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THW's Oilers news for 03/21/2021
The latest Oilers stories from The Hockey Writers.
03/21/2021 edition:
By Rayden Lin on Mar 21, 2021 10:15 am
Many saw the Edmonton Oilers’ signing of Tyson Barrie as a low-risk, high-reward signing when he put pen to paper on a one-year, $3.75 million deal in the offseason. With Barrie currently leading the NHL in points from the back end with 30, the signing has paid off tremendously. However, with key players on the roster such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson also hitting free agency this year, Edmonton will need to make a decision on whether these three main-stay roster players will be part of the long-term future. In this article, we will go over why keeping Barrie past this season will be crucial towards the Oilers’ success next season and into the long-term future.
Dynamic Power Play Quarterback
With Oscar Klefbom missing the entire 2020-21 campaign with a shoulder injury, a new defenseman was expected to fill his role on the first power-play unit.
Barrie has done a great job this season in that spot, putting up 14 power-play points in 33 games. This production is also not out of the norm for him, as he had put up 30 and 25 power-play points, respectively, in his last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers blueliner also currently leads the NHL in shots on goal with 94 on the season, making him a massive threat on the power play.
Even when Klefbom returns next season, Barrie would still be the primary option on the top power-play unit given his elite offensive ability, and would be a huge boost to a power play already containing two of the league’s best scorers. Bringing back Barrie for next season would allow the Oilers to mix and match their power-play units in case one defenseman struggles and improve their offensive depth from the back end in general.
Top Pairing Minutes Eater
Currently partnering with Darnell Nurse on the top defensive pairing according to Daily Faceoff, Barrie has been a huge minutes eater on the Oilers blue line this season.
If the Oilers decide to not bring back Larsson, Barrie will be crucial to the Oilers right side of the defense. He is currently fourth on the team, and second in defensemen for time on ice at 21:52 per game. This makes retaining the offensive defenseman important as there is no obvious candidate to replace his ice time.
Even if Edmonton decides to re-sign Larsson, bringing back Barrie can only help the depth on the back end and allow the Oilers to trade one of their younger defenseman for some help on the forward depth.
Offense From the Blue Line
After struggling to start the season with the Oilers, posting only two points in eight games, Barrie has exploded for 28 points in his last 25 games.
Combining this production with Darnell Nurse’s impressive 23 points in 33 games, keeping the duo together past this season may be a good investment for the Oilers to look into. Especially since the team has struggled to get offense from the blue line in the past, hanging onto an offensive defenseman should help boost the Oilers’ chances of success in the future.
While Barrie may slow down from his current pace right now, he has shown his elite offensive talent in the past with 57 and 59 point seasons in Colorado. If Barrie and Nurse are able to stay together as a defensive pairing heading into next season, the Oilers could be very dangerous from the blue line in terms of offense and would be a lot deeper defensively especially when Klefbom returns.
Final Thoughts
The Oilers will have a tough decision to face on their big upcoming free agents this offseason. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both taking up a pretty significant portion of the cap space, the Oilers might not be able to find the space to bring all three of Nugent-Hopkins, Larsson and Barrie back, while also trying to improve their roster from free agency. If the Oilers are able to afford Barrie, however, this would be a worthy signing to keep on their blue line in hopes of making a deep playoff run.
By Declan Schroeder on Mar 21, 2021 09:17 am
The Winnipeg Jets lost back-to-back games in regulation for the first time this season, falling to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday and Saturday by scores of 2-1 and 4-2, respectively. Here are three takeaways from the pair of losses in Oil Country.
1: Jets Lack Killer Instinct
For a team with, on paper, some of the best forward depth in the entire league, the Jets sure didn’t make the most of their chances in the two losses.
On Thursday, after the Oilers went up 2-1 in the second, they completely shut the Jets down.
The Jets were unable to work the puck into high-danger areas or sustain any type of meaningful zone time in the back half of the game. When they did get a glorious chance in the final minute — Mark Scheifele with a wide open side with Laurent Brossoit pulled — he fanned on the shot.
On Saturday, the Jets missed a number of glorious opportunities to go up 3-1. Kyle Connor couldn’t score on an empty net after Mike Smith made a puck-handling gaffe behind the net. Dylan DeMelo shot the puck directly into Smith’s pad in the dying seconds of the second when Smith was down-and-out after a Blake Wheeler shot hit the post.
