So here's the good news from Team Canada's 9-3 win over Team Germany during their opening game of the World Junior Championships from Ufa, Russia:

- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was absolutely slick. One goal, four assists, and the Player of the Game award. His line with wingers Mark Scheifele and Jonathan Huberdeau looked dangerous all game, and finished with a combined 10pts. Nuge and Huberdeau in particular have chemistry.

- The second line didn't stink either. Ryan Strome makes some beautiful plays, and Jonathan Drouin looks like a future NHL power winger.

- Even though Malcolm Subban let in three goals, he couldn't be faulted on any of them. He looked solid.

- Defensively, Morgan Rielly was dynamic. Brilliant wheels on that boy. Scott Harrington also played a noticably solid game on D. I didn't really notice Dougie Hamilton or Griffin Reinhart, and usually that's a good thing with defensemen.


A few other things of note:

- Mark McNeill made a few plays that were so bad, I started calling him the "Ufa Sponge" on Twitter, because he sucks. I don't think he can skate well enough to be here.

- Ryan Murphy did absolutely nothing for me. Thomas Hickey 2.0? Has skill but he's just not good enough to become an NHL player. At least Hickey looked brilliant at the WJC's. Murphy is going to see plenty of the bench as this continues and the games become more serious.

- Best player for Germany was Oilers prospect Tobias Rieder. He scored a purty goal, and was absolutely robbed by Subban on a second one. Rieder does that thing NHL goal scorers do: He drives the net and finds holes where he can take quality shots in close from. I wonder as things go forward where he fits into the Oilers, because I believe he'll develop into an NHL player...provided, of course, he's playing in an offensive role. Maybe if the Oilers go defenseman or big center shopping Reider is the type of quality prospect they could move to help make something happen? Relax, I'm not saying Rieder is going to get you Ryan Getzlaf...LOL...I'm saying maybe a package like Gagner, Rieder, Marincin and a 1st round pick gets you Getzlaf, and you only make that deal if Getz signs a long-term extension first.

- As great as Nuge played, rumors continue to swirl that he's playing injured. Shoulder issue still, or is it a leg? Someone said he was testing his leg out in between face-offs.

- The Oilers have five prospects playing in the tournament: Nugent-Hopkins (Team Canada); Rieder (Team Germany); Nail Yakupov and Daniil Zharkov (Team Russia); and David Musil (Team Czech Republic).

- Frank Musil is the only scout from the Oilers organization attending the tournament.

- For those of you who keep asking, there won't be a 2013 draft until a new CBA is in place. If there's a draft but no season, there will be a lottery involving all 30 teams. Going by the formula used to decide the 2005 entry draft, the Oilers will likely draft late because they'll only have one ball in the lottery machine (some teams will have as many as three). So if you're an Oilers fan and if you want a shot at someone like Alexander Barkov (big center), Sean Monahan (another big center), or Seth Jones (top defenseman in draft class), we need a season and the Oilers need to suck again.


Team Canada's next game is against Slovakia on Friday (4:30am est). I don't expect there to be many, if any, roster changes for Canada. My guess is Subban will get the start again in net.

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