Oilers

If the Edmonton Oilers feel the need to add an experience defenseman and the Canadiens see their young guys step up, is there a fit there?

The point here is that the Oilers and Canadiens might want to keep an eye on their respective situations. It doesn’t solve the Habs’ immediate need for a power-play quarterback and it doesn’t solve the Oilers’ cap issues, but throwing in a player like Derek Ryan on an expiring deal might make the money work. He’s been a trusted source for five-plus years at The Hockey Writers, but more than that, he’s on a mission to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL rumors and trade talk. Jim Parsons is a senior THW freelance writer, part-time journalist and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps and breathes NHL news and rumors, while also writing features on the Edmonton Oilers. What’s interesting about Edmundson likely moving on is that insiders believe the Canadiens are still in the market for a defenseman. Do the Oilers have that to give? But, it’s an offensive d-man that can run the Canadiens’ power play that the team really needs. Edmundson played just 24 games in 2021-22 and this could be a player that has issues moving forward. Will never be an offensive force but is an acceptable puck mover who can play 20-plus minutes per game and is a good match for an offensive partner. Playing 11-7 on most nights, the team is cycling through defensemen trying to find the right combination of shutdown pairings, but keeping teams from shooting repeatedly on their netminders has been a real issue in all four games this season. That’s where a team like the Montreal Canadiens comes in. But, a few late goals as the Hurricanes tried to push their way back into the contest was just more proof that the Oilers’ blue line could potentially still use some work.

Edmonton's power play is the best in the NHL over the last three seasons and four games, clicking at 27.8 per cent.

In three games against St. “I’m like ‘You should see them in practice.’ “But, honestly, we’re at our best when we’re just playing. “You don’t want to be stagnant, you want to give different looks otherwise teams can watch video and key on certain aspects of your power play and take advantage of that. “And their abilities are so high that when they try new stuff they can get it right away. “They’re always watching the film, taking it in, changing things, and that’s what makes it so hard to defend,” he said. “It’s pretty intimidating,” said the former Flame. It’s been something that’s been good here for a long time; our people take lot of pride in.” “It’s one of the weapons we have in our arsenal,” said Woodcroft. In the season-opening game against Vancouver, their second power play goal consisted of winning a face-off, four quick passes and a one-timer from McDavid in six seconds flat. “We are comfortable with each other and where we’re going to be.” Article content

Neighours enjoyed a four-year career with the Oil Kings, becoming one of their top players and captain. Now he's finding his role with the Blues.

The Oilers and Blues square off at 2 p.m. The former Oilers player, coach and manager worked in broadcasting last season. “A couple of guys wanted to come see the skate and started banging the glass. “I think a lot of it is driven from coaching. “I think I have an idea. Louis Blues had when the team skated Friday morning at Edmonton’s Downtown Community Arena.

Hockey: Ty Yoder, Jagger Tapper make immediate impacts as Okotoks pays Canmore back.

We want to make sure that we’re separating ourselves from them and we thought it’s early in the season, but this is a big game for us.” “You’ve just got to keep your head on a swivel with lots of communication, especially on the back-end,” Weller said. “At the end of the day, it’s just playing the right way and doing everything you can,” said Oilers head coach Tyler Deis. “We just focused on scoring goals and getting pucks to the net,” Yoder said. “It’s great, you always have it in the back of your mind that you want to score,” Yoder said. “We had a lot of energy tonight right from the get-go and really wanted to beat that team and we came out and did it,” said Oilers defenceman Jamie Weller.

It was only their fourth game of the season but it already had the makings of a needed win for the Edmonton Oilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid ...

