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Hot Links: Thursday, February 25

#Oilers v #Canucks IV: Canuck Off! goes tonight as Edmonton looks to stay within striking distance of the division leaders. PLUS: Protecting Puljujarvi, early surprises, confidence high, and MORE!

By flarwick

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Edmonton Oilers v Vancouver Canucks

Morning, folks!

It’s GAMEDAY once again, with our heroes out West for one more game against the hapless and terrible Vancouver Canucks before a massive three-game set with the division leading Toronto Maple Leafs. A win tonight would bank enough points to bring the summit into play, but getting all the way there will require Edmonton to rattle off another four in a row. Long odds, perhaps, but do you honestly believe the Oilers will ever lose again?

The Tyson Barrie debate raged on yesterday in Czechboy’s latest: should he stay or should he go now? Should he stay here until summer? If he re-signs that’s a bummer.

I do not see him as being the difference between a good and great playoff run. For all the offense he adds, he gives all of it back. So the Oilers roughly need a breakeven player on the third pair to cover for him. Ethan Bear, who is strictly better, will return to pair one. Enter Adam Larsson, who is actually playing pretty well this year and is roughly a breakeven player, to pair three. Is Tyson Barrie so much better than Adam Larsson that the Oilers can afford turning down meaningful assets? Especially given the relative ease they could cover for his absence? I’m not so sure.

Either way, we’ll have all day to talk about it before we get weird in the GAME THREAD. See you then!

Playoffs Baby! Part Deux! (Copper and Blue)

Hot Links: Wednesday, February 24 (Copper and Blue)

Oilers Shock Canucks in 4-3 Comeback Win (Copper and Blue)

Biggest Surprises (And Non-Surprises) Of The 2021 NHL Season (ESPN)

Canadiens, Oilers, Flames Road Favourites On Thursday NHL Odds (SN)

Oilers’ Confidence Key To Comeback Victory In Vancouver (TOR)

Edmonton Oilers Say Believe It, This Is Who They Really Are (ES)

Antoine Roussel Fined For Punching Jesse Puljujarvi In The Face (ON)

Oilers Want To Keep Nugent-Hopkins, No Talks Yet With Larsson (TOR)

Fantasy Hockey Dynasty Rankings: Connor McDavid Still Tops List Of 250 Keepers (ESPN)

Smith Throws Down Again (ON)

Connor McDavid’s Latest Milestone Shows He’s Measuring Up To Other NHL Legends (CBC)

For What It’s Worth (LT)

Lowetide: Jesse Puljujarvi Must Be On The Kraken Protected List After Breakout (TA)

The Oilers’ 2020 Trade-Deadline Splash: What We Learned, A Year Later (TA)