Are they for you?

No. Um, but if you look at yesterday, like, McDavid was on for one goal against five on five.

Like, they, they lost the game really on special teams is where they lost the game, right? Their power play gave up a goal, and that, and that wasn't, like, a terrible play.

Lankinen makes a ridiculous save, and how often do you see the goalie save kick out a rebound to the high slot that goes a two-on-one, right? Like, that, that's, that's one where I'll say not a bad defensive play.

I'll tip my hat to Lankinen.

Sick stop on Draisaitl, they went the other way.

But, you know, their penalty kill, which has been bad for basically every year except 2024, and, uh, they give up two goals.

Um, J- Jason, what have you heard since the Oilers hired Mike Babcock about why the players wanted him?

He didn't feel they

worked hard enough.

He didn't think they played smart enough at all from what they want.

So I think you're right in a sense, Wox, that guys were in the wrong position.

But like, you know, you look at the game winning goal and, you know, Ryan Shea's going up the wall.

It's a battle.

And the other two guys blow the zone before he has 100% possession of the puck.

It's silly.

you're still the fourth team in the one side right exactly um so let us make their final move samansky out yeah oh and michaels wins the job which is very cool probably short term though because we've got dickinson and then we've got a load of people savoy anderson so the roster opening night is interesting but we're not going to see this for six months

yeah people are freaking out look at the third line look at that i know hockey's back as everyone's losing their marbles i'm like Look at Vancouver's lines, people.

Stop.

Vancouver's terrible, okay? Edmonton will be fine for a few games until Jason Dickinson returns, honestly.

And if, by chance, they're grossly overwhelmed, well, then he just makes an easy move, and Drysaddle goes to the second line, and Nugent Hopkins goes to the third line, and it's a pretty simple decision.

Like, I don't think this is very difficult.

But how the Oilers play...

um i imagine you'll be talking about the nice uh trade if that does go through dude like as

anything.

No, no, no.

They would have had to put them on waivers yesterday if you're going to send anybody down because the roster has to be compliant today at 3 o'clock Edmonton time.

And I've been saying for months, they're keeping eight.

They were always going to keep eight.

They didn't want to expose Stashney to waivers and potentially lose him.

And then you get an injury in the first two weeks of the season.

Are you surprised that they went with McDavid and Dreisaitl together still? Or do you think this was always inevitable the way the preseason was going on?

So, the roster opening night is interesting, but we're not going to see this for six months.

Yeah, people are freaking out.

Look at the third line.

I know hockey's back because everyone's losing their marbles.

I'm like, look at Vancouver's lines, people.

Stop.

Vancouver's terrible, okay? Edmonton will be fine for a few games until Jason Dickinson returns, honestly.

By the way, the Bakersfield has got a pretty interesting team.

Yeah.

And so I know that last game was awful.

They were one for six, and that dropped them down to, I think, fifth best, uh, in the league.

But other, before that game, they went into that game, like, third.

So I...

And that was after a brutal start.

Remember, like, they, they weren't very good, and then they, I found they figured it out.

Yeah.

He's a big guy who can hit.

He's very good positionally.

That's the one thing.

He's got a very good stick in the defensive zone.

I was watching.

I'm not like point schmoints.

That's not what I watch for in the preseason for players.

They were good until they

Yeah

... he's very humble, down to earth, really smart.

Um, a- and, you know, very humble about, you know, his, his impact on, on the EIG and, and that team, and kinda him running it, and, you know, kinda herding cats at times, and managing a bunch of different egos and everybody, 'cause it's hard.

Well, you know, originally, when you had, like, 38 different people, right, there's lots of people who have a say and, or wanna have a say, and so that was, I thought, something he did very well.

And I'm, um, you know, I got to know Cal, you know, pretty well over the years, and you know, his son Ken, and you know, had lots of conversations.

And, you know, I was very happy to, to have, uh, Cal in, in studio last year, kinda just, you know, on the, on the anniversary of, uh, of when, when they basically bought the team to keep it in Edmonton, and, you know, he had some great stories then.

So it's a, you know, it's a real huge loss for, you know, h- his wife and two kids, and I think he's got five grandkids, and just, you know, everybody who was with him.

