GDT: PS #1 | "Midnight" | Jets @ Oilers | Sept 16 @ 7:00 PM MST

[Del Preston]

HF Flames is spending their post-game whining about the Oilers and their fans.

I swear 80% of the posters in their are U16

Soft and easily rattled. They must take after their team.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Bouchard makes this team unless Bear has a whale of a preseason. There will be growing pains with him, but his stretch passes, passing in the O zone, breakouts and shot are just too good to pass up.

Persson definitely got better as the game moved along. Not sure if he'll be ready for top 4 duty at the NHL level until we see more of him, but he's off to a damn good start.

Jones was very quiet and ineffective, not what you'd expect of a player fighting for a spot.

Benning is working his way into the PB or off the team (this has been my feeling for some time, not just from this game).

Good showings by Neal and Nuge.

Sheahan looked like what we hoped Brodziak would be for us last season. Between him and Khaira, that's 2/3's of an effective and big shut down line.

I need to see more of Nygard and Haas to get better reads on them, they looked ok.

Benson got better as the game progressed, still not sure if he starts the season with the big club though.

Looking forward to seeing the likes of Bear, Marody and Gambardella.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

L

Bouchard makes this team unless Bear has a whale of a preseason. There will be growing pains with him, but his stretch passes, passing in the O zone, breakouts and shot are just too good to pass up.

Persson definitely got better as the game moved along. Not sure if he'll be ready for top 4 duty at the NHL level until we see more of him, but he's off to a damn good start.

Jones was very quiet and ineffective, not what you'd expect of a player fighting for a spot.

Benning is working his way into the PB or off the team (this has been my feeling for some time, not just from this game).

Good showings by Neal and Nuge.

Sheahan looked like what we hoped Brodziak would be for us last season. Between him and Khaira, that's 2/3's of an effective and big shut down line.

I need to see more of Nygard and Haas to get better reads on them, they looked ok.

Benson got better as the game progressed, still not sure if he starts the season with the big club though.

Looking forward to seeing the likes of Bear, Marody and Gambardella.

Based on these comments, and knowing that Nurse-Larsson is our second pairing, just curious how what you think the defense chart looks like opening night. Cheers

 

[Bryanbryoil]

L


Based on these comments, and knowing that Nurse-Larsson is our second pairing, just curious how what you think the defense chart looks like opening night. Cheers

Nurse-Larsson (Heavy defensive zone usage and top PK pairing)
Klefbom-Bouchard (I think that at some point this pairing is tried out and Bouch will shine, heavy offensive zone and McDavid minutes)
Russell-Persson (All around 3rd pairing)

They may just keep Klef and Persson together, in which case you switch Bouch and Persson.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Lagesson showed tonight why Jones played so well with him. Just a very solid, no nonsense defensemen.

If we found a way to have say Lagesson replace Russell on the bottom pairing and we trade him and replace him with a middle 6 forward the org could be better for it.

He reminds me a lot of Davidson (on his good days). No frills, just a calm and solidifying presence on the ice. A near perfect #5.

I'm not to the point of trading Russell, because this is a marathon of a season, not a sprint. I want Lagesson there to step in when an injury happens to Larsson or Russell.

 

[Cerebral]

Lagesson was my surprise player of this game. I don’t think he will make it this year given he’s a leftie but I could see him replacing Russell next year. It’s only one game but he sure looks like he’s leapfrogged Jones on the depth chart.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

From last night a few things.

I liked Nuge and Neal together, they seemed to create things and find puck control, there might be a nice pairing there. Persson had a strong game, and I like what I saw from him. It was one game against few NHLers, but solid first showing for the rookie. Skinner was very sharp and I though he played very well, Wells was solid as well, but didn't have to do as much.

Other guys had ok games, a lot of rust out there, but some good things and no one got nicked up.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Lagesson was my surprise player of this game. I don’t think he will make it this year given he’s a leftie but I could see him replacing Russell next year. It’s only one game but he sure looks like he’s leapfrogged Jones on the depth chart.

Lagesson benefits from having an easier niche to carve out. If you look at Jones he's a smooth skating defenceman, who can move the puck, but isn't a proper OFD. How does he distinguish himself from Klefbom and Nurse? Lagesson can give you a proper defensive option.

I'm taking an elementary approach to this, but for a defence you would ideal have 2 proper offensive options, 2 shutdown options, and 2 strong 2-way guys. If you can have someone that covers multiple angles, than that a win; but the Oil don't really have that. Thus if you look at the Oilers' top 6 you see...

Shutdown: Larsson and Russell
2-way: Nurse and Klefbom
Offensive: No proven options. Bouchard and Persson are the two best pure talents in the organisation, with Klefbom, Nurse, Day, Bear, and Jones also in the conversation. But even then, most of the latter group would be better classified as 2-way.

If you looking at it this way...

• The offensive options should sort themselves self out over the next year or two, as the cream of the prospect pool rises to the top.
• Regarding the 2-way guys, Nurse and Klefbom are likely both here for the next 3+ years. This will make it tough for Jones (and even Samorukov )to break through.
• When it comes to the shutdown role however, Russell could be gone as soon as next year, and I'm not sure how long Larsson can be worth his contract**. That opens up a pretty clear path for Lagesson.

** I like Larsson, but I question paying a physical and not fleet-of-foot defenceman into his late 20's and early 30's. Guys like Seabrook, Hamonic, Braun, Orpik, Regher, Hjalmarsson, Boychuk, Hamhuis, have all faded pretty quickly once they got to that age.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I guess the question is, what keeps Bouchard up? The similar kind of play for all the preseason games he plays?

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I guess the question is, what keeps Bouchard up? The similar kind of play for all the preseason games he plays?

If he can play like this against the best level of preseason teams and then in the regular season, he makes the team.