending UFA.
- Salvian suggested Matthew Coronato, Connor Zary, Jakob Pelletier, Dillon Dube, Juuso Valimaki and future first-round selections as potential tradeable assets for Eichel.
