Player grades: Unsung Oiler is OT hero, Edmonton Oilers, 1, Vegas Golden Knights, 0
In total, the Grade A shots were XX for the Oilers, XX for VGK, with the subset of more dangerous 5-alarm shots XX for Edmonton, XX for the Knights (running count).
, 7. Largely contained, but always threatening. He charged back like a rocket on the back check to break up a 2-on-1 rush, a fantastic play. Almost scored in the last minutes of the third on a 2-on-1 snipe. He had two solid chances off the rush early. in OT. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +5/-1; Special Teams +0/-0
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Snapped a slot shot from inside home plate early on but hit post, not net. Chipped it up for McD's third period break-in shot. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST +0/-0.
Zach Hyman, 7. Worked his heart out, like he's done consistently in the playoffs. Came out like a drillbit slamming and shattering hardrock. Excellent backcheck with McD on Olofsson early on. Solid hit on McNab in the second. He set up Drai's early third period break in. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-1
Leon Draisaitl, 7. High event game. Beauty pass in OT. Some defensive miscues. A big ragged and lacking in danger on two early Oilers power plays. Where has his Executioner's Shot gone? He broke up a rush in the second, then rushed up ice to help on a Grade A shot. He broke in hard on a breakaway but could not beat Hill early in the third. A moment later he broke in again but failed to get it on net. GAS: ES +6/-3; ST +0/-0.
Vassily Podkolzin. 7. Set up Stecher for a dangerous Grade A in the second. Deked out by Theodore on a Grade A rush. Excellent stop-up and pass on winning goal. GAS: ES +5/-2; ST +0/-0.
Kasperi Kapanen, 8. Huge goal, just kept slamming away until it went in for three bonus points. He got off a Grade A shot to end a solid Oilers rush in the second. Out of position as Theodore moved in for a Grade A in the second. He won a battle to send in Drai early in the third. GAS: ES +5/-2; ST +0/-0.
Evander Kane, 5. He blasted through an attempted Shea Theadore check as if Theadore was a pee wee player, the first notable play of the game. Ripped a harpoon on net late in the first. But not much more on the attaxck. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Connor Brown, 6. Set up Kane's one-timer late in the first with a fast, eyes-up pass. Strong backtrack to break up a dangerous Vegas rush in the second. Got a Grade A off a Klingberg feed early in OT. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Adam Henrique, 5. Solid screen on Kane's one-timer almost led to a goal. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Trent Frederic, 5. He broke into the slot half-way through the game, but was quickly thwarted. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.
Corey Perry, 5. Won a battle harassing Hill to kick off Virtuous Cycle leading to two early Grade As by Janmark. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Mattias Janmark, 5. Almost cashed in on two tight jam shots early on. Allowed a dangerous pass into the slot late in the second but VGK hit the post. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Evan Bouchard. 7. Handled a bouncing puck to get a shot at net which Janmark almost slammed in early on. Send in Drai on a break but Drai missed the net. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST +0/-0.
Brett Kulak, 6. Solid defence. His bad line change after a successful PK led to dangerous VGK moment on the attack. Won the battle to end off McD's late third period charge. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-0.
Jake Walman, 6. Got it done in the two-way game. Deked out by Eichel in the slot early in the third but VGK failed to convert. GAS: ES +4/-2; ST +0/-0.
John Klingberg, 6. Plenty of solid passing but deked out in the slot leading to a Dorofeyev 5-alarmer in the second. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Troy Stecher, 6. Moved the puck fast and smart. His turnover kicked off a dangerous VGK rush early in the second. Almost slammed home a slotter on the rush in the second. Lost a battle and his skates as Karlsson was set up for 5-alarmer late in second. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0.
Darnell Nurse, 7. He went for a big hit early in the second but let in Oloffson free for a wicked Grade A. He made a great defensive sprawl early in third on the PK to crucially delay an Eichel slot pass. Huge slot shot block on Dorofeyev in OT. Got the puck at net on Kapanen's OT goal. GAS: ES +4/-2; ST +0/-1.
