Category Archives: Armchair GM

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Offseason Talk: Barrie to SEA/MTL, Kassian to CBJ, and More Rumors!

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, and The Daily Goal Horn just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Cult of Hockey

Buzzinga! Brilliant advice from NHL insider for Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland
  • On Oilers Now, host Bob Stauffer put it to the Friedman that if the Oilers were to lose Evander Kane to free agency it might be a good idea to trade for Montreal’s Josh Anderson, a big forward who can skate and provide a physical impetus.

“If I’m the Oilers, like, good players should want to come and play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, especially after these playoffs, and if I were you guys I’d be identifying those players rather than chasing after other guys by trade.” – Friedman

  • For Edmonton to give up an asset like a first round pick or last year’s first round pick Xavier Bourgault to take on that iffy bet…
  • Edmonton has much less money to spend this time summer than last summer — though Stauffer was hinting today that Edmonton might somehow have more cap room than most fans generally expect — but there will be names no one images right now ending up on the Oilers.
  • A player like Holloway, for example, might well step up and in the next five years score every bit as much as Josh Anderson and at a fraction of the cost.

BLH’s Thoughts: Yeah, I thought that was a very direct message from EF to Stauffer and Staples makes a good point about Holloway. I like Josh Anderson as much as the next old school hockey guy, but he’s running into injury problems at the worst time of his career. Now, that said, medical treatment isn’t what it used to be, it’s much better and careers are being lengthened more and more each year.

Just for me though, I would like to see a much deeper Oilers squad next year. If they can’t get Kane, there’s a list of players below from Daniel Nugent-Bowman that would be worth targeting that includes Nichushkin, Marchment, Palat, and Copp. 

As for that extra cap space Stauffer is hinting at, I think that comes from a Zack Kassian buyout. $2.5M saved in the first year, $1.2M in the second and then I think it’s a shade over 900k in years three and four that will cost the Oilers. More on Edmonton’s options with Kass below. 

The Athletic

Edmonton Oilers offseason priorities: A 10-step plan for success
  • Bring Back Woodcroft
    • Here’s a free bit of advice. When you have a coach who appears to be beloved by his players and who just guided your team to the conference final for the first time in 16 years, you lock him up.
  • Sweet Talk Kuzmenko
    • …he’s eligible to sign only a one-year, entry-level deal, so fit will be paramount.
    • The right-shot left winger is worth a flyer. He could also help fill a void if Kane, another high-profile left winger, departs via free agency.
  • Set Reasonable Parameters for Kane and Kulak Contracts
    • Kane scored 35 goals in 58 regular season and playoff games. That type of goal scoring is wonderful and tough to replace. Holland had better watch not being mesmerized by a few outstanding months, though.
    • It would be best for Kulak to not block Philip Broberg’s path in the coming years, too. That’s why a shorter-term contract is advisable.
  • Convince Keith to Retire
    • …no one in the organization is expected to be pushing Keith out. But someone should twist his arm — if only for the financial benefit.
    • …why would Keith even consider hanging up the blades? Well, his salary next season is $1.5 million. The deal was for $72 million, so his 2022-23 compensation is chump change.
  • Figure Out Smith’s Status
    • There’s something about a bird in the hand, especially since goalie options are limited in free agency.
  • Search for a Taker for Klefbom’s Contract
    • Holland is earmarking Klefbom’s contract for LTIR for a third straight season. He’s already on record saying he’s likely not willing to pay much of a price sell off the final year of the deal.
  • Trade or Buyout Kassian
    • Colleague Aaron Portzline mentioned in his Sunday column that the Blue Jackets could use some toughness and that there might be a fit.
  • Value and Sign Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, and McLeod
    • The Oilers need as much talent, especially cost-controlled talent, as they can find. They have three homegrown forwards sitting right there.
  • Be Ready to Take a Run at Kuemper and/or Husso
    • Another option is Jack Campbell. All three had excellent stretches as starters this season. Sans Smith, these are the types of goalies that have the potential to play 50-plus games.
  • Sign at least one NHL Forward

BLH’s Thoughts: Man, these reporters sure talk tough now that they aren’t allowed in the dressing room. Offering advice to a Cup-winning Hockey Hall of Famer and suggesting somebody strongarm Duncan Keith into retiring… Yikes… 

I’m of two minds with Kuzmenko. Is he the next Kirill Kaprizov or the next Alexander Barabanov? Either way, a one year entry level deal doesn’t break the bank and I reckon he’s worth the gamble because we know that if he didn’t fulfill expectations, there are other GMs who like him. 

As for Evander Kane, the price has to be right, but then again, how’s that saying go? Get good players, keep good players? And who knows? Maybe playing on a good team will keep him from getting bored… 

MA Godin was on Oilers Now recently and he was asked about Brett Kulak returning to Montreal. Godin figured with young dmen Kaiden Guhle, Justin Barron, and Jordan Harris looking to graduate, there might not be a fit with the Habs. 

