Edmonton Oilers Talk: “…he wanted to show people he was still a good player. He’s doing that right now.”

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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Edmonton Sun

Edmonton Oilers blue line holding up without Larsson, Bear and Klefbom

There will always be isolated mistakes and breakdowns, that’s just part of the game, but the Oilers blue line is holding up extremely well for a group that lost Larsson, Ethan Bear and Oscar Klefbom in a space of two years.
Considering that Keith and Ceci are each coming to a new team and never played together before, they’ve meshed quickly and effectively, providing an unspectacular, but stable, base.
The fact that both are established veterans seems to make the chemistry much easier to forge. Not having to worry about the other guy making an inexperienced mistake always takes some of the pressure off a defence partner.

“There is still some growth to be had in their game, both of them,” said Tippett. “But they’ve come a long way. They’re getting a lot more comfortable. They’re understanding the role they’re being put in and understanding how we play.

BLH’s Thoughts: That’s what some of the smarter folks in the Oilogosphere were saying when Holland brought Keith and Ceci in, that those two would tame the peaks and valleys that came with having younger defensemen on the roster. The veterans would be able to adapt to the coaching plans faster as well.

There was always going to be an element of doubt considering the seasons Ceci had in Toronto and Ottawa and with Keith due to some of the unflattering metrics he’s put up in recent years for the Blackhawks. This is normal, but I’ve always believed in young teams having excellent vets on the team to help them get over the mental barriers that come with losing streaks, bad bounces, and failures.

Sportsnet

Standing tall in Oilers’ crease, Koskinen dispels stigma of being a bad contract

It’s been described as general manager Peter Chiarelli’s fluff in the elevator, the three-year, $13.5 million deal he signed goaltender Mikko Koskinen to that was announced literally a day before he was sent out the door in Edmonton.
Koskinen has overcome the stigma of being a “bad contract” that GM Ken Holland simply has not been able to move. He has persevered through the knowledge that almost every shooter in the NHL would go glove side, given the time to have a preference, and he’s walked into the Edmonton Oilers nets this fall and absolutely carried the load.
He won’t make the same money in his next contract, and chances are — with Smith on Year 1 of a two-year deal — it probably won’t be here in Edmonton. But if Koskinen’s play continues at this level he’ll end up in an NHL market where the yoke of a big contract will be gone from his shoulders.

“Last year he was very open about his challenges, without his family, not playing as well as he’d like. He came back with a real purpose, a veteran guy who understands his role on our team. He came back with a chip on his shoulder — he wanted to show people he was still a good player. He’s doing that right now.” – Dave Tippett, Oilers Head Coach

BLH’s Thoughts: I do find it interesting that Koskinen is playing as well as he is with an older defense in front of him. I reckon that this being a “normal” season has also contributed and of course, any time a veteran is going into a campaign where he’s playing for his next contract, there’s bound to be an uptick in his game.

I’m all for it and given all the abuse that Koskinen has taken from the Oilers fanbase and the local media, he deserves all the success and plaudits that he’s receiving. He’s worked his ass off and put up with too much bullshit not to be rewarded. I do hope at the end of the day he’s lifting Lord Stanley’s Cup for all of his troubles.

The Daily Goal Horn

Reports out of media outlets in Russia indicate the New York Rangers have agreed to loan Vitali Kravtsov to his former KHL team, Traktor.
Latest reports indicate that GM Chris Drury has asked for a top prospect in return for Kravtsov. That’s something he is unlikely to get if the 21 year-old is just sitting idle waiting for a trade.
A look at the Maple Leafs salary cap situation for the 2022-23 season indicates that they will have around 58% of their salary cap dedicated to five players… John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and now Rielly will account for $48 million in cap space next season. The Leafs will need to start considering making trades in preparation for next season.
James Mirtle of The Athletic believes the first casualty will be Ilya Mikheyev, who will be a UFA next summer. The other is goaltender Jack Campbell. Alex Kerfoot, Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin also are mentioned as candidates that could be on the way out.

BLH’s Thoughts: Or… What if they did the right thing and moved one of those big contracts? Reckon Dubas and Keefe survive until the start of next season? I’ve got my doubts…