Category Archives: Armchair GM

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

Edmonton Oilers Playoff Talk: “I Give this to the Kings in Six.” – Weekes

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!

NHL Tonight

Forwards (Oilers)

  • Weekes – “I tip the hat in favor to the Edmonton Oilers. A little bit more explosive offensively.”
  • Grimson – “The top line guys are world class… There’s a good amount of depth across this roster. Make no mention of the Evander Kane acquisition… Zach Hyman comes over, he’s used to playing with top-end guys like Marner and Matthews in his old stomping grounds.”

Defense (LA)

  • Weekes – “I’ll say LA and that’s even in the absence of the great Drew Doughty right now… They’ve got a nice mix of young players who’ve really emerged. Anytime you have an Edler on your 3rd pair, that’s pretty impressive.”
  • Grimson – “I think if Doughty’s back, that’s a d-core to me that just almost based on the experience alone and the fact that they’ve backstopped this group to the year they’ve had when nobody really anticipated they’d have.”

Goal (LA)

  • Weekes – “Jonathan Quick’s the Grant Fuhr of this generations. He is clutch… Cal Petersen has been outstanding as well… The way Mike Smith is playing at 40 years young and spry down the stretch AND his ability to handle the puck, this makes this a much closer fight than a lot of people would think on paper but I’m still saying the Kings based on the Jonathan Quick factor.”
  • Grimson – “Quick is hard to bet against… He’s been there, he’s battle-tested… I really think Mike Smith’s health at 40, given his career, that is a legitimate concern… But he really has posted better numbers when he’s been healthy. He’s in a really good stretch right now, it comes at an opportune time of the year.”

Coaching (LA)

  • Weekes – “Jay Woodcroft, I’ve known him since we were kids, I love what he’s doing up in Edmonton with this group. He’s done masterful work, but for the body of work, Todd McLellan.”
  • Grimson – “Todd McLellan for me has long been an upper echelon coach in this league. He’s a good hockey man, he’s a great communicator… he has the respect/ear of the group, and he’s done remarkable job with the LA Kings.”

Series Prediction

  • Weekes – “Predicated on the health of Mike Smith… I would give it to the Oil in seven. If he’s not healthy, I give this to the Kings in six.”
  • Grimson – “Edmonton in six for me. Goaltending’s a bit of a push and I think on balance this Edmonton Oilers team comes out just a deeper talent level.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Look, this series should be done and dusted after four games with the Oilers moving on or at least that’s what you might be lead to believe if you simply look at this matchup from a surface level evaluation. I don’t think it’s going to be that easy for Edmonton to send LA golfing at all.

Here’s my paranoid look at the matchup:

The feeling I get from most Oil fans is that they’re looking at the Kings and saying all they’ve got is Kopitar and Danault, Quick is too old and the team is too young, however, they’re forgetting about Viktor Arvidsson (20 goals) and Adrian Kempe (35 goals). In addition to those two, Todd McLellan has Andreas Athanasiou who, if he played a full year, was on pace for around 25 or so goals and then there’s Quinton Byfield as a wildcard. He could be this year’s Kirby Dach possibly and you remember how well Dach did against Edmonton in Chicago’s post-season win vs. the Oilers. Arthur Kaliyev is as dangerous a shooter as they come, Trevor Moore and Alex Iafallo are bottom-six scoring threats too. 

Lastly, on LAs forwards, Dustin Brown and Brendan Lemieux are a couple of the most annoying grinders in the entire league. These are the kinds of guys who’d go out of their way to “accidentally” fall into Mike Smith and who’s going to stop them on the Oilers with Darnell Nurse being the only big man on their blueline? I think Mike Smith will be taking care of business himself, if you ask me.

The other thing with Brown and Lemieux, they’re really good at sucking people into taking penalties and Evander Kane and Zack Kassian are the types to fall for their shenanigans… Hope Yamamoto is on his game so the Oilers can thrown that right back in LA’s faces. 

If Quick pulls a Corey Crawford and finds his fountain of youth, he alone could shut down any team in the league and don’t ask me about the defense. I have no idea how they’re pulling this all off because that group didn’t look threatening at all in any of the games vs. Edmonton this year, but you never know when it comes to the playoffs… 

LA is physical, they’re fast, they forecheck hard, they’re relentless, they’ve got Stanley Cup pedigree, and that’s my worry for the Oilers here. I love the skill level of Edmonton’s defense but I’m concerned about what could happen if they get overwhelmed by a team who can’t handle that sort of pressure. 

Now, that being said, Mike Smith’s puckhandling ability will most likely make any chip and chase system null and void, but honestly, we’ll have to wait and see what LA decides as to how it’ll deal with that aspect of Smith’s game. Will they go with the soft chip into the corners to keep the puck away from Smith or will they choose to carry it in and challenge Edmonton’s defenders head-on?

In all honesty though, I have a hard time believing that LA will shut down Leon and Connor all the way. These two are at or near their peaks and I’m willing to bet they’ve learned what it takes to plow through what the opposition sends to shut them down. I think we’ll see Nuge, Hyman, Foegele, Yamo, Pulju, and Kane really give the Kings’ young defense fits and there’s some talk that Josh Archibald might be able to appeal the quarantine rules on unvax’d players coming into Canada. I heard that 3rd hand, so I might have the details on that off a bit, but Archie is the kind of bottom-six player you want on your team in the playoffs for sure. 

Even though Edmonton’s defense isn’t big, it’s skilled and smart and can skate with anybody on LA’s roster. Evan Bouchard and Tyson Barrie are scoring threats and Nurse, Keith, Kulak, and Ceci, in theory, should be able to handle whatever the Kings send at them.

