Prior to the firing of Dave Tippett and the hiring of Jay Woodcroft the Oilers were an absolute mess. The systems put in place by Tippett which he stuck to regardless of the outcome made Edmonton look like a two player team with scoring depth issues that couldn't defend. These decisions made the Oilers laundry list of needs to hope to compete for a Cup long. In order of importance, I would have ranked the team needs as followed:
- starting goalie - top four right shot defenseman - third line centre - physical third pairing defender - additional scoring wingers
I will continue to hammer this point until it is no longer relevant but we are still very early in the Woodcroft era but the four wins Edmonton has garnered under him so far have all had very positive underlying metrics. The team isn't just winning off of two players, or a goalie stealing them games, or the powerplay, the powerplay actually has been brutal and yet it hasn't mattered. Edmonton is winning the 5 on 5 battles against every team it has played so far which is highly encouraging.
It also completely changes how Holland should address the trade deadline. If this team can continue to play this way against the tougher teams in the league than they go from being a playoff team to having the potential to be a legitimate threat. Again, let's wait to see how they fare against tougher competition.
Winning against the Islanders, Sharks, Kings, and Ducks is a great start but these are all teams that Edmonton should beat. The promising stat though is Edmonton outscored these teams 14-3 at even strength. Over the next week, Edmonton will play Winnipeg, Minnesota, Tampa, Florida, and Carolina. The Panthers and Lightning sit atop the Atlantic Division, the Hurricanes are first in the Metro, the Wild are second in the Central Division and while the Jets have struggled as of late they have won their last two games in a row.
Hoping for Edmonton to be sitting on a 9 game winning streak by the end of the month is nice but probably unrealistic. What I will be watching for more is whether or not the team is playing at the same intensity we have seen thus far.
If they do, Holland's "need to acquire list" should be as followed, in order of importance:
- a starting goalie - a top 4 right shot defenseman - veteran PK forward
To me, that is the list. Goaltending is still the most pressing concern. On paper, Edmonton crushed the Anaheim Ducks and it most facets of the game they did, but Smith still only posted a 0.900SV%. A real starting netminder remains the most pressing concern.
Next up would be a right shot defender who plays a more shutdown game and ideally we are talking about Tyson Barrie out and this new player in. The defense as a whole is far more aggressive under Manson but Barrie has still stood out for making risky plays or giving his opponents too much space. Finding a more responsible partner for Nurse would be the next priority.
Other than that this roster is looking far more complete. The RNH-Foegele-Ryan line has been brilliant at 5 on 5 which is eliminating the need to search for more depth scoring and young players like McLeod have been absolutely thriving. The only depth option Edmonton may want to pursue right now would be a more veteran bottom six option who can play a heavier game and PK.
Either way it's fun right now to be able to talk about the Oilers in a far more positive light. While some of you think I enjoy being negative and harsh on the team, I'm simply calling it as I see it and right now I see them good.
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Quick thoughts on today's game against the Jets.
It looks like Jesse Puljujarvi will be out 3-4 weeks with a lower body injury. Puljujarvi appeared to go down awkwardly on his last shift before leaving the ice. It's unfortunate to see because JP was finally getting rewarded for his strong 5 on 5 play. The good news is after JP left, Woodcroft was able to roll the following lines to success:
Hyman-McDavid-Yamamoto Kane-Draisaitl-McLeod Foegele-RNH-Ryan
My guess is we see Woodcroft continue to roll the 11/7 lines with likely Tyler Benson and Devin Shore serving as the "4th line."
As of right now I'm not certain whether Koskinen or Smith gets the start today but with the back to back with the Jets and Wild both goalies will get some action.
Part of the Jets recent successes have been that Mark Scheifele has been red hot as of late. Scheifele in the five games between January 25th and February 8th, notched 2 points (1G 1A). In his last 5 games, Scheifele has 10 points (6G 4A), including a hat trick against the Wild. Edmonton needs to defend him and his line hard.
Hope you all enjoy this afternoon game!