Edmonton Oilers: Ekholm Extension, Roslovic Signing & Pregame

The Edmonton Oilers gave us two more pieces of news, both prior to and during the game. We thought we were out of updates, then they pulled us back in. Mattias Ekholm extended for three more seasons. He’ll make $4M per year, $2M less than his current $6M per year contract that’ll expire at the end of this season. Ken Holland’s tenure as Oilers GM has mixed reviews within the fanbase, but you can’t deny the homerun he made with that trade two years ago. Ekholm has stabilized Edmonton’s blue line since his arrival. He and Evan Bouchard have been one of the best pairings in the league throughout that time. He struggled in last year’s Cup Final after coming back from injury, so longevity will be up for debate.

During the first intermission of the game, forward Jack Roslovic signed a one-year deal that pays him $1.5M and includes a one-month NMC, which becomes a 4 team trade list starting November 1st. The 28-year-old has had two seasons with 20+ goals and two seasons with 40+ points. 63 of his last 70 goals have been at even strength. He could be an impactful top 9 forward all year long, or this could be an audition for him before the Trade Deadline. Jake Walman, who didn’t play the season opener on Wednesday, was placed on Injured Reserve to make room for Roslovic in the lineup. Stan Bowman tried to sign this player earlier, but he reportedly rejected the team. Changing agents may’ve changed Roslovic’s perspective on signing in Edmonton. He will not be playing tonight, perhaps sometime during the upcoming New York trip.

Take a 3-0 lead, blow it, lose, and goaltending is in hot water. Oh, and Leon Draisaitl was kicked out of a face-off at one point. Tell me Oilers hockey is back without telling me Oilers hockey is back. Losing Wednesday’s season opener in a shootout is at least a step up from the previous two openers in which the Oilers were outscored by a total of 13 goals. In a year where Stuart Skinner needs to show the whole league, not just his team, that he can be a consistently capable #1 netminder, he didn’t make his case any easier for either his supporters or detractors, and we’re only one game in.

I thought it was funny when the coaching staff was being introduced by the rink announcer, and the new goalie coach got the loudest cheer, because that’s been a meme in Oil Country for so long, and so many cried for that change to happen. Remember that it’s not always about however many goals on however many shots. It’s the timing of each goal and whether or not they could’ve or should’ve been stopped. The first goal against was a lucky bounce off a teammate’s skate. Whatever, it happens. The second goal against was batted in midair; it looked like it was above the crossbar. Perhaps I’m biased, but I still think it shouldn’t have counted. Again, whatever, it happens.

It’s the third goal against that lit Oilers Twitter on fire. Connor Zary flipped the puck on net from centre ice, Skinner and Bouchard couldn’t decide who should’ve had it, Blake Coleman was skating by, and he poked it in the back of the net less than a minute into the third period. For a goalie in that instance, honestly, just hold the puck. Wait for a stoppage in play and trust that whichever centerman takes the next shift will win the face-off. You don’t have to be a grizzled veteran to know that. Even if they didn’t win the face-off, it’d have been better to watch them defend for a minute than talk about an energy-deflating gaffe.

Given how the game started, you could hear a pin drop inside Rogers Place after it was tied. Granted, Stu made a great save on Matt Coronato with a minute left in regulation. It would’ve mattered more to people had the Flames not made that comeback. Had an easy decision to make not been royally messed up, we’d have gone to bed with a regulation win, Skinner would have exactly a .900 save percentage, and nobody would’ve held his feet to the fire. But then they wouldn’t be the Edmonton Oilers.

Was it a face-palming way to lose? Yes. (sigh) And it had to be the Battle of Alberta. Am I getting paranoid over it? No. It was the first game out of 82, and this team always has moments like that. There were positives to take from Wednesday night, believe it or not. Isaac Howard had a good NHL debut with fourth line minutes. He hesitated to shoot on one chance in the third period, but was noticeable. I hope to see him get promoted at some point this season. Don’t stall with shooting, that’s how 19-year-old Matvei Gridin scored Calgary’s first goal. David Tomasek played a good first NHL game as well, at age 29. He took the injured Zach Hyman’s spot on the top power play unit and assisted on Draisaitl’s 400th career goal. I’ve seen highlights of Tomasek having a good shot. While he was a pretty good net front, I’d like the coaching staff to place him in spots to shoot with PP minutes when Hyman comes back. Connor McDavid celebrated Leon’s milestone goal with an Instagram story the next day. Do you think he’s torn apart by the loss? Cheer up, we’re watching hockey again. Nothing’s doom and gloom yet, move onto just the second one. Greet a former Oiler, Evander Kane, today. The keys to the game are…

More Responsible: During post-game interviews, Kris Knoblauch felt that turnovers were a big part of his team’s opening night loss. Specifically, that they led to Calgary’s first two goals. We, the fans, noted those goals as lucky and illegal. It’s normal that we’ll mostly remember the last thing to happen on certain plays. Hearing the coach add more context can help us understand how unfortunate plays develop. So, in short, turnovers = bad.

Between The Pipes: There’s been talk about Thatcher Demko and injuries the last couple of years, missing the entire 2024 Playoffs, and not playing much last season. But on Thursday night, he became the third-winningest goalie all time in Vancouver with #127. If he can be healthier this time around, it could be a more fortunate season for the Canucks. Calvin Pickard was the first goalie off the ice during practice yesterday, and Knoblauch said he’d announce a starter tomorrow. I don’t believe there should be a goalie controversy this early, but hearing Ryan Rishaug on Oilers Now yesterday indicates Skinner’s leash has shrunk a lot, even before the season opener. Will Picks once again, and already, be asked to do that thing he does where he has to jump in for a struggling starter?

For Pette’s Sake: For Elias Pettersson, who has been an 80-100 point player in his career, having just 45 points last season was a huge drop off. Similar to a healthier Demko, a bounce-back season from Pettersson could push his team into a Playoff race in March and April.