The other day Reid Wilkens sent out a tweet that noted Todd Nelson’s record with Taylor Hall in the lineup was 10-5-2. That is a 106 point pace and obviously so high that you cant take it and say “Look, the Oilers can be a Playoff team next year!… I mean, the Oilers COULD be a playoff team next year, but not without some big additions.
The things the Oilers are missing are big pieces on Defense and in Net. They arent struggling to find depth forwards. Hendricks, Gordon, and Klinkhammer are an excellent depth line that can (and has) been used extensively in their own zone and in shutdown situations. All 3 are drowning in Defensive Zone Starts against top competition and yet their Goals Against per 60 minutes are the 3 lowest on the team. That is their job. Go out against the best in the most dangerous situations and don’t let them score. Mission accomplished.
The Oilers might well have finally developed enough talent on the farm to even ice a competent (and inexpensive) 3rd line even if Hall gets moved away from them. Anton Lander has taken several years and a few false starts to get to the point where he is a reliable AHL scorer and now 17 points in 32 games. For the record, he is outpacing the scoring that David Perron was doing as an Oiler this year. Lander’s potential, indeed.
No, the real problem is that Klefbom and Schultz are Edmonton’s top pairing when they should be the 2nd. Nikitin and Marincin are Edmonton’s 2nd pairing when they should be the 3rd. And, Ben Scrivens is the starter when he should be the backup.
I’m going to suggest something radical here. The Oilers are only 3 players away from being a Playoff contending team.
The problem is that those three players are a legitimate Starting Goalie, an Elite Top Pairing Defender, and a Top 3 Defenseman.
If Edmonton can solve its problem in net, add 25 minutes a night of game changing defense, and 20 minutes a night of solid two way defending then I’m happy with the rest of the lineup over 82 games next year. Unfortunately the likelihood of finding all 3 over the summer are slim.
It’s more likely the Oilers find another Starter with serious question marks, finds someone who can play those 20 minutes of pretty solid 2 way defense, and then prays Klefbom/Schultz/Nikitin/Marincin finds a magic ring this summer that can transform one of them into a superhero.
However, the Oilers are only 3 players away from fighting for the playoffs and that doesn’t take into consideration any more growth from their young core. At least that’s how I see it. Everyone's mileage may vary.
LINEUP
The Oilers tweeted out that Richard Bachman had left the team because there was a death in his family. Despite the calendar I think that is just too horrible to be an April Fools joke and so my thoughts are with the Bachman family. The guy had just put together back to back quality starts for Edmonton and I would have loved to see him continue to play that way. Deepest condolences to him. Tyler Bunz has been recalled because the Barons need Brossoit in the Playoff push so we can expect Scrivens in between the pipes. Hendricks is on track to play again soon and he might even play tonight but considering the Oil will play again tomorrow it’s also likely they’ll just wait another day. Other than that, why mess with a winning lineup?
Pouliot RNH Eberle Purcell Roy Yakupov Hall Lander Miller Gazdic Klinkhammer Fraser
Klefbom Schultz Marincin Nikitin Davidson Aulie
Scrivens
OILERS KEY TO THE GAME
1) Good Nikitin, Bad Nikitin. Nikita Nikitin is one of the most Jekyl and Hyde players I’ve ever seen. He isn’t good or bad game to game. He’s good AND bad in almost every game. His decision making is suspect at least 3 times a game and then he’ll wire a few shots that make your eyebrows raise. Paired with Marincin the tandem features two big bodies who at their best are capable of moving the puck a little and getting in the way of the opposition. Last game the pairing was 66% in Corsi For. It was a good game from them and the Oilers need their 2nd pair to hold their own.
2) Unicorns. Three scoring lines are what the Oilers have right now and with their depth on defense that’s what they’ll need in order to keep winning games. This whole thing falls apart if one of these lines goes ice cold for an extended period. The RNH/Eberle line had a tough time against Colorado but the other 2 had it going on. They need contributions from everybody because everybody on the blueline is playing one level above where they should and the goaltending is suspect. Andrew Miller is significantly better I thought and that’s an excellent discovery late in a lost season.
3) Bald Is Beautiful. Ryan Getzlaf has 45 even strength points this season which makes him the 4th most dangerous 5v5 scorer in the NHL. He’s tops in the Western Conference. At 6’4… and 218 pounds he has become the prototype for what kind of a Center you need to win in the West. He’s huge, not afraid to play physical, and an offensive load at evens. Over the last 3 season only one person has picked up more points at even strength than Getzlaf: Sidney Crosby. That’s it. When playoff time comes around and the refs put their whistles away, the Ducks have the right person Centering their top line.
Puck drops tonight at 8:08 PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet West. Tank On!
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