Maybe this post is too long, but since Klefbom discussions has come up in several threads lately I thought I'd try to gather some of the things that are known about his season so far. Feel free to add.
Mid-October:
In the methodical, mistake-free opening night shutout of the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers’ best players were their best players.
It included three goals for star centre Connor McDavid, a perfect night for goalie Cam Talbot, and an awesome performance (nine shots, plus-3) from defenceman Oscar Klefbom.
Since then, a different story.
On the back-end, Darnell Nurse and Kris Russell have been fine, same for third-pairing guy Eric Gryba. But Klefbom and Larsson are nowhere near where they should be.
“I did too many mistakes. I can take half the blame for this one. I was not good today.” Larsson said after the Carolina game.
“We’re not playing good enough, especially me and Lars,” said Klefbom, who knows he goofed on the game’s first shift, as Jaccob Slavin, who had a tremendous game, found Teuvo Teravainen on a 100-foot 2-on-1 break.
“We’ve been losing some games, and you get over-excited and want to show the fans you’re on your toes,” said Klefbom.
Mid-November:
Oscar Klefbom’s defensive game isn’t anywhere near what it should be. He knows it and he isn’t hiding anything, except for the unnamed body part that’s hurting through the first quarter of the troubling Edmonton Oilers season.
When St. Louis Blues centre Brayden Schenn can easily push Klefbom off the puck along the end boards as he did Tuesday, knocking the 210-pound Klefbom to his knees, before setting up Vladimir Tarasenko for their first goal, something’s wrong with Klefbom other than the six-inch space between his ears with his poor puck decisions.
His coach Todd McLellan, who badly needs his best defenceman to play like his best defenceman, alluded to a medical issue before Wednesday ’s 6-2 win over the Red Wings, where the Oilers were resolute and all those questions about not being quick enough with their foot speed and head decisions were not there, including Klefbom. He was good, noticeable in all the right ways.
“He’s been playing with bumps and bruises that has affected his play,” said McLellan. “And I think that’s hurt him in the physical part of the game. Some of the physical battles right now are tougher for Oscar to win, but the mental part, the thinking, being aware of his assignments, that’s on him.”
When asked about his medical distress, like maybe he has a sore shoulder or arm, he blew it off.
“Yeah, no comments on that,” said Klefbom. “I’m not 100 per cent but I don’t want to go up to the media and find any excuses.
“If I’m not 100 per cent, I have to find a way to play better. Like I said, no excuses.”
“The confidence has been at an all-time low,” said McLellan.
He hasn’t been able to outscore his mistakes.
So where did the confidence start to ebb?
How did the Oilers No. 1 defenceman with Adam Larsson start looking like a No. 5?
“Second game, when we lost in Vancouver,” said Klefbom. “Then you get games where you’re a minus-2 or a minus-3. If you start looking at the stats and you see how many goals you’re on the ice for against, you start saying, ‘What am I doing bad here?’ And it gets worse and worse. Then the coaches split the defence pairs just to see what’s going on.”
Maybe he shouldn’t be looking at game sheets to see the minuses?
“Exactly. I should not be doing it, but ...
“But when it’s bad, it goes really bad. I can get stronger as a player, so if it happens in the future, I won’t go as deep. Hopefully, I’ll get the tools to play a couple of games bad, then find myself back to better play.”
McLellan knows Klefbom’s been nervous on the ice.
“I think you (media) asking me about Oscar every day gets to him after a while you have to find a different player,” he said with a laugh. “He hears that, he’s human and he’s carrying that. But the only way to get out of it is for Oscar to play himself out of it.”
End-December:
Oscar Klefbom should return from a shoulder injury Friday night when the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Klefbom only missed three games, but he hasn’t been right all season.
“It’s been a rough season,” Klefbom said on Thursday. “There’s been a lot of medication and tough games.”
Klefbom got an injection in the shoulder last week. He originally started having issues with it in the 2017 playoffs. It limited him physically and took a bite out of his confidence as well.
“It’s pretty tough when you know you’re not 100 per cent,” Klefbom said.
“It can be a bad hit or something that just triggers it a little bit and I get an inflammation, or whatever it is, in the shoulder. It gets very, very sore. Then you start getting on meds. The stomach turns upside down when your [on] meds for a couple of months, too. I’m just happy to feel a lot better now.”
