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Oilers powerplays have had a lot of different looks over the years. It was only two seasons ago in the 2016-17 campaign when it looked like they finally found the right mix. Klefbom's bomb from the point, Letestu's sneaky one-timer, McDavid and Draisaitl's amazing puck moving and offensive prowess, and of course Lucic's effective net-front presence. Well they tried it again this past season, and boy did they really suck.
Special teams were a major issue for the Oilers in the past season. The penalty kill is a whole another monster and we're not going to get into that. However, the PP was also nothing to write home about. It was the worst in the NHL at an egregious 14.8%. Something that cannot happen when you have perhaps the best player in the world in your lineup. So who's to blame for this? An under-performing Klefbom was a significant issue. Battling through injury, he had taken a giant step back from what he was capable of on the powerplay the season prior. Same with Mark Letestu. His magical one-timer had seem to disappear and was no longer a threat on the left side for his one-timer. Many point the finger at assistant coach Jay Woodcroft, who was the man in charge when it came to the powerplay. Nothing was clicking, whether it was personnel or setup, it was an absolute disaster. The powerplay began to become a momentum killer for the squad.
I don't think you can look at the Oilers roster from last year and say there was a lack of suitable players to put out there for the man advantage. They may have been short on right-handed guys, or lacked the one player that can unleash an absolute bomb, but there was still an adequate amount of skill throughout the lineup. So I too, have to look at some of the setups Woodcroft created and scratch my head. However, like I mentioned, the biggest issue is that there really wasn't one player who can be viewed as the trigger man. Sure, McDavid is dynamic and capable of a lot, but I don't believe an Ovechkin-esque one-timer is really his thing.
I'm going to base most of my argument off one powerplay setup, the most common in the NHL. A QB defenceman at the blue line. Two guys off to the flanks, usually on their one-timer sides. A net front player that can slide up into the high slot. A support guy that can play on either side depending on what side they like to run it off of:
Look at some of the top powerplays in the NHL from last season, ranked by their percentage during the regular season:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins - This one is kind of unfair to compare. Malkin on one side, Kessel on the other, both capable of quick and hard shots from their off wing. You then have Schultz or Letang at the QB position at the blue line that are great at getting pucks through. Not to mention Crosby down low or in the middle. Add Hornqvist or Guentzel with some scoring pedigree and it becomes lethal. So many threats.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning - Again you have a really good top three rotation with Kucherov and Stamkos on their one-timer sides, and Hedman manning the QB position. You then have versatility with Miller/Point/Killorn that can play net-front or support positions.
5. Winnipeg Jets - A lot of different options here, but again you have Laine, Wheeler, and Scheifele who are capable of good one-timer shots from their off-wing. Byfuglien can rip bombs from the QB spot. A dynamic group of players, but all can shoot the puck.
7. Washington Capitals - I'm surprised they are not higher on this list, because they have the absolute perfect personnel and setup. The best in the NHL, and it showed in the playoffs. You have two amazing left-handed play makers that play on their off-side in Backstrom and Kuznetsov. They are interchangable on the left one-timer and left support guy positions, and they often do to create confusion for their opponent. TJ Oshie is the perfect net front guy, with a great mix of scoring prowess and grit. He is also is great at popping out for the high slot one-time shot. John Carlson quarterbacks this powerplay and he is tremendous at it. He is a great passer - deceptive, smooth, and precise. With all of that, he can also shoot the puck, making him a threat at all times. And then of course, Ovechkin on his one-timer side. OV doesn't actually do a whole lot on this powerplay as it runs off the left side. They wait for their opportunity to hit him for his massive shot and it usually works. This is the ultimate powerplay with so many different options.
So one thing these great powerplays all have in common are shooters. Malkin/Kessel in PIT, Stamkos/Kucherov in TB, Laine/Wheeler/Scheifele in WPG, and OV/Oshie/Carslon in WSH. This is where the Oil really lack on the PP IMO, especially with right-handed players.
