Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts

Friday, January 21, 2022

My choice for the next transition coach

Now hear me out. It’s a crazy idea and I’m just a Joe Blow with hopes and dreams for a team I love like the rest of you. No inside info here. 

The Oilers need a name that we know can get the best out of players. He’s vocal, he’s demanding, he expects hard work and grit. He knows how to win with marginal players and this current team isn’t marginal. 

Katz would sign off on this move 100%.  Ken Holland is more than familiar with him due to Team Canada connections. He was an integral part of the Oilers dynasty back in the day. 

That man? Craig MacTavish. 

He came back to the franchise as an assistant coach back in 1999-00, before he took over the reigns as the head coach in 2000-01. His last season was with the Oilers in 2008-09. The team was 38-35-9 for 88 points that year. Missing the playoffs in the last 3 seasons before he was fired April 15, 2009 with one year remaining on his deal. It was his 10th year coaching the fabled Oilers. He was a good coach and I enjoyed they way he ran the bench. MacT was always working with a limited roster due to money restraints from the Oilers Entertainment Group, so he was always working with a disadvantage. 

We all remember the cup run of 2006. But my reasons for wanting him as the next transitional coach isn’t because of that cup run, but it obviously helps. MacT was tough as nails. He expected the best out of his players and if he didn’t get it, they rode the pine. It was as simple as that. Play the system or don’t play at all. 

MacT was a breed of his own. He was an old school person but seemed to adapt to the newer NHL style, no matter what it was. He understood that he needed to adapt accordingly to the team(s) they faced. Play wide open, or play the trap. He did what was in the teams best interest to win games with the limited skill he had to deploy. If he had a better roster in those years, he could have done better then just the 2006 run and also what the stats for that 10 years suggest. 

He coached a few different versions of Team Canada and did pretty well. His last kick at the bucket was the 2019 Spengler cup where he lead the team to a gold medal. 

His year in the KHL wasn’t very good. Not sure the reasons for his departure, but his coach style simply didn’t translate well over there. 

If the Oilers fire Tippett soon, Craig MacTavish is the guy I would look at to finish off this season before a search for a new permanent coach takes place. He’s the most logical choice right now. He would be my go to guy so they don’t have to disturb the good things happening in Bakersfield. 

MacT is the stop gap. What do you think? 

Monday, January 17, 2022

Guess we can kill the Carey Price rumours

News filtered out today that Montreal Canadians netminder Carey Price won’t be back from injury anytime soon. 

After undergoing a substance abuse program before the season started, his progress on returning from injury has been slow at best. Most had figured after his offseason surgery that he would be ready for action sooner rather than later. But that’s not the case. 

Montreal Canadiens Vice President of communications Chantal Machabee today broke the bad news. 



Arpon Basu had the quote from her today. 



So there we have it Oiler fans. The chances of him starting rehab all over again and playing this year for any team except the Habs, is almost nil. 

Even with this heartbreaking news, it won’t stop fans from constantly bringing his name up over and over again. 

Hopefully we can all agree, it’s time to move on from this pipe dream. 

Monday, December 20, 2021

Goodbye Olympic dreams for 2022



With nearly a quarter of NHL currently shut down due to the recent Covid outbreak breezing through the NHL, word is starting to spread about how the NHL and NHLPA is about to pull out of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

As a fan of hockey, this saddens me a lot. I've been waiting for this Olympics for a while. Seeing McDavid, Crosby and Mackinnon out on the ice together was going to be a wonderful dream. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be this year. Quite simply, this sucks. This could have been the greatest Canadian team ever battling one of the best American teams ever.

I've seen the topic of pushing the Olympics back a year like they did for the Summer Olympics. At this point, I could see this happening and not just cause I'm selfish about hockey. But, for all sports and the betterment of the games as a whole. Guess we will have to wait and see. Fingers crossed.

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Area’s of concern


The skid has increased to 5 games… Now what? 

Depending on how you view the team, there is a few concerns that seem to be smacking us fans right in the face. Some areas definitely need to be addressed sooner rather than later. 

BOTTOM 6 

When the bottom 6 hasn’t scored a goal in 10 games, that’s a huge reason for this skid the Oilers are on right now. Lack of production of the secondary scoring hurts when you simply just bank on McDavid and Draisaitl to lead the way. When this happens it’s just not sustainable. Players like Kassian, Foegele, McLeod, Shore, Ryan, Sceviour and Benson are guilty of slacking for secondary scoring. Teams, never mind Stanley Cup championship teams, all need balanced scoring. It’s not an option. It’s a must have. 

You might be thinking, you are missing Yamamoto. While he’s not a bottom 6 player this year, he’s definitely included on being at fault as well for little to no productivity. I’m shocked he still plays that right wing on that second line after all this time. He checks well and plays gritty the best he can for a little guy, but with only 5 points patrolling the ice with Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins, that’s a concern and a head scratcher. It needs to be changed, fixed and corrected ASAP.

LACK OF GOALIE CONFIDENCE

Mikko Koskinen had good games (his record looks ok) and bad (when he’s bad he’s bad in front of your eyes). For the most part I think he’s a decent goalie, but he has flaws. Letting in a fluffer early in a game is the most obvious. We all know that one. It’s frustrating as all hell watching it happen game after game. 

He’s not a full time #1 goalie, but much like before, he’s depended on again to be the starter due to Mike Smith being out of action. I’m not psychologist, but he seems to have confidence issues that stick in his head. Once the fluffers started to happen, I believe he mentally over thought it before each game and somehow subconsciously lets it happen even when he tries not to. 

While at this moment I’m not on the bandwagon to jump on the “fire the coach train” or join the “make a massive trade” group, I do feel like it’s time to move on with the Dustin Schwartz era. It’s run it’s course. Koskinen needs a different whisper in his ear to help him battle the mental demons that fill a goalies head once in a while. Will be tough to move Koskinen before the end of the season and I expect Holland to ride out his contract, so the next best move is to move on from Schwartz and perhaps it can help moving forward with the goalie situation in Edmonton for all the goalies, not just Koskinen. 