The Jets had another chance to build on their lead with an early-third-period power play, but it was ineffective. Soon after it expired, the one-goal lead evaporated as the Oilers blew the Jets’ doors off with three straight goals.
On social media postgame, the Jets’ Twitter account chalked up the loss to “no puck luck tonight.” It wasn’t a lack of puck luck. It was a lack of killer instinct once again.
The Jets have been an awful third period team this month and have frequently allowed late goals to tie or have blown leads. The blown third-period lead Saturday was the fourth time they’ve relinquished one in March.
Andrew Copp said postgame Saturday that “part of winning games, especially in the playoffs and down the stretch here is going to be learning how to put teams away.” Copp went on to say they’ve one a good job of that this season, but they haven’t.
If they keep letting their opponents hang around as they did Saturday, it will continue to come back and bite them.
2: Jets’ Top Line Needs a Wakeup or a Shakeup
Paul Stastny, Mark Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler have been together for a long time now, but they need to be broken up, at least temporarily.
The trio has looked lazy in recent games: they’ve been ineffective at even strength — with just one even-strength goal in their last four games — and have been awful defensively.
The line was completely outclassed by the Connor McDavid line Saturday and was on the ice for both McDavid’s first-period marker and Leon Draisaitl’s game-winner at 9:36 of the third.
Wheeler said pre-game Saturday his line has given up on the plus/minus stat this season, and he said it with a smile. It’s alarming when the so-called leader of the team finds poor play funny.
With Wheeler a team worst minus 14, Scheifele second-worst at minus seven, and Stastny a minus seven through his last six, the line as composed simply cannot prevent goals against. It needs to change.
It’s clear Stastny and second-line centre Pierre-Luc Dubois need to swap places, or Wheeler needs to be dropped to the second or third line to give Nikolaj Ehlers or Mason Appleton a shot in that spot.
But don’t expect any of those things to happen. Head coach Paul Maurice never used to hesitate to bring out his line blender to come up with better combinations, but these days he is reticent to make any changes at all, trotting out the same lines night after night regardless of results.
3: Jets Can’t Always Win “Their Way”
Winning the so-called “Jets way” is also known less charitably as winning unsustainably. They’ve often found ways to gut out points with pure skill while getting greatly outplayed and out-chanced from a high-danger perspective.
You can only go to that well for so long, and it looks like the well dried up after they went to it twice in their recent three-game series against the Maple Leafs: winning 4-3 on March 9 and losing 4-3 in overtime, getting three points despite being outplayed at 5-on-5 in both contests.
If the Saturday game showed anything, it’s that you can’t give up more chances than you get and expect to win. The Oilers were the better team, generating 11 high-danger chances to the Jets’ six and an XGF of 2.81 to 1.4.
The Athletic’s Murat Ates’ commented Saturday that he didn’t believe in the “magical idea that they could always ‘decide’ to win. If they had that power, they’d win two, three, four, all of the games in a row.”
One of hockey media’s best analytical minds doesn’t believe it, and no one else should either. Let alone the team itself.
“Fancy stats” don’t mean everything, but they don’t mean nothing either. They’re definitely not “horse-s**t” like Maurice thinks.
Don’t Look Now, but Here Come the Canucks
A playoff picture that was looking quite secure just a week ago is now looking a lot more tenuous for the Jets.
Losers of three of their last four, the Jets suddenly find themselves only four points up on the fifth-place Canucks, who they face on Monday and Wednesday as their seven-game road trip continues.
The Jets have four games in hand on the Canucks but if they cannot overcome their flaws and end up dropping both at Rogers’ Arena, their postseason prospects will be downright precarious.
By Luke Thomas on Mar 20, 2021 05:52 pm
Coming into the 2021 NHL season, the Oilers’ expectation was that Mikko Koskinen would take over as the starting goaltender. So far, the exact opposite has happened. Mike Smith has taken over as the undisputed starter and will be the one trying to lead the Oilers into the playoffs. Today, I will take a look at Smith’s play and if it’s sustainable for the rest of the season.
Free Agency
Going into the 2020 offseason, the consensus among Oilers management was that the team needed a goaltender upgrade. Koskinen was good in the 2019-20 season, but it was proven that he could not handle a full starter’s workload. Mike Smith, on the other hand, needed to be let go. He had the second-worst numbers of his career and was declining due to his age.
