It’s December 23 i.e. Christmas Eve Eve, so everyone is in that weird spot where they can see the presents underneath their tree, but there is still an agonizing two days away from being able to open them. Instead, all you can do is try to deduce what they might be based on the size and shape, and hope that if you don’t see one that resembles what was number one on your list, Santa is going to be the one to bring it tomorrow night.
If you are the Edmonton Oilers, there’s a few things that were likely on the list this year, and we asked you fans what you think would be at the top of that list.
Want to take part in Saturday Census polls? We send them out every week on our Twitter at @oilrigEDM. Follow along or send in ideas for the next poll!
The Oilers want a new goalie
A whopping 79% of you voted for this option. The only surprising part is that it wasn’t more, frankly.
Goaltending has been the story of the year for the Oilers, with all three goalies who have suited up posting a save percentage below 0.900.
After taking hold of the starting job and being named an NHL All-Star last year, Stuart Skinner has cratered this year, with a goals against average of 3.04 and a save percentage of 0.884. He has only posted a save percentage above 0.900 in 10 of his 22 games this year, winning nine of them.
Unfortunately, the Oilers don’t have anyone else to fall back on for when Skinner is struggling.
Jack Campbell, the man who was thought to be the starter that could finally provide stability in the Oilers net, has instead become an albatross contract that is preventing the Oilers from being able to do so.
Campbell only appeared in five games this year, posting a GAA of 4.50 and a save percentage of 0.873, before being sent to the minors in an effort to find his game again.
Instead, Campbell has posted essentially the same stats of a GAA of 3.46 and save percentage of 0.888, with a record of 4–6.
As a result of Campbell’s demotion, the Oilers called up journeyman Calvin Pickard, who has managed to play in five NHL games, posting the best stats of the three, with a GAA of 2.99 and a save percentage of 0.898.
So yeah, not great.
Oilers fans have been teased all year about a potential move for a new goalie, as management has yo-yo’ed from looking hard for a goalie to taking a week to week approach after an eight-game winning streak.
Unfortunately for Oilers fans, the team literally cannot have a new goalie in Christmas day, as the holiday roster freeze means that no player moves can be made until December 28.
Maybe there will be a late Boxing Day sale? Or a nice New Year’s Eve present (if that is a thing?)
Defence would also be nice
The second gift Oilers fans want is a top-four defenceman, with 12% of the votes.
This one may be a cause and effect with the goalie issue though. The Oilers have three bona fide top-four defencemen in Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, and Evan Bouchard. Rounding out the top four is Cody Ceci, who, in my opinion, is absolutely a number four defenceman at worst.
Some of the thought process might be with respect to Bouchard’s defensive gaffes in the early part of the season, and that a third right hand defenceman with more experience than current third pairing Vincent Desharnais could help relieve that.
But the Oilers three defensive pairings rank first, eighth and 30th in the NHL for xG%, First, sixth, and 32nd in xGF and seventh, 13th and 72nd ins xGA per 60 minutes. To put that in perspective, the Boston Bruins, currently the best team in the league, are 35th, 57th, and 69th in xGF%, 34th, 64th and 115th in xGF, and 17th, 60th, and 116th in xGA per 60 minutes.
Unless you have Chris Pronger back there to cover for weak goaltending a la 2006, I don’t know if adding a top-four defenceman really changes the Oilers fortunes all that much.
A Connor Brown goal could be ideal
At third with 9% is a vote for a Christmas special titled “Score a Goal, Connor Brown.”
Brown was signed in the offseason to be the final piece of the Oilers top six, which has been searching for a second line right winger for quite a while. It was thought that his previous chemistry with Connor McDavid in juniors would reignite for that purpose.
Because Brown was injured for all but four games last season, a cap loophole allowed the for the Oilers to sign him to a minimum contract of $775,000, and then add on a bonus that would not count against this years cap but would be pushed to next years.
Prior to his injury, Brown had been a decently productive player, scoring 20 goals twice and was averaging a 50-point pace during his three years prior with the Ottawa Senators.
He was looked to another “Hyman-type” player who could take another step playing with either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
So it is understandable that the Oilers would take the risk of a bonus hitting next years cap when this year was a “cup or bust” year.
That bonus was decided to be a $3.25M one that would be earned upon Brown playing 10 games. So it was always looked at as being basically a sure thing.
Unfortunately, it appears that perhaps Brown’s injury, a torn ACL that required surgery, may have hampered him more than expected. In 23 games this year, Brown has only one assist and no goals, despite playing mostly top six minutes. This lack of performance resulted in Brown being scratched Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils. To add insult to injury, Adam Erne, Brown’s replacement, scored the important insurance goal to cap off a run of three goals in 69 seconds (nice) at the start of the third period leading to the Oilers comeback victory.
Given the dead cap hit for next year, it is understandable that fans are less than pleased with Brown’s performance.
Perhaps some time in the pressbox, along with more time for him to fully bounceback from his injury, will help Brown get back to form in the new year. That would be a pretty great Christmas present for all.
No one wants another forward
Despite Brown’s struggles above, 0% of the vote went towards this option. Given that need for a second line right winger, it is an interesting result.
Perhaps the fact that Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Sam Gagner, Derek Ryan, and James Hamblin seem to have become more effective in their bottom six roles, resulting in McLeod, Foegele, and Gagner getting casual looks in the top six from time to time when playing well, has lessened the urgency.
It also is likely due to the fact that the biggest issue of goaltending means that this is way less of a priority in terms of improving team performance. This is likely barely moves the needle for a team that has shown it can score in bunches without another forward.
Are there any other Christmas presents that the Oilers could use that we have missed? Let us know in the comments!
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
