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.ca
- The Oilers have two games in hand on the Calgary Flames, but are three points behind and trail marginally in winning percentage.
- That said, it’s a good day for the team to reassess in some areas. Kassian can’t keep making mistakes and stay in the lineup, and Ryan has played 19 games, giving up 14 goals allow the way (at five-on-five).
- Speaking of the Flames, I’m constantly surprised at the rage some Oilers fans feel toward them. The best part of sports is to have a rival who is equally strong, and this year Calgary has done it, maybe too well.
- After all those years of one Alberta team (or both) being in the ditch, why not embrace what should be a strong battle through the rest of the season?
- Personally, I’m hoping the Oilers and Flames meet in the playoffs. Not because I know the Oilers would win the series, but rather because I don’t know the outcome.
- That’s the best part of sports.
BLH’s Thoughts: Nope. I love how Sutter’s got Calgary playing because I think the Oilers should be doing it like that, but there’s not way in Sam’s Holographic Hell that I’m cheering for the Flames to win games. Especially this year when they’ve got a team that could absolutely shut the Oilers down like Winnipeg did last year.
The best part of sports is watching your team beat the living daylights out their opponents.
Oilersnation
Is Jake Debrusk a good fit for the Oilers?
- Once again, rumors are linking Debrusk to the Oilers. Nick Kypreos stated last Monday that Edmonton was among several teams that showed interest in him (other teams that reportedly asked about him included Calgary, St. Louis, and Carolina).
- In my personal opinion, I think a large reason for Debrusk’s numbers deteriorating is simply due to bad luck.
- Debrusk’s lofty goal-scoring totals in 18-19 were never sustainable, considering he had a 17.3 SH% that year, but the opposite has occurred in his two most recent seasons – he’s posted merely a 6.3 SH%. In addition, his on-ice shooting% in the past two seasons is even lower, at 5.2%.
- An interesting comparison to Debrusk is Ryan Strome. After posting 50 points during the 2014-15 season, Strome’s production declined over the following years, but his prior production rates gradually returned to form with the Rangers.
- Debrusk is also a solid puck-mover, placing in the 60-70th percentiles in both zone exits and zone entries. His transitional abilities are probably one reason for his above-average chance generation results.
- While his 20-22 results are not strong, Debrusk has generally posted above-average defensive results over the past four seasons. Statistically, one area he especially excels in is suppressing high-quality chances.
- In spite of his recent struggles, Debrusk has still produced at a higher rate than both Warren Foegele and Zack Kassian in the past four seasons, and Debrusk’s play-driving metrics are superior to Kassian’s.
- Insider Darren Dreger has also reported that there’s a “bidding war” for Debrusk, so Boston will most likely receive superior offers in comparison to just a one-for-one Debrusk for Kassian deal. Perhaps the Oilers could add a defenseman or a pick to make it worth their while?
- Others have speculated about a Debrusk for Yamamoto trade. In my opinion, that’s a loss for Edmonton. Yamamoto is younger, has a more reasonable contract situation, and has more upside in my opinion.
BLH’s Thoughts: Tell ya what, if Yamamoto for DeBrusk is on the table, you get Boston to take back Kassian in the deal and you get it done. There’s only a two year age difference between Yamo and Louie’s kid and for me, that’s marginal because I’m of the belief that Jake could put up more than 6pts playing alongside one of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in a 20+ game stretch.
I know somebody is going to scream, “BUT THE QUALIFYING OFFER ON DeBRUSK’S CONTRACT!” and if I’m not mistaken, both parties can agree to a deal before the current contract expires without even considering the qualifying offer.
That’s a lot of sunshine and roses, the one backfire is if the Oilers did acquire Jake and he lit it up and decided he was worth more than the team figured. Surely, that’d be a scenario where you simply pony up and cut your losses elsewhere?
Here’s what it’s going to come down to and it’s dumb, I know, but it’s a thing. Yamamoto’s size. He’s not Marty St. Louis and he’s not Theo Fleury. He’s not a game breaker and if you’re going to be a professional NHL player at 5’6″ or 5’7″ and 160lbs (maybe), whatever he is, you’ve got to bring more than great penalty killing skills to the table. You’ve got to produce and Killer isn’t.
He doesn’t have DeBrincat’s shot, he doesn’t play on the edge like Marchand, he can’t win draws like Derek Ryan, and he doesn’t pass like Aho.
Conversely, none of those guys can go into the corner or along the boards and dig the puck out like Yamo…
I’m not trying to shit on the guy because he’s a fantastic role model for little guys all over the world playing hockey. All I’m pointing out is that the Oilers may or may not be thinking the same thing and when we get to the post-season and everything ratchets up, can the club put their trust in Yamamoto like they could DeBrusk (who has a bit of a strong history of playoff performances).
The Hockey Writers Rumors
- Mitch Marner and Jake Muzzin collided in practice and Marner was not happy about it… Marner did leave practice early and they called it a precautionary decision.
- Marner was heated after the hit and Keefe noted, “I was told there was a little bit of an exchange … but, especially those two guys, I don’t worry about that kind of stuff at all. Things happen out there … our team’s really close & that kind of stuff will be shaken off pretty quickly.”
- As per TSN’s Darren Dreger, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion is likely already talking to teams about potential trades, but also notes that the Senators believe the solution to their recent slide has to come from within.
