The best thing Ken Holland could do for the Edmonton Oilers is “slow it down”: 9 Things

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Edmonton Oilers fans won’t like the phrase “hurry up and wait.”

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They’ve done quite a bit of that in the last 15 years.

But it may be the most cautious approach for the balance of this offseason for the Oilers front office.

Read all about why in this week’s edition of…

9 Things

9. If he is healthy, Leon Draisaitl is poised to pass two Oilers all-time greats in franchise scoring this season. Draisaitl already has 616 points. That’s only 15 back Ryan Smith (631), and only 53 behind Paul Coffey (669).

8. Also, in the “hour of exclusivity”: If veteran Ryan Nugent-Hopkins plays a full 82-game season, he’ll climb to 5^th place all time in Games played, passing Jari Kurri (654), Kelly Buchberger (795) and Shawn Horcoff (796). Nuge is currently at 719.

7. Many types of NHL head offices have retired to the lake for the rest of the summer. But one guy who still isn’t working on his golf game is Ken Holland, who participated in the Hlinka-Gretzky tour. Holland has saved the club’s last 10 1s^str Round draft picks and we can hopefully get a look at 5^th.

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6. I like it Jack Campbell appropriation. But often, players need some time to adjust to their new environment. It’s harder than you might think. Therefore, I would not be surprised if Stuart Skinner plays more than just a supporting role in its beginnings. Skinner’s numbers are pointed in the right direction. His SV% in the last 3 AHL seasons have been .892, .914 and .920…along with a more than respectable .913 in 13 NHL games last season.

5. Two popular NHL veterans continue to be associated with the Edmonton Oilers: In KP Sub AND Phil Kessel. Subban has earned over $80 million in his career, Kessel $93 million. At this point in their career, they’ve made most of the money they’ll probably ever need. What they will still want to do is win, especially after seasons in New Jersey and Arizona. So why do their agents (Don Meehan AND Wayne Arnottrespectively) don’t call a Final 4 team to see if there’s a fit?

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4. Tyler Benson there is a new 2-way contract. His qualifying bid was $787,500. But he accepted a deal for less than that (the league minimum) but with an increase in AHL dollars. I wonder if we are seeing the impact of Keith Gretzky here, who became the Oilers’ AGM just weeks after Benson was drafted in 2016. To date, Benson has not been presented as a prospect. But he plays the game the right way and would be a welcome veteran pro presence in Bakersfield and deep in the NHL call-ups. But that’s a healthy AHL salary. So it’s also a sign that ownership is willing to spend money on building the system.

3. It’s been fascinating to watch the roster shuffle in Calgary as it relates to the Battle of Alberta and the Edmonton Oilers game. I contend the Flames have done a more than admirable job of rotating in front of his top 2 players. But Calgary won’t be as good. Johnathan Huberdeau is a great player. He is not the elite offensive man Johnny Gaudreau is, but arguably a more well-rounded player overall and a center. So the Flames are closing in on replacing the departed Gaudreau. Where they throw a peg is in the loss of Matthew Tkachuk. Of course, Calgary added the blueliner MacKenzie Weegar. But the Flames were already excellent defensively with only marginal room to really improve. What they haven’t replaced is Tkachuk’s unique skill set (or 104 points). And until they do, despite their best efforts, they are still “in a quarter.”

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2. Anticipated signature i Kailer Yamamoto last week regarding the Oilers’ 2022-23 roster signings. I expect one or two more roster moves, and there’s always a surprise or two out of training camp. But if the season were to start tomorrow (and assuming everything works out with Ryan McLeod), here’s just one version of a 20-man Oilers regular-season lineup to consider:

Kane – McDavid – Hyman

Nugent-Hopkins – Draisaitl – Yamamoto

Holloway – McLeod – Puljujarvi

Foegele–Ryan–Janmark

Nurse – Bouchard

Broberg – Ceci

Kulak – Barrie

Campbell–Skinner

I might not ice this lineup in a Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7. But in Game 1 of an 82-game schedule, put Broberg in a position where he can succeed…with a reliable veteran defenseman. This Top 6 could be the best in the NHL. And while Puljujarvi fans will inevitably see this as a downgrade, just imagine how big, fleet, fast and hard to hold that 3^st line would be.

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1. Part of the fun of writing about the Edmonton Oilers is the passion of the fan base. And right now, a large portion of those fans want Ken Holland to “do everything now.” Move the big issue, solve the looming cap problem now, and head to the busy bear training camp. And while that’s fun and all (and fun IS a part of worship) from a management standpoint, it probably doesn’t make the best sense for this organization right now. If I were Ken Holland, while keeping abreast of things is always smart, I’d slow down…things…below.

I have worked for some very successful CEOs in my career. And usually, when a big decision had to be made, their advice to me was almost never “hurry up and do it.” In fact, it was often the opposite: “Slow it down.” Let’s not rush into a big decision. These things often resolve themselves, or at least… a better solution comes along. So how would this kind of advice be implemented EnC Netherlands now?

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Well, while it’s absolutely true that he has a problem to solve, Holland still has two months to do so. The season doesn’t start until October 12^th. And as one of the most experienced general managers in the game, Holland’s experience will tell him that he shouldn’t rush just yet. There will be factors that he cannot yet see or even foresee. Such as, you ask?

What if one of your key players is lame, but you’ve already just traded his potential replacement? What if one of the players on the other team does the same thing, and the guy you just flirted with would have been the perfect fit and with a better return than you got for him? Just as an example, if you handle Tyson Barrie and Evan Bouchard getting hurt, who runs your Power Play?

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There aren’t any “must sign” guys out there for the Oilers, and whoever you still want to sign (I think Edmonton would like to add another forward) will likely get cheaper over time as it’s a market extreme of buyers. .

A lot can happen between now and the end of training camp. But if you earn that chip too soon, you don’t have to use it later.

Slow down. It is almost always to your advantage.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

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