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Morning, folks!
A bit late today but have you seen it outside? It’s the type of weather that might really do a number on someone with any degree of anxiety.
No games for the Oilers today either, but we press on. Uphill, both ways, in shitty shoes. It really is that kind of weather today.
A few threads worth discussing today, perhaps. Bill Peters is under fire for allegedly being a racist as the Calgary Flames coach was indirectly mentioned by a former player of his, Akim Aliu in a string of tweets.
This a week after Mike Badcoach was fired and only days after a story broke of his awful, sociopath-adjacent (at best) treatment of a rookie Mitch Marner.
NHL DoPS covered itself in glory once again yesterday with their handling of Robert Bortuzzo’s attempted murder of Viktor Arvidsson from the other night, giving him 4 games. Arvidsson will miss 4-6 weeks.
Ken Holland is on the record giving Peter Chiarelli credit for ‘stocking the roster’ of the current Oilers. I don’t think I need to elaborate on why that’s ridiculous but I certainly can in the comments.
One good thing to come from Chiarelli’s time here — whether he had much say over the 2015 draft or not — is bonafide top-four defender Ethan M.F. Bear. Dude is the truth, and it’s probably about time to start thinking about extending him like an Inspector Gadget leg. Go, go.
I ran a poll on Twitter yesterday about whether the Oilers should consider moving Darnell Nurse for Taylor Hall. Here are the results (or, vote to see them):
Per @EvolvingHockey:
— Copper & Blue (@CopperandBlue) November 25, 2019
Darnell Nurse total WAR, 2016-19 - 1.2
19-20: -0.1
Taylor Hall total WAR, 2016-19 - 9.3
19-20: -0.1
If the #Oilers could make the money work do you make that trade 1 for 1 if you're Edmonton to take a shot this year? If you're New Jersey to cash a UFA?
Anyone who has spent any time here over the past few months probably knows where I voted. I think they might be able to aim higher, and do better in terms of age and contract (Ehlers or Nylander, please and thanks) but it’s hard to see them doing better in terms of true talent and ability to push the river. Some risk, as Hall’s having his worst season in some time (by WAR at least) but the upside is pretty tantalizing and I really don’t rate Nurse like some of you.
As someone suggested in the comments, we’ll have to get around to a quarter-season roundtable / discussion thread to talk about what the hell’s going on here through late November soon. The Oilers are tops in the West, and I don’t think too many of us, around these parts at least, pegged them for better than the bubble in the best of cases.
From Us
Hot Links: Monday, November 25 (Copper and Blue)
GAME RECAP: Oilers 4, Coyotes 3 (SO) (Copper and Blue)
Power up (Copper and Blue)
From Elsewhere
Clusters (Lowetide)
A Way Too Early Look At Ethan Bear’s Next Contract (Oilersnation)
It’s Time The NHL Reworks Suspensions (Oilersnation)
Klefbom Discusses The Powerplay, Cooking, Fashion And More (Oilersnation)
For Money
Lowetide: Oilers’ No. 3 Prospect Winter 2019: Ethan Bear (The Athletic)
How The Oilers Managed Without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins And Why The Solutions Aren’t Ideal For The Long Haul (The Athletic)