You can sit and look at the Oilers roster and come away with many different points of weaknesses as opposed to the team’s strengths. Defensive depth, defensive quality, size, goaltending, management, the list goes on and on.
One major discussion of weakness for many years has been the Oilers inability to ice a decent group of men up the middle. However, somehow, out of nowhere, it looks like this may the least of the Oilers worries going into next season.
The emergence of Anton Lander under Todd Nelson is a huge reason for optimism, and the acquisition of Derek Roy has solidified the centre group going into next season, depending on whether Roy signs an extension. Is it the sexiest group of centres in the league?? No, and far from it. However, it is the best group of centres the Oilers have had in any recent years.
THE PAST
I was checking the Oilers history dating back to 08/09 season, or “The Tambellini Terror Era” and I noticed that Tambellini was inadequate in icing a good group of centres. He was handed the organization in decent shape with Shawn Horcoff, Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, Kyle Brodziak and Marc Pouliot. Horcoff was a second tier 1st line centre, while Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano were coming off intriguing rookie seasons. Rounding that group out, the Oilers found themselves with a choice between a 2003 1st rounder and 7th rounder.
Tambellini started weakening the position by dealing Kyle Brodziak (now a 600-NHL game player) along with a 6th round pick to acquire a 4th round and 5th round pick which became Kyle Bigos and Olivier Roy. Ugly, I know.
Disaster struck the following season and the Oilers began their rebuild. With three rookie wingers (and later four) on their way, Tambellini felt it unnecessary to add anything more than fringe-NHL centre Colin Fraser. It didn’t help.
The next season came and the organization found themselves with another unproven centre in 2011 1st round pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He was inserted into the lineup for certain following the trade of Andrew Cogliano (an NHL iron man) for a 2nd round pick. The Oilers kept betting on Sam Gagner taking another step rather than acquiring decent NHL talent to fill in the holes.
Needless the say, the group continued to struggle, with only a slight glimmer of hope under Ralph Krueger. After Krueger was skyped out of town, Dallas Eakins was forced to face another poor situation at the NHL’s pivotal forward position. Mark Arcobello (a veteran of one NHL game at the time) was thrust into a top 9 role and Sam Gagner took another step backward.
New GM Craig MacTavish decided at the beginning of the season to go with two proven NHL forwards and throw in an 18-year-old rookie with a 42-game AHL centre as the guys rounding out his crew. It didn’t work.
THE PRESENT
After firing Dallas Eakins and hiring Todd Nelson in an interim role, MacTavish finally added what his team had been needing all year long; an NHL centre. He swapped Mark Arcobello (now on his fourth team of the season) for Derek Roy. Roy had just cleared waivers and appeared to be headed for the minors, but instead was saved.
MacTavish then finally realized (long overdue) that rookie Leon Draisaitl would be better served by playing in junior after a 37-game NHL trial. With Draisaitl back in the WHL, Nelson would volley for his captain in OKC, Anton Lander.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins may not be putting up the kind of numbers that a number one centre should produce, but the overall growth in his game has skyrocketed and the offence will surely follow. He’s just too talented.
Boyd Gordon continues to do what Boyd Gordon does, and that’s provide a steady veteran and defensive presence all while being a face-off stud. If one of the players is injured short-term, the Oilers have options as Rob Klinkhammer and Matt Hendricks both have experience at centre.
THE FUTURE
Here’s the best part.
If the Oilers keep the same group going into next season (which is highly likely), then they can allow young centres such as Leon Draisaitl, Bogdan Yakimov, Greg Chase, and Jujhar Khaira time to develop properly, learning the position at a lower level.
Draisaitl showed he can maintain at an NHL level, but keeping him in the NHL next year will likely be a mistake. Next year, he can head off to Bakersfield and lead the team down the middle as a 20-year old. He can then use that time to grow bigger, stronger and smarter and produce huge numbers as a 21-year-old. Remember Anton Lander as a 20-year-old rookie? I didn’t think so. He was rushed and as only now looking like an NHL player at 23 years young.
In “The Tambellini Terror Era” the organization consistently traded away NHL talent too thrust players into roles they were not prepared for properly and it hasn’t gotten them anywhere. I pray to every hockey God out there that Craig MacTavish has realized this and that’s why he’s reaching out to Derek Roy.
It’s very possible that the Oilers get another future elite prospect at the centre position in either the form of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel and I also hope those players play on the wing if they enter the NHL. Stamkos did it. MacKinnon did it. Seguin did it. That’s not a bad group to be a part of I would have to say.
What do you think?
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