Coming Home

As far as reunions go, Kyle Brodziak returning to the Edmonton Oilers isn’t exactly a move anyone would consider to be earth-shattering. Not overly surprising, as we are talking about a former seventh-round pick going back to the team that drafted 15 years earlier. At 34-years of age, the St. Paul native may be past his prime but he should still have enough left in the proverbial tank to help this club climb its way back to respectability in 2018-19.

Khaira Carving Out His Spot

It may have taken longer than both he and the organization wanted but it appears as though Jujhar Khaira has found a home with the Edmonton Oilers. After a rather indifferent start to his 2017-18 campaign, a minor injury and an extended stay in the press box, the 2012 third-round pick has started to show signs of consistency in his game and the results speak for themselves.

The Special Teams' Specialist

As far as fourth line players go, Edmonton Oilers centre Mark Letestu is a rare breed. Like most bottom six forwards, the Elk Point native plays a key role on the man advantage but sees minimal time at even strength. A role which is typically filled by your prototypical energy guy, in this particular case, it has nothing to do with energy and everything to do with the offensive production he delivers on the man advantage.

Staying Away From UFA Market

When the Edmonton Oilers decided to bring on Peter Chiarelli as the club’s general manager following what was a disappointing but rather productive 2014-15 campaign, aka “The McDavid Lottery”, everyone knew the former Boston Bruins front man would be looking to add veteran reinforcements via unrestricted free agency. The Ontario native did exactly that during his first two off-seasons in charge of the organization but expecting that trend to continue over the coming weeks would be a mistake. 

Mark Letestu Quiets Critics

From an Edmonton Oilers‘ point of view, the first four months of the 20116-17 season could not have gone much better. Thanks in large part to the play of Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Andrej Sekera and Cam Talbot, this group sits third in the Pacific Division and tenth in the overall league standings. While the aforementioned quartet has rightly received the bulk of the credit for the club’s turnaround, veteran Mark Letestu has been the team’s unsung hero.

Oiler Fans Love Zack Kassian

As we near the one-year anniversary of the trade that saw the Edmonton Oilers send netminder Ben Scrivens to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Zack Kassian, one can’t help but to take a moment and reflect. While the former is currently playing goal for Minsk Dynamo in the KHL, the latter has managed to not only find himself a regular a spot in Todd McLellan’s starting lineup but also become a fan favourite in a city that once viewed him as Public Enemy No.1.

Winning Ugly

After years of finding ways to lose hockey games, this year’s edition of the Edmonton Oilers appear to be doing their best to buck that trend. While it may still be early in the season and this team has already started to show signs of coming back down to earth from its red-hot start, for the first time in what feels like an eternity, they are actually finding ways to win games. It may be hard to believe but it does seem as though this group might finally be headed in the right direction. 

How Much Change Can Be Made?

It is no secret general manager Peter Chiarelli will be looking to give the Edmonton Oilers roster yet another facelift during the upcoming offseason. While a change on the back end is a forgone conclusion, the former Boston Bruins GM might have his hands tied when it comes to his forward ranks. Surprised? Well, you really should not be because if you take a look at the contract situation facing this organization for the coming year, making wholesale changes could prove to be rather difficult. 

An All Too Familiar Scenario

So here we are. Thanks to Connor McDavid crashing into the end boards against the Philadelphia Flyers and breaking his collarbone, the Edmonton Oilers suddenly find themselves in an all too familiar situation. For the last number of years, this organization has lacked depth at the centre position and, while it was still an issue heading into 2015-16, having No. 97 in the mix allowed them to be competitive on a nightly basis. 

Finally!!!

While it was far from a perfect performance, the Edmonton Oilers still found a way to beat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation for the first time in a very long time on Wednesday night. On the strength of another solid outing by netminder Cam Talbot and some timely production from the trio of Connor McDavid, Benoit Pouliot and Nail Yakupov, the Oilers managed to sneak past the Wings with a 3-1 win over at Rexall Place. 

Will It Be Lander or Letestu?

When the Edmonton Oilers announced the signing of Mark Letestu to a three-year deal worth $5.4 million, most felt the organization had found their replacement for Boyd Gordon as the team’s fourth line centre. While on the surface it may look like a fairly straightforward swap, chances are the Elk Point native will give Anton Lander a run for his money as the team’s third line centre.

The Times They Are A Changin'

It has been quite some time since the Edmonton Oilers were a major player in the free agent market. That all changed on Wednesday morning. Peter Chiarelli decided to go big game hunting and came away with defenceman Andrej Sekera for his troubles. While it didn’t come cheaply, a six-year deal that will see the veteran rearguard earn $33 million, it was the sort of move this organization desperately needed to make.