Liam’s Edmonton Oilers Christmas Wishlist

We are one sleep away from the big man dropping down our chimneys! If you’re not excited about that, then you’re most likely excited for the big Turkey dinner coming your way on Christmas day.

Thankfully, the Edmonton Oilers left us all with a bit of excitement in our tummies heading into the Holiday break. Two third-period comebacks versus the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers got the Oilers back to .500. The depth scoring showed up in a big way, and goaltending wasn’t half bad either. Stuart Skinner was unfortunate to allow three against the Rangers, one with going in with 0.1 seconds left; however, grabbing a win for his team is what matters the most.

If that depth scoring had shown up a couple of weeks earlier, I am sure many wish lists would be different. Instead, Santa Claus got many notes from Oilers fans asking for more help from the Oilers’ bottom six.

There is only one rule for my Christmas list to Santa: I can’t ask for a new goaltender. General manager Ken Holland is already on the job, and the gang at the North Pole is tired of hearing about it.

Instead, here’s what I am looking for under the Oilers Christmas tree this year.

The season Sam Gagner is having is nothing short of incredible. He’s now 34 years old and coming off double hip surgery but if I told you that with the way he plays you would never know. Of course, the most memorable Gagner moment is his eight-point game versus the Chicago Blackhawks; however, now that he’s back, the memories haven’t stopped coming. Despite losing the game, his first time back in an Oilers uniform against Dallas was electric thanks to his two third period goals. Most recently, his goal in a big divisional matchup against the Golden Knights was precisely what the Oilers needed in that moment. The emotion behind his celebrations is contagious, and I want to see it happen countless times before the season ends.

I am bending my rules a little here, but it’s my rule, so I will do as I please! It’s no secret that the Oilers goaltender is a shambles this season. The $5 million man, Jack Campbell, is struggling mightly in Bakersfield with no return to Edmonton in site. Back in Edmonton, Skinner and Calvin Pickard are holding down the fort, but this tandem isn’t part of the bigger picture. Meanwhile, the Oilers have a young goaltender doing exactly what they needed with the Condors. Rodrigue has a 0.935 save percentage in nine games, which is the best in the American Hockey League. This isn’t a mirage but instead showing that Rodridgue is a legit top goaltending prospect with a promising future ahead. So when does he get a chance? The goaltending market looks slim, and Holland has mentioned many times how hard it is to make a trade in the NHL, despite what the Vancouver Canucks, LA Kings and Colorado Avalanche have already pulled off this season. He’s also mentioned how the organization is monitoring the goaltending situation week-to-week, and if that’s the case, then they’d see that Rodrigue is dominating his opposition. Calling him up doesn’t have to happen right away, but something in January. It’d be great to see Rodrigue up with the big club.

I’ll admit, this is Captain Obvious material, but all I want for Christmas is for the Edmonton Oilers to make the playoffs. There are two layers to this wish. One is that the back half of the season will be incredible if the team secures playoffs. Wins will come every night. There are many memories from Connor McDavid, and it’s likely that Holland made a few moves to get them back on the rails more consistently. Once they’ve made the playoffs, let the good times roll.

Those are the three thing I am hoping land under the Oilers Christmas tree this year.

I am hope you all have a safe and happy Holidays with your family and friends.