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Did you see Skinner last night? That’s the best the Oilers have while making runs to the Cup finals. They could be talked into UPL being a young, improving goalie who needs a change of scenery.

With 3 goalies and him having played 2 games in the past 3 days, could see them giving him a day off which gives him some much needed rest and also gives both of the other guys a full practice rather than swapping in for each other. Hoping it's as simple as that for why he wasn't on the ice this morning.

The extra help on breakouts matters. The team seems way more confident with him, not gripping their sticks tight waiting for a UPL softie.

Then there is Beck Malenstyn who is in the 99th percentile. https://www.nhl.com/nhl-edge/skaters/beck-malenstyn-8479359/20252026/2

They'll look better if/when they get RNH and Kapanen back in the lineup. But it may not matter unless they trade all the goodz for Luukkonen. They need a goalie.

Get rid of the other one so there is no controversy. Some side benefits to this move as well.

Keep Doan-TNT-Tuch together for a few games, even if Norris returns to the lineup. With the way Thompson is playing the last 5 periods of hockey, you'll get some point production out of Doan.

The thing about McDavid is you have to be able to catch him to hit him. Not many can. One reason why Kozak is good is he is very fast up and down the ice. Had a speed burst last night that put him in the 98th percentile. https://www.nhl.com/nhl-edge/skaters/tyson-kozak-8482896/20252026/2/skating-speed

I hope we can establish a pecking order by the trade deadline because I feel one of these two has to go. Power’s size and reach are an advantage that he doesn’t use enough. He has been a smidge more physical than in the past but needs a lot of work defensively. He needs to focus on this since he will not be relied upon for offense, except for some spot PP duty. Byram requires an extension if Power is traded, so money will factor into the decision. If he is willing to stay as the 2nd pairing guy on a reasonable wage I would keep him. Your Mrtka arrival makes me wonder who he would be a better fit for, Byram or Power. The idea of twin towers is appealing but I feel like Power could bring more in a trade than Byram. I could get talked into keeping whichever one plays better with Timmins, to form a solid 2nd pairing, while trading the high priced 3rd pairing guy.

fwiw - Ellis is not on the ice this morning.

I agree. But we do have a 3rd goalie, a 7th defenseman, and a Geertsen on the roster. If everyone's healthy and you need ALL 3 of them... Danforth is my next to go as he's the grownup version of Kozak. But you never know.

Kozak is a Sabre now.

Any ideas on other new additions to the roster this year? I believe I've heard Doan referred to (predictably) as "Doaner." Who else merits an update for this edition? Kesselring? Timmins? King? https://kslsports.com/nhl/utah-mammoth/michael-kesselring-opens-surprise-christmas-gift-from-utah-hockey-club-teammates/533805#:~:text=“On social media they called,his new crown for Christmas.

Didn’t realize Rosen has 6 points in 8 games. Hope he keeps producing. He has the tools to be a JJ type. Him and Östlund play well together.

I still need to see Kozak stay healthy, but I'm on the train of him taking Krebs' role by New Year's. However, that just puts Krebs in his right spot -- he becomes the 13th F. He can mostly move up and down the lineup for spot duty. He won't wow you, but he won't be a terrible drain you and he brings energy. If someone is out long-term, then you've got Östlund & Rosén ready in the wings.

He's just more poised. Power is still trying to catch up to the game; Byram is up to speed. Maybe Power gets there, but right now I like Byram better.

Watching them last night reminded me of the Sabres after Ryan O'Reilly was traded. They've got McD and Draisaitl, similar to Eichel/Reinhart and then.... nothing. It's just not sustainable. I said upthread: all you need to do is hit McD every opportunity. Because of their lack of quality forwards, if EDM gets behind they play him more and more and if he's beat up he's not gonna have anything left in the tank at the end of the game. There were only two or three moments where he looked dangerous; the rest of the time he looked tired.

As we seen forward positions in the NHL are fluid.

Greenway can fight. Having him in the lineup makes Geertsen waivable. Malenstyn is one of those guys who looks good skill wise but cannot process the game at an NHL level. Guys like that are easily steered into the corner where plays go to die. Fun fact is he has just 1 takeaway but 9 giveaways, including 5 in the defensive zone. We don't need this guy for anything.

I enjoyed reading through my initial posts on this thread. A renewed nickname roll call for one player: Josh Norris. Neuf? Did it not carry over from Ottawa? (Also, apologies for not embedding the link - it would not embed here - the OP may have taken it down?)

Kesselring: DNP If they can start getting some return there, the deal really looks that much better.

I will believe it as soon as Terry Pegula sits in front of a podium and says "Jerry Forton and Kevyn Adams no longer have any job in any capacity with the Bills, Sabres, Harbor Center, etc. Him nor Adams are on my payroll in any capacity."

Right, if Lindy really wants that role, Dunne is a better fit. But do you keep him up over a Rosen or Östlund? edit: Hey @SDS, if we are going to have that filter on Östlund, how about one to put the accent on the "e" in Rosen?

JJ Peterka: 6g, 7a, 13pts, +1 in 19games Josh Doan: 5g, 7a, 12pts, -4 in 19games