This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
The Edmonton Oilers' rebuild has been in full gear since the 2010-11 season, and they haven't made the playoffs since losing the Cup Final in 2006. In the time since 2010, the club has had four first-overall picks, a third-overall pick, and a seventh-overall pick. That makes for an average draft position of 2.33 in the last six years. Even with this high-level talent in their lineup, the Oil still have a league-worst total in points (47). Why is this?
Only two of these six players have been able to consistently stay healthy since coming in to the league (Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse), and each of them are playing in their second seasons in the NHL. The Oilers have had so many changes in their front office and behind their bench (which is what happens when you play in a hockey-crazed market), but seemingly every move they made just worsened things.
Now, however, the Oilers have a proven head coach and general manager, which should give them some longer leashes than their predecessors. Todd McLellan is a well-respected coach whose Sharks contended seemingly every year when he was behind their bench. Peter Chiarelli came into Boston prior to the 2006-07 season, and five years later he was the architect of the team that snapped the Bruins' 39-year Stanley Cup drought.
With a clear direction for where they want to go in the future, and hopefully a heavy dose of patience, the Oilers should be legitimate, Stanley Cup contenders in three years' time.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Flyers (Steve Mason) vs. Capitals (Braden Holtby), 12:00 PM
Hurricanes (Cam Ward) vs. Canadiens (Mike Condon), 2:30 PM
Oilers (Anders Nilsson) vs. Islanders (Jaroslav Halak), 2:30 PM
For updates on projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News for Teams Playing Tuesday
Philadelphia Flyers
Sean Couturier, C (lower body) – will miss four weeks
Michal Neuvirth, G (lower body) – landed on injured reserve Tuesday
Washington Capitals
Jay Beagle, C (hand) – could return in the coming weeks
Marcus Johansson, LW (upper body) – will miss Sunday's game
Brooks Orpik, D (lower body) – out Sunday
Carolina Hurricanes
Brett Pesce, D (lower body) – remains on IR
James Wisniewski, D (knee) – out for the season
Montreal Canadiens
Paul Byron, C (lower body) – remains without a timetable for return
Daniel Carr, LW (knee) – out for the next three months
Lucas Lessio, LW (knee) – will miss two-to-three weeks
Carey Price, G (leg) – doesn't seem to be returning anytime soon
Edmonton Oilers
Andrew Ference, D (hip) – will miss the rest of the season
Oscar Klefbom, D (knee) – without a timetable for his return
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C (hand) – could be back in time for March
New York Islanders
Eric Boulton, LW (undisclosed) – no indication as to if he'll return this season
Adam Pelech, D (upper body) – out indefinitely
Hot
Jeff Skinner – The 2011 Calder Trophy winner has recorded at least a point in his last four games (one goal, four assists), all while playing on the Canes' third line. While Skinner's season totals of 18 goals and 30 points aren't the most jaw-dropping statistics, this is the second time this season that he's put together a productive string of games. Earlier in the year, Skinner had 10 points over six games, scoring nine goals and two hat tricks along the way.
Brayden Schenn, RW, PHI – While he had a five-game point streak snapped Saturday against the Rangers, Schenn has produced like the top-five pick that he is for the last 14 games. Over that time, Schenn has been a point per game player, dished out 30 hits, and gotten into two fights. Schenn isn't the biggest guy, but when he's skating and playing a physical brand of hockey, it creates time and space in the offensive zone for himself and his teammates.
Cold
Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL – The Habs' captain hasn't been immune to the struggles in Montreal, going without a goal in six games. Pacioretty has been getting pucks on net during this stretch, averaging nearly four per game, but his plus-minus sits at a minus-9. While it's unfair to assume that Pacioretty is directly at fault for his pitiful rating (there are four other skaters and a goalie on the ice, as well), it's worth pointing out that it's nearly impossible to produce in the NHL if the players around you are performing so poorly.
Recommended Pickup
Andre Burakovsky, LW, WAS – The 20-year-old's play of late has moved him up in to the Caps' top-six forward group, where he should continue to thrive. After the first 38 games of the season, Burakovsky had tallied four goals and 10 points, but in the nine games that have followed, he has 12 points in nine games. More impressively, Burakovsky has scored a goal in his last five games (six goals total) while shooting a jaw-dropping 35.3%. Burakovsky has his confidence flying sky high as he begins to figure out the NHL game.
