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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The Athletic
For Oilers’ Kailer Yamamoto, the goal — no matter the distance or odds — has always been to belong with the best
- “We ask our top guys who they want to play with and he would be one of those guys,” assistant coach Glen Gulutzan said last week. “There’s a saying in the league that the players know who can play and who can’t. Our top guys like what this guy brings.”
- The efforts before Foegele’s goal highlighted three aspects that are either hallmarks of Yamamoto’s game or have come into focus this season — his skating, his determination and his shot. Two of those traits got Yamamoto to the NHL. Fine-tuning the other could help elevate him from a good player to something much more.
- Yamamoto has heard the critiques of his game loud and clear. Even though he feels like he’s contributing in other ways — defensively and being hard on the puck, as was the case in Seattle — he’s putting pressure on himself to score a few more goals.
- When he’s skating well, driven to succeed on every play and using his shot effectively, Yamamoto is a key cog for the Oilers. He’s also been a mainstay on the penalty kill this season as he continues to round out his game.
- However, the Oilers are projected to be tight against the salary cap for next season, which could make a new deal challenging. They’re also expected to make some upgrades at forward before the trade deadline, which has the potential to make Yamamoto expendable.
BLH’s Thoughts: Everything about this player screams 3rd line penalty killing specialist. He’s doesn’t do anything elite enough to stick around in the top-six, but as a 3rd liner, he’s perfect because there’s no pressure to produce at the rate expected of him on Leon’s line. In addition to that, the things that make him a good player, his hard work, bulldog attitude, quick hands, etc., those are the attributes that would see him thrive down the lineup.
Leon Draisaitl says this, “There’s a reason why we’ve been playing together for so long,” and that makes me think he’s not paying attention to the lack of production his line is showing… He’s very invested in his wingers and that’s fine but at the same time he’s got to realize when something’s not working, it’s not working man. The rest of the league has the book on that line and why Leon and the coaching staff can’t figure that out is beyond me. It’s time to reconfigure the 2nd line, in my opinion, and get somebody on it who will shoot seeing as Leon is a playmaker when he’s a center.
So my suggestion is this, move RNH to the 3C, give him Yamamoto as the RW and Perlini as the LW. You’ve got your playmaker, your grinders, and your shooters. There’s a shit ton of defensive conscience with RNH and Yamo so Perlini can focus on what he does best, shoot. It’s not a soft line and it’s a fast line too.
For Leon’s line, you’d probably need to give him Foegele and Kassian, but I don’t see the harm in trying that trio out for a short time considering McLovin’ will shoot and Kass will drive the paint and sit in the goalie’s face. Also, It’d keep Hyman and Pulju with McDavid and the 4th line you can mix and match with McLeod, Ryan, Shore, Sceviour, and Benson. Sorry Turris…
Lowetide.ca
- One thing we might be talking about in the new year is the McDavid-Draisaitl wand losing its magic. That’s a large fall from the last two seasons, and may point to fatigue, opposition strategy, luck and support. We can also point to shooting percentage, as above. Either way, the two men are more productive without than with for the first time in memory. Hurry regression!
BLH’s Thoughts: Two things it points to, one fatigue, and the other is that they’ve been found out and seeing as they’re too tired to get creative enough to stifle the defender’s plans, the other team’s are finding more success against them.
The fact that they’re growing better apart than together is a good thing though. Maybe it’ll start to force the coaches who guide these young men into thinking of something better than putting all their eggs in one basket. That might’ve worked in the 80s and 90s, but teams are way better now and hockey players are much smarter and skilled nowadays.
The Hockey Writers Rumors
- Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland has other immediate issues to address for his team. Among them, what to do about their goaltending because he’s “not sure where Mike Smith is at yet.”
- According to Mark Divver of Rinkside Rhode Island, Bruins’ prospect Zach Senyshyn has told the Bruins through his agent that he’d like to be traded and would appreciate the opportunity for a fresh start somewhere else. Senyshyn feels like the Bruins haven’t given him the opportunity to play in the NHL and he doesn’t believe he’s on the organization’s radar to get an opportunity anytime soon.
- Arthur Staple of The Athletic detailed what four NHL scouts viewed as the greatest needs for the Rangers heading into the deadline. Near the top of the list were a veteran, third-pairing defenseman and a right-winger who ‘plays a responsible game’ and would allow other players on the roster to play in their right spots.
