We know one thing for sure, Jordan Eberle will be in the top-six for the Edmonton Oilers this season on the right side. After that? Nothing is guaranteed at this position.
I won’t proclaim Eberle on the top-line or second unit, mainly because I don’t know if Todd McLellan will elect to run him with Nugent-Hopkins or with a presumed duo of Taylor Hall and Connor McDavid. Personally, I’d run him with RNH and Benoit Pouliot, but I’m not the coach of the Oilers, TMac is.
So, who fills that other right wing spot in the top-six, the spot I project will be riding along side Taylor Hall and Connor McDavid?
The Candidates:
He had a rough season last year, only 34 points in 82 games, but Teddy Purcell has a proven history of playing with elite skill. In Tampa Bay, when he worked with Steve Stamkos, Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier for portions of five seasons, he scored 51, 65, 36 (48 games) and 42 points respectively. Say what you will, but that’s production.
Sure, Purcell doesn’t play a physical game, but he’s got soft hands and the big man has, by all accounts, been working on his skating this summer.
Nail Yakupov looked lost until Todd Nelson came to the rescue last winter. Yakupov has all the offensive skills, speed and a dynamic shot, but his defensive game needs a lot of work and he hasn’t consistently produced as an NHL’er through three seasons in the show.
A darkhorse is Andrew Miller, the third year pro who dominated the AHL last season. Miller scored 60 points in 63 games for the Barons last year, and added six more points in nine NHL games. Added in on those NHL games? He saw some time with Taylor Hall.
Miller’s also got some speed to his game and he is an extremely smart hockey player.
Who Is The Favorite:
If I’m handicapping this race, I’d put my money on Ted Purcell to snag the second top-six right wing job. He’s a proven veteran player in the NHL, and Todd McLellan has historically leaned on those guys. For all of the faults in his game, he’s still a talented offensive player who has excelled with skill before.
If he can correct his skating a little bit, I think he could have a big year. He’s not a real slow player like many think, it’s just McDavid and Hall are THAT fast. He could struggle keeping up, and if he does, my prediction could go out the window by the end of the split-squad game against the Flames.
On Yakupov, I just don’t think his defensive game is there yet. You need to have a player on a line like this that at least gets that aspect of the game. Again, for all of his faults, Teddy Purcell is solid in the defensive zone.
The Final Results Of The Battle:
As I mentioned, I’m thinking Teddy Purcell wins this job and lines up with Taylor Hall and Connor McDavid come opening night in St. Louis. I just think his ability and experience will be appealing to Todd McLellan.
I think Nail Yakupov starts the season on the third line, but that could be a good spot for him. He’ll get a defensively responsible yet skilled center in Anton Lander along with a veteran in Lauri Korpikoski. On top of that, Yakupov will likely face softer competition and get easier zone starts thanks to his third line status.
As for Andrew Miller, I think it’ll be a trip to Bakersfield to start the season, pending he clears waivers first of course. That said, I think it is safe to say that we will see Andrew Miller in the NHL at some point during the 2015-16 season.
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