Preparing for my first blog in almost a month, I ran into some interesting news that I didn't notice on the main blogger sites. If late news then I am just late to the party…lol
Greg Chase according to www.eliteprospects.com has been signed to Oklahoma City on a ATO (I am assuming). They call it a transfer but as mentioned by other bloggers around the Oilers he is in the same shoes as Eberle in the past. He is eligible right now to play but not next year in the AHL. Likely he plays out this season and next year is with the Hitman again for one last year as a over ager in the WHL.
Dal Colle played for the gold medal-winning Team Canada U18 team in the 2013 before returning to Oshawa for his second OHL season. Playing like a a bull in a china shop he uses his natural talents well. Scouts say he has a imposing frame and already shows great balance and strength on his skates. While 6'2 in height, his weight would be a concern for me to play at the next level and be imposing still. He does play a strong two-way game, battles hard and shows soft hands around the net.
Many consider Michael to have High-end offensive tools to go with a great drive. Some have said he plays a style like Ryan Getzlaf but IMO it is more style then skill. Dal Colle likes to be creating his chances off the cycle and use his taller frame to an advantage. Getting to open spots on the ice well, he also utilizes coming off the wall and driving to the net with aggression. If he adds more size and strength to his frame, he's going to become a force. Michael tells a writer "I'm always looking to get faster, quicker," he said. "That was my weakness growing up. I was always a little bit sluggish. I still need to get bigger. I'm only 180 pounds, so if I want to be a successful at the next level I need to put on some muscle mass."
Michael is a left hander center and is considered a top 5-6 player for sure. If the Oilers were to select him he is more of a 2 year project likely. Another year in jr hockey followed by 1 season in the AHL should be just what the dr ordered. It's unlikely he is selected in a Top 3 pick and that is where they are sitting to pick at worst if a lower ranked team were to win the lottery draft in 2014. Good player but would fall in the second group of good players in this June's draft.
My apologies to our blog readers here at Oilers Jambalaya over the last while. I have been in somewhat of a hiatus for awhile. My daughter recently got married outdoors and the extra work and effort between that and my regular paying job kept me quite busy. I did manage to stay focused on spreading the Oilers Spirit though.
I must say, when I was asked to come on and join Smokin Ray here at Oilersjambalaya a couple years ago, I was full of excitement and anticipation. The Oilers had been trying to scratch and crawl their way back to respectability and were drafting and developing new talents much better then in years past. My excitement for the team , the prospects and their development was hard to surpass. I would spend endless hours in research and conversation with any contacts I could find that had any information that could be useful or give myself a different look at these players.
As the last few years have passed by, that same excitement started to dwindle and while I am still a die hard fan, it has been less emotional excitement then in the past. Why? I am guessing maybe emotional drain? Maybe it is disappointment? Frustration? Regardless of what it was, I was still faithful and still am today watching and following this team. Some have said not drafting the best young player in the world for the 4th consecutive year in a row did it to me. Maybe, but bringing in a new coach and everything MacT has done has not impressed me yet. Sure it's a start but the proof as they say, is in the pudding!
This year, it's time to 'put up, or shut up'! Anything less the a playoff push to the last week is a train wreck to me. I know, teams can only improve so much without major change in player personal. That is true, but no one who drafts as high as the Edmonton Oilers and has elite talent like they do, should grow slowly like some teams that finish in the middle of the pack and yet still see drastic improvement with little changes. With the natural physical, mental and emotional maturity of elite talent comes great strides.
Enough about the past! I love that Eakins cleaned out the past player persona in the changing room. The past is not what you build on, its the future you build into. Having said that, I am starting to feel that 'twitch' again that makes me jump, scream, shout or say 'Yes'! on every Oiler goal, assist, save, hit, fight and plain old 'sweet play'. Looking through this team, there really is no built in excuses why this team can not be a playoff bound team this year. Let's look at the reasons we can anticipate the excitement building for the Edmonton Oilers.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is Cerebal
He's back!! Do not look at his stats line from last year when he was fighting a injury that limited his shot and passing. I have followed RNH for the past 5 years and last year, his whole offensive game was affected. What did he do? Became a even better center defensively. Once RNH can bring his FO% up to around 50% he will become a Top 5 Center in this league as far as I am concerned. His presence on this team will be a huge boost and the team's offensive output will start shooting through the roof of arena's everywhere. Why? Because it will be contagious and will be a catalyst this team needs.
