JUNIOR STARS
As best as I can tell there are exactly 3 Junior Eligible prospects still in Oiler camp and all 3 are playing tonight. Two of them are blue chip prospects, both taken in the top 10 of the NHL entry draft and have at this point extremely bright futures ahead of them. The other is camp favorite and undrafted invitee Vlad Tkachev, loving dubbed by yours truly as Vladdy Hockey (it might even stick).
The road to the NHL is extremely uncertain for Tkachev even if his skills at this point have been established. Every path is uphill when you are 5’9… and 141lbs. That said, I think he’s done enough to earn a contract from the Oilers or any other organization in the NHL. Barring that option, I think he has turned enough heads that if he re-enters the Draft next year someone will use up a pick on him.
It would be unfair if I didn’t point out that EVERY NHL team passed on Tkachev, but there wouldn’t be a rush on signing him this year if the Oilers had used any one of their picks on him in the last entry draft. This is just a reminder that the Oilers parlayed Ales Hemsky into Liam Coughlin, a player who has exactly 0 shot of ever playing in the NHL, because he was bigger and older despite the fact he played in a lesser league. I think it is completely fair to turn to your Head Scout and ask why 1 player is Oiler property and the other is not.
PAGING KEITH AULIE
The first game in preseason is over and done with and that’s good for Aulie because he needs to put it behind him and press on. He has the inside track for the last NHL job on Defense but if he cant outperform the kids there are going to be issues.
For Keith Aulie, he has one job. One. All he has to do is keep Klefbom on the Farm and Nurse in Junior. Both are more talented than him but neither has his experience or his size. He also has the benefit of having a prior relationship with Eakins. That said, he cant be the least effective guy on the ice. In fact, starting tonight he needs to look like an NHL player.
He’s getting a push being paired with Jultz. He’ll play a lot and in lots of situations. If he cant establish himself here then it’s only a matter of time before someone who is ultimately destined for OKC will be taking his spot in the regular season.
You have one job, Aulie.
LINEUP
This Oiler lineup may be the weakest one we’ve seen. By my eye there are 0 NHL Goaltenders, 2 NHL Defensemen, and 4.5 NHL Forwards. This is a weak lineup despite the fact that the top 2 lines have a significant amount of talent. What I see is a lineup where the groupings and pairings were matched based on skill and style. Tkachev isn’t buried on a line with Kessy, Ewanyk isn’t playing in an offensive role, and there isn’t a clear A and B goalie. This is the kind of lineup you expect to see in TC because a full 3 quarters are fighting for jobs. Yak RNH Eberle Pouliot Draisaitl Tkachev Hamilton Yakimov Miller Kessy Ewanyk Pitlick
Marincin Nurse Aulie Schultz Gernat Klefbom
Brossoit Rimmer OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Yak City. Taylor Hall is sitting this one out and Yak is in his spot. He’s in a better head-space by all accounts and I’m looking forward to seeing how he fares tonight with elite level linemates. The Oiler winger has explosive, game changing skill and his shot in particular is dangerous whenever he gets it off. I cannot cheer more for this player to succeed. I love his attitude and the way he loves hockey is contagious.
2) Make It Count. There are still 45+ bodies in camp and not a lot of time for the club to make its final preparations before the season starts. This will likely be the last chance to make an impression and potentially earn more time in TC for a few of these players. Specifically, the Oilers’ bottom 6 forwards in this game all need to prove they can raise their game. You can cut and paste those lines into the OKC lineup in 2 weeks if they don’t make their case tonight.
3) Big Guns. The Jets aren’t messing around. Their lineup has Trouba, Ehlers, Schiefele, Kane, and Wheeler. Not just that, their goaltender isn’t Pavelec tonight so they actually stand a chance at winning this game. It’s a bit of a mismatch in teams so the Oilers are going to have to rely on good team play. Asking that of a mishmash of players in TC is a lot.
Puck drops tonight at 6PM Mountain Time on the Oilers Website (though I heard the free preview of gamecenter wont have blackouts tonight). Game On! Follow me on Twitter @Archaeologuy