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 Cult of Hockey
Will Edmonton Oilers G.M. Ken Holland “zig” or “zag”: 9 Things
- 9. Edmonton Oilers prospect Xavier Bourgault has been named to the Team Canada World Junior roster. No Carter Savoie . No Tyler Tullio . But 16-year old Connor Bedard is on the list. Hard to imagine Savoie, a 19-year old NCAA player, not being a better 2-way option.
BLH’s Thoughts: Geez. I feel like I’ve read this before…
- 8. I expect Philip Broberg will be an Oiler, long-term. He has elite talent. But pump the brakes on keeping him on the NHL roster once Darnell Nurse and Duncan Keith return… Kris Russell is a better option.
- 6. I expect the Oilers to slow-play Mike Smith’s return…
BLH’s Thoughts: Reckon the Oilers are going to slow-play Smith’s return because of this…
There are some whispers out there that Mike Smith could be out long-term…
We'll see if that's the case in the next month or so… #LetsGoOilers
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) December 4, 2021
- 5. The Oilers are not a 4-line team… And the only 4 th liner consistent as of late has been Colton Sceviour. Devin Shore is almost healthy again and when he is, he’ll play. And Shore is a better winger than a pivot.
- 4. In 2 years from now, one of Marcus Niemelainen or Dmitri Samorukov is likely to be the Oilers 3LD…
- Niemelainen brings a physicality that you don’t much see anymore (my Cult of Hockey colleague Bruce McCurdy tells me The 6’5 205 Finn has 12 hits in his 1 st 24 NHL minutes). He is a bit of a throwback.
- Samorukov, while not quite as rugged, moves the puck much better. He is more of a complete package.
BLH’s Thoughts: Anything could happen in two years, but what we do know is that Duncan Keith’s contract will have expired as will have Slater Koekkoek’s and Kris Russell’s is done this year. Meaning the Oilers will need THREE dmen to fill that gap and they’ll have Broberg, Niemelainen, and Samorukov graduating…
Why does it have to sound like a choice needs to be made between the Finn and the Russian?
- 3. Edmonton-born Jake DeBrusk is on the market. Yes, Edmonton is interested. Here is a pointed question for you: Are the Oilers are more likely to win a playoff series with DeBrusk or Kailer Yamamoto?…
- I think it is far more likely that Edmonton looks at DeBrusk in the off-season. I think there’s a good chance he ends up a Free Agent. And then…
BLH’s Thoughts: So the question that is begging to be asked, what does the future of Kailer Yamamoto as an Edmonton Oiler look like?
- 2. The Oilers were chasing the game yet again Friday night. I don’t see the “poor starts” issue as the coaching staff’s fault… Edmonton is more of a fire wagon club, like the Swift Current Broncos were from that same 80’s era in junior hockey. A “shock & awe” approach to starting games may deliver better results on a more consistent basis.
- 1.I will fall over backward if Ken Holland does not shore up the lineup prior to the post-season. But in terms of big moves, I see Holland’s path continuing down the longer-term road.
- Montreal is said to be asking for a 1 st Round pick for Defenceman Ben Chiarot . He would make the Oilers better. But at $3.5m and as an expiring 30-year old UFA? I think that a #1 is an over-pay for him.
- Alternative: Seattle’s Carson Soucy . He is 3+ years younger than Ben Chiarot, $700K cheaper and would be under club control for another full season before he could hit the UFA market.
BLH’s Thoughts: Leavins is talking about the amount of prospects coming up through the system when he brings up the “longer-term road.”
The short-term road speaks to Edmonton’s defence and I’ll say, I didn’t mind Soucy’s performance the other night, but at the same time, what is he on the Edmonton Oilers? A 2nd pair defender or a 3rd pair?
And considering that Ron Francis loaded up on dmen at the expansion draft, what are the prices going to look like there after the bigger names like Mark Giordano are gone?
Also, knowing that Soucy is priced reasonably and aged perfect for that team, why would the Kraken even want to move Soucy?
Personally, just because that first rounder is burning a hole in your pocket, there should be no pressure to move it for less than what you want for it. If the team is serious about its Stanley Cup aspirations, buy what you need at the deadline and move on.
Edmonton Sun
OILERS NOTES: Kids are alright in loss against Seattle Kraken
- With four regulars out of the lineup, the Oilers, for the second consecutive game, turned to Evan Bouchard, Markus Niemelainen, Philip Broberg and William Lagesson, who combined have 82 games of NHL experience.
- They weren’t the issue in the 4-3 loss, with Bouchard finishing at plus-2 with a goal and assist, Lagesson finishing at plus-1, while Niemelainen and Broberg were both minus-1. Niemelainen also registered seven hits and three blocked shots in his 13:39 of ice time.
- The Oilers are hoping Cody Ceci can come off COVID-19 protocol this week as the Oilers prepare to host four opponents in a week…
- Nugent-Hopkins had two assists in the loss, which give him 500 points for his NHL career. Nugent-Hopkins has 187 goals and 313 assists in 678 games for the Oilers.
BLH’s Thoughts: With a rookie in net and a couple of gassed out vets on the top-pairing, the coaching staff should’ve done a better job of recognizing the struggles and addressing them earlier in the game.
With four games in the next week, they’ll need Nurse to come back and for the kids who are playing well to be leaned on a tad. Barrie and Russell can’t be relied upon to stop LA, Minnesota, Boston, and Carolina… Talk about a murderer’s row… Good Christ… Reckon Koskinen plays all four or will Tippett actually give Skinner a start against one of this year’s juggernauts?
Spector’s Hockey
- TSN: Darren Dreger believes New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald could be in the market for a scoring winger or two. He expects Fitzgerald will check with the Bruins about DeBrusk, though the cost of qualifying his rights next summer might not be a good fit for the Devils.
- THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Olivia Reiner reports Flyers captain Claude Giroux said he’s not thinking about waiving his no-movement clause.
- THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek doesn’t see the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames as potential trade destinations for Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk. He felt the Seattle Kraken are a better fit, suggesting a swap of DeBrusk with Mason Appleton going to the Bruins.
