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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Cult of Hockey
Player grades: Snipers on target as Oilers down Ducks
- #71 Ryan McLeod, 8. Showed his versatility playing centre, an emergency gig on right wing, and over 2 minutes on each special team.
- #91 Evander Kane, 8. Was a force throughout. Scored the critical first goal on a powerful wrist shot from the slot… 6 hits to lead the Oilers. Contributed to 6 Grade A shots in all, 0 against.
- #97 Connor McDavid, 8. Had a phenomenal first period in which he fired 6 shots on net, 3 of them on partial breakaways after he burned past the defence. Was unable to solve Gibson himself in a team-high 7 shots, but did earn a pair of primary helpers on goals by his wingers Puljujarvi and Hyman to keep level with Draisaitl in the scoring race.
- #14 Devin Shore, 4. Essentially an extra forward… The only forward without a point or a shot.
- #22 Tyson Barrie, 4. Quiet night, not involved in any Grade A shots at either end of the sheet. He was, however, in the box for the first Anaheim goal.
- #86 Philip Broberg, 5. Badly burned for the second game in a row by a slot pass which he was far too passive in defending, the puck winding up in Oilers net on both occasions.
- #56 Kailer Yamamoto, 5. Among those beaten on the first Ducks powerplay goal…
BLH’s Thoughts: Broberg 1 Zegras 0.
Is that the best game Evander Kane’s played since joining the team? He was a juggernaut out there and the hoopla surrounding his signing sure has died down, like we all know it would.
You know, I’m really interested in seeing how Woodcroft handles that 11th and 12th forward spots going forward. It’s getting apparent that he doesn’t have complete faith in Tyler Benson or Devin Shore. I wonder if Ken Holland helps him out a bit there before the trade deadline?
The feeling I’m getting with this team is very similar to the one I got back in 2017. The Oilers are playing with composure no matter the score whilst also playing with a sense of urgency. They’re scoring tough goals and the offense is coming from all throughout the lineup and most importantly, the goaltending is holding up.
That Mike Smith’s a pretty good goalie when he’s healthy…
Now, as things pertain to last night, the Ducks looked like the Oilers of old, kinda similar to the team Dallas Eakins coached in his stint in Edmonton… Case in point, the final goal that Hyman scored with four Anaheim players in the corner while he was all alone in the slot. #HereCometheDucks, amirite?
Glen Gulutzan’s Powerplay is in shambles. How is it that a five man group that includes Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse (Tyson Barrie or Evan Bouchard), as well as Jesse Puljujarvi (Zach Hyman or Evander Kane) can’t find a way to score a goal while Edmonton’s second unit featuring the likes of Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod is as hot as it’s ever been?
It’s a shame that Pulju left the game with an injury last night because I reckon his one-timer could be something worth utilizing on a revamped PP.
Oilersnation
Weekly NHL Rumours
- The Canadiens are going to be open to moving a lot of pieces. They already have two first-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, which they are hosting, and they could probably get one for Chariot. They could also probably get first-rounders for Arturri Lehkonnen and Jeff Petry if they decide to move those two players.
- It really feels like Claude Giroux is going to get moved. It’s simply a matter of where. The Colorado Avalanche make sense and are interested, but Seravalli reported earlier this week that the St. Louis Blues could be a fit as well… The Minnesota Wild and Caroline Hurricanes are two contenders who would make sense as well. Elliotte Friedman also mentioned the Florida Panthers as a team to keep an eye on.
- Edmonton isn’t in the mix for Fleury but if Fleury were to land in Colorado or Washington, then another goalie could shake loose from those markets.
- Pierre LeBrun says that the Habs have interest in some Rangers prospects. That would make sense considering Jeff Gorton basically drafted most of their high-end prospects.
- Darren Dreger says the Sabres could move defensemen Colin Miller and Robert Hagg. He added that Cody Eakin could get traded. I could see the Oilers liking Eakin as a fourth-line centre. Not sure if it’s really a need for them right now though.
- Elliotte Friedman has started openly wondering about the future of Patrick Kane. Frank Seravalli has done that in the past as well. That would be a MONSTER deal if it happened, although it wouldn’t happen until the summer.
- Sharks acting GM Joe Will on Tomas Hertl “Don’t have any interest in doing anything outside of just working on the negotiation and signing him.” We’ll see if that’s more than just saying the right thing in the media.
- I wonder how many teams would be interested in Mark Giordano if the Kraken retain 50% of his salary. As a third pairing guy, I think there would be a few willing to pay for his services.
BLH’s Thoughts: Trade season is upon us. Bob Stauffer (Oilers Now, 630CHED) said that a trade between Washington and Seattle should go down in the next week. Not sure who’s going where, but I was talking with a buddy and we thought it’d be very interesting if the Capitals brought Phillip Grubauer back by sending TJ Oshie to Seattle. The German goalie is having a hellish season with the Kraken after signing a long-term deal with the expansion club and the 35yr old Oshie’s health has been failing him plus he’s got three more season left on his deal.
Spector’s Hockey
- NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis reports it’s believed the Blackhawks won’t move Marc-Andre Fleury unless he asks to be traded.
- DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports sources said Blackhawks interim general manager Kyle Davidson was listening to offers for wingers Alex DeBrincat and Brandon Hagel.
- THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus reports winger Dominik Kubalik’s struggles this season have him facing an uncertain future with the Blackhawks.
- CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope acknowledged Seravalli’s report about Hagel but said a source told him the 23-year-old winger is virtually off the table.
- NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports the Rangers interest in Vancouver Canucks forward (and former Ranger) J.T. Miller has been “an open secret” for some time.
- THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple reports the asking price for Miller could be the classic “draft pick/prospect/player”.
- CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal cited Elliotte Friedman noted the Canucks interest in New Jersey Devils forward Pavel Zacha. However, he also said to keep an eye on the Washington Capitals as they need some help up front.
- THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal listed Zacha, Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Kasperi Kapanen, Carolina Hurricanes’ forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenseman Travis Dermott among several players between 20 and 25 years old that they speculate could be on the Canucks trade radar.