The Oilers went all-in on Swedish goaltender Jacob Markstrom in an attempt to finally have a bonafide starter. They reportedly had him locked up at $5 million annually over 7 years until their rivals, the Calgary Flames, signed him to a 6-year, $36 million deal. The Oilers didn’t have a good fallback plan and had to re-sign Smith to a 1-year, $2 million contract. Although missing out on Markstrom stung, the Oilers used their remaining cap space to sign Tyson Barrie, who is currently leading all defensemen in scoring.
Start of the Season
During training camp, head coach Dave Tippett mentioned that he would likely not go with a platoon goaltending system. As such, many Oiler fans assumed that the starter would be Koskinen, as he was coming off the best season of his career, posting a .917 save percentage (SV%) and 2.75 goals against average (GAA) and was younger than Smith.
This was the case for the first month and due to Smith sustaining an injury during practice. When Smith came back, the expectations were that he would take some of Koskinen’s workload, as “the Big Finn” had played all but one game to that point.
Smith Surprises Oilers
Smith has greatly exceeded his expectations since coming back from injury, winning his first six games and posting the best numbers of his career. Since then, his numbers have dropped off a tiny bit, but he is still winning games. Currently, he is 10-3 with a SV% of .920 and a GAA of 2.36. He brings a fiery personality to the game and never gives up on a shot. He’s also highly respected in the dressing room and provides a veteran presence that the Oilers greatly need.
Earlier in the season, when the Oilers were down 3-0 in the first intermission against the Canucks, Smith stepped up and boldly claimed that he would not allow another goal. Smith was true to his word, and the Oilers came back to win 4-3. Tippett has smartly ridden the hot hand and played Smith in 13 games since coming back, while Koskinen has only played six games. Tippett has trusted Smith in meaningful games, and he’s responded very well, allowing two goals or less in eight games this season.
Puck Playing Master
Smith also brings a rare skill that is coveted by teams around the league; that is his mastery with the puck behind his net. Opposing teams have to be wary of dumping the puck in since Smith plays like a third defenceman, retrieving and transitioning the puck out of the zone. Smith is by far the best in the business in this category and potentially makes opposing teams change their game plan when he is the starting goalie.
How Sustainable is His Play?
Many fans are skeptical about how long Smith will be able to play before burning out. It’s a fair question because he’s 38 years old and on the back end of his career. At this point, it’s unknown how long Smith’s hot streak will last. With that said, if Smith can stay healthy and mentally sharp, there is a good chance he will be able to propel the Oilers into the playoffs. Historically, his play actually has improved as the season goes on. He has the ability to amp up his game in the playoffs, posting a SV% of .934 and a GAA of 2.33 in 25 playoff appearances. With Koskinen also starting to give the team quality starts, the Oilers will be a tough team to play against.
By Jim Parsons on Mar 20, 2021 03:35 pm
In Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, there’s a lot of talk about Tyson Barrie this week. Most fans are elated at the fact he’s producing at such a high offensive level. Others are still pessimistic he’s worth taking a look at on an extension. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid is getting high praise from his head coach and there’s news on extension talks with players like Adam Larsson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Finally, there are some lineup changes heading into Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Barrie Leads Defenseman in Points, Extension Talks Coming
Unfortunately, some fans will never be happy with the way things are going to for Barrie this season. Instead of applauding him for being the highest-scoring defenseman in the NHL, a small group of fans have taken to criticizing the player for the fact many of his points are coming via second assists and power play points.
I’m going to take a deeper dive into this debate in a separate article, but what’s important to note right now is that the Oilers see him as a valuable part of their team success (now tied for first in the Scotia North Division). There is talk that Ken Holland is going to hold preliminary discussions with Barrie on a contract extension starting next week.
This is a player who came over with some baggage from the Toronto Maple Leafs and has found a comfortable home on the Oilers. It will be interesting to see just how much he values that in his early discussions with the team and how badly he wants to stay in an environment conducive to him being successful.
Tippett Loving McDavid’s Game
What’s not to love about how Connor McDavid is playing right now? He’s pulling away in the points race, he’s putting the Oilers on his back and willing them on to victories and head coach Dave Tippett notes that the captain is a totally different player on the defensive end as well.
