The Lowdown with Lowetide - BaggedMilk (Sept 3rd)

0:00I'm doing very well. I'll very, very well. I, uh, each day I wake up and I, I wonder is this the day we get the training camp roster of the Abbotin Waters or, you know, rookies or guys who might wander by the building around the time of, you know, training camp? Uh, and I think we might have to wait another week and I don't know about you, but, uh, I'm, uh, I'm making a list of stuff for next week, including swimming pools of Edmonton Waters players. So we're, we're getting a little deep now. Yeah, I think that, uh, ultimately we've gone to the point where we just need something to happen. And it's like you said, I just want to see someone's face in the city again. I don't care where they are if they're walking their dog in the river valley or if they're showing up to the ring for practice or weigh in or whatever they need to do. I just want to see our boys back in the city to make this feel a little bit more real because at the end of the day, we're really only not that far from training camp, but it's a little bit different in this this year because it feels like everything is going to be way more condensed before the season

1:01actually starts. And I'm very impatient. So that's kind of a problem for me getting somewhere in the middle. Yeah, it's, and it's also, you know, the, the, the, the verbal that I'm hearing out of the organization, um, it tells me that, that Mike Babcock may see this roster differently than oil or fans. We're still seeing the, you know, make David dry side of combination, you know, being mentioned and, and I, you know, with respect to everybody, I don't think they, if Leon plays wing on the top line, I don't think they have the kind of quality and depth at center that makes them, that gives them an advantage over every other team in the NHL. And I don't know why you'd give that up. No, and I agree with you. And, you know, I actually wrote about this this morning on the website at oillization.com. And I, I found the, the argument from Stan Bowman can use, you know, he appeared to stuff the other day. And I found the argument at least interesting because it was new. And I'm going to paraphrase because I don't have the exact quote for me. But

2:05essentially he said, well, Connor and Leon are both top five, top six in the league individually when it comes to five on five minutes. So when they're on separate lines, well, that doesn't leave a whole lot of space for everybody else. And then you have some guys go and have some success else else where. So maybe having them together actually gives more opportunity in everybody else. And I went, oh, well, that's a creative way to explain just question the panic button and having the dynamic duo together. I mean, obviously they're magic. We've watched it a thousand times, every time they're on the ice together, it's exciting. You feel like something can happen. But the problem has always remained that the other three lines haven't been able to pull their weight. So I like the new angle on why they should play together because it gives more minutes to everybody else. I think that's a funny one. But I'm concerned about what happens after those two if they do play together. I mean, the default two C would probably be New Zealand Hopkins. And as much as I love them, I'm president CEO of the fan club and had since 2011. We know he doesn't produce a whole lot of offense at five on five. Leon does. So I find it to be interesting. It'll be very, very unique,

3:13frustrating, awesome, exciting to see how my Babcock actually pieces these things together. But it doesn't look like we're going to be breaking glass for emergency early. At least if you take the quotes that face that way. Well, and the reason previous coaches have played them apart is that you know, the Leon's better than any other two center in the league. And it gives them a big advantage. And if you look at the numbers last year when McDavid and Dry side already together, it was an outlier, but it wasn't as efficient and as brilliant as it has been in the past. There's a thought among fans that I talked to and post on my blog. And at the athletic, that the idea is that, well, you'll put pod Coleson and Hyman with New Zealand Hopkins. And my response is then why don't put New Zealand Hopkins with McDavid and then put Dry side with pod Coleson and Hyman. And then you can find a right-winger or Savoy can come back and play the right-wing. If if Babcock wants sticks on the on the like the boards, his right-wingers need to be

4:14right shots, then I think Savoy on the line one and then Hyman on line two is a way to improve the second line. I just think that Dry side should be there. And if they decide that it's capitan instead of whomever, that's fine too. Because your third line that houses, you know, one of Savoy or Capitan will be pretty damn good. And I think Babcock will get there. He just has to see, you know, there are some guys mid 30s like New Zealand Hopkins and Hyman who I think will play less. I just don't think McDavid and Dry side will will or should. Yeah, I think that I think your hopes are right. I really have too too much to add other than I fear that the depth is not as good in terms of clear cut skill. And you know what you're getting and enough guys where you know you're going to bang 20, 25 goals outside of Connor and Leon and Zach Hyman that having, even if those three are up on the first line together, like you have Connor, Leon, and Zach Hyman, that is a heck of a first line. And I think anybody would be pumped to have that. But I think that

5:18the goal scoring, especially if I have on five, gets a little spotty below that. And unless Dan Bowen is going to go out and make a trade for an impact forward, that can slot in and move up and down, which I don't expect to happen. I'd love to see it, but I don't expect it. I just I fear about the depth scoring again. And you know, at some point I really did feel that by year wherever we're at 11, and Conor McDavid's career that we'd stop talking about this. I feel like every summer we're doing it and then midway through the season, but why can't anybody else score on this team? Yeah, it's like the you said, you know, in case of emergency break last move. And you know, every coach has done it. McLellan did it. You know, I remember when Leon got called up Halloween night against Montreal, he was playing with, I think, Hall and might have been new. And the score at the least one goal, a huge goal in that game. But it's it is it is that sort of feeling like, you know,

