I try not to make too many observations about how players look, since it’s an informal skate followed by a non-contact game of shinny. Here are a few things I noticed, plus comments from a few players.
— David Tomasek is much bigger than the 180 pounds he was listed at. He’s closer to 200. He has a hard shot and was sporting a goatee. He’s the player I’m most interested in seeing in a game.
— Andrew Mangiapane isn’t necessarily fast, but he’s quick in and out of areas. With Zach Hyman’s availability to start the season in question, I wonder if we will see Mangiapane get a look with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at different times. I’d keep him with Draisaitl, as Hyman is the best fit for McDavid, but we’ll see where he starts when camp begins in two weeks. Tomasek and Matt Savoie could be the biggest beneficiaries of Hyman’s injury and get more preseason looks on McDavid’s wing.
— Power play coaching change: Glen Gulutzan wasn’t on the ice, but he was a huge part of the Oilers’ power play the past seven seasons. With him now the head coach in Dallas, Paul McFarland will oversee the power play. Draisaitl expects a few different looks:
“Gully was a big part of our success, and we will miss him,” Draisaitl said. “But a lot of times, a new voice can be refreshing, and it can be good for a group, especially our power play group that has been together for so long. At times, things can get stale. That is human nature, and I think having a new voice and maybe some new ideas and input will be valuable for us. I’m excited to work with Paul and see what he has in store for us.”
— Draisaitl on Matt Savoie:
“I think he has all the skills and tools to be a really good NHL player. I think you have to be patient with kids that age. Traveling, scheduling, it takes time, but potential-wise and tool-set-wise, he is very impressive,” Draisaitl said. The veteran is bang on. Patience is needed with Savoie and Ike Howard.
— Not skating today: Evan Bouchard, Jake Walman, Ty Emberson, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Ike Howard, and Zach Hyman. Most are expected to arrive next week.
— Draisaitl on Vasily Podkolzin:
“Podz does a lot of things that a lot of people who don’t really understand hockey don’t see. He does a lot of work for me, and that lets me have a lot of time with the puck and sets me up in great situations. I lack that in my game, so he does a lot of things for me personally. I really love playing with him. He’s really underrated with the puck and underrated hockey sense. I think there is a lot more offence and a lot more finish in his game. He is a player who doesn’t need to score to be effective. His work ethic is as good as I’ve seen in my 12 years,” Draisaitl said.
— Stuart Skinner will have a new goalie coach for the first time since being drafted by the Oilers in 2017. He spoke about the transition to Pete Aubry:
“Ever since he was hired, we’ve had some good calls,” Skinner said. “We’ve gone through some video from the past two years and reviewed the ways I like to play and his thoughts on that. He has been fantastic to work with. It has been a great start. This is my first time going through a new goalie coach, and it has been an easy transition to Pete’s philosophies. He’s brought some good points for me, and the goal is still to just get in the way of pucks. It’s not wildly different.”
— Skinner on his goals for this season:
“My goals this year, I’ve set the bar high. I want to represent Canada at the Olympics. I want to get back to the Stanley Cup and finish the job. I just look to keep learning. Last year was another 82 games and four rounds, but we just want to finish the job. For me, having a couple of NHL seasons under my belt is great. I just want to slow the game down a bit, because the game comes at you fast. With the experiences I’ve had, I know how to win games. I know how to play well. I know how to bounce back after really tough situations.”
He also mentioned working on engaging his core more this summer: “It is about trying to control my movements in the net. Sometimes you can kind of get floppy out there, get sloppy, especially when you get tired. I find, for myself, if I’m able to stay strong in my core and lower body, it helps me. It is mainly about trying to stay strong and be fresh for a full 60 minutes.”
— Connor McDavid will speak tomorrow. Will he announce his contract extension? Doubtful, and Oilersnation’s patience will be tested.