Point Shots: The Oilers Are Having More Fun

1. It’s obvious that the Oilers are having more fun since Todd Nelson became the head coach. The Oilers’ twitter account quoted Jordan Eberle as saying, “[Nelson has] really tried to make this an enjoyable place…. Guys are playing looser and better because of it.” And in a piece by the Edmonton Sun’s Rob Tychkowski, Nail Yakupov is full of praise for the new coach: “Nelly trusts the guys, the lines stay the same. We skate with each other, practice with each other and it’s much easier to do the little things in the game because everyone knows where you have go. Things are a lot better than we had in the past.” Why are they having more fun? Is it because they’re winning a few more games now? Or is it because Nelson inspires more confidence than Dallas Eakins did? Maybe it’s a combination of both.

2. Another possible reason why the players are having more fun now: the ping pong table has been restored to the Oilers’ dressing room. The table was removed by Eakins who, according to Derek Van Diest, said to the team, “You’re hockey players, not ping pong players.” However, playing ping pong didn’t seem to harm the 80s Oilers. (Is that Danny Tanner or Kevin Lowe in the above picture?)

3. In Elliote Friedman’s latest “30 Thoughts,” Friedman claims that Craig MacTavish, during the 2013 NHL Draft, thought he had a deal in place to acquire Flyers’ defenseman Braydon Coburn for three second round draft picks. I’m assuming that the three second round picks were the two the Oilers had in the 2013 draft and their 2014 second round pick. The Oilers traded one of their 2103 second round picks and ended up with Bogdan Yakimov, Anton Slepyshev, Jackson Houck, Kyle Platzer, and Aiden Muir. The other 2013 second round pick was used to select Marco Roy. And the 2014 second round pick was traded to the Kings for Ben Scrivens. So instead of having Coburn, the Oilers have Yakimov, Slepyshev, Houck, Platzer, Muir, Roy, and Scrivens.

4. Speaking of Slepyshev, ESPN’s Corey Pronman ranks the Russian winger as the second best Oilers’ forward prospect. Top spot, of course, belongs to Leon Draisaitl.

5. Confused as to what picks the Oilers own in this year’s draft? Here’s the definitive list, as supplied by the Oilers’ official website: 2 first round picks, 2 second round picks, 2 third round picks, 0 fourth round picks, 2 fifth round picks, 1 sixth round pick, and 1 seventh round pick. The fifth rounder received from Montreal in the Jeff Petry trade is conditional. If the Canadiens win two playoff rounds this season, the pick becomes a third rounder. (Does this mean I should start to cheer for Montreal? I don’t think I can do it.)

6. There are rumours that the Oilers are interested in one of Toronto’s goalies. I think I’d be content with an Oilers’ goalie tandem of Jonathan Bernier and Scrivens. As for defensemen, I’m guessing that Craig MacTavish’s top-two off-season targets are Brent Seabrook and Johnny Boychuk. Oilers fans can dream about how those two would improve the defense, but I think it’s unlikely that either will join the Oilers.

7. Today’s random hockey card:

On this day in 1992, the Oilers traded Martin Rucinsky to the Quebece Nordiques for goalie Ron Tugnutt and forward Brad Zavisha. (I admit that I have no idea who Brad Zavisha is.) Edit: The trade actually took place on March 10.