2 weeks Ago By Kurt Leavins
Article content What a hockey game Saturday night! The National Hockey League cheats its fans when it only schedules the Battle of Alberta three times in a season. But like all great dramas, this one had a star at the heart of its plot. That and more in this edition of.
.. 9 Things 9.
I have lost count of how many times various people have either written off Corey Perry entirely this season, or (me included) suggested he play a little less often. But he keeps impacting games. No one saw sixteen goals coming off his stick this season.
And his scrap helped set the parameters of Saturday’s game. I heard someone suggest Perry may get bumped out of the lineup in the playoffs once everyone is healthy. My take? Not a chance.
8. I do not turn off many Oilers games. But I did just that in the middle of the Seattle game.
I eventually went back and dutifully subjected myself to it on replay so as to minimize the pain and still have the proper perspective to write about it credibly here. Fans hate this. But in addition to the back-to-back factor and the key injuries, it was against a non-playoff team.
I know most of you do not wat that to be a thing. But it is..
.happens to all teams at all levels. 7.
I know some were disappointed Matt Savoie did not get the call when the Oilers suddenly became short-handed up front. But there are two big issues. One, lack of cap space.
But two (and more importantly), your farm club matters. Bakersfield is in a battle for an AHL playoff spot with Calgary and Tucson. Lifting the Condors’ best player out of that equation for 10-12 minutes a night in Edmonton where the club has a spot locked up does not add up to an organizational win.
6. There are two paths for the Oilers organization. One (hopefully) leads to a Stanley Cup and will get most of the ink.
But the other has far-reaching consequences: Amateur procurement. Re-building up the thin organizational prospect base. That big 23-year-old German center Josh Samanski would likely sign was interesting.
But the landscape when it comes to college-level signings has been concerningly quiet for a franchise shy on draft picks. 5. Rookie Edmonton goaltender Olivier Rodrique was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal showing by the Oilers in Seattle.
It is always special when a young man plays his first NHL game. And while the final twenty minutes were certainly of no benefit to the Oilers in the short run, Rodrigue’s appearance could be useful in the future. If injuries happen to strike during the playoffs and Rodrigue is again pressed into action, at least he has this bit of experience under his belt.
4. If we are looking for silver linings just now, I would suggest that Jeff Skinner has been just that for the Edmonton Oilers . It is easy to see the points finally starting to stack up for him.
I also see a player who is skating much better and displaying confidence on the attack that was absent over the first fifty-plus games. We have already talked about improvement on the other side of the puck in earlier columns. Frankly, it could not be coming at a more opportune time.
He had the huge O/T assist on Saturday. 3. Just for a moment, let us assume Thursday’s defensive performance in Seattle was a one-off for the D-corps: Can we agree that Stan Bowman has done a reasonable job of 1) Improving the blueline substantially with Jake Walman and 2) Improv the depth on D in a meaningful way.
Outside of what looks like an above-average Top Five, a depth chart with Troy Stecher, Ty Emberson and John Klingberg on it gives Kris Knoblauch something to work with. They represent 1,376 NHL Regular Season and Stanley Cup Playoffs games worth of experience. 2.
What I actually get to see from Evander Kane these days is limited to the few clips of him participating in Oilers practices and morning skates. But between that and what I am hearing, Kane’s progress has picked up substantially. Between that and Kris Knoblauch’s encouraging words the other day, I am thinking Kane could be available for Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
I certainly agree that we should pump the brakes on the possibility of Kane being at 2021-22 levels. He has not been “that” player in over thirty months. But even mid-season 2024-24 form would be a significant addition.
1.It is now four fifty-goal seasons from Leon Draisaitl. He is now tied with the great Jari Kurri for second in franchise history.
And Leon has done so in an era where there is not the offence we saw in the eighties. The big German was returning on Saturday after four games out of the lineup due to injury. But it sure did not look like he was easing his way back in.
The man had eight (eight!) shots on goal, including a Messier-Esque effort on the tying goal and then just a wicked wrist shot on the winning in O/T. His fabulous cross-ice pass set up Viktor Arvidsson for the other Edmonton goal. Draisaitl also went 50% in the faceoff circle, 5v5 scoring chances were 19-8 on his watch.
..and oh yeah.
..played 22:24.
His six O/T goals this season? Sets an NHL record. Look: To say the Edmonton Oilers 2024-25 NHL hockey season has not gone by the script would be an understatement. If it has not been one thing that seems to derail their match back to the Stanley Cup Final, it has been another.
But when the rest of the Oilers show up and engage just like they did against the Flames, a lot of close, hard-fought hockey games will come down to your game breaker. In last every other season the natural instinct in Edmonton would be to say that is Connor McDavid . But this season, the Oilers have been Leon’s team.
Edmonton has beaten Calgary twice this year without 97 in the lineup. And Draisaitl has been the First Star both times. Once they get them both back.
..look out.
Newly on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social.
On Twitter @KurtLeavins, Threads @kleavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and even on Mastodon at [email protected] . This article is not AI generated.
Recently, at The Cult...
STAPLES: Leon Draisaitl bosses the Calgary Flames in 3-2 BOA O/T triumph McCURDY: Defensive warts aplenty in Oilers loss to Kraken LEAVINS: Oilers turn in gutsy comeback versus Dallas Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here .
.