THE ROOKIE DEFENCE

4 rookies have patrolled the blue line this year for the Oilers. Bouchard isn’t exactly a rookie per se, but he’s young and inexperienced and I still view him as a rookie. When the vets started to drop like flies, the Oilers had to lean on some kids from the farm team. Niemelainen, Broberg and Lagesson all came up and were thrown into the fire. This has made the coaches jobs a little harder as you can’t shelter the rookies like you can when you only have one rookie in the lineup. It’s tough. They had to fill in on all three pairings. 

All in all I don’t really have a lot of complaints about the rookies. They had to learn in a hurry how to adjust to the NHL pace. I can’t even imagine being in their shoes. Now that Ceci and Nurse are back, and once Keith and Russell are back, I suspect the defence woes to fade away. That was a lot of pressure on the kids, but hopefully soon it’s only one in the lineup at a time and not three at a time. That veteran presence is desperately needed again on the back end and a lot of the Oilers problems will go away once that happens. 

PLAYERS MEETING

All of this said, I believe that a players only meeting could fix a lot of the Oilers woes right now. I had mentioned it after the 2 game slide to some friends and while at that point it really wasn’t needed. I do believe it needs to happen now. There is something more when it comes from your peers and not by management. I truly believe for the most part this team is and can be good. The lineup is bolstered by a pretty darn good group of hockey players. They just need to figure out that they need to step up their games to new levels for their own styles. Even the dynasty Oilers era learned valuable lessons from others. But they also grew from those lessons. This era of Oilers need to do the same. 

They need to hear McDavid and Draisaitl and try and match their efforts and work ethic. Put in the extra time. Work harder. Play with a purpose. 

They need to listen to a vet like Duncan Keith. He’s been a winner. He knows what it takes. If Keith speaks, people better listen. I’d trust his advice. 

Same goes for Mike Smith. He’s been around the block. He’s played in the NHL for quite some time and has been in a lot of different situations. He is vocal in the dressing room and his presence has been sorely missed since he’s been injured. I fully believe the Oilers would be in a different position if he wasn’t hurt. He’s integral to the core of the team. 

WELL NOW WHAT? 

The Oilers were lucky to pile up the wins at the start of the season to provide a slight cushion to absorb this 5 game slump. Fans are calling for heads so the pressure is on all over the organization. 

I suspect once the team can reduce the amount of rookies on the blue line, get Smith back and shuffle the forward lines up a bit, the Oilers will get back on track. 

While I expect Holland to be a buyer at the trade deadline, I don’t see any knee jerk reaction trades to happen anytime soon. However, like I said above, the Schwartz era needs to end. Make that happen Holland. 

GOILERS!!! 

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Jake DeBrusk on the move?



Word came out of Boston that Jake DeBrusk has requested a trade in the last couple days. Oiler fans immediately started to salivate and get excited at the possibility of the younger DeBrusk suiting up for his father’s former NHL team. 

I won’t lie, I got excited too. Until I heard Calgary was in the mix for him. My excitement then changed to greed and now I really want to see DeBrusk don the Oilers silks and not the hated rivals jersey. 

The big question now, what do the Oilers have to give up to acquire him? Yamamoto and a 3rd? Could it be less? Generally when the options are limited, so is the asking price. Since we have heard both Edmonton and Calgary are for sure interested, that price won’t be as cheap as we all hope. 

What about you? What do you think the Oilers will have to give up to trade for Jake DeBrusk? Let’s hear your thoughts. 

Friday, February 26, 2021

Oilers Jambalaya Podcast





Subscribe anywhere you currently listen to your podcasts. 

Covering everything in the Edmonton Oilers hockey club. 

Monday, August 4, 2014

Summer questions in 'Oilerland'













As mentioned in my last blog, we will take some time today to discuss some questions that are out there in Oilerland. The questions range from great ones to ridiculous ones. I am no expert but will take the time to shoot off my views and perspective to you in the best way I know how, through Oilersjambalaya.

It may be a long time off of the ice for the Oilers but their fans feel it even more. At least the players got their pay cheques and can enjoy some rest but for fans of the Edmonton Oilers hockey club, it has been more of the same and every year they don't make the playoffs it gets more and more difficult to stomach and enjoy supporting.

Oilers fans carry a very broad spectrum of views. You have the fanatical 'were going to win the cup real soon' ones, to the 'this team sucks and will never win the cup' folks. In between you have the bandwagon jumpers and the casual 'ho-hum' we will see how it is going 20 games into the season fan.

Here are some interesting questions being asked about the Edmonton Oilers hockey club.

What is going to happen with picking up 1 more centerman for that pivot position?

There is a small % chance that MacT finds a last minute tryout for a centerman to come to training camp but likely it will be Lander, Arcobello and Draisaitl fighting it out for the final two spots on the club. The only way a decent centerman (one that is a shoe-in to play better then what they already got) comes into camp is if MacT can pull off a trade due to a team's restraints but more likely a third line centre who can occasionally fill in for a 2nd line. No sense bringing in another Boyd Gordon type player we already got him.

Will Ramsey make any difference with the Oilers coaching staff?

I find this question interesting as there are two frames of thought. We can say yes but then there are those who say the assistant coach has very little impact on the game. If that were true then we would have to argue that moving out Smith and Buchberger was not needed. Why? Cause if assistant coaches don't change the outcome of games why bother ever changing them? IMO, assistant coaches are more about team synergy. If the coaching team connects well and is in the same wheelhouse then it's a recipe for success and that is what the Oilers are looking for, the right chemistry. Yes, I think Ramsey brings to the team what Renney had brought and even more.

Can the Oilers make the playoffs this year?

Absolutely they can but will they? I do give them a 50/50 chance of making it happen but it will depend how they get out of the gate. It will require a 75% winning percentage over the first 20 games. So 15 wins and 5 losses? Yup! The consistency early on would be a morale boost and confidence booster and likely would show themselves they can win. Later in the season could prove difficult but if your winning 75% of the games 25% of the way into the season I doubt you fall below the 55% the rest of the way. That would give the Oilers a final record approximately about and 48-32-1-1. That would come to about 97 point season. That my friends is a playoff spot. Do I think it will happen? Nope, I suspect they come out with about 11 wins, 7 losses and 2 overtime losses giving them 24 points in their first 20 games. If they start at that % of winning only I would guess they pick up slightly as the season goes on and end up with a more likely record of 46-36-1-1. That would give them 93 points. That would put them right at the 7-10 place finish in the western conference.

