In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, Corey Perry makes his debut for the team on Saturday afternoon. How will be perform in a third-line role? Meanwhile, trade talk has quieted down because of the 15-game win streak, but is there some chatter about defenseman Brett Kulak? Calvin Pickard posted a shutout, and it will be intriguing to see how his strong play affects the team’s plans at the deadline. Finally, how good have the Edmonton Oilers been since Mattias Ekholm‘s arrival?
Corey Perry Makes Oilers Debut
Perry makes his Oilers debut as the club looks to close out their January schedule with a 16th straight win against the Nashville Predators. He will play on a line with Dylan Holloway and Ryan McLeod, two of the fastest skaters on the team. Holloway praised Perry as a legend, and Perry called himself just somebody who likes to play hockey. He’s excited about being back.
When asked about the speed on his line, Perry noted, “That works.” The Oilers are hoping they can make up for any lack of footspeed Perry might have and if he gets to the net and gets open, he could have some easy looks. As far as team chemistry goes, he called it a seamless process so far, but also that finding chemistry is a “learning process.”
Mattias Ekholm’s Impact on the Oilers
Bob Stauffer pointed out an interesting statistic for the Oilers today. Citing the team’s record since his arrival from Nashville, he’s played in 64 games for the Oilers and has eight goals and 24 assists. He is a plus-minus +43 and averages 20:55 per game. Most impressive, the Oilers are 46-16-2 (.734) with Ekholm in the lineup.
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That’s an incredible amount of success after one player joined the team. Ekholm is extremely underrated and the impact he’s had on Evan Bouchard shouldn’t be understated either. It’s no coincidence that the Oilers struggled early in the year when Ekholm was dealing with a nagging injury. The timing of their win streak and his improved health are certainly linked.
Are the Oilers Prepared to Run with the Skinner and Pickard Tandem?
As I wrote in an article about Calvin Pickard the other day, the adage, ‘It’s a good problem to have,’ holds to a certain extent for the Edmonton Oilers goaltender. The team finds itself in the fortunate position of having multiple trustworthy backup options, presenting a welcome challenge. The question is, are the Oilers…
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