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!
The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!
If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!
Give us a follow on the socials!
- Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
- Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
- Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
- Facebook: Beer League Heroes
Lowetide.ca
- Unless Niemelainen falters, I think all of William Lagesson, Philip Broberg and Slater Koekkoek are going to be well behind, with Kris Russell No. 7 on the depth chart. When the dust settles, we may be looking at this:
- Darnell Nurse-Evan Bouchard
- Duncan Keith-Cody Ceci
- Markus Niemelainen-Tyson Barrie
- Where does that place Broberg? Back in Bakersfield until injuries hit again or the trade deadline. Where does that place Dmitri Samorukov? Somewhere between the moon and New York City after the deadline is my guess. Habs would love him. Just saying. Niemelainen is turning the established order on its head.
BLH’s Thoughts: The smart thing to do would be to get Samorukov on Bakersfield’s top pair consistently (if he isn’t already) while Neemo and Broberg are in Edmonton and then make it known to him that he’s going to be the first call-up next time around and then obviously follow through on that promise. Maybe Dima gets more time on the right side for the Condors so he can offer more to his coaches presently and in the future.
You never know what might happen with Niemelainen. If he gets dinged up, you’re going to want somebody with the same sort of on-ice demeanor to step up and slot right in, no? Samorukov can do that. I think Holland could sell the Tanky Russian defenseman on this and besides, it appears as if Broberg could use the year in Bakersfield if not another one after this season.
However, what would be your ask for Samorukov if Montreal came calling? Keep in mind, Dima makes 825k/yr. So you’re a tad limited when it comes to adding veterans.
Cult of Hockey
How is Ken Holland’s “Greybeards” strategy working out for Edmonton Oilers so far?
- Mike Smith: He had a good start but promptly got hurt in Game 3. Originally listed as “day to day” he’s now “week to week” with no indication of an imminent return.
- Duncan Keith: He ranks in the middle of the pack among Oilers defenders in shot and goal shares at 5v5, his +14/-16=47% in the latter being exactly on par with the team as a whole (+49/-56=47%).
- Derek Ryan: His 5v5 goal differential of +3/-16=16% is difficult to believe… After starting out at 3C, he has since been reassigned to the fourth line and being given the opportunity to stabilize his game there. He’ll turn 35 towards the end of this month.
- Mikko Koskinen: Thrust into the starter’s role, among the league’s 32 most-active netminders (13+ GP) Koskinen ranks in the top quarter in wins but the bottom quarter in goals-against average and save percentage. The jury remains out.
- Kris Russell: Indeed his 5v5 goal share of +11/-9=55% is the best of any regular defenceman, though as usual his goal results outstrip his flow-of-play tendencies (41% shot share).
- Colton Sceviour: He’s a competent checker and penalty killer, though his boxcars of 15 GP, 0-1-1 are modest enough. So too are his 5v5 goal results of +1/-7=13%.
- Kyle Turris: In the current season he’s played 15 games with 1-1-2 with 5v5 goal results of +2/-7=22%. He’s become a press box regular in recent times, having essentially lost the 4RW battle to Sceviour due to the latter’s added value as a penalty killer.
- Zack Kassian: Overall he’s posted a respectable 4-5-9 in 19 games, but he’s been firing blanks in the bottom six since mid-October. His on-ice goal differential of +11/-14=44% is moderately close to break even, but specific to the bottom six he’s been +6/-13=32% and a low return on value a third of the way into that big contract.
- Tyson Barrie: At even strength he’s split times between the first and third pairings, enjoying modest success when playing with Nurse but under the gun when paired with the likes of Russell, Slater Koekkoek or Markus Niemelainen , with shot shares at or below 40% with each. His 5v5 goal share of +17/-19=47% is on par with the team…
BLH’s Thoughts: I was not aware that Kassian had 9pts. Prorated, that’s around 36pts. That’s pretty decent if you ask me. Maybe we’re being kinda hard on the guy.
So I suppose with that said, Ryan and Turris, the apparent answers to the third line center problem, are the only real disappointments so far. Everybody else on this list you could find some point in the current campaign where they’ve played extremely well.
So is the Project Greybeard a success? I can’t tell you. The team started 9-1-0 and now are 7-7-0 with the Bruins, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Blue Jackets coming up next. If you needed an answer, I’d have to say yes and no. Early on, they stabilized the club but as the season carried on injuries and knocks have slowed them right down.
FWIW, if the Oilers go 0-4-0 in the next week, that’ll effectively take them out of a playoff spot should the teams sitting around them win even two games.
Tick Tock Mr. Tippett… Prominent pundits around the team might not think there’s some heat beginning to rise under your butt, but that’s not what I’m hearing according to my sources. The guillotine has dropped on two coaches in the past week and you know what they say about things happening in threes…
Then again, what kind of GM would fire his coach before Christmas?
Spector’s Hockey
- THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun wondered if Daniel and Henrik Sedin will be taking on larger roles within the Vancouver Canucks organization.
- NYI HOCKEY NOW: Christian Arnold cited NHL insider Darren Dreger telling TSN 1200 he could see New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello attempting to improve his club before all hope of reaching the 2022 playoffs are lost.