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And when he did get up to speed, he was Zach Hyman again, and that's a hell of a player.

Well, I think there's way too much premature every year.

I get it's summertime.

Oh, he's older.

He's older.

I'm like, he's 34.

And he came off of wrist surgery last year.

Do you have, like, when you've got those two pairings that you mentioned, are there players that you would prefer over others? And with Savoy out, maybe Elevate?

But when the majority of the time they're running their own line, it's 70% to 75%, five on five, separate, your team's better.

Do you, you know, when I look at this team and I, you know, imagine it, if it's going to be those pairs, I wonder with Savoy out, do you, you know, you've got Nuge, you've got Ike Howard, who you could play up there.

You know, we mentioned Pod Colson, Kasperi Kapanen has been very effective on the dry side of the line.

Like, I mean, really effective.

Do you have, like, when you've got those two pairings that you mentioned, are there players that you would prefer over others? And with Savoy out, maybe Elevate?

time.

Well, and what I'm hoping to see is some of these players emerge.

You know, they signed some guys that made trades.

But you want somebody who can be a plug and play and help your team in a material way, right? If you're giving up the goaltender that everybody wants in Halibut.

Well, you're going to hope that your package pieces can add up to the same amount.

When you trade the best player, rarely is it player A who's a superstar gets traded for player B who's a superstar.

Outside of the Hossa and Heatley trade, I'm trying to think the last time, I guess Shea Theodore and P.K. Subban close.

They were both top pair defensemen, so there would be that one.

But I look at, even if you go back to the Chris Pronger, the owners essentially got four first-rounders for Chris Pronger.

Latisab Shmeed was the ninth overall pick.

I guess maybe that comes starting this weekend in the Labor Day class against Calgary, but they're no easy out.

I think the Oilers, uh, looking back may have, you know, I know it's ancient history, but may have been wise to hold onto Chris Pronger, uh, until they got, you know, they got so many good young pieces, but, uh, nobody really to replace, uh, Pronger and their defense suffered because of it in the year, uh, after Pronger was here important for the jets to get, you know, uh, Obviously, goaltending help and maybe picks as well, but you want somebody who can be a plug-and-play and help your team in a material way, right? If you're giving up the goaltender that everybody wants in Halibut.

Well, you're going to hope that your package pieces can add up to the same as Halibut.

When you trade the best player, like rarely is it, you know, player A who's a superstar gets traded for player B who's a superstar, right? Like outside of the HOSA system, and Heatley trade.

I'm trying to think the last time.

I guess Shea, Theodore, and P.K. Subban close.

They were both top pair defensemen, so there would be that one.

But I look at, even if you go back to the Chris Pronger, the Oilers essentially got four first-rounders for Chris Pronger.

to eliminate teams from catching you

Beautiful.

Uh, I have Oregon as well.

Oregon And I think I did give a little bit of a spoiler, uh, that I w- pre, pre-- that I earl-early on had them in the national title game.

And obviously that can change as I go through the schedules and see what the lay of the land looks like.

But they're the only real roster in college football without any questions.

Dante Moore comes back.

He was presumably gonna be the second quarterback taken in the NFL draft this past year had he gone.

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Little stumble here, but these were tough teams.

Yeah.

They're six and three.

I think you have to look big picture.

Like, when they beat Montreal early, because they lost to them yesterday.

Th- like, I, I didn't think they were gonna sweep Montreal.

Um, [smacks lips] I...

Yeah.

Oh, boy.

So, uh, he wasn't at the field, and my understanding is they're in the hospital, so hopefully everything goes well there.

And then he's expected to return on Saturday.

Um, I, I thought Boyko came in and played pretty well, but I think he'd probably be the, you know, they might go with seven-oh linemen.

We'll see what they do there.

They have options.

Nick Anderson practiced today, won't be ready this week.

Yeah

Yeah

... uh, involving the Edmonton Elks, for sure.

I think you probably go back to the, the championship season of 2015.

Well, maybe 2016.

But, um, overall, you, uh, that game had everything.

The, the Elks, the one maybe concern you had about the Elks this year was they didn't really pass the ball downfield.

They didn't attack the seams.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, you'd like to have more bums in the seats, though, but do you think that'll come as the season wears along?

