Is Nurse What the Doctor Ordered for Edmonton?

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Tuesday night on The Pipeline Show, Dean Millard and I had a chance to welcome Soo Greyhounds defenceman Darnell Nurse back to the program. Of course we had talked to him during his draft year but it was good to catch up and see how he's viewing the coming season. 

During the course of our conversation we discussed the recent Young Stars tournament held in Penticton and how he felt about the way he played and just the general vibe amongst the Oilers prospects compared to last year. 

As it was on Tuesday evening, we also teed up the annual Oilers rookies VS UofA Golden Bears game. Nurse gave us his thoughts on that contest and told us what goes on between players on the ice that fans don't necessarily know about. 

We also touched on his situation with the Soo Greyhounds and the outlook for that club this year. While we were discussing his OHL club team, we touched on the leaving of former GM Kyle Dubas and what he meant to Nurse's career. 

The topic of hockey analytics came up and we asked Nurse how much stock he puts into them from his perspective as a player. 

All of that and more, after the jump...

One To Watch: Edmonton Oilers

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Few teams have the prospects depth that the Oilers currently do and expectations are high that the club will eventually climb its way out of the NHL basement and back to contention. 

I had a number of valid players to pick from for this piece as a few prospects have be assigned to Oklahoma City for the first time so all of them have peaked my interest. How will players like Oscar Klefbom, Martin Gernat, David Musil and Travis Ewanyk perform as AHL rookies? Then there are the guys that fans want to see take major steps forward this year like Anton Lander, Tyler Pitlick, Ryan Martindale and Brandon Davidson. Will goaltending improve or become an issue? 

But there are also a number of interesting prospects still playing in junior or college worth following as well and I chose one of those guys today. 

2012 Choice: Dillon Simpson - Another strong season of growth and development at North Dakota for the local product. Simpson picked up 24 points in 42 games and he's not really expected to be an offensive guy moving forward. This year will be his final season at North Dakota and he's also been given the honor of being named captain of the club. As a senior at the age of 21 (not until February!), Simpson is barely older than some of the freshman coming in this year. 

My selection as One to Watch for the Oilers this year comes after the jump.

Oilers Sign Yale Captain

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It's been a pretty remarkable month for Andrew Miller and his teammates at Yale. First they just squeak into the NCAA national tournament, then upsetting some of the marquee programs in college hockey to get to the title game and beating the top ranked team in the country to win it. 

So if you're the senior captain of the new champions, what do you do for an encore? Sign a pro contract of course and that's what Miller did on Wednesday when he agreed to a 1-year deal with Edmonton.   

Some more information and highlights after the jump.

An Oiler becomes an Oil King

photo by Jon Howe

Edmonton Oil Kings G.M. Bob Green pulled off his biggest and toughest trade since becoming G.M when the team re-entered the WHL 6 years ago.  Green picked up a massive minute muncher who is also and Edmonton Oilers draft pick, which should make the parent club smile.

One To Watch: Edmonton Oilers

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You can imagine that after being bad enough to select 1st overall in three consecutive years, the Oilers have a ton of top prospects in the organization. But as I have tried to establish in this series, it's not the "best" prospect I'm spotlighting but rather guys with interesting storylines heading into the coming season. 

So no Nail Yakupov, Oscar Klefbom or Justin Schultz although those are three guys that are obviously going to be front and center for a lot of people. 

Tobias Rieder made my short list. I'm not sold yet that the 5'10 German is NHL material and want to see what he does for a follow up after an 84-point campaign with Kitchener last year. 

I think Kellen Jones is a prospect worth following because the more I see him play the more I think he's an odds beater. Add twin brother Connor to that mix because I firmly believe that 7th round pick was a 2-for-1 selection and both are dynamic, yet diminutive, offensive talents. 

You can add Brandon Davidson, Curtis Hamilton, Kyle Bigos, Jujhar Khaira, Taylor Fedun and about half a dozen Edmonton Oil Kings to the list of guys I'm keen on watching. But to single out one player I chose a local product playing a country away. 

NMU Invite Looks to Impress Oilers

34 players are expected to take part in Edmonton's summer development camp including 8 free agents. The lone goaltender in that group isn't hard to miss, he's the giant goaltender in "olive green and old gold" named Jared Coreau. 

The Canadian born pipeman will be a junior at Northern Michigan in 2012-13 but if he has his way, there may be another option on his table before too long. 

Answering the Bigos Question

The Edmonton Oilers are set to begin their 2012 Development Camp having added another wave of prospects to the system after last weekend's draft. Back for his fourth go around at the summer sessions is Merrimack blueliner Kyle Bigos, a 4th round selection back in 2009. 

The question is, with a senior season of college hockey ahead of him and an enticing August 15th, 2013 line in the sand, will this be the last visit to Edmonton for Bigos?

Oilers Sign 'Latvian Assassin'

Photo: Andy Devlin / Edm Oil Kings

New this morning from the Edmonton Oilers that they have signed 2010 7th round selection Kristians Pelss to a 3-year entry level contract. Here is the official release. Pelss is currently a member of the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings who are getting ready to open the league championship series at home against the Portland Winterhawks this Thursday night.

Pelss ended the 2011-12 campaign with 28 goals and 50 points through 63 games. He also captained Latvia's entry at the 2012 World Junior Championship. 

Ryan Murray Gets Call From Canada

Photo: Jon Howe / WHL.ca

As reported Saturday evening by Dean Millard via Twitter, Hockey Canada has talked to and is expected to invite 2012 draft eligible defenceman Ryan Murray to join their entry to the Men's World Championship in Sweden/Finland.

"We have confirmed that Ryan Murray has been approached by Hockey Canada to play in the World Championship.Should be announced tomorrow," was how Dean's tweet read.

