The Latest Trade Rumours For The Oilers… | Darren Dreger’s Thoughts

The Latest Trade Rumours For The Oilers… | Darren Dreger’s Thoughts

Drags joins us on our firehouse subs hotline this morning where the Edmonton Oilers with one of those victories where everything goes right like nude scores Heyman scores dry settle scores McDavid scores Steuart Skinner with the shut out and we were saying this morning there’s been other games this year drags where you’re like oh are they back are they back but they haven’t been able to string anything together and that’s what needs to happen here right they need to build off this victory with a fivegame home stand coming up yeah I think that’s fair and I think that’s entirely believable And likely what’s going to happen now, you know, are they going to run the table? No, probably not. I mean, the opposition comes ready to play and the parody that we’re seeing across the National Hockey League, I I don’t recall us seeing it for such a sustained period of time to start a year, right? And that’s that’s where we’re at 25 plus games in. But I also think that when you look at the Oers lineup in particular, did we not all expect Zack Heyman to have impact and influence? But he also needed some time to get going. You don’t just step back into the greatest league in the world and, you know, just run the table. As I said earlier, you can’t do that. So, he’s now rounding into form. You know, he looks like he’s got his game back. Um, the loss of Nan Hopkins for a stretch. You know, again, Ryan Nen Hopkins is a bit underappreciated in my opinion across the National Hockey League and yet, you know, he’s back into the mix and he just quietly goes about his offensive business defensively. He’s a real good player. So, the pieces are all there now, right? So, you know, they’re starting to feel good about themselves and maybe one or two games can do that, not flip the switch entirely because out of respect, you know, the other team is ready. Uh, and there’s some good teams that they’re going to face in a short period of time here, but that looked more like the complete Oilers team than we’ve seen at varying points to to this stage of the regular season. And obviously, Darren, goending is a lightning rod topic here. We were heading into the weekend, you know, with with people chattering about an expected Pittsburgh trade or something, and then they get the shut out. Uh, bingo bango, we’re coming after the weekend and uh it’s all laid to rest. So, how much does that turn down the temperature performance from Stuart Skinner getting a shut out where he got his first career one? And um you know, just where are we at on that front in terms of going into the weekend, we’re expecting a deal coming out of the weekend and it’s all smoke and mirrors. Okay. And and I get it because we live it and this is the world that I work in, the insider world. And I’m good with speculation, right? I’m I’m okay with the rumor mill churning things out, but our job is to separate fact from fiction. And even though Kyle Dubis and the Pittsburgh Penguins are open to offer on just about anything, um when that rumor broke on Tristan Jerry, there was really no substance to it. We’re just, you know, the media is connecting dots and you can appreciate why that is. You know, at that point there appeared to be a growing need for some sort of goalie change in Edmonton. Uh so Jerry makes some sense. I get it. you know, the the resume isn’t terrible, but are we sure he’s an upgrade? And I think the answer to that is no. How could you be sure? So, change for the sake sake of change, yeah, maybe if you get to that place where you don’t have a choice. But I don’t think that Stan Mullman and the Edmonton Warriors feel that way. And you know, then you come off the shut out and and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself if you’re Stu Skinner. But the unfortunate reality with goalending, you’re only as good as your last game, your last start. and and so I don’t think it’s fair to expect that, you know, he’s going to shut the teams out moving forward here on a regular basis. That’s that’s ridiculous to suggest, but he knows that he needs to be better. And the body of the work tells us that he’s capable of rounding into form. I I had a conversation, it’s it’s it’s a little bit different given the quality of the goalie here, but I had a conversation the other day with somebody with the Ottawa Senators who said, “Hey, you know, I asked about goalending. you know, Lena Smallark, you know, is this is this a goalender that needs to be better? And the answer was, yeah, he needs to be better, but the history of Lena Smark at the NHL level is he is he is perennally a slow starter. Okay. Well, that doesn’t mean that the Ottawa Senators have to go out searching for they’ve they’ve already replaced their goalending situation. So, there’s patience there. And I think