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
It’s easy to blame Mikko Koskinen, but he isn’t Oilers’ biggest summer mistake or even their most pressing problem
- Edmonton’s current goalie mess thus goes back to two decisions:
- Nicholson approving the Koskinen contract and Holland signing Smith this summer.
- Bringing in a competent starter would make a huge difference for the Oilers, something in the order of 12 points of save percentage. If, with the stroke of a pen, we could retroactively give them a .920 five-on-five save percentage all season, it would instantly erase 10 goals against.
- That brings us to the second thing that’s being overlooked: an Edmonton team with 10 fewer five-on-five goals against would still be below break-even at five-on-five.
- For five seasons, scoring more goals than the opposition at five-on-five has been an aspirational goal for the Oilers, one they have not yet managed to reach.
- Edmonton can outwait Koskinen, find a place for Smith or even spend big assets on a name-brand goaltender, but none of that will bring the Oilers playoff success if they can’t find a way to outplay their opponents at even strength.
BLH’s Thoughts: I think it goes without saying, if the team had better depth, they’d score more and then they wouldn’t have to rely on McDavid and Draisaitl so much.
With that in mind, there’s no GM in the league looking to throw the Oilers a life vest and I would be a little surprised if Holland makes any move in the next two weeks. My feeling is that he wants to see what the team can do at full strength (and health) and maybe in a way, that would be him “helping” Dave Tippett.
The Cult of Hockey
- Smart GM’s will be planning on a flat cap for the next 2-3 years. If things improve faster, it’s just gravy. I believe this is how Ken Holland sees the situation as he sizes it up today. He knows he needs young players with high ceilings on value contracts in order to be competitive going forward. If he spends those young assets now, is Holland effectively shortening the length of time this club can be and stay competitive?
- Ryan McLeod is a very important prospect to this organization. He has the size and approaching-elite level speed to grow into the 3C slot at a bargain price. Again, in a flat cap world, McLeod could be found money. His last stretch of games has been very encouraging. And he is adept at faceoffs for his age (right around 50%).
- The Oilers are also betting that when Duncan Keith retires, moves on or moves down in the lineup that Philip Broberg will fill the 2LD position… Holland’s preferred model is to over-ripen his prospects. Unless a fabulous asset comes available and he just can’t pass it up, I don’t expect Holland to move Broberg.
- …if Holloway goes there and plays well out of the gate, I think his stay in California will be a lot shorter than most might think. Not only could Holloway help the Oilers depth, he’s also a potential Top-6 player still on his ELC.
- With Mike Smith under contract for another year and Skinner not waiver exempt next season, acquiring new de-facto #1 would be complicated going forward.
BLH’s Thoughts: Why would acquiring a new #1 be complicated? Mike Smith doesn’t have any trade protection.
Remember when I said Dylan Holloway’s return might get expedited? With the practise he filled in for Yamamoto at, the hamster wheel is turning amongst the media in Edmonton. They’re even slotting him into the top-six without him even having played ONE game in the NHL.
Things never really change in Edmonton, do they? Always trying to recapture those glory days of the 80s instead of getting with the times…
So with Ryan McLeod, he’s not a 3C right now, he’s just been thrust into the role (where have Oilers fans seen that before?). It’s possible the offense comes, but to be honest, I’d really love for him to develop into an elite defensive center. The faceoff ability is already there, so that’s one box checked. He can skate with the best of them, another box checked. He’s got extremely ideal size, check the next box! His only drawback is that he doesn’t get into the “guts” of the game according to pundits like Stauffer or Leavins and he needs to shoot more, but he’s a rookie too…
As for the first point above, an overlooked aspect of training McLeod to be a shutdown pivot is that generally these types don’t earn huge salaries.
When is the last time Edmonton had an elite defensive center? Maybe it’s time…
Spector’s Hockey
- NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes we can add Klingberg to the “endless list of potential marquee rental properties” who will be linked to the Rangers leading up to the March 21 trade deadline. He pointed out GM Chris Drury has the cap space and prized prospects “to get anyone (any two?) he would want.”
- SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek said he can confirm at least 10 teams have contacted the Arizona Coyotes to inquire about Jakob Chychrun. “A couple of offers have given the Coyotes cause for pause,” he said.
- Elliotte Friedman believes there are teams who will want to sign Evander Kane if the San Jose Sharks successfully terminate his contract.
BLH’s Thoughts: I know it’d be controversial, but Evander Kane on Leon Draisaitl’s LW would be a dangerous pairing. I’m just saying. For a team that is in the hole it’s in, Kane could come in and provide a real short-term (or long-term depending on multiple factors) jolt to this team and it would allow the club to move Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the third line and Ryan McLeod to the wing.
