October 2015: Preseason Talk and Recap

Here we go. Buckle up. It’s back.

September has ended and if the classic Green Day song was right, its time to wake up. It wasn’t that our 5-month hibernation was bad; rather that it didn’t involve any actual hockey being played. We were treated to a luxurious summer full of hope and prosperity involving the likes of Todd McLellan, Peter Chiarelli, and our shiny new toy, Connor McDavid. It was a fabulous summer to be a Oilers fan and as much as that sounds like a generic thing these days, having dealt with high hopes being dashed for the better part of the last 10 years, Oil Country is strutting with a distinctively different type a swagger. Gone is the Old Boy’s club and filling their place is what I like to refer to as “The New Era Oilers”. You may remember a piece I wrote way back in July going be that same title. It was an article where I took in all the change that had transpired within the organization. I was a happy fan and, coming off a season like 2014/15, that seemed like a very unachievable thing at the beginning of April. It’s just all so refreshing, and to make things better, the season is a mere 6 days away!

The title is “October 2015” but let’s be honest, it would be a crime to not at least go over what September had to offer us. From an exciting preseason to an enticing training camp, there was lots going on in September.

McMania Arrives in Edmonton

Perhaps the most anticipated event of the offseason was Connor McDavid’s arrival to Edmonton. Although playing in the annual Youngstars tournament in Penticton, McDavid had only participated in one full game in a Oilers uniform, a game where he was more remembered for getting decked by, Vancouver prospect, Jake Virtanen. Oil Country still hadn’t seen McDavid play a legitimate game in Rexall, that is, not until it was announced that the Oilers rookies would be playing their game against the U of A Golden Bears in the heralded facility. The game, which took place on September 16^th, was played in front of a sell out crowd and the 2015 1^st overall pick did not disappoint. McDavid didn’t score any dazzling goals, rather that he showed off his remarkable speed on the back check as well as his passing skills with a behind-the-net no-looker assist. The fact that McDavid can steal the show with these otherwise normal plays tells you of his talent level.

Also stealing the headlines was the fact that McDavid would be rooming with Taylor Hall and Luke Gazdic. What should have been irrelevant news blew up into a heated debate questioning Hall’s behavior off the ice. Will Hall “corrupt” the young phenom? This question and more was being asked by a variety of fans on social media and, to be frank, I found it all a tad bit ridiculous. Taylor Hall was thrust into the NHL at age 18 and has since been heavily scrutinized on a very mediocre Edmonton hockey team. Yes, maybe the pressure has been too much at times and that has resulted in Hall doing some regrettable things off the ice, fair enough. Maybe I am too forgiving but I for one am willing to give Hallsy the benefit of the doubt and I fully expect McDavid to flourish under his guidance.

Battle Royal: Training Camp 2015

How sweet was this years training camp? With the on-ice sessions beginning September 18^th, Oiler fans got their first glimpse of the new additions to the roster, including coach McLellan. The most evident thing from day one was the coaching style of Todd McLellan. Short and to the point, McLellan didn’t waste time explaining drills and demanded that the team keep a high tempo pace throughout the entire session. As shocking as it may seem, this effective coaching style hasn’t been present inside the organization for a number of years, most notably during the abysmal Dallas Eakins era. To see a coach come in and demand the players to work at game speed is a very encouraging sign of things to come. To read more on Todd McLellan’s veteran approach to coaching check out this article by fellow Rig member, Trin Potratz.

Along with getting a look at the new Oilers, there were also some intriguing roster battles going on. The most publicized of all the battles, however, was between the likes of Darnell Nurse and Griffin Reinhart for a coveted 6^th D spot. The battle was closer than many expected, with Nurse performing exceptionally in camp but Reinhart putting in some solid work in preseason action. Reinhart has experience on his side, playing 8 games in the NHL and 59 in the AHL, which could very well tempt Oilers management to give the former Memorial Cup MVP an edge on Nurse. The deal with Darnell is his development. Too many times has Edmonton rushed prospects into the NHL, and having someone with defensive skills like Nurse, you can bet that they don’t want to squander that by moving things to fast. In the end of it all, Nurse got the cut, so the spot will more than likely be occupied by Reinhart on October 9^th.

Now Nurse and Reinhart had some pretty hefty expectations on them before training camp, something that Anton Slepyshev most certainly did not have. Drafted 88^th in the 2013 draft, Slepyshev had yet to play games on a North American rink. An adjustment that will most definitely affect his play, Slepyshev turned some heads as camp went on. Showing chemistry with roster players and having a knack to be in the right spot at he right times; the Russian product beat out Tyler Pitlick and Andrew Miller for a bottom 6 role. The fact that he beat out these two while having to adjust to the North American game is a very encouraging sign that he can be an NHL regular sooner rather than later.

