This morning the Oilers started splitting up into the NHL and Non-NHL groups per the desire of Head coach Todd McLellan. It seems that Purcell was absent this morning, perhaps due to injury (He left the game last night early). Here were the lines as of this morning for the NHL squad.
Pouliot RNH Eberle Hall McDavid Draisaitl Korpikoski Lander Yakupov Klinkhammer Letestu Hendricks Gazdic Miller Pitlick
Sekera Fayne Klefbom Schultz Ference Gryba Reinhart Nikitin
Talbot Scrivens Nilsson
IMMEDIATE REACTION
1) It’s too early to say the final version of the lineup will consist of only the players listed above, but it’s going to take a Herculean effort to break in.
2) When Purcell comes back Korpikoski should go to the 4th line and Klinkhammer is almost certainly out.
3) McLellan said he envisioned Draisaitl as a RW (likely because he’s so good on the backhand) but that will leave the Yakupov line significantly downgraded offensively. Everyone knows (or should know) that I am a big believer in Yak so it’s frustrating to see him perform well in camp and in the game but still get stuck on the 3rd line. Let’s hope he and Lander can make some magic without Drai.
4) My feelings about Yak aside, Hall-McDavid-Draisaitl is a very skilled line. It has extreme top end speed and McLellan said he really liked Draisaitl’s skating too. Beyond the speed they all have really high hockey IQ and the ability to make plays. The puck could literally go anywhere on the ice with those three out there and you shouldn’t be surprised, but you will be.
5) There’s no Nurse. Even though he played a great game in Calgary and blew up Hunter Smith’s face along the way, he’s still in the Non-NHL grouping. The battle isn’t over, but it will be uphill. I have always maintained it’s unlikely that he starts in the NHL this year but I will gladly set the over/under for NHL games played by Nurse this year at 49.5 when all is said and done.
6) If I had to choose the 13F on the Oilers it wouldn’t be Gazdic, even though I’m not an anti-fighting advocate. I would have Miller ahead of Klinkhammer by just a hair based in part on the fact that Miller is a C who can play in your middle 6. I have a soft spot for those Arcobello types.
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