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Morning, folks!
Hope everyone’s well.
We’re less than a month away from the NHL’s alleged start date, but it doesn’t feel like that to me. Normally, teams would be gearing up — or just beginning — fitness testing and training camp, while we’re still in “a few Oilers are participating in optional workouts” mode. Granted, it could be any day now, but it feels like there should be an imminence that I’m just not feeling at the moment. Maybe it’s different for you, but when I see things like the below from Pierre LeBrun, it’s hard to feel too much anticipation:
NHL/NHLPA went non-stop all weekend and continue Monday going back and forth on season protocols, transition rules, critical dates. The hope is to have it wrapped up over the next few days to set up a vote on each side by end of week. But as we saw in June, these things can drag
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 14, 2020
That last sentence. That’s what gets me. I assume I’ll get excited when there’s cause to be excited but until this thing is done and dusted, it isn’t.
Fleet-footed Joakim Nygard will be in the mix on LW for @EdmontonOilers
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) December 12, 2020
First 8 GP with Farjestad: 0-2-2, -2
Last 6 GP with Farjestad: 6-1-7, +4 pic.twitter.com/yfoLHvY1Nx
Joakim Nygard had a bit of bad luck to start his stint in Europe, re-injuring the same hand he hurt with Edmonton in January. In recent times, however, Nygard’s come on strong. He now boasts a tidy 7-3-10 in 15 GP, and is very much a depth wing option for the Oilers this season. He was pretty decent last year, too:
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Lastly, the Oilers will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to the Seattle expansion draft. No matter how you slice it, they’re going to lose someone they’d almost certainly rather keep. Early candidates for exposure are guys like Jesse Pulujarvi and Caleb Jones, but if either of those guys goes nuts this season, things start to get complicated. Here’s Jon Willis’ take over at The Athletic:
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For me, if it’s going to be an incumbent — and, assuming Klefbom is “healthy” — it’s Nurse getting exposed all day. Kind of like a typical shift in the d-zone.
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