After a 2-1 win over the Jets on Thursday night, Tippett said in a media avail:
“His offensive abilities and different ways to create offence is off the charts. What I like most about him this year is he’s come in with a real determined mindset to defend well and be a real good solid player in our own end. Our whole coaching staff talks about it every day how much he’s dug into playing a real winning style of game.”
Oilers to Talk Contract with Larsson
Also set to begin contract negotiations with the Oilers is defenseman Adam Larsson. There were some questions prior to the season about how much Larsson would be a priority for Edmonton but he’s played his way into the conversation of a defenseman the Oilers should avoid losing in free agency.
What an extension for the gritty and cycle-destroying blueliner might look like is unclear but the Oilers want to gauge his interest in sticking around. I spoke with Dustin Nielson of TSN earlier this week about how effective Larsson has been and it was agreed that he might be one of the most important Oilers’ blueliners this season, despite the obvious choices among fans being Nurse and Barrie.
Nielson pointed out that without Larsson holding down that slot behind Nurse, the Oilers defense corps isn’t nearly as solid. Larsson has also been instrumental for his playing partners who are often young and relatively inexperienced. Nielson said, “Two more years of Adam Larsson is probably a good thing for this team moving forward, something I don’t think many would have said last year.”
Yamamoto Still Out for Oilers, Plus Other Lineup Changes
Forward Kailer Yamamoto is still out with upper body and listed as day-to-day. The Oilers will be excited to have him back in the lineup but this is now the second game he’ll miss in a row.
Looks like William Lagesson is back in for Caleb Jones and it appears Jujhar Khaira is back in at third-line center tonight, having been forced to sit a game after badly losing a fight to Brett Ritchie of the Calgary Flames. How he rebounds from that incident will be interesting to see.
Mike Smith gets the start in goal.
By Brian Swane on Mar 20, 2021 10:06 am
The National Hockey League season wasn’t yet four weeks old when I wrote about how Edmonton Oilers’ superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid were on pace to reach 100 points in this shortened 56-game season.
There was a lot of talk at the time about the duo hitting the century mark, though it was mostly just fun to imagine. Scoring at that rate for only a dozen or so games was in itself incredible, but to keep it going for another three months? That simply wasn’t realistic.
Reality did eventually catch up with Draisaitl, but McDavid continues to defy it. And with the Oilers captain scoring both of his team’s goals in a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place on Thursday, which lifted Edmonton into a tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs atop the North Division standings, it can be said that stuff just got real.
McDavid now has an NHL-leading 58 points (20 goals, 38 assists) in 33 games, putting him on a 56-game pace for 98 points. To reach 100 points, McDavid needs 42 in Edmonton’s remaining 23 games, which may seem impossible, until you realize it’s just one more point than the 41 he’s racked up in his previous 23 games.
One for the Ages
What we’re witnessing from McDavid is shaping up as one of the all-time great seasons in more than a century of NHL hockey. He’s currently averaging 1.76 points per game, an incredible number that would rank 29th all-time in a single season and is even more appreciable with added context.
For starters, 1.76 points would be the highest average by any player in a season which the league-wide average for goals in a game is less than six (this season’s average is currently just over 5.5 goals per game). It would also be the most in 25 years, since Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux averaged 1.82 and 1.79, respectively, in 1995-96. And McDavid would be only the 12th different player to average that many points in at least one season; the others are all in the Hall-of-Fame.
But most notably, of the 283 times a player has scored 100 points in a single season, it’s only been done once playing less than 60 games, in 1989-90, when Lemieux scored 123 in 59 games.
Can’t Forget About Drai
Not to be overlooked is the production of Draisaitl, who by any measure is having a spectacular campaign: He’s second in the NHL with 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists) through 33 games, which projects to 83 points in 56 games, and his average of 1.48 points is only slightly under off his rate from last season (1.55 per game) when Draisaitl captured the Art Ross Trophy with 110 points in 71 games.
With 25 points through Edmonton’s opening 14 games, Draisaitl was on pace for exactly 100 in 56. But he had “only” eight points in the next 10 games, knocking Draisaitl so far off the 100-point pace that the reigning Hart Trophy winner would need to score like Wayne Gretzky in the ‘80s to have any hope of reaching triple digits.