I’ve seen 4x$3.5M tossed around with regards to Kulak and that seems a tad rich to me. Personally, I would prefer the AAV down around $2.75M-$2.95M/yr as he just finished a season where he was paid $2.2M. I suppose that depends on where Jay Woodcroft would have him slotted in 2022/23 though, right? I would be okay with him on the 2nd pair and in that scenario, he probably deserves a little higher salary considering he’ll be seeing some higher quality opposition. But if he’s next year’s #7, then there’s no way he should be getting that kind of salary. 

I’m guessing Smith gets put on LTIR. Why walk away from that kind of money if you don’t have to?

With Kassian, I’ve said for years now that there’s a market for Kassian, it just depends on what kind of trade the Oilers are willing to make to move him. If Columbus wants him (I believe the guys at The Athletic proposed a Kass/Eric Robinson swap), I don’t see them taking him at his full ticket. If there was a way to get Gavrikov (one year remaining at $2.8M) out of Columbus in a package that includes Kassian, that might alleviate the pressure to re-sign Kulak and I remember that Russian defenseman was quite good at denying zone entries. Wishin’… I know. 

I’m all for re-signing all of the RFAs to bridge deals. I mean, unless one of them has told the GM that they wouldn’t be against starting anew with a different club that might use them more frequently. 

If Edmonton can get their hands on one of Campbell, Husso, or Kuemper at reasonable price, that’s a huge win for Holland. Will it be at the cost of losing Kane or another high profile free agent though? 

All of those free agents DNB lists are going to be $5M+ aside from Evan Rodrigues, but even still, he’s going to price himself out of Edmonton. Nic Deslaurier might too. In fact, I think I heard Stauffer say that he thinks the enforcer might go back to Anaheim. 

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey
  • Kaapo Kakko’s surprising scratch from Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals raises questions about his future with the Rangers… Should the 21-year-old winger entertain offer sheets between $4.2 million and $6.1 million, however, the Rangers wouldn’t be able to match.
  • Dan Kingerski recently reported some teams have contacted the Penguins to express interest in Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Sources said the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens were among the clubs that looked into the promising 22-year-old defenseman before the trade deadline.
NHLRumors.com
  • Johnny Gaudreau has been talked about over and over from the Calgary Flames. No one knows yet if he will test the market. One thing is certain, he is likely to get a deal north of $10 million AAV. The only question is seven or eight years.
  • Both Forsberg and David Poile have said they want to come to an agreement. Forsberg does have a few nagging issues and maybe one with the coaching staff.
  • “We wonder about Seattle, we can also maybe wonder about Montreal there with that player if they decide to move away from Tyson Barrie.” – Jeff Marek on Oilers Dman Tyson Barrie.
NHLTradeRumors.me
  • The Vancouver Canucks are heading into this offseason with the goal of freeing up cap space. According to Frank Seravalli, the Arizona Coyotes may come to their rescue, as they have offered to take on some of Vancouver’s expensive contracts for the right price.
    • Some players who Arizona would likely be willing to take on are Tanner Pearson ($3.25 million cap hit) and Jason Dickinson ($2.65 million cap hit). Tyler Myers could also be a potential candidate in theory, but he has a 10-team no-trade list.
  • According to Allan Mitchell of The Athletic, Dmitri Samorukov could be traded this offseason.
  • According to Elliotte Friedman, the Chicago Blackhawks will be listening to trade offers for Kirby Dach this summer. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I wonder if Holland tucks Samorukov into a package that will allow him to move a bloated contract. Would he use the Russian to entice a team to take on Klefbom’s contract?

Tyson Barrie to Montreal makes more sense than Seattle. The Kraken have Vince Dunn already, why add another player that’s nearly a clone of the one they already have plus the Habs have all those extra draft picks and Holland doesn’t have any in rounds 2, 3, and 4. He’ll be looking to recoup some selections in this year’s draft for sure. 

Is there a deal to be made around Puljujarvi and Kirby Dach?

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Offseason Talk: Will Montreal Take a Run at Puljujarvi and Kulak?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, and The Daily Goal Horn just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Cult of Hockey

How can Edmonton Oilers do the clobbering next time when they face the Colorado Avs?
  • Edmonton gave up 11.0 Grade A shots per game against L.A., 13.0 against Calgary, but 18.3 against the Avs.
  • To beat the Avs, Edmonton’s players must make a far greater and ongoing commitment to defensive hockey. 
  • Edmonton has to cut the number of Grade A shots that this brilliant attacking Colorado team gets by five or six Grade A shots per game.
  • If Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl had been healthy, Edmonton just might have had a puncher’s chance against the Avs this year.
  • Mike Smith was the better goalie in the first two series, outplaying both Jacob Markstrom of Calgary and Jonathan Quick of Los Angeles… But the Avs goalies outplayed Smith…
  • Edmonton needs better goaltending than the Avs, either from Smith or some other goalie.
  • The Avs beat Edmonton due to sharp attacking, fierce backchecking, and the most mobile, skilled and effective group of d-men in the NHL…
  • …these Avs d-men gave Edmonton’s fits, as they all had the speed and technique needed to thwart McDavid on the attack, as well as the guile, mobility and passing skill to evade Edmonton’s aggressive forecheck and to break out fast on odd man rushes.
  • … in Game Four, the only game where Edmonton sawed it off on Grade A shots, that the Oilers trapped more in the neutral zone, which is a sound strategy against such puck-moving prowess.
  • If you can’t forecheck these d-men and regularly hit them and/or strip them of the puck, it might well be a great idea to clog up that neutral zone, funnel the Avs to the boards and try to steal pucks there…

BLH’s Thoughts: So, I’m going to go out on a limb and say if the Oilers upgrade their goalie, their defense, their bottom six, and then focus on playing defense-first hockey THEN they have a chance against the Colorado Avalanche… 

I don’t know. I feel like building your club around the idea of beating just one other team in the league sounds foolish. I think you’ve just got to build the best team you can regardless of opponent. 

