Edmonton Oilers Should Replace Winger, Call Up Draisaitl

The Edmonton Oilers have not had a terrible start to this season. However, they are 0-2, and the main reason is not so much as to our old issues that circulated around poor defense and lack of quality goaltending. The offense, which is supposed to be full of fire power, is just not there.

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Therefore, in a time of need and pure offensive ability, the Oilers should consider bringing Leon Draisaitl back up to the National Hockey League, and they should also possibly think of sending another player down or waiving them completely.

First off, I am in complete and utter shock that Draisaitl is in a Condors uniform playing in California. Not to be condescending towards the American Hockey League, but Draisaitl is a quality NHL player in my mind. He is a good player that can be a difference-maker on the wing of the checking line or even the second line. To me, it is mind-blowing that he did not make the roster, and though I understand development will do him good, I can’t see why this kid needs it. He worked so hard and showed such a push in training camp.

Therefore, in my mind, he should switch places with one of the following two players. Anton Slepyshev should switch and go back down, or Teddy Purcell needs to go… somehow. Let’s examine why. First off, Slepyshev’s great. He made a huge push and opened many eyes in training camp. I love the kid, but he is not an NHL-level player, and I personally would choose Draisaitl over him any day. The reason being is that Draisaitl proved himself and proves to show better chemistry with players… especially Connor McDavid. It was explosive between them… and a line consisting of Draisaitl, McDavid and Nail Yakupov would be KILLER.

I don’t see a fit for Slepyshev on any line. I know it’s only the second game, but the kid doesn’t look ready. Yeah, he was making reels in training camp, but now that he’s in an NHL uniform, I don’t see chemistry with him, and I can imagine Draisaitl making things happen in the place that he is in. Draisaitl creates more opportunity and more offensive pushes, so therefore, he’s the one that should be sporting an Oilers jersey.

Another option is to keep Slepy and get rid of Teddy Purcell. Teddy’s a great guy and had a great run with Tampa Bay, but I don’t see what he’s really doing here in Edmonton. There’s no production or chemistry, no matter what line he’s on, and he looks old, tired and lazy when making offensive rushes. That, and he can’t back check.

Personally, I think he works well with other teams and other types of players, but not in Edmonton. We could place Purcell on waivers, but the problem arises with his one-way NHL contract. However, I think if he were to go on waivers, one team would look at his name and his stats and take him off our hands. There’s always one team out there who wants a player they can revive. But that might not happen… So we could trade him. Problem with that is that we wouldn’t get much, if anything really, in return.

I strongly believe however, that Draisaitl could be the solution to some of our offensive issues. He is a quality player who creates great opportunities and knows how to coordinate plays on the fly. He also has some NHL games under his belt, so playing with the big club would be no problem of adjustment for him at all. That way, he can still be a rookie and work well with others, create chemistry and even help players like McDavid explode offensively.

What do you think, fans? Do we bring back Leon?

Next: Oilers Lack Fire Power in Loss to Preds

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