Goalies have always been a fickle matter with the Oilers. Having scored on some real beauts in Fuhr, Ranford, Joseph, and Roloson in the past, they haven’t been able to nail down a true starter since Roli left Edmonton in 2009. Ben Scrivens did once show promise in his Oiler career but all that was good was dashed last season. It comes with no question that the newly acquired Cam Talbot will be the Oilers starter come October 9^th, but a harder question to answer is who will be backing up on opening day. The Oilers acquired and effectively signed Anders Nilsson earlier this summer and he has performed quiet well in preseason, prompting many to wonder if Scrivens is at risk to be demoted. The inside track obviously belongs to Scrivens, having started 57 games for the team last season, but he shouldn’t feel as safe anymore. Nilsson is knocking on the doorstep.

One last note on training camp comes courtesy of Leon Draisaitl. Once anticipated to be the Oilers second line center moving forward, the German draft pick has now been bumped to the wing, due to the addition Connor McDavid and the ongoing presence of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He was the Oilers best player more than once in camp and we finally saw some of the passing skills that he was highly touted to have. In my mind, he will be with the team when the season starts and starting either on the second line with Hall-McDavid or on the third with Yakupov-Lander. Great stuff by the Leon.

The (Un)official Season

Sure, it doesn’t count, but its Hockey!

The 2015 preseason opened up for the Oilers on September 21^st with split squad games in both Edmonton and Calgary. Games that Edmonton swept, winning both in last minute surges. McDavid’s preseason opener was exciting, taking place in Rexall Place, the Oilers scored 3 consecutive third period goals to trump a 2-0 Calgary lead and take the match 4-2. In Calgary, the prospective first line of Pouliot-RNH-Eberle was able to triumph over the home team, winning with a score of 3-1. It was fair to say that the Battle of Alberta regained a little more of its 80’s flair, in exhibition at least! The wins gave the Oilers a 2-0 record to start things off.

So, with the first few games in the books, the Oilers looked to keep the wins coming in a home-and-home series against the Winnipeg Jets. The first game took place in Edmonton, a game where Matt Hendricks played the role of hero, scoring the winning goal on a third period penalty shot using his patented “paralyzer” move. The second half of the home-and-home didn’t exactly start as the Oilers might’ve wanted, letting the Jets jump to a 3-0 lead heading into the third. Most thought the game was basically over as Edmonton was not looking very well after 40 minutes, but that thought was quickly swept away. The Oilers managed to score 3 unanswered goals, the tying goal coming shorthanded, to tie the game and force a highly anticipated 3v3 overtime contest. After failing to score on an early powerplay, the Oilers redeemed themselves as, camp standout, Anton Slepyshev potted home his first goal as an Oiler on a sweet cross ice feed from Andrew Miller. The Oilers now held an unheralded 4-0 preseason record.

Next up was the annual showcase game that took place in the quiet plains of Saskatoon. The Minnesota Wild were in town and the Oilers were looking to extend their unbeaten streak. Worthy of a mention was the fact that Connor McDavid would be taking in his second preseason game, sitting out the previous Winnipeg games. It was be a game where, once again, it wasn’t McDavid turning the heads but Anders Nilsson back stopping the Oilers to a 3-0 shutout win, as well as another impressive showing for Anton Slepyshev as he scored the game winner. The Oilers now stood alone as the top preseason team with a 5-0 record.

With an unfamiliar 1^st place spot, Edmonton was heading back home to play the Arizona Coyotes. The game was a reunion of sorts, as Connor McDavid would be lined up against, Erie Otter teammate, Dylan Strome. The game lived up to they hype but, it was for all the wrong reasons. On the good side of things, Anton Lander showed some tremendous growth, scoring a natural hat trick, and helping the Oilers get their second straight shutout win. However, it didn’t come without a loss as Jordan Eberle injured his shoulder and was announced to be out for the next 4-6 weeks, opening the door for Slepyshev to earn a spot on the opening day roster. For more on the Eberle injury, click here!

Long Live the Klefbom

Lets end things on a rather happy note. The swedish D-man was chosen 19th overall by the Oilers in 2011 and has done nothing but surpass expectations. Playing just under a season with 77 games, Klefbom has already made a case for being the teams best defenceman. It may not be a hard feat to accomplish on the Oilers but with him showing these overwhelmingly positive signs in such a short amount of time, it comes without a doubt that Chiarelli would want to keep Klefbom’s services for years to come. And that is exactly what they did, signing Oscar to a 7 year deal worth an AAV of about 4.167M. The contract has been heavily debated in the hockey world, mostly because of his short sample size in the big leagues. 77 games isn’t exactly a long time in the NHL but, it should be said that the Oilers aren’t the first to commit long-term on a defenceman with limited experience. The Dallas Stars signed John Klingberg to an identical 7-year deal, even though he played even less games then Klefbom, with 65. I gotta say, I am a huge Klefbom fan and I believe this deal is going to look like a helluva steal in the next few years. He’s a stud and could very well be the #1 D that Edmonton has been searching for.

That about does it. The tune-up for the season hasn’t been that bad and, as I type this, the Oilers just suffered their first lost in a game that I’d rather just forget. In the of things, there are lots to look forward in Edmonton, and we could be in a for a rollercoaster year. Lets all hope its a coaster that ends with the Oilers rising to the top, rather than plummeting a 100mph like years past.

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Go Oilers Go