What is the chances that the Oilers will be a lottery team again in 2015 when Conner McDavid is available?

Read last question and answer again. No way on God's green earth does Edmonton select the #1 overall pick this next year unless they traded for it and that will not be happening this year. Could they get lucky and draw his name still. Yes, but maybe a 2% chance it happens which means, nope!

Will and should Draisaitl make the Edmonton Oilers if they don't bring in another centre to compete for the 2nd and 3rd line spot?

Leon Draisaitl will and should make the Edmonton Oilers hockey club this season. Please don't keep giving me the he is too young and the Oilers are wasting his ELC and he needs more time to develop crap. If the Oilers had more high end centres in their organization then I would say yes he would be going back, however even bringing in a centre like Jordon Stall would still have Draisaitl fighting for a 3rd line role with Arcobello and Lander. Guess who wins in that scenario? Yeah, Draisaitl has stayed in North America to train and be ready in camp. He knows has development coaches who will be working on the area's of weakness in his game and has a leg up on most his competition already in his size and skill. As long as he can get 12-14 mins a game he will do fine. He already showed well the the WHC playing for Germany and handled himself like a man (wait, he is a man and is built like a pretty big man).

Can Bogdan Yakimov replace what Anton Lander was originally thought to bring to the Oilers club?

Very good question! As much as I always liked Lander, he may be moved to another team as a depth prospect real soon. This is his last year to make or break the Oilers. Yakimov has a ways to go to still catch up but his size and skill looks to be Bogdan's asset. 1 year development and I think we see Bogdan playing regularly for the Oilers franchise. Say goodbye to Lander and hello Yakimov! Yeah I believe he is the new replacement of hope as the Oilers future 3rd line centre. That is...for now anyway. If Bogdan is too play in that role for the Oilers it will be easy tell in how he competes and fares this season. a bad year development wise would derail that plan altogether. I know some players take more time to development but my 'gut' tells me we will know pretty quick if Yakimov is the real deal.

What's your take on these questions? Where do you feel the Oilers are headed heading into this 2014/15 season? Give us your take or perspective even if it's different. It's a slow summer folks, we need something to discuss. If your reading this it means your still hungry for more hockey talk and if your not reading this....yeah exactly, no need to answer cause you didn't read the article anyway.

My next series of blogs we will start to look further into the prospects, 'Bubble, Prospect or Suspect' series. In the meantime keep enjoying your summer and we will touch base soon again.

You can follow me on twitter for more information on prospects and hockey related news at www.twitter.com/revingev


Monday, June 30, 2014

Are the Oilers making another move?


The Oilers just finished signing a last minute pending UFA last week and then picked up their pick skilled center at the draft and a handful of draft prospects who may or may not ever see the light of day in the NHL. You can take a closer look here at my draft analysis on the Oilers.

With free agency coming up they still have to either trade or land a few more players. Who is left? Who are you OK with? What would you attempt if you were GM of the Oilers? These can be difficult decisions for management. The team is extremely under the microscope now so every move they will be careful to feel like they have made the fans happy without sacrificing the future. I listed the player in red that I would at least entertain if gotten for right trade and/or price. Without going into detail on every player feel free to comment your thoughts.

Who can they trade for?

Vincent Lecavalier C
Braydon Coburn D
Brayden Schenn C
Sean Couturier C
Ben Lovejoy D
Martin Hanzel C
David Moss R/L
Keith Yandle D
Bryan Bickell L
Jamie McGinn L/R
Kyle Clifford L
Dwight King L
Jordan Nolan L/R
Patrick Marleau C
Johnny Boychuk D
Tyler Myers D
Eric Staal C
Jordan Staal C
Rene Bourque L/R
Josh Bailey C


Who can they sign as a UFA? 

Danny Heatley LW
Thomas Vanek LW
Brad Richards C
Dan Boyle D
Paul Stastny C
Jerome Iginla RW
Mike Cammalleri LW
Mike Ribeiro C
Martin Havlat RW
David Legwand C
Ryan Malone LW
Olli Jokinen C
Ville Leino LW
Milan Michalek LW
David Booth LW
Christian Ehrhoff D
Andrej Meszaros D
Kyle Quincey D
Sami Salo D
Brooks Orpik D
Willie Mitchell D
Dave Bolland C
Stephane Robidas D
Matt Moulson L
Radem Vrbata R
Jussi Jokinen L
Mikhail Grabovski C
Devin Setoguchi R
Steve Ott C
Nikolai Kulemin R
Steve Downie R
Lee Stempniak R
Matt Niskanen D
Dustin Penner L
Vernon Fiddler C
Daniel Winnick L
Marcel Goc C
Anton Stralman D
Brian Boyle C
Mark Fayne D
Brendan Morrow C
Mason Raymond L
Michal Handzus C
Peter Regin C

The list is plentiful so there will be no shortage of availability. If you strike out at the top end guys, wait a day to a week and you get the bargain prices. Who would you consider giving a contract to and for how much term and or dollars? My biggest point is there is lots of players available and many will be a upgrade in the bottom 6.

So your the GM, what's your offer?  Do you continue waiting or step in and swing for the hills or offer short term but overpay on a 1 or 2 year contract?

In the meantime and in between time that's it for another edition of Jambalaya hockey discussion.

P.S. #follow me on twitter for some recent updates of possible UFA signing info or possible trades. Sometimes I get some good heads up in advance but to be fair most often I do not. I prefer to not use blog for those type possibilities#


Friday, June 27, 2014

Last Minute 2014 NHL Draft thoughts...

Not going to take much of you Oiler fans time with this post. I have been asked several times who I believe are the top priorities for the Oilers to draft should they be on the board at #3.

