Are the Oilers Contemplating Signing TWO High-Priced Left-Wingers This Offseason?

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

From Spector’s Hockey

LATEST EICHEL SPECULATION

THE BUFFALO NEWS: In a recent mailbag segment, Lance Lysowski predicted the Sabres will grant permission for interested clubs to speak to Eichel. That will be necessary because of the treatment Eichel requires to treat his injury. If a rival club is willing to allow him to undergo the surgery he seeks and offers the right trade package, Lysowki believes the Sabres will make the deal sooner rather than later.

THE ATHLETIC/BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Fluto Shinzawa believes the Boston Bruins will pass on Eichel because of his neck injury. “A $10 million player has to be a sure thing,” he wrote. Joe Haggerty dismissed any talk of the Bruins acquiring Eichel as “fantasy stuff.”

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wondered if the Seattle Kraken could use the prospect they select with the second-overall pick in this year’s draft as part of a package offer for Eichel. One NHL executive said he was told Kraken general manager Ron Francis checked in on the Sabres captain.

THE ATHLETIC: Rick Carpiniello reports hearing the New York Rangers are not likely, or much less likely now, to get into the bidding for Eichel.

BLH’s Thoughts: Man, I do not mind that Seattle deal… How would the rest of that offer look though? Seattle could do worse than to have an American hockey player like Jack Eichel be the face of their franchise. However, I think Anaheim or Minnesota look like the most realistic landing spots for him at this point in time.

LeBrun in The Athletic writes Jack Eichel trade talks are getting more intense, the teams he believes makes sense that he names are: Kings, Wild, Ducks, Blue Jackets, Flyers and Rangers.

— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 16, 2021

From NHL Trade Talk

Jets’ Scheifele Would be of Interest to Rangers If He Hits Trade Block

It would be crazy to think that one mistake and missing a few playoff games could lead to a change of scenery for a player as good as Winnipeg Jets’ forward Mark Scheifele. But, this weekend, the forward’s name appeared in trade rumors for the first time. Larry Brooks — who is fairly plugged in on this sort of thing — noted that the New York Rangers would be interested in Scheifele should he become available.

“Though it goes without saying, it will be said anyway: If Mark Scheifele somehow becomes available out of Winnipeg, he is the player for whom the Rangers empty the cupboard, and the guy in Buffalo becomes Jack Who?”

If you’re wondering why the Jets would decide it better to move forward with Scheifele not a part of their future, us too. Sure, it’s not a good look when you take an incredibly stupid charging penalty and miss three games, not being able to help your team ward off elimination. This is now the second year in a row where Scheifele hasn’t been able to help his team come playoff time (last year he was injured).

BLH’s Thoughts: As if the Jets are going to let their franchise center go…

Now if they did, would Winnipeg get as good a return for him as they did Dale Hawerchuk all those years ago?

When Winnipeg moved the best player in the history of their city at the 1990 entry draft, they got Phil Housley, Scott Arniel, Jeff Parker and a draft pick that would turn into Keith Tkachuk. They also send a pick of their own to the Sabres to round out the deal and Buffalo would pick Brad May with it.

So, try to equate that to today’s Rangers. It’d have to be Adam Fox, Ryan Strome, Julien Gauthier, and New York’s first rounder this year. Winnipeg would also move their first to New York.

That’s a dumb trade for both teams right now just as the Hawerchuk deal was poor for Winnipeg back in ’90…

From The Athletic

This Appears to be the End for Zach Hyman as a Maple Leaf

Multiple sources said they didn’t believe any talks of substance had happened, going back months. No progress was made on extension talk at any point, really, going back to when Hyman first became eligible for a new deal last year.

Other teams and agents around the league believe Hyman can now command close to $6 million a season on a long-term deal, an unthinkable sum only a year or two ago.

Josh Anderson’s mammoth seven-year, $38.5 million deal signed with the Canadiens last October often comes up as a comparable.

BLH’s Thoughts: Well that opens up the possibility for the Oilers. I don’t mind the player, but I’m not very keen on opening the bank vault for him on a long-term deal. I think there could be better options available to the team.

From The Daily Goal Horn

Taylor Hall and Oilers reunion?

Around the NHL Trade Deadline, before Boston made the deal, analyst Doug MacLean was told that a reunion was discussed.

“I also heard yesterday they’re in on the guy from Buffalo that everybody wants [Hall]. I’m thinking, how could Taylor Hall go there on a deal?” MacLean said. “The guy told me they’re looking at a deal that would have [Hall and RNH] both done for less than $12 million for both of them, and it would work next year. It was a reasonable source that said it.”

The possibility is still there to sign both, but I see it as unlikely. If Nugent-Hopkins were to depart, Hall makes as much sense as anyone.

BLH’s Thoughts: As long as Taylor Hall is in the NHL, that “unfinished business” tag will never cease to exist and the rumors connecting him to the team every trade deadline and and offseason will continue.

So here we are again for the 5th time in five years talking about Hall and the Oilers. Could it happen? Absolutely! Should it happen? It wouldn’t hurt. Will it happen? I’m thinking there’s about a 10% chance it does.

Now, that being said, I believe there’s a scenario that the Oilers are contemplating where they bring in TWO left wingers at between $5M and $6-$6.5M for their top-six and then gift the 3rd line LW spot to Dylan Holloway.

That could be two of Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Brandon Saad, Gabriel Landeskog, Jaden Schwartz, etc.