On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
If there’s one area where experts sense the Florida Panthers might have an edge over the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s in the meanness department. With Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand well-known as pests, the Panthers also have Sam Bennett. Sean Brown recently suggested Bennett might be the meanest player in the NHL and wondered if the Oilers had someone to match his level.
Speaking on Sports 1440, Brown argued, “There’s not a lot of guys in the league that are mean and will try to knock you out of a series, Sam Bennett is that guy. The Oilers have tough guys but does Edmonton have the guys to match the mean?”
Let’s take a look at three candidates:
Evander Kane
Evander Kane was the obvious choice to come up, and Brown agreed Kane was tough, perhaps tougher than Bennett. The question was about how mean Kane can be. He’s intimidating and he’ll answer the call, but he doesn’t necessarily take runs at guys or try to knock them out of a game or a series like Bennett will.
So too, Kane will likely have his hands full with trying to intimidate Matthew Tkachuk. In the past, Kane has been successful at limiting Tkachuk’s effectiveness in a playoff series. He’ll likely try again. Asking Kane to do that with two people is a big ask.
Darnell Nurse
Nurse has a nasty streak in him, as was evident by his slash to Roope Hintz‘s foot in the series with Dallas. Some will argue that he intended to injure Hintz (which I don’t buy), but Nurse isn’t above running someone or going after a sore spot. If it hurts or takes a guy out, so be it.
Can Nurse do his job on defense and be a deterrent for Bennett? That’s a good question that the Oilers might try to answer in the first game or two. There is no doubt that Nurse is tougher than Bennett, but can he maintain his composure?
Trent Frederic
Oilers fans haven’t seen much of Trent Frederic in these playoffs. He doesn’t get many minutes and he’s playing a depth role in forward group. But, if he’s going to make a difference, this is the perfect matchup for him. Frederic is the kind of player who can be an aggressor and likes getting physical. Taking a few runs at Bennett before Bennett gets to the superstars on the Oilers roster might be key to slowing down one of the biggest pests on the Panthers’ roster.
And, if it’s required, trading penalties between Frederic and Bennett is a trade-off the Oilers will take. If Frederic can get Bennett to draw into a penalty or get himself in trouble with the officials, at the minimum taking both guys, it’s a win for the Oilers.
In the NHL season opener, Frederic tried to fight Tkachuk when Sam Bennett knocked Brad Marchand out of the Panthers-Bruins series. There’s history here, even if Marchand is now on the same team as these guys.
Oilers Need to Be “Mean” to Bennett Collectively
Outside of these three, the Oilers have Corey Perry, Vasily Podkolzin, Jake Walman and others who don’t mind throwing a few hits or engaging physically to get a player off their game. And, if Bennett targets Leon Draisaitl, Draisaitl has a tendency to get “pissy” and make someone look foolish.
The hope for the Oilers is that collectively, they can simmer down any antics Bennett tries to get involved in. The key is not letting him run or “bump” a goalie, or get in the kitchen of the Oilers early in the series. Particularly important is the need for the Oilers to have a response without getting into penalty trouble.
More must-reads:
- Is a Connor Bedard breakout coming in 2025-26?
- Colts to sign key offensive lineman to a massive extension
- The 'NFL all-time touchdown receptions leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
Bruins' David Pastrnak Calls Out Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky: He Just Lacks Humility'
Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.
Ryan McMahon Only Needed 2 Games With the Yankees to Embarrass Aaron Boone
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Analyst Believes Kings Will Trade Star Player if They Land Warriors' Young Forward in Free Agency
Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Analyst has interesting rating for Knicks' tactical offseason
It hasn’t been the flashiest of offseasons for the New York Knicks, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been productive. After acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last summer, the Knicks have toned it down a bit this time around, targeting key depth pieces for the second unit, which struggled mightily last season. So far, the Knicks have signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to help beef up the team’s bench. These moves have been largely acclaimed by analysts and pundits as positive additions. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton is one of those who believe the Knicks made strong signings. He graded the Knicks’ offseason up to this point a "B," citing the value they’ve gotten for such a small price. “After adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last offseason, the Knicks had limited room to maneuver this summer,” wrote Pelton. “Getting Guerschon Yabusele to take ever so slightly less than the entirety of their taxpayer midlevel exception allowed New York to upgrade its second-unit frontcourt and still fill out its bench with veteran minimum contracts. One of those veterans, Jordan Clarkson — signed after reaching a buyout with the Utah Jazz — gives the Knicks more athleticism off the bench than unsigned backup guards Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet.” Clarkson has been one of the NBA’s best bench scorers during the 2020s, leading the league in total points off the bench in that timeframe. This past season with the Jazz, he averaged 16.2 points per game while shooting 36 percent from three-point range. Yabusele was originally drafted in 2016 by the Boston Celtics, he would go on to play two seasons for them in limited minutes before departing overseas, where he remained until this past season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He would go on to have a career year with the 76ers, averaging 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 70 appearances (43 starts).
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
