News Oilers Team Notes

[Edmonton Oilers]

The path to home-ice gets harder, can’t win if you can’t score, and Trent Frederic makes Oilers debut

Saturday’s matinee against the Los Angeles Kings was arguably the biggest game the Edmonton Oilers have had on their schedule recently, and the result was going to be a big step toward securing home-ice advantage for their inevitable playoff matchup in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the Oilers’ road to home-ice advantage took a blow after they fell 3-0 to the Kings in the third round of their season series.

HOME-ICE JUST GOT TOUGHER​

Down bodies or not, losing Saturday’s game to the Kings makes the Oilers’ path to home-ice advantage in the playoffs another step harder. Having L.A. win in regulation puts them four points up in the Pacific Division, and that’s a healthy gap with only six games left to play. It would take a run of wins by Edmonton — they have Anaheim, St. Louis, San Jose, Winnipeg, Los Angeles, and San Jose again left on the schedule — and more than a few losses by the Kings to get the job done. That seems like a lot, considering how banged up the Oilers are, and there’s no way people will be playing at 100% even when they do come back.

The good news is that the Oilers are 6-2 against the Kings at Crypto.com Arena in the playoffs, and while there’s no doubt that their sparkling home record will be a significant story, it’s also a much different game in the playoffs. I’m not suggesting the regular season doesn’t matter — I want Edmonton to have the home-ice advantage as much as the next guy — but I am saying that the home vs. away records can go sideways in a hurry when the post-season rolls around. Then again, maybe that’s me coping in response to the tough road ahead if the boys are going to make another run.

TOUGH TO WIN WHEN YOU CAN’T SCORE​

Calvin Pickard continued his run as the Oilers’ interim starter, delivering another strong performance against a Kings team that tested him with all kinds of quality shots and chances. Yes, I know he was also bailed out by a coach’s challenge on a goal by Jeff Malot that he would have wanted back, but he also gave his teammates a chance to stay in the fight against a team they’re chasing in the standings. There’s no way I’m hanging a loss on Pickard when he put down a .929 save percentage on 28 shots on goal when the skaters in front of him couldn’t even get one. Darcy Kuemper was rock solid for the Kings, but I also don’t think this shutout was the hardest he’s ever earned, either.

This was the first time the Oilers had been shut out since December 3rd when they lost 1-0 in Vegas, and it’s not ideal that no one was able to get even a single puck past Kuemper, given the magnitude of the situation. I think the Oilers played pretty well for the most part, but they just couldn’t generate enough secondary chances that put the Kings or goalie in a difficult position. They had a lot of shots coming from the outside of the ice, and when I looked at the heat map over at Natural Stat Trick, what stuck out was that the Oilers need to do a better job of getting pucks to the middle of the ice. Regardless, it’s impossible to win without goals on the board, and we’ll need a quick rebound when the boys square off against Anaheim on Monday.

HELLO, TRENT FREDERIC​

Oilers fans had to wait over a month for their first look at Trent Frederic in an Oilers jersey after the trade that brought him in from Boston, and a lot of us were excited to see what he could bring to the table. So, it is incredibly disappointing that he could only make it through six seconds of his first shift before leaving the ice again. Frederic threw a hit on Brandt Clarke along the boards and skated immediately to the Oilers’ bench to speak to Head Athletic Trainer T.D. Forss. The good news is that he would come back to finish the game, but it looked hairy early on, and there is still cause for concern now that the game is over.

Once Frederic was back in a rhythm and taking regular shifts again, he came precisely as advertised, and it was a lot of fun to watch. It seemed like he was mixing it up with someone on the Kings every time he was on the ice, and it’s not that I’ve been counting, but he may have arguably caused more scrums in one game than the rest of his teammates combined. Frankly, I love how he plays hockey. The concern, of course, is how his body will respond after playing limited shifts in his first game since late February. It didn’t take a doctor to see that he was labouring through the 7:10 minutes he played or that he only had two shifts in the third period, so we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed that his ankle/whatever can hold up.

