Around the Oilogosphere – March 27th Edition – McDavid Hart Debates, 31 Thoughts, The Oilers Biggest Need, and Plenty of NHL Rumors!

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I think we could all use a night off from the Oilers after watching them sh*t the bed against the Blue Jackets last night. Good grief! What in Sam’s Hell was that? Can’t blame it on fatigue. Can we blame it on coaching? I mean I have no idea why McLellan was deploying his lines the way he was. Maybe he didn’t have a choice since the whole team was stinking up the joint, just let the lines roll baby…

But that shouldn’t have mattered anyhow. The Blue Jackets came to the rink prepared to outwork the Oilers and that they did. The Oilers could use a few more players like Boone Jenner on their roster in my opinion. Players who are willing to do what it takes night in and night out.

I did see that Jesse Puljujarvi has been in the conversations today though. I don’t get it with pundits and fans when they talk about Pulju. They all want him to be this 19-year-old Finnish Jari Kurri and right now too. Even when you listen to Stauffer, who says he loves the kid, talk about him, he stumbles over his words. Says things like Jesse comes from a “rural” part of Finland when defending him on his show. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I reckon there are a lot of folk who are concerned that if our Grinnin’ Finn doesn’t start to pick it up here that he’ll be moved. It’s stark reality too given Peter Chiarelli’s transaction background but there’s a player here. Let’s give him the time to properly marinate.

There was once a time when 1st round draft picks didn’t make their team in their first, second, or third camp even. Hell, most of the time they had to go to the AHL to earn their stripes and then they’d get the call and it wasn’t straight to the top 6 either, it was bottom 6 and earn your way to the top lines and PP.

Now I’m not saying JP hasn’t earned it or that is even a thing now but Jesse Puljujarvi is in the best spot for him at this time in his development. 3rd line TOI against 3rd line opposition with two players who have been in the league quite some time.

So there’s absolutely no need to rush him in the final 12 games (5 games now) of the season. All the team needs to ask him to do is relax and work on some specific instructions. Then in the offseason, maybe go home to Finland for half and then come back to North America for half and train with someone like Gary Roberts and/or Adam Oates.

We’re going to see a drastically different player, for the good, next season and by the time Puljujarvi is 21, we’re going to have an outstanding winger because the team was patient with him and brought him along slowly.

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OILERS NEWS

The Cult of Hockey – McDavid is Taking His Game to the Next Level – Remember when Connor McDavid was having trouble putting the biscuit in the basket? It was just a couple of months ago that the Edmonton Oilers phenom went through a drought, scoring just once in 13 games leading into the All-Star break.

The Cult of Hockey – Various Hockey Analysts on McDavid and the Hart Trophy – A number of NHL hockey writers say they will downgrade or eliminate Connor McDavid from contention to win the Hart Trophy for the league’s most valuable player because his Edmonton Oilers will fail to make the playoffs.

Oilersnation – Brownlee on the McDavid/Hart Trophy Debate – Whether an MVP candidate’s team makes the playoffs or not and how much weight that carries – is front and centre in the Hart Trophy debate right now. That’s understandable. What I don’t get is that some media people who have a vote don’t think McDavid even belongs in the top five on the PHWA ballot.

Oilersnation – The Oilers Biggest Need – The Edmonton Oilers have five games left and then the offseason begins. Roster moves don’t happen until June, but some coaches and general managers go, college free agents sign and the lottery balls are drawn to see who gets the first three picks in the draft. What is the Oilers’ biggest need going into the summer?

Oilersnation – The NHL Draft Lottery Odds Have Changed – The Edmonton Oilers are seasoned veterans of winning the draft lottery and they will be in consideration for the top pick yet again this year. Not a single person among us, media included (no matter how hard they try to revise history) believed that the team would be this bad this year.

Oilersnation – Cam Talbot’s Next Contract – How do you handle Talbot’s next contract? He’s signed for one more year before he can hit the open market. At this point last year, it seemed like a no-brainer he should be inked long-term. But is that still the case after this year’s showing?

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