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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Edmonton Sun
Oilers cupboard is stocked with young goaltenders in system
- In the minors, do we know how good Stuart Skinner can be? Is he going to be Laurent Brossoit, a solid NHL back-up or could he push and be a 1A, 1B partner with somebody else in time?
- How good is former second-round draft Olivier Roy, who is coached by his dad Sylvain, the organization’s minor-league tutor?
- Is third-round pick Ilya Konovalov, 23, who is in North American for the first time after his time with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL, capable enough to play in the AHL, right away?
- Alex Stalock, 34, is also in the mix. There’s talk NHL teams may be allowed to carry a third goalie this season because of Covid concerns…
- Skinner, 22, is the prototypical six-foot-four goalie who will be starter in Bakersfield. Rodrique, who played 11 AHL games last year as a first-year pro, is six-foot-two and 170 pounds, Konavalov, who backed up Eddy Pasquale last year in Yaroslavl, has played 104 KHL games.
- At first blush, Skinner and Konovalov, who signed a two-year deal, could be the tandem in Bakersfield because Konovalov presumably didn’t come over to play in the ECHL. But Rodrigue, once on Canada’s world junior team, has lots of talent and will push the issue, with his father’s help, if in the minors.
“Goaltending (prospects) is a position of strength in our organization. They all bring something different to the table, all accomplished in their own right, with a pedigree,” said Bakersfield coach Jay Woodcroft.
BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t know if the goaltending is a position of strength for the Oilers per se, just because I’m not sure if they potential ceiling on any of the netminders in Edmonton’s system is higher than that of a backup goalie. I’d probably lean more to say that the club’s goaltending depth is a strength if anything.
Now, that being said, Skinner had a fantastic year in 2020-21 and Konovalov has shown promise from his time in the KHL. So there are reasons to believe with this group of netminders that one of them could emerge as a proper internally-developed option for the Oilers down the line.
Oilersnation
Call The Rulebook
- McDavid isn’t alone, but he’s the poster boy for everything wrong with NHL officiating and somehow fought his way through all the non-calls to put up 105 points in 56 games. Despite being second in the league in penalties drawn, way too much went uncalled. In four playoff games vs. Winnipeg, McDavid didn’t draw even a single penalty in 121 shifts. Not one.
- The way I see it, what’s come to be known as game management is the single biggest issue leading to the inconsistency we see all too often. As opposed to missing a call because an official doesn’t see it, which happens in a game as fast as hockey, there’s other factors at play.
- What’s the score?
- What’s the penalty count in the game?
- Can a referee make a fifth straight call against a team, even if it’s legit?
- The referees can’t call every hook, hold or hack against McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon or fill-in-name-here, can they?
- With a new seven-year TV deal with Turner Sports in place and a new team in the Seattle Kraken as part of the mix for 2021-22, might we at long last see the game open up and the entertainment factor cranked up a notch or two?
BLH’s Thoughts: As soon as I read that last point, the lightbulb went on. The officiating came under some intense fire last season and combine that with the new TV deal and Seattle coming into the league and I think there’s quite a bit of potential for powerplays to increase in 2021-22.
But the real question is, if the refs do stick to the book, how long will it last?
In the past, we’re seen years where the refs called everything to start the year and as the post-season approached, the calls became less frequent and by the time the playoffs were in full go-mode, they were tucked into the refs pockets.
In any case, if Connor gets his way, the Edmonton Oilers are going to run all over the league. I mean, it’s getting to the point to where McDavid is like Mario Lemieux was in the 80s and 90s. You see, when 66 stepped on the ice back then, there was a legit chance that he could score or set up a goal every time and if there was a powerplay, it was almost guaranteed that the Pens were scoring.
Spector’s Hockey
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Brady Tkachuk has yet to join his Senators teammates in Ottawa in preparation for the start of training camp on Sep. 22. He’s still back home in St. Louis as his agent and Senators management continues to work on a new contract for the 22-year-old left wing.
THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma took note of the apparent lack of progress in contract talks between the Vancouver Canucks and young stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. He feels the negotiation pressure point of missing the start of training camp next Thursday could adversely affect their regular-season performance.
TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan believes the Maple Leafs shouldn’t trade Morgan Rielly this season… he feels they shouldn’t move their annual leader in ice time unless they’re certain of getting equal or greater value in return. “And that’s not going to happen,” he said.
