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 (Lynch)
Who should be the third line centermen this coming season?
- The first option is probably the most obvious: Ryan McLeod. McLeod in my opinion seems like the clear candidate to start the season on the third line, but his limited experience probably will keep him out of the lineup at times or could change things for the prospect.
- A line is only as good as its center. That is why a pretty good candidate in my opinion might be Devin Shore. Shore put up pretty good numbers with the team last season, and he already has experience on the roster. Shore can win faceoffs and will definitely provide some stability.
- Kyle Turris and Derek Ryan both could fit the bill on the third line, but really the best option would be Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I hope that the team decides to give him his own line to really help spread things amongst three different lines.
BLH’s Thoughts: Turris’ time as a full-time center in the NHL is over in my opinion, but I could see RNH centering the 3rd line at one point or another over the course of the year. Especially in the event that Dylan Holloway is recalled as the club would be remiss to start him any where other than on the wing in the NHL.
Devin Shore won’t get any time at center on the third line, he’s a 4th liner at best and if I had to take a guess, I think it’ll be Derek Ryan’s job from the start of the year and Ryan McLeod’s to win back as he begins the 2021-22 season as the club’s 4th line pivot.
The reason I’d put Ryan at 3C is because he can still skate well enough, he’s right-handed, and he can win draws. McLeod has yet to add “faceoff specialist” to his toolbox, so he’ll get passed over when the time comes for the coach to make a decision on who to throw over the boards in key times during a game.
Oilersnation (Lewis)
WWYDW(TE): Team Canada at the 2022 Olympics
- …it looks as though NHL players will return to the Olympics in Beijing in 2022.
- …the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement agreed on between the NHL and the Players’ Association featured intent to allow players to participate in the Games in 2022 and 2026.
- The COVID-19 pandemic will be an issue… Another major hurdle is who pays for player insurance. It appears that problem will be solved as the IIHF is playing for insurance for Olympic qualifiers this month.
- If you were putting together Team Canada for 2022, who would make the squad?
| Huberdeau | McDavid | MacKinnon |
| Marchand | Crosby | Bergeron |
| O’Reilly | Couturier | Stone |
| Marner | Tavares | Point |
| Theodore | Pietrangelo | |
| Nurse | Doughty | |
| Chabot | Makar | |
| Fleury | ||
| Price |
BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll be honest, the Team Canada exercise is really tiresome. There are simply too many good players to consider to even participate anymore. I mean, look at that roster from Oilersnation, Brayden Point is a 4th liner on it and I imagine Drew Doughty would be a 3rd pairing defender with the emergence of Cale Makar.
Bob Stauffer seems to think that Zach Hyman is going to get some consideration for the roster, but personally, I’m not sure who he’d be beating out to win a spot in its starting lineup. I know Kunitz did it when he was Crosby’s wingman, but boy, there are some really good wingers out there who happen to be Canadian (Stamkos, Scheifele, Horvat, Barzal, etc) and I’m not sure this is the time to bring out the specialists.
NHLRumors.com
Dan Kingerski on Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins do have some holes in the lineup which is a little surprising at this point in the offseason. Don’t expect Penguins GM Ron Hextall to make any trades in October and November.
- The Penguins could use a proven right-handed defenseman and haven’t added much offense this offseason. You won’t find any offense on the free agent market now. They are little light down the middle, especially if Evgeni Malkin misses any time during the season.
Jimmy Murphy: Free agent goaltender Tuukka Rask said on WEEI/NESN radio that he plans on playing later on this season and possibly next year as well.
- He said he will only play for the Boston Bruins and that it’s not about the money. He wants another run or two with the Bruins.
- Rask said that he’ll likely be recovered and ready to go around Christmas/early January. He hopes to be able to get back on the ice in the next month, month and a half.
MIke Heika of NHL.com: Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg is entering the final year of his deal with carries a $4.25 million cap hit with a $6 million salary.
- The Stars and the 29-year old defenseman are trying to get an extension worked out but he may have priced himself out of Dallas. He could be looking for more money and term than the Stars are willing to go.
