Luleå HF

Och så följer vi Anders Nilssons fortsatta kamp för att ta plats i Edmonton Oilers NHL-lag.

Sammanfattningsvis är ju läget det att Oilers la rejält för att köpa över Henkes backup Cam Talbot från Rangers. Denne Talbot hade ju spelat strålande medan han fick ta spaden då Lundqvist var halsskadad. Och planen var att denne Talbot skulle bli etta i Oilers med tidigare vakten Ben Schrivens som backup.

Men så upptäckte de att Anders Nilsson fanns tillgänglig och köpte in denne för ett envägskontrakt under ett år på en miljon, kanske mer som en försäkring om någon av Talbot och Schrivens skulle bli skadade, tappa stinget eller så.

Men Anders ger de andra vakterna en kamp!

Först fick han stå halva tiden i en träningsmatch och höll nollan efter att ha motat 17 skott. Sedan fick han stå en hel träningsmatch och höll återigen nollan efter att ha räddat 25 skott. Och nu har han stått en halv match till, tagit 11 skott och återigen hållit nollan!

Anders har alltså imponerat och nu diskuteras det om han inte hotar Schrivens om andraspaden. Ytterligare andra påpekar att det blir väldigt svårt att inte placera en vakt som ingen kunnat måla på i NHL...

Minnesgoda läsare kommer ihåg att i våras satte Anders Nilsson nytt rekord i Ryssland för hållna nollor under slutspel:-)

Redan efter Anders Nilssons andra match skrev media på följande sätt:

Three goalies, two roster spots, one net.
Something’s got to give and soon.

With the unbeaten Edmonton Oilers giving up only eight goals in five pre-season exercises, it’s Cam Talbot’s No. 1 job to lose because Edmonton dealt three picks to get him from the New York Rangers at the June draft. But Kontinental Hockey League free-agent signee Anders Nilsson has better numbers than Talbot and the incumbent Ben Scrivens.

“The goaltending battle is pretty tight,” coach Todd McLellan said.

“We’re three goalies competing for two spots. Cam and Scrivens are two great goalies and it’s a very tough competition,” Nilsson said. “All I can do is control what I can … and that’s stopping the puck. After that, we’ll see what the coaches decide.”

Media skriver nu efter senaste matchen:

Cam Talbot looks like he will be the Oilers’ No. 1 goalie when the season begins Oct. 8 in St. Louis. He played the first home pre-season game and was the first goalie to play an entire pre-season game. He was acquired from the New York Rangers to be the starter, but his play will determine whether he remains the everyday goalie. He watched Tuesday night as Ben Scrivens and Anders Nilsson split the game against the Arizona Coyotes.

Scrivens and Nilsson are in a close race to be the backup.

Nilsson has been perfect in the pre-season. He hasn’t allowed a goal in his three appearances, stopping all 53 shots. Can the Oilers send him to the minors when he hasn’t allowed a goal?

“We believe we have three National Hockey League goaltenders. We knew that. We created that,” said head coach Todd McLellan, who also has Cam Talbot in the equation. “Each of them has played very well. They’re making the decisions very tough.”

Scrivens and Nilsson both have one-way contracts, but only Scrivens needs to clear waivers. Scrivens is due $2.3 million and Nilsson will make $1 million, regardless if they play in the NHL or the American Hockey League. The Oilers salary cap is essentially the same regardless of who they send to the minors. If Scrivens is sent to the minors he’d be a $1.35-million cap hit ($950,000 is cap exempt), and combined with Nilsson’s $1 million, the backup cap hit is $2.3 million.

Money won’t impact the salary cap, but it might affect an opposing team’s decision to claim Scrivens or Nilsson on waivers. I believe teams would shy away from Scrivens due to his salary, but the Oilers might send Nilsson down simply because he doesn’t need to clear waivers.

Oilers har två träningsmatcher kvar - mot Vancouver - innan NHL börjar...

Vi håller våra tummar för dig, Grizzly!

Hmm, följer upp detta med att kolla av supportrarnas message bord på nhl.com; en plats man var mycket på tidigare då Linus Omark hade kontrakt med Oilers. Och mycket riktigt har det nu kommit upp en Nillson-tråd där och alla som skriver är FÖR Anders:-) Så här låter det:

Has this swede just come out of nowhere to steal the crease? His play has been excellent and sure looks comfortable with this group.

From no one who could play and nothing in the cupboard to Talbot, Nilsson and Brossoit in the wings... I like what I'm seeing.

Nilsson sure fills that net and seems so in control.

The way I see it, Nilsson has beat out Scrivens AND Talbot thus far...he has yet to be scored on, albeit facing some less-than-stiff competition, but that is something to say the least.

edmontonjourn...oner-than-later

This article suggests that it's a specific system he is using, one that Dustin Schwartz is a huge proponent of, and that is The Head Trajectory system. It's a good read, with another ex-Oiler sprinkled in as an example of this system

Seen that article yesterday, agreed good read. High hopes indeed for AN.
Though preseason games are not the best judge, it's all we have to go on, as well as what is happening in the practices(which we do not see). It's a small sample size dut decisions have to be made.
If I am TM I am starting season Talbot/Nilsson. I feel for Scrivy and he has played well in camp but I believe Nilsson has earned his shot at the big club. He deserves the opportunity.
Based on camp alone Nilsson would be my starter, but because we've banked on Talbot as our #1 he's likely our starter.

Nilsson has impressed and I agree he starts here. As Gregor said in his comment this morning - it's less likely that Scrivens is picked up on waivers due to his contract (it's a little heavy for a backup goalie) and there are two other teams (Calgary and Minnesota) with a crowded crease. My bet is Scrivens clears waivers and Nilsson won't so Scrivens will go down and we'll see how Nilsson does as Talbot's backup against real NHL players playing at NHL speed and crashing the net at every opportunity.

This battle is far from over - my bet is we won't know who wins until Christmas (barring injury)

As for Nilsson I was very impressed with his lateral movement and positioning. He did seem to go down a tad early a few times too many. His reaction time to me was the most impressive, very quick to react and his reflexes were spot on.

Good post. Totally agree.

Mediaexpertisen, supportrarna - och även ledningen - är imponerade av vår Luleå Hockey-utbildade Luleå-pojke. Arvet efter Jarmo Myllys får konsekvenser i NHL:-)

Vi får hoppas att det går bra nu och att inte Oilers-representanterna inte får reda på att hockeyoraklet vinfyllot Ulf-Ture förklarat att Anders Nilsson är skotträdd och värdelös jämfört med Markus "sållet" Svensson...