Oilers Beat Flyers, Destroying Goalies, All-Star Talk and More
What's the latest on the goalie front?
Welcome to the THW Edmonton Oilers Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Oilers writers.
The Edmonton Oilers beat the Philadelphia Flyers, making this the second time the made a possible goaltending trade target look silly. Plus, the All-Star selections are coming up and at least one Oiler is getting snubbed.
Plus, there is more trade speculation on the goalie front.
Enjoy the game tonight and now onto the good stuff!
Oilers’ 5-2 Win vs Flyers Highlighted by McDavid’s 900th Point
January 3, 2024 by Brian Swane
Connor McDavid factored in on all of Edmonton’s scoring, with one goal and four assists, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice, and Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman also had goals for the Oilers. Philadelphia got goals from Travis Konecny and Marc Staal. Stuart Skinner made 35 saves for the Oilers, while Flyers goalie Carter Hart stopped 31 of 36 shots.
With the win, the Oilers improve to 19-15-1 for a total of 39 points through 35 games. Edmonton has won 17 of its last 23 games and is 16-6-0 since changing coaches on Nov. 12 when they replaced Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch.
Edmonton never trailed in the game, jumping in front 2-0 and finishing the game with three unanswered goals after Philadelphia had rallied to tie the score. Here are three takeaways from the Oilers’ latest victory:
Oilers Diminish Appeal of Goalie Trade Options with Recent Wins
January 4, 2024 by Jim Parsons
The Edmonton Oilers are scoring at will in recent games. With a 30-12 positive goal differential, and versus some teams that have goaltenders the Oilers might be considering ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, the optics of trading for one of these netminders Edmonton is lighting up doesn’t seem so appealing. What exactly does that mean for GM Ken Holland, who has spent the last month or two scouting almost everyone?
Oilers 2023-24 Trade Targets: Louis Domingue
January 4, 2024 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Edmonton Oilers are fighting their way back into the playoff picture this season after a disappointing start saw them temporarily fall to the bottom of the league in the standings. They had some major issues stemming from lackluster goaltending as well as terrible defensive hockey which led to the team firing Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson who were replaced by Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey. The team also opted to send down Jack Campbell and recall Calvin Pickard which immediately began discussions about whether or not the Oilers were going to pursue a goaltender on the trade market.
2024 NHL All-Star Selections: Which Oilers Get Snubbed?
January 3, 2024 by Jim Parsons
The NHL is set to unveil its initial roster of All-Stars, with one player selected from each of the 32 teams tomorrow. This announcement has sparked early debate and some criticism as fans express discontent over the league’s commitment to ensuring representation from every team. The sentiment on social media echoes frustration, with many deeming the rule arbitrary and detrimental to the showcase of the league’s top talents.
Oilers May Face Dilemma to Keep or Trade Olivier Rodrigue
January 3, 2024 by Sean Panganiban
The Edmonton Oilers have a big decision to make in net from now until the trade deadline. Stuart Skinner has been sensational as of late, going 5-2 in December and posting a .913 save percentage (SV%) within that time and is without a doubt the number one guy in net, but he’ll need some help down the playoff stretch.
The player is only 24 years old and as Gretzky said a lot has changed in 6 months. He has not played that many games in the Bake give him some more reps there too solodify his game. If an injury happens then give him.sn opportunity to showcase himself.