TSN’s men who know it all, Bob McKenzie and Pierre LeBrun, just had a few interesting things to say about the Edmonton Oilers and what is going on with the team. Here is the link.
To save you some time, here is the gist of what they talked about:
- LeBrun: The Edmonton Oilers would listen to offers for the No. 1 overall pick should they win it. He mentioned the Oilers obvious need for some help on defence and “generally speaking” the team wants to make some important changes to the core as well as the team in the offseason.
- LeBrun: Around the deadline, the Oilers were low-balled on offers for Nail Yakupov. No surprise there. Yakupov’s value is about as low as it could be right now, however LeBrun mentions the Oilers would be glad to have him back next year. The team is looking for a young player that can play in our NHL lineup.
- McKenzie: The Oilers are glad with both Laurent Brossoit and Cam Talbot however they do want to test the UFA G market. He mentioned they were hard in on UMass-Lowell G Kevin Boyle but to keep an eye on Yale G Alex Lyon. He currently has 12 teams interested, and show narrow it down to about three and make a decision next week. A return to Yale is possible, but doubtful.
*adjusts collar*
Okay, that’s a lot to digest. First off let’s start from the top down shall we?
No. 1
This is something I have pondered myself for sometime and I think it makes sense. There are a number of teams out there that would be able to field legitimate offers for this pick given the abundance of defenseman whose names have been suggested. Ideally, if the Oilers would move the pick I would imagine the other teams first rounder would have to be included, as well as a high-level defenceman. Personally I wouldn’t want to move out of the top ten of this years draft, and I don’t think the Oilers would want to move out of there either.
I’ll revisit this after the draft lottery.
#YakCity
As LeBrun mentioned, the Oilers don’t want to give him away for scraps even though teams are trying to buy low. Let’s not forget that he was a number one overall pick, and the consensus amongst the major scouting agencies. I have long been a fan of Nail as well as his game, but at the end of the day he needs to play in a top six role to succeed. Is that something the Oilers see as a fit? He could get a long-term shot if the team decides to move on from Jordan Eberle this summer.
At the end of the day, I can see a fit in Edmonton for Nail but if the right offer comes around I don’t see the Oilers hesitating to pull the trigger. Should the Oilers have a chance to draft Patrik Laine or Jesse Puljujarvi, how would that impact the team’s decision to move Yakupov or Eberle?
Are you Lyon?!
No, I’m not lying. Alex Lyon could be the real deal – at least his NCAA career suggests it. In his three seasons of NCAA hockey, he has been the Yale Bulldogs starter each year.
Freshman year (2013-2014): 30 GP, 2.41 GAA, .918 sv%
Lyon was named the Ivy League co-rookie of the year as well as the team rookie of the year. His 796 saves were good enough for seventh in Yale’s history.
Sophomore year (2014-2015): 32 GP, 1.62 GAA, .939 sv%
In his second season as a starter, he led the nation in GAA, sv% as well as shutouts (7). All three of those are school records. That season, 12 of his games played came against teams with offenses ranked in Div. 1’s top 20, and in those games he stopped 93% of shots faced, and recorded three shutouts. Lyon was named one of five finalists for the Mike Richter award as the nation’s top Div. 1 goaltender.
Junior year (2015-2016): 31 GP, 1.64 GAA, .936 sv%.
His third season was highlighted by being named a finalist for the Mike Richter award on top of being named a top ten finalist for the Hobey Baker award as the nation’s top NCAA player. He set the school record for career wins that season by hitting the 50 win mark. The previous record sat at 43 wins, which he broke in a 3-0 shutout win against RPI. That shutout also broke the school record with his 13th shutout (now at 15).
So basically, Lyon is a stud in any facet you look at. His scouting report c/o Elite Prospects gives you a look into what type of a goaltender he is:
Very technique-oriented goalie that combines quick reflexes with sound positional play. Superior core and lower-body strength exhibited through quick cross-crease pushes and smooth lateral movement. Quick glove hand that doesn’t get beat very often. Isn’t very scrambly and accurately predicts where the puck is going to hit him and where it will be redirected to if he doesn’t hold onto it. Analyzes odd-man situations well and is always a step ahead. [EP]
All in all, it should be interesting to see where he ends up and if he signs with the Oilers. Knowing what I know about him, I would be hard pressed to imagine the Oilers not being all over him. With 12 teams supposedly showing interest, it will be interesting to watch this unfold over the next week or so.