6:19we need a world class winger for for McDavid. Let's give him dry side. I'll see if the rest of the group can do it. Well, at the wait and see, and we've talked it to death and I'm doing it again. So it's 10 after one lowdown with low tide on sports 14 40 and YouTube brought to you by Wolf GMC Buick back milk from daily face off Edmonton is our guest. Is that getting a little easier to to? Does it roll off the tongue a little easier now a few weeks in? I'm getting used to it now. I'm getting more used to it. You know, seeing the logos rolling around, but you know, I'm 18 years into this also. It's going to take me a minute. I've been this old dog that have to learn some new tricks here. And I've got to stop myself from saying it all the time. But you started to get easier and starting to feel more normal. But again, we're almost two decades into this project. So it's going to take me a minute. I think. Yeah, it's it's I understand that I'm I'm not, you know, I'm older than you by quite a bit and I'm not good with change. But it's it that's a big one. So it takes some time. I'm looking this week at rookies for this

7:20team. And I think Josh Samansky with the injury to Savoy and Jan Mark. I think he's, you know, going to make the team. And I think Quinn Hudson is a guy who could make the team as well. After that, do you see anybody among, you know, players officially regarded as rookies who has a good shot at least making the team either out of training camp or or in the first half of the year? You know, those two would be my picks for sure. But if I'm going to throw another option on the board, just to be a little bit, you know, to play along with you, I'd be curious to see about a player like honor, claddenberg. Now he's not going to come in as somebody you expect points from. But maybe if there's there's an opportunity where there's need some energy or they need some fighting this or they need a little bit of jam on that fourth line, I could see a guy like honor, claddenberg getting called up in the first half of the season. Unfortunately, hockey is a contact sport and you never know how guys bodies are going to hold up knock on wood. Of course, I'd like perfect health for all our boys all season long. But I do see honor, claddenberg is kind of a wrecking ball human being that could get a look from the coaching staff, especially as they feel

8:23like they need a little bit more juice and line up on a nightly basis. Because there's one thing that kid does. He throws his body around it with a, you know, with no regard for human life when he's doing it. So he's a lot of fun to watch. I don't know necessarily if he'd be top of the list for a recall. But if we're talking rookies, he's one that I could see coming up in the first half. And I think that that, you know, it's not like you would necessarily need him or use him every night. But there are teams in the NHL where that would, you know, that would rattle some cages and, you know, offer a response at least that the problem is, you know, he can't get out scored while he's out there. And that will be the issue for him. If he can play at par, then I think he does have a chance and, and, you know, they've got doc and they've got Fredrick. So they like that style of player. And as a matter of fact, I think you'll agree a stand moment has been adding that kind of player since he arrived here. Yeah, we're going back to Brian Burke a little truck you'll and coming into the lineup a little bit. And I like to see it. There's, I like sandpaper.

9:24I like a harder notice team. I like Wendy where there's a difficult to play against. And I just got the schedule open. I've been chatting your out like, I mean, you're looking at the first half of October and on the 13th, I've gotten away again against the Kings. Well, we know how games against the Kings have gone over the last handful of years. Who knows how spicy it'll be at this stage. But there are moments like that on the schedule, even in the first month of the year where you could see it by like honor, clot number of being called up for a little bit of noise. There's LA on the 13th. There's a game against Calgary on the 28th. So there are some options there for a ballot clot number provided on a little jam. But you might pick outside of the ones that you said, I think it's been most likely. Yeah, we're, we're, you know, I mean, the last, you know, the nurse trade happened and then they spent a little bit not not all the money on July 1. And then it's, you know, until the entry news came out, it's been kind of quiet for the others. And I suspect based on what Bowman has said, no PTOs, that means we're going to pretty much we know the lineup here with the injuries that have occurred though. It does impact the cap and the

10:28others might not be able to go shopping in a way that they had hoped to because of that, depending on how these injuries, you know, when they come off the injured list. Yeah, like I'm looking at Pogpedia calm right now and their current cap spaces we're speaking today is 1.9. So that's, that's not a whole lot of cash here. But it is going to be interesting to see how they do the makeup of the lineup who gets moved on to what as the season gets closer. It sounds like a guy like Matthias Yanmark is an example isn't anywhere close to being able to play. But it's also going to be interesting to see what they do with those eight defensemen that are currently listed on the roster currently. I mean, they've got a lot of one way deals there. And I know Alec Regula is banged up right now, but it did sound like based on the close, but it wouldn't be a long term thing with Alec Regula. So we'll see. But the cap situation is a little bit tighter than it once was. Got some injuries and some key injuries. But the one to me out that's most interesting is finding out that Freddie Anderson is going to be out for at least a minute. Yeah. I know that it said late October. Well, that gives a lot of questions and things to watch

11:30between the pipes for the oilers. You would assume Tristan Jari will get the bulk of the workload with Freddie Anderson. Hope. But what does that mean for a guy like Don't Leave On? I'm really excited to see what he can bring to the table for the oilers this year in his first real, probably extended taste of NHL action. And it seems like at least based on what we've heard so far that he's going to get an opportunity there to show what he's got. So a lot of questions with those injuries that got announced and the other thing too is when they do come back, I'll quickly get back up to speed. Because it bumps me out when I play like the boy, I'm very bullish on has to miss that rusty part of the early season where everybody's working out the kinks and shaking off the rust. If you don't have to play catch up after that. And hopefully it doesn't take too long. But lots of questions with these injuries that came up. Yeah. We had what was high in last year, right? Like he wasn't there at the start of the year. Yeah. So. And then Mattias that come a couple years ago. If I remember correctly had to miss training camp. So it takes a minute for these guys sometimes to get back up to speed after the summer. So hopefully the injuries are not too serious. The boys

12:31can get back over the ice and stay healthy afterward. Well, bagged milk from Daily Face Off Edmonton. You rock. I thank you. Next, next Thursday, we'll have fresh info. I promise. Probably to talk about.