Boyd Gordon is a solid defensive center
Gordon is a player who can win face-offs, fill in a night or two on a higher line, back check, and just plays the game the way any hard nosed player should. His dependability and reliability is something this team will greatly appreciate this year. Also Boyd will seldom makes stupid plays that leave you shaking your head.
Nail Yakupov is a beast
In training camp and pre-season and right throughout the 1st period in the season opener, you can see Nail has gained some great strength in protecting the puck. He doesn't just dangle it, he dares the opposition to take it away from him. He handles it like a bull in a china shop and he doesn't care about the results other then getting that puck to the net. His one-timers from anywhere are hard, crisp, fast and bulls eye accurate. His one-timers take a backseat to no more then maybe 10 current NHL'ers currently playing and if he continues to grow in this area, the sky is the limit for this Russian kid. His hunger for the game, his relentless back check and speed will not be able to be contained too often as this season progresses.
Taylor Hall is a Stud
Not many players can play like Taylor Hall plays. His intensity, versatility, drive, speed and love for hockey make Taylor Hall one of a kind. The fact he has been able to make this shift to centre in the loss of the Oilers top 2 centers has been nothing short of incredible. Sure there have been some mistakes but playing a 1st line center role when you have never done it at a NHL level? That is crazy and he is still holding his own. With Nugent-Hopkins set to return , it is likely to free him up some to relax and take some of the pressure off of him. Don't forget he is carrying two players in Hemsky and Smyth who most Oiler fans wanted run out of town not long ago. Hall with a Yakupov and Joensuu could be a interesting line while Perron and Eberle play with Nugent-Hopkins? No matter how it plays out, left wing or centre , Taylor Hall is a stud out there and intends to make this a winning season at any expense.
Don't fret Oiler fans over the opening night loss. I know it may look like the same old story but this team while down 2 of their top 6 players has looked dominating at times and with this new 'swarm' philosophy of hockey for the Oilers, it might just suit this team well. The addition of some new players added to the mix currently growing by leaps and bounds could be what takes this team back into the 'sacred temples of Lord's Stanley'.
Having tried to glean information from the Oilers on their interest or lack of in regards to players and or their development has not been easy. Some of what I am going to share is information that each one of us has had access to hear via the MSM or even the interviews from the coaches themselves. Some information comes from being closely around the Oilers brass for a couple days, some comes from personal one on one conversations from those closely associated with the players or some comes from the players themselves away from the ice.
Having said all that, take the information for what you think it is worth. No need asking me who said what, cause if I did hear directly from 'unnamed' person, out of respect for them, it would be unfair to expose their name or names. If you think I am being another EKLUND wannabe, you definitely have not read many of my blogs over the years and or followed me very much on twitter. Having followed closely the Oilers organization quite closely these past 5 years and prospects as well has afforded me unique opportunities and I am not going to do anything to put anything like that in jeopardy. If you think I am way off, so be it! Let time be the judge before you rip apart the messenger.
TIDBITS FROM CAMP:
I will highlight in red anything that was information that i received on perspective players leading into saturday's night split-squad games in Edmonton and Calgary. If it is not highlighted it will be my perspective and or views.
CAMERON ABNEY Unfortunately for Cam, this could be the beginning of the end. His off ice work while good, has not been great and his progress has been stalled while other potential players are about to supplant him if things don't change ASAP. My take on Abney will be, this is his final year to prove himself. He will either be traded or released at the end of season most likely
WILL ACTON Was hardly recognizable on the ice these past couple days but is that always a bad thing? It could turn out to be his best chance. Will be in a fight with Lander for that 4th line spot. Is not slotted into OKC's plans in their line combo's currently but that could change drastically should he falter in the opportunities given.