OTHER THINGS WORTH MENTIONING​

Warren Foegele tackled Evan Bouchard and Evan Bouchard got a penalty pic.twitter.com/ymYO5lQzYn

— Adam (@OilersAdam) April 5, 2025

1. The more I watch Jake Walman play, the more I enjoy the things he can do with the puck on his stick. I’m the first to admit I didn’t know much about him outside of the fact that he hit the Griddy after a game-winner in Detroit, and it’s been a pleasant surprise to see how effective he is at moving the puck. Not only that, the guy blocks shots like he’s paying tribute to Kris Russell, and I love seeing the way he’s putting himself in shooting lanes to try and bail the goalies out.

2. Congrats to Ty Emberson on playing in his 100th NHL game.

3. Were you surprised Jeff Malot scored his first NHL goal against the Oilers? You weren’t, were you? Good thing Kris Knoblauch was able to ruin the kid’s afternoon with a successful coach’s challenge to negate the goal for being offside, bringing the Oilers’ record vs. the curse to 1-200,000. Rough count, of course.

4. I’m calling bullshit that the Oilers got only a single power play chance while the Kings got four. Take the phantom interference call on Bouchard as an example. Warren Foegele pulled Bouchard down from behind, but Dad got the penalty on the play? It’s ridiculous.

5. At least Warren Foegele didn’t score?

6. I even love faceoffs in the daylight hours, and I can’t even give a silver lining point to the Oilers because they only won 48.2% of the draws.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/home-ice-gets-harder-cant-score-trent-frederic-edmonton-oilers-debut

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Who should the Oilers use as Darnell Nurse’s regular defensive partner?

Several aspects of the Edmonton Oilers’ roster could use significant improvement, but when healthy, the team’s backend isn’t one of them. The acquisition of Jake Walman ahead of this year’s trade deadline has solidified Edmonton’s defensive core among the best in the league, and now, with the playoffs rapidly approaching, the main question facing head coach Kris Knoblauch and defence coach Paul Coffey is how to best deploy them.

Mattias Ekholm, Brett Kulak, and Jake Walman are all left-handed defencemen, but each of them has experience of varying degrees playing the right side. This grants the Oilers a variety of different options when it comes to deploying their defensive core, particularly in regards to who should play with Nurse.

For me, the Nurse pairing is a very important topic. In the 2024 playoffs, the Oilers out-scored opponents 22 to 12 with their top-pairing of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard on-ice at 5-on-5, equating to an outstanding 65 percent goal differential. I believe the biggest difference between the 2024 Oilers and prior teams was the fact that they (finally) had an elite defensive pairing, and they were a vital reason as to why the team was a mere two goals away from winning it all.

However, without that pairing on-ice, the Oilers were out-scored 22 to 35, an ugly 39 percent goal differential. The Oilers as a team struggled so much without their top-pairing that even Connor McDavid held an awful 40 percent expected goal differential with the other two pairs.

The main culprit for these struggles seemed to be the Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci pair, who were out-scored 5-to-12 and boasted a horrific 35 percent expected goal differential. But even though Nurse improved away from Ceci, Nurse still held a disappointing 47 percent expected goal differential, with the Oilers being out-scored 9-to-13 in those minutes. There’s a compelling argument to be made that, if the Oilers had even just a league-average second pair, they could have handedly defeated the Florida Panthers in the cup finals, maybe even in less than seven games.

Now, to his credit, Nurse has improved his play significantly this season, with EvolvingHockey’s RAPM model rating his impact on possession and scoring chances nearly as strong as Bouchard’s this season. The departure of Ceci has undoubtedly played a big role, but Nurse does deserve credit for genuine individual improvement.

The Oilers’ deployment of the second-pair has varied this season. So, which deployment strategy is best to maximize Nurse’s play and ensure this consistently continues?

Firstly, here is a glance at Nurse’s results with each and every one of Edmonton’s current defencemen this season:

Edmonton’s most commonly run deployment strategy with regards to the second pair, particularly in the first half of the season, has been rotating Troy Stecher and Brett Kulak at 2RD depending on the situation. In this strategy, when Nurse is on-ice with Edmonton’s star centres and/or is up against top competition, Kulak has been Nurse’s primary partner, whereas Nurse and Stecher have mainly eaten up minutes against lower competition.