I believe the Draft priority will be:
#1. Aaron Ekblad
#2. Sam reinhart
#3. Leon Draisaitl

This would mean, no matter what, they will be drafting on of these three players in just over a hour and fifteen minutes.

There is a possibility of a trade to move into second round with using a prospect and/or a current player along with a later draft pick. It likely hinges on if that team makes a trade or not with another team for a current roster player.

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revingev if you do not already. I will be tweeting live during the Draft. Happy to converse and talk during the entire draft.

Cheers!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Oilers 'Pre-NHL Draf't rumours flying

Can't go to far without hearing a new rumour swirling right now for the NHL during free agent frenzy, 2014 NHL Entry Draft and apparently a good time trade week.

I just wanted to touch on some possible trade situations that are being discussed or looked at. Right now the Oilers still covet a Top 6 Center and a Top 2 defence man. The draft will answer 1 of the 2 immediately. I know your saying 'what?' Yes, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and/or Leon Draisaitl will be likely to good to be sent back to their CHL team. Please don't give me the 'they have to earn it first' lecture. Of course they have to earn it and they will. All I am saying is, I believe they are all ready for the jump, they are that good right now. Maybe Leon could need 1 more year but not likely.

So having said that, the Oilers could have potential interest in Vincent Lecavalier as a temporary second line center to give them a year or two before finishing off the last time on the third line.

Hall/Nugent-Hopkins/Eberle
Perron/Lecavalier/Yakupov
 Would that work? Do you hate the idea of a slower Vincent playing for the Oilers? Willing to trade for his salary and give up Klefbom? Think he is washed up? I actually don't mind this idea but would be a possible solution if they strike out at Stastsny.

Sounding like Edmonton has 5 impending trade possibilities but two are based on trading the pick. This will be a interesting next 24 hours. Let the good times roll! The Oilers are definitely in the mix on almost anything they can and keeping their hands on as much as possible.

In the meantime Oiler fans, enjoy the last night before the Draft. It's year 5 of the rebuild coming up. Oilers plan on improving so maybe one last ride upon the good ship Koolaid?

follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/revingev for prospect news and oiler and hockey talk

MOCK Draft 2014 NHL - who do the Oilers take?

Just finished last night my 2014 NHL Mock Draft. As promised to several of you on twitter and here at Oilersjambalaya.com, I would post the day before draft day in Philadelphia.

Here are my results……


REVS 2014 NHL MOCK DRAFT
          # Team Player
1. Florida Panthers Sam Reinhart
2. Buffalo Sabres Sam Bennett
3. Edmonton Oilers  Aaron Ekblad
4. Calgary Flames Michael DalColle
5. New York Islanders Leon Draisaitl
6. Vancouver Canucks Nick Ritchie
7. Carolina Hurricanes Hayden Fleury
8. Toronto Maple Leafs Nikolaj Ehlers
9. Winnipeg Jets Jake Virtanen
10. Anaheim Ducks Brendan Perlini
11. Nashville Predators William Nylander
12. Arizona Coyotes Alex Tuch
13. Washington Capitals Jared McCann
14. Dallas Stars Ivan Barbashev
15. Detroit Red Wings Kasperi Kapanen
16. Columbus Blue Jackets Travis Sanheim
17. Philadelphia Flyers Roland McKeown
18. Minnesota Wild Kevin Fiala
19. Tampa Bay Lightning Julius Honka
20. San Jose Sharks Dylan Larkin
21. St.Louis Blues Anthony DeAngelo
22. Pittsburgh Penquins Nikolay Goldobin
23. Colorado Avalanche Joshua Ho-Sang
24. Anaheim Ducks Conner Bleackley
25. Boston Bruins Adrian Kempe
26. Montreal Canadiens Jakub Vrana
27. Chicago BlackHawks Nick Schmaltz
28. Tampa Bay Lightning Robert Fabbri
29. Los Angeles Kings Nikita Scerbak
30. New Jersey Devils Thatcher Demko


In the meantime you can follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/revingev on more NHL talk, rumours and mostly prospect info on the NHL Entry Draft

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

What to make of the 2014 NHL Draft Top 4 Prospects?

The city of Edmonton and Oiler fans everywhere are buzzing about this years NHL Entry Draft coming up at the end of June. Granted there is not much else to be focusing in on with the exception of the hiring of Craig Ramsey yesterday as a assistant coach.

The difference this year is the unpredictability of who the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres will be picking and what will be left for the Edmonton Oilers. From the best information I can gather the Oilers so far have the players ranked in this order if they could select their Top 4 rankings. They will select the highest ranking player they have listed and be happy doing so.

#1. Aaron Ekblad
#2. Sam Reinhart
#3. Leon Draisaitl
#4. Sam Bennett

The only thing that may stand out different for the Oilers from most of the NHL is where they rank Draisaitl. Very few teams rank him in their top 3 and would much sooner have Bennett in that slot. Until recently I was pretty sure needing offence the Panthers would for sure select Reinhart or Bennett but a recently posted article here may tell us different. Ekblad may be a risk but Florida even last year did not go with the high offensive output of Drouin instead selected the big man-child from Finland. It is very likely this could be the situation this year and a franchise defensemen is not such a bad prize to grab.

Buffalo is up next. On their website they specially linked this video to their site evaluating players at the draft. Reading too much into this? I don't think so. There is lots of other opinions and this video could be a tell they want Sam Reinhart. Should he be off the board then it's highly likely a low scoring team like Buffalo will go with Bennett. 

So if the Oilers do have their rankings as listed above by me, it's almost a certainty that Reinhart will be gone in the top 2 picks regardless. That leaves their list as they pick up Ekblad at the #3 spot if Florida takes Reinhart but if Ekblad goes to Florida and Buffalo takes Reinhart, then the Oilers will select Aaron Ekblad.

I am pretty sure when the Oilers walk to the podium June 27th they will be selecting a large, skilled and smart franchise Defensemen in EKBLAD or a potential #2 large bodied, strong, skilled Center in DRAISAITL. Either way, the Oilers will be getting bigger and more skilled in one of their most desperate needs moving forward. It's a good year and Oiler fans have something to be excited about.