Boniface hit and run](https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/police-investigating-st-boniface-hit-and-run-1.6120418) RCMP investigating death of 4-year-old boy](https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/sask-rcmp-investigating-death-of-4-year-old-boy-1.6119999) Here's what you can do about it](https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/montreal-property-valuations-are-rising-here-s-what-you-can-do-about-it-1.6118782) The home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived and at least one propane tank had exploded, according to the fire department. A Sudbury woman is making history after being selected to play on the Canadian National Blind Hockey Team. Montreal will deliver lump sums of $85,000 to small newspapers in an apparent effort to energize an industry hit hard by the effects of digitization and distribution costs. The Korean eatery Bab Sang has successfully hired a French-speaking employee and reopened its dining room doors to a sea of eager customers -- even running short on ingredients some nights because of high demand. On Friday, a judge in his murder trial found him not criminally responsible for the incident. Kenneth Hashman initially found Alexander James Thorpe, who is 21, fit to stand trial in the death of Melanie Lowen. Andersen coughed up the puck behind his net and Hyman was able to kick it out to Nugent-Hopkins who scored into a wide-open net. Nugent-Hopkins sent the puck across to McLeod on a two-on-one, and he beat Andersen through the legs. On the power play, Tyson Barrie intercepted a clearing attempt and floated a puck on net for Hyman who tipped it past Andersen.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers started a game on time. It took them their fourth game and a tough opponent in the Carolina Hurricanes to do so, ...

At 5×5, they really struggled in the second, but otherwise controlled the game quite nicely. Number two came for Svechnikov later in that second frame at 12:35, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on a yawning cage 1:24 into the third. Zach Hyman gave the Oilers a lead with a rare powerplay goal that didn’t include a point from McDavid or Draisaitl 8:22 into the game — the long score of that frame. Advertisement Andrei Svechnikov beat him a trio of times as the Russian notched his first career hat trick, but there were multiple instances where the Oilers netminder stood on his head. While there were more than a few sweaty moments in their 6-4 win over those tropical storms, they got the job done.

The Edmonton Oilers have started the season 2-2-0 but stepped up and defeated their toughest opponent of the young season in the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Oilers have gotten a shorthanded goal in both of their wins this season and their units just continue to show how dangerous they can be. It may be a bit unreasonable to ask their power play to keep producing at the current rate even though they sustained an even better rate deeper into the season in 2021-22. Add the feisty puck-retriever in Kailer Yamamoto to that line and it should continue to be a recipe for success. This season the Oilers have another battle going as Evander Kane is just as good in that role as anyone. Barrie may be the go-to guy on the first unit, but the Oilers started the trend of switching between them last season and have started it early this season in anticipation of Bouchard taking over that role full-time. The power-play has worked with any of these combinations of players I’ve mentioned, so the Oilers are in good hands and should remain at the top of the league this season. And though the penalty kill is never at the very top of the league like the power play is for the Oilers, it is effective at the right times and can score Edmonton goals. The final role on the power play that is just as important as the rest is the net-front/puck-retriever. Not only does he regularly place at the top of the league in that regard, but he and McDavid also pace the league in power-play points yearly. A bright spot through the four games has been the special teams as it has helped the Oilers to where they are and should provide confidence for the rest of the season. With just these two combined they have amassed 241 power-play points in the past three seasons, 124 for McDavid and 117 for Draisaitl. The season before that, 2019-20, they flipped and McDavid was one point behind Draisaitl as the top two power-play producers in the league.

After losing the last two games, the Oilers needed a win against the Carolina Hurricanes. it wasn't going to be easy, agaisnt one of the best NHL teams.

If the Oilers had lost to the Canes, it would be an even more important match. When Jack Campbell was pulled after the fourth Calgary goal on last Saturday, a lot of Oilers’ fans thought about the instability of the team on goal with Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen. In exception of the third Oilers’ goal, scored by Evander Kane, he was present on every other Oilers goal on regular time, even if it was on the Power Play, Short-handed or on 5-on-5. The Oilers has to keep playing the whole 60 minutes like last night, and can’t always rely on his powerful forwards to win the games. The Oilers had that problem last season, and were getting to it again. But not only that, the Oilers were the better team through the first 20 minutes, putting offensive pressure on the Hurricanes, and the score could be even bigger after the first period.