3 Edmonton Oilers Players That Exceeded Expectations This Year
Ryan McLeod
For Ryan McLeod, a bottom six forward, to make this list he has had to do a lot of good things. He in my mind has made the biggest jump for the start of the season to now. McLeod has played in almost every position on this team.
He has been the winger on the top line, to a center on the fourth. In my opinion he should stay on the 4th line. This way he can drive his own line. He has some good speed and is excellent at putting pressure on the forecheck.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | S | S% | TSA | TOI | ATOI | FOW | FOL | FO% | BLK | HIT | TK | GV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 22 | EDM | NHL | 62 | 8 | 10 | 18 | -4 | 12 | 69 | 11.6 | 123 | 787 | 12:42 | 214 | 232 | 48.0 | 20 | 16 | 35 | 34 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com:
His stats aren’t real world breaking numbers, but it is advance stats are good with a 51.7 Corsi% and a 50.8 Fenwick%. These numbers show that when he is on the ice the Edmonton Oilers are producing more chances than they are giving up.
Having him in a bottom six role is exactly where McLeod needs to be on a playoff team. It is not that he can’t play in the top six it is just he is better served in the bottom six. All the skills he brings is prefect for a depth forward. That coupled with his ability to play on the penalty kill is why he has made this list.
In his 10 games last season he wasn’t noticeable, but so far this season he is a player you always seem to notice. I like the way he carries the puck through the neutral zone and skates it into the offensive zone. This is an ability few players on this team have.