Stuart Skinner, 9. First big challenge early in the second when he stood up tall to Olofsson's screamer. Huge on Dorofeyev's 5-alarm slotter later that period. Assisted by post on Karlsson's second period slotter on a low-high pass. He gave his team a chance to win in the third with great saves on Eichel, McNabb and others,
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Big name Pittsburgh Penguin linked to Edmonton Oilers, but how can it happen?
There's no shortage of speculation about the future of Pittsburgh forward Bryan Rust, 33. Rust has three years left on a deal that pays $5.125 million per year. Rust has no trade protection clauses whatsoever, so he could go to any team, which has many a reporter, blogger and fan around the NHL hoping he'll end up in their city. Such speculation has spread to Edmonton, where the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson said the Oilers would like to acquire Rust, even if such a trade would be difficult to make. 'I said they would like Rust. I didn't say anything about what they would have to give up.' On the Hello Hockey show on Edmonton Sports Talk, host Tom Gazzola and NHL insider David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period also discussed Edmonton's future moves. Said Pagnotta of the Oilers: 'They are looking for another Top 6 guy. Now how the hell they pull it off with their (cap) dollars — like they're $300,000 within the cap. But you know all these teams including the Oilers are looking to make these types of additions.' Pagnotta then mentioned Pittsburgh as one team willing to move out players, including Rust and fellow scoring forward Rickard Rakell. 'They're willing to sell, but it's a high price. So, that's why there's not really much going on (right now).' On Oilers Now today, host Bob Stauffer didn't seem bullish on the notion that any big move was coming this summer for the Oilers, though he did say that maybe by October the Oilers might be able to move out a forward under contract. 'I don't think there's anything pending, though. Just know things can change. Situations are fluid.' My take 1. No surprise to hear that the Oilers are interested in Rust. Which team isn't? What would be surprising is for Rust to end up here. He's got no trade protection whatsoever, so he even if he wanted to force a trade to a contending team like Edmonton, he's got no leverage to push for such a move. 2. Why is it unlikely he'd come to Edmonton? All kinds of teams have the cap space needed to take on Rust's contract for the next three years. The Oilers do not. If Pittsburgh wants to be clear of Rust without having to cover any of his salary, they'll move him to a team with ample cap space. 3. Most experts who rank NHL prospects indicate that Edmonton has fewer top prospects than other teams. That means other teams who want Rust just as bad as the Oilers can offer more to get him, one more reason he's not likely to be coming to Edmonton. 4. As I see it, at the trade deadline the Oilers are going to have room to make on big trade. They'll give up their 2027 first round pick to do so and use whatever cap space they can muster by then. It's possible that Rust might be available then, but it's unlikely Edmonton would win the bidding war for him. 5. It's also the case that cap space will be tight in Edmonton in years to come. Rust is 33 next year, then 34 and 35 in the final two years of his deal. Unless Edmonton can find a way to move out a major contract, they won't likely be able to afford Rust under the cap in years to come. Rust is a decent to be a good player for a few more years (see chart below for scoring totals for NHL forwards aged 32 and over), but the key for Edmonton is to figure out a way to compete with younger, cheaper players. That means Edmonton betting on forwards like Ike Howard, Matt Savoie and Vasily Podkolzin, and hoping that their own older veterans such as Zach Hyman, Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins can keep coming up big in the playoffs. At the Cult of Hockey
New York Times
a day ago
- New York Times
Does Edmonton Oilers prospect Connor Clattenburg have an NHL future?