Maybe a better idea is to get some luck health-wise, build a deeper more defensive-conscious roster, and add some blueliners who can skate like the wind to keep up with the faster skating forwards in the league. Do that and I reckon you can get away without having an elite goalie. 

What kind of impact do you expect the likes of Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, and Stu Skinner to have next season? What should our expectations of these three be? For me, I see a 3rd line winger, a bottom-pairing defenseman, and a backup goalie, but I also see team speed and physicality increasing and I don’t think that could hurt the Oilers at all. Then again, if Holland moves on from Foegele and Kassian, maybe things in the old-school hockey department saw off too.

As you know, I’m very staunch in my beliefs that for this team to be successful it will need functional muscle on it. The likes of Nic Deslauriers and Erik Gudbranson would be the type of additions a Cup contender makes because not only can they provide some toughness/intimidation to the team but they contribute to the penalty kill as well (if they’re not the ones in the box). 

Now, maybe Holland won’t be able to add many upgrades from the free agent market. That might be okay because Jay Woodcroft could always have Hyman with McDavid, and maybe a fella like Andrei Kuzmenko, re-unite Nuge with Leon and Killer, and a shutdown third line of Foegele, McLeod, and Puljujarvi has seemed to have emerged from this year’s post-season. 

https://twitter.com/AdamsOnHockey/status/1535781355618902016

So all you’re worried about is the 4th line that already has Derek Ryan lined up to center it with Devin Shore and maybe Dylan Holloway to flank him from the start of the year.

Is that the price to pay if Ken Holland brings in a no.1 goaltender like Jack Campbell? 

Personally, I feel that some more depth signings would need to take place (obviously), but there’s enough flexibility on this team as it stands to complete a competitive roster IF the hole in net is filled should Mike Smith retire and a replacement brought in.

All that being said, Bob Stauffer has mentioned that FOUR moves (minimum) is what should be expected from the team this summer. 

Oilersnation

Goaltending Options
  • (Ville) Husso gets a lot of attention due to his breakout regular season, but he struggled in the playoffs. It would be risky to start with a Husso/Skinner tandem as they’ve combined to play 60 NHL games.
  • Jack Campbell will be looking for the first big payday of his career. He’s made a total of around $5 million since turning pro in 2011/2012. That is great money for the average person, but he could command a three year deal worth $12-$14million this summer.
  • Marc-Andre Fleury can still play… He didn’t want to come to Edmonton at the trade deadline due to the challenges of his family getting across the border to visit him… After watching the Oilers win two playoff rounds, Fleury, and many others around the league, likely see Edmonton a lot different than they have in the past.
  • Braden Holtby was injured late in the season and wasn’t even skating. I’d pass.
  • Scott Wedgewood quietly had a very solid season. He isn’t a big name, won’t cost very much… It could be a risk to start the season with him as your starter, but he looks like a late bloomer. I won’t be surprised if he has a solid campaign.
  • Eric Comrie is in a similar situation as Wedgewood.
  • (MacKenzie) Blackwood, Georgiev and Varlamov would all need to be traded to Edmonton.
    • Do the Islanders really want to pay Varlamov $5 million to be the backup again?
    • Georgiev wants to be traded… His Sv% has dropped every year starting at .918 (only 10 games), .914, .910, .905 and .898.
    • Blackwood has 130 appearances in four years with a .907Sv%. His Sv% has also dipped each year going from .918, .915, .902 to .892.
  • …while Georgiev and Blackwood haven’t trended in the right direction recently, we’ve seen many goalies find consistency and success in their mid to late 20s.

BLH’s Thoughts: Varlamov has already said he wouldn’t waive his clause to go to Edmonton, so he’s out. Maybe NJ picks him up if they can find a taker for Blackwood. 

The inexperience factor of Husso is fair, but I still think he’s probably Edmonton’s best option.

Campbell I don’t mind too much either but he’s going to cost a fair bit to sign. Although I do like the ongoing “leave Toronto for Edmonton and do better theme that is currently going on. 

Marc-Andre Fleury to Edmonton had a bit of smoke all year long and now that the border restrictions have eased up substantially, it would be such a Ken Holland move to sign him, but if Colorado loses Kuemper, are the Avs a better option for Fleury?

I think a big question is who will the Oilers bring in to be no.3 because it can’t be a guy who is easily picked up off of waivers but it still has to be a netminder good enough to be an NHL backup. I like Wedgewood and Comrie but I’m scared that they’d get plucked off waivers.

