The Fifth Liners

Once more fans of the Edmonton Oilers, will be celebrating as their side have received first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery! Seems Connor McDavid will be spending some cold winters over in Alberta in years to come! Buffalo Sabres were no doubt disappointed to land the second overall pick, but will no doubt take consolation that this will probably mean Jack Eichel will be in the state of New York! In what could be one of the biggest depth quality drafts, it could well mean that each team has some great talent for the future. My only real doubt with this decision is that Edmonton has had its fair share of number one picks in the last few years, and still nothing has come of it! People paint McDavid as if he is the next Sidney Crosby of hockey, I just worry that this team is the wrong fit for his talents? Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are starting to show the leadership qualities required for the Oilers- but Nail Yakupov has only shown glimpses of what he is capable o...

Last night, Florida Panthers fans were given rare positive news when it was announce that they won the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft after their name was picked from the Draft Lottery. After another  poor season last year, the Panthers management should already been looking towards the next superstar of the franchise- and this draft year there is a lot of quality on show such as Canadian centre Sam Bennett, defenseman Aaron Ekblad or Sam Reinhart. Plus lets not forget top European prospect Kasperi Kapanen. But does one play change an entire franchises luck? In the case of the Colorado Avalanche the answer to that question is indeed yes as last years number one pick Nathan Mackinnon has proven to be an excellent choice and is one of the favourites for the Calder Trophy this year after an excellent rookie season. However, there is a flipside to that coin, and some teams have failed to raise their game even after more than one first overall picks- yes I am referri...

The Edmonton Oilers have been dealt another blow before the new hockey season starts as it has been announced that centre Sam Gagner will be out indefinitely with a broken jaw! Already short of one center due to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins being out for at least the next month as he recovers from a broken shoulder! It is rumoured that Taylor Hall will temporarily replace Nugent Hopkins at center, but there is no word from the Oilers management as to who will fill Gagner shoes this season! It will be interesting to see how Craig MacTavish and Dallas Eakins deal with this one! 

The Edmonton Oilers yesterday introduced Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins as the new Head Coach of their franchise. Previously linked with the same position at the New York Rangers , Eakins was previous a journeyman pro in the NHL playing 120 games for over 7 different teams, but as a coach he brings across an impressive record to Rexall Place with a 145 wins and he guided the Marlies to a Calder Cup final appearance in 2012. Eakins was also assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2006 to 2009 before taking on his Head Coach role at the Marlies full time. On his appointment new GM Craig Mactavish said “I'm extremely confident in this man's ability to lead our hockey club," After a disappointing 12 th place finish in the Western Conference last year despite the talents of three consecutive 1 st overall picks with Nail Yakupov , Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins , the Oilers as a result failed to make the playoffs for a sixth year running! C...

There was a goal feast in Wednesday nights NHL action, with the most notable scoring being the New York Rangers blitzing Pittsburgh 6-1 at Madison Square Garden! Ryan Clowe was the stand out with two debut goals in an impressive start, before this he had gone scoreless all season long and Rangers fans will no doubt be delighted that he has discovered his scoring touch again. There was also scoring debuts for John Moore and Derek Brassard- who had only arrived from Columbus hours before! Goalie Henrik Lundqvist also chipped in with 26 saves and Wednesdays win takes New York to 7th overall in the Eastern Conference. In the absence of Sidney Crosby, the Penguins looked worryingly thin on quality and despite Pascal Dupuis' lone goal, things are starting to look troubling for the Stanley Cup contenders!   Meanwhile Edmonton Oilers three number one picks shone brighly in their 8-2 win against an un-inspired Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome to go five games unb...