It’s been a crazy year for the Oilers. Anyone who follows me on twitter probably knows I’ve been a very vocal critic of some of Peter Chiarelli’s moves (and equally critical of a few he didn’t make). As a result I’ve earned a reputation as one of the more “negative” fans on Oilers Twitter. I recently wrote a blog about “negative fans” which you can read here. While I have no problem with calling out the Oilers on a consistent basis, the truth is that I’m not an eternal pessimist. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve become somewhat jaded over the years (a decade of losing will do that to a fan), but it’s not all doom and gloom.
Contrary to popular belief, there are actually things I’m optimistic about when it comes to the Oilers, so I thought I’d dispel the myth that I’m never happy about anything the team does and list a few things I’m excited about. Let’s get started!
-Connor McDavid: This should come as no surprise to anyone. What’s not to love about Connor McDavid? The wonderkid didn’t even play a full season last year, got beat out for the Calder by old man Panarin, and doesn’t seem to have missed a step at all. He has 6 points in 2 games after being named captain in the preseason, and is by all accounts the real deal. When it comes to optimism, I like to remain cautious as it’s usually better not to set yourself up for disappointment. Case in point: I thought people were expecting way too much from McDavid by projecting him to score 100 points this season, and I personally thought he’d be exceeding expectations if he managed to maintain a PPG pace and finish the regular season with around 80-85. After watching him through the preseason and the first 2 games, 100 points does not seem out of the realm of possibility in the least (provided he can stay healthy). Connor McDavid may very well be the best player in the NHL right now, and he’s all ours.
-Adam Larsson: I probably deserve to be called out on this one. I was extremely critical of the Hall trade, and while I still think the Oilers overpaid for him, Adam Larsson has surprised me. It’s one of those situations where I’m happy to be wrong. While Larsson isn’t without his flaws and we’re only 2 games in, he’s been playing very well. I tend to favor puck movers when it comes to defensemen. I like defensemen that help maintain possession of the puck by either skating it out of trouble or making good passes into the neutral zone, and while Larsson doesn’t necessarily excel at these things, he’s excellent at limiting shots from the opposition. I enjoy the fact that while he might not have much offensive instinct, he makes smart plays when he’s under pressure from the opposing forecheck. How often over the last 10 years have we seen the Oilers hemmed in their own zone while being dominated along the boards with the puck cycle? Larsson has helped immensely in this regard.
-Jesse Puljujarvi: I’m on record as stating that I believe the Oilers should have sent Puljujarvi down to the AHL, but with the Yakupov trade, Kris Versteeg signing with the Flames, and Peter Chiarelli passing up options on the waiver wire, the Oilers are thin on right wing depth, and Puljujarvi remains in the NHL (for better or worse). Regardless of this situation, the Oilers are extremely lucky to have had him fall into their laps at the draft, and I truly believe he has a bright future ahead of him. Puljujarvi has both the size and the skill to produce offense at the NHL level. He might not be ready to set the league on fire right now, but this is a player that could very well put up some big numbers on McDavid’s wing in the near future.
-Leon Draisaitl: We all know how Draisaitl started the season last year. He struggled out of the gate and was very public about his disappointment at being sent down to the AHL. Lucky for Draisaitl, that didn’t last long and he would get his chance to prove the brass wrong. He put up great numbers playing with Taylor Hall last season, but many questioned his ability to produce the same numbers without #4. It’s only 2 games into the regular season, but Draisaitl has 4 points and is producing on a somewhat anemic Oilers power play. There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Draisaitl. He was excellent in the World Cup of Hockey and he seems to have managed to recover some of that momentum early on.
-Patrick Maroon: This is probably Chiarelli’s biggest steal since taking over the club. Somehow he managed to land Maroon while convincing the Anaheim Ducks to retain salary (salary I’m sure they would really like to have back at this point). Maroon has lit it up since joining the Oilers and doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some time on McDavid’s line, and it would be well earned. I think Maroon is capable of scoring 20 goals with the Oilers this season (something he’s never done before in the NHL). While he’s a bit older relatively speaking at 28 years of age, he has lots of hockey left in him and fits the Chiarelli mould of a big player that can bang and crash while still putting up points.
-Darnell Nurse: I’m not really sure why, but some have given up on this player already. I’m a Nurse fan, and I think it would be silly to trade him after only 1 season in the NHL. He’s probably the fastest skater on the Oilers D-core and he brings toughness, grit, physical board play, and untapped offense. Darnell Nurse has a bright future, and it would seem the Oilers brass thinks so too. Rumors were swirling that many other teams in the league were sniffing around at the prospect of trading for Nurse, and Chiarelli refused to take the bait. A wise decision, if you ask me.
-RNH/Centre Depth: While Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a rough year last season due to injury and seems to be struggling early, he still brings an excellent 2 way game with him. His datsyuk like stickwork on the backcheck makes him one of the most underrated 2-way centres in the NHL. When is the last time the Oilers could boast centre depth with the likes of McDavid, RNH, and Draisaitl down the middle? Many teams in the league would love to be in such an enviable position.
-Oscar Klefbom: I will admit that I was pretty worried about Klefbom over the summer. The team (and Klefbom himself) stated repeatedly that he would be 100% ready to go, but when a player needs a specially made skate, I get worried and start having flashbacks of Ryan Whitney. So far, Dreamy McAbs has been excellent playing alongside new teammate and fellow countryman Adam Larsson, and if he can stay healthy he looks to be integral to the Oilers success moving forward. He’s also on a bargain contract and locked up long term.
-Korpikoski is gone: Whatever. I make no apologies for this one.
I can pick out probably 15 players on that waiver list I’d rather have on my 4th line than Korpikoski
— Carolyn Wilke (@Classlicity) October 10, 2016
–Gary The No Trash Cougar Hunter the Lynx: I know I could probably talk about other positives like Eberle, Milan Lucic, or how well Kris Russell has played in his first 2 games, but I just love how hilariously frightening Hunter the Lynx is. Apparently the kids love him though, so that’s great. Twitter loves him even more and he’ll be the source of awesome photoshops for years to come.
So there you have it folks. I don’t think everything is terrible when it comes to the Oilers. Did I miss any positives? Leave a comment or at me on twitter and be sure to check out our pregame blog for tonight’s game:
http://www.theoilersrig.com/2016/10/oilers-gameday-vs-buffalo-2/
We’ll also have post game coverage by Jonathan Mcleod after the tilt with the Sabres so stay tuned for that as well.
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