McDavid has avoided all but the slightest misstep that would trip him up this 100-point sprint. After going pointless in three straight losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs three weeks ago, McDavid has erupted for eight goals and 12 assists in the proceeding eight games.
Another stretch of three games without a point might be too much for McDavid to overcome, but considering that’s now happened only three times since he entered the NHL in 2015, the odds are probably better that he’ll hit 100 points than go a week without soring.
Next up is for McDavid and Co. is a rematch with the Winnipeg Jets at home on Saturday, when a win would ensure the Oilers maintain at least a share of first place in the division.
A couple of points from McDavid would go a long way to helping his team pick up those crucial two points in the standings. And a three-point night would put him on pace for 100. Doesn’t seem so far-fetched now, does it?
By Jim Parsons on Mar 19, 2021 01:45 pm
In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there’s an update on what Taylor Hall is thinking about doing when it comes to his no-move clause and waiving it for the Buffalo Sabres. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars aren’t ready to be sellers yet, and the Columbus Blue Jackets have some decisions to make when it comes to Nick Foligno and Seth Jones. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers are set to start talking contract with a couple of pending free agent defensemen and how busy will things be for the Ottawa Senators?
Oilers to Talk Contract with Larsson, Barrie
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Oilers GM Ken Holland plans to have preliminary contract talks with Adam Larsson and Tyson Barrie‘s camps about potential contract extensions. This is in addition to talks between the Oilers and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins that are ongoing.
Dreger called these early talks that, if they bleed into the offseason, is completely acceptable to the Oilers. He notes “the priority is on the playoffs for the Oilers.”
Hall Considering Options
Dreger also reports Taylor Hall is currently considering all his options, which include signing a new contract with the Sabres or allowing them to trade him. The 29-year-old left-winger is seeking stability somewhere but the Sabres reportedly are concerned about a long-term deal considering the uncertain direction their franchise is going.
If made available, Hall will generate interest among playoff contenders. Sportsnet’s Mike Johnston believes the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins could be potential destinations. Realistically, some of these teams are not really options for salary cap reasons.
Stars Trying to Make Playoffs
Frank Seravalli reports the Stars are not officially sellers and that general manager Jim Nill remains focused on his club reaching the playoffs. Because the team has a number of games in hand and the returns of center Tyler Seguin and goalie Ben Bishop could give the club a boost, it’s too early to determine what the team will be (buyers or sellers) prior to April 12th.
The club could become buyers but if they drop out of the playoff race expect there to be talk about the availability of pending UFAs like Jamie Oleksiak and Andrew Cogliano.
Senators Could Have Quiet Trade Deadline
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Pierre Dorion of the Senators expects to be patient but work the phones up to the deadline. Even though the team has nine prospective unrestrictive free agents, things may be relatively quiet for the Senators. Ottawa has a few more forwards but there are multiple moving parts and many teams they could deal with are salary in for salary out.
Garrioch writes:
While the Senators have some unrestricted free agents that may interest playoff contenders, the sense around the league is there may not be many deals at this trade deadline because teams are being very careful about spending during the shortened 56-game regular season.
Mike Reilly may be the most expendable and attractive option while Christian Wolanin could be another target because if he does not play enough games, he transitions to an unrestricted free agent.
Blue Jackets Could Move Foligno, Seth Jones Talk
Pierre LeBrun reports the Blue Jackets are fighting for a playoff spot and chasing the Blackhawks in the Central. While they aren’t prepared to sell yet, teams are calling about captain Nick Foligno. The forward has a 10-team no-trade list but the Jackets hope to keep him on board for a playoff run. If they decide to move him, LeBrun said the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs are the teams to watch.
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic notes that As of July 1, the Blue Jackets can sign defenseman Seth Jones to a long-term contract extension. Jones has said he is open to a new deal and it is believed Jarmo Kekalainen will have to throw the checkbook at him and that still may not be enough.
Portzline writes:
Considering how much leverage the 26-year-old Jones has, they’ll likely need to blow him away on July 1 with an offer that makes him among the highest-paid defensemen in the league. The emphasis should be on flattery, not just fairness… Eight years, $80 million? $88 million? With an offer in that neighborhood, the Blue Jackets will know right away how serious Jones is about staying in Columbus.
By Brian Swane on Mar 19, 2021 08:59 am
The Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets are set for a huge series, with games Thursday (7 p.m. MT) and Saturday (8 p.m. MT) at Rogers Place.
