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The Edmonton Oilers are working on building the roster.

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With only 3 preseason games to go, the next 2-3 days will answer many questions that Oil Country fans are undoubtedly asking themselves right now.

Some of the most urgent will be addressed in this edition of …

9 things

9. Stuart skinner has a revealing preseason. I’m not sure Skinner will ever be a No. 1 man in the NHL. But in a club that still has challenges to overcome, having one of your 2 goalies next year right next to its ELC but at the minimum of the league would be a significant turn of events.

8. If I am reading tea leaves correctly, expect Colton Sceviour to sign a bilateral agreement with Edmonton. It’s likely Sceviour would go on waivers and be a valuable depth veteran who can play all 3 NHL-level attacking positions. The whole situation of Josh Archibald opened a window of opportunity for Sceviour.

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7. Josh archibald had COVID in the summer and now has myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle and a known outcome for some who contract the virus. He is away indefinitely and that can put his career in jeopardy. I strongly disagreed with Archibald’s decision not to get the vaccine. But I certainly don’t wish him bad health. I hope for him and his family that he will make a full recovery. Archibald and his $ 1.5 million cap will end up on the LTIR.

6. The more I watch the 4LW battle between Brendan Perlini and Tyler benson the more I wonder if the Oilers keep both and maybe instead Ryan mcleod. Perlini has been better than Benson to date. But I also think Edmonton could lose Benson on waivers… especially before other teams establish their roster in the NHL. I love McLeod but he doesn’t need a dispensation. During this time, Devin Shore looked like a more than competent 4C.

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5. I didn’t like Dave tippett post-match review of Leon Draisaitl Saturday, after # 29 won the match (albeit an almost insignificant exposure tilt) with that incredible pass from backhand to Ryan nugent hopkins. Holding players accountable is perfectly acceptable. But it was the public nature of it that rubbed me off. The Oilers will win more games this year because of Draisaitl than almost anyone else on the roster. And Number 29 certainly wasn’t the reason the Oilers lost in the playoffs last summer. I generally have a lot of respect for Tippett. But i don’t remember Glen sather win 4 cups in this city by blaming its best players.

4. I can’t imagine anyone being really surprised that the Oilers defense seems to be missing Adam larsson. But he also missed Duncan Keith. And while these 2 men are different types of defensemen, one thing they share on the ice is a very high hockey IQ. Even though Keith’s skills at 38 have eroded somewhat since his prime, he will still have all of his hockey smarts and more. The mental mistakes we have seen from Evan bouchard, Philippe Broberg (remember, guys, these are rookies) and even Cody This should be much less common from Keith. That kind of constant stability for 20 minutes a night should make a huge difference.

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3. I have written several times now how Kyle turris had spent the summer in Edmonton and came to camp in excellent shape. Some fans with a recency bias from last year’s miserable performance responded with “who cares”? Well, the results so far this fall have been very encouraging. Turris seems both a half step faster and harder to push the puck off. On the wing, his foot speed is not much of a problem. And he was still very smart. If Turris’ conditioning turns into a time machine that delivers a player 35 points in 82 games (which he was 2 years ago), that’s a big win. Turris was on a line with Shore and Perlini on Saturday may have been foreshadowed by the coach.

2. My eyes tell me that Jesse puljujarvi took another step forward. His 2 goals on Saturday were a study in contrast: one saw the big # 13 being a better door than a window in Winnipeg’s net. The other saw him throw a ripping job from the top of the circle that the Jets goaltender could only salute. Puljujarvi did not go out and did not learn new skills. He just looks more confident in the ones he already had. I also don’t see Jesse bumping into his teammates like he has in the past. This suggests that his communication skills have improved as well. If it stays online with Connor mcdavid and Zack Hyman, I can see Puljujarvi scoring 30 goals. Hopefully.

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1.Mikko Koskinen was excellent Saturday. If his season goes like last night (so a .912 SV%) then that solves a big potential problem in Edmonton’s net. Koskinen’s post-game comments about last season and what life was like away from his family and isolated (and, as he admitted, alone) in a strange hotel room clearly revealed the human side of this. game. A smart guy I know often tells me “You know, Kurt, you don’t always know what someone else is up to”. This Koskinen story is a good example. Some people think that high-paying NHL players are bots that should be able to flip a switch and turn off all those distractions.

But what they really are are human beings with families, issues, and feelings, just like the rest of us. And most good people will tell you that money doesn’t make these problems go away. It just hides a bit. Yeah, it’s professional hockey and it’s totally reasonable to expect a guy like Koskinen to get his contract. But I have a news flash for you: they also want to earn it. Almost all got to this level because they were ultra-competitive and outmatched guys that maybe only slightly better. They care. But they also face many of the same challenges in life that we do.

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I remember playing good senior hockey on a team that employed several imported players. Most of us weren’t paid, but we did. The coach’s idea to inspire them was to say, in the locker room and in front of everyone, “go out and win that $ 200”… with predictable results.

We knew these guys quit their daytime jobs earlier, left their families behind and drove several hours on rotten prairie winter roads, only to turn around after the game and make the same commute back. so they can return to work at 8 a.m. The next morning. Not a lot of glamor in there.

Still, it never occurred to the coach that these guys weren’t doing it for the money. It was a valuable lesson that I have never forgotten.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

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