This strategy has generally worked quite well. Nurse and Kulak’s goal differential is lacklustre, but it’s primarily the result of an unsustainably low on-ice shooting percentage in those minutes; their 58 percent expected goal differential is a strong indicator of long-term success. Knoblauch/Coffey haven’t really utilized this strategy as frequently since the Four Nations break, and the Nurse – Stecher pairing has received regular minutes, but this still remains a very strong choice.

Nurse – Walman is also a strong candidate, and it’s certainly worth noting that their early results in a limited sample are outstanding. In just under 100 minutes together, the Oilers are up 7 to 2, with a 62 percent expected goal differential.

However, in my opinion, the two most important attributes of a potential partner for Nurse are strong entry defending and efficient breakout passing. Nurse is a weak entry defender, and historically, Nurse’s best results have come next to defensive partners that can move the puck. Walman checks the box for the latter, but not the former. Per AllThreeZones, Walman may have some strengths at defending in-zone, namely retrieving loose pucks under pressure and moving them out, but he struggles at defending the blueline. This strongly contrasts Kulak, who isn’t great at retrievals, but excels at rush defending.

Thus, it creates a significant question mark as to whether or not Nurse – Walman’s results would hold up, particularly in a larger sample in the playoffs. In terms of moving the puck up the ice, this is likely their best option, but their potential struggles at defending the rush together is a concern, especially for the postseason where rush teams dominate.

Now, Nurse – Bouchard is intriguing. Aside from a few games here and there over the years, the last time Nurse and Bouchard spent an extended stretch of time together as a true full-time pairing was 2021-22, i.e. Bouchard’s first season. In 524 minutes together that year, they boasted an excellent 57 xG%, though their goal differential was low due to some poor puck luck (0.963). But those results, alongside their strong results in a limited sample this season, could indicate that this pairing has potential.

However, the main problem with Nurse – Bouchard is that both defencemen are prone to making glaring errors at times. I would have concerns about that duo in their own zone in the playoffs. Not to mention, it is difficult to want to split up the chemistry of Ekholm and Bouchard. This is still an option highly worth considering, but perhaps it isn’t their best one.

Nurse – Ekholm is also an interesting option. Defensively, Ekholm could be heavily beneficial for Nurse, and their numbers in limited minutes are quite good. But, this potential option would depend on the success of the other pairings. Thus far, the Walman – Bouchard pair’s results have been mediocre, and thus, to create a truly well-rounded top-four, it might just be best for Ekholm and Bouchard to stick together.

Finally, neither Nurse – Emberson nor Nurse – Klingberg should be options. Emberson has generally done well in a 3RD role, and has especially been a valuable contributor on the penalty-kill, but he’s not fit to be the 2RD on this team. Additionally, though they didn’t play significant minutes together, Nurse – Klingberg’s results as a pair were absolutely dreadful, and Klingberg certainly isn’t fit to be a top-four defenceman on a cup contender at this stage of his career.

All things considered, in my opinion, the most optimal option here would be to rotate Kulak and Walman at 2RD depending on the situation. Nurse – Kulak should obtain more minutes together when the Oilers need to protect a lead, whereas Nurse – Walman could be perfect if the Oilers are in need of a goal. But, the Oilers have multiple different options here, and each has its various pros and cons

As we approach the playoffs, there are several concerns about this Oilers team, such as their goaltending and depth scoring. But, if the Oilers can find the most optimal strategy to deploy the Darnell Nurse pair, it would give them a huge edge in comparison to the team last season.

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*All stats via Natural Stat Trick unless stated otherwise

Find me on Twitter (@NHL_Sid)

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/who-should-oilers-use-as-darnell-nurse-partner

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

The Day After 76.0: Despite limited ice-time and injury scare, Trent Frederic arrives as promised for Oilers

As quickly as he arrived, it appeared he was gone.

Just six seconds into Trent Frederic’s first game with the Edmonton Oilers, fans and pundits alike all held their collective breath as it appeared he was already hurt after trying to show off one of his best tools: his physicality. After all, he’s been out since late February healing from an ankle injury.

A reaggravation, perhaps?

“There was a little revaluation, just finding out how he’s feeling,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch after the team’s 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings Saturday.”And then he continued to play after that.”

Collective exhale.

