When the Oilers sent Leon Draisaitl down, I disagreed with the move. I thought he played very well in preseason and had won the job. I thought he was going to give Edmonton a 3rd line that could be dangerous.
It wasn’t meant to be. He was sent down to the AHL.
By all accounts, when he was sent down to the Condors the reaction from the big German forward was not exactly pleasant. He didn’t rip up the AHL but injury meant he was called back up very soon.
In 6 games so far he has already surpassed his scoring total from last year. I was/am sure he was going to be a star in the NHL, I wasn’t expecting him to look quite so incredible so quickly.
He has produced 4-6-10 in those 6 games. He is such a good complement to Hall and RNH that it simply doesn’t make any sense to put Draisaitl down the middle of the 2nd line or put Eberle back on the wing of the top line.
In my head, Leon Draisaitl was supposed to be the catalyst for a scoring 3rd line, but he’s jumped 2 lines with his great play. He didn’t pick up a point on the OT goal, but it was a defensive play by him that preceded the whole thing. It’s not just his offense that’s keeping him on the top line (though how can you deny a guy who has 10 points in 6 games?), it’s his play away from the puck that’s keeping him there too.
Just as he did last year, Leon Draisaitl leads the Oilers again in Corsi For percentage (53.1%). Today he looks like exactly the kind of player the Oilers have been looking for to compete against Western Conference opponents. He’s that big body, creative, responsible forward who can play against the best of the best and keep the puck in the right side of the ice.
The future is bright for Leon and the Oilers. In fact, if he can continue to play well (we cant rightly expect the pace he’s on to continue) then it really opens up the conversation about who can stay and who can go. It opens up the discussion of one day moving Jordan Eberle. Maybe that’s not today, but is there anyone else in the top 6 who can be moved without causing too much pain but who will also carry significant value?
Trading away from the top 6 to fill needs on Defense isn’t necessary this second, but they have 7 players capable of playing those minutes in Hall, RNH, Eberle, Pouliot, McDavid, Yakupov, and Draisaitl. Someone is either anchoring a 3rd scoring line or on their way out of town eventually.
LINEUP
I’m expecting mostly the same lineup as last night, although history tells us that the Oilers should most definitely put Talbot in net. The Oilers recalled Slepyshev and Pouliot is out sick. That fall Eberle took apparently didn’t do any damage.
Hall RNH Draisaitl Slepyshev Letestu Yak Purcell Lander Eberle Gazdic Miller Pakarinen
Nurse Sekera Klefbom Fayne Reinhart Gryba
Nilsson
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Back To Back. The report is that the Oilers will put Nilsson back in net tonight for the second game of the back to back. There are two streams of thought on this one. On one hand Nilsson was very good and made a play on the game winning goal that facilitated the whole thing. He should be rewarded for his excellent play. On the other hand, historical data shows that goalies on the 2nd half of back to backs perform significantly worse on average. That’s an average. It’s not a guarantee, but it happens with such regularity that the warning signs shouldn’t be ignored lightly. If the Oilers truly are going with Nilsson they shouldn’t go in expecting another great performance. Ignore history at your own peril.
2) Klefbombs. Oscar Klefbom is making a case to be considered the team’s top offensive blueliner. His partner Schultz had that title gifted to him and he hasn’t lived up to the billing, but Klefbom has the skating, the passing, and the big shot from the point. He’s really starting to show what he can do. His countryman and best friend Jonas Brodin says that the two of them play a similar game, but Klefbom has the better shot. It’s taken some time for that part of his game to show up, but it’s here now.
3) Mirror Mirror. When I look at the Coyotes roster of young forwards I see the Oilers from a few years ago. I see Domi, Duclair, and Rieder *spits*. I see Strome in the OHL. What I really see is a glimpse into Edmonton’s past except the Coyotes also have OEL on the backend. There’s a lot to like about the young forwards of this team and they have caught more than a few teams off-guard, perhaps thinking this was the offensively inept team of years past. If Edmonton doesn’t respect these kids they will find the back of the net.
Puck drops tonight at 7PM on Sportsnet Oilers. Get Better, Connor!
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