Mike Smith really is a wildcard here though, but I’m still comfortable with Mikko Koskinen should shit hit the fan and then Stu Skinner’s available too and he’s shown he can handle NHL shooters. But obviously, Smitty gives the Oilers the best chance to win. I reckon he’s up and running now… 

Trade Rumors

  • Spector’s Hockey – General manager Kent Hughes will attempt to trade Weber’s contract during the offseason. He’s also expected to shop blueliner Jeff Petry, who has three more seasons left with an AAV of $6.25 million.
    • D’Amico also took note of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman’s recent speculation suggesting Pierre-Luc Dubois’ name could be in this summer’s trade market if he’s unwilling to sign a long-term contract extension with the Winnipeg Jets… The Canadiens have plenty of tradeable assets to acquire the 23-year-old Dubois if they’re not interested in a long rebuild.
    • Iain MacIntyre reports J.T. Miller’s future will dominate the Vancouver Canucks’ offseason…
    • Friedman, meanwhile, believes extending the contract of captain Bo Horvat this summer is as big a priority for the Canucks as Miller and Brock Boeser.
    • Harman Dayal believes Boeser’s subpar performance this season could force the Canucks to make a difficult choice.
    • The job security of Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon was among Frank Seravalli’s 10 burning offseason questions facing the 16 NHL non-playoff clubs.
    • Rory Boylen also wondered about the futures of McCrimmon, DeBoer and Lehner in Vegas.
    • Darren Dreger reports the Edmonton Oilers will make a concerted attempt to re-sign Evander Kane while the New York Rangers will do the same with Andrew Copp.

BLH’s Thoughts: Re-signing Evander Kane will be a great challenge for Ken Holland this summer. He’s exactly what sort of player this team is missing, but he’s not going to be cheap and Holland really doesn’t have much leverage aside from Connor McDavid. But you never know, Kane might really enjoy Edmonton and being 97’s wingmate and if Edmonton can make it to the Conference final or the Cup final, that might be enough to sway him into accepting a sweetheart deal. 

Will it all come down to a no.1 goalie or Evander Kane this summer though?

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Edmonton Oilers Talk: “There’s been a lot of rumors about some of the changes they may or may not make,”

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!

Oilersnation

Monday Mailbag – What’s working for Jay Woodcroft?

How would you assess Woodcroft against the other main Pacific rivals in the playoffs?

  • “It will be interesting to see how Woodcroft manages his bench and if he looks for more specific matchups in the playoffs compared to what he’s done in the regular season. He’s shown he isn’t afraid to move players on and off lines for a shift or two in games and I expect that to continue.” – Gregor

How important are the scoring awards for players like McDavid and Draisaitl, meaning would you let them play out the regular season as a means of chasing the Art Ross as an example, or would you rest them over these last few games to be fresh for the playoffs?

  • “I can’t see them sitting out entirely tbh. I could see both Connor and Leon being in the lineup every night but maybe having their minutes reduced as we saw last year.” – Baggedmilk

Jay Woodcroft has been using the 11-7 configuration quite often in his tenure behind the bench and I’d like to know what everyone thinks about having the extra defenceman in the lineup?

  • “I look at Woodcroft’s record and say “11-7 looks fine to me.” That’s what I think.” – Brownlee

BLH’s Thoughts: 11-7 gets more of Connor and Leon on the ice, so on one hand, that’s a plus. On the other hand, things can get a bit hairy if they lose another forward. Also, I think it depends on who the 7th defenseman is too. It’s not a bad way to integrate a young defender into a new system in my opinion. 

FWIW, Woody was on Stauffer’s show yesterday and he said they’d be calling some guys up from Bakersfield to run out the year. I wonder if Broberg and Holloway are a couple of those players. 

I would like to see the Oilers rest some of their banged up players or the skaters they will be leaning on to play a very physically assertive style. I agree with BM that McDavid and Leon will probably have their minutes cut down as we reach the end of the regular season because as much as they say they’re not playing for individual awards, they’d rather win them than be nominated and not take home the trophy. Also, if they do win an award but the club doesn’t go far, it’s nice to be rewarded some way for the hard work they put in this year. 

I hope that Jay Woodcroft can shield this team from reading the headlines because in Edmonton’s last two playoff appearances they were pitted against inferior teams but couldn’t find a way to beat them. It’s time for the team to beat who they’re supposed to as well as who they’re not supposed to and establish themselves as one of the league’s elite. 

The Athletic

Which Canadian team has the best shot at winning the Stanley Cup?

  • The Flames were easily the popular selection for Canada’s best shot at the Cup among these front-office executives. Markstrom’s goaltending is clearly a deciding factor there, as is the depth and balance up front, and Sutter’s coaching. And the path in front of them in the West.
  • …not even one single executive picked the Leafs…

What was said about the Oilers:

  • I think Edmonton has a lot of holes, and when it goes wrong, it can go really wrong. They obviously have some offensive wizards, but the forwards aren’t committed defensively.
  • Edmonton has been playing really well lately. They have the two superstars but I’m not high on their D and can the goaltending hold up for four rounds?
  • Edmonton has been impressive as of late certainly. Playing a more complete game. Can Mike Smith keep it going? That would be my biggest question. They, too, lack depth up at both positions however their elite players can light it up. 
  • In the end, the inconsistent goaltending, lack of depth on defense and up front make it difficult to believe they can with the Cup.

BLH’s Thoughts: Is this the year that everybody bets against Connor McDavid and he makes them pay for doing so? 

Well, if that’s the case, I’ll probably be one of those eating crow with all the rest of the folks not entirely convinced that Edmonton’s roster can go past the 2nd round. I think Ken Holland missed some real opportunities to shore up his defense and to add some much-needed beef in the event the Oilers are forced to play a heavy team like Calgary, