Chapter 1: What are the latest updates on the Oilers' roster?
Hey, it's Bob Stauffer. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Oilers Now ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime. All right, we will get to your text probably at around 4.48, but I'm going somewhere with the next segment. All right, that's what I'm going to tell you. Guests and owners now receive certificates to Japanese Village.
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Well, they passed the mic around yesterday or the phone yesterday on Oilers Now, so we're going to play snippets from five of the guests that were on yesterday's show. Here is Kevin Bieksa on Evan Bouchard not being a Norris finalist.
I thought right away of you guys, and I thought about how upset you would be. And honestly, it's just one of those years where it's a really deep hole. And I don't mean just because Ryan's here, but his teammate Adam Fox, the year he won it, I thought it was a weaker pool of defensemen. But this year... Bouchard's not on there. Quinn Hughes is not on there. Jake Sanderson, Charlie McAvoy.
What's the guy in Detroit? Sider. I mean, there's a lot of great defensemen, but certainly Bouchard had a great year. I love how you guys all have his back. I'm sure he appreciates that. He's definitely a great defenseman, so he'll be in the running again next year.
I wouldn't say everybody in oil country's got his back. I'd say he's one of the more... debated Oilers players. Ryan Strom, a former Oiler and a former Anaheim Duck player this season, now with the Calgary Flames. He joined us on yesterday's show and he spoke about the Ducks readiness and the Oilers struggles.
Yeah, you know, and sometimes when they're going in the playoffs, they weren't clicking on all cylinders and sometimes you get a fresh slate and for a young team that's unexperienced, sometimes you just crawl to the finish line and you get that fresh start, right? And the clock reset to zero and they seem to be buzzing and
think the injuries are a big part of it obviously i mean it's a tale of two tapes a team that was full of swagger and confidence and uh young legs versus a team that uh clearly had played a lot of hockey in the last few years so um yeah you know edmonton will be back there there's no doubt and um you know good for good for the good for the ducks it's been a tough road there for their fans and the organization so it's good to see them uh emerge for some of the dark days yeah well you know
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Chapter 2: What insights did Kevin Bieksa share about Evan Bouchard?
Deep down, I think that this team has a chance to rebound if they can thread the needle this offseason. This is still a team that can take a shot at it. So that would be my prediction. We'll see whether or not I'm right, but I don't think this is the offseason where he leaves. By the way, he may never leave the Hall, as we know. But that's fine. But they need a strong offseason, right?
I mean, there's pressure... on Stan Bowman and Jeff Jackson and management to go out and fix some of these issues. And it's easier said than done. But again, I could say that for, boy, what an offseason that awaits the Maple Leafs to draw on a new management. They've got big decisions. Austin Matthews is deliberating his future. I mean, it's a fascinating offseason in a whole bunch of spots.
All right, the Edmonton Oilers, speaking of the offseason, McDavid, Dreisaitl, Savoy, R&H, but Coles and Hyman, Szymanski, Dock, Frederick, Janmark, those players are either signed or restricted free agents. Ekholm and Bouchard, Nurse, Wallman and Emerson, Stashny, like Dock, restricted free agent, and Tristan Jari.
So we went into a fair amount of conversation with Ryan Rashad on yesterday's show about the pending UFAs, which would include Connor Ingram, Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson, Kasperi Kapanen, and Jack Rossovic. And here is Ryan Rashad.
Okay, so there's change required. All right, so what does that look like, Bob? Do you know the numbers? They've got 15 players, 15 theaters signed, and 15 million bucks?
Yeah.
So the blue line is what the blue line is.
Do you re-sign Connor Murphy? I do.
Well, sure, you try to. And if he'll stay, then you get the dollar figure and the term you're happy with. Now guess what you've done? You've just returned a blue line that wasn't good enough in the playoffs and couldn't buckle it down defensively. Now you'd like to think that they're better than that and can defend better than that.
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Chapter 3: How does Ryan Strome view the Oilers' playoff struggles?
One of the things that needs to happen is the owners have got to involve more forwards. They simply didn't. They were banged up. They were injured. Their top guys were hurt. The Henrique injury definitely early in the series killed them on the PK. But I think there's got to be better role clarity.
And an argument can be made that the Edmonton Oilers maybe should have Connor McDavid and Leon Dreisaitl play together. I'm going to tell you why. Okay? You know they're each going to play roughly 20 to 22 minutes a game if they're centering their own lines, which is an option.
