Long-Time Oilers Beat Writer on the 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers, “What we’re about to watch will be most meaningful going forward.”

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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Edmonton Sun

Elite eight or bust for Edmonton Oilers heading into season opener

…general manager Ken Holland says it’s not what happens next May and June, it’s what happens next.
- “I’m here to tell you that you have to be in the top seven or eight. I believe whoever wins the Cup will come out of that top eight in the regular season. It’s a mentality.”
…the Oilers are now ready to be one of those teams year-in and year-out for the rest of this decade.
- “Since the salary cap was implemented in 2005, in the 16 seasons they’ve awarded the Stanley Cup, in 12 of those years the championship teams have come from the top seven in the league in regular season points.”
The Oilers under head coach Dave Tippett have made major progress in one key area and Holland says it’s imperative to continue because they are not all the way there yet…
- “You have to keep the puck out of your own net. We were 28th in goals against when Bob Nicholson brought me here and in the last two seasons under Dave Tippett we went to 15th and then to 12th in goals against,” said Holland.
I believe they’ll do it. I believe they’ll be a 100-point team. And I believe what we’re about to watch will be most meaningful going forward.

BLH’s Thoughts: It’s been many-a-moon since Terry Jones was this optimistic about an Edmonton Oilers roster.

I’ve also got a good feeling about this team but I’d like to temper my expectations a little bit. I won’t say they’re going to win the Stanley Cup this year, but I feel decent about saying it has the potential to be a conference finalist.

That said, no doubt, the year I decide this team isn’t going to go all the way, they actually do.

The Athletic

Oilers final roster cuts: Why the winners and losers from this year’s training camp aren’t permanent decisions

The player who jumps out at me this year was Raphael Lavoie, who got shipped out at the same relative time as Benson and Jones two years ago.
- …he’s going to get minutes on the farm, and if he does good things with them there’s no reason he can’t be in the recall conversation later in the year.
Tyler Benson and William Lagesson had an edge they wouldn’t otherwise have had, because they’re waiver-eligible.
Even the still-unsigned Sceviour has an edge in that if the Oilers let him go, they don’t get to bring him back later.
Ryan McLeod’s chances are hurt by his being waiver exempt, while Kyle Turris is pricey enough that he might as well be.
…the thing to remember is that the story doesn’t end here. There are no laurels to rest on in the NHL; today’s preseason star can all too easily become next month’s minor-league assignment, and once he’s gone there’s no telling when he’ll be back. Meanwhile, the kid who underwhelmed in the preseason can have two good weeks in the minors and just as quickly find himself back in the show.

BLH’s Thoughts: I think another thing that helps Lavoie’s cause is the uncertainty regarding Kailer Yamamoto’s long-term health and the fact that the former QMJHL scoring sensation is a bigger man with a shoot-first mentality.

As for Lagesson and Benson, the forecasts are far more cloudy there. I wonder if the Oilers are delaying putting Benson on waivers in an attempt to outwait potential suitors for the winger. Seattle has had interest in him and they claimed Tampa’s AHL scoring leader, but I’m lead to believe that Buffalo and Arizona also have their eyes on Benson… Unlikely, but could it also be possible that Edmonton keeps him on the roster and plays him very sparingly? Almost to the same effect as Evan Bouchard last year.

Oil on Whyte

3 Things To Watch Going Into The New Season

McDavid and Draisaitl on the Same Line

The two stars playing on the same line on 5v5, has some fans skeptical, and I can see why. Advanced stats have shown the two play better apart, then together when it’s even strength.
If Tippett and the Oilers are thinking about having Draisaitl and McDavid together for the season, I don’t see it working as well as some may think.

Goaltending Depth

As much as I’ve spoken negatively about Koskinen, and how much he should be traded for assets, he performed extremely well in the preseason, and has given doubters, including myself, a small glimmer of hope.
Konovalov impressed me. Posting an .885sv% is incredible for someone his age with his first real taste at the big leagues.
As far as Mike Smith goes, I didn’t expect anything less. I fully expected him to continue where he left off last season…

Forward and Defensive Depth

There is nothing to worry about when it comes to the Oilers forward depth. Trading for Foegele, signing Ryan, Perlini and Hyman, re-signing Shore, and having McLeod and Benson as the extra forwards makes the Oilers one of the most dangerous forward groups, if not the best, in the entire league.
My worry starts with Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci. Ceci was brought in for four years north of three million a season, while Duncan Keith still has two years left on his contract, at over five million a season. To put it nicely, they both looked underwhelming during the preseason.

BLH’s Thoughts: So… The three things to watch for the Edmonton Oilers are the goaltending, the defense, and the forwards? What?… C’mon man!

Let’s try this exercise again, shall we?

Three Things to Watch for the Edmonton Oilers in 2021-22

Can Evan Bouchard top 40pts?

Who will be the Oilers no.1 goaltender come playoff time?

Will the Edmonton Oilers have TWO 100pt scorers on their roster this year?