Random Thoughts: Way Too Early First Impressions
By baggedmilk
2 years agoWe’re in the early days of this brand new NHL season and I felt like now would be a good time for your ol’ pal Baggedmilk to come back with another dose of Random Thoughts to offer up some first impressions on our brand new boys.
ZACH HYMAN
From the moment he signed his contract this past summer, I knew that Zach Hyman is going to become a fan favourite around here in short order. And even though it’s only been two games of watching him play, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where his hard-working style of play won’t resonate with the fanbase here in Edmonton. I mean, after watching him score in the home opener and celebrate like it was the first goal of his career, I’d bet the farm that we’re going to see a lot more Hyman jerseys in the crowd before you know it. I love this dude already and it’s only been six minutes since he’s been here.
WARREN FOEGELE
This dude is a bull in a china shop and I can’t help but feel like he’s going to get his share of offence from chances he generates on the forecheck. If you’re a defenceman, having a big dude like Foegele burning up on you can be enough to make you poo yourself a wee bit, and I think that’s a skill that will pay dividends sooner rather than later. While time will tell how many goals he’ll finish with this year or what his offensive ceiling is in general, I can already tell that Foegele adds an element of size, skill, and speed into our middle six that has been sorely needed for a while. I know the acquisition cost hurts for a lot of us, but I can absolutely appreciate what the new guy brings to the table.
DUNCAN KEITH
I don’t know what Duncan Keith can do to win over the fanbase entirely, but if he keeps chipping in with responsible minutes and the odd point or two then I think we’d see a lot of water under the bridge before you know it. Over the first two games, I would say that Keith hasn’t been great but he hasn’t been bad either, and I think that’s a decent spot for him to be in after coming into a city other than Chicago for the first time in his career. As much as I didn’t and still don’t like the trade that brought him to Edmonton, we need the guy to play well if we’re going to get anything done this year and I’ll be cheering for him to be a valuable contributor. May your intangibles be all that they’ve been sold to us to be.
CODY CECI
Outside of Duncan Keith, I can’t think of anyone on the roster with more pressure on their shoulders than Cody Ceci, and in the first couple of games, I have to admit that he’s been a little bit of an adventure out there. I don’t know if my brain is trying to compare him directly to Adam Larsson or something, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m nervous about having him pencilled in as a second pairing defenceman for the next few years even though it’s probably not fair to feel that way yet. To be honest, I can see Evan Bouchard taking his place on the second pairing sooner than later, no? Either way, colour me skeptical.
BRENDAN PERLINI
After a pre-season heater for the ages, it wasn’t exactly surprising to see Brendan Perlini’s name on the opening night lineup despite none of us having any expectations for the guy when his contract was announced back in August. And even though we all knew that his scoring prowess would settle down when the regular season rolled around, I’m liking the size and speed that he brings to the fourth line. If he can chip in with a few goals from time to time then that would obviously be ideal, but until then, the guy has already started writing a decent little comeback story for himself after spending the 2021 season playing in the Swiss league.
COLTON SCEVIOUR
As much as I know that Colton Sceviour is a depth player that can hopefully chip in on the penalty kill, it’s hard not to cheer for a guy that comes in and earns a gig on a PTO. Not to mention, Oilers fans always love a guy that will stick up for his teammates which is exactly what Sceviour did after Tyler Myers blew up Duncan Keith in the corner in the home opener. The fight didn’t last long, but I think the memory of seeing Sceviour jump in immediately will go a long way for getting the fans on his side. And if he can kill penalties effectively while also throwing himself around like a human battering ram? We could be fast friends here, Colton.
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