Last week Bob and Brendan were talking about how they would rank the Canadian teams going into 2018/19 on Oilers Now and I wanted to get into it then but I was under the weather. So what better time to dig in than now?
Part 1 is here.
Part 2 is here.
Part 3 is here.
Click here to go directly to team #4 in our rankings!
Before we get into it I want to point you in the direction of THE MOST comprehensive “Who to Watch” guide for the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup going on in Edmonton and Red Deer right now!
You’ve got to check it out. You won’t find a better checklist of players to watch for each team!
WHO TO WATCH AT THE 2018 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP
Who will be the best Canadian team next season?
By “best” I don’t necessarily mean where they’ll finish in the standings at year’s end. I’m just looking at the rosters at the moment and letting you know how I’d rank them in terms of roster talent.
Of course, we all know that a good roster on paper might not mean f*ck all when it comes to how it performs on the ice.
Here are my rankings. If you click on the links you’ll be taken to their line combinations on Daily Faceoff’s site.
I’ve probably lost a good portion of you already putting the Flames ahead of the Oilers and I was hard pressed not to put Calgary at no.1 because I like their forward group more than any of the other teams in Canada from a depth perspective but Winnipeg’s top-6 is simply miles ahead of any of the other teams’ coming from a production POV. Yes, even better than Toronto’s…
On the whole, I like Toronto’s forwards more than Edmonton’s but I like Edmonton’s defense more than Toronto’s. At their peaks, Talbot and Andersen are a wash. So it’ll probably come down to special teams but the Oilers and the Maple Leafs are in their own bracket.
I think that Vancouver will be competitive but not quite there yet. There’s a big gap between them and Edmonton but they’ve got some really nice young talent coming up to play for them next season in Elias Pettersson, Adam Gaudette, and perhaps Jonathan Dahlen will join them as well.
Montreal is just a shit show right now. I can’t make heads or tails of their roster and its direction. They’ve got probably the best goalie in the world on their team but they’ve got nothing dynamic going on in the forwards or the defense. If Shea Weber can get healthy, that’ll help but I’m not sure how much, to be honest.
Ottawa… Well all I can say about them is that at least the tire fire has moved East and folks are talking about them instead of Edmonton.
NO.4 – EDMONTON
What I like: I like the Oilers defense. A lot of folks are saying it’s their weakest link but I feel like it could be their strongest one if it can stay healthy. Given the last time they stayed healthy the team went to the playoffs, things are looking good. I mean, it’s been forever since the Oilers had 6 proper NHL defenseman in their lineup and that’s indeed what they have today in Nurse, Klefbom, Larsson, Sekera, Russell, and Benning. Only Winnipeg can make the same claim amongst the Canadian NHL clubs in my opinion.
I like the goaltending. Between Cam Talbot and Mikko Koskinen, I reckon the Oilers goalies are going to have a great season due to the fact that they’re both on expiring contracts and will be playing for a new one. Historically, that’s been a pretty good motivator for players.
Below you’ll see I’m not a huge fan of the uncertainty the forward group is bringing but that being said IF things really pan out for the Oilers this season it’ll be because the bets placed on those players paid off. There’s massive potential in this young group and if it even comes close to realizing that, the Oilers will be the best Canadian team in the NHL in 2018/19.
The young guns I’m a fan of. This is Puljujarvi’s year and it’s almost a certainty that we’re going to see Kailer Yamamoto in an Oilers jersey. They’re both very exciting players who will compliment the Oilers top centers in McDavid and Draisaitl. Jujhar Khaira is really emerging as a massively important piece of the middle 6.
Kyle Brodziak as 4C is going to bring some sandpaper to that 4th line and the PK. I think him along with Kassian and Khaira might do some damage this year.
What I don’t like: I feel uneasy about the uncertainty on the wings. That being said, I have the utmost confidence in players like Tobias Rieder, Pontus Aberg, Ty Rattie, Drake Caggiula, Zack Kassian, and Milan Lucic. I simply don’t like facing the reality that someone in that group probably isn’t going to pan out or injuries might rear their ugly face.
But there is a saying that when one door closes, another opens up. So who knows what will happen.
Prospects coming? Not as many as you’d like. This season probably only Kailer Yamamoto and perhaps Ethan Bear see time with the Oilers, maybe Evan Bouchard if he blows the doors off of things during training camp. But their AHL affiliate is getting a solid injection of very talented players like Tyler Benson, Tyler Vesel, Cooper Marody, William Lagesson, and potentially both Stuart Skinner and Dylan Wells in the net.
Free agents after this season: Tobias Rieder (RFA), Jesse Puljujarvi (RFA), Ty Rattie (RFA), Jujhar Khaira (RFA), Pontus Aberg (RFA), Kevin Gravel (UFA), Cam Talbot (UFA), Mikko Koskinen (UFA), Al Montoya (UFA).
Will the Oilers be a playoff team in 2018/19? I had to change this question up obviously since they can’t play each other in a 7-game series.
If the Oilers can stay healthy and the young guns break out this year, I think they can be. The Pacific isn’t as scary as I once thought and those who struggled last season are due to bounce back, most notably Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Milan Lucic, and Jesse Puljujarvi.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!
