Confirmed with Link: Oilers claim Brandon Davidson off of waivers
- Thread starter DipsyMcDoodles
- Start date
ToeMcDrag83
5-14-6-1
Glad we got him back. He looks great out there, excellent breakout passes, disrupting the cycle, positionally sound, physical.
A lot of the struggles he saw in 2016-17 before the trade are not apparent in this 3 game sample. He seems comfortable, confident and happy to be an Oiler.
I'm curious whether we try out an 11 and 7 roster once Sekera and Larsson are healthy? Rotating wingers on the 4th line, occasionally throwing Connor out there as a surprise? 4 lines are clicking right now up front, obviously don't want to change too much.
I'm very comfortable with the depth on D once we're healthy though.
A combination of Davidson/Auvitu/Benning in the 6th spot is not a bad place to be in.
A lot of the struggles he saw in 2016-17 before the trade are not apparent in this 3 game sample. He seems comfortable, confident and happy to be an Oiler.
I'm curious whether we try out an 11 and 7 roster once Sekera and Larsson are healthy? Rotating wingers on the 4th line, occasionally throwing Connor out there as a surprise? 4 lines are clicking right now up front, obviously don't want to change too much.
I'm very comfortable with the depth on D once we're healthy though.
A combination of Davidson/Auvitu/Benning in the 6th spot is not a bad place to be in.
FlameChampion
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2011
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Honestly I think Davidson just wants to play for Edmonton and feels comfortable here. I dont think he ever felt comfortable in Montreal. Hopefully this is not just Davidson playing on a high right now with a potential crash coming. Hes been very good with us so far.
Hated the trade last year, really happy to have him back. He’s been an upgrade so far for sure.
BoldNewLettuce
Esquire
Stoneman89
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2008
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Hard to believe that a bottom pairing dman could help to have such a stabilizing effect on our defence, but it's the old saying about a group as a whole only being as good as the weakest link.
Stoneman89
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2008
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BoldNewLettuce
Esquire
agreed....but i dont mind him as a 7d. just dont want to see him play 50 games....really.
He's a pretty ideal #7 guy to sit in the PB and play 10-15 games a year. If he's one of your every day Dmen, you've got a problem.
Stoneman89
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2008
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I think I'd rather have Avatar as the 7th dman, TBH. He at least brings an element that is needed in today's NHL game. Speed and skill. Gryba brings toughness and physicality, but Davey is plenty tough to handle that part of it, along with being competent.
BoldNewLettuce
Esquire
when healthy i do expect auvitu to be the 7d. but gryba is still a good depth guy. ....depending.
edit.....forgot about russell.
could be that they shut down klefbom atsome point.....just i guess....
McNuge
Registered User
Davey is going to be a good #6, It will be nice to have some competition for the bottom pairing once Lars and Sekera are back.
Nurse-Russell
Klefbom-Larson
Sekera-Davidson/Benning
Gryba (no 8)
Auvitu waived and send down
Sekera eventually moves up the depth chart. Davidson gives the Oilers a good group of 7 next year and the option to move Benning or Klefbom if it would be part of landing a higher end D.
Klefbom-Larson
Sekera-Davidson/Benning
Gryba (no 8)
Auvitu waived and send down
Sekera eventually moves up the depth chart. Davidson gives the Oilers a good group of 7 next year and the option to move Benning or Klefbom if it would be part of landing a higher end D.
Forgot About Drai
Dr Drai the Second
duul
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2010
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It seems like a lot of you guys are forgetting how Davidson played leading up to his injury here, the 51 game season.
He was lights out for us. Our best defenceman in his last ~15-20 games or so before the (Byfuglien?) hit. He was playing 24 minutes a night and looking good doing it. Was brimming with confidence and leading our group.
A combination of getting back into the swing of things, lack of confidence, different system etc can destroy players.
To me, Davidson looks a lot like how he did in those last games of the 51 game season. He is so damn solid defensively. I think the guy could be a top 4 guy paired with an offensive defenceman like Klefbom/Nurse/Sekera and allow them to roam around a bit. Maybe since he's a lefty it isn't a good fit, but I just see him as a guy who would fit in perfectly to compliment a Karlsson, Pietrangelo, Subban, Doughty, etc.
He was lights out for us. Our best defenceman in his last ~15-20 games or so before the (Byfuglien?) hit. He was playing 24 minutes a night and looking good doing it. Was brimming with confidence and leading our group.
A combination of getting back into the swing of things, lack of confidence, different system etc can destroy players.
To me, Davidson looks a lot like how he did in those last games of the 51 game season. He is so damn solid defensively. I think the guy could be a top 4 guy paired with an offensive defenceman like Klefbom/Nurse/Sekera and allow them to roam around a bit. Maybe since he's a lefty it isn't a good fit, but I just see him as a guy who would fit in perfectly to compliment a Karlsson, Pietrangelo, Subban, Doughty, etc.
Forgot About Drai
Dr Drai the Second
Wow. Finals is making me dumb lol.
Dunno why anybody would prefer Davidson-Auvitu over Davidson-Benning.
Agreed, Benning is better than Auvitu.
Nurse-Larsson
Sekera - Russell
Klefbom - Davidson/Benning
Is a solid top 6.
oobga
Tier 2 Fan
- Aug 1, 2003
- 23,057
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What a difference it makes for a team to not have to dress a guy that is almost guaranteeing a wasted shift in your own zone 1/3 of the game. Thanks to Davidson pushing Gryba out of the lineup, suddenly we can roll D pairs and not having 1/3 of them being a momentum killer.
Davidson is revelation. Guy battles his butt off, wins pucks and can move it to an actual teammate quickly. All you could ever want from a 3rd pairing guy to keep some momentum rolling. Especially with how McLellan likes to give his 1st line shifts with the 3rd pair a lot. Gryba was burying McDavid in terms of high danger chances, together they were ~37% high danger chances, by far the worst state McDavid has with any D this year. So far with Davidson he is 9 for and 0 against in 10 minutes. 14 for and 23 against in 70 mins with Gryba. So many wasted McDavid shifts these last couple years when he was out there to try to shelter a Gryba boat anchored 3rd pairing for McLellan (praying McDavid can keep the puck in the offensive end as much as possible so Gryba doesn't have to try to "defend" much).
Davidson is revelation. Guy battles his butt off, wins pucks and can move it to an actual teammate quickly. All you could ever want from a 3rd pairing guy to keep some momentum rolling. Especially with how McLellan likes to give his 1st line shifts with the 3rd pair a lot. Gryba was burying McDavid in terms of high danger chances, together they were ~37% high danger chances, by far the worst state McDavid has with any D this year. So far with Davidson he is 9 for and 0 against in 10 minutes. 14 for and 23 against in 70 mins with Gryba. So many wasted McDavid shifts these last couple years when he was out there to try to shelter a Gryba boat anchored 3rd pairing for McLellan (praying McDavid can keep the puck in the offensive end as much as possible so Gryba doesn't have to try to "defend" much).
Supermassive
HISS, HISS
Great post. Also nice to see Nurse excel this season now that he’s untethered from Gryba. Those two were a black hole of a pairing last year.
McFlyingV
Registered User
He's fine as a placeholder in the press box while the young guys get more playtime in the AHL to develop. With Davidson back, and Auvitu looking not half bad it probably bumps Gryba down to the #9 spot on the depth chart when everyone's healthy. We didn't know we'd be getting Davidson back going into the season though so the signing was fine for depth purposes. I think its likely he'll be on waivers when everyone's healthy, and if unclaimed he can help out Bakersfield and be a call up in case of injuries. At least you know what you're getting with him as an injury fill in.
