Edmonton Oilers Talk: Puljujarvi, Husso, Smith, Monahan, and More!

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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Oil on Whyte

3 Players Who Have Something To Prove In The Final Weeks

Jesse Puljujarvi is one of the best if not the best forecheckers on the Oiler. When he is on the ice the Edmonton Oilers get way more chances for than against. That being said Puljujarvi needs to be putting the puck in the net more often.
Mikko Koskinen isn’t playing bad, but if he wants to be a game changer moving forward his game is going to have to improve. This is even more important for him now that it looks like Mike Smith is finding his game again.
There is no secret that this season hasn’t been the best for Zack Kassian. For this season not to be a complete disaster for him he will need to pick up his play of the Edmonton Oilers.

BLH’s Thoughts: Personally, I reckon the only guys that have any pressure on them to keep this boat afloat are the netminders. If some of the forwards can get hot in the last three or four games, that would be nice, but having one or two cold goalies leading you into the first round would be less than ideal.

We’re so late in the season here, there’s really nothing left to prove at this point. Maybe a call-up from Bakersfield like Dylan Holloway could make a good impression that would give management some pause, but I truly believe the coaching staff has the playoff roster set in their minds already.

Just as an aside, the game this afternoon is something of a must win for Edmonton. Vegas has a $93M payroll and I would be disgusted if they were allowed to deploy it to its fullest extent should they crawl into the playoffs because they have the guns to do some real damage. It’s said that LA have the easiest schedule to close out the year, well, let’s hope they take advantage. The Golden Knights’ luck has to run out at some point and what better time than now?

Cult of Hockey

Top dark horse candidates to be stretch drive and playoff heroes for the Edmonton Oilers?

Brad Malone: Malone is a big, aggressive, smart and defensively capable centre, one who can kill penalties, hit and cover off the defensive slot.
Warren Foegele: He’s big, fast and rugged, all traits that should help him come crunch time. He’s been a solid defensive winger for the Oilers this year, while creating plenty on the attack, often by taking the puck hard, harder and hardest to the net, barging in there as much as any Oilers attackers not named Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.
Jesse Puljujarvi: He’s a big, fast winger, and he’s not afraid to mix it up in the corners and in front of the net. He’s also had a high rate of shots, 98th overall for NHL forwards, but a crap shooting percentage, 367th overall.
Evan Bouchard: Bouchard’s a smart player with a brilliant offensive game. If he can rev that game up down the stretch and into the playoffs, he can be involved in many a big goal in weeks to come.
Duncan Keith: Holland talked earlier this season about the need for greybeards, veteran players who had won in the playoffs and could raise up the entire team in crunch time. When it comes to Keith, he’s been a strong attacker and marginal defender in a Top 4 role this year, but I’m bullish on his chances in coming weeks and (I hope) months.
Mike Smith: He’s a charismatic team leader, someone the Oilers and the fans can rally around. And for the first time all year really, he’s displayed consistent glimpses of his excellent 2020-21 self in recent weeks.

BLH’s Thoughts: Somebody will have to correct me on this, but wasn’t Smith’s last season with Calgary very similar to this one where he struggled during the regular season until the end and then was the only guy to keep them in their first round series vs COL (I believe)? If so, this year is shaping up in similar fashion and if he’s as good as he was then in this year’s post-season, I’m feeling pretty bullish on Edmonton’s chances to get out of the first round.

When the rink shrinks in the playoffs, players who thrive in the muck will be the difference makers. Your Hymans, Kanes, Puljujarvis, Foegeles, Archibalds, Kassians, and hopefully Yamamotos, will be able to grind this team through each round with Connor, Leon, and Nuge driving the scoring.

One concern I have is with how the team’s defense is constructed though. Will the lack of true more than two cycle breakers hurt this team and will the puck movers be able to get that puck up and out of their own zone when the other team’s forecheckers put on that playoff pressure? Mike Smith will help in that regard, but I don’t think it’s fair to put the responsibility of every breakout on his shoulders. We’re going to learn what Evan Bouchard is made of, that’s for sure.

Trade Rumors

The Daily Goal Horn: What needs to be asked now is if Gaudreau has priced himself off the Flames?… There is a way the Flames can give Gaudreau whatever he asks, and retain both Zadorov and Jarnkork. They need to trade Sean Monahan and his 1 year remaining at $6.375M.
NHLRumors.com: Top tier of pending UFA goaltenders: Jack Campbell, Marc-Andre Fleury, Ville Husso and Darcy Kuemper… Next tier of pending UFA goalies: Mikko Koskinen, Joonas Korpisalo, Martin Jones, Braden Holtby and Jaroslav Halak.
- Sources have said that the Minnesota Wild have interest in bringing Fleury back next season.
- The Blues haven’t had any talks with the Husso, and he will likely price himself out and won’t be back…
- The Colorado Avalanche haven’t spoken with Kuemper yet as they are focusing on the season.
- Alexandar Georgiev is a pending RFA and the New York Rangers could look to move him.
- There is also Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens. He’s got four years left at $10.5 million.
- Among some other goaltenders to keep an eye on are Jake Allen (one-year left at $2.875 million), Petr Mrazek (two years at $3.8 million), and Matt Murray (two years at $6.25 million).
- The Anaheim Ducks are a few years away from contending and John Gibson has five years at $6.4 million.

BLH’s Thoughts: Who is going to do the Calgary Flames any favors and take Sean Monahan’s contract right now? Will the Flames need to stack some major sweeteners on top of Monahan to move him? They don’t have a ton of those and other GMs are going to know that in order for Brad Treliving to get his marquee man under contract safely, Monahan has to go with no salary retained hopefully.

The goaltending market should be wide open for Ken Holland again this summer and I’m betting he’ll go after Ville Husso pretty hard just like he did with Markstrom and Kuemper in previous years. Will the third time be the charm though?