The Oilers nearly traded for Georgiev before Christmas. It won’t shock me if that’s something that comes to fruition. 

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey
  • Elliotte Friedman reports the Edmonton Oilers have asked Mike Smith and Duncan Keith to inform them by July 1 if they intend to return next season or retire.
  • Based on what he’s been told, (Kurt) Leavins would be very surprised if Keith hangs up his skates, adding the veteran blueliner might try to extend his playing career beyond 2022-23.
  • Rory Boylen included Husso among his list of six potential value goalies for the Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs to consider. He also listed Pittsburgh’s Casey DeSmith, San Jose’s Kaapo Kahkonen, Detroit’s Alex Nedeljkovic, Winnipeg’s Eric Comrie and New Jersey’s Mackenzie Blackwood.
The Daily Goal Horn
  • On Johnny Gaudreau: Hailey Salvian of The Athletic also sees the Devils as a possibility if Gaudreau hits the open market on July 13. The Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, and Nashville Predators were also potential destinations.
  • On JT Miller: So will the Canucks go that $8.5M number being discussed by insiders? If they do it may come at the cost of trading Bo Horvat or Brock Boeser. Regardless, the bigger question is if Vancouver will also be willing to go the max 7 or 8 years on a player that will turn 30 next March.
NHLRumors.com

BLH’s Thoughts: Ryan Poehling and some picks for Puljujarvi? Pass. Poehling wasn’t even half the player Jesse was last year with his 17pts in 57 games.

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Offseason Talk: Could We See a McDavid/Strome Reunion in 2022/23?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, and The Daily Goal Horn just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Lowetide

What Will Holland Do?
  • G Mike Smith retires.
  • RHD Tyson Barrie is traded to the Seattle Kraken for Toronto’s second-round selection.
  • LW Warren Foegele, LHD Dmitri Samorukov and 2023 second-round pick traded to Minnesota for LHD Jacob Middleton and LW Tyson Jost
  • G Braden Holtby, LW Mason Marchmant and RW Dominik Simon all signed as free agents.
  • LHD Philip Broberg, LW Dylan Holloway and G Stuart Skinner are rookies.

BLH’s Thoughts: First and most pressing thought, there’s no beef on this proposed team aside from Middleton and Nurse. The 4th line is Jost, McLeod, and Ryan… The third line is Holloway, Nuge, and Simon. 

You can’t go far in the playoffs without players with size and players who thrive in the muck. Look no further than Evander Kane’s impact in the playoffs this year. He completely neutralized Matthew Tkachuk and did what needed to be done with Nazem Kadri. Also, Tampa has been running Pat Maroon and Corey Perry on the same line this year and they’ve got Nick Paul contributing too. Nobody is going to mess around with Tampa’s stars knowing they’ll have to answer one way or another if they do.

So what about Zach Aston-Reese (230 hits last year, .60 GvA/60, 1.26 TkA/60, 2.80 bks/60) or Curtis Lazar (186 hits last year, .78 GvA/60, 1.21 TkA/60, 3.64bks/60) for roles in Edmonton’s bottom six?

Lazar’s relative 5v5 fancies are really really decent, his team drives scoring chances when he’s on the ice, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for actual goals but maybe that’s down to puck luck too because his PDO was .978.

With ZAR, his publicly available advanced analytics (relative, 5v5) are pretty shite. He was drowning in Pittsburgh and it didn’t get any better after his trade to Anaheim. The weird thing with him is he had a really good GF% (7.88/60 in 50 games with PIT last season) but all of the shot/chance metrics were horrid. What are we to make of that?

Another thing that might make Aston-Reese a potentially valuable player to target is that over the past three seasons he has spent the 2nd most TOI (250 minutes) on Pittsburgh’s PK. Lazar has 134 minutes on the kill with Boston over the last 87 games. 

I’m just using those two players as examples of players that might shore up Edmonton’s defense in its bottom six a bit, you might have better players but I like these forwards because they block shots, their takeaways per 60 are better than their giveaways per 60 but a substantial margin, they hit, they fight, and these are the kinds of players you want to go to battle with in the post-season. 

LT had Edmonton signing Holtby for $2M/yr, Marchment for $3M/yr, and Simon for 900k/yr and as much as I like all of those players, I don’t think they end up signing for anything close to that where ever they land. 

I feel like with Dallas shipping out Ben Bishop’s contract to Buffalo that they’re positioning themselves to possibly keep Holtby and Klingberg. That’s just a surface level look at that though. 

With Marchment, the Panthers need to keep him and I reckon they’ll pay to move Patric Hornqvist in order to re-sign Mush’s kid and Dominik Simon I’m kinda meh on I guess. I’d rather have Vlad Namestnikov because I think he’s a shifty little bugger and he’s not only a really nice offensive 3rd liner but he’s got some grit and character. 

I love the idea of getting Jacob Middleton but I have no idea why the Wild would trade him. Bill Guerin would be better off trading Kulikov or Goligoski or both but there is the fact that his advanced stats cratered like crazy in Minnesota compared to San Jose. That said, the Oilers lack cycle breakers with NHL experience and Middleton was really impressive when the Oilers played San Jose last year. 

