Monday Mailbag – Which Defenseman Will Make the Biggest Impact?

You didn’t have the day off either, huh? I guess that means it’s Monday again. Fortunately, the Mailbag is here with 3000 words worth of company time killing wisdom that your brain will eager to soak up. Learning? On a Monday morning? That’s right, my friends. At the Nation, we’re not just about yellin’ all things Oilers, we’re also about learnin’ you stuff and making 5pm roll around just a little bit faster. As always, I need questions for next week so keep them coming in through email or Twitter. Keep your questions Oilers related or maybe you want to learn about life. Either way, we’ve got you covered. Until then, enjoy the break from productivity. 

He will have a realistic shot next year. If he averages the same 1.07 points per game he’ll be in the conversation. The big challenge for him will be if the rest of the Oilers improve. It is doubtful he’ll win if they don’t make the playoffs. The last player to win the Hart from a non-playoff team was Mario Lemieux in 1987/88 when he scored 70-98-169 in 77 games. In 2002 Jarome Iginla lost the voting to Jose Theodore even though Iggy scored 52 goals. The Flames scored 201 as a team. Iginla was unreal, while the rest of his team was brutal, but he was punished because the Phlegms finished 11th in the west. If McDavid plays as well as he did last season he will definitely be in the running, but he’ll likely need to be even better than 1.07 points per game to win. And of course, he’ll need to play close to a full season. I suspect he is in the running for the Hart regularly over the next decade if he stays healthy.

Barring a sophomore slump I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wager he’ll at least be in the conversation this year. His PPG last year was behind only Hart winner Patrick Kane and third place finisher Jamie Benn. Who knows if he would have been able to actually keep up that blistering pace, but if he can duplicate that success this year there’s no reason to think he won’t be getting a lot of looks from voters. Will he win? Tough to say, as it normally comes down to the player who scored the most points, and unfortunately if he doesn’t lead the Oilers to the playoffs that will probably also work against him.

McDavid’s numbers won’t matter a bit if the Oilers finish 25-28 overall. Players on teams that miss the playoffs by a $5 cab ride don’t win the Hart Trophy.

Generational talents are not subject to the established rules for mortals. If McDavid had played the entire 2015-16 season, he would have posted around 87 points. If he hits that number next season—or more—and Edmonton spikes in the standings? Yeah, he will get votes. 

Connor has the talent to win the Hart this year, but that won’t happen until the Oilers are any good. When was the last time you saw a guy win the Hart and his team didn’t make the playoffs? He can do it, but there’s work to be done before it happens. 

It will increase it a bit, but it won’t change the style of play. Coaching is ruining hockey. It’s gross. Brad Richards just retired and he summed it up best in his comments on TSN 1050. He said:

It was refreshing hearing him say that. The league, and many coaches, need to realize they are killing the excitement of hockey. Smaller, tighter goalie equipment is needed, but it won’t make the game more exciting and it won’t increase scoring chances.

My guess is that it will probably have a bit of an effect early on, as goalies get used to slightly altered equipment, but goalies are so good, so athletic, and training routines are better than ever, that I doubt it will take very long for them to adjust. I’m fully onboard with getting rid of all the unnecessary extra padding and paring down pads and gloves/blockers from their current gargantuan size, but I also don’t think it will have as much of an effect on scoring as people hope.

It’s a starting point, and one that won’t be completed next season. Only some equipment will change. I don’t see smaller equipment on its own making a significant difference.

I think it will. I have endured the laughter of young people watching old video and cackling about HHOFers of the past not being able to stop the puck. Those men were playing with equipment that would be deemed cruel and unusual punishment in today´s society. I do not know the extent of the goal increase.

I thought Ray Ferraro had a cool idea. Why don’t they change the angle of the posts so that they direct more pucks inward? If they did it right we could see any puck that hits the post going in rather than anywhere else. Just need to find the right shape and angles. Math!

Their defence will be better than last year, which shouldn’t be very difficult considering they had 70 points, even if they don’t make any more moves. A healthy Klefbom and Davidson will be a big boost. Larsson is a solid RD, and Nurse will be stronger and have more experience. Will they be good enough to compete for the playoffs remains to be seen.

I’ve maintained for a while that had Oscar Klefbom not gotten injured last season the Oilers would have had a better season. Everything points to him being well on his way to becoming a legit top pairing defensemen, and he will be a massive part of the D core for the foreseeable future. If he can find some more offensive touch he’s going to be an absolute gem for years to come.

Larsson will have the biggest impact and the first-pairing is more important than the bottom four because they play more minutes against tougher opposition. If the first-pairing is very good the bottom four just needs to be average to give the team a better chance of winning. It’s been less-than-average in recent seasons and there hasn’t been a legit first-pairing.

Klefbom, Larsson, Sekera and Davidson will have the most positive impact in my opinion. I am also onside with Mark Fayne being able to play an effective role on a secondary pairing.

I personally think that Klefbom is the best defenseman on this team so he’ll make the biggest impact if he can shake the time he lost to an advanced staph infection. A healthy Klefbom and Adam Larsson could make for a very efficient first pairing if both players can play up to their potential. I also think that Davidson has a chance to make a huge impact on a value contract. That combination is worth about as much as gold, in the cap era.

Listening to Struds tell me about his workout routines in the mid 2000s. Every time he talks about them I get a visual of him being the male version of Joanna Rohrback. Their legs are about the same size.

Trying to find something to write about, mostly. Obviously the offseason is a very slow time for hockey once we hit post-Free Agent Frenzy time, and whenever there is some kind of news it gets covered ad nauseam by people much smarter and more talented than I am, so it becomes slim pickins’ in the ol’ topics bin pretty quickly. Now if you’ll excuse me I have a silly article to write that you’re all going to hate me for.

Less to write about. Obvious, no?

I love writing about all aspects of the team, so this time of year gives me a chance to dig down on the minor leagues and the draft. READING it might be a chore, but I remain happy as a clam writing for ON.

The summer is obviously slow but it lets me announce partnerships, come up with contests (there’s another contest coming this week), make dumb photoshops for next year. It’s a busy time behind the scenes at Nation HQ. 

Chicken breasts. Marinate them in Frank’s Red Hot with a few special spices. They go great with BBQ zucchini and baked potato.

I’d probably go with a delicious chicken breast, with some corn on the cob, pasta salad, Caesar salad and some baked potatoes on the side. A classic!

Strip. Mushrooms.

I prefer steaks, but the family often likes me to BBQ salmon. It is very good.

I don’t cook well, but one thing I can do is BBQ. Burgers, steaks, chicken, smoked fished, pizzas (seriously)… it all happens at my place. 

Take a trip back in time to a place when the 16-Bit life was a little bit simpler. Welcome to YEG, Big Man! Get your 27L 16-Bit Heroes on the NationGear store today.

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