The Edmonton Oilers went out east last week with momentum, coming off of a 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at home. Edmonton smacked Ottawa by a score of 7-2 to open the trip and things appeared to be going in the right direction. Then, it all collapsed like it was 2010, or 2011, or 2012, or 2013, or 2014, or……okay you get the point.
Say it isn’t so, the Oilers once again failed to handle success or adversity and fell to 30th in the NHL. Hey, at least I got to use a Hall and Oates music video, right?
Okay, seriously, this was bad. Edmonton got cocky after their two wins and there is no way around it. Kind of baffling considering where they were in the standings, but so is life as a young team in a men’s league. When Edmonton was handed adversity on Saturday in Montreal, they soiled their pants, plain and simple. The response was bad, they were smacked 8-1 on Sunday in Brooklyn.
The response Monday night? It was better, guys battled and there was effort, but execution was still a major problem and there just wasn’t enough of a push. Disappointing? After all this time that’s an understatement.
You can see the frustration in the face of Todd McLellan, you can hear it in his voice, he knows this team just isn’t good enough to win in this league. From all the leaks and hints from media, it seems like Peter Chiarelli knows it too.
I keep saying this and I truly mean it, things will change. This season sucks, there is no way around that, but I can’t see the Oilers staying pat this summer. Chiarelli and McLellan didn’t come here to just keep pace and lose. Buckle up, because some fan favorites are going to be heading out the door starting at the draft in Buffalo this June.
LB’s Comin’ To Town:
When the Oilers won six games in a row, Anders Nilsson was a hero. He was the winner in five of those games, stole four of them, and even was playing well before that point. Since then? Nilsson has not given the Oilers a single quality outing. That’s right, Anders Nilsson has been below replacement level since mid-December, it’s almost been two months.
The decision to demote Nilsson is 100% the right call. Anders was not ready on Sunday and as a result his team had no chance to win. Were the Oilers good? No, but Nilsson gave up three stinkers within about ten minutes and from that point the game was over. This isn’t new either, he cost them in Tampa Bay before the break.
As for Brossoit, he’s earned this call. In his second AHL season, the young goaltender has posted a .921 SV% with a 2.70 GAA and a record of 14-8-2. He’s been arguably the best player on the farm this season and is once again showing that he is taking a step forward. He’s improved every year and is now a legit starter in the best development league in the world. He was also and All-Star in the AHL this season.
I’m excited to see Brossoit get a chance in Edmonton and to see if he can handle the NHL rigors.
Farewell, Justin?:
Justin Schultz was a healthy scratch on Tuesday night and many believe it is due to a pending trade. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie started the fire with the following tweet.
Hearing that #oilers Justin Schultz being scratch tonight vs #devils might be trade related. #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) February 9, 2016
Our very own Beer League Hero wrote on his website a few weeks back that the Buffalo Sabres were looking at Schultz. Buffalo, along with Tampa Bay, appear to be the two teams interested in the defender. Schultz’s time in Edmonton simply hasn’t lived up to the hype and it’s clear he doesn’t fit here anymore.
Unfortunately, Schultz became part of the problem, not the solution. Regardless of the return it is time, both for team and player, to go their separate ways. No chance Schultz survives the month, heck maybe not even the week.
Ehrhoff:
The LA Kings waived Ehrhoff earlier today. I was a big fan of him prior to his signing in Pittsburgh and was hoping Edmonton would look into him. However, now, he appears to be a shell of himself. The time he missed due to injury last season has impacted him and he’s not longer a top four option.
He’s struggling defensively and just isn’t impacting the game offensively like he once did. Would I claim him? Considering the Oilers are at 49 contracts and have a glut of bottom pairing defenders, I’d say no. Had Edmonton not claimed Adam Clendening then I could see it, but not now.
The Oilers need legit solutions, guys who can play top four roles, not band aids like Ehrhoff. Two years ago, yes. Today? No.
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