Yesterday on Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer and Elliotte Friedman conversed up on the future of Connor McDavid’s best friend, Dylan Strome. Apparently there are some whispers that Strome might not get qualified and if that’s the case (which would be dumb if it ends up being so), Stauffer mentioned he’d be very interested in seeing McDavid and his bff reuniting on Edmonton’s first line next year. 

In LT’s comments section a user by the name of “Diablo” had an interesting thought, 

  • If Kane wins his arbitration case and has his contract reinstated (which IMO seems like the most likely outcome, as the reason for terminating his contract was very flimsy) … SJS basically has to trade him; there are simply too many burned bridges on both sides.
  • But Kane has a NMC attached to that contract where he gets to name 3 teams that he would be willing to be traded to. So he names Edmonton and two other teams who would have zero interest adding him to their locker room and/or no ability to absorb his cap hit.
  • Tell me that the following isn’t somewhat plausible: Kane for Kassian and Klefbom.

Kassian getting moved to a SoCal team wouldn’t shock me in the slightest. I believe he spends a bit of offseason time there each year. Klefbom isn’t coming back and moving his contract would help the Oilers from starting the year in LTIR. Could Holland get the Sharks to eat 50% too?

Now, I’m wondering how badly the Sharks feel towards Kane. Meaning, would they be happy to suspend him and ride out the remainder of the contract until he gave them more teams to deal with?

Edmonton Sun

Oilers Notes: Husso or Campbell as an unrestricted free agent in net for Oilers?
  • Darcy Kuemper in Colorado is an restricted free agent, but he has that injury history.
  • It’s no secret the Oilers have been watching Husso closely this season… Husso is only 27, but he played only 40 games last season. Can he play 50? He’s probably a $4.25-million free agent.
  • Campbell played 49 games for Toronto. He’s looking for that one big payday which he never has had. He’s 30, so would you give him more than four years, at $5 million?
  • John Gibson? Yeah but his numbers have dropped dramatically the last three seasons — mental fatigue on a bad team or a drop in ability, which means a deep dive into what it is.
  • A different alternative would still be New York Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov for one year at $5 million. He is a proven starter but he’s 34.
  • Puljujarvi has arbitration rights this summer, so that complicates the signing process if they want him back. An arbitrator might feel Puljujarvi is a $2.5 million player. The Oilers, at this time, probably do not.
  • Holland chased Russian free-agent Andrei Kuzmenko, the right-shot, 5-foot-11, 194-pound left-winger (67 points in 61 games with SKA St. Petersburg) when he was Detroit GM, so his current pursuit, along with the Canucks, is hardly a surprise.
    • He’s a middle-of-the-lineup NHL possibility and he would be a one-year contract for less than $1 million.

BLH’s Thoughts: Kuemper’s injury history, that now includes an eye injury (yikes), is concerning. 

Campbell intrigues me to an extent. I think he’s probably asking for too much though. 

I do like Ville Husso and he’s a guy I’d probably take a chance on if the price was right and Mike Smith’s contract wasn’t on the books. 

John Gibson doesn’t seem like the type that would be too keen on coming to Northern Alberta if he were to be traded. The Ducks probably have a better chance at sending him home to Pittsburgh and getting Tristan Jarry in return. 

Semyon Varlamov has already vetoed a trade to Edmonton, so that’s not happening. 

If Pulju at $2.5M is too much money for the Oilers, then what are they really doing? He’s a 40pt winger when injury ridden, what’s he going to be when he’s healthy? 

Dan Milstein just watched one client hit the jackpot playing in Edmonton alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He should expressing that point to Kuzmenko very strongly…

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Offseason Talk: Oilers Unwilling to go Long-Term w/Kane and Puljujarvi to Chicago?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, and The Daily Goal Horn just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

The Athletic

Oilers end-of-season takeaways: Jay Woodcroft’s future, trading Jesse Puljujarvi
  • Holland felt as though Puljujarvi lost his confidence in the New Year.
  • The right winger was in COVID-19 protocol during the December holiday break and then suffered a lower-body injury that cost him 12 games until he returned March 17.
  • Woodcroft said that injury impacted Puljujarvi’s skating and took him a while to get back to full speed. He also missed three games near the end of the regular season with an illness, which Woodcroft felt hindered the winger as well.
  • Holland sounded like someone who’s almost less certain about what he has in Puljujarvi now than when he arrived in Edmonton three years ago. Woodcroft seems more bullish on him.
    • “We have a strong belief in the next wave of young players coming through our organization — and Jesse’s one of them.”
  • …there are only two that were meaningful contributors in the playoffs and would warrant consideration for the Oilers to re-sign: Evander Kane and Brett Kulak.
  • The Oilers, I’m told, aren’t willing to go long term on Kane. They’re more willing to consider short- and potentially medium-term options.
  • Though Barrie is a trade possibility, retaining Kulak likely wouldn’t allow much flexibility to alter the blue line — aside from allowing a rookie like Philip Broberg, Markus Niemelainen, or Dmitri Samorukov to win a job.
  • Assuming Klefbom’s career is over — Holland said he’s earmarking the last season defenceman’s $4.167 million for LTIR — moving that contract might be helpful.
  • As noted Tuesday, Mike Smith is considering not playing next season. If he retired, the last season of his contract and a $2.2 million cap hit would be wiped out. There’s the possibility he could end up on LTIR, too.
  • There appear to be three players under contract for 2022-23 (and an additional season, too) who are prime candidates to be moved to create more cap space.

