The Rig Roundtable: MVP Edition

Welcome back to The Rig Roundtable. It’s getting closer to the trade deadline (which we addressed last week), so this time around, I asked the writers to consider their MVP selection. Obviously, everyone is going to pick Connor McDavid, for a multitude of reasons, so I eliminated both he and Cam Talbot from their choices.

We hear from Alex Thomas, Bret Litke and Preston Hodgkinson.

Other than Connor and Talbot, whose performance this year has impressed the most and why?

Alex Thomas

This is a tough one, but I’m going to go with Oscar Klefbom here. The Oilers have been starving for a puck moving defender who can also play top-four minutes and be decent responsible in his own zone. Justin Schultz was a disaster here, while Ryan Whitney never seemed to work out due to injury. After about seven years, Klefbom has finally emerged as that guy.

His ability to provide offense from the point while also being steady in his own zone often gets underappreciated. He’s been so good for this Oiler team, it’s ridiculous. He and Adam Larsson have given the Oilers their first true top pairing in years. It’s close, but I’m going with Klefbom here. He’s been a revelation this season.

Bret Litke

I will go with a less obvious answer than some of the options that are available and say Matt Benning.

Going into the season,I had expected good things from guys like Sekera, Draisaitl, Larsson, and Klefbom. With Benning, I had no expectations at all.

For that reason, I have to go with Benning having the most impressive year.

He definitely passes the eye test, has 11 points on the season, and aside from a couple weak games, has been really consistent night in and night out. In terms of advanced stats, Woodguy has written a lot about how Benning is not only well, but is also doing it when playing against some tough opposition. The rookie has truly inpressed on almsot every front.

Preston Hodgkinson

Draisaitl gets my pick!

Lots was made of how he would do without Taylor Hall by his side, and by god has he silenced those critics! The German purebred is on his way to giving the Oilers a ferocious 1-2 punch down the middle and he generates chances every time he’s on he ice!

I thought he would regress a little this year and he proved me wrong!

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