Oil Spills: Wednesday Links - About That Oilers Defence

About the Oilers

A Defense Rebuilt - Matt Henderson -- OilersNation
When the topic of Edmonton’s rebuild inevitably comes up, the most common complaint is that Edmonton has somehow managed to completely ignore its defense. But if you look down the left side of the blue line today, then you’ll see a 22 year old, 21 year old, and a 20 year old.

Oscar Klefbom’s free pass & the perils of a young defence - Jonathan Willis -- OilersNation
Edmonton’s defence is bad, and there are plenty of candidates to take the blame. Frequently getting a free pass is Oscar Klefbom, whose regression this year has been a big part of Edmonton’s problems.

The Skies of November Turn Gloomy - Lowetide -- Lowetide.ca
For two days in a row now I’ve been genuinely surprised by Oilers fans in regard to the current state of the union. I thought we agreed the Oilers weren’t a playoff team (I had them No. 11 in the conference, No. 22 overall) but there seems to be a sense the season is in ruins and all is lost.

Three thumbs (kinda) up for Edmonton Oilers sticking with goalie Cam Talbot - David Staples -- Cult of Hockey
In this Cult of Hockey debate, Willis, McCurdy and Staples dig into the Oil’s longstanding goalie woes

Jordan Eberle finding his game legs since returning to Oilers’ injury-riddled lineup - Joanne Ireland -- Edmonton Journal
There were signs of the old Jordan Eberle the last time he was out on the ice with the Edmonton Oilers. His pace was better. His timing had improved. His hands, too, were sharper.

Around the NHL

How can we measure a goalie’s rebound control? Examining Pekka Rinne and James Reimer. -- Hockey Graphs
Pekka Rinne is good at controlling his rebounds. I know this, because people on the internet have made their opinions abundantly clear. Scouts and fanalysts alike credit Rinne’s quick glove hand with helping him catch a significantly higher volume of shots than most other goalies, leaving few opportunities behind for lurking opponents to deposit into his net.

Expected Goals Just Don’t Add Up — They Also Multiply. -- Danny Page
Soccer and hockey analytical communities have been pleased to discover some measure of shot quality in their sports. While the quantity of shots has been very important in predicting future success, more information from game play-by-plays allows analysts to measure the quality of each shot.

Coach's challenge on agenda at NHL GMs meeting -- SI.com
The NHL’s general managers have a chance to address some nagging problems when they gather Tuesday in Toronto for their annual November meeting.

Report: NHL could consider larger nets -- theScore
Though it might not be the most popular route to fix the problem, with Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke already speaking out against it, one potential solution is making nets larger.

Ask the Editors: What would it take to move Patrick Marleau? -- Fear The Fin
The Fear the Fin co-editors discuss four burning questions about the San Jose Sharks