BLH’s Thoughts: Let’s say Ken Holland could clear another $7M of cap space, would you be willing to walk away from Evander Kane and use the financial assets available to shore up the team’s depth and defense? This is something TSN’s Ryan Rishaug sort of brought up on the Jason Gregor Show yesterday. 

Another idea floating around in the event Edmonton lets Kane explore the market is targeting Florida’s upstart winger and the son of former Edmonton Oiler Bryan Marchment, Mason Marchment. He’s 6’4″ 201lbs, 27 years old and he scored 47pts in 54 games this past year after the Toronto Maple Leafs gave up on him. Marchment also plays both wings and is an unrestricted free agent. 

Personally, I think the Oilers should try to bring in one or two really good vets for the middle/bottom six.

  • Paul Stastny is reportedly looking to move on from WPG.
  • a dream addition would be Ondrej Palat (TB).
  • The quick and shifty Vlad Namestnikov (DAL) really impressed me in his club’s first round series vs. Calgary after he grabbed Nikita Zadorov out of a scrum. Courageous fella. 

  • Mattias Janmark (VGK) is an annoying winger that would surely draw a few penalties.
  • Pittsburgh’s Evan Rodrigues can skate like the wind and he was a 40pt winger for the Pens last year for only $1M.
  • There’s always Stauffer’s fav, Nick Paul out of Tampa. 

As for dman set to hit the market, Erik Gudbranson performed really well for Calgary last year and the Oilers don’t have a cycle breaker like him with his kind of experience. If they could move Tyson Barrie, having Brett Kulak or Duncan Keith and Gudbranson on the 3rd pair wouldn’t be that shabby. I’d still like to see Ken Holland trade for Islanders shutdown defender Scott Mayfield, but I’d also be happy with Guddy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQZIf7zAR-Y

Edmonton Sun

Ken Holland uncertain on Jesse Puljujarvi’s future with Edmonton Oilers
  • He did some good regular-season things with McDavid, for sure, and he’s a good defensive player, but he’s also a busy-looking player who didn’t get much done with the puck on his stick in January, February, March, April and May and into June.
  • …there were many playoff games where his shifts were very short and it seemed he just wanted to get off before making a possible mistake because he had little confidence with the puck.
  • …would there be any appetite for a Dylan Strome for Puljujarvi trade?
  • Strome has played 270 games, Puljujarvi 259. Strome has 170 points, Puljujarvi 98. Puljujarvi skates better; Strome has more offensive chops so far.
  • Is he a legitimate top-six winger who can provide offence or a third-line forward who has to start killing penalties to get more ice-time?

BLH’s Thoughts: Jason Gregor made an interest point on his show yesterday with regards to Jesse’s defensive chops, he said if Pulju is so good defensively, why has he never been put on the penalty kill? 

It’s a question I’ve wondered myself over the years because he’s so good at disrupting plays and he’s got that massive wingspan. My feeling is that he lacks a bit of fast twitch that is needed to be part of the PK. That said, I do recall Bob Stauffer mentioning something about JP getting some TOI on the PK in 2022/23. 

But what about keeping him and asking him to get in touch with a skills coach over the summer. A lot of pundits are screaming about how much better Kailer Yamamoto was this year but the fact of the matter is Yamo only had five more points (41) than Jesse (36) did and he had to play 16 more games to do it. 

Maybe Holland keeps JP because his RW depth is not great and Jesse knows the systems and is willing to do whatever is asked of him. Pulju isn’t going to hit it out of the park with his next deal either, so he becomes a bargain.

I often say I’d like to see Jesse move on and there’s a strong feeling that Edmonton may move on from him, but I still believe there’s a player here that simply needs to get his chops. However, I understand why portions of the fanbase and media would like to see him moved on. Both Ryan Rishaug (TSN) and Brenden Escott (Oilers Now) let it be known that they felt too many plays died on Pulju’s stick this year and I can’t say it’s not something I noticed too. Jess seemed very tentative when he got the puck and on top of that, I wondered why his shifts are so short… Did he feel like if he was out too long he might screw up and cost the team?

As for Matheson’s trade proposal, if the Oilers are going to trade Jesse, they need to get back more than a prospect or a draft pick. This kind of trade would require a player coming back to Edmonton that could contribute immediately. Dylan Strome had 48pts in 69 games last year, maybe he’s turning a corner. 