Not only are the teams tied for second place in the North Division, with 38 points apiece, but they are also just two points back of division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs, who are off until Friday. Thus, the loser of Thursday’s tilt will drop to third in the North, while the winner will move into a first-place tie with the Leafs.
This is now the 10th season with the NHL back in Winnipeg, and during that span, the Oilers and Jets have never met with so much at stake while both teams are playing at such a high level.
So as we get set for these two monster games, here’s a look at the five most memorable games so far between the Oilers and the modern-day Jets.
Back in the ‘Peg
02/27/12 – Oilers 5 at Jets 3
In their first game in Winnipeg since December 1995, the Oilers scored four times in the third period for a comeback win at the MTS Centre.
Taylor Hall had the game-winning goal and added an assist, while Jordan Eberle, Ryan Jones, Lennart Pettrell, and Ryan Whitney also scored for Edmonton. Oilers netminder Devan Dubnyk stopped 29 of 32 shots to pick up the win.
Winnipeg opened the third period with a 2-1 lead before Edmonton erupted with four straight goals in a span of less than 16 minutes. Nik Antropov, Alexander Burmistrov, and Kyle Wellwood had the Jets’ goals.
This was the first meeting between Edmonton and Winnipeg NHL teams since the Jets lost 3-2 to the Oilers at Edmonton Coliseum on March 29, 1996.
A Classic Victory
10/23/16 – Oilers 3 at Jets 0
Before a sellout crowd of 33,240 fans at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Oilers goalie Cam Talbot made 31 saves to shutout the Jets in the 2016 Heritage Classic, the 19th NHL regular season to be played outdoors.
Edmonton got all its goals in the second period, with Mark Letestu, Zack Kassian, and Darnell Nurse scoring on Jets’ netminder Connor Hellebuyck.
Puck drop had been scheduled for 2 p.m. local time but was delayed by almost two hours because of the presence of direct sunlight on the ice surface. The temperature was 50.1 degrees Fahrenheit when the game finally started.
Prior to the game, teams of Jets and Oilers alumni took the ice for a friendly match-up that featured some of hockey’s all-time greats, including Wayne Gretzky and Teemu Selanne.
Shutout Until the Shootout
10/20/19 – Jets 1 vs. Oilers 0
For just the second time in team history, the Oilers went to a shootout with the game score 0-0.
Neither team could score over 60 minutes of regulation plus five minutes of three-on-three at Bell MTS Place, as the goaltenders stood tall; Edmonton’s Mike Smith stopped 23 shots from the Jets and Hellebuyck made 28 saves.
The skills contest opened with Hellebuyck stopping Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kyle Connor scoring for Winnipeg. After Connor McDavid missed on Edmonton’s second attempt, Patrik Laine put the puck behind Smith to secure a Winnipeg win.
Edmonton had won its only previous game that went to a shootout tied 0-0, on the road against the Montreal Canadiens in February 2017.
The Night Hockey Stopped
03/11/20 – Jets 4 @ Oilers 2
It started as a huge game for both teams in the stretch drive to the post-season, but the focus quickly turned to things other than goals and penalties.
While the Oilers and Jets were playing, the National Basketball Association had suspended its season because of a player’s positive COVID-19 test. Word spread quickly, and as the game progressed at Rogers Place, there was a growing sense that this would be the last NHL action anyone would see for a while.
We know too well how the rest of the story goes. The NHL suspended play the next day, and it would be months before it resumed play. Edmonton fans have yet to return to the rink for more than a year now.
As for the game itself, Connor scored twice in the third period to break a game that was deadlocked at two after two. McDavid and Tyler Ennis each scored for the Oilers.
Buzzer Beater
01/24/21 – Oilers 4 at Jets 3
Leon Draisaitl scored the latest go-ahead goal in Oilers history, culminating a crazy finish that saw the teams combine for four goals over the last 6:06 of the game.
Just prior to the final horn, Draisaitl took a pass from McDavid and fired the puck behind former Oiler and current Winnipeg goalie Laurent Brossoit for the game-winning goal at 19:59 of the third period. Edmonton’s Mikko Koskinen stopped 35 shots between the pipes.