MARK ARCOBELLO
A decent showing with skilled players Yakupov and Omark could prove to be his best chance. His outcome from the game in Edmonton Saturday night could either elevate him into the opening night lineup or actually see him with a ticket back to OKC after a few pre-season games. Is currently slotted into the Barons #1 Centre slot and MacT has been very direct that he wants players to play in OKC around the same role they would play should they be playing for the Oilers. Maybe one line higher but no more.
MIKE BROWN
Grows a stache like nobodies business but will that be enough. Will be the 13th or 14th forward going into the season. Plays exactly the game he knows how to play and knows how to use gamesmanship which is extremely important for the role he fills.
GREGORY CHASE
Hits well, is relentless and has a scoring touch too. Did I mention he is a agitator and likes it too? The Oilers are very high on Chase and have been pleased with what he has shown them this camp so far. Not every jr player gets to play even in a scrimmage let alone game action. If he continues to develop this year back in jr, his path and future looks bright with the Oilers.
JORDAN EBERLE Sick skills and looks to really have his shot back. His minor injury last season really hindered his shot. This year I would expect his shooting % goes back up. Will be interesting to see who he is paired with in the early regular season games.
TAYLOR HALL
Had his good and bad moments playing in the centre pivot position. It will take time to adjust but Hall is a world class player and at the very worst it is highly likely he will fill the team need better by playing centre for up to 5 games then playing left wing and leaving this team extremely weak down the middle. RNH hs confidence in Taylor, why shouldn't we? Taylor is learning what needs to be done in that centre pivot spot from good mentors in his coach Action and RNH himself. If we all recall, he did mention last year if the team did try him at centre he didn't want it to be a 2 or 3 game stint but given some time to really try it out. My guess? He will play a minimum of 10 games at centre and then be evaluated after that. CURTIS HAMILTON Time is running out for Curtis and his injuries have likely been his greatest downfall to really exhibiting what his true value is to the Oilers. His off ice work was said to have improved last development camp but now we missed seeing what progress could have taken place by, no on ice action. If not this year, then the next Curtis will likely be on the outside looking in. Only thing that saves him is a big year in OKC IMO.
RYAN HAMILTON A big tough, determined player that Dallas Eakins really appreciates has brought him to Edmonton on the basis he will push the bottom 6 forwards and or at worst play the power forward role in OKC, Most likely in the end will be a call up for bottom 6 winger role in Edmonton this season.
JUJHAR KHAIRA Will be monitored very closely this year and Oilers want to be cautious with him but are excited about his future with the organization. Debate is on if he reports to OKC or ends up in WHL with Everett. Likely he goes to WHL but some of that decision will be who gets assigned to OKC with other players from camp, bets are he goes to WHL.
ANTON LANDER Anton is pencilled into a 2nd line role in OKC to open the season but only Lander can change that destiny. Concerns are more about his confidence and Oilers would like to see him less concerned with points and more on just playing the same game, shift in and shift out. If he finds his game in pre-season, he starts in Edmonton, if not, other options are considered.
RYAN MARTINDALE
His all around game is coming around but it looks more and more everyday he will have to decide to become a role player in a 4th or 3rd line tops role. Would be great if he accepted he may not have the Hockey sense to be a elite skill guy at pro level. Is pencilled in as 3rd line centre in OKC to start the year.
LINUS OMARK
While the last regime was not happy with what they saw in Omark, this new regime is very happy with his potential. Dallas has great respect for his skills and wants to provide a prime opportunity for him to show himself well. It is still a win-win for both sides no matter how this comes down. If Linus can show even just ok, defensively he will get a shot, if he shows what he did in the past without the puck, he won't be in Edmonton past the pre-season games. OKC would be happy with 1 more year of Omark and when the year is completed he is a UFA who can go and try his own luck. I wouldn't count Omark out and don't forget, it's not his toughness that is in question, it is his ability to cover his defensive role.
