January 23, 2022 /

Martin Jones Trade Option?, Top-Ten Prospects, Eat Sh*t Flames, and the Latest NHL Rumors

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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Cult of Hockey

Player grades: “Bouch bombs” awaken slumbering Oilers powerplay, ignite comeback win over Flames
  • #8 Kyle Turris, 4. Was part of the problem on 4 Grade A shots by the Flames. Did manage a couple of shots of his own but nothing dangerous.
  • #14 Devin Shore, 4. At even strength his line sawed off, and while his line mustered little offensively while Shore himself didn’t muster any shots on net, he did have a couple of takeaways.
  • #16 Tyler Benson, 5. Played abut 98% of a solid game, playing with his customary edge and backing down from nobody, including big Erik Gudbranson who he nailed with a fine hit.
  • #13 Jesse Puljujarvi, 8. The scoresheet would suggest a quiet night, with 0 points and just 2 shots on net in a whopping 21:43 of action. But in truth J.P. played a critical role on no fewer than 3 (three!) Oilers goals.
  • #19 Mikko Koskinen, 9. “9” is code for “outstanding” which is the best word of the 10 in our ratings palette to describe the giant Finn’s performance on Saturday night.On the night he faced 20 Grade A shots, a very large number, and solved a lot more problems than he created on this night. 47 shots, 44 saves, .936 save percentage, and the all-important W to break out of a personal 7-game losing skid.
  • #29 Leon Draisaitl, 8. Recorded his first multi-point game since that win in Seattle and was a major part of the reason they won this one with 2-2-4, moving back into a share of the NHL points lead in the process.
  • #75 Evan Bouchard, 8. Finally got his chance on the first powerplay unit with Barrie out, and delivered the goods.
  • #97 Connor McDavid, 7. Made very little impression in the first period but came on strong in the second. Picked up a pair of assists on the Bouchard powerplay tallies.

BLH’s Thoughts: ‘Twas a complete team effort last night for the Oilers. Even though the Flames through nearly 50 shots on Koskinen, I thought they weren’t that dangerous and with that, I believe my prediction about Edmonton breaking their slump being due to the other team playing poorly sort of came true. 

Actually, in all honesty, both teams had their moments (good/bad) and it was simply Edmonton who had the last laugh. When the game was all tied at three, I was wondering where the Flames rats were because that would’ve been an excellent time to really dig in on the Oilers but Tkachuk, Zadorov (impressive game from him), Mangiapane, Lucic, and Ritchie were invisible in that regard. 

Now, skaters that weren’t invisible include Ryan McLeod. Man, his speed gave Calgary fits. He got in the muck and was constantly taking hits to make plays. Is there a chance that he develops into an Anthony Cirelli-type of third line center?

My boy! Pulju! Markstrom and the Flames defense had no way to take care of him in front of the net (which is weird because they have two behemonths in Zadorov and Gudbranson to do that) and he’s lucky he didn’t have a goal or two himself. Is he the new Tomas Holmstrom or Johan Frazen aside from the fact that he can skate, shoot, and puckhandle? Ken Holland has to get this guy signed long-term ASAP or he’s gonna end up losing him. 

Is Evan Bouchard’s wrister the most satisfying thing to watch? He just sweeps the puck at the net and it finds its way, doesn’t it? I could watch that guy fire blistering wristers all day long. Maybe we’ve seen the last of Tyson Barrie on the PP? And if that’s the case, the club might as well move him for help elsewhere in the lineup. 

Mikko Koskinen. What can you say? Just a fantastic performance and a big f*ck you to the local media, the unsupportive fanbase, probably a few of his teammates, and his head coach. I’m so happy for him!

Vancouver’s up next (a very winnable game) and there’s a minute chance Evander Kane signs and plays. Is it possible that “Pissy Gate” was Jim Matheson taking a page out of Glen Sather’s playbook because between that spat and Nurse’s leadership comments, Leon Draisaitl played his best game in weeks. 

Either way, the Oilers HAVE to build on this and not let go of the momentum they’re building right now. The cavalry is on its way with Hyman, Smith, RNH, etc. returning in the next week, but the answer is still in that room. 

The Athletic

Wheeler’s 2022 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 19 Edmonton Oilers

“He’s going to give his line a different look and provide value and punch in all three zones, on both special teams. He stays in every battle, supports play, plays hard, and can beat defenders to his spots. But he has always been much more than that, too.”

  • 2. Xavier Bourgault, LW/RW, 19 (Shawinigan Cataractes)

“He’s dangerous in a variety of ways, with a release that comes off of his blade early in his shooting motion and stance to surprise goalies (off of either foot or from awkward postures, too) and good playmaking instincts inside the offensive zone. And though he’s neither big nor small, his detail makes him an able penalty killer, he holds his own defensively, and he plays through contact consistently thanks in part to good core balance over a wide skating stance.”

“He’s long, he’s strong, he was a late birthday in his draft year, his stride is powerful and compact (which speaks to some of that catch-up we’re now seeing in other areas of his game), he’s sturdy in board battles, and he has always used those tools (minus the age, obviously) to play an aggressive, confident style which relied on carrying the puck and trying to influence the game.”

“He’s a brilliant one-shot scorer with an accurate shot, a booming one-timer, a deceptive release that routinely fools a goalie with its timing, and a flair for the dramatic in big moments. But he also goes to the front of the net and scores a lot of tap-in goals at the top of the crease.”

  • 5. Ryan McLeod, C, 22 (Edmonton Oilers/Bakersfield Condors)

“He’s a positive driver of defensive results because he stays on pucks, wins races and lanes, and applies back pressure.”

“…an unconventional bowed skating stance and a lack of agility may hold him back from being the player he has been at other levels in the NHL. Still, if he can pick up half a step I’d bet on him becoming an effective complementary NHL player who gives a line a bit of a different look.”

  • 7. Matvey Petrov, RW/LW, 18 (North Bay Battalion)

“His skating mechanics still have some of those quirks but they haven’t held him back and he actually often looks faster than the players he’s racing or the defenders he’s trying to beat.”

  • 8. Stuart Skinner, G, 23 (Edmonton Oilers/Bakersfield Condors)

“He’s never going to be the quickest goalie on his feet but he’s got some legitimate power and his habits have become so consistent that he’s consistently square to the first shot.”

  • 9. Ty Tullio, RW, 19 (Oshawa Generals)

“His ceiling tops out as a secondary or tertiary piece on a middle-six line at the next level, but he remains a relevant B-grade prospect who has followed a steady trajectory to this point.”

“His ceiling does have its limits (he’s not the level of prospect that smaller up-and-coming goalies like Dustin Wolf and Devon Levi are, for example) but he’s good organization depth who I’d trust in an NHL net if called upon.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Recently Ken Holland said that he’s not willing to move his first rounder in a deal for a rental and I thought I read that the 2nd and 3rd rounders are off the table too. I support this because as you can see above, there are waves of players coming and that will start to create some backside pressure on the fellas already on the Oilers. 

You want to keep the waves coming. It’ll help down the road when you’ve got a Cup contending team and your big team players are pricing themselves out of your cap structure. Plug and play, baby. 

Personally, I wouldn’t have any prospect graduating to the NHL until they’re at least 22. Maybe a tad younger for forwards and older for goalies. I just think by then they should’ve accomplished what they can do at the AHL level, they’re more physically mature, and mentally mature.

Spector’s Hockey

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CategoriesArmchair GM Beer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL Rumors

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Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!