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The Oilers win over Washington on Friday may have been Edmonton’s most complete win of this season.

And while that is most certainly encouraging, it would be wrong to look at it without the context of the early hole this club has dug for itself.

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So, while this Sunday starts with a better vibe and some welcome optimism we also need to be real. What tools do the Edmonton Oilers have at their disposal that they can reliably count on to extricate themselves from deep trouble?

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That and more in this edition of…

9 Things

9. Oilers prospect Matvei Petrov scored his first professional goal on Saturday on a nice wrist shot. How fun that it came on Teddy Bear Toss night in Bakersfield! More on the Condors coming up…

8. Earlier in the week, Hall of Fame Edmonton Journal hockey writer Jim Matheson reported that Oilers icon and Stanley Cup Champion Andy Moog was battling cancer. I was around Moog enough during my days around NHL rooms to know that he is every bit as nice of a guy as you have heard. Best wishes.

7. Klim Kostin has been in and out of Detroit’s lineup. A lot of people who think the Oilers miss Kostin’s physicality and swagger and are angry he was not retained. However, this most recent time in the Detroit press box was not injury related but a “team standards issue”. Here is where I tell you that Kostin had similar challenges in Edmonton.

6. The most hits by any NHL player with more than 5 goals this season is the Oilers Evander Kane at 66. And he has scored 6 times in his last half-dozen games. Prorate his goal production so far and Kane is just off the pace of a 40-goal campaign. Yes, Kane was indeed slow out of the gate. But he has been one of the Oilers best players since then.

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5. I am above all else a fan of high skill. But I also reserve deep respect for players without it who consistently do the little things right. Derek Ryan is one of those guys. Watch his wall work. Ryan is not the biggest, fastest, or most-skilled player. But who on this Oilers squad would sooner have along the wall when a puck absolutely needs to get out the zone?

4. We all know the American Thanksgiving stat: 77% of NHL teams in a playoff spot by that date over the past 8 seasons (pandemic aside) have gone on to secure a post-season berth. Last season it was even higher at 81%. Today, on November 26th, Edmonton sits eight points out of a wild card spot. The situation appears grim. The Oilers have to pass six other clubs. All I know for sure: I will not count out any team that has both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

3. There is a measure of frustration with both Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod. Bouchard is at a point per game. If you do not like his offence, then you are not watching closely. But yes, Bouchard’s defence and intensity can be infuriating. McLeod may be the fastest Oiler not named McDavid. But he does not go to the net near enough and is a mere 10^th on the teams in hits. There was an old saying we had back on the farm: “That dog don’t hunt”. If we are waiting around for either Bouchard or McLeod to start running guys through the boards, I believe we will wait a long damn time. That simply is not who they are. It is all about maximizing the positives and minimizing the negatives…as well as the expectations associated with those.

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2. In today’s NHL, especially in the travel-intensive Western Conference, you need two reliable goaltenders to win. A “1A” and “1B” if you will. It is fair to say the Oilers have had neither, to date. But while we have sign positive signs from Stuart Skinner (the Winter classic win over Calgary, the shutout in Washington), the noise in the hockey world had been loud for Ken Holland to go get another guy to share the crease. Calvin Pickard was thrust into a very difficult situation. Hard to be disappointed under the circumstances with what he has delivered. That was what Pickard was signed for: an emergency. But no one expects him to provide the 30-40 starts the Oilers need from Stuart Skinner’s crease partner. Jack Campbell started off his stint in Bakersfield with 3 clunkers. He then earned a shutout earlier in the week for Bakersfield before a 4-3 loss on Saturday. But Campbell faced 37 shots in that one. The 3^rd goal against Saturday was on the Power Play and the 4^th was an empty netter. All in all, Campbell seems to have settled down. That is hopeful because in the end, the very best acquisition price for Ken Holland to pay for another goalie is absolutely nothing. If he spends to replace Campbell now those are resources, he does not have to plug a different hole later. So, I am convinced Jack will get at least one more start in Edmonton before Holland decides which way to go. But the leash has to be exceptionally short. There is too much at stake.

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1.There has been a regular chorus this season from many corners of the fan base for the Oilers to “Play the kids”. And I agree that if you have a young prospect up with the big club for any length of time and he has the tools necessary to compete shift-in and shift-out at the NHL level then he needs to play. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with varying TOI based on circumstances. Watching the occasional game from up top never killed anyone’s career, either. But those couple exceptions aside I do believe that you need to give the kid ice time or send him back to the AHL where he can play and grow. And the thing is…when a team like the Oilers is in win-now mode it is the wrong time to try and develop a raw rookie with the big club.

The 2023-24 examples of both Raphael Lavoie and Philip Broberg are in many ways apples to oranges comparisons. Broberg clearly has the wheels to play in this league. His problem is that he lacks a specific dimension. What is he? So far, Broberg is not a robust defender nor is he prolific with the puck. The issue for him is that teammate Vincent Desharnais has a dimension. He is a big, long, nasty piece of work who kills penalties well, blocks shots and plays with a real edge. In short? Desharnais is out-playing Broberg due to this aspects of his game. And if I were Kris Knoblauch, I would be playing Desharnais right now, too.

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Skating is critical in the NHL. You can possess a lot of other skills. But if you cannot skate well enough it will be a grind because it will always be a challenge to get where you need to be. What I have seen from Lavoie so far is that he HAS a dimension. He can shoot like a damn and is not afraid to use his big frame. I like both attributes a lot. But he is a step behind the pace of the National Hockey League. And unless you are a smart, savvy veteran who can think your way around the ice that is a problem. So, no…I don’t think the Oilers should be playing him, yet, either. Both would be better in the AHL, getting 20 minutes a night.

And look: I am not trying to run one of the other out of town. In fact, I am cheering for both Philip Broberg and Raphael Lavoie. Nothing would make me happier than to see these kids turn into good NHLers. For Edmonton.

But can you balance prospects and prosperity at the same time? “Winning now” and “developing for tomorrow” rarely intersect in the best hockey league in the world.

Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at [email protected]

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