Bowman and company have learned over time with St. Skinner and Cal Peckard that look, there’s going to be some bumps on the path. There just is. But we’ve got to be better collectively defensively. The offense has to come together like it did the last game. And this guy either Peckard or Stu Skinner have to be able to make the saves we need them to make. And if that happens, then the goalending issue will kind of drift away. The the one other just on the goending front, whether it be for the Oilers or anybody else, the one name that seems to be like he’s going to get moved is Chicago and Lauron Brasis. Is is that something that you would expect to have happen? Because that’s been out there for for the last few days. It’s it’s been out there for a bit. Yes. Yeah. But again, I’ll submit. What is he and is he an upgrade? You know, like to this point, Bruis has essentially been a backup goalender in his NHL career. That’s that’s what he’s been. Um so, you know, I guess it’s possible that he gets he gets moved. um you know where uh you know hey we’ve talked a lot about Edmonton with with with reason you know again the most recent game aside you look at what’s gone on in Winnipeg you know prior to their last game you know this this is a team that with Connor Hellbuck on the sideline u had no choice but to give the reigns to Eric Comry is Eric Comry you know strong enough as a starting goalender to you know weather the storm for the next four or five weeks we’re going find that out, but it was getting pretty nervous. The heat was probably elevating in Winnipeg to a point as well. Um, so I I don’t know. Again, I I keep going back and forth on the goalending scenario with the Edmonton Oilers because I don’t see a goalie out there that you can convince me is an upgrade. I don’t I just don’t see it. I don’t I don’t I don’t like that’s the thing here. We talked about it so much. I don’t see it. Yeah, we just always talk about like names will pop up and if they are an upgrade, it’s unrealistic target, right? And then you know the other side of it is just sake for the change’s sake to try to shock the team. But if the team can shock themselves and get things going here, then that at least buys you a lot of time if you feel like that’s necessary, right? So goending, high quality goalending can mask a lot of problems, right? But not very often does a goalender single-handedly win you a hockey game. A save here or there can seal a win. No doubt about that. But the issues that the Oers have been dealing with for the better part of this season aren’t all on the shoulders of Steu Skinner and Cal Peckard. I mean, we all watch closely. That’s that’s just not real. No, they’ve been a train wreck defensively, too, for a lot of the years. They have been. They have been. And I thought Leon Dryidle last week was excellent after I guess it was the Dallas debacle, wasn’t it? Right. Where it was Dallas game they all spoke, you know, he came out and he goes, “Look, I’m sure the goalies will tell you that they need to be better, but how many great a chances do these guys have to face before we wake up as a team.” So that’s that’s where they’re at. Look, if if you’re going to make a meaningful difference in goal, you’ve got to do it in the off season. And I know that the Colorado Avalanche last year are the outlier, but as Noodles Jamie McClennon reminded us all last week, check back on on Blackwood and Wedgewood last year after that deal. I mean, they were just okay. And Colorado got bounced early in the playoffs and and that didn’t go the way that everyone expected or hoped with the goalie ch. Now, this year’s a different animal. Now, let’s see, you know, whether or not goending is going to be part of what appears to be a juggernaut in Colorado. Maybe. But yes, Chris McFarland deserves credit for making a very bold change, a full positional change in season last year. It’s really, really hard, but not very often are you able to do that, especially in goal. Uh Darren Dreger joins us on the Firehouse Subs hotline this morning. I want to get to that juggernaut in Colorado in just one second, but uh where is the trade market at? Like, are we going to see it? Now, not this is a this is a league question, not a weather’s question. Are we going to see any movement before Christmas or is it going to be like most other years where, you know, gets to February before things really start moving? Yeah, I don’t have a hard answer for you. I feel like we should see some activity before Christmas. But what are we talking about here? Um, you know, kind of moving deck chairs type of stuff change as you said earlier for the sake of of change. probably probably minor stuff, but it’s only because where we’re at in the standings again here, guys. And I know like I sound like a broken record, but you look at the standings this morning. There’s one Canadian team that’s in the playoff matrix