Wildcard trade idea: Kirby Dach for Puljujarvi… I’ve heard there are some whispers Chicago would be willing to move him as he’s not quite producing like the Blackhawks thought he would. Plus if you recall, Bob Stauffer brought his name up around the trade deadline if I’m not mistaken. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQpJk96ESa0

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey
  • The New Jersey Devils have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Gaudreau given their salary-cap room. LeBrun also suggested the Seattle Kraken as a bit of a wild card but they also have the cap space and could be aggressive in the UFA market.
  • Montreal Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy suggested Puljujarvi could be a fit with the rebuilding Canadiens. Sammi Silber of Washington Hockey Now thinks the Capitals should keep an eye on the Oilers winger.
NHLRumors.com

BLH’s Thoughts: Pulju to MTL, eh? Could the Habs be interested in a package that includes JP and Tyson Barrie for Brendan Gallagher? 

If the Capitals were a team to come calling for JP, you’d have to think Ken Holland would be asking for Connor McMichael or Ilya Samsonov. 

With regards to the goaltending, I don’t get the feeling Mike Smith will be pulling on an Oilers jersey next season if he pulls one on at all. I’ve considered Jack Campbell because it seems like every player that leaves Toronto for Edmonton these days does pretty good, but his contract demands might be too rich for the Oilers. I really like Husso but that lack of experience and his less-than-stellar post-season has me second thinking him.

Braden Holtby and Scott Wedgewood are probably the two I’d sign if I were Ken Holland. Holtby has a ton of experience to pass down to Stu Skinner and Wedgewood is a fantastic no.3 that could shuttle between the AHL and NHL if need be. 

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Offseason Talk: Rishaug says there’s a possibility JP has played his last game in an Oilers uniform.

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

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Lowetide

Off-season priorities
  • Sign Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson
    • Sign them, and then fashion the roster for the coaches. I expect the fourth line to be faster and younger next season and 7D will be a regular thing.
  • Hire an analytics department before the summer trading period
    • The pro scouts haven’t been close to the amateur scouts for years.
  • UFA’s
    • I don’t think Holland can find the money for Evander Kane, but do believe Brett Kulak is worth the investment.
    • I think Brad Malone gets a contract, maybe Josh Archibald, but the team should do the right thing and let Marody go.
  • RFA’s 
    • Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan McLeod all need new contracts, I’m hopeful all three return but realistically it’s unlikely.
  • Ken Holland has to fix the goaltending. Years ago he said spending money on mid-level goaltending was folly, and his Edmonton work suggests he’ll either go big or go home in net. He has to get it right. We might see a deal that sends Jesse Puljujarvi, the first-round pick and Zack Kassian to the Anaheim Ducks for John Gibson. That’s the kind of trade Holland pursues this summer in my opinion.
  • I expect Jesse Puljujarvi, the first-round pick, Tyson Barrie, Zack Kassian and Warren Foegele are on the way out.
  • Holland will take heat for his three-year plan of Smith-Koskinen, as he should, but there are opportunities now with Koskinen’s money off the books.
  • …the team will likely reach out to free agents Darcy Kuemper, Eric Comrie, Ville Husso, Braden Holtby, Felix Sandstrom. I expect we’ll see a Holtby-level starter, Skinner and possibly someone like Comrie or Sandstrom in Bakersfield if they can clear.
  • One of the things this team needs to do soon is find free-agent solutions in the lower reaches of the annual pool. Ken Holland needs to go hunting for Michael Bunting. I wish he had an Eric Tulsky.

BLH’s Thoughts: Yeah, because having Eric Tulsky got Carolina farther than Edmonton this year. What about Sunny Mehta or the Kyle Dubas experience? How’s New Jersey been doing with Tyler Dellow running that show the past three years?

Could you imagine the uproar league-wide if Ken Holland were able to acquire one of the best goalies in the entire world for Puljujarvi, Kassian, and a first round pick? With that trade alone Holland would have to be considered GM of the year. 

Facetiousness aside, I’ve said that Braden Holtby would be a good option for the Oilers and his name was out there as one Edmonton would be interested in. They’ll have to pay for him though as I don’t think he’ll come cheap. 

As for Edmonton’s first round pick this year, it’s going to be 29th overall until it isn’t and it shouldn’t shock anybody if Holland trades down to acquire another pick or two in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round considering he’s traded those picks away for help during the last two playoff runs. Seattle’s Reid Schaefer (W) is the player I expect Edmonton to take. Bob Stauffer’s been mentioning him over and over for a while now and compares him to Josh Anderson. A big kid who can skate, plays the body, and can score a goal consistently. 