As expected, the instant reaction from fans was surprise but that quickly gave way to speculation of what this may mean for the entry draft this June.

Work Continues Once Season Ends for Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers 2011-12 season will end this weekend in Vancouver but there is still plenty of work to be done off the ice. With another lottery pick awaiting them at the draft in June, the potential exists for another strong performance by Stu MacGregor and his staff of which most have helped to add valuable prospects to the organization over the last decade.

But it's still in question whether some of the more recent draftees are going to be with the organization for much longer.

Oilers sign Bunz...Why now?

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed goaltending prospect Tyler Bunz to a 3 year entry level deal. Congrats to him, he's a good guy and a good goaltender who has a shot at being an NHLer some day. I always wonder though why teams announce this right before the playoffs. I remember Brent Sutter being a little frustrated when one of his 2001 Red Deer Rebels signed his contact with a nice signing bonus just before the post season, and there was a subsequent down swing in said players game.

I think that contract negotiations should be stopped by March 1st until that players team is eliminated from his league's post season play.

I don't think Tyler Bunz will have a problem with having a sizeable chunk of change in his bank account, he's a pretty level headed kid, but others aren't so lucky.

Hemsky, Smyth and Possible Returns

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The NHL Trade Deadline is exactly two weeks away. You'll be able to follow the day's events live as they happen in Edmonton on the TEAM 1260 as every on air guy at the station, including The Pipeline Show, will be a part of the festivities on February 27th.

The Edmonton Oilers are expected to be active and according to TPS weekly guest Daren Millard from Sportsnet, two forwards in particular are expected to move and both might be gone before the 27th.

We spoke with Daren on Saturday morning and in talking about Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth, the NHL Insider offered up possible destinations which opens the door to speculation on possible returns.

Blain Traded

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TPS has learned that Edmonton Oilers prospect Jérémie Blain has been traded today in the QMJHL. The Acadie-Bathurst Titans have dealt him to the Tigres of Victoriaville, one of four clubs considered to be true contenders for the QMJHL title this year.

Blain returns to the organization that he first broke into the league with in 2008-09. He has 6 goals and 24 points in 29 games this year. He was suspended last month for uttering racial slurs towards player Jonathan Racine during a game against the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Blain was drafted in the 4th round (91st overall) by the Oilers in 2010.

The deal involves a pair of draft picks and 18-year-old defenceman Francis Godin headed back to Bathurst. The Titan has released the details via Twitter.

Oilers Prospect Suspended 2 Games for Racial Slur

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It is being reported by media in the QMJHL that Acadie-Bathurst defenceman Jeremie Blain has received a 2-game suspension for his actions during a 3-1 loss to Shawinigan on Friday night.

Willy Palov from the Halifax Chronicle-Herald referenced the incident on Twitter this evening by saying the ban has been given to Blain "for directing inappropriate remarks towards Shawinigan's Jonathan Racine. Racine is black."

Racine was a 3rd round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2011. Blain became property of the Edmonton Oilers in 2010 after they used a 4th round pick to select him.

Martindale/Roy: What's the Rush?

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The Edmonton Oilers have three players currently skating in the ECHL, all three of them still possessing junior eligibility. For an organization that has mentioned several times about their desire to have contract wiggle room, it's interesting to see them not use an obvious out in order to better manage the number that they are carrying this year.

It's more confusing still when you consider the impact and development two of the three players in question could have if they were back in the CHL.

Ewanyk Injury Update

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"He may have to have surgery and if he does he may be lost to us for a 4-5 month range, depending on rehab."

That coming from Edmonton Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal in conversation with Corey Graham tonight on TEAM 1260's Sports Night Live in regards to injured forward Travis Ewanyk.

It's not a certainty yet but as the old saying goes, "hope for the best but plan for the worst". It would be a big loss for the WHL club but as the coach said, the team does have options.

Robby Dee Hits UFA Status

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It's August 15th and barring some unreported last minute signing miracle, Robby Dee is no longer property of the Edmonton Oilers. TPS contacted the Plymouth Minnesota native yesterday and confirmed that nothing, as of 8PM Eastern, had been received from Edmonton. Dee declined to offer further comment other than to say that, at that time, he was "still Oilers property".

Dee played out his college eligibility at the University of Maine and ended his NCAA career in fine form scoring 35 points in 36 games for the Black Bears. It was the second consecutive season that he registered 13 goals as well.

Oilers sign RNH to max contract

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It didn't take long for the Oilers and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to come to terms on a deal, as RNH signed his entry level contract today at an Edmonton Capitals game where he also threw out the first pitch. The Oilers own the North American Baseball League team.

Kevin Lowe got the ball rolling by contacting the RNH camp and a contract was quickly worked out with Assistant G.M. Rick Olczyk. The pact will pay the first overall pick the maximum $925,000 and with bonuses could jump to $3.775 million. Some of the bonus triggers are goals, assists, points, points per game, ice time, plus/minus and various awards. Interestingly enough winning the Calder trophy is not an eligible bonus do to the current CBA.

Nugent-Hopkins will join other Oilers prospects Monday morning in Sherwood Park at the team's prospect camp.

Going Campin' - 2011

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The Edmonton Oilers released the names of the attendees for their summer prospect camp which begins on Monday. Here's the official list from EdmontonOilers.com and after the jump I will introduce you to the non-Oilers players who are coming to Millennium Place after getting an invite.

Saturday Morning Special - June 18th

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There's just one week left before the 2011 NHL Entry draft will be in the books so you know that our already stacked draft coverage is going to be taken to another level. We turned it up to 10 (saving the Spinal Tap 11 for Tuesday) by bringing in the probable #1 overall pick, a terrific analyst of goaltenders, a Hall of Fame writer from Edmonton, our regular NHL Insider and we debated a number of other topics as well.