right now, and that’s the Montreal Canadians. But it’s not like the other six Canadian teams are dead and buried. Not by a long shot. You know, they’re they’re a win, two, three wins away from, you know, not only being, you know, in the in the playoff picture, but challenging for top spot in each division. I that’s that’s how tight it is. So I unless we see uh a significant injury and we’ve seen a lot of injuries to this point of the year. I I feel like it’s going to be stingy on the trade front, but I do know just based on the managers that I talked to that at least the trade discussions have amplified. I would say in the last week or so, uh Colorado still I they they just they’re not slowing down. They are absolutely rolling over teams and almost to the point where if I’m an ABS fan, I’m like, “This has got to be too good to be true.” Like, well, when do they when do they run into some sort of mini wall here, Drake? Well, and they will, right? They will uh how they manage that mini lull and and mini is probably a very appropriate word because I don’t see Colorado going on a three, four, five, seven game losing skin. I just don’t see it. Uh, I mean, they’re they’re too strong offensively on any given night. You’ve got, of course, Nate McKinnon doing what he does every year. Uh, Marty Nas has not slowed down for the most part since getting his extension. And then you look at uh how they push from the back end. We’ve already talked about goalending. So, where’s the weakness in the Colorado Avalanche? I’m sure McFarland and and Joe Sackic look at their lineup organization and go, “Yeah, well, we could add a bit of depth here.” That’s what GMs do. That’s what hockey operations departments do because they’re they’re looking for the the deep pushing in the playoffs, but right now, I don’t see the weakness. I don’t they’re just they’re loaded top to bottom. Another team in that division quickly here, uh, Darren, the Minnesota Wild, and that’s the Oilers. They’ll kick off that five-game home stand and two in their last 10. And an interesting narrative coming in with Yesper Walstead as well playing the way he’s playing in goal for the Wild. Um, goofy. Your thoughts on the scout, the pre uh scout for the Wild ahead of tomorrow’s game. Well, I’ll tell you what, they’ve got a boatload of confidence and and you know, you’ve touched on why. I don’t know what it is about Bill Garren and really the Minnesota Wild in general. They always seem to have that goalie, right? like somebody that just and I’m not going to say that he comes out of nowhere, that’s not fair to him, but they always have one guy in the mix that just finds a way to get red-hot and and then they ride that guy. You know, not too long ago it was Gustoson. Um, you know, Flurry had his moments, you know, with the Minnesota Wild obviously. So, you know, I I didn’t think that the Minnesota Wild uh were the team that we saw early in the year where they were stumbling and they couldn’t get going and Capri off didn’t look like, you know, he had his usual swagger and all of the pieces of the Minnesota Wild seemed somewhat disconnected. Um it felt like they were going to to find their way and they found their way, right? And maybe it’s just the quality of goalending uh has you dug them out of a couple of holes that allows you to maybe breathe a little bit more. The confidence again elevates the transition game. Your goalies don’t feel like every or your defense don’t feel like every time they make a mistake in the defensive zone, it’s ending up in the back of their net. Now they can breathe a little bit. They can get their transition game going. Uh, I I just feel like the team we’re seeing now, not because they’re they’re on a bit of a heater here, but the team that the game that the Minnesota Wild are playing now is more the game that I thought we’d see from Minnesota at the beginning of the year. I mean, I think most of us had them tabbed as as being one of the better teams in the Western Conference. Top team, maybe that’s saying a lot when you look at, you know, we’ve already talked about Colorado. Vegas with stability in goal with Carter Hart about his way. Um, you know, we’ll see. But Minnesota fits into that conversation as one of the top teams in the West for sure. Drags, good stuff, man. As always, we appreciate the time. Thanks a lot. Okay, guys. Have a great week. There you go. That’s Darren Drager from TSN.

Darren Dreger was the first guest on today’s show. He gave his initial thoughts on the Oilers win over the Kraken on Saturday, touched on the goaltending for the Oil, the trade market as a whole, how good the Colorado Avalanche are and finished by teeing up tomorrow’s game when the Oilers welcome in the Wild.

What are your thoughts? Drop a comment down below as we read every single one. #oilers #nhl #nhlhockeyislife #nhlteams #hockeyteams #sports #yeg #yegsports #connormcdavid #mcdavid