DAVID PERRON Perron is a interesting player. this guy has a lot of Yakupov in him when it comes to life and the game of hockey. He almost eats, breaths and lives hockey. Really love the fact he lines up so perfectly on his off wing just like Yakupov. If these two can have some chemistry, it may provide for some interesting hockey. David has no concerns going to the tough area's of the ice and does not mind some rough play. Perron appears to really like the red carpet treatment he has received and you can tell by his actions he loves he is in hockey country.
TYLER PITLICK
Like so many before him, Tyler is about to fall off the face of the hockey world really quick, if he can not be consistent with his play. Almost makes you wonder what happened somewhere. Was there something others knew that made him available at 31st OV at the draft. I think the injuries and confidence is what has stalled his major growth. He still has time to prove himself to the Oilers brass but time is starting to run out. He needs a strong year in OKC if he stands to even have a fighting chance.Will likely only get 1 or 2 pre-season games and then get assigned to OKC.
MARCO ROY
Roy has looked good to date but at scrimmage on a line with speed and against bigger, quicker players he has realized pretty quick, he isn't in the CHL anymore. Marco has performed above expectations and a good showing back in Jr should go a long way into his growth development. There look to be some high praises of his game with oilers brass.
NAIL YAKUPOV
Honestly, upon tweeting about the scrimmages, I was not trying to follow Yakupov very much but anytime he is on the ice, he draws the attention of every fan too him. He has become the newest darling of the fans and girls are going crazy over this cute Russian. His game seems to even have another step since last season and with some confidence behind him the limits are endless. There is no way this organization will be even considering a trade of this player unless something were to breakdown in their relationship. Nail's best game is when he is confident and given opportunities to rise to the occasion. One thing that was noticeable in the scrimmage is his relentless pursuit of the puck when the other team had it. Let's hope that spills over to the early pre-season games and becomes a contagious habit. If Omark ever stood a chance to make the Oilers, it will be because Yakupov elevates his game.
ANTON BELOV
Some MSM have pencilled him as the 7th or even 8th d-man in the depth chart, not so sure the Coaches and scouts agree. They are very high on his physical battle for pucks, his passing ability and his skating and see him suited well for the NHL. Just too bad his struggles with Visa have been a pain.
The Oilers are very high on this prospect and will be following his Jr season closely. There are already plans in place to make sure he gets everything he needs to development to the best of his ability. Not sure it's everyone who see's Ben this important but some who are directly involved with him do and he will be given every opportunity to show his A game to this organization.
It is amazing to see the growth in hi game. He is a battler but I don't know if he will ever see much time in the NHL but he continues to defy the odds. At the very worst he is a solid D-man for the AHL. Some of the development staff see nothing but bright future for this young player.
It appears there may be more to Denis coming back to the Oilers then just as a extra d-man. Between his NHL experience, his Russian language and his off ice personality and teachable character, it appears he may be the new mentor they wanted in town with Yakupov to keep the transition smoother with Khabby gone. Don't doubt Khabby's influence that aided Yakupov through the transitions early on.
Tyler is a battler and he likely will get over this but right now he is in for a tough season moving forward. He is the first one to tell you his head is not in the game like it was a couple years ago. Turning pro can do that to you against the next elite level of hockey players. I would still give him 2 more seasons to see if he can continue to develop the mental side of the game. There is no concerns with his athleticism or his positioning, it's all upstairs and that takes time to work on.
Jason is one of those Goalies who is adjusting to the new leg pad size. Didn't know about the change this year? Between the top of the knee and the highest point of the leg in the inner groin area, you have have your pad cover 55% of the area. The rule changed this year to 45%. This means Jason lost 1.5 inches on the length of his pad and it will affect the '5 hole' no matter how you look at it. Lots of confidence in Jason being able to run a string of even p to 10 games in a row if needed. Is considered a high quality back up goalie.
