Monday Mailbag – January 25th, 2016

Can you believe that it’s nearly February already? It’s odd to think about the fact that we’re over half way through the #1AD (after draft) season and we’re once again talking about the likelihood of the Oilers being in the draft lottery. It’s sad, right? Draft related sadness is a story for another day. On this day we take a look at the answers to everything you’ve ever wanted to know when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers, and life in general. My friends, it’s mailbag time. 

I think Chiarelli has accomplished a few things in year one, and the shopping list for this coming summer will be far smaller. With that in mind, I do think the focus will be on three or four available forwards and the trade target on defense will be very specific. I don’t think the team matters, the player and his specific skills will be the key.

I’d like to think he goes about making transactions purely with the best interest of the team in mind. I mean I can see a scenario in which he maybe takes a longer look at players on teams were he has a good working relationship with the GM, or listens to their trade proposals a little closer than others, but if he’s any good as GM, personal relationships will have very little effect on moves he wants to make.

I don’t see him targeting players from specific teams because it would limit his options.

We’ve already seen him go after players with Eastern ties when he went after Gryba, Letestu, Reinhart, and Sekera. He knows the east very well and is going to his comfort zone. I like also that he has a good reputation as a GM in the NHL already. It’s nice having at least some faith that the other GMs can’t take advantage of a guy who doesn’t know what’s what.

We’ve seen over the years that many general managers have good relationships with specific rivals, making trades between those teams easier. Doubtless that will be true of Chiarelli, too. Having said that, it’s a bad idea for any general manager to limit his options by only considering trades with a handful of other teams. Still, I don’t think we’ll see a trade with Boston anytime soon.

It better be more likely that the team doesn’t matter. If two teams have the same kind of player at the same age/price point etc that fills a need, then dealing with somebody you know better or trust more can be a tie-breaker.

I think having good relationships is important, and I’m sure that those guys may be first on Chiarelli’s call list. I do think, however, that it would be stupid to limit himself to the handful of guys that he’s buddies with. That would be like limiting yourself to shopping in the frozen food section. A lot of that shit can be tasty by you know it’s bad for you. 

I think the Oilers will be sellers, but could buy if they can acquire a player who can help past this year. Fans should expect a defenseman sent away, and possibly a signing (Eric Gryba).

I think they’ll be sellers. I’m in the “a trade for a D-man won’t happen until the summer” crowd. Obviously Justin Schultz is at the top of the list for guys they’re looking to move. I think Teddy Purcell is probably up there too (though I think he’s infinitely more useful than a majority of the readers here). Maybe Anders Nilsson if a team is in desperate need of a backup goalie heading into the playoffs?

I don’t expect there to be any major moves between now and the trade deadline, in terms of big players coming to Edmonton. The Oilers are in a position of weakness and as much as we all love not being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in January, I don’t see them making some kind of move with the idea of a playoff push in mind. The market should be much better in the summer, so please don’t hold your breathe waiting for Harmonic to be wearing an Oiler jersey in February.

I expect them to be sellers, unless they have a great month of February and are within two or three points of a playoffs spot. Realistically I see them moving out a few players.

Barring a miracle, I think the Oilers will end up being sellers. That means moving Purcell, Gryba, and potentially one big piece if the right trade is available. Everyone else has games in hand and the Oilers have given away too many points as it is.

Sellers. I expect we’ll see Teddy Purcell and Justin Schultz shipped out. Something is going to happen with Eric Gryba; he’ll either be dealt to make room on the third pairing or re-signed.

They’re not making the playoffs, so being buyers doesn’t make sense. What they need now doesn’t involve tinkering between now and the deadline — bigger moves come during the off-season — so if they’re selling its getting something for someone who isn’t in the plans like, possibly, Schultz.

I actually don’t think that the Oilers will do much of anything apart from clear out some UFA contracts. I like Teddy Purcell’s game this year, but if he’s looking to match the current contract that he has then I’m sure Chiarelli will ship him out. It will be interesting to see if he can get rid of some of the contracts that he and McLellan clearly don’t see as part of the future. Guys like Fayne, or Yak as an example.

I think Nurse (at the time) was one of the six best defenders, so the recall made sense. I think he played so well, the organization decided to move him up the depth chart. Now, he is struggling and they have backed him off. If he continues to struggle, then they would be wise to send him back to the minors for the rest of the season. Important for him to feel good about his game by the end of the year. I am amazed at his ability to play NHL defense at 20.

Darnell Nurse seems to be in that weird bubble area. While a full season in the AHL would not have been a bad thing at all, I feel like he’d be too good to play down there for an entire season. But as you said he’s struggled off and on all season and clearly needs more time to polish his game at the NHL level. And no, I don’t think the Oilers had a choice. Look at the D right now — even with a healthy Klefbom, who would you replace Nurse with? Brad Hunt? Seven minutes a night of Nikitin? Just go with 4 D like we did for most of minor hockey? They were inevitably going to call him up at some point this season and have had no real reason, nor defensive depth to send him back down.

