GDB -7.0: Who will be third pair of left defense? (8pm MT, streaming)

The fight for Tyson Barrie’s partner in the Oilers third pair is the only chance on the Oilers blue line. The top two couples are in and Philip Broberg, Markus Niemelainen, Ryan Murray and Dmitri Samorukov all have to secure a spot tonight and Friday if they play. The salary cap will have Broberg on Monday’s opening day list. He started camp as a favorite to earn that job, but Niemelainen, Murray and Samorukov have pushed him and it’s not certain he’ll be the one to skate alongside Barrie on opening night next Wednesday.

Broberg is the best skater. Niemelainen is the most physical. Murray is the most experienced and Samorukov the biggest unknown. They all play a slightly different game and excel in one area more than the others. Murray’s age and experience make him best suited to be No. 7 if he doesn’t win No. 6. He can still improve his game but doesn’t need to play big minutes in the AHL. Broberg, Niemelainen and Samorukov would be better served playing big minutes at Bakersfield than sitting in the press box most nights in Edmonton.

None of them are focused on Job #7 – they all want to earn the right to play with Barrie. They’ll get a great opportunity to show Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson they can handle NHL forwards as the Canucks get close to a full NHL roster, and I expect Seattle to be similar on Friday. Samorukov won’t play tonight and we won’t know for sure which of Broberg, Niemelainen and Murrary will be there, but I expect Broberg and Murray will play.

Broberg has the best upside potential over the long term. He’s been okay in training camp so far, not great, but the coaching staff know him well. You know what he’s capable of and what he excels at. Niemelainen has made himself felt in every game, largely because he brings an element the Oilers don’t: He’s a physical force. He runs very well for a big man and has a unique ability to drill opponents with hard, clean body checks. He worked on his puck skills in the offseason because you can’t just be a cracker in 2022, you have to be able to move the puck. He’ll never be Barrie or Evan Bouchard as far as puck movement goes, but he’s improved his puck skills. Has he improved them enough for Woodcroft and Manson to keep him?

Murray will be on the list but will he be in the lineup or in the press box. His ability to play at both ends makes him an ideal experienced #7 defender. He’s a consistent defender who doesn’t really excel in any conspicuous area, but more importantly he doesn’t stand out through big slips. He is a reliable defender that the coaches can trust. That’s very valuable for staying in the NHL. Samorukov is the joker for me. He is a mixture of Broberg and Niemelainen. He skates well and uses his long, lanky frame to be physical, he just doesn’t run over guys like Niemelainen. He seemed calmer this year. He has NHL skills, the question that has surrounded him since turning pro has been can he calm his game and make the right reads? I think he’s made progress in those areas.

Samorukov needs waivers, and since Broberg will be in the lineup for opening day, the Oilers may not dress him in the final two games simply so teams won’t be sure if he goes through waivers. At this point I would be counting on him not being claimed as many organizations have similar young D-Men who are on the verge of becoming NHLers but need waivers.

There will be a much bigger challenge for the Oilers defensemen tonight and Friday, and it will play a role in who will line up alongside Barrie next Wednesday. Will Broberg remain in the position he had at the beginning of the camp, or will it be taken away from him?

oiler

Holloway-McDavid-Hyman
Shore – RNH – Puljujärvi
Janmark-McLeod-Ryan
Hamblin – Malone – Virtanen

Nurse – Ceci
Kulak-Bouchard
Broberg-Murray
Niemelainen-Demers

Skinner

These line combinations might give us a glimpse of what Jay Woodcroft thinks about his top 9. Ryan McLeod could start the season on the fourth row, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would center a third row with Warren Foegele and Jesse Puljujarvi. McDavid plays in the place of Leon Draisaitl. Jesse Puljujarvi needs to find his step. He had a quiet preseason.

If Kailer Yamamoto didn’t get on the boards with the faceplant in the third third, he could be dressed tonight. I’ve been told they’re giving him the night off as he’s a little knocked out, but nothing too serious. Unclear if he will play on Friday or not. Tyler Benson’s news isn’t so favorable. He’ll be out for a while, I’m told, but they’re not sure for how long. We’ll know more in the next few days. He had a very strong camp and had been considered for the fourth row LW slot.

The key decision ahead of time remains who will be placed on waivers by Derek Ryan or Mattias Janmark to allow the Oilers to meet the cap. Ryan is 36 and I wonder if age matters in the decision. Foegele has already played four preseason games and gets the night off and Shore is called up for RNH.

I’m not sure at the moment which of the eight D-men will be playing. I would play Niemelainen.

Canuck’s…

Pearson-Miller-Garland
Kuzmenko-Petsson-Podkolzin
Hoglander-Horvat-Joshua
Karlsson-Dickinson-Lazar

Hughes – Nice
Ekman-Larsson—Poolman
Burroughs-Myers
Wolanin-Rathbone

demo

The Canucks will come into play with a strong NHL roster after iceing out another AHL roster in Edmonton on Monday. Brock Boeser and Ilya Mihkeyev won’t be ready to start the season, so we’ll see if Andrei Kuzmenko and Vasily Podkolsin can take advantage of the increased chance. Starting the season with Pettersson, you can’t say they weren’t given the chance to produce.

Dakota Joshua and Linus Karlsson are looking to crack the lineup and will need strong performances to stay in the hunt.

The Canucks lowered their goals after Bruce Boudreau took over. From January 1 through the end of the season, the Canucks had the eighth-best goals against average in the NHL. Thatcher Demko was a big part of that, and he would give the Canucks a chance most nights.

MATCHDAY PREDICTION: Edmonton wasn’t as crisp as Woodcroft wanted on Monday and he’ll be looking to see them tighten up, particularly on the PK. Vancouver wins 3-2.

OBVIOUS MATCHDAY PREDICTION: Holloway scores to fuel the hype train even more.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS MATCHDAY PREDICTION: Devin Shore scores.

• When: On Thursday, January 12th, we’ll board a plane at Edmonton International Airport and make our way to Vegas. We fly back to Edmonton from Vegas on Sunday evening. So the dates you need to keep free for this trip are January 12-15.
• Where we stay: Upon landing in LV, we board the complimentary shuttle and make our way to Park MGM before settling down for a good night’s sleep. 😉
• What you get: Your return airfare, hotel, shuttle, viewing party (Friday night), game entry – this time we have seats (Saturday night) and exclusive entry to our pre-trip “get to know each other” event.
• How much: The total cost of travel, flight, hotel and entry to the game is $1499 per person (based on double occupancy)
• Tickets: Ready to dive in? Click this link.