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New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
The importance of Oilers' playoff healthy scratches, now and in the future
In the years leading up to this spring's playoff run, the Edmonton Oilers deployed several rookies in prominent roles. Stuart Skinner played in 12 playoff games during his rookie season (2022-23), Philip Broberg played in nine games that same spring. Inexperienced players like Ryan McLeod, Dylan Holloway, Klim Kostin and Vincent Desharnais also occupied important roster spots in recent postseasons. Advertisement Fans watching this year's Oilers in the playoffs may have noticed there are no rookies, no players who lack experience in the lineup. There are unproven talents available to the team, but most have been healthy scratches during the postseason. Why would the Oilers keep players like Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue around? The present, and the future. In the final game of the series against the Dallas Stars, Edmonton's list of scratches counted 14, compared to five for the home team. Here are the names, and the reason each is still with the big club: There are three 'future' talents in Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue. The chances these three players dress for a game in the Stanley Cup Final are close to zero, but they're with the big club, soaking in the excitement and intensity of a playoff run, and getting a taste of their own possible future. It might not seem like a big deal, but the experience may offer inspiration for all three men. What's more, the Oilers have superior options with more experience. So, the players who haven't been through the rigours of a playoff run get an up-close view of the sacrifice required, while the organization isn't forced to insert unready players into impossible situations. Throwing kids into the breach is not a formula for success. In the 2006 final versus the Carolina Hurricanes, Oilers coach Craig MacTavish entered the pivotal Game 7 with some difficult decisions to make. He went with youth on the blue line (Matt Greene over Marc-Andre Bergeron), a decision that offered more toughness and less chaos. A more experienced defenceman, with no chaos, would have been a welcome choice, but was not available. In the 2017 series against the Anaheim Ducks, coach Todd McLellan was forced to use youngsters Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse in higher-profile roles due to a devastating injury suffered by wily veteran Andrej Sekera. The Oilers had a pile of young defencemen who were scratched during the series, but only Griffin Reinhart saw action against Anaheim. Advertisement Not every young player stumbles in the playoffs. It's a risk most NHL coaches would rather not take. Coach Kris Knoblauch may be forced to deploy some of the healthy scratches during the series to come against Florida. Connor Brown is a lock, as soon as he's cleared to play. His importance to the team, at five-on-five and on special teams, makes him vital to team success. Jeff Skinner, who has played just two games this spring, would be the likely scratch when Brown is ready. Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson have played during the postseason. Their insertion into the lineup at any time during the final wouldn't come as a surprise. Most of the group that populates the healthy scratch list should be considered unlikely to play in the final. Savoie is here because he is the future. A high-end skill winger, Oilers fans will see him in the fall. His debut season, spent mostly in the AHL, gave every indication he was ready for NHL work on one of the top two lines. Philp is the one future player whose skills suggest there's an outside chance of NHL work in the final. He's a right-handed centre, can win faceoffs, plays with grit and can kill penalties. His insertion into the lineup would require more than one injury, as Derek Ryan has a similar skill set and plenty of NHL experience. Rodrigue played two NHL games this season and was the starter for Bakersfield much of 2024-25. He was the backup to Stuart Skinner when Calvin Pickard was out. It would be a massive ask for him to step into an NHL playoff game. It's possible Collin Delia, who has NHL experience, would be the next man up in case of injury. Based on Florida's performance during the playoffs this spring, it's appropriate to at least broach the subject of a goaltender injury. That said, chances are Rodrigue and Delia don't see NHL ice this spring. Advertisement The rest of the scratches are Zach Hyman (gone for the season) and AHL veterans who flourished in the minors while helping prospects develop. Their presence is an acknowledgement of that performance and serves as an extra layer of insurance against further injury. James Hamblin is an undersized left-handed centre who impacts the entire game when in Bakersfield. He's a fearsome forechecker, can PK and win some faceoffs, but he doesn't have NHL scoring ability. Josh Brown, Phil Kemp and Cam Dineen all delivered quality play for the Condors, with Brown and Dineen seeing limited NHL action during the regular season. Kemp has been NHL-ready for some