Well, you hope so.

Um, I, I do think that the, the Saturday games last year, uh, had bigger attendance, especially if it's nice out.

Like, thankfully, Friday night was, uh, was nice out, um, temperature-wise.

And now the Saskatchewan game, uh, not this Saturday, the next one obviously will be big because you get a sh- you know, probably get 3,000 Rider fans in there, so that helps it for sure, and you'll get more, more Edmonton fans.

But I, I think people have to be realistic.

You're, you're not just gonna snap your fingers and, and bring everybody back right away.

They really are.

Yeah

...

this summer, so that's, uh, that's good.

Well, I'm talking since July.

Obviously Dickinson and Murphy were extensions prior to that.

But, um, yeah, Dach, I, I wasn't-- People were like, "Oh, you gotta sign him." I'm like, "There's no rush." And he, he didn't have any arb rights.

He didn't have some stats that were...

And now, ladies and gentlemen, Declan Kruger.

What do you wanna see out of this double E football club outside of the win, of course?

Well, I'm very curious to see, uh, Jabomi and what's gonna happen with him starting at the middle linebacker position.

Brock Mogensen's out.

Obviously, Nick Anderson's still on the six game.

So you know what? Hey, he was, he was your top pick, third overall.

I, I don't think anybody thought he would get to start in, in the fourth game of the year.

But who knows? May- maybe this guy's the next JC Charest.

Mm-hmm.

What do you wanna see out of this Double E football club, outside of the win, of course?

Well, I'm very curious to see, uh, Gbolarsanmi and what's gonna happen with him starting at the middle linebacker position.

Brock Mogensen's out.

Obviously Nick Anderson still on the six game.

So you know what? Hey, he was, he was your top pick, third overall.

I, I don't think anybody thought he would get to start in, in the fourth game of the year, but who knows? May- maybe this guy's the next JC Sherrit.

Do you remember when JC came in for an injury, started one game, and then never gave the job back? So you never know what can happen.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

That's my understanding.

Anderson, Jari, and Devin Levi.

And I think it's fair to say, guys, that there's, there's some question marks here.

Because, you know, Freddie Anderson, he's not a 55 game starter anymore, right? You look at his, what he's, like last year he started 35, 22, 19, 33 I think his last four years.

So he has a history of injuries.

No one can debate that.

And is it the first sign that if this doesn't work, then we are most definitely looking at this whole thing blowing up?

Yeah

... and they have an elite defenseman.

That's their advantage.

Like, the pieces they need aren't at the top.

They need better surrounding pieces, right? They need a more consistent, uh, goal center for sure, but they need better team defense, which I'm sorry, I don't buy for a second that it's just the coach.

Because all you gotta do is look at when Kris Knoblauch came in.

The Oilers were a top five defensive team, a top five offensive team.

Yeah.

This is a pretty heady, uh, uh, World Cup on, on North American soil for Team Canada.

Yeah, it's big.

I, I think we all...

Like, people are talking about, oh, one of the biggest games in ...

I'm like, "Okay, let's pump the brakes here." Like, you know, it was, um, they've beaten, you know, they've gotten points in the games where they've been the favorite, and they lost the game where they were the slight underdog.

So, um, you know, great for them, don't get me wrong, and it's big, and people watch it, and they're...

I talked to people who are in the building in LA, and obviously, when Estacio scored, it was unreal.

Do they have another gear from 3-0?

This is a pretty heady, uh, uh, World Cup on, on North American soil for Team Canada.

Yeah, it's big.

I think we all...

Like, people are talking about one of the biggest games, and I'm like, "Okay, let's pump the brakes here." Like, you know, it was, um, they've beaten...

You know, they've gotten points in the games where they've been the favorite and then lost the game where they're the slight underdog.

So, um, you know, great for them.

Don't get me wrong, and it's big and people watch it.

Do they have another gear from 3-0?

Yeah

...

in the, like the, like the early 2000s and, and stuff like that.

It was a, a lot of fun.

I remember, and I, I, I think I've told this story.

I can't remember on the air.

But when I finished playing junior hockey in '88, my dad and I were driving out to the farm to, uh...

Tomorrow night.