29 days ago
Leon Draisaitl admitted the Edmonton Oilers never established a clear identity during last season's disappointing NHL campaign. Edmonton finished second in the Pacific Division before losing to the Anaheim Ducks in six games.
The Oilers had reached consecutive Stanley Cup Finals before their early playoff exit. Draisaitl believes their biggest issue existed throughout the regular season, rather than appearing only in the postseason.
"I do think that we never were able to really grab and find our game throughout 82 games," Draisaitl said during the European Player Media Tour. "You see it every year, the teams that are good, there's a pattern that they create and build over 82 games. They know what their game is."
He added, "I think we kind of missed that. We never really found what we were as a group."
MORE: EA Sports shares Top 10 highest-rated players in NHL 27, featuring Oilers' Connor McDavid
#draisaitl #game
The Oilers had reached consecutive Stanley Cup Finals before their early playoff exit. Draisaitl believes their biggest issue existed throughout the regular season, rather than appearing only in the postseason.
"I do think that we never were able to really grab and find our game throughout 82 games," Draisaitl said during the European Player Media Tour. "You see it every year, the teams that are good, there's a pattern that they create and build over 82 games. They know what their game is."
He added, "I think we kind of missed that. We never really found what we were as a group."
MORE: EA Sports shares Top 10 highest-rated players in NHL 27, featuring Oilers' Connor McDavid
#draisaitl #game
2 months ago
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl publicly backed Mike Babcock after the Edmonton Oilers hired him as head coach. However, former NHL defenseman Jason Demers thinks that support now places even greater pressure on the team's stars.
Speaking with Tyler Yaremchuk on the "Oilers Nation Everyday" podcast, Demers admitted he remains unconvinced by the coaching hire.
"I can't get behind the Mike Babcock signing. I just can't," Demers said. "I don't care what the top guys say."
MORE: Jason Demers predicts Oilers will 'run away' with Pacific Division
He acknowledged that McDavid and Draisaitl had to be comfortable with the decision.
#demers
Speaking with Tyler Yaremchuk on the "Oilers Nation Everyday" podcast, Demers admitted he remains unconvinced by the coaching hire.
"I can't get behind the Mike Babcock signing. I just can't," Demers said. "I don't care what the top guys say."
MORE: Jason Demers predicts Oilers will 'run away' with Pacific Division
He acknowledged that McDavid and Draisaitl had to be comfortable with the decision.
#demers
3 months ago
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers re-signed Jason **** inson to a five-year contract worth $20 million on Sunday, preventing the defensive-minded center from testing the free agent market.
Dickinson will count $4 million against the salary cap through the 2030-31 NHL season. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, three days before his 31st birthday.
Instead, **** inson will be counted on to provide depth in Edmonton as the organization looks to get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup following a decade of trying and falling short despite having two of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Dickinson fit in well with the Oilers after they acquired him from Chicago in early March ahead of the trade deadline. He averaged roughly 15 minutes of ice time a game the rest of the season and 12 in the playoffs, becoming one of the team's most frequently penalty killers.
Re-signing **** inson was one item on a lengthy offseason checklist for general manager Stan Bowman. Hiring a coach could be next, along with potentially trading longtime defenseman Darnell Nurse and upgrading the goaltending position.
Dickinson will count $4 million against the salary cap through the 2030-31 NHL season. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, three days before his 31st birthday.
Instead, **** inson will be counted on to provide depth in Edmonton as the organization looks to get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup following a decade of trying and falling short despite having two of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Dickinson fit in well with the Oilers after they acquired him from Chicago in early March ahead of the trade deadline. He averaged roughly 15 minutes of ice time a game the rest of the season and 12 in the playoffs, becoming one of the team's most frequently penalty killers.
Re-signing **** inson was one item on a lengthy offseason checklist for general manager Stan Bowman. Hiring a coach could be next, along with potentially trading longtime defenseman Darnell Nurse and upgrading the goaltending position.
3 months ago
Golden Knights surprisingly had a John Tortorella reason for hiring Ryan Craig as HC originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Usually, teams that have gotten so close to the Stanley Cup rarely change things up. They want to explore the team chemistry more and just patch up holes in the culture to get over the hump. The Vegas Golden Knights know better than this. They may have seen John Tortorella take over well for Coach Bruce Cassidy but this did not guarantee a long-term deal. Ryan Craig was instead given the role but their previous head coach still played a role on why the AHL head coach and former ***** istant took over the reins.
A lot of NHL fans may not know this but Coach Ryan Craig used to play for Coach John Tortorella. From 2005 to 2008. Craig was on the same Tampa Bay Lightning squad that Tortorella coached. So, there needed to be a big endorsement from the tenured head honcho before the Golden Knights hired their new one. General manager Kelly McCrimmon unveiled how Tortorella became part of why they hired Craig as the next head coach, via NHL.com.
"Interestingly, Tortorella had Ryan Craig as a player. He's got the same opinion of Ryan Craig that most people do. I know he was disappointed because he did want to coach our team next year, but I know also he's got a lot of regard for Ryan and a lot of respect for him. We thank 'Torts' for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March. When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season," the Golden Knights general manager said. "Torts' experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final."
Notably, there is still a chance that Tortorella lands with an NHL squad in the coming season. The Edmonton Oilers have yet to find a replacement for Kris ***** lauch after their disappointing first-round exit despite having Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.
Usually, teams that have gotten so close to the Stanley Cup rarely change things up. They want to explore the team chemistry more and just patch up holes in the culture to get over the hump. The Vegas Golden Knights know better than this. They may have seen John Tortorella take over well for Coach Bruce Cassidy but this did not guarantee a long-term deal. Ryan Craig was instead given the role but their previous head coach still played a role on why the AHL head coach and former ***** istant took over the reins.
A lot of NHL fans may not know this but Coach Ryan Craig used to play for Coach John Tortorella. From 2005 to 2008. Craig was on the same Tampa Bay Lightning squad that Tortorella coached. So, there needed to be a big endorsement from the tenured head honcho before the Golden Knights hired their new one. General manager Kelly McCrimmon unveiled how Tortorella became part of why they hired Craig as the next head coach, via NHL.com.
"Interestingly, Tortorella had Ryan Craig as a player. He's got the same opinion of Ryan Craig that most people do. I know he was disappointed because he did want to coach our team next year, but I know also he's got a lot of regard for Ryan and a lot of respect for him. We thank 'Torts' for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March. When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season," the Golden Knights general manager said. "Torts' experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final."
Notably, there is still a chance that Tortorella lands with an NHL squad in the coming season. The Edmonton Oilers have yet to find a replacement for Kris ***** lauch after their disappointing first-round exit despite having Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.
