The Edmonton Oilers will return to the ice tonight as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Reality will set in quick when we all realize that this game is between two teams tied for 30th, yes last, place in the NHL. Toilet bowl? By definition, yes, but there are some things to watch here and moving forward.
Return To Health:
Connor McDavid will return tonight and instantly give the Oilers a massive boost. While Taylor Hall is a flat out star, I don’t think it’s crazy to suggest that McDavid is the best, and most talented, player on this roster. Adding him back in right now will make Edmonton’s forward group, and by extension team, a better group.
McDavid’s impact is massive, that can’t be stressed enough. He’ll instantly give Edmonton a second line that can score and he should be able to help a struggling power play unit.
That said, he isn’t alone. The Oilers will also get Oscar Klefbom and Brandon Davidson back this month. Klefbom is arguably the team’s best defender currently, in fact an argument can be made that he and Andrej Sekera are the only legit top four options on this roster. Getting him back will improve the defense in a big way.
Same with Davidson, who has emerged as a real NHL defender this season. He’s a steady player and he should solidify the team’s third pairing. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we saw him jump into the top four for a stretch either.
Lastly, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins should be back in March. When that happens, we’ll finally get to see the Oilers at full strength up front. That’s something we have yet to see this season.
I’d expect more wins too as this team gets healthier.
Movement On The Trade Front:
As players return to the lineup, players will need to leave. The Oilers recalled Zack Kassian and Griffin Reinhart yesterday, bringing their roster to capacity. That means in order to activate McDavid later today, the Oilers will need to ship someone out. The obvious choice is to send Rob Klinkhammer to Bakersfield as he’s currently waiver exempt.
After that, however, things get a little tricky. When Klefbom and Davidson return, the Oilers will need to make room on the blue line. Sending Reinhart back down is possible, but Peter Chiarelli has said he’d like to see him play in the NHL. That would mean a trade could be at hand. Eric Gryba is a prime candidate as he’s a pending UFA who has value, while the writing seems to be on the wall for Justin Schultz.
Teddy Purcell is also a pending UFA and all signs point to him heading out the door too.
My bet? Chiarelli finds takers for Purcell and Schultz, while he signs Gryba to an extension.
Progress:
The final stretch of games will be key for progress in the standings. Can Edmonton reach, say, 30 wins? I think so, in fact I’m shooting for 35 wins, 16 more the rest of the way. Why? The Oilers are getting a few key pieces back and will be close to full strength. This is a perfect time to see how this team really is built. McDavid and Klefbom change the complexion of this roster and the way this team functions, no doubt about that.
Factor in that Edmonton’s competition gets weaker and the recipe is right for a strong second half of the season.
Zack Kassian:
Kassian has played in seven AHL games (2-1-3) and six NHL games (1-1-2) since joining the organization. He’s really starting to pick up steam now and is fighting for a role on the roster moving forward. He brings a combination of size, physical play and skill, that’s something Edmonton has chased for years.
Is this just a hot stretch, or is Kassian finally finding his groove? Should be interesting to find out, and it’ll be something to pay attention to the rest of the way. If this works out, Peter Chiarelli would have acquired a useful piece for exactly a song. It would also make the summer shopping list smaller and the task at hand a little easier.
The Condors:
This will be interesting moving forward, because Bakersfield has provided some solid players so far. Both Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl have come up and taken big roles, while Jujhar Khaira and Iiro Pakarinen have also shown quite well. I think we’ll see Khaira again this season, and suspect he’s in the running for a job next season.
Some other guys to watch for? Laurent Brossoit, David Musil, Jordan Oesterle and Anton Slepyshev. Wouldn’t be surprised if all of them got at least a game or two down the stretch. All four have some solid upside and could very well be a part of this team or a trade moving forward.
Tracking their progress, at both levels, should be interesting.
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