time, but the organization has always enjoyed better options. His recall might be a thank you from management ahead of a pleasant goodbye. Kemp is a Group 6 free agent who would do well to find another NHL team more in need of his services. Among the men who didn't play the final contest against Dallas, Brown is the most likely to appear in the final. After that, all of the names listed above will need some luck to see playing time against the Panthers. The key point: Edmonton's scratch list is a damn good one. There's real NHL talent here. The secondary point: The future is here, but it is not in the lineup yet. The lessons of Greene and Reinhart have been learned, and general manager Stan Bowman has given Knoblauch and his staff more than enough veteran depth to hold back the water on unproven players. If you're disappointed in not seeing Savoie, Philp or Rodrigue, you won't have to wait long. All three should return and see more NHL time next season. The organization correctly estimated that reliance on the kids would be unwise this spring. Now is not their time. It will come. (Photo of Matt Savoie and Connor Brown: Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Report: Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard may miss rest of Vegas series
May 13 - Edmonton goalkeeper Calvin Pickard is expected to miss the remainder of the Oilers' Western Conference semifinal series versus the Vegas Golden Knights due to injury, TSN reported Monday. Pickard has won all six starts in the net for the Oilers during this postseason run. After Edmonton lost the first two games at Los Angeles in the first round, Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch replaced starter Stuart Skinner with Pickard. The 33-year-old career backup posted wins in the next four games to help the Oilers oust the Kings and then earned victories in the first two games of the second round in Las Vegas. Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl fell into Pickard's left leg during the Oilers' 5-4 overtime triumph on May 8. The Moncton, New Brunswick native finished the game, but has not practiced since. With Skinner back in the net, host Edmonton lost, 4-3 in Game 3, as Vegas' Reilly Smith scored with 0.4 second remaining to trim the Oilers' series lead to 2-1. TSN reported "it will probably be at least a week" before Pickard could return. Skinner, who starred during the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup Final last spring, has allowed 15 goals in just 168 minutes of playing time this postseason and owns a lowly save percentage of .817. During the regular season, Skinner went 26-18-4, with a 2.81 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage. Olivier Rodrigue, who played in two games for Edmonton in his first NHL season, is expected to back up Skinner. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who should start in goal for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 and why: 9 Things
The Edmonton Oilers literally saved their season with a gut-check victory over Los Angeles on Friday night. But while the win was great, the club has yet to entirely dig themselves out of the deep early hole they excavated for themselves. Yes, Friday was a must-win. But if they do not follow that up with another triumph on Sunday the hole is back to being just as deep…but with even fewer shovels remaining to complete the job. That and more in this Stanley Cup Playoffs edition of… 9. The Oilers do have depth in reserve if (God forbid) injuries were to re-occur. The Black Aces, as they are commonly known, consist of Bakersfield farm hands Olivier Rodrigue, Defenders Phil Kemp and Cam Dineen, and Forwards Noah Philp, Matt Savoie and James Hamblin. 8. A shout-out to my Cult of Hockey colleague David Staples who suggested after the Game Two loss that Kris Knoblauch return to the Draisaitl-Arvidsson-Podkolzin line. Perhaps the coach's ears were burning, as he did just that with great success. At 5v5, Draisaitl was 76%, Arvidsson 81% and Podkolzin 83%. With so much flux everywhere else in the lineup, the reunion made good common sense. 7. I like the Trent Frederic acquisition in the long run. I think this club will need to get younger and more energetic in the off-season. But you can only add so many AHL grads and still be a cup contender. Frederic is already a man who has proven his worth at the NHL level. You can see his skating starting to iron out. One hopes the series lasts long enough for him to show what he can really do. 6. And what I just said about Frederic applies to much of this lineup right now. You may not think that playing as a unit down the stretch and being in a groove heading into the playoffs is that important. But I think we are seeing first-hand evidence that is certainly is. My fear and lingering question is: Can the Oilers survive and stay alive long enough to hit their stride? 