Edmonton Oilers up 3-1 in Western Conference Final after another win at home
Tuesday night's game at Rogers Place saw the blue and orange win 4-1 against the Stars.More to come...
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Edmonton Oilers' AHL roster for 2025-26 coming into view
During the 2021-22 season, Edmonton Oilers farmhand Vincent Desharnais started to gain some traction as a real NHL prospect. The giant defenceman (6-foot-7, 226 pounds) was the proud owner of a wingspan that opposition forwards could not overcome on their way to the net. The Bakersfield Condors benefited from Desharnais' unique talent, and he posted a minor-league defensive season for the ages. Advertisement At five-on-five, Desharnais delivered an on-ice goal share of 66 percent (68-35 goals) on a team that managed to score only 52 percent of the goals when he was off the ice. That impressive season, along with coach Jay Woodcroft's belief in him, allowed Desharnais to progress to an NHL career. He did not have a great draft pedigree, signed an AHL-only deal before he got an NHL contract (in March 2022, after most of his breakout season was in the books). Desharnais was 25 in 2021-22 and was already mentoring some of the younger defenders (notably Dmitri Samorukov) on the roster. The 2024-25 Condors did not have a Desharnais available on defence, but rookie Matt Savoie had a similar impact on even-strength outscoring for the team. He was 20 when he did it. In many ways, it was a lost season in California for Oilers prospects. Injuries, wayward trades and recalls left the team at times threadbare in important spots. Savoie thrived despite the chaos and became the runaway top prospect in the system. He did so despite injuries to top-end AHL centres like Lane Pederson and an NHL recall for pivot Noah Philp. Pederson as his centre for a full season might have forced a recall by Christmas, so in a way, Bakersfield fans were fortunate to see Savoie for most of the season. Savoie doesn't represent a typical AHL prospect. He was chosen top 10 in the 2022 draft. Desharnais wasn't a typical impact AHL player either, with little draft pedigree, turning pro much later than the average player, and climbing from an AHL-only contract to the NHL in a matter of months. No matter how the organization finds him, the Condors need another one. Now. Colin Chaulk took over the head coaching job with the Condors midway through the 2021-22 season. He coached several players who are now in the NHL, including Desharnais, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg and Mike Kesselring. Advertisement During the last four years, the team has also seen disappointing results from names like Xavier Bourgault, Raphael Lavoie and others. Most of the prospects whom Chaulk has coached in recent seasons were not high picks, but Bourgault was a first-round selection in 2021, and Lavoie was a second-round pick two years earlier. This is an important year for Chaulk. Prospects the organization believes in must find traction. None of this is Oilers general manager Stan Bowman's fault, but it is his problem. His offseason moves that will directly impact the Condors include adding a veteran AHL starting goaltender (Matt Tomkins, who finished No. 20 in save percentage among starters a year ago) to the roster. Tomkins will get plenty of work this winter, with youngsters like Samuel Jonsson, Connor Ungar and Nathan Day attempting to steal playing time behind him. What Bowman and Chaulk need to avoid is the same kind of performance dive in goal witnessed after Dec. 1 a year ago. At the beginning of the season, Condors starter Olivier Rodrigue posted a .925 save percentage. After Dec. 1, the young goaltender's percentage fell to .886 for the rest of the year. Rodrigue is without a contract at this time, and the final months of last season are most certainly the culprit. The step into an elevator shaft wasn't limited to stopping shots. The team slumped badly on the power play, but did deliver the strongest even-strength scoring season over the last three years. However, all of the scoring progress at even strength was given back at the other end. All numbers via the The numbers here show just how difficult the journey was for Bakersfield when Savoie's line was off the ice. When the rookie was deployed at even strength, Bakersfield outscored opponents 55-30 in the metric (65 percent). When he was off the ice, the Condors won the even-strength share by an eyelash, 132-130 (50 percent). Advertisement In his way, Savoie had a similar impact to Desharnais, and did it as an AHL rookie at 20. There is no obvious Desharnais or Savoie in this group. Finding a play driver will be key for Chaulk and his coaching staff this fall. (Photo of Matt Savoie: Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
USA Today
12 hours ago
- USA Today
Former Longhorn star compared to Darren Sproles
As the NFL season draws closer by the day, former Longhorn Jaydon Blue is inching closer to a career milestone. After an impressive college career with the Longhorns, the Dallas Cowboys selected Blue in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Over the last few months, he has showcased his skills and drawn comparisons to a former very successful running back. When talking about his newest running back with the media yesterday, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer had a glowing review about Blue. "He reminds me of a larger version of Darren Sproles," Schottenheimer said. "I don't use that lightly." Like Sproles, Blue can impact a game in multiple ways. The Klein Cain High School product finished his college career with 1161 rushing yards on 214 attempts. He averaged 5.4 yards a carry and shined last season when given more playing time. His impact also extended beyond the running game. When Blue wasn't moving the chains on the ground, he was a reliable weapon through the air. The Texas native hauled in 56 catches for 503 yards during his time in Austin. He also found the end zone seven times, including a career high of six during the 2024 campaign. Due to his ability to make an impact every time he was on the field, Blue's value skyrocketed leading up to the draft. If Blue comes close to matching Sproles' production, then the Cowboys will be very happy with their pick. Sproles, who was a fourth-round pick, finished his 14-year career with 3,552 rushing yards and 4,840 receiving yards. In an offense full of talent, the former Longhorn is in a great position. After arriving in Dallas with high expectations, coaches seem to like what they are seeing in the talented running back.
USA Today
21 hours ago
- USA Today
Former Thunder Olivier Sarr back in NBA on Exhibit 10 deal with Raptors
While the Oklahoma City Thunder mostly sat out the offseason, several former members of the NBA champion found a new home across the league. The latest is Olivier Sarr. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Toronto Raptors. Sarr spent three seasons on the Thunder from 2021-24. He sparingly played 46 games across those three seasons. He was signed to a standard deal, a two-way contract and a handful of 10-day deals during his time in OKC. The 26-year-old mostly played with the G League's OKC Blue. Sarr helped the Blue capture the 2024 G League championship. He suffered a torn Achilles in the Blue's Game 3 win over the Maine Celtics to capture the trophy. That April 2024 knocked him out for the entire 2024-25 season as he rehabbed his injury. Now, Sarr is back in the NBA. He hopes to have a strong enough training camp and preseason to be added to the Raptors' G League affiliate. From there, the seven-footer can spend the year with the Raptors 405 working toward a possible two-way deal. Sarr's younger brother Alex was the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NBA draft. The Washington Wizards hope the 20-year-old can build off his rookie season with a strong sophomore campaign that legitimizes his spot as a franchise cornerstone.