Those were the players that I was able to notice more and or get some more insights into these past couple weeks. Hockey gets back in action tonight and I for one am jacked to get it going! GO OILERS!!
For Oiler and Baron news and 2013/14 NHL draft watch
I will make this post short and sweet. For weeks now we have heard speculation that Andrew Ference is going to be the captain on a intern basis until one of our young stars steps up and is ready to take the reigns. My question is, 'Is Ference the right Captain?'
Not trying to sound insensitive to all he has done or who he is, Andrew is one of the last people who I would put in as captain and here are my reasons why....
1) He may be a fitness warrior but so was Horcoff and was he the right captain? Some will say yes, I would argue that he was the most experienced for the job after Ethan was done and not much else was a option at the time. 2) Speaking of experience, what experience does he have with his teammates as a veteran? Sure he is a veteran to the league but not to Edmonton and it's not like he is respected already as a Edmonton Oiler. I understand picking a veteran of the league on a team that is real young and there is no leaders but is not leadership what our young stars have been developing? 3) What does a captain do? It's not just on ice and locker room stuff, it's the intangibles. Does he know our city, will he organize events on behalf of our team players? How could he? He doesn't know enough about our culture or team. (Not that our culture has been great but it is improving) 4) Sure he appears good right now as a on ice player but media likes have penciled him in as a top 2 d-man on the Oilers and question is..can he even perform at that level skill wise? Maybe, maybe not! We won't know until the season moves into full swing. Why take a chance on naming your captain when he may stink out the joint or be a d-man that fans make their new scape goat? (He may do all right in the end , we won't know until halfway through a season even. 5) Lastly, why name a captain who is only a stop gap? If your going to name your captain and he is here now, make that decision to crown him when the time is right. I think IMO it is not beneficial to name a good leader a captain just because of that personality. I highly doubt Ference plays better or this team plays better because a 'C' goes on his jersey.
My suggestion you ask? I think you alternate your captain and wait to name him by Dallas seeing who will step up to the plate by the new year. Let's see who really shines in that all around leadership role. I would not be surprised if Gagner were to be picked but it would be the wrong decision IMO. For my monies worth I would pick Eberle still, as Hall is not always a calm factor out there on the ice like a captain should be (In tradition anyway) but Hall sure appears like he wants the job and looks determined to take this team by the horns and run with it. Not sure why but I get this feeling that Eberle may one day be that key trading piece the Oilers trade out of town but let's hope my gut is wrong. I think the answer is in the writing and Dallas has it pencilled in as Hall!
Question though 'Is Andrew Ference the right Captain, right now?'
Will be tweeting more on Oilers Training Camp , so follow me on twitter for updates.
For Oiler and Baron news and 2013/14 NHL draft watch
Nail Yakupov has always been a enigmatic personality in and out of the dressing room and on the ice. What makes this young up and coming star player so good is not just the skill set, it's the drive to be the best or as some say, the drive to always be improving.
Here are Nail Yakupov's PPG over the past few years in the respective leagues he has played in;
2010-2011 CHL (101pts for 1.55 PPG) 2010-2012 U18 (13 pts for 1.85 PPG) 2011-2012 CHL (69 pts for 1.64 PPG) 2011-2012 U20 (9 pts for 1.28 PPG) 2012-2013 KHL (18 pts for .82 PPG) 2012-2013 NHL (31 pts for .65 PPG)
I had predicted on twitter and believe on a blog as well the PPG production Nail would likely produce both in the KHL and in the NHL. I had estimated Yakupov could produce .65 PPG in the KHL which he fared even better and in the NHL I said I believed he would produce around the .57 PPG. I had people saying I was out to lunch and no way this player had the skills yet or the size to produce like that at the NHL level. He covered both bets for me and this year it is likely we could see him more around the .80 PPG mark by the end of the NHL season of 2013-2014.
When looking at his Jr career and comparing him at that stage , let's look how he compares to a few other notable stars.
