THW Daily - Week 8 NHL Power Rankings & Oilers' Blue Line Trade Wish List
Also, a look at a missed opportunity for the Maple Leafs, bright spots for Minnesota & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have power rankings for Week 8 in the NHL, a wish list for the Oilers on the blue line, a missed opportunity, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Erik Gustafsson’s Success a Missed Opportunity for Maple Leafs
November 27, 2023 by The Old Prof
The late February 2023 trade that sent defenseman Erik Gustafsson from the Washington Capitals to the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with a first-round pick (Easton Cowan), in exchange for Rasmus Sandin has escaped the memories of Maple Leafs fans.
Certainly, many continue to believe that losing Sandin was an issue because they thought he was headed toward becoming a solid player. Others point to Cowan as a diamond in the rough, who the team is surprisingly fortunate to have on their roster.
NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings: Week 8
November 27, 2023 by Eugene Helfrick
Well, we’ve reached our next big benchmark of the 2023-24 NHL season. With American Thanksgiving marking the end of the first quarter of a traditional NHL season (give or take a few games), if you look back at history, roughly 75 percent of the teams in postseason position by this holiday make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Given expectations heading into the season, the playoff picture is a bit surprising for both the Eastern and Western Divisions. THW’s own Alex Chauvancy gave an excellent breakdown of the standings at American Thanksgiving, and I highly suggest clicking the article below if you want to learn more.
4 Bright Spots in Minnesota Wild Play
November 27, 2023 by Mariah Stark (Holland)
The Minnesota Wild recorded their seventh straight loss when they fell to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, Nov. 26. Obviously, with the way the team’s season has gone so far, fans, coaches, players, and everyone near and dear to the Wild have ideas to fix their losing record. Making a coaching change is first on the list, as it typically always is with a struggling team, followed by changing the lines, trading players, and, of course, benching players. However, benching players is somewhat of an issue for the Wild due to cap restraints.
With all of this negativity surrounding the Wild’s current state, it’s important to keep in mind there are bright spots in their play. They may be small and often overlooked due to all the disappointment going on, but the good can be things to focus their play on and improve. There are a few good things the Wild can keep in mind, with the first being their shots on goal, and we’ll start the article there.
Canadiens Need to Make Changes to Help Josh Anderson Reboot
November 27, 2023 by Blain Potvin
The Montreal Canadiens’ 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster for the fans, and for the team on the ice. After a strong start to the season, Montreal started to have problems with consistency. Short winning streaks, followed by losing games at times for a lack of skill and others for a lack of attention to detail.
This up-and-down, inconsistent version of the Canadiens has been frustrating, but that is part of the rebuilding process of a team that is still learning. For Josh Anderson however, the peaks and valleys are not due to youth or inexperience. For him, it is a problem that needs to be attended to on the ice, before it becomes a problem general manager (GM) Kent Hughes needs to address off of it.
Oilers’ Trade Wish List Should Be Topped by 3 Right-Shot D-Men
November 27, 2023 by Rob Couch
The Edmonton Oilers have pretty much sat on their hands and waited until something has made sense for them to make a move on. Instead of overpaying for a fix, they are trying to look internally to pull themselves out of the hole they dug early this season. There are more than just problems in net and the need for a goalie upgrade alongside Stuart Skinner, there’s also the need for better defence.
The team hasn’t played well defensively, left their assignments open on a regular basis, been caught up ice, and has given other teams good chances they shouldn’t have. While that needs to be cleaned up, it’s easier said than done internally. This is where the need for a defensive upgrade on the right side comes into play. The left side consists of Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm who aren’t going anywhere and will play in the top-four. After that, there’s Brett Kulak and Philip Broberg (who can play both sides but the left is his natural side).
Coyotes’ Logan Cooley in Unique Situation at the Quarter Mark
November 27, 2023 by Cooper Krigbaum
The Arizona Coyotes have formed a foundation which they have built upon since general manager Bill Armstrong has come to town. Whether it’s the multitude of draft assets they’ve accumulated or locking up the core group of players that will hope to win a Stanley Cup one day. However, none have been hyped up as much as Logan Cooley. He is likely the best prospect the Coyotes have had in their history, yet, at the season’s quarter mark, his play leaves more questions than answers.
Every player coming into the NHL will struggle; it’s inevitable. That’s the nature of the league: one moment, they’ll be atop the world, and the next, they’ll be at rock bottom. For Cooley, he has seen just that, but 20 games into the season, there is room for a vast improvement in his game. Then again, he’s only played 20 games in his NHL career, and usually, this will be the toughest stretch, as adjusting and adapting can be difficult. The stat sheet may prove he’s been, as advertised, a playmaker, but diving deeper, there is some area for minimal concern.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Toronto Maple Leafs - Treliving Clarifies Cap Rumor Regarding Klingberg’s Injury
Chicago Blackhawks - 5 Thoughts on the Blackhawks Thanksgiving Week of Ups & Downs
Edmonton Oilers - Oilers’ Recent Coaching Change Having No Impact on Team
NHL News & Rumors - Blackhawks, Bruins, Oilers
From TSN - Rangers' Kakko leaves game after awkward fall
From Sportsnet - Player draft returns as Toronto 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend adds third day
From ESPN - Wild's Ryan Hartman suspended two games for tripping
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