I want to say Puljujarvi is capable of ripping those one-timer shots from his off-wing, but we haven't really seen it yet. Coaching staff has been reluctant to give JP a shot at this position on the first unit. Other than him, I honestly don't see any right handed guys on this roster being a threat from over there. What about the other side?
We've already talked about McDavid, and how this really isn't his niche. He is good enough to play on that side, but I don't think we will ever see a one-timer come from him. My answer is Leon Draisaitl. He showed that last year he has been working on his one-timer from that side, and it started to pay off in the latter half of the season. Check out some of these goals.
One amazing thing he can do too, much like Stamkos, is take the shot from extremely bad angles but still get it upstairs:
The other reason I like Draisaitl on this side, is he is still the best passer on the team besides Connor. He can still make plays from his one-timer side, so the powerplay could work off either side. Just look at this play:
In Pittsburgh, Malkin usually plays this same position in-zone. So it is not taking anything away from McDavid.
So if we put Leon there, where is Connor going? Well the beauty with 97 is that you can put him almost anywhere on this setup and he is going to succeed. But I think your best bet is putting him on the left side. He will be able to make a lot of plays from that side (cross-ice passes to Drai) and he can also shoot the puck. Remember this beauty from the playoffs?
It's kind of a different play then you would see on a powerplay, but still the same concept. Coming in on his strong side and being able to rip a shot from that spot.
Another thing we saw this past season is McDavid's ability to put pucks in from this side in a one-timer fashion. Here are some examples:
You got to love the way he drops down to one knee to get that puck into the right spot. He could really patent that shot. Either way, it allows for a dual attack from either side with 97 and 29. The biggest thing will be McDavid's ability to pass and make plays from this side. So as he walks in, he can see different options and plays will start to develop.
So, that leaves three more spots to fill on the powerplay. At the QB position, it is going to be need a d-man (the five forward units have not worked for the Oil in the past). First one to come to mind for me is Oscar Klefbom. Of course Oscar is going to have to be a lot better on the man advantage than he was last season. He still has the offensive prowess to fit nicely into the spot. As a lefty, it will be nice to give 97 another option for a one-time shot. I think this is Klefbom's spot to lose.
Andrej Sekera also had a dreadful season last year, however this was his spot at the start of the 2016-17 campaign before Klefbom took over in the second half of the season. Sekera is a lefty, however does not possess the shot Klefbom has. He also has a tough time getting pucks through, often hitting opponent's shinpads.
Darnell Nurse could be another option. He was the best all-around defenceman for the squad last year, and wouldn't surprise me if the coaching staff gave him a shot on this unit.
Ethan Bear really showed promise for his offensive instincts last season. He is the most promising right-handed option and could be a possibility here if he gets regular minutes in the top 6, although that might be unlikely. Especially with PC bringing Gravel to bolster the blue line. Look at this nice shot he had on the PP at the tail end of last season. Beauty. Wouldn't be a bad option.
A dark horse in all of this is first pound pick from the entry draft in June, Evan Bouchard. Obviously he will have to make the team first, but he is the destined powerplay defenceman for the Oilers in the future. Much like John Carlson, Bouchard is an unbelievable passer that also carries a heavy shot. So if not this season, certainly look for him to QB the powerplay in the season after.
Two spots to go: a net front presence and a support guy. Considering there are already three lefties on this unit, I think its necessary to add a right shot. For me, this spot comes down to three guys: Strome, Puljujarvi, and Rattie. None of these three players possess a net-front style of game (Puljujarvi might be an exception), so they become a support guy. IMO best option here is Strome. He can play down low on McDavid's side giving him another option. Strome is a decent passer and also possesses a good shot. I think ideally you want someone with a little more playmaking ability here, but Strome is an O.K. fit.
Puljujarvi is a shooter, and if he isn't in a shooting spot on the PP, then it doesn't make sense to me. Maybe they give him a shot in McDavid's spot, but I would look for him to be on the 2nd unit.
