EDMONTON — Things We (Think We) Know. Series III, Volume III.
Things We Know
In a 6-1 loss at Seattle Thursday, the Oilers played without their top two centres/players, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, a top pairing defenceman in Mattias Ekholm, their No. 1 goalie (Stuart Skinner), and their biggest trade deadline acquisition, Trent Frederic.
So, one of two things will happen here: Either everyone healthies up and a well-rested Oilers team is primed for a long playoff run. Or, not enough key players are ready for the two-month playoff slog, they don’t get through the Pacific, and we all shrug our shoulders and say, “This just wasn’t Edmonton’s year.”
Things We (Think We) Know
The Oilers knew Frederic had a high ankle sprain when they traded for him. The gamble was that they’ll play long enough into the spring that the transaction will prove savvy, and when they sign Frederic as a UFA this summer they’ll have the kind of winger they need for the foreseeable future.
But what if he’s not ready fast enough, the team doesn’t play long enough, and he signs in his hometown with the St. Louis Blues this summer? Well, that’s the gamble, right? I won’t blame GM Stan Bowman for rolling the dice, though others may.
As for the rest of the list, we have no reason to doubt the imminent return of McDavid and Draisaitl. Ekholm has been nursing a worrisome injury for far too long, and as for Skinner, we’ve seen neck/head incidents like that cost players a game, and we’ve seen similar injuries cost players a season.
Ask Sid Crosby.
Skinner is listed as day-to-day, and we hope that's not a ruse. Because without him, the good ship Oiler does not sail far.
Things We Know
Evander Kane will not play for the Edmonton Oilers this regular season. The Oilers don’t have the cap space, and with 10 games remaining in Edmonton’s regular season, he is still not medically cleared to play.
If his rehab continues on schedule, Kane will be offered a rehabilitation stint in AHL Bakersfield — an assignment Kane would have to sign off on before it could be executed. The Oilers can loan him to Bako for three games, and then request two more after that at the discretion of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, in agreement with Kane.
Things We (Think We) Know
Kane looks like he’s progressing in his practices with the team of late, but with 10 games remaining and zero cap space available, it’s not absurd or sketchy if Kane’s NHL return comes in the playoffs. Let’s face it: There isn’t a contending team in the NHL that would hold on to $5.125 million in cap space for three or four games at season’s end.
We believe Kane will leave on Monday with the Oilers on their four-game road trip through Vegas and California. The Oilers fly home on April 8, and could assign Kane to Bakersfield for games on April 9, 11 and 12.
We think Kane won’t be wild about playing three AHL games. We’d bet money he won’t agree to the extra two.
But we also believe the Oilers plan to buy out the final year of Kane’s contract this summer. So he has this Oilers playoff run — however long or short it may be — to audition for a new contract elsewhere next fall.
Kane will be motivated, for sure, though we would caution against expecting too much from a player who played his last game on June 10.
Things We Know
The Calgary Flames should be gutted heading into their game at Edmonton on Saturday.
In Thursday’s 5-2 loss to Dallas, the Flames had two goals disallowed, 48 shots on net, and 107 shots directed at Casey DeSmith. They lost Connor Zary likely for the rest of the season, and fell six points behind the last wildcard holders, the St. Louis Blues. And since they’ll likely lose any tie-breaker to the Blues, Calgary is actually seven points in arrears with 11 games to play — a deficit that has not been made by any team in the previous 20 seasons.
Things We (Think We) Know
The view from 300 km north on Highway 2 is this: No team competes harder than the Flames, or does more with less. Look at their lineup and tell me they should still be in the playoff hunt on March 28 — it’s crazy.
Just when you think they’ll quit, they do the exact opposite. Just when you think Nazem Kadri or MacKenzie Weegar must be sour because they never signed up for a rebuild, the two lead the Flames to another heart-stopping win. Just when you think NHL shooters will figure out goalie Dustin Wolf, or he’s too small, they don’t and he isn’t.
One thing is consistently consistent in Calgary, however: In a 32-team NHL, the Flames entered play on Friday night ranked 17th in the league. That’s 16th in the draft, though Calgary’s first-round pick is possessed by Montreal this June (the Flames have New Jersey’s and Florida’s first-rounders in June).
Nobody does the mushy middle in as exciting, entertaining and competitive a fashion as the Calgary Flames. They’ve resided there for 35 years, a fact we suspect is less exciting for Flames fans.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.