Edmonton Oilers adopt “new” neutral zone approach

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The Edmonton Oilers have wasted no time at all getting right down to business.

While there are a scant handful of positional battles to play out, it appears as if the coaching staff is content to let those play out while they focus in on how the club will play differently come the regular season.

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How, exactly, do they play to hit the ground running? That and more in this training camp edition of…

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9 Things

9. A smart hire by the Edmonton Oilers this past week, making well-known fancy stats man Michael Parketti the Sr. Director of Analytics. But I heard some people exclaim that Parkatti would win them a Stanley Cup. Look: It makes sense to leave no stone unturned, and I like the addition. But maybe pump the brakes just a little.

8. The one player who I was most impressed with at this year’s Penticton Young Stars Tournament was D-man Beau Akey. The Oilers 2023 2nd round pick (56th over-all) is a wonderful skater. Some players never figure out how to use those gifts, but Akey also seems to have a healthy dose of hockey sense to go with it.

7. If Connor McDavid were to win a 4th consecutive Art Ross trophy, he would be among elite company indeed. Only Wayne Gretzky (7), Jaromir Jagr (4), Phil Esposito (4) and Gordie Howe (4) have done it. Everyone knows that Connor would prefer a Stanley Cup. But this would be no run-of-the-mill achievement.

6. From the hi-lights and from others in the rink to watch Saturday’s intra-squad game at Rogers Place, two things seemed abundantly apparent: One, that Connor McDavid is still Connor McDavid. But two, that Evander Kane seems to have his health back and was clicking nicely with 97 every shift. Kane had one goal but numerous chances. 91’s injuries are a matter of record, but neither from last season was related to age or his wheels.

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5. Frank Seravalli on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer this past week on the Oilers Stanley Cup chances: “They are certainly a team that is a trendy pick (to win a cup) and a team that’s well deserving of attention with the stars that they have. You know I really think when you consider all the ways that this organization has grown the depth, Ken Holland and his team has made this group from top to bottom a championship contender”.

4. Many people, me included, have underestimated Vincent Desharnais along his path to the NHL. For my part, I am determined not to do that again. I do think Philip Broberg will see significant minutes early on, and it is entirely possible that Desharnais starts the season as the Oilers 7D. But I will not be the least bit surprised if his games and ice-time build. Desharnais just brings certain aspects of the game that are vitally important once you get more into the guts of a grinding NHL campaign.

3. The minor injury to Mattias Ekholm this fall allows us to view the Oilers D-core through a different filter. It is the old “heartbeat away from the presidency” analogy used so often in American politics as it pertains the Vice-President’s role. There was some talk in the off-season about how Brett Kulak’s $2.75m cap hit perhaps needed to be moved along. From a pure budget standpoint I guess I understand where they are coming from. But the moment you see a critical cog like Ekholm out, you instantly see just how valuable it is to have a 4-5 like the veteran Kulak on the roster.

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2. Especially when you are in “win-now” mode like the Oilers are that kind of depth is critical. Injuries happen. And when they occur down the stretch or in the playoffs themselves, they can be delimitating. Edmonton was lucky last year. Look at the games their top blueliners played out of 82: Darnell Nurse (82), Evan Bouchard (82), Brett Kulak (82), Cody Ceci (80), Tyson Barrie (61/61 until he was traded), and Mattias Ekholm (21/21 since he was acquired). That kind of health among NHL D-corps is almost unheard of. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but that is also not likely to continue. When one of their Top-5 ultimately does run into health concerns in 2023-24, this little example from training camp in September will quickly come back into focus.

1. There was a bit of a stir around camp late in the week, when it was noted that the Oilers had perhaps adopted a brand, new neutral zone system, what is known a 1-1-3. It is a very conservative posture designed to basically divide the ice in two, lengthwise, and force the attacking club to dump the puck in…or at the very least, contain the attack outside of the dots. Draw four imaginary lines between the four neutral zone dots, and it is that resulting “box” that you are trying to create and then defend. But this isn’t brand new in any way, shape or form. It is a relatively common system. And for those of who watched any Bakersfield games while Jay Woodcroft was head coach of The Condors it will be familiar as Jay successfully employed it there.

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There are a couple reasons why this would be a good approach for this Edmonton roster, provided the staff gets buy-in from its players. For one, the Oilers have a relatively mobile defence. That is essential since the 1-1-3 puts a premium on retrievals. If your D-men do not pivot sharply and beat the forecheckers back to the goal line, the defencemen can often end up with their faces in the glass and the puck turned over. But with the likes of Nurse, Kulak, Bouchard, Ekholm and even Broberg back there, it should be effective.

The other advantage for Edmonton in this configuration is the dangerous counter-strike opportunities that it can help create. Yes, the 1-1-3 approach is somewhat stationary for dynamic offensive players like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl & Co. But the 1-1-3 also leaves those two forwards high and poised for a quick vertical counterattack in the event that the puck does turn over. And of course the Oilers are perhaps better equipped for that kind of transition than any other NHL club. It is a great example of how defence can create offence.

It should be stated that there will likely be more pressure on Edmonton’s goaltender. This would have been a betterfit for Mike Smith. And speaking of pressure, this look will only work if that deep forward is on their game. They need to not only be particularly mindful to be back but also to actively support the D-men as the latter gaps up with the attacking forward along the wall. That same, deep forward also needs to be prepared to read an area pass coming off the wall into that afore-mentioned neutral zone “box”.

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I will be surprised if Edmonton plays this way all the time. It is well and better-suited for protecting leads. And if you think back to the Vegas playoff series this past Spring, the Oilers scored first in Games 1, 3 and 5. But in all three cases, the Golden Knights tied it up inside of two minutes later. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I can not tell you if that sequence is behind this change in tactics.

But it would be one hell of a coincidence if it isn’t.

Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social

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