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Bright minds of the NHL agree that the Oilers are legit this year, but Edmonton fans can expect to see a trade or two before the NHL’s trading deadline.
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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested on the 32 Thoughts podcast that Oilers ace Connor McDavid now believes his team can win.
Co-host Jeff Marek suggested that the Oilers no longer rely on just McDavid to save them in games. “It’s different now in Edmonton.”
Friedman agreed. “It is different. I do think they’re going to go out to add (players). I do. It’s just a matter of when. I think they’re going to look at another goalie, just depending on how everything holds up. And I think they could look at a left shot D. But he (McDavid) looks up and down and around and he sees this team is good enough to win. And I think this takes him to another level.”
On Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, NHL network analyst Brian Lawton echoed some of these thoughts: “The Oilers have shown everything you need to show to be legit, yet I still hear people taking shots at them: ‘Their power play is through the roof. Still led by two players. They don’t what it takes to sustain it.’ They’re going to have to answer that over the season. For me, yes, I believe they are there. I think their management is excellent. I think their coaching is top notch. Dave Tippett does not get enough credit because he’s never won a Stanley Cup… Well now he has an opportunity to get over the hump… I’m still expecting a move or two from Edmonton before they get done with the trade deadline this year. And if they do that, then yes they are 100 per cent legit. Even if they don’t, I still think they’re a Top 8 team in the NHL and if you’re a Top 8 team in the NHL you have a chance to do something.”
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My take
1. When did I tell you the beatings would stop? The snide comments about McDavid wanting out? The endless putdowns of the team? The beating stop when the team starts winning. That changes everything. And it’s changing everything right now for the Oilers.
2. You’ll see in the chart above that Edmonton now has a strong Core 12, it’s Top 7 forwards (top two lines and third line centre), Top 4 d-men and No. 1 goalie. Between Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen the Oilers have got it done in net. The pairings of Cody Ceci and Duncan Keith, Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard/Tyson Barrie have been fine. The top two lines are as good as any top two lines on any team in the NHL.
3. Derek Ryan started out well at third-line centre, but has dropped off. If I were to project Edmonton’s trading needs for a playoff run, I might prioritize bringing in another centre over bringing in another goalie, at least if Koskinen keeps playing well, Mike Smith gets healthy and Stuart Skinner continues to look sharp.
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4. Slater Koekkoek and Kris Russell have both had their struggles as the third-pairing left shot d-man. That’s another area where I expect the Oilers will make a deal, bringing in a veteran d-man at the deadline, just as Oilers GM Ken Holland has done two years running, acquiring Mike Green in 2020 and Dmitry Kulikov in 2021. Philip Broberg is doing well in Bakersfield, but I don’t see Tippett or the Oilers betting on him or Dmitry Samorukov on the left side in the playoffs. They might well get some games in Edmonton, but Holland and Tippett will bring in a veteran for the playoffs, correct? Anyone disagree with me? We might well disagree on what the best tactic might be, but Holland’s record here is clear.
5. I still like Ryan at centre. He’s fast and smart. But depending on how fast Ryan McLeod develops and how quickly Dylan Holloway rebounds from injury and a long lay off when he returns to play, Edmonton’s top need looks to be a tough and capable third line centre.
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6. If the Oilers are looking for help from Bakersfield this year, Seth Griffith or Cooper Marody can step into a depth wing role in the NHL and likely get by, but with Holloway out and McLeod and Tyler Benson already in Edmonton, depth is lacking at forward. On defence, Broberg, Samorukov, William Lagesson, Markus Niemelainen and Filip Berglund could all get NHL games and likely hold their own on a third pairing. But I don’t really see any player in the Bake that Edmonton will be counting on in an NHL playoff run. A trade or two it will be then, with Holland maybe moving out a defensive prospect to bring in the right player.
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At the Cult
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