Morning, folks!
Honestly, all of the Oilers news happening right now is pretty disappointing. Smarter people than I are prognosticating some pretty grim things for our heroes this season. I mean, it makes sense - they removed a top 4 D and only added at the margins - expecting much improvement out of Thin Air this year is a fool’s game. He’s long past his sell by date.
Look at this, courtesy CJ Torturo (@CJTDevil):
Assuming @DailyFaceoff's lineups are accurate, this is the projected Skater_GAR for each team pic.twitter.com/VIqrdEuoVs
— CJ Turtoro (@CJTDevil) July 9, 2019
28th. 28th best roster by GAR. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Ken Holland has done a bad job.
The MLB HR Derby was last night though, and it was spectacular. Vlad Guerrero Jr, maligned for being included based on his reputation and not his performance so far, answered his critics by going off for 91 (!!!!!) HR before succumbing to his own greatness and running out of gas before Pete Alonso managed to pip him at the end for the title. For me, it’s hollow. He had to hit almost 40 less over the course of the night, and never hit single-round heights of his opponent. Oh well, he seems nice enough. Good for you Peter.
Otherwise, what else is there? Free agent rumors, an absolute cracker of a team-friendly-deal for 56 point RFA F Kevin LaBanc in San Francisco. Oh, yeah. And a bunch of sad predictions for our sad heroes. The Oilers are bad and if they don’t get significantly better by this time next year Connor McDavid will ask to leave. Matt my words.
Happy Tuesday. Happy Anniversary K and J.
From Us
Tyler Benson has all but been pencilled into the top six already this summer. Let’s slow our rolls, suggests Preston. (Copper and Blue)
UFA Megathread (Copper and Blue)
Broberg will remain in Sweden next season. (Copper and Blue)
Yesterday (Copper and Blue)
From Elsewhere
Mr. Tide talks options. (Lowetide)
The Oilers should be interested in Nikita Gusev. Very interested. In fact, he should have been acquired already. (Oilersnation)
The Oilers are +4000 to win the Stanley Cup this season. That is not good. (Oilersnation)
More on Kenny Netherlands’ options, and some Lucic talk. (Oilersnation)
Might Derick Brassard be a fit? (The Oilers Rig)
The Oilers keep trying to pawn Jesse Puljujarvi. I wouldn’t get my hopes up over the return. (The Oilers Rig)
For Money
A cool draft-week story about Oilers’ 2019 second-round F Raphael Lavoie. (The Athletic)