Sportsnet

Analyzing the flaws that shaped the Oilers’ Conference Final defeat
  • One of the easiest flaws to point out is back in the blue paint. The Oilers’ decision to run it back with a crease of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen has been criticized all year, and rightfully so.
    • …going into the Western Conference Final he was around average, having performed very close to expectations to that point with a Goals Saved Above Expected of -.13.
    • Colorado, however, exploited him when he over-committed or mishandled the puck. They’re an aggressive team that can keep the pressure up, and it became too much for the Oilers to handle.
  • …series-wide, defence was an area of concern as well.
    • Of the goaltenders in Round 3, no one’s faced more shot attempts against than Smith in all situations.
    • Focusing in on 5-on-5, the Oilers conceded 3.6 expected goals against per 60, which is the most among teams in the playoffs. It wasn’t just a matter of shot volume, but quality.
    • The Avalanche were able to skate up the ice with the puck and create offence off the rush, with 32 slot attempts generated at the highest rate among teams in Round 3.
    • …(Colorado) managed 24 slot shots off the cycle; four of those converted for goals.
    • Edmonton didn’t break up passes enough, either — allowing a higher rate of east-west passes that connected 85 per cent of the time.
  • What hurt the Oilers, who struggled defensively, was that when they were trailing in a game the Avalanche didn’t simply go into a shell to try to maintain a lead.
    • That forced the Oilers to always think about defence and how to battle back against this overwhelming offence. That weighed on Edmonton’s game because they were simply outmatched, and couldn’t play to their strengths.
  • …what really hurt was losing a top-six player who has been productive in the post-season.
    • On the ice, Kane was productive in the post-season.
    • At 5-on-5, he led the team with his expected goal generation in the playoffs at 1.39 per 60.
    • ….not having Kane — or at least another top-line calibre player — only limited what Edmonton could do against this loaded Avalanche squad.
    • The Oilers needed every ounce of forward depth they could get, and Kane ended his season early — and contributed to his team’s season ending sooner than they could have hoped — by taking himself out of Game 4 entirely.

BLH’s Thoughts: This is a game of chaos determined by inches lost or gained. Consider Evan Bouchard’s point shot that hit the post in game three that went back the other way only to see JT Compher sneak one past Mike Smith for the GWG or in game four when Leon Draisaitl’s one-timer on the PP missed a wide open cage to increase Edmonton’s lead, but that’s not even the most obvious example. On the faceoff prior to Lehkonen’s OT winner, Oilers center Brad Malone had actually won the draw but it hit the linesman’s skate and allowed the Avalanche to gather it up and move it back to Cale Mak-Orr for his point shot that lead to the tip. 

I don’t think the Oilers’ performance was as bad as some are leading fans to believe. They simply didn’t get the bounces and Colorado did and guess what? That happens sometimes. I’m not trying to discredit the information provided by the writer above because that’s all valid information, but had Edmonton capitalized on even half of the chances they missed, we wouldn’t be talking about a sweep. 

https://twitter.com/DNBsports/status/1534560353832513536

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey
  • Fluto Shinzawa reports a source close to David Pastrnak said there’s “no chance” he returns with the Boston Bruins with Don Sweeney as their general manager.
  • Jim Matheson reports Evander Kane hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll re-sign with Edmonton or hit the open market this summer.
  • Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports Mike Smith appeared non-committal about completing his contract during his end-of-season interview yesterday.
    • Jason Gregor of Oilers Nation reported sources telling him Smith is contemplating retirement.
    • If Smith retires, his $2.2 million cap hit for next season comes off the Oilers’ books. Those savings could be put toward finding a new starting goaltender.
The Daily Goal Horn
  • … the Maple Leafs may find Campbell to be just too expensive and seek a cheaper option in net.
    • …their best option is to trade for RFA goalie Alexandar Georgiev of the New York Rangers.
  • When it comes to the next coach of the Boston Bruins, you’re likely looking at a guy like Rick Tocchet. He last coached the Coyotes and this would be a great step up. Another option is Massachusetts native David Quinn, who did a good job with a very young and rebuilding Rangers team.
  • Pierre-Luc Dubois has until July 17th to file for salary arbitration. From July 13th, when free agency opens and until that date he could sign an offer-sheet… Murat Ates, who covers the Jets for The Athletic seems to think it’s possible. One team he feels might do it are the Habs.
NHLRumors.com
  • The Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs should be talking about goaltender Petr Mrazek. It’s a trade that would make sense for both the Blackhawks and the Maple Leafs.
  • …the Vancouver Canucks are working on a second interview with Russian free agent Andrei Kuzmenko and his agent Dan Milstein. The Canucks are still high on the list.
  • Given their salary cap situation, it’s looking like the Minnesota Wild won’t be able to fit in a big, long-term contract for winger Kevin Fiala.
    • The New York Islanders are one of the teams that should be speaking with Guerin.
    • The Wild would have to move defenseman Matt Dumba to keep Fiala.
    • Would Wahlstrom and the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft for Fiala be enough?

BLH’s Thoughts: If I had to make an educated guess, I would say that Mike Smith, Warren Foegele, Zack Kassian, Tyson Barrie, and Jesse Puljujarvi are playing for other teams next season or retired. 

Normally, I would say that moving Pulju is a terrible idea, but I think we’re in Jordan Eberle territory here where a change of scenery would do both parties well. Jess doesn’t seem to fit in with this group and the new coaching staff seemed hesitant to trust him regardless of his underlying numbers. 

There will be interest in Kassian and Foegele as there always is in big forwards who can skate. 

As for Barrie, he’s still an effective PP quarterback and I remember Montreal and the Islanders being teams who might have had their eye on him this year. 

With Smith, I’ve really enjoyed watching him with the Oilers but he’s getting on in age and it’s possible this team needs a new voice in net. I don’t know if he’ll retire, perhaps Arizona would take him in a trade for their young team. Is it the right move though? Dwayne Roloson’s season at 41 was better than his one at 40 years old and if Smith can stay healthy, he can play. I just wonder if he’s had enough though…

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