Mid-October:
In the methodical, mistake-free opening night shutout of the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers’ best players were their best players.
It included three goals for star centre Connor McDavid, a perfect night for goalie Cam Talbot, and an awesome performance (nine shots, plus-3) from defenceman Oscar Klefbom.
Since then, a different story.
On the back-end, Darnell Nurse and Kris Russell have been fine, same for third-pairing guy Eric Gryba. But Klefbom and Larsson are nowhere near where they should be.
“I did too many mistakes. I can take half the blame for this one. I was not good today.” Larsson said after the Carolina game.
“We’re not playing good enough, especially me and Lars,” said Klefbom, who knows he goofed on the game’s first shift, as Jaccob Slavin, who had a tremendous game, found Teuvo Teravainen on a 100-foot 2-on-1 break.
“We’ve been losing some games, and you get over-excited and want to show the fans you’re on your toes,” said Klefbom.
Mid-November:
Oscar Klefbom’s defensive game isn’t anywhere near what it should be. He knows it and he isn’t hiding anything, except for the unnamed body part that’s hurting through the first quarter of the troubling Edmonton Oilers season.
When St. Louis Blues centre Brayden Schenn can easily push Klefbom off the puck along the end boards as he did Tuesday, knocking the 210-pound Klefbom to his knees, before setting up Vladimir Tarasenko for their first goal, something’s wrong with Klefbom other than the six-inch space between his ears with his poor puck decisions.
His coach Todd McLellan, who badly needs his best defenceman to play like his best defenceman, alluded to a medical issue before Wednesday ’s 6-2 win over the Red Wings, where the Oilers were resolute and all those questions about not being quick enough with their foot speed and head decisions were not there, including Klefbom. He was good, noticeable in all the right ways.
“He’s been playing with bumps and bruises that has affected his play,” said McLellan. “And I think that’s hurt him in the physical part of the game. Some of the physical battles right now are tougher for Oscar to win, but the mental part, the thinking, being aware of his assignments, that’s on him.”
When asked about his medical distress, like maybe he has a sore shoulder or arm, he blew it off.
“Yeah, no comments on that,” said Klefbom. “I’m not 100 per cent but I don’t want to go up to the media and find any excuses.
“If I’m not 100 per cent, I have to find a way to play better. Like I said, no excuses.”
“The confidence has been at an all-time low,” said McLellan.
He hasn’t been able to outscore his mistakes.
So where did the confidence start to ebb?
How did the Oilers No. 1 defenceman with Adam Larsson start looking like a No. 5?
“Second game, when we lost in Vancouver,” said Klefbom. “Then you get games where you’re a minus-2 or a minus-3. If you start looking at the stats and you see how many goals you’re on the ice for against, you start saying, ‘What am I doing bad here?’ And it gets worse and worse. Then the coaches split the defence pairs just to see what’s going on.”
Maybe he shouldn’t be looking at game sheets to see the minuses?
“Exactly. I should not be doing it, but ...
“But when it’s bad, it goes really bad. I can get stronger as a player, so if it happens in the future, I won’t go as deep. Hopefully, I’ll get the tools to play a couple of games bad, then find myself back to better play.”
McLellan knows Klefbom’s been nervous on the ice.
“I think you (media) asking me about Oscar every day gets to him after a while you have to find a different player,” he said with a laugh. “He hears that, he’s human and he’s carrying that. But the only way to get out of it is for Oscar to play himself out of it.”
End-December:
Oscar Klefbom should return from a shoulder injury Friday night when the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Klefbom only missed three games, but he hasn’t been right all season.
“It’s been a rough season,” Klefbom said on Thursday. “There’s been a lot of medication and tough games.”
Klefbom got an injection in the shoulder last week. He originally started having issues with it in the 2017 playoffs. It limited him physically and took a bite out of his confidence as well.
“It’s pretty tough when you know you’re not 100 per cent,” Klefbom said.
“It can be a bad hit or something that just triggers it a little bit and I get an inflammation, or whatever it is, in the shoulder. It gets very, very sore. Then you start getting on meds. The stomach turns upside down when your [on] meds for a couple of months, too. I’m just happy to feel a lot better now.”