The All-Star match is finished. For the others, it’s the same warm, sandy interlude.
It’s time for the Edmonton Oilers to resume their work.
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That will take place in an exciting manner on Tuesday night when the Oilers visit Vegas on the heels of a 16-game winning streak to face the team that eliminated them from the postseason the previous spring.
Even with the billing’s flashiness, the excitement surrounding the NHL Trade Deadline has somewhat muted it.
Like you, I’m sure you’ve noticed that Jordan Eberle’s name has been brought up, linking the former star of the Oilers and now expiring Seattle UFA to Edmonton. Look, I have all of my time to dedicate to Eberle. However, he earns $5.5 million. You won’t have much space left over if you are freeing up cap space for him. Furthermore, I’m not sure that the Oilers’ greatest need is his skill set—a legitimate NHL scorer.
8. Stuart Skinner has been selected as January’s NHL Second Star of the Month. All he did was record a 12-game winning streak (nine starts in a row) while maintaining a 1.33 GAA and a.953 SV%. In the event of a precipitous injury or other event, Skinner will be Edmonton’s top player come playoff time. I’m incredibly proud of what Calvin Pickard has accomplished since coming here. I would just like to know if the organisation believes that this pairing has a chance to win the Stanley Cup. For the record, Jack Campbell has a.935 SV% through his last 7 starts.
7. I believe that a 3–4, 2-way centre with some size, faceoff skill, and PK experience should be the Oilers’ top priority before the deadline. You can never have too many Centres, as I often say. In a moment, I’ll discuss some names. However, I also wonder if Ken Holland thinks about making changes to his Defence Corps. I could understand the rationale for including some seasoned veterans as backup in case you suffer any injuries. However, it’s possible that upgrading any of the current Top-4—who have been exceptionally strong—might not be the best value.
6. The only aspect of All-Star weekend that really interests me is the NHL All-Star Game Skills competition. Additionally, it’s a new platform on which we can challenge the notion that Connor McDavid is the most technologically advanced player in league history. Growing up, I used to watch Bobby Orr accomplish amazing feats and wonder, “How did he DO that?” Connor gives me essentially the same experience. He won every single category and skated off with a $1 million cheque.
5. The announcement that NHL players will be going back to the Olympics was the more significant news to come out of the All-Star break. Some people, as far as I know, still think that amateurs should only compete in the Olympics. However, that is outdated thinking. Even the so-called amateurs who competed in previous Olympics were, for the most part, not real amateurs. Furthermore, in your favourite sport, how could you not be a fan of the “best-on-best” players representing their nations? It doesn’t get any better, in my opinion.
