Contrary to what some may suggest, the Edmonton Oilers did not make the wrong decision in selecting Nail Yakupov with the first overall pick of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. With the circumstances being what they were, also known as an unhealthy Alex Galchenyuk, drafting the gifted Russian was an absolute no-brainer. Unfortunately, things have not played out in the manner that either the player or organization were hoping.
While it may be hard for a fraction of the fan base to accept, the Edmonton Oilers have actually missed not having Justin Schultz in their lineup. By the sounds of it the 25-year old is on the verge of making his return to action and if healthy, he will be a welcomed addition to this team’s backend. For the first time in ages, it looks as though the Oilers could potentially have three pairings in which there is no real black hole on their blue line.
When it comes to up and coming prospects currently in the Edmonton Oilers farm system, few appear to have this fan base as excited as netminder Laurent Brossoit. While the organization has been looking for a No. 1 goaltender since parting ways with Dwayne Roloson following the 2008-09 campaign, they have yet to hit the jackpot when it comes to finding their go-to-guy in between the pipes.
We are now 23 days into the month of November and the Edmonton Oilers have played nine games, posting a 3-5-1 mark. While their record may not be where they want it to be, the fact the Oilers have handed over the starters role to Anders Nilsson over the past three weeks is nothing short of astonishing. After all, the 2015-16 campaign was supposed to be a coming-out party for one Cam Talbot.
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Brandon Davidson was in a bit of a tough spot heading into training camp. In order for the 24-year old to start the year in the NHL, he needed to make enough of an impression on head coach Todd McLellan to slot him above two of Mark Fayne, Andrew Ference, Oscar Klefbom, Nikita Nikitin, Darnell Nurse, Griffin Reinhart, Justin Schultz and Andrej Sekera. To his credit, he accomplished exactly that and has not looked back since.