Steven Stamkos 2006-2007 CHL (92 pts for 1.46 PPG) 2006-2007 U18 (10 pts for 1.67 PPG) 2007-2008 CHL (105pts for 1.72 PPG) 2007-2008 U18 (5 pts for 1.25 PPG) 2007-2008 U20 (6pts for .86 PPG) 2008-2009 NHL (46 pts for .58 PPG) 2009-2010 NHL (95 pts for 1.16 PPG)
As we can see with Stamkos, it was his second season when his numbers began to soar. With a solid understanding of the game now and a larger sturdier frame he was better able to translate his jr career to the NHL level.
John Tavares (since John was brought in as a exceptional player into the OHL I will be exempting his early year to be more in comparison with the same age)
2006-2007 CHL (134 pts for 2.0 PPG) 2007-2008 CHL (118 pts for 2.0 PPG) 2007-2008 U20 (5 pts for .71 PPG) 2009-2010 NHL (54 pts for .66 PPG) 2010-2011 NHL (67 pts for .85 PPG)
John was one of the most incredible point producing jrs in the last couple decades. Very few reach his peak yet his game did not translate in his first year and even his second as you can see was somewhat reasonable.
Let's look at 2 more comparable players he currently plays with.
Taylor Hall 2008-2009 CHL (90 pts for 1.43 PPG) 2008-2009 U18 (8 pts for 2.0 PPG) 2009-2010 CHL (106 pts for 1.86 PPG) 2009-2010 U20 (12 pts for 2.0 PPG) 2010-2011 NHL (42 pts for .65 PPG) 2011-2012 NHL (53 pts for .87 PPG)
Taylor had a tremendous jr career but also while faring well in the NHL still took time to adjust to the style and speed of the game. His second year saw a increase in production like most stars do.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2009-2010 CHL (65 pts for .97 PPG) 2009-2010 U17 (5pts for 1.0 PPG) 2010-2011 CHL (106 pts for 1.54 PPG) 2010-2011 U18 (7 pts for 1.4 PPG) 2011-2012 NHL (52 pts for .84 PPG) 2012-2013 NHL (24 pts for .6 PPG)
*Fought with bad shoulder all season that ended early
Ryan IMO would have fared much better if not nursing a injury all season long. He fought through but likely his second NHL season was one that will not be seen again.
As you can see when comparing seasons to some other great players Nail is right on course and to under estimate his production this season would be to under value him as a player. The following is a quick look at the comparison's of jr career hockey to 1st seasons in the NHL.
CHL Career PPG Nail Yakupov1.59 PPG Steven Stamkos1.59 PPG John Tavares1.75 PPG Taylor Hall 1.53 PPG Ryan Nugent-Hopkins1.26 PPG
In looking at the PPG totals here in CHL hockey it's very clear Yakupov is on par with these players that many consider to be great. It should also be considered that both Yakupov and Stamkos did not play on a loaded team in their final year yet still produced well.
NHL 1st Season PPG Nail Yakupov.65 PPG
Steven Stamkos .58 PPG John Tavares.66 PPG Taylor Hall.65 PPG Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.84 PPG
In observing the 1st year stats of PPG in these same players career's it can not be denied that Yakupov while playing only a shortened season produced equal to his earlier comrades in the NHL and shows very well against extremely high competition.
Lastly, let's look at the 2nd years PPG production from the same players alongside my prediction of Nail Yakupov for the 2013-2014 NHL Season
NHL 2nd Season PPG Steven Stamkos 1.16 PPG
John Tavares .85 PPG Taylor Hall .87 PPG Ryan Nugent-Hopkins .60 PPG Nail Yakupov.80 PPG (My prediction)
Looking at how Nail has compared well in at the same growth curve in his career, I believe it is reasonable to say he likely will be comparable in his 2nd NHL season as well. While Stamkos hit it out of the park on his second season RNH struggled a little. Despite that, when comparing, it definitely gives a good case of optimism for Oilers fans alike this coming season.
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