Will the Edmonton Oilers G.M. know when to hold 'em, fold 'em with his goalies?: 9 Things

0
266

Calgary Flames Johnny Gaudreau scores on goalie Mikko Koskinen of the Edmonton Oilers during NHL hockey in Calgary on Saturday February 6, 2021. Photo by Al Charest /Postmedia

Article content

Saturday night was a good (READ: Bad) example of how hard it is for an NHL team to outscore bad goaltending

Connor McDavid and Leo Draisaitl played their guts out trying to claw back into a 6-4 game versus Calgary Saturday night that had no business being 6-4. The Oilers goaltender all but gifted the opposition 3 goals, maybe 4. A handful of defensive breakdowns did the rest.

Will the General Manager look at this situation and decide that this is where the rubber needs to meet the road? That something needs to change?

That and much more in this week’s edition of…

9 Things

9. The 1st 2021 installment of the Battle of Alberta Saturday had its moments. But it will be hard to replicate the rivalry fully without people in the rink. Fans are such an integral part of the game. The product just isn’t as instinctive, as tribal, or as good without them in the seats.

8. Did you catch Brian Burke doing open line on Oilers Now Thursday? That’s how a star performs when he 1) Gets enough ice time and 2) Plays with a guy like Bob Stauffer who knows enough to give him the puck. It was good Sports Talk Radio, as opposed to the 4-person Sportsnet panels he gets watered down in.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

7. Gaetan Haas did not practice Friday. The Swiss Center also didn’t skate Saturday morning and then didn’t play Saturday night. No official reason was given. But theoretically, if you had a player who had already endured a long COVID-19 ordeal would you take any chances with him or the players around him at all?

6. Dylan Holloway is shooting the lights out in the NCAA. The Oilers 1st Round pick from the 2020 Draft enjoyed a 5-point night Saturday for the Wisconsin Badgers. Holloway as a result is now 7-16-23 in just 12 games. That’s Hobey Baker nominee territory. Holloway’s already too good for that league. So far, Ken Holland is looking pretty smart by drafting him.

5. When I watch Evan Bouchard play, I see elite-level puck moving and shooting ability. Higher than any other D-men in the organization. It’s crowded over there on the Oilers Right Defence right now, nice problem to have. How do you solve it? You could start by recognizing how valuable of an asset a good, young RHS D is in almost every other organization in the league. One of them could probably fetch a pretty tidy return.

4. Is there a better 2-way forward in the NHL this season than Leon Draisaitl? My eyes tell me there isn’t. Going into Saturday night’s action, Draisaitl was 2nd in league scoring with 22 points in 12 games. He was 3rd in the NHL at +12 in 12 games. Draisaitl’s 57.2% in the faceoff circle. He’s 8th in Take-aways (9). Leon has a dzS% (D-zone starts) of 50%. And he’s averaging :52/game SHTOI, most of that in critical situations against the opposition’s best. How many other elite players PK? If you maintain all that over the course of a season, it’s Selke consideration.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

3. I have really liked the play of Dominik Kahun. I already knew he had good hands and playmaking ability. But Kahun is faster than I remember seeing him. He’s way more dogged on pucks and on the forecheck than I thought. And it’s clear Draisaitl likes playing with him. If I’m the Oilers, I’m offering Kahun something in the range of a $2m, 2-year deal and I’m offering it right now. For the player (and his agent), if you’re riding shotgun to one of the NHL’s best AND there’s a personal connection with him to boot? How do you not take a deal like that, even if it is club-friendly?

2. I absolutely feel for Troy Grosenick. The veteran minor league goaltender is an honest pro who has put a lot into getting where he is. Countless other goalies never get that far. And his journey after being claimed by the Oilers, driving up to Canada, quarantining, and then adapting to new teammates, systems and city, only to have to pack up and head right back to California again is tough business. And I respect him for that. But let’s be clear: Troy Grosenick is not a better goaltender than Anton Forsberg. I was already critical of Ken Holland losing Forsberg on waivers in order to protect William Lagesson. But if Holland didn’t want to risk Lagesson for Forsberg then he damn sure didn’t want to lose Lagesson for Grosenick. William Lagesson is an actual NHL prospect with future value. At 31-years old Grosenick’s next pro season could be his last. No, that would have been awful asset management.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

Did Edmonton somehow treat Grosenick unfairly, as some have suggested? No. The Oilers had already done the guy 2 solids: Giving him a shot at an NHL roster, something L.A. had not. And when he was initially claimed, the Oilers didn’t immediately bring Grosenick North. In case they did land another guy, Grosenick could then be spared the whole ordeal. The Oilers didn’t need to do that. In fact, it left the team exposed for a bit. But the club also knew it was likely that Grosenick would be reclaimed. They weren’t surprised. It was a stop-gap measure.

1.Didn’t the Oilers have any options other than to waive Grosenick? Well, the way the roster is, it would only have helped if they had shuffled out a Defenceman instead. At $850K Slater Koekkoek likely would have been claimed. Kris Russell at $4m might not have. But Russell’s a Top 6 player. His presence on the roster is a key chip for the expansion draft. Plus, when organizations are trying to attract players, it matters how agents see you treating a respected pro like Russell. And this isn’t about Stuart Skinner going stale on the Taxi Squad, either. Dylan Wells is in Edmonton. Mark my words, Skinner will be back in Bakersfield developing as early as this week. See…no matter how you feel about the Oilers 3rd Goalie situation, that person was never going to play more than a handful of games. And if he does, that’s because you’re losing. Rare is the winning team which leans on their 3rd goaltender for any length of time.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

The far bigger issue is the pair of men slotting  ahead of Grosenick, Skinner, et al. So far, the injured Mike Smith has not played a minute (he’ll be re-activated today). Mikko Koskinen has only been average or a little better most nights, and on Saturday versus Calgary his play probably cost the club the game. There were at least 3 goals that squeaked through him that an NHL goaltender needs to stop. Now, maybe Koskinen gets better once Smith is back in the rotation and the big Finn he has more regular rest and practice. After all, he was very good in that very situation last year.

But in a short season where no team will get too many second chances, that “maybe” for many of you is no doubt unsettling. And with all due respect to Smith, we still don’t know how much he left in the tank. How long can Ken Holland continue to bet on “maybe”?

And since in a trade the G.M. would be dealing with some of the very same COVID-related circumstances already dealt to him in the Grosenick transaction, acquiring better cards at this point might seem like a dangerous gamble.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

Recently, at The Cult…

McCURDY: Leaky goalie, porous defence leads to loss versus Calgary

STAPLES: Troy Grosenick leaves town on waiver wire

McCURDY: Exciting Canadian division wide-open affair

STAPLES: Unlocking Jesse Puljujarvi

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Leave a reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here