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 Hockey Writers
Oilers Can Cheaply Replace Mike Smith to Upgrade Goaltending Position
- The way Smith has played hasn’t given the Oilers a chance to win very much since returning from injury. He is 3-6-0 since returning to action and has posted a SV% over .900 only three times. In five of those games, he’s allowed four goals against.
- Smith’s last start emphasized the fact that the Oilers can’t continue to be loyal to someone who is hurting them more than helping at a dire time in the season and the organization.
- Martin Jones may be one of the cheaper options on this list because his SV% has dropped to below .900. Look at the team in front of him and the injuries and losing streaks the Philadelphia Flyers have piled up. It’s hard to post good numbers behind that. Just five years removed from back-to-back seasons finishing in the top-seven in Vezina Trophy voting, he finds himself climbing his way back to being a solid goaltending option in net.
- The Oilers are a team that might make them a good offer since (Braden) Holtby would be a major upgrade when it comes to GAA and SV%. He has had a stellar bounce-back season this year, going from a .889 SV% last season with the Vancouver Canucks to a .913 SV% this year with the Stars.
- Pavel Francouz is another backup goaltender on an expiring contract that will most likely be moving on to a new team after the season… With a .923 SV% and two shutouts, there’s no goaltender on an expiring contract for $2 million or less that may be available and put up those kinds of numbers.
- Anton Forsberg has given the Ottawa Senators great goaltending when he’s taken the crease despite another year of rebuilding. Earning just $900k, he has posted an 11-9-2 record with a .918 SV% and 7.3 GSAA (goals saved above average).
- Alexandar Georgiev is the last and most expensive option the Oilers could realistically acquire before the deadline for a relatively cheap price. He makes just under $250k more than Smith and is also the only restricted free agent (RFA) on this list. He is looking for a home where he will have a fair chance of being the starting goalie… He has a sub-.900 SV%, but he has also been playing in front of a young defence…
- Thomas Greiss and Joonas Korpisalo could also be names Ken Holland looks into before the deadline. However, their stats this season are concerning and not an upgrade to what Smith has given the Oilers, despite being on worse teams.
BLH’s Thoughts: Lotta names there to look at but I’m not sure the Oilers are looking to gamble on this one. If they bring in a goalie prior to or at the deadline, that guy has to be a guaranteed upgrade on the fella he’s replacing be that Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen and of all the suggestions listed above, I think Holtby is the only clear upgrade.
If I was in Holland’s position, I’d see what Holtby costs and if it was acceptable, I’d make that deal while at the same time finding a new home for Mike Smith, but I would make a massive push for Ville Husso in the summer should he hit the UFA market and go into the 2022/23 season with Husso and Skinner as my tandem.
The Hockey Writers
Oilers Should Look to Ducks to Trade for a Top-4 Defenceman
- The Ducks have two legitimate top-four defencemen that will be unrestricted free agents in the offseason and could realistically test the market. Both Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm are in the prime of their careers and will be looking for five to six-year deals.
- Manson is fifth on a crowded defensive group in Anaheim and the Ducks seem to have taken favour to Jamie Drysdale, their future, and Kevin Shattenkirk, who’s having a great year, over him.
- Manson has the highest defensive start percentage among Ducks defencemen and logs the second-most time on the penalty kill as well.
- The Oilers are in need of another shutdown right-shot defender who can kill penalties efficiently and help shut down top lines with Nurse.
- Lindholm is second on the Ducks in average ice time per game and can put up goals, points, blocked shots, and hits. If the Oilers were to acquire him, they might be more comfortable pairing him with a Bouchard or Barrie to complement their offence and also cover for them on defensive lapses.
BLH’s Thoughts: Damn, is Josh Manson not what the Oilers need on their defense right now? I still prefer Scott Mayfield, but for the love of Pete, Charlie’s boy would be able to come in and give us those Adam Larsson feels all over again.
I’m 100% in favor of the Oilers acquiring one or both of these defensemen for the reasons stated above by Rob Couch, but I’m extremely skeptical that Ken Holland could do it.
Now, that being said, I would like to ask you about another player on the Ducks. A player who’s found himself in Dallas Eakins’ doghouse, somebody who has a lot of what is missing on this Edmonton Oilers squad and reminds me a bit of Sam Bennett, that gentlemen’s name is Maxime Comtois.
Comtois is a brave guy who gets stuck in and isn’t afraid to throw down with anybody (as illustrated in the fight with the insanely tough Scott Mayfield above).
But he’s not just a knucklehead either. Comtois led the Ducks in scoring last year with 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 games and he also represented Team Canada and the World Juniors that year too.
I like that the 23yr old Comtois is a fearless forechecker and in my opinion, the Oilers don’t have enough of these guys on their roster. Edmonton needs players who will drag guys into the fight and give the other team something to think about aside from if Connor or Leon are out there.
Comtois has one more year left on his contract worth a shade over $2M and he’s a left wing. Personally, I don’t think either of those facts are problematic for the Oilers, but you never know what the coaches are thinking once Archibald and Kassian return.
So, my two questions for you are, what do you think the cost would be to bring in Comtois and Manson, if he’s willing to come, and would you be willing to pay that if you were GM?
NHL Rumors.com
- (Josh) Archibald can walk for free as an unrestricted free agent this summer. The one name which keeps coming up in trade rumors is Justin Braun. Braun makes a mere $1.8 million this season. Plus, it is a deal that possesses some sense for both sides.
BLH’s Thoughts: Josh Manson and Scott Mayfield might be out of Edmonton’s price range, but Justin Braun is probably right in their wheelhouse. However, if Ken Holland wants to maximize the impact of his work at or around the trade deadline, he might need to make multiple moves that dovetail with one another. Meaning, if he can bring in a veteran RS shut-down defender (Braun), an experienced goaltender (Holtby), and an ace on the faceoff dot (Luke Glendening, for example), the combination of those three players could be enough to propel this team into the playoffs and beyond the first round.
