The Edmonton Oilers are about to bring in both a new forward and a new d-man from the organization’s Bakersfield farm team, says team insider Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now. “They’re gonna need an extra forward and an extra D (defenceman).”
This comes as Edmonton is heading out on a road trip on Friday and is considering putting both Jack Roslovic and Jake Walman on Long Term Injured Reserve, as both will be out until Christmas.
At the same time, forward Noah Philp was again missing practice today after being out the last nine games with concussion symptoms. “That is probably not a good sign,” Stauffer said of Philp’s absence. “He’s coming off a concussion. So a little bit concerning on that front.”
Who will those two incoming players be?
Cult of Hockey contributor Ira Cooper has watched the Bakersfield Condors closely this year and his take is that there’s really only one d-man who makes sense, veteran Josh Brown.
Brown, 31, 6-feet, 5-inches, 220 pounds is a Big Bobby Clobber of a d-man, a rugged hitter and fearsome fighter who is playing some of the best hockey of his career right now in Bakersfield.
Said Cooper: “Brown has been the best d-man this year in Bako and it hasn’t been close. (First year Finnish d-man Atro) Leppanen has progressed a TON in six weeks but he’s not close to an option yet. The first three weeks he was the worst defensive d-man I’ve ever seen in the AHL. He’s come along way but started far back.
Brown played poorly in ten regular season games and one playoff game for the Oilers last year, but veteran d-man Cam Dineen played poorly to start this season in Bako and is out now with a shoulder injury.
Brown’s play merits a promotion, Cooper has said. Brown has also played 300 regular season NHL games.
As Cooper put it in regards to Brown: “Yup, the only real potential option – its true… Dineen has recovered after being awful the first three weeks but he’s still not close to where he was last year and Brown has been the clear leader.”
As for the forward that might get the call, the best question is: what do the Oilers need?
Trent Frederic has been a disappointment as a grinding power forward. Connor Clattenburg filled that role until he got hurt. But there’s no one obvious on farm who can come in and fill that role. In the Top Six, Vasily Podkolzin has grabbed that role along Leon Draisaitl and is crushing it just now.
But Edmonton has another need as well. The Oilers are a puck possession team, with two top lines that are really taking off in that regard. But the bottom six still isn’t playing that game very well.
Edmonton could use an infusion of puck possession talent on that third line, with Bakersfield’s top scorer Quinn Hutson, 23, bringing puck possession as perhaps his greatest strength. He can take and make a pass at the NHL level.
A third line of Adam Henrique, Andrew Mangiapane and Hutson won’t be a big or powerful group of forwards, but it will be a group who can make plays together, combine on rushes, weave a bit of magic now and then in the offensive end.
Hutson, it seems to me at least, is a forward who will fill a need and help the Oilers win.
P.S. The Bako line-up for tonight’s game:
roster
At the Cult of Hockey
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