GM playing wait and see with Draisaitl on top line
Right wing was the one position in obvious flux for the Oilers when Jordan Eberle was traded to the New York Islanders just before the NHL draft.
It remains that way because, while 77-point scorer Leon Draisaitl is lining up at that spot alongside reigning league scoring champion Connor McDavid to start the 2017-18 season, how long will he be installed on the top line?
One game? Ten? Two periods? Is Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli surprised that no one else stepped into the spot alongside Connor McDavid, with rookie Kailer Yamamoto in the No. 2 hole with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins?
Not ex-Islander Ryan Strome, who starts as the No. 3 centre. Not Drake Caggiula, who starts as third-line right wing. Not teenager Jesse Puljujarvi.
So coach Todd McLellan is back with Draisaitl there.
“I like depth through the middle, but I’d defer to Todd’s coaching,” said Chiarelli.
“It’s a potent line, but having Leon on the second line would give us some more depth because the first (line) will get all the (opposing) coverage. We’ll have to see how it works out.
“I understand the spotlight on the right side, and we just sent a good young player down in Jesse (Puljujarvi). I’m not disappointed. Training camp is for different looks.
“And let’s not forget (Anton) Slepyshev. He was on our team and performing well at the end of the year,” Chiarelli said of the injured winger, who didn’t play a game in pre-season. “We unearthed a really good prospect (Yamamoto) in camp. We acquired Ryan Strome to play right wing, but I wanted to give Todd the capability to move the lineup around. So far, mission accomplished.”
Here are some other things Chiarelli is considering.
With Andrej Sekera out for up to three months after knee surgery last spring, how long will the GM go with Matt Benning or Darnell Nurse in the second pair before he decides if they’re ready or not?
“We were patient last year, and both showed they could do the job, but second pairing is different because you get harder matchups and more minutes,” said Chiarelli. “I’ll be relatively patient this year, but every game and segment is critical. We’ve looked at some D (of other teams). I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t. But I’ll let them prove they can or can’t do it.”
On how long Puljujarvi will stay on the farm in Bakersfield, will it be like last year with Griffin Reinhart, where the Oilers decided he needed a full year in the minors with no call-up?
“What I told Jesse was to look at what happened with Darnell and Leon (who were both sent down briefly), and they’re a year ahead of him,” said Chiarelli. “I wouldn’t be averse to bringing Jesse back, but I want to see him clean up some things.”
On Yamamoto: “He’s an exciting player because he makes plays in every zone, but we all know play picks up when regular season unfolds,” said Chiarelli.
“It’s about how he adapts to the increased tempo and increased heaviness, but he’s done it all through camp.”
On the increased expectations for his team:
“That should be interesting. Our guys see it. There’s a whole new dynamic,” said Chiarelli.
“I feel it as a manager, Todd feels it as a coach and we’re trying to message the right things to the players as to how to deal with it.
“I liked the way we got into the playoffs last year and dealt with some adversity when we were in there, so I think there’s a good level of character. But there’s a whole new ball game when you’re picked to contend. I told the players at the beginning of camp to eliminate all the white noise and bring your lunch pail every day.”