Fans of the team have been itching to see what he could bring to the table for the team after the Oilers acquired him days before the NHL trade deadline in a complicated three-way trade where the team parted with a pair of prospects, Shane Lachance and Max Wanner, and a pair of picks. A physical edge, some offence, a way to get under the opponents skin and the ability to drop the mitts were all appetizing and what the team was in need of.

Frederic’s debut wasn’t a long one, playing just 7:10 in the game, but he made his presence felt, taking two shots, laying a pair of hits and getting into the crease of Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper.

“I thought he played really well,” said Knoblauch. “Obviously, his minutes were a little lower tonight, but when he was on the ice, I loved his game. I liked what he gives us: a little presence around the net, some feistyness.

“He was able to make some nice plays on the breakout but it will be nice when (he has) a few games under his belt, he’ll be a lot more comfortable with our team. He’ll be a welcome addition for our team.”

There’s no doubt the Oilers felt the loss of Leon Draisaitl from the lineup, joining the likes of Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, Stuart Skinner and Evander Kane as impact players for the team who are shelved with a variety of injuries.

Los Angeles didn’t throw anything the Oilers haven’t seen at them, Knoblauch would add.

“That team is almost identical,” he said. “They changed their neutral zone a little bit, but it’s almost the exact same, just the pieces moved around a little bit. It’s the same format.”

The Oilers schedule continues on Monday night when they pay visit to the Anaheim Ducks, before returning home to host the St. Louis Blues Wednesday and the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.

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Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/limit...-frederic-arrives-as-promised-edmonton-oilers

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record

A National Hockey League record many thought would stand the test of time has fallen 11,337 days after it was broken.

Alexander Ovechkin has now become the NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer, scoring his 895th goal Sunday against the New York Islanders, passing Wayne Gretzky’s mark which he tied Saturday with a two-goal game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Great 8 did so in a fitting fashion, with his marker coming from his office on the power play, assisted by Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome.

The celebration was swift, with Ovechkin sprinting towards centre ice and diving onto his belly only to be mobbed by his Capitals teammates in front of the Long Island crowd. In an ensuing ceremony with Gretzky and commissioner Gary Bettman on hand, Ovechkin was presented with a painting to honour his achievement, while Gretzky’s wife, Janet, presented Ovechkin and his family with a gift, just how Gordie Howe’s wife Colleen did when Gretzky broke his record.

"THERE IS A NEW GOAL-SCORING CHAMPION AND HIS NAME IS ALEXANDER OVECHKIN."@JohnWaltonPxP's call of 895 is a beauty. #Gr8ness pic.twitter.com/oaahNS8pJE

— x – Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 6, 2025

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Apr 6, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) scores a goal in the 2nd period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. The goal is the 895th of Ovechkin’s career, breaking the NHL all-time career goals record previously held by Wayne Gretzky.at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Apr 6, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Former Canadian-American ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky (middle) and Commissioner of the NHL Gary Bettman congratulates Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) after scoring a goal in the 2nd period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. The goal is the 895th of Ovechkin’s career, breaking the NHL all-time career goals record previously held by Wayne Gretzky.at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Mar. 23, 1994; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Kings Wayne Gretzky sets NHL goal scoring mark. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY NETWORK

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Gretzky’s goal to pass Howe and Ovechkin’s to pass Gretzky were similar. Both on the power play, both in the second period and from the left side of the ice. What’s most interesting, however, was who had the primary assist. Tough guy Tom Wilson set up Ovechkin, while Marty McSorley was the one to set up Gretzky’s, whose came at the 14:47 mark. Ovechkin’s, meanwhile, came three second short of being half the amount of time elapsed in the period, at the 7:26 mark.

Now, he has his sights set on becoming the only player to score 900 regular season goals in NHL history, and while he’s closer to retirement than not, he has another year left on his current contract with the Captials, meaning more opportunity to continue to add to the record.

It remains to be seen if anyone will ever catch Ovechkin’s goal-scoring record. One player who may have the best shot, though, is Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews, who sits at 398 goals through his first 623 NHL games. Ovechkin had seven fewer goals, 391, through his first 623 games, while Matthews has .64 goals per game compared to the .6 goals per game Ovi has today.

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Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/alex-ovechkin-breaks-wayne-gretzkys-goal-scoring-record