NEXT UP? My Year End 'REVS 2014 Top 15 NHL Prospect Rankings'

Saturday, June 7, 2014

It's time to decide on "Leon Draisaitl"

Ok, before you slaughter me here, I am interrupting my weekly article here at oilersjambalya.com on the Oilers breakdown by position in light of the upcoming draft. Take a look here  to understand my reasoning on why we should take Leon Draisaitl with the #3 pick. Right now we will not have Sam Reinhart available at the #3 spot regardless of what your hearing, he will be gone. Maybe, just maybe we have Aaron Ekblad available. I believe he is a potential #2 d-man and that is hard to come by but our problem is we can't wait for the 2-3 years it takes for him to grow into being a star a=in the NHL. The fans will have none of it. We also need a #2 center and we need it now. Nothing seems available without giving up a valuable part of this franchise and we need a larger bigger centermen to take on tougher centre's in this league. Could Leon Draisaitl be that man and start this coming season? I believe he is ready and at worst he has one more year to develop if not able to shine in training camp and in 9 exhibition games.

This team can't afford to finish worse then 20th next season without huge backlash (you can take that to the bank) and Leon may be the best option. If you read the above article you would probably agree Sam Bennett will not be the option. I personally believe he is Gagner2 in the making and on a team needing more and picking at #3 has other needs.

I predict Leon Draisaitl will be a Edmonton Oiler come the day of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Like it or not, he is probably our best option. Got a comment , leave it in the comments section and we can discuss this more.

In the meantime, and in between time, that's it for another edition of Oilers hockey!

Monday, May 26, 2014

Are Edmonton's forwards good enough to compete?


My apologies in the delay yet once again in my article's. I am producing at a slower rate then Tamby ran the Oilers. I appreciate the faithful ones who support and continually ask when I will have my next blogs up. While finalizing the final aspects of the Oilers team with forwards today and defencemen and Goalies in the next two article's, I will also be putting out a final 2014 NHL Entry Draft Ranking following the Draft combine.

Let's get to the point of this article today. The Edmonton Oilers forwards that are locked, loaded and ready to go for 2014/2015? Ok, maybe their not ready but at least let's discuss where they are currently are at and where this team could be headed with what they actually have sitting in the wings. As we walk through the list of players at forward there are some given players that are likely to be going nowhere. How will they make the changes and will an important part be sent away? Only MacT really knows but that next move will either move this team forward or it will cost MacT his job in the future.

First let's be realistic about who is staying regardless of offers and who potentially could be dealt away. As we walk through the skilled forwards, the idea is to fairly analyze their place on this team with logic and deduction.

Hall; 6'1, 201 lbs
The cornerstone of this franchise and a player who can be relied on 90% of the time. Taylor is going nowhere and it's likely will be the captain in a year or two. He may not have a no-trade clause but unofficially there IS a no-trade clause on Hall within the Oilers organization, You win with players like this. Wait till he finally makes the post-season, players like Hall are money in the bank.

Nugent-Hopkins; 6'1, 180 lbs
Has been competing against the best in the game at every level and beyond his years experience for his whole hockey playing career. Took a big learning curve this year defensively but considering he takes on the others teams best defencemen and forward checking lines, he only stands to get better each year. On a team that has very little centre depth, other teams know that and that has been the mistake the Oilers have had. Very little centre position support. Coming off an off-season last year where he was recovering from shoulder surgery, this off-season is all about strength and conditioning. Get a good second line center (or even 1st line if possible) and watch RNH blossom. You don't find a centre of his skill set and hockey IQ often. Is untouchable unless they can fetch better in a trade and we all know in today's NHL, those trades don't happen.

Eberle; 6'0, 185 lbs
Jordan Eberle is as clutch as you can get. This boy has been waiting and itching to play a playoff game of importance for some time. Loves the city and loves the organization but as close as he is to Hall and company, he could potentially be the piece of the puzzle who can actually fetch something back in return. Don't want him gone but somebody with skill needs to go to bring in what this team needs.

Yakupov; 5'11, 189 lbs
Another player of incredibly high skill but needs to be played according to his strengths. Some like to say his trade value is diminished but don't believe the lies. They are only opinions and several team scouts will tell you, Nail has game. His last 15 games he was turning the corner on his back checking and defensive awareness without the puck. His +/- was virtually 0 during that same time span. (which is almost never mentioned) Fans and media like to really run with a story and in Edmonton, Nail became the favourite whipping boy. Nail is going nowhere unless there is a way to pick up Florida's 1st rounder with him in the deal. (likely will not happen). Don't believe the talk he is too small for this game. Nail is strong on the puck and fights hard for it in battles. Not an easy player to knock over and knows how to dish it out occasionally as well.

Perron; 6'0, 200 lbs
A player with his feisty attitude and jam for the net is not traded away. Unless there was an internal problem, he stays. Maybe a situation where they bring in a top 2 defender or a top 2 centre but we all know Perron would not fetch that type of player so time for speculation of being traded is out of order.

Gagner; 5'11, 202 lbs
Gagner must have been traded at least 15 times by media and fans in the last 2 years. This guy has more lives then a cat. I think the problem is less how good he is and more how he just doesn't compliment what this team needs. If he were to play with two thick bodies and quick wingers who could score maybe this would be a different discussion but right now, that's not the case. Can't see Gagner lasting much longer in Edmonton as their 2nd line centre. If they trade Eberle or Yakupov he could move to right wing (where he played with Cogliano his rookie year mostly) but if one of the other wingers are not traded, it will likely be Gagner who is finding a new city to call home.

None of the other Oilers forwards on the roster are what you could consider top 6 forwards on a NHL team. They may be able to fill in occasionally but as regular top 6 forwards, the Oilers only potentially have the 6 mentioned above. Other forwards on this team will be role players only.

So having said all that, who is in the system that could be a player in the future that the Oilers could use as a legitimate NHL forward? Below I have rated the % chance of them making a solid NHL Career.