But when they're centering their own lines, it's difficult to be the third line center in that situation of the 4C when they're taking up that much time. Are you better off loading up McDavid and Dreisaitl? and maybe it's Capitan and maybe it's Savoy. I would prefer if it wasn't Putkholzen because I want Putkholzen with R&H and Hyman. And that's my question for you.
And you can text us on the Ashley Fine Floors text line 780-451-8800. It's sort of
is counterintuitive from the belief that mcdavid and dry settle each need to drive their own line the other thing is you got conor mcdavid going into you know he's got two years left at 12 and a half billion who's he gonna play with that's better than leon dry settle anywhere you know i mean stan bowman his father scotty used to play gila fleur and steve shuck together
Earlier, in the mid-70s, it was with Pete Lomovlich. Later on, it was with Jacques Lemaire. But he played his two best offensive players, LeFleur and Schutt, together back in the day. I realize the game's changed a bit, but if you're going to create an identity and allow yourself to balance out more minutes... maybe you do have to play McDavid and Dreisaitl together.
And maybe it's with Savoy, maybe it's with Kapanen again. My preference would be it's not with Putkolsen, because I want Putkolsen playing with Arnhe and Hyman to give you a good second line. You tell me what you think. I asked Leon Dreisaitl that question If he needs to play with McDavid to open minutes up for depth at the end of the year player availability, here's Leon.
I don't know. I think that's a question for the coach probably. But I think, I don't know. I mean, just minutes-wise, logically, you would say yes, you know, because we're out there together for our 22, whatever it might be, and then you have more minutes. You know, when we're separate, you have ā you know, he plays his 22, I play my 21, whatever it is, then that's 45 minutes almost.
You know, where's the rest go, right? So, yeah, I don't know how to answer it. Maybe it is, maybe it's not.
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Chapter 4: What factors contributed to the Oilers' season ending?
Right? Food for thought. I'd like to get your thoughts. Does it make sense? And I get it. A lot of you said, no, McDavid's got to drive one line and Leon's got to drive the other. Well, the problem is the Oilers haven't been able to get enough juice out of their bottom six. And it played a factor.
especially given the fatigue that the team was going through because they never really got to their optimal game all season long. You're listening to Oilers Now, and the texts are up next. All right, the Oilers Now injury report brought to you by James H. Brown and Associates Alberta Injury Lawyers, the heavy hitters of injury law.
Neither Connor McDavid nor Leon Dreisettel are heading off to the world's both lower body issues. Jason Dickinson saying that he will not require surgery. The Oilers did not provide a full injury prospectus the way, say, the Dallas Stars did. I'm going to tell you right now, Bouchard took a heavy hit in Game 1 of that series. I think it affected him a bit.
But we'll be intrigued to see how Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, performed for Canada. Josh Szymanski for Germany. What a year he's had. Matthias Ekholm for Sweden. And Isaac Howard. Where is he going to fit in on next year's team as well here in oil country? Because I think he's got a good chance to make it. That's the Oilers now injury report for James H. Brown and Associates.
Trent Brown, a two-time CFL All-Star, and he is a heavy hitter on the field in his days with the Edmonton Esquire's 1993 Grey Cup champions. And James H. Brown are the heavy hitters of injury law. Guests and orders now receive your certificates to Japanese Village. It's a true celebration for the senses, quality ingredients, and unmatched grill side experience. Book your seat at jvebenton.ca.
Okay. We got lots of ā here we go. Lots of different perspectives, so I'm going to try to work them in in the next six minutes. Bob, we're going backwards. We talked for years about splitting up McDavid and Drysaddle. Now the answer is to put them together. They can create roles and have guys involved without playing them together. They did it in 24, and they did it in 25.
Only way would be to have an effective second line. Otherwise, we're complaining about not getting secondary scoring and don't have a good line, too. So I guess what I'm asking you is, R&H, Hyman, and Poulsen, can that be a good second line? If you play McDavid and Dreisaitl theoretically with Savoy, or if they bring Kapanen back?
So, you know, one of the things that generates positive energy for players is being on a good power play. McDavid, Dreisaitl, R&H, and Hyman on your top two lines are all on the first unit power play. Okay?
Okay.
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