Hot Links: Tuesday, December 3

Morning, everyone!

Another busy news morning as we’re in the thick of two off days between Sunday’s big win in Vancouver and tomorrow night’s matchup with Ottawa.

Lowetide details Oilers forward prospect Tyler Benson over at The Athletic.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have 51 and 50 points respectively before playing their 30th game of the season. Prudence be damned, it might be time to throw caution to the wind (within reason probably) and capitalize on their start — and their team’s start — to the year. These things don’t just happen, and it’s starting to feel like it would be a waste not to supplement this start with some key pieces and really roll on with an eye toward a deep run.

The Taylor Hall rumors won’t go away. I love that, serve them to me intravenously.

Jon Willis also asks the question - are the Oilers good now?

My answer is — sort of. They’re the definition of middling at 5v5 as a collective but have an absolutely outrageous PP and have been riding the hell out of an excellent 4v5 SV% on the PK. If (and likely, when, at least for the PK) those regress some, look out. The Oilers would do well to bolster their 5v5 outlook in the event that they do.

The Oilers will send two players to Canada’s WJHC camp, with F Raphael Lavoie projecting to play in the top six and G Olivier Rodrigue the early favorite to be the starter.

In probably concerning news, Kris Russell was moved to non-roster status as per CapFriendly yesterday after missing Sunday’s game to be in Edmonton for the birth of his child. We don’t know for sure why the move, and speculating is probably unfair, but either way we’re wishing all the best to the Russells in the meantime.

More news broke out of Detroit yesterday as the fallout from Mike Babcock’s firing continues to make headlines. Yesterday Johan Franzen spoke to his experiences as alluded to by Chris Chelios, and it doesn’t make the now-Oilers GM look very good. It will be interesting to monitor this whole thing and see how it shakes down.

From Us

The Future Is Now. Go For It. (Copper and Blue)

Hot Links: Monday, December 2nd (Copper and Blue)

The SuperFan Podcast - Episode 9 - Minnia Feng (Copper and Blue)

From Elsewhere

The Oilers In Seven — Part Four: Things Balancing Out? (Oilersnation)

NHL Awards Watch: The McDavid-Draisaitl Debate Continues (ESPN)

Franzen: Babcock is ‘worst person I’ve ever met’ (Click on Detroit)

Tracking The Pacific Division – As Of November 30, 2019 (The Super Fan)

Five Most NHL-Ready Prospects In Oilers’ Development System (Sportsnet)

Two Oilers Prospects Named To Canadian World Juniors Camp (Oilersnation)

For Money

Lowetide: Oilers’ No. 4 Prospect Winter 2019: Tyler Benson (The Athletic)

Unsolicited Advice For The Oilers: Chinese Proverbs Edition (The Athletic)

Willis: Are The Oilers Good Now? Subtle Changes Add Up To Sustainable Gain (The Athletic)