PROSPECTS

Chase; 6'0, 205 lbs
Chase produced some incredible numbers this past season. He has shown to have soft hands to go with his pesky side of the game. We know he is the type of player who will be in the scrums and try to get under the skin of his opponents. A player that was selected in the Oilers last round and looked good at training camp as well. His 1st year in the minor pro level will be the true test, if he can bring that level of play to the next level of hockey. His top end potential is maybe as a third line but more then likely will be a 4th line player should he pan out. I think many of us are rooting for a incredible career for this young prospect. I rate him at a 60% chance of succeeding.

Moroz; 6'2, 211 lbs
No one expected the Oilers to take Mitch so high in the draft but when his fellow OilKing was selected just in front of him the Oilers wanted big, tough and some resemblance of skill and they took the chance on him. He has looked good for the role this year and for many parts of the year has carried his team. The bigger question will be can he carry the game the same way in OKC like he did with the OilKings because he will be playing against the big boys in the AHL and they likely won't be so easy to dominate physically. He has good fight in his game, only time will tell. I like him and he stands a 70% chance of succeeding

Khaira; 6'3, 210 lbs
A big player who can guard and protect the puck well. I am concerned about his foot speed but has appeared to be a solid player in the making. He is a interesting player when it comes to development. This will be very a test year for him. He is a centre but IMO, I think he needs moved to the wing to stand a good NHL shot. Give him a 40% chance of succeeding at the NHL level.

Roy; 6'0, 175 lbs
A highly skilled forward with not lots of size and more then likely will be used in a trade somewhere down the line but isn't that why you want your stables full of players who can bring back some assets down the road? Possibly stands a 40% chance of succeeding at the NHL level.

Slepyshev; 6'2, 194 lbs
Will just be glad when he actually signs with the Oilers. A very good talent, just not sure if his game will translate well to the smaller ice surface and game of the NHL. Likely will be coming over for the 2015/2016 season after he fulfills his contract with his KHL team. I see him as another player that could be potentially offered in a trade to sweeten a package. Has a 50% chance of making a NHL Career.

Yakimov; 6'5, 202 lbs
A player many people are high on in this organization, including MacT himself. I see his top end potential as a 3rd line centre but he will need to improve his foot speed. Likes going strong to the net so that can be a benefit to a team like the Oilers who lack that from too many forwards. Potentially a long term fix at our 3rd or 4th line centre role. I give Yakimov a 70% chance of a successful NHL career.

While there are other forwards in their system, I rate their chances below 40% chance of actually making it to the big show for more then a cup of coffee.

I predict with little available in the system as we can see, 2 of the 6 mentioned current Oiler forwards will be moved out and replaced this season. Who? Some combination of Gagner, Yakupov and or Eberle. It's all hypothetical but simple deduction tells you something is about to break and not to far away!

In the meantime, and in between time, that's it for another edition of Oilers hockey!

Monday, May 12, 2014

What possible changes exist in the Oilers coaching staff?


According to MacT Eakins is going nowhere. I have been very open about my thoughts on Eakins and what this team needs to do. Problem is? It doesn't matter what I think, it matters what MacT thinks and right now he has backed his coach 100%. MacT is going to run with Eakins, if he turns out to be incapable of bringing this team up to par in the playoff race next season, Eakins will be gone and MacT likely will only have one last coaching choice to make the team a success. For that to happen would mean another season (Year 5 of the rebuild) will have been wasted and this whole team will be blown up.

I know lots of fans and media alike think Lowe and others are totally safe and this team's ownership is a old boys club but he is still a businessmen. MacT is only 1 year and a bit on the job and has replaced only 1 coach. He will get 2 swings at it if he has too. However saying all that, it is very unlikely that will happen unless Eakins starts next season like he did last. Eakins came across last off-season like the 'Lone Ranger' riding his white horse and how he was the 'man' who would be better then the previous regime of head coaches. He came across to many of us as smug, arrogant and self-righteous. He made claims that you play bad, you watch from the press box. Did he follow through with that equally among all his players? Nope! Not at all.

He said no favouritism yet he showed it by scratching Yakupov for his poor play on the ice but not other elite players who were constantly causing Oilers games with poor defensive play. Who else was scratched for bad play last year other then Yakupov? Petry! Yup, that's it! No others. Granted, Hall and even Eberle while struggling earlier on, at least they were putting pucks in the net and contributing to goals for the team. What about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (who I do believe in and believe is a excellent player) and Sam Gagner? What about Andrew Ference? Oh, yes, Andrew while a awesome guy and person made so many blunders out there at bad times but he's the captain and Eakins was not going to bench him. Some thing went wrong between Eakins and Yakupov and for Nail's part, after the debacle with his agent Larionov, Yakupov showed great character and said the right things on and off the ice. When it comes to putting in the work, Nail is no slacker. Enough with Nail as this is not about him but more about the way Eakins coached and taught him and used him and others.

No matter if I like it or not, Eakins is here to stay. I predict he has till the trade deadline next year to keep his job secure. If the Oilers are already out of the playoff race by trade deadline, Eakins will go (it happens, see what happened in Vancouver?). What will happen with the start of next year? Well, it's all speculation anyway but some things simple deduction will make it easier to read into the 'hockey leaves'.

Keith Action;
Not sure what Keith really brought to the table last year that really helped Eakins and if he did, we would never know what. There are many coaches who could do a much better job then Keith especially since there are so many technical coaches who can add to what this team needs. Action was a good soldier but we all know what happens to good soldiers. They are expendable! I can't see Action going anywhere this off-season as Eakins selected him but really IMO he needs replaced with more experience and a coach with a better resume. Keith likely stays.

Steve Smith;
This is a choice that many people behind the scenes believe was MacTavish's decision. MacT loves Smith and believes he has brought good success to the development of the defence. MacT likely chalks up the poor defensive play early in the season to Eakins running with his 'swarm' philosophy in the NHL. MacT stated Eakins was learning on the job and likely believes it was a mistake learned. Unless all the coaches are cleared out under Eakins, Steve is in Edmonton at least one more year working with the defence.

