I’ve been sitting on a blog for a couple of days now waiting for the right time to publish it because new information keeps popping up. Add to that tonight’s game is quite important for the Oilers and the Islanders, both teams who most likely won’t make the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs but are a couple of the most exciting teams in the NHL.
OSCAR KLEFBOM
The other day on Lowetide’s show Woodguy talked about how you don’t deal off the top of the deck when referring to trading Oscar Klefbom. He said that Darnell Nurse is almost there with regards to being the top LHD on the team but not quite yet. Alex Thomas reminded us that defensemen don’t develop in straight lines when he talked about Nurse and trading Klefbom here. I’d argue that Nurse’s developmental path has been pretty straight though.
But the best argument I found in this discussion came from David Staples because he talked about both sides of the coin.
Then you’ve got the bloggers who are running around crying bloody murder before a trade even happens!
Why would the Oilers let Klefbom play if he’s injured? More on that below but to add to that, perhaps they’re not worried about him playing for the Oilers next season and the team’s talking to Edmonton (Tampa before McDonagh was acquired and Boston) aren’t worried about it either.
Every wondered why Klefbom didn’t get a clause in his new contract?…
So, here’s the deal with Klefbom. He can shoot but he’s always injured. Bob Stauffer talked about him even dealing with something during last year’s amazing run. He hasn’t spent ONE season in his professional career (or amateur one) healthy. He’s playing through an upper-body ailment this year that doctors reckon won’t get worse if he plays with it. So the Oilers are sticking him with needles and sending him out there.
This. Is. A. Problem.
Now, it wouldn’t be a problem IF he put up offense other places OR if he was a defensive stalwart.
4 PP goals in his ENTIRE career and we’ve got him pegged as the Oilers PP savior. That’s over 450 minutes played on the powerplay and he’s scoring a goal every 100 minutes-ish.
I’ve said in the past that Klefbom is the guy for the powerplay, so I’m just as guilty as everyone else who has believed that but 4 PP goals in nearly 4 seasons? That’s not acceptable at all.
He does own the #8 spot for shots on the powerplay this year for dmen with 49 but that’s not what the Oilers really need is it?
They need a guy who is a proven PP specialist which brings me to the next point.
Torey Krug is a player the Oilers have been watching. THIS is a player who produces with the man advantage (and 5×5). He makes $5.25M per year until 2019/20 and the final two years of that deal include a modified NTC. That screams out that he’ll be traded this summer.
There are ZERO question marks when it comes to Torey Krug and on-ice production and there’s a previous relationship with Chiarelli.
THAT is how you trade from the top of the deck.
JORDAN EBERLE
The day a person close to the Oilers from the Decade of Darkness and the Chiarelli-era writes a book is the day we’ll learn about all of the “off-the-record” trade requests…
Eberle said it himself, “It was just time for a change” and who can blame the guy? He’d been part of trade rumors for 3 or 4 years previous to last summer. Yakupov basically did it through his agent…
Now I’ve heard that Chiarelli wasn’t even looking at Strome when he was in talks with Garth Snow and that he was actually looking at a couple of defensemen on the Isles but Snow was having none of that and for these reasons:
- Cap hit
- Playoff performance
- The risk of Eberle not bouncing back from a poor season
I can’t confirm who the dmen were that Chiarelli was asking about but my own feeling is that Calvin De Haan and Thomas Hickey might’ve been the ask. And that just seems crazy to me as the Oilers had enough left-handers as it was… Why ask for more?
RANDOM THOUGHTS
- How different would things have been had Tambo given RNH, Hall, and Eberle proper contracts? Did Eberle and RNH really deserve $6M at that time? Did Hall?
- Carolina is about to be open for business, so if there’s a RH’d defenseman a team wants, perhaps this summer is the time to get one. (*Cough* Faulk *Cough*)
- If you’re one of those who believes the Old Boys Club in Edmonton has still got their hands in on things, I’m here to tell you that you’re right AND wrong.
- MacTavish and Howson are scouts, so not much there but opinions on players. The guys you should keep an eye on are Paul Coffey (possible asst. coach next season) and minority owner Wayne Gretzky…
- If there was ever a trade partner for the Oilers with regards to Milan Lucic, the Canucks would be at the front of the line.
- Knowing the above, do you think that the Canucks would take a run at Pat Maroon?
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson talk is real. That’s another guy with a proven track record of offense… Dealing from the top of the deck 🙂
- I wonder how long Bob Nicholson is for his current position and might he desire a return to the international hockey scene with the 2020 Winter Olympics coming up and question marks regarding NHL involvement.
- The Oilers’ AHL coach seems like he’s on borrowed time. I guess Chiarelli has had to make some “visits” to Bakersfield to “ask” the coach to play the younger players more…
Speaking of coaching…
I’ve heard from two completely different sources that there’s a problem in the room and it’s got nothing to do with the players…
Perhaps Todd has lost the dressing room? Is that an indictment on the players and their character or is it just a sign of the times? Does that speak poorly to Connor McDavid’s leadership? What does it say for the veterans on the team?
Would the Oilers be better off under Joel Quenneville or Barry Trotz? Could we see Paul Coffey behind the bench or in the coach’s box above the ice next season? Is Ian Herbers going to get a promotion?
Why hasn’t Todd McLellan been able to do better with this team? I can only think back to the days where Dave Tippett was coaching Phoenix… Those rosters were questionable at best and got a helluva lot more out of them.
The last comment on this blog will be thus:
The Oilers first round pick is in play if it lands outside of the top 3