In the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers selected winger Connor Clattenburg from the OHL's Flint Firebirds. Draft day scouting reports described a physical winger who hit everything that moved and had some offence. By the fifth round of any draft, teams are looking for players with one outstanding skill, with the understanding that the elite passers and first-shot scorers are long gone. Edmonton liked the rugged aspect of Clattenburg's resume. Advertisement Clattenburg doesn't fit the profile of a future NHL player. He didn't appear in my top-20 prospects published after the draft this summer. My list is mostly math-based, assuming that a forward on his way to the Oilers will have to score at least a little to make the grade. In late early winter 2024, the Oilers signed him. That's a good arrow for any fifth-round selection. Another piece of good news: Edmonton's prospect pool doesn't have many wingers who are 6-foot-5, 203 pounds with a reputation for rattling the boards with heavy hits. A deeper dive offers more intrigue. The OHL coaches poll published this spring had Clattenburg ranked as the top body checker in the league's Western Conference, and No. 3 in both the best defensive forward and hardest worker categories in the West as well. Body checking and hardest work are interesting, but the best defensive forward votes are the real news. That offers a sliver of hope for a possible NHL future. Bruce Curlock evaluates Oilers prospects using video evidence and tracking progress. Recently, he ranked Clattenburg as his No. 7 prospect, writing, 'his skating and size are projectable to a fourth line player who can play hard, physical hockey. I would be quite surprised if he doesn't get a cup of coffee or two in the NHL. What will make him stick for longer than a large double-double is the development of his puck skills.' Doubling down on the strong ranking was Bob Stauffer from Oilers Now, himself a strong talent evaluator. Stauffer matched Gurlock's opinion, ranking Clattenburg as his No. 7 prospect. Is Clattenburg the seventh best prospect in the Oilers system? Over many years, the Oilers have drafted physical wingers with the idea of using them in depth (fourth line) roles. Some have been wildly successful, others hung around the league for a time, while still others fell short of the NHL. Here's a brief and incomplete look at some depth wingers who brought a physical element, checking ability and shy offence to their final seasons of junior hockey. All numbers hockeydb Offence had little to do with Kelly Buchberger's NHL career. He was a tireless forechecker who was fearless physically. He became one of the most popular players in team history. Part of that success came due to the rules of the time, which allowed all manner of fights and intimidation. Buchberger killed penalties, blocked shots and earned a long and productive NHL career. His offence was never a strength, and the changing of the rules (instigator) makes him an extreme outlier when discussing modern players. It's not possible for a Buchberger to exist in 2025. Advertisement Mitch Moroz is a better style comparable for Clattenburg. Both men earned strong reputations as checking forwards, and both scored well enough in their final junior seasons to receive NHL contracts from the Oilers. Moroz had an exceptional junior career with the Edmonton Oil Kings, including 35 goals in his final season in the WHL. He didn't flourish in pro hockey. Part of the issue was offence, as he scored just 14 goals in 147 AHL games. The Oilers weren't a strong team at the time, and the club was inconsistent in developing players in the AHL. Clattenburg's offence in the OHL last season and team goal scoring in the league were similar to Moroz coming out of junior. That doesn't mean he'll fail in pro hockey, but the Bakersfield Condors coaching staff will need to play him in situations where his skills can be advanced. Bottom line on offence: Clattenburg will have three seasons of his entry-level deal to post some offence in the minors. The organization showed faith in him by reaching out with a contract. He won't have the rule advantage that allowed Buchberger to flourish, but will have a more mature development team in Bakersfield than Moroz a decade ago. Clattenburg's first AHL season will tell us much about his ability to play a responsible game. He should have a better team to play for than Moroz as an AHL rookie. The final Oklahoma City Barons team bled goals with Moroz on and off the ice. He did improve in Year 2. In 40 games with the 2015-16 Bakersfield Condors, Moroz went 18-14 goals (56 percent). He was unable to build on it, though, and his career faded. For Clattenburg, playing time will be the tell. Moroz didn't see much action as a rookie, and didn't see feature minutes on the Barons or Condors. The team chose to run veterans Rob Klinkhammer and Ryan Hamilton on the skill lines. Much of development comes from an organizational commitment. Clattenburg will need opportunities. Advertisement Curlock's comments about Clattenburg's offensive ability include a passage about advancing his play offensively during the past season. One of the dangers of placing too much importance on a player's final junior season is physical maturity. Clattenburg would have bossed players a couple of years younger all winter long. Moroz scored 35 goals at 19, after delivering just 