Player Discussion Ethan Bear: It's a Bear Market

[SwedishFire]

Looks like the expansion draft is at the end of next season.

• TMac did us a huge favour by forcing Chia to send Bouchard down last year. As a result, Bouchard will not need to be protected.
• Russell will not need to be protected, because he will have just played out his contract.
• Nuge and Larsson will be pending UFA's, but we hold onto their rights until July 1st. They will need to be protected.
• As for players in the system, JP, Benson, Marody, Yamamoto, Bear, Jones, Lagesson, and Persson need to be protected.

My protected list, if I had to choose today (7F 3D): McDavid, Draisaitl, Nuge, Neal, Kassian, Benson, Yamamoto | Klefbomb, Nurse, Bear

Bear > Larsson because I'd rather hang onto the blossoming young guy vs the vet who is slowly getting phased out due to the current state of the game.

Edit: this clause "One defenseman who is a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played in at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons." will complicate things.

We´ll see about Yamamoto and Benson, they arent even ordinary on the rooster yet. I would´ve taken McD, Leon, Nuge, Kassian, Jurco, Nygård
and depending on the state of Yamamoto, the last spot is between Yama or Neal who got only one year left on the real draft.

D Klefbom, Nurse, Bear. ANd we probably would loose Lagesson, or Neal if Seattle want vëteran depth.

The draft probably means the end of Larsson in oilers... then..

 

[McFlyingV]

He could still be the player that gets pried loose. Nurse and Klefbom are certainly better. Not sure if Bouchard needs protection. Russell has the NMC nuance.. Larsson may bounce back … Bear may be the odd man out even if we go 4F 4D route.

Bouchard does not need protection. Russell has a modified NTC with a NMC for AHL purposes so he doesn't need to be protected.

 

[Jet Walters]

Someone should make a picture of a Bear in a Nurse outfit...that's our top pairing.

Here's your Bear Nurse. Just needs some Oilers colors and a logo shopped in.

 

[ImmuneEH]

Bear led with 22:13 TOI tonight. Love seeing that Tippett has trust in the kid.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

Oiler stocks are going up, wayyyyyy up.

 

[Skolman]

Him and Nurse look so good together

This

 

[IAGTTAYM]

-3 and zero points on the season. Outshot when on the ice every game except for the Islander one. Too much fan fair going on, he still got ways to go.

 

[gordonhught]

-3 and zero points on the season. Outshot when on the ice every game except for the Islander one. Too much fan fair going on, he still got ways to go.

Tippett played Bear more 5v5 minutes than any other Oilers defenseman tonight.

Better tell the coach that Bear is not so good and to play him less.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

-3 and zero points on the season. Outshot when on the ice every game except for the Islander one. Too much fan fair going on, he still got ways to go.

God forbid fans are positive about a player...

 

[ImmuneEH]

-3 and zero points on the season. Outshot when on the ice every game except for the Islander one. Too much fan fair going on, he still got ways to go.

Is it really surprising that there is a lot of fan fair going on? He's a 5th round pick we drafted and developed playing top pairing minutes as he's filling in for Larsson. For less than 100 NHL games, he's looked pretty solid. Clearly earning the coach's trust, game after game.

Personally, I find it encouraging. Young D are prone to mistakes, but he's showing some good upside... lets not act like he's a finished product.

 

[gordonhught]

Is it really surprising that there is a lot of fan fair going on? He's a 5th round pick we drafted and developed playing top pairing minutes as he's filling in for Larsson. For less than 100 NHL games, he's looked pretty solid. Clearly earning the coach's trust, game after game.

Personally, I find it encouraging. Young D are prone to mistakes, but he's showing some good upside.

Foot speed, size and strength are why he was a fifth rounder.

Smart though. He can get stronger and work on his gaps with coaching and hard work. Makes nice plays in tight.

Lots of upside if he can get a bit stronger.

 

[fireantz]

Playing really well.
Got caught out there against the Devils top line and was partially responsible for the Devils 3-2 goal but thats going to happen from time to time.

On the other hand he was pressured by two of Jerseys big forecheckers and coolly moved the puck thru traffic to Nurse to McD ultimately to Kassian who teed it up for Drai.and a goal. We just haven’t seen that in years

 

[McHaNugYakEbNurDra]

Part that confuses me is that everything I read about Tippett from Arizona fans was that he overplays the vets and doesn't give the kids a chance....were they wrong or is Tippett that big a fan already or ?