5. At the outset of this series, I wondered publicly whether Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty were still able to lead their club to a win in a Seven Game series. I have mad respect for both. Terrific careers. But they are thirty-five and thirty-seven. And Kopitar got lit up by Edmonton on Friday and Doughty was a key figure in the McDavid insurance marker. If the Oilers can extend the series, I believe it can become an advantage. If… 4. On Friday night Evan Bouchard became the first defenceman in franchise history to score two power play goals in a single Stanley Cup Playoff game. That is really something when you think of the fine blueliners that have been Edmonton Oilers, top-of-mind for this example of course being Paul Coffey. Like many of you, I often get frustrated with Bouchard's defensive game. But you can teach defending. You can not teach the elite offensive skills he possesses. And we saw that (and better defending) in spades in Game Three. 3. Speaking of blueliners, Troy Stecher has been medically cleared to play. Whether he is up to game speed yet is probably the bigger question. I would be surprised if he plays on Sunday. But depending on how things go, I could imagine him being an option for Game Five. But who would come out? I have a tough time seeing them removing John Klingberg. He has been 'Steady Eddy' for consecutive games. You can just see the veteran cool and calm in his game. The more likely candidate would be Ty Emberson. Yes, Emberson is a member of the Penalty Kill pairings. But it is not like those special teams have been lights-out. 2. The fact that Klingberg has been able to come in after having missed so much time (first with the surgery, then the subsequent injury) is impressive. But at least he has had some runway. Evan Kane has been nothing short of amazing so far. While I think we could see him searching for his hands and timing in Game Two, he looked a whole lot like vintage Evander Kane in Game Three. It is easy to forget just how important Kane has been to this club since arriving. When he is right, he provides something (in abundance, I might add) that no other player on the roster does. It is a testament to his athleticism, his drive, and his raw talent. 1.I do not think there is a wrong answer to 'who should the Edmonton Oilers start in goal for Game Four.' And Head Coach Kris Knoblauch would not tip his hand in front of the media on Saturday. But I know who I would be going with if it were my call: Calvin Pickard. My reasons why? First and foremost, you just won with the guy. Pickard was certainly not perfect, but I only had direct blame for him on the fourth goal against…and even that was a breakaway. And at no point did I think that Pickard looked fragile or lacking in confidence. That does not mean that Stuart Skinner could not come in and pitch a damn good game on Sunday. I still thin the Oilers consider Skinner their #1. And in fact, if the Oilers are to go multiple rounds in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, they need Skinner to rediscover his form. I still see him as the best available starter going forward. The devil will be in the details. Not if…but when. However, who do you think they have more confidence in at this moment? And please do not start down the road with me on the Olivier Rodrigue path. I can not begin to describe how bad of an idea it would be to start an AHL goaltender who is basically untested at the NHL level. Down 2-1 in a seven-game series is not the time for a Hail Mary, which I what that would be. C'mon. Get real. And besides, that would be totally unfair to force the kid into that situation. And I am not sure it matters anyway. If the Oilers do not find their defensive game and become more effective on the Penalty Kill the goalie will not be the biggest factor. Edmonton is still giving up way too many good looks to win with what they have, which is average goaltending. But in the short term, as the Oilers hurry to find their legs in this series, yanking a goalie out of the crease after he just helped you win a desperation game smacks to me of panic. And panic is the one thing the Oilers can not afford, right about now. Now on Bluesky @ Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@ This article is not AI generated. STAPLES: The coach's challenge that may have swung the Oilers-Kings series LEAVINS: Oilers dig deep to force Kings series to 2-1 in games STAPLES: Pickard or Skinner – 'We haven't decided yet'. In memory of Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025. 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Edmonton Journal
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Who should start in goal for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 and why: 9 Things
Article content That and more in this Stanley Cup Playoffs edition of… 9 Things 9. The Oilers do have depth in reserve if (God forbid) injuries were to re-occur. The Black Aces, as they are commonly known, consist of Bakersfield farm hands Olivier Rodrigue, Defenders Phil Kemp and Cam Dineen, and Forwards Noah Philp, Matt Savoie and James Hamblin. 8. A shout-out to my Cult of Hockey colleague David Staples who suggested after the Game Two loss that Kris Knoblauch return to the Draisaitl-Arvidsson-Podkolzin line. Perhaps the coach's ears were burning, as he did just that with great success. At 5v5, Draisaitl was 76%, Arvidsson 81% and Podkolzin 83%. With so much flux everywhere else in the lineup, the reunion made good common sense.