13 the previous season. Clattenburg scored 25 goals in his final 76 OHL games over two seasons. The numbers are similar, and the league goal totals are also a match. Neither man dominated at 17 or 18. Clattenburg's two-way acumen is a huge positive, and his reputation as a punishing hitter will be welcome. As it always does, this will come down to how much offence will be delivered. When winger Gilles Tremblay arrived at Montreal Canadiens training camp in the fall of 1960, he told coach Toe Blake he could take care of the defensive aspects of the game, but wouldn't be able to help too much offensively. Blake told him to look after the puck in the Montreal zone, and he'd teach him where goals came from at the other end. It worked well for a decade. That's what Clatternburg will need. He won't see feature minutes. He'll have to score fourth-line goals consistently to make the NHL. We wait.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
We all love top Oilers d-man, but a contract extension for him? Hmm
We all love Mattias Ekholm, veteran defenceman and hockey hero of the Edmonton Oilers, the king of the north, the Viking of the blueline. He's a top Oilers d-man for sure. In fact, at times in the past few seasons he's been Edmonton's best d-man. That said, as a fan of the team before I'm a fan of any one player, I can't say I love the idea of Edmonton extending Ekholm's contract just now. I hadn't been thinking it was a possibility but this week on Oilers Now, Edmonton's top NHL insider Bob Stauffer, the team's master of whisperers, shared this nugget: 'It wouldn't surprise me if the Oilers extended Matthias Ekholm, maybe even this summer.'' When Stauffer mentioned it, the ideas sounded OK enough, mainly because I'm like almost all of the rest of you: I admire Ekholm both as an individual and as a player. Acquiring him from Nashville was one of the two or three best moves former GM Ken Holland made with the Oilers, that and signing Zach Hyman and giving second chances to players like Evander Kane and Corey Perry, even as other NHL teams were too cautious and/or sanctimonious to consider the same. Ekholm has been a stalwart since his arrival in Edmonton, teaming up with Evan Bouchard on the team's top-pairing to help lead the squad to two Stanley Cup Finals. But time and injury aren't the friends of a single NHL player. Time and injury catch up to all of them. We got a taste of that with Ekholm this season. He played as well as ever in the first half of the season, but after a series of core injury issues, his game wasn't the same. After a rough stretch of games where he leaked Grade A shots against, he was out for weeks in the final part of the season. When he came back in the playoffs, he was OK in general, but iffy in key moments, especially against Florida as the series went along. Ekholm wasn't alone in playing marginal hockey as that series unfolded, but he wasn't the exception to the general rule either. When I first heard Stauffer's musing about Ekholm maybe getting a contract extension this summer — he's got one year left on a deal that pays him $6.25 million this year — my first thought was that the Oilers had best wait to see how Ekholm recovers and performs this year before committing to the player. That notion has only been reinforced after looking at how other players aged 36 and up did in the NHL this past season. This past year, Ekholm was 34 and, when healthy, played at a peak or near peak level. Next year in the final year of his deal, we can't be sure how he'll play at age 35. But in 2026-27, the first year of any new deal he might sign, he'll be 36, and what we can say with certainty is it's rare for 36-year-old d-men to play strong two-way hockey at the NHL level. Most of them at that age have been so slowed by age and injury that they've retired. Only two or three still play top level hockey. In 2024-25, there were just eight 35-year-old d-men in the NHL. Of those, just two, Chris Tanev and Ryan McDonagh, played at full season at near peak levels of play. Two others, Jared Spurgeon and Drew Doughty, played well but were out with injury much of the year. The others — Luke Schenn, Brendan Smith, Ian Cole and Robert Bortuzzo — were OK-to-iffy. As mentioned, Ekholm will be 35 next year. One hopes he can be like Tanev or McDonagh and thrive all year as a two-way player. But the odds start to work against him now in the final year of his contract. If he were to sign a new deal, it would be for when he's 36 and possibly older, if the Oilers gave him term. Just eight d-men 36-years and older played in the NHL last year and just two of them, Brent Burns and Kris Letang, were Top 4 d-men on their teams. The odds start to get daunting if you're counting on a 36-year-old d-man to play solid two-way hockey in a Top 4 role. Of course Ekholm is an individual. He's a remarkable player and person. Perhaps he can't defy those odds. But no player is a good bet to do so, even as some few pull it off. If the Oilers were to extend him, I'd compare him to Jeff Petry, 37 last season, signing with Florida, another top team with major salary cap issues. Petry signed a deal for $775,000, with performance bonus money of $250,000. That's the kind of sober bet a top team with Stanley Cup aspirations makes on d-men over the age of 35. Now if Ekholm were to crush it this year as a two-way player that equation might change, but not until then.