He has struggled of late, which is normal for a rookie. Very few rookies are consistent all season and a dip is expected. Nurse is NHL ready, but that doesn’t mean he won’t struggle some games. He will be a better player because of it, and remember he did have a run where he was playing very well. Ideally he would be playing with an established veteran instead of being paired with Schultz. That is the one change I would make in regard to Nurse.

I don’t think he needs to be in the AHL so much as he needs to be playing softer minutes. Every time the analysts say Nurse is number one in rookie ice time, all I can think is that probably means all the other teams are doing a better job insulating their young blueliners. Nurse is an NHL player, he just shouldn’t be choking down top four minutes all the time.

Yes, I think Darnell Nurse would have benefited from more time in the AHL. He reminds me a lot of watching Oscar Klefbom in Oklahoma City in 2013-14 in that the pure, raw talent is undeniable but there’s also a lot of running around and ineffective play as a result. Having said that, Edmonton has been in a tough spot on the blue line lately and I don’t blame the team for advancing Nurse more quickly.

He’s been fine right where he is. Every player has rough stretches. You can’t work all those out at the minor league level. Would’ve been better off with top-pairing guys ahead of him so he didn’t have to play so many minutes, but that’s an ongoing flaw with this team.

Todd McLellan admitted last week that they brought up Darryl way earlier then they expected to. To me, Nurse has been given too much responsibility at way too early of an age and I think he’s paying for it. Rather than settling in on the third pairing they have him playing the most minutes on a pairing with Justin Schultz. It doesn’t make any sense. 

I think the range of coaching styles has remained constant over the years, although the tough coach can no longer avail himself of old timey tools like dressing a player down in public, et cetera (and this did happen, a lot). 

From an outsider POV, NHL coaches seem to be better communicators now. If you listen to Todd McLellan talk about Nail Yakupov or Zack Kassian or Taylor Hall, there is a lot of wisdom in his words and care about the message to him. I think players probably respond to that, as anyone would.

We need Steve Staios to come back and teach these kids the “ring it around the boards and out” technique! IT’S A LOST ART!

Communication is a necessity for coaches with today’s players. They  adapt similarly as bosses in most work places. I don’t see them being much different.

Unless coach X plans on coaching from a time-machine, he/she better figure out how to connect with people born between those dates. There’s no such thing as one right way to coach. It’s all about getting the most out of the people you’re responsible for. Every generation has a different set of expectations for themselves and their coaches.

My guess would be that it makes the real autocrats less effective, much as in any other field. I think an intelligent coach who works to earn the trust and respect of his charges will still be able to get it.

The best coaches communicate well and talk with, rather than at, their players. They clearly communicate what is expected and why.

DON’T CODDLE THEM, BRO! I don’t know, it seems odd that an adult man needs to be babied just because of when they’re born, but I guess stranger things have happened. I like the way Todd McLellan lets his players know when they’re being shitheads. Example: Hall, Taylor.

Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, Taylor Hall, Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse. A signed Brandon Davidson would also come pretty damned close.

McDavid, Nurse, Hall, Draisaitl, Klefbom, Nuge. There is a caveat on Nuge however; he’s on my untouchables list NOW. However if, in say two years or so, both McDavid and Drai are legit top six centres, then I would think about trading him. But as of right now he’s far and away the Oilers best pivot and I still think it’s crazy people suggest he’s expendable considering McDavid and Draisaitl have played less than 100 NHL games COMBINED. But I digress.

McDavid is the only one you won’t trade. Hall, Nurse, Klefbom and Draisaitl would be unlikely to garner a return that makes sense.

McDavid, Hall, Drai, Nuge, Klefbom, Nurse. That’s my untouchable list. Not on it are Eberle, Yak, or Edmonton’s first rounder.

Connor McDavid. There’s a hypothetical trade out there that would work for any other player (e.g., “Yes, Mr. Lombardi, I will take Drew Doughty in exchange for Taylor Hall). Realistically, though, I doubt there’s a trade out there that would make sense to me for Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Leon Draisaitl. I’d also be terrified of trading Darnell Nurse and it would take a pretty unique set of circumstances to consider dealing Oscar Klefbom.

Nobody. How can a team that’s on the way to missing the playoffs for the 10th straight year not listen to every possible offer? Doesn’t mean you have to accept any of them.

McDavid (DUH!), Hall, Draisaitl, Nuge, Klefbom, and Nurse. I put a premium on centreman and defense.

Once we get closer to draft day I would like to see Chiarelli shopping that first rounder for an established defenseman within the age range of Hall, Nuge, and Klefbom. Nothing would say “I’m committed to winning now” like trading off a first round pick for immediate help.