What About Markus?

“He’s a unique defender. Almost a throwback, in that he’s got that that element of physicality about him,” Woodcroft said after the win over Winnipeg. “He sneaks up on people. People aren’t expecting it. But he’s long, he closes fast, and he’s an excellent skater. He’s put himself in the conversation to compete for ice time on the blue line.”

If Woodcroft pairs Nurse with Ceci, as he did last season, Kulak with Bouchard and Broberg with Barrie to start the season, where does Niemelainen fit? Does he fit? Even with a roster of 22, I can’t imagine the Oilers won’t carry seven D-men (I’m thinking 13-7-2 to start). Might Niemelainen fit as the swingman between the press box and the third pairing? 

Maybe, given the cap situation, Niemelainen makes more sense as a call-up from Bakersfield during the season. Ryan Rishaug talked about that with Dustin Nielson today and framed the situation really well: “Let’s change the conversation and take the cap out of it because it’s a more interesting conversation,” Rishaug said.

“Let’s say game 10 of the regular season if they have the ability to come and go and have who they want, can he get himself into that conversation? That’s really what we’re talking about here and I would said say, ‘Yeah, he does have the ability.’ He’s big. He skates well. And he loves to run people over. That’s not a dimension you find very often anymore.

“If he can bring that dimension and can show his hands have sped up a little bit, his decision making has sped up a little bit and he can handle the speed and thought process at the NHL level, you love that dimension.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

At the bottom line, putting a group of defencemen together is about finding the right mix. You can’t ice six rushers and expect success and you can’t get the job done with a half-dozen off-the-glass-and-out stay at home guys who can’t make a 20-foot pass. A variety of skills that covers all the bases makes for balance.

Niemelainen isn’t better than anybody in the top-six right now, but he damn sure is different than Barrie or Broberg or Bouchard. He is what the Oilers don’t have and, from where I sit, that in itself makes it worth taking a long look at him.

#NATIONVACATION TO LAS VEGAS

• When: On Thursday, January 12th, we’re jumping on a flight at the Edmonton International Airport and making our way to Vegas. On Sunday evening, we’ll fly back from Vegas to Edmonton. So the dates that you need to block off for this trip are January 12th to 15th.
• Where we’re staying: After landing in LV, we’ll jump on the free shuttle and make our way to the Park MGM before settling in for a good night’s sleep.