Kelly Buchberger;
This is the most puzzling of all the coaches decisions. Ever since his selection to coach the Springfield Falcons in the AHL, Kelly has not proven anything he adds to anyone other then someone above him I suppose. He did not look good as a head coach in the AHL and certainly not showed anything to us fans or the players that his coaching ability is better then others out there. The fact that he keeps lasting through head coaches is what scares me of the legitimacy of his coaching ability. It really makes no sense. While I see the other two coaches maybe staying on to start the year, I really question if Kelly is back to start the year as a assistant coach. Possibly let go and moved into a scouting area or player development or some fancy named position? Call it a hunch but I think we won't see Buchberger in the same role starting next season.

Fred Chabot;
Things really went wrong for Chabot when Barry Trotz let out his concerns with Devan Dubynk upon a couple games playing in Nashville. Those words resonated around the NHL, so you have to believe they were heard and examined closely within the Oilers management. I have seen a lot of Chabot's work with development of the Goalies over the years. He works hard and seems to train well on the technical tools they need to practice and work on. Some may just say the players given to him are not good enough. Goalies are a different breed and a Goalie coach is actually much more like a head coach when it comes to the goaltending position. The coach himself does little for the Goalie but the Goaltending coach is the one who prepares, teaches and trains and gets into the psychology of a goalies mind. Saying that,, there are not many great goaltending coaches and when you find one, you run with him. Rumours persist Fuhr one day returning to Edmonton but for now that is still speculation. I tend to see Chabot on his way out.

Next article we will discuss and look into what possibly is going to happen with the forwards on the Edmonton Oilers hockey team.

In the meantime, and in between time, that's it for another edition of Oilers hockey!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Any Changes upcoming in Oilers Management?

First up in our look into what changes can or will happen with the Edmonton Oilers next season in regards to Management.


We know their is a Lynch mob waiting to crucify Lowe in the City of Edmonton. Even the fans at the arena are calling for his head. The only constant left through all these years is Kevin Lowe. The argument we hear from Katz (the owner) and other members of the MSM is Lowe does not affect what happens on the ice. Do you believe that? Does not leadership start from the top down. Did he not move himself into presidency and hire Tamby to run this once storied franchise into the basement cellar of the NHL? Yup, same guy. 


Personally I like Lowe and everything he did as a player. I like him as a person but as management, not so sure he brings what this team needs. Still doubt that changing management (who is not a GM) matters? Lets take a look at 1 man who has proven that theory wrong on 2 occasions. His name is John Davidson! The following articles were written either after being in St.Louis or after and moving to Columbus. All we have to do is look at the difference in attitude that team adopted. It's the LEADERSHIP culture that he changes and what he expects out of all his staff , not to mention his selection of hockey minds to run that part of the business has a proven track record. 


Here are the articles written on Davidson;

"Since his arrival, Davidson has been involved in the acquisitions of Andy McDonald, Alex Steen, Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk while continuing to develop a solid young team." by NHL.com


"Davidson will find a number of opportunities in the NHL to do what he did in St. Louis: Build a winner on the ice through the draft and smart spending, and be the voice of the organization in keeping fans enthusiastic about the direction of the franchise….Davidson's a rock star executive, and an asset to any team that manages to add him to the brain trust."

"The problems that Davidson will face in Columbus are not unlike what he encountered when he first arrived in St. Louis. The Blues were last in the NHL in 2005-06 with 56 points but have gradually become one of the league's top teams". by The Associated press


"Davidson was brought into the organization in December of 2005 when the Blues were in the basement of the NHL. Davidson wasted no time in improving the front office. Al MacInnis was promoted to vice president, Dave Taylor became involved with player personnel and when GM Larry Pleau had to step down to senior adviser, Davidson made his best hiring in Doug Armstrong for the GM position.  If any one person should be credited with the rise of the Blues, it is Davidson. Davidson knew exactly who he needed in the GM positions to make the team homegrown and into contenders, even if it would take a few years."

"There are currently only three players, David Backes, Roman Polak and Barrett Jackman who were drafted before Davidson became president. Since then, there are six players that receive regular playing time (T.J. Oshie, Ryan Reaves, Patrik Berglund, Ian Cole, David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo) and many others currently in the NHL or ready to come up now. Because of these drafted players the Blues rose from the basement of the NHL in 2005 to Central Division Champs and only two points away from the President's Trophy.  The team has gone from looking as bare as a youth hockey rink to having standing room only crowds. When Davidson was hired the Blues were last in the hearts of the city. Now, they rival the Cardinals for passionate fans. Davidson has taken the team from the ashes of the lockout and turned them into a Cup contending team.By ,


Not bad recommendations by several writers and if you examined the ownership of NHL teams many would love to have this man running their ship. I realize he is only 1 man but that 1 man is also only a PRESIDENT of an NHL team, just like Kevin Lowe. Nobody can convince me that the position of President has no impact on the ice.

It won't happen before the season starts but another bad start next season for the Oilers and Kevin Lowe's position WILL no longer be secure, after all you can only live on your 5 Stanley Cup rings for so long and you can only give the same excuses for so long. The only way Lowe will continue in management is if the Oilers make a strong push for the playoffs right up to the bitter end. Anything less and IMO he will be let go. Love the guy but winning franchises have to know how to let go of not only players but management and coaches that have expired dates on their resume when it comes to winning.

Next article, we will discuss the area of coaching and examine how safe the Coaches are within the Oilers organization. 

In the meantime, and in between time, that's it for another edition of Oilers hockey!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Seasons end

Tonight the season ends for the Edmonton Oilers and a whole new season begins. For the Oilers it will be a off-season and for the lucky 16 teams who have worked hard and smart enough it is called the NHL Playoffs.

With yet another season outside of the playoffs looking in (from afar), this team has a lot of rebuilding to still do. Each year we hear the same kook-aid. One more year, it didn't go as expected! Who is to blame for that? The players? Well if its the players isn't it the managements job to get new players? I hear many say it isn't so easy! No? Then why have management at all? Why do other GM's and organizations make the transactions needed? It is really time to look further then just coaches.

