Bruce Curlock continues (8/4/26)
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Who is on-site at Rogers Place and why is this episode recorded live?
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. Welcome back, everybody. It's 5.33 in oil country. We are live at Rogers Place, where Canada currently leads Slovakia by a score of 2-1. There's six minutes left in this, the first period. Bob Stauffer, live in location at the Holinka Gretzky from Rogers Place. Bruce Curlock has joined us. Bruce is doing the Oilers Now prospect report for Reface Magic, not just refacing, now offering custom, complete custom kitchens. And we'll tell you, Royal Pizza, they're going all in. You can try their new lumberjack pizza and maple chili wings for the ultimate maple mayhem experience.
Order today at royalpizza.ca. Where the stop recommendation at Royal Pizza is the Mediterranean Chicken. Of course, Brendan Escott's a big fan of the Texan. Reed Wilkins, he used to work at the station with us, loved the meat lovers. Royal Pizza, everything's real at Royal. It's old-school, big-boy pizza, and there's 14 Edmonton-area locations in oil country. All right, Bruce, we did our top five for your top five oiler prospects. Again, one through five, Isaac Howard, Josh Szymanski. You had Shakir Makamadoulin at number three. I did not consider him a prospect just because of the 30 games, but Adam has a prospect based on your numbers. At number four, you had Quinn Hudson, and number five, you had Connor Klatenberg.
Who do you have at number six and number seven?
Villamie Mariola is at six and the goalie Samuel Johnson's at seven so Mariola I think actually it was just where Toby and I were talking about him you know after he did a segment with you he said I mean, that's a player that if he can ever understand, he's a very bright player, great hockey sense. He's obviously a very good offensive player. And if he can get the two-way piece to his game sorted out, you know, there's a guy who can play in the bottom six. of an NHL team, I think, anyways. And his skating came a long ways. Yes, last year, you know, he's a good straight-line skater. What I liked about last year was there was a little more deception in his game, a little more burst, a little more lateral to his game in terms of skating with the puck.
And, you know, I think he's someone that's not very far away. And, you know, the challenge, of course, in Edmonton if you're trying to play center, is you've got a lot of bodies in front of you. And so he's got to distinguish himself. One way to do that is to, you know, be able to marry his offensive skill sets with some defensive skill sets.
Mariella last year had 60 points in 72 games during the regular season and then had six assists in three games. And I know you watched the... Bakersfield-Connor's playoff series against Coachella Valley. I went to game two with Trent Wilhock from Wilhock Beef Jerky. Trent's good friends with Keith Gretzky, and Mariala, for me, was probably the best player in the playoffs for the Connors.
He was their best player in that series, for sure.
Samuel Johnson did not get a chance to play in the AHL last season, but you've got him as a seventh-ranked prospect. Tell us why.
Yeah, goalies... Yeah, so, you know, goaltending evaluation is not my strength, but when I watch him, you know, he played in the ECHL as a rookie, you know, in a rookie pairing, him and Nathan Day, and he really took off. I think, if I'm not mistaken, he had five shutouts last year. And at one point had some ridiculous shutout streak going in terms of minutes. He's big. I think what, you know, I sort of had liked Nathan Day a bit more than him because Nathan Day was athletic. And I didn't use Johnson as athletic, but Johnson just structurally is very sound like he's a big guy and he makes a very easy first save. And what I mean by that is, is like the puck comes into him He very rarely leaves the puck in a bad spot rebound-wise.
A lot of times it's put out of play or he smothers it. And he just looks very composed. He's got big frame to him. And when there was an emergency save to be made, he had enough athletic ability to do it.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
Who is on-site at Rogers Place and why is this episode recorded live?
0:00–5:04
2
Which Oilers prospects made Bruce Curlock's top five and why?
5:04–7:23
3
Why is Viliami Mariela ranked at number six and what are his strengths?
7:23–14:02
4
What stood out about goaltender Samuel Johnson and how was he evaluated?
14:02–21:24