The only way I see Rattie on here is if the chemistry between him and McDavid really takes off in training camp. If Rattie can prove that he can be 97's right hand man, this will be his spot. I don't think there is a high chance of this happening, but we will see.
A dark horse: Kailer Yamamoto. The youngster from Spokane will have an opportunity to make the squad this year, and if he performs well he can pick up a spot in the Oilers top six. If he makes the team he will certainly be on the powerplay, maybe not the first unit but definitely on the second. He could be a valuable piece for the Oilers' powerplay this season.
So now it comes down to our net front guy. When you're looking at this position you want some size, grit, and scoring capabilities. Milan Lucic has been given umpteen chances to be this player on the first unit. I'd imagine the coaching staff puts the big guy in that spot again to start the year, hoping he will have a bounce back campaign and return to the 12 PP goal, 25 PP point guy he was two seasons ago. If it all falls apart for Looch again this season, a guy I'd like to see in this spot is Jujhar Khaira. He was one of the most effective bottom six guys for the Oil last season. He also contains the right recipe for that net front presence on the man advantage. He has more skill and hockey IQ than Looch, so he might be a better fit. Both guys are left handed which is fine, it does not matter a whole lot in this position.
So here is the breakdown with some plays:
Black: McDavid shot
Grey: Klefbom one-timer
Orange/Burgundy: Draisaitl one-timer (can move up and down zone)
Purple: 97 to Strome, cross ice through slot to Draisaitl for one-timer.
Green: 97 to Strome, one touch pass to 27/16 in slot for quick shot.
Those are a few set plays, Strome and McDavid can rotate and interchange. It all runs through 97. You could also run McDavid and Drai off the same side like they have in the past.
The Second Unit
Ideally that first unit is playing 70-90 seconds of the powerplay. There will be times when they need rest or are having a tough night. If so, the 2nd unit does have some good assets. There are a lot of different options here.
Much like the first unit runs through McDavid, the second unit will run through Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Again, like 97, Nuge can play either side of the pp, and is not much of a threat for a one-timer, but instead a great playmaker. Either way, he will be an instrumental piece on this unit.
The QB spot should come down to either Sekera or Nurse, depending on how Sekera plays and if Nurse can continue the way he was playing last year. I think my vote would be Nurse, to help him grow his offensive game and because of Sekera's inability to get the puck through from the blue line. However, I wouldn't mind see Matt Benning maybe getting a look either. The aforementioned Ethan Bear is an option as well, if he makes the team and gets some minutes.
Whoever gets the net front presence on the first unit (Lucic or Khaira), the other should get that spot on the second unit.
I think you have to try Puljujarvi on his one-timer side on the half wall. Oilers management will need to trust his abilities here and maybe learn through some growing pains. We have only seen his one-timer a few times but I believe it could be lethal.
For this final spot on the second unit, it really is up in the air. There are a number of different options the Oil could choose from. The Oil have not been shy about giving Drake Caggiula powerplay time in the past, and they will be looking for him to contribute more on the scoresheet this year. They could give new guy Tobias Rieder a look, as he has a decent skill set and good quickness that could be useful on the second unit. Other guys like Ty Rattie or Pontus Aberg could be options. I think a big piece of this comes down to if Yamamoto makes the team or not. If he does, this will most likely be his spot. This could be risky however, if the Oil second unit were to be 25, 93, 98, 16, and 56; that would make RNH the oldest player on the ice at 25 years old. A lot of offensive upside, but also a lot of defensive liability that could go south quickly.
Projected:
This second unit is really hard to predict. There are a lot of options. They might even go with two defencemen on this unit.
This is all riding on the assumption that the Oilers choose to go with this set up for the powerplay. They very well could shake it up and go with some kind of overload, umbrella, box +1, or some other formation. Especially with new assistant coaches and Jay Woodcroft out of the picture, I would not be surprised by a change at all. One thing is for sure, this team should not have the worst powerplay in the NHL. Improving the man advantage will be a key piece in helping this team return to the postseason this year.
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