Hot Links: Tuesday, February 16

Morning, folks.

I don’t know about you, but I’m about done with watching Mike Smith play for the Edmonton Oilers. Look, I know. He won those two games. He even had a shutout. But let’s just stop considering their games against Ottawa as actual games and stop extrapolating success in those games to other, non-Ottawa games. Let’s stop suggesting that Mike Smith even bears a passing resemblance to a guy in a The Savior costume, let alone that he might, in fact, be a Savior himself.

Let’s once again wonder why Ken Holland couldn’t be bothered to find someone better than a guy who is about 33%+ to get pulled any given night. Let’s wonder what the hell is actually going on with Ethan Bear now that he’s been out for two weeks, even though he seems to be practicing in full. Let’s wonder who Caleb Jones has to dry hump to get a martini around here. Let’s blue sky about what sort of return makes sense in a Tyson Barrie trade. Dude grifted another two secondary assists on plays that did not require much from him, and now the team’s official mouthpiece is talking about him like he’s a critical part of the team (he isn’t):

That’s gonna be a yikes from me. I don’t know about anyone else but it’s tweets like the above, that give a glimpse into the organization’s thinking, that keep me up at night. This team cannot have Tyson Barrie on it after the trade deadline. It cannot. Therefore, it almost certainly will.

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Game Recap: Winnipeg 6, Edmonton 5 (Copper and Blue)

GAME THREAD: Game 17/56 Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets (Copper and Blue)

Weekly Game Odds Forecast Feb 15-21 (Copper and Blue)

Weekly Game Odds Forecast Feb 8-14 (Copper and Blue)

The McDavid, Bouchard and Hogberg 8 game review! (Copper and Blue)

It’s time to trade Tyson Barrie (Copper and Blue)

It is time to waive Darnell Nurse (Copper and Blue)

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Chiasson, Bouchard Among Oilers Positives Loss To Jets (ES)

Player Grades: Oilers Pour On The Offence But Forget Defence, Fall 6-5 To Jets (EJ)

Oilers Must Improve Team Defence To Have Success With Smith, Koskinen (SN)

Blake Wheeler Scores Game-Winner As Jets Hold Off Oilers (CBC)

For Draisaitl, Defensive Growth A Source Of Pride And Key To Oilers Winning (SN)

Oilers Prospect Update: Kiss The Kesselring (ON)

McDavid Leads Oilers Race To Franchise Milestones In 2020-21 (THW)

Oilers Dave Tippett Opens Up About Jesse Puljujarvi’s COVID-19 Scare (TOR)

Monday Mailbag – Jujhar Khaira’s Resurgence (ON)

Edmonton Oilers: Remembering Both Todd McLellan And Dallas Eakins (OOW)

Report: Edmonton Oilers Lobbying To Wear Reverse Retros More (ON)

Arrivals And Departures (LT)

John Tavares, Sam Gagner To Operate Toronto Marlboros Minor-Hockey Club (SN)

Could The Edmonton Oilers Make A Deal For Ryan Getzlaf? (ON)

Oilers Waive James Neal, Activate Jesse Puljujarvi (TOR)

California Dreaming (LT)

Darnell Nurse Could Find Way On Canadian Olympic Team Sights With Recent Play (ES)

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Lowetide: Philip Broberg And The Oilers’ Leftorium (TA)

Lowetide: Jujhar Khaira, A Waiver Reset And The Oilers’ Future At No. 3 Centre (TA)