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Sportsnet
Top 5 Oilers prospects: Refining his defence will unlock Broberg’s other skills
1. Philip Broberg, LD, Bakersfield Condors/Oilers
- Broberg is an above-average skater — excellent, by many scouts’ ratings — but showed upon being called up this season that his defensive game still needs some work.
2. Dylan Holloway, LW, Bakersfield Condors
- …some believe he could play after just a couple of months in the AHL and help the Oilers during this spring’s playoffs.
3. Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan Cataractes
- Bourgault is a shooter, which means his future in Edmonton might just be on the wing. Whatever the case, he is at least one year away from the NHL, likely two, but thus far looks like a nice find at 22nd overall.
4. Markus Niemelainen, LD, Bakersfield Condors/Oilers
- Big, extremely physical, but still in need of some refining where puck skills and defensive acumen are concerned, in an organization full of puck-moving prospects Niemelainen is that rare D-man who makes you much, much harder to play against.
5. Dmitri Samorukov, LD, Bakersfield Condors
- To be honest, with all the young, left-shot defencemen ahead of Samorukov, he has become GM Ken Holland’s best trading chip in any dealing requiring a top prospect going the other way. For me, he could be a second-pairing left-side defenceman for years to come in the NHL…
BLH’s Thoughts: It’s tough not to throw Carter Savoie or Ty Tullio in that 5-hole considering that the Oilers have made multiple calls to Bakersfield for a left-shot defender and not once has Samorukov’s name been called. Spector might be on to something there…
Lowetide.ca
- Craig MacTavish had a way of finding players who could thrive in a two-way role and score enough to help teams win. I think Pisani was his great triumph, Chimera (who never did establish himself with MacT) a player the coach overlooked those years ago because his defensive acumen was shy of Pisani-level.
- One player who spent two games in Bakersfield this season who could make the list beside Cleary, Pisani and Chimera in the years to come? Brendan Perlini. Not one doubt in my mind. He’s like Chimera, dynamic qualities but attention to detail without the puck will be a challenge, but he could certainly emerge as a success.
BLH’s Thoughts: That’s an interesting shout by LT. I never really considered Perlini in the same boat as Chimera, but now after thinking about it, it’s almost impossible NOT to… All Perlini has to do is set his sights on pivoting his game like Tyler Benson did. He’s got the tools to be a fantastic two-way player and that speed/shot are x-factors… With the right coaching/mentoring, an NHL player can learn the defensive side of the game… This is something I’ll be watching for the rest of the year I think.
The Daily Goal Horn
- Right now, Chychrun is being looked at as a game-changer for some teams, and Arizona is asking price is four pieces for him per Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. The Islanders were linked to him in the summer but there is a report from Elliotte Friedman that the Edmonton Oilers are not one of the teams in the mix.
- The NHL All-Star Game is in Vegas from February 4th to the 5th. Some have speculated that the game may be cancelled so the time can be used for rescheduled games.
BLH’s Thoughts: If Edmonton wants Chychrun, the ask will be Broberg, Yamamoto, and two firsts if not one first and a second down the road. I’m sure they’ll be angling to get the Coyotes to accept Dmitri Samorukov, but surely that’ll simply increase the cost of the futures (draft picks) included in the deal.
That’s too much and I feel like Ken Holland isn’t keen to give up on the Swede this soon and on a player who might be as impactful as his no.1 defender, Darnell Nurse, but has trouble staying healthy.
