June 4, 2022 /

Edmonton Oilers Playoff Talk: It’s Time to Swing for the Fences

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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Lowetide

  • If Yamamoto is hurt, one would think Dylan Holloway makes his NHL debut. If the Oilers go 7D, one of Russell or Broberg will draw in. I could also see Yamamoto out and a D added being the only move, but Holloway is available and has the kind of speed that will set the Avalanche back on their heels. Great passer too.

BLH’s Thoughts: Bob Stauffer has been on the Holloway train for a while now and yesterday former Edmonton Oilers dman Jason Strudwick hopped on. Strudwick made the point that if you’re going to adjust the roster, you’re not making it slower and therefore the likes of Dylan Holloway and Philly Broberg should be inserted. 

My feeling is that this is the game to take the big swing on the kids. At worst, it doesn’t work out and the coaches can go back to what’s worked for them in the past. At best, the kids save the day and inject some life and excitement into an organization that seems defeated. 

In previous series’ I think there might’ve been a hesitancy to play Holloway and Broberg partly because of the physical intensity that LA and Calgary brought. I mean Milan Lucic ate Broberg for lunch a few times this year, right? But against Colorado, I am confident in saying the Avs won’t be taking the series to the trenches and in my opinion, that works to Edmonton’s advantage now that we’ve realized going after Joe Sakic’s boys through intimidation is a futile effort. 

If there’s space to move, you’d think Broberg and Holloway might be a tad better than Shore or Russell. Worried about blocking shots? Broberg and Holloway are high character players, they’ll do what’s necessary to get the job done. 

Like I said, it’s best to take a gamble right now and hope to high hell it’s enough to get Edmonton back into this series. 

Sportsnet

Oilers need a healthy, in-form Darnell Nurse to salvage series vs. Avalanche
  • The most important caveat here is that let’s be honest, the man is hurt. When asked about him after Game 2, Jay Woodcroft basically shrugged and said “He’s giving us all he can. He’s a warrior.”
  • I often just see him a few inches on the wrong side of guys I feel like he’d normally be able to snuff out. He’s chasing.
  • Nurse has been handed a brutal assignment, spending most of his time on the ice against Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, approaching nearly 20 minutes of ice against each guy. You would expect his stats to take some abuse with that.
  • So the point here isn’t that Nurse has let his team down, it’s looking for a way for Edmonton to get back in this series, and finding that the D-man that’s the Oilers time-on-ice leader at even strength is getting pummeled in his minutes.
  • …there’s three things can happen now for the Oilers:
    • Nurse finds a way to play better and they have a chance.
    • The Oilers find a way to ease the workload/competition level for him, others step up, and they have a chance.
    • Nothing changes and they lose.

BLH’s Thoughts: As I was saying above, if you’re going to take a chance with a big roster move, tonight’s the night. Win and there’s a chance the Oilers can tie up the series. Lose and nobody’s going to be surprised, but something has to be done. Loading up the to line didn’t work in game one and having 29 and 97 center their own lines in game two didn’t have the desired impact either. 

So It’s time to swap Darnell with Kulak and muck around with the forwards a bit. 

Kane-McDavid-Draisaitl
Hyman-RNH-Pulju
Foegele-McLeod-Ryan
Archibald-Holloway

Kulak-Ceci
Keith-Bouchard
Nurse-Barrie
Broberg

With a number of players Woodcroft could adjust his lines based on who’s skating well, right? If the kids are having a positive impact they could be moved up the lineup. Who knows? You could have Broberg paired up with Bouchard or Ceci and Holloway playing with Connor or Leon by the 3rd. 

I don’t feel good about Edmonton’s chances without Nurse and Leon at 100% and this evening’s game is no different even if Woodcroft does put Holloway and Broberg in and plays them regularly. Colorado has stopped the offensive juggernaut that is the Oilers right in its track with no response from Edmonton… 

I hope for the best, but honestly, I’m expecting the worst. 

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey
  • Mike Zeisberger reports Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff expects Mark Scheifele will return with the club next season.
  • In his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported re-signing with the Carolina Hurricanes remains an option for Vincent Trocheck.
  • Sammi Silber observed the Capitals could get some cap relief for next season by placing Backstrom and Wilson on long-term injury reserve… If Backstrom were to miss significant time, Silber pondered whether Colorado’s Nazem Kadri would be a good fit if he becomes available on the free-agent market.
The Daily Goal Horn
  • According to TFP’s David Pagnotta, two former NHL head coaches that Vegas is believed to have interest in, at least internally, is former Winnipeg Jets bench boss Paul Maurice and former Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet, who is currently an Analyst for TNT.
  • There’s been a lot of talk that Carey Price may be unable to go for next season, but until the Canadiens can get that clarification it will be hard to make any big moves.
NHLRumors.com
  • There was a report (in Russian) on Sportexpress by reporter Ivan Bogun that the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers have decided to not select any Russian players in the 2022 NHL Draft.
  • GM Armstrong on if forward Vladimir Tarasenko will be back with the team next season: “I’m not concerned about Vladi for next year at all.”
  • The Calgary Flames have said they will do all they can to re-sign pending UFA Johnny Gaudreau but if they can’t, could the New York Islanders have a chance? Slim, but not impossible.
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CategoriesArmchair GM Beer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL Prospects Rumors

Tags2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs 2022 Western Conference Final Cale Makar Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers Rumors Leon Draisaitl Nathan MacKinnon NHL NHL Rumors

Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!