 

[McFlyingV]

Him and Nurse look so good together

Yup I said this a few days back. I think a smart puck moving D has been what Nurse has needed all along. It takes some pressure off him trying to make breakout passes he's not capable of and lets him really play to his strengths which are his skating, size and strength. Speaking of Nurse, what an awesome play he made tonight stripping (Hughes I think?) and sending Granlund in on a breakaway. Also, speaking of Granlund he won't be a regular in the lineup once Chiasson and Archibald are back up to speed.

Nurse-Bear
Klefbom-Larsson
Russell-Persson

This is what I hope to see when Larsson's back. Not that Benning has been bad, but Russell's been better and this gives us a decent puck mover on every pairing until Bouchard/Jones/Sammy are ready. Benning might actually be decent trade bait for a bottom 6 forward later in the year.

 

[IAGTTAYM]

God forbid fans are positive about a player...

We can be positive, it looks like he has taken a couple of steps. But when the geniuses starts talking about trading Larsson, because we have Bear, I can't help but try to bring it back to orbit.

 

[guymez]

On the other hand he was pressured by two of Jerseys big forecheckers and coolly moved the puck thru traffic to Nurse to McD ultimately to Kassian who teed it up for Drai.and a goal. We just haven’t seen that in years

He had some really nice moments for sure.
I just dont want his progress to get derailed by playing against players that he isnt good enough to handle.

Tough to shelter him on the road though.

He has definitely exceeded my expectations so far.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

He had some really nice moments for sure.
I just dont want his progress to get derailed by playing against players that he isnt good enough to handle.

Tough to shelter him on the road though.

He has definitely exceeded my expectations so far.

shelter? He played 22 minutes 5on5, tippet isn’t trying to shelter him

 

[guymez]

shelter? He played 22 minutes 5on5, tippet isn’t trying to shelter him

So you really believe that the plan is for Bear to step in from the AHL and be a top 2 defender?

 

[ScoreGoalsPlease]

Ethan Bull?

No that's his cousin though marriage in Maskwacis lol

Sorry, a bit of Cree humour

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

In an ideal world, we have dmen better suited to handle all the tough minutes, and bear gets easy matchups and gravy offensive minutes.

The reality is, the oilers have 2 top 4 dmen, 2 bottom pairing dmen, and a bunch of question marks, so guys like bear and persson are going to get thrown into situations they absolutely shouldn’t have to be in. The fact that they aren’t drowning in these situations is a huge win.

Is it the best thing for their development? Probably not, but the oilers aren’t about to find a top pairing dman any time soon, so this is about the best we can hope for.

I’m really impressed with bear, and really hope that he takes advantage of these minutes Tippett is giving him and starts to show up on the scoreboard and push the play into the offensive zone even more, but the little flashes we’ve seen have looked very promising, and he looks more comfortable every game.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

So you really believe that the plan is for Bear to step in from the AHL and be a top 2 defender?

No, but he’s not being sheltered right now.

 

[guymez]

No, but he’s not being sheltered right now.

They are on the road...Tippett doesnt have last change. Of course the opposing coach is going to utilize that and try to get mismatches..

 

[Bangers]

Part that confuses me is that everything I read about Tippett from Arizona fans was that he overplays the vets and doesn't give the kids a chance....were they wrong or is Tippett that big a fan already or ?

Can't remember who posted it, but it was posted this past summer that Tippett is actually pretty adaptable. When he had offensive talent, hit teams scored a lot of goals. When he didn't, his team tightened up defensively.

He'll play the players who are playing well and adapt his systems to fit the team's strengths. So, he's basically unlike any coach the Oilers have ever had.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

-3 and zero points on the season. Outshot when on the ice every game except for the Islander one. Too much fan fair going on, he still got ways to go.

A perfect example of why plus minus is a worthless stat.

2 of those goals were thanks to Smith gifting empty nets and had nothing to do with the Nurse/Bear pairing.

 

[OilerTitanFan]

Oiler stocks are going up, wayyyyyy up.

Sell while it is high. Take your profits and move it over to the Flames as the Lucic train will take off soon. All aboard!