Wednesdays With Austyn

Welcome to a quiet evening edition of Wednesday with Austyn. This week has been rather subpar for the Edmonton Oilers. Some positives but also, some negatives. On surface level a record of 2-1 this past week is something to smile about. If you dig a little deeper below you can see that the Oilers only wins came against Ottawa which, as I touched on last week they are having a rather tough start to the year. The cause for concern is that the Oilers did not look good in their most recent game against the Senators and they lost the first battle of Alberta against the Flames. Edmonton is going to need to step up their play moving forward because, and I cannot emphasize this enough, they do not play the Senators every night.

Now time to take an in-depth look at three players this week that have stood out to me.

Why has Turris been so bad?

I am unsure as to who this Kyle Turris is but, I know he is not the man that Holland intended to sign because his play has been absolutely brutal thus far. If he keeps up on this path he should (it won’t happen) spend a game or two in the press box to find himself.

Last year Turris was averaging 0.5PPG and was signed to be an expert on the PK and add an additional punch in the bottom six. I was one of the many fans who rejoiced once I heard they signed him because I thought he would be a large upgrade from Sheahan. The advanced stats look equally as pitiful for Turris as his relative corsi is at -6.5%. That is the 2nd worst of his entire career. To make matters worse his 43CF% is a career worst.

They need him to figure it out fast because unfortunately, they don’t have the proper support in the organization if he plays this poorly for the remainder of the year. Jujar Khaira has looked solid this week but, he is more likely to regress to the player who is not of the NHL calibre than he is to continue this hot streak. Haas offers some relief but he is more useful as an average fourth line center rather than a below average third line center. Shore is a great depth piece and should be nothing more than a depth center getting the first call up when a player gets injured. So Turris, you need to turn this around, ASAP.

Evan Bouchard is the Answer!

Evan Bouchard has been an absolute stud since given the opportunity to play with the big boys. He looks so calm, so sleek, and just so damn good out there. He’s shown that he is an incredible puck mover and can carry a defensive pairing in that sense. Him being paired with Russell and Koekkoek gives him more of a puck moving workload and he does not disappoint.

One of the biggest things that I have noticed is that he is not afraid to shoot the puck. He has 3+ shots in all four of his games. This is something that is needed for the Oilers because he is able to fire the puck at the net in the flow of the offense. When he shoots it does not disrupt the cycle it simply is a solid opportunity to get the puck on the net. SOG has frequently been an area that the Oilers have struggled. Constant over passing and trying to get “too cute with it” has ruined them in years past. This year they rank 14th in the league in SOG per game at 30.7. Bouchard’s quick decision making should help the Oilers get more opportunities to fire the puck at the net and it doesn’t hurt us that he isn't shy with putting the puck towards the net.

Tippett should flirt with the idea of playing Bouchard on PP1. Bouchard will absolutely earn that role in due time so it does not hurt to toss him up there with the big guns occasionally. His ability to calmly rotate the puck around combined with his strength at firing the puck on net would make him a lovely addition to the power play. I am not saying play him there permanently as Nurse and Barrie have been very good there but toss Bouchard in there for a shift or two just to let everyone get a feel for it because he absolutely belongs there in the long term.

Why is Caleb Jones in the Doghouse? #FreeCalebJones

Let's go from one young stud to another. Unfortunately, Jones has found himself in the doghouse as he is seemingly never getting dressed for a game. The stats and eye test tell me all I need to know about Jones. He needs to play regularly. I have seen through the twitter universe that he apparently didn’t get down to block a shot and has been in Tippett's bad books ever since. If this is true let me lay down on the ice and get a four million dollar contract (looking at you Kris Russell).

Caleb Jones is their best LHD puck mover. There is no reason he should spend this many consecutive games on the bench when he should be on the second pair on a consistent basis. Just look at his CF% in comparison to the rest of the Oilers defensemen.

Image from: https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/EDM/

There is no reason Russell, Koekkoek and Lagesson should be given more opportunity than young Caleb Jones. If you want to look at more casual statistics he has as many points as both Russell and Koekkoek. He also has a better +/- than those two as well.

It’s time to start a revolution and let this kid play and feast. He has shown that he is a more than capable defender than the players constantly getting more opportunities. Jones needs to be freed and given the chance to move the puck and play his game without fear that he could be scratched the next game. It’s time to play Caleb Jones once again. Let's start a revolution and change the trajectory of the team by letting him out of the doghouse. #FreeCalebJones.

Hump Day Hyperbole

This one isn’t necessarily as brash as the other two. It’s more of a tame take but this player is often forgotten about and deserves the spotlight because he is fully recovered from an injury and ready to light it up.

Tyler Ennis is the Answer to the Oilers Bottom Six Woes

Didn’t expect that one did you. Tyler Ennis looked incredible this past week. He deserves more of an opportunity and there is a large hole when it comes to the 4th & 3rd line LW. Ennis is a dynamic forward with the potential to bring depth goal scoring. When the Oilers acquired Ennis at last year's trade deadline they provided him with a multitude of opportunities. Playing for his hometown he was shuffled throughout the lineup even getting a couple looks with McDavid. This year he has not looked the same. That is in part to him recovering from an injury suffered in the bubble.

Ennis has shown flashes lately and he is ready to be a permanent contributor to the bottom six. His sniper tendencies will provide depth goal scoring for the Oilers. Last year he was able to score 16 goals and I believe he is capable of giving us at the bare minimum double digit goals. Ennis is ready.