Goals from Nugent-Hopkins and Kyle Turris had given Edmonton a 2-1 lead, before Nikolai Ehlers and Blake Wheeler scored just 73 seconds apart to put the Jets in front with less than five minutes to play. Kailer Yamamoto’s goal with 3:05 remaining pulled Edmonton even at 3-3.
This list could soon require an update. Both the Oilers and Jets had key wins on Wednesday (Edmonton beat the Calgary Flames 7-3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome; Winnipeg topped the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime at Bell MTS Place), setting the stage for an exciting two-game set. With the way things are going, these are a couple games that fans could be talking about for some time.
By Jim Parsons on Mar 18, 2021 03:33 pm
Just hours before Wednesday’s game, Tyson Barrie slotting into the lineup for the Edmonton Oilers was questionable. He wound up not only playing, but the defenseman scored four assists to help the Oilers win 7-3 over the Calgary Flames. It was a huge game for Barrie and it catapulted him to the top of the NHL standings when it comes to points by a defenseman.
Fans in Edmonton are loving the results of last night’s game. Everyone is on a high, some writing on social media that the Oilers have to be thanking their lucky stars that goaltender Jacob Markstrom chose the Flames while Barrie worked out as Plan B. Admittedly, it’s been the perfect fit and both sides have to be loving how things have worked out.
The question will become, what happens next.
Forget Selling High
There are some theories floating around that the Oilers should sell high on Barrie and move him before the NHL Trade Deadline to capitalize on his value. I’ll be the first to suggest it’s the most ridiculous theory out there, with one exception. If Barrie makes it known to GM Ken Holland that there’s no way he stays past this season, then maybe you look to shop him.
First, I don’t believe Barrie would do that. Second, I’m not sure I’d trade him even then. He’s far too valuable for the Oilers playoff push and while Edmonton has other right-handed defenseman on the roster, it would be incredibly incompetent to move a player who is producing like Barrie is, especially at a time you need him the most. I’m also confident Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl wouldn’t be too pleased with that decision either.
Does Barrie Recognize How Good a Fit This Is?
With the preposterous idea of trading him out of the way, let’s acknowledge that Barrie understood there was a chance production like this was possible with the Oilers. It’s why he chose to come to Edmonton in the first place and took less money to do so. His goal was to get himself in a good position to produce some incredible offensive numbers and turn that into a longer-term deal that was more to his liking.
That said, an argument can be made that perhaps Barrie shouldn’t be looking for the most money on his next deal, even if he winds up scoring something like 50 points in 56 games.
Hockey Central analyst Kevin Bieksa says Barrie would be wise to understand the enviable position he’s in — being part of core of highly-skilled Oilers players — and do whatever it takes to stay there. In other words, if the Oilers offer him a long-term deal, he should jump at it, even if it’s not at the same dollar value he could get elsewhere.
Bieksa’s Argument Makes Sense
Bieksa spoke about the success Barrie is having in Edmonton and compared his contract situation to one he saw up close and personal. When he was in Vancouver, Bieksa noted that forward Anson Carter was having a great contract year and scored 33 goals with the Canucks. Playing alongside the Sedins, there was no way Carter was likely to recreate that success elsewhere, but he jumped at more money with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Carter was out of the NHL in a year’s time.
This is not to suggest that Barrie would play himself out of the NHL in another situation, but Bieksa thinks Barrie needs to understand there’s no better fit for him in the NHL than with the Oilers and that’s got to be worth a lot when it comes to talking an extension. Bieksa explained:
“When you’re a free agent, you gotta find a team that’s a good fit for you. … You look at it with Barrie, it’s just a good fit. The way he plays, he likes to handle the puck, he likes to be offensive, jump in the play, he’s good on the power play, he’s a right hand shot, which is also important for McDavid and Draisailt. He checks a lot of the boxes, he’s having a lot of success.”
What Is Staying Put Worth to Barrie?
Bieksa suggests Barrie should take the first offer the Oilers make. “I’m signing an extension right now, first ask,” he says. It’s probably not realistic to expect that to happen, but it is fair to ask what a Barrie extension looks like if both sides come to an understanding that where he is, is also where he should remain.
Could the Oilers get Barrie to sign a three-year extension at around $5 million per season? Sure, Barrie could get more, but that’s workable for the Oilers and it keeps Barrie where he’s going to post some pretty big numbers, playing with some of the best players in the world.
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