A funny thing happened on Monday night in Edmonton, there was an unexpected twist in Oilers training camp. See, usually we can draw up the lines on day one and stash them away until the opening of the regular season. Most times, those lines are pretty much the same, competition in camp just doesn’t happen in Edmonton.
The Oilers sent rookie phenom Connor McDavid onto the ice with Taylor Hall and Teddy Purcell on Monday, but only one of those players ended the game still next to him on the depth chart, and that was Taylor Hall.
Teddy Purcell was largely ineffective on the top-line and apparently was a little banged up, so he got shifted off in favor of young Leon Draisaitl.
Many people, myself included, didn’t have Leon on the opening night roster. Look, I like him a lot, love his combination of size and skill, but I’m just not sure big Leon is ready to roll in the NHL just yet. In the end, my opinion does not matter, only the opinions of those in the decision making positions does.
Luckily, for the first time in a long time, I trust those guys.
I was really impressed with young Leon on Monday. He played a terrific first period at center, looking comfortable in the position and holding his own in the faceoff circle. When he went up with McDavid and Hall, well let’s just say he cashed in on a big time opportunity, he looked good.
He also scored a goal, a power-play maker, set up by none other than Connor McDavid. Leon looked a lot more confident in the pre-season opener than at any time last season, that’s a damn big deal if you ask me.
Like I said above, Draisaitl has the size and skill needed to be an impact forward for the Oilers. Todd McLellan has also taken time to point out his work on the boards, his speed and his ability on the backhand. According to the coach, these are big strengths, and they aren’t common among Oiler forwards.
Will Leon get a longer look with Hall and McDavid? Well they skated together on Tuesday, indicating that they may in fact get that longer look. It would be a massive step for Draisaitl, and it would allow him to truly showcase himself and even position himself to make the team.
There will be a ripple effect if Draisaitl steals the show, impacting mainly Teddy Purcell and Nail Yakupov. One of those above mentioned players won’t be a top-nine forward in Edmonton, effectively killing their usage with the hockey team.
We know Jordan Eberle is going to have a top-six spot, but if Leon takes the other what happens? I’d suggest putting Yakupov on the third line, but what happens to Purcell? He’s just not a fourth line forward.
Ideally, the Oilers trade either Yakupov or Purcell for help elsewhere on the roster, but we’re looking about two weeks into the future here.
One thing is for sure, Leon Draisaitl was gifted a great opportunity on Monday and he made the most of it. The Oilers will finally have a big bodied skill player in their top-six if he can hang on for the rest of the pre-season. Boy, would that be nice….
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