Tonight the Oilers take on the Canucks and this is the 1st time since the Gagner draft that I actually do not want the Oilers to win a game. Especially 1 game that means absolutely nothing positive. Ending with a 1 game win streak or losing the last game will not make or break this teams confidence. This team needs the best chance it can get at either a Top 2 d-man or a top 2 centerman. Granted the Oilers could falter to 3rd if someone other then them or Buffalo win the lottery but then they get Leon Draisaitl as a consolation at worst.

I don't want to make any predictions as to next year's line-up but don't expect too much on the backend. Petry, Ference, Schultz are 100% here unless one gets traded and the most likely would be Petry. Klefbom and Marincin stand a very high chance to have a very good chance as well again next year to start in Edmonton. I give them about a 80% chance. That's 5 defencemen. I know there is big talk about MacT swinging for the fence for a top 2 d-man but good luck unless he is trading Petry and a top end forward.

Next week after the lottery, we will know at least where we are picking and then we can better dissect this team we all love so much in Oil Country!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Dallas Eakins and Todd Nelson to trade positions?

Ok, before i am crucified for starting a ridiculous rumour and everybody starts freaking out, let me explain. Is it even possible that the Oilers organization could actually flip these two coaches? I have searched the Internet and tried to find if this rumour has been swirling anywhere. I did not come up with this idea on my own. In fact, last night after speaking with someone who is a little more in the know, I started to examine the thought of this as a potential possibility. This is someone that has been involved in hockey for sometime (including the coaching fraternity). There is a lot of reasons why this makes no sense at all and lots of reasons why this could be a really good idea. I am not stating this as a legitimate rumour but wanting to at least examine this closer.

Let's examine the pros and cons and the information that has occurred over the last couple years before just tossing this possibility aside.

Jonathan Willis has a interesting read on OKC Barons bench Boss Todd Nelson http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/03/08/would-todd-nelson-be-a-good-fit-on-next-years-edmonton-oilers-coaching-staff/

While I agree with Jonathan that adding Nelson to the current staff could be a good thing, Todd Nelson himself in a article written by Ryan Dittrick would prefer Head Coaching in the AHL to being a assistant in the NHL as he has already been a assistant coach with the Atlanta Thrashers. http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=636453

To further add to Ryan's interview with Todd Nelson. Robert TychKowski also quoted Todd nelson but only after he was not selected for the Oilers Head Job. In this interview he speaks about opportunity and it does not sound like a coach who wants to take a couple years as a assistant coach in the NHL for only a maybe position. http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/07/04/despite-being-overlooked-in-the-edmonton-oilers-head-coach-hunt-okc-barons-head-coach-todd-nelson-positive-his-chance-will-come--somewhere

Where does that leave us since MacT has gone on record as saying Dallas Eakins is not going away? Terry Jones reports on this. http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/02/25/edmonton-oilers-gm-craig-mactavish-gives-strong-vote-of-confidence-for-head-coach-dallas-eakins

Mike Baldwin, a reporter in OKC when interviewing Todd Nelson himself, quoted much of the same as our local guys except does mention the possibility in a couple years as working as a assistant coach.
http://newsok.com/todd-nelsons-road-to-the-nhl-runs-through-oklahoma-city/article/3714464

Enough on the articles written. What are some common threads we are hearing or seeing on this team and around the city of Edmonton and in behind closed doors that leaks still seem to come out from?

What do we know? Dallas Eakins has seen this team's Powerplay drop significantly with a even better team this season then the previous. The team has dropped significantly in the standings looking to have taken a step backwards once again. We also know Barons head coach Nelson has continually had to deal with his best players being called up to Edmonton and at crucial times in the season. With the Oilers it seems just when their is a push for the AHL playoffs each year, they end up with a string of injuries or Nelson contends with those injuries on his AHL team. Bottom line? Nelson has an established track record with 50% of the Oilers NHL team and is known to be well respected and liked among them all.

You always hear rumours that can not really be substantiated. The young players party too much! The players have tuned out Dallas Eakins and do not respect him to get the best out of their game. The argument you hear to that is the NHL player is a professional and needs to be self motivated and shouldn't need a coach to pull the best out of him.

My take? I am sure Dallas is a wonderful person and even a really good coach. I just don't think that he is the right coach. From the moment he walked into this job, we heard how he was going to change this team. Their fitness level was too be intensified and their compete level was to be through the roof. In fact he really did IMO come off as arrogant and rude and his comments insinuated to me he was saying the last couple coach's did not demand that or couldn't teach that. Also he didn't really seem to know the players well enough of who has brought what to this organization with their gifts and talents. Even his systems play were truly flawed that he insisted would work and gave the reasons why.

Has Dallas learned on the fly? Absolutely and while I do think it's time we just quit firing coaches, I really did disagree we should have fired Ralph at all. Renney before him was a firing that happened to save Tambo's job for the following season. Tamby made Renney his scapegoat!

My take now? It's a tough decision to make and a tough pill for MacT to swallow if he were to replace his head coach but IMO if we are to bring in a young up and coming coach from the AHL, it should be from within the organization not from another one. At least we know what we have from within and it does look good.

Could Nelson accept a Assistant job? It's possible, anything is possible. If Todd does come in as assistant, you know at least a couple assistants are on their way out. What is most likely? I think Chabot and Bucky are on their way out.

However, what if Todd nelson were to take the Head Coaching job of the Edmonton Oilers should it be offered by MacT? What would happen with Dallas Eakins and the remaining part of his contract? The scoop I was told is Dallas gets sent to OKC to take on the Barons. I can hear some people right now saying 'no way!' Dallas didn't come to Edmonton to return back to the AHL. Maybe not but he also didn't perform and to me doesn't sound like a guy who is very accountable for his many mistakes as a rookie head coach. What happens to a player who under performs? He loses his job outright or gets demoted. They are paying Dallas so sending him to hone his skills within their AHL team isn't the end of the world. Eakins benches players when they under perform maybe it's time to do the same?

Not for a minute do I claim to know what WILL happen but this rumour could have some validity to it but only time will tell. In the meantime and in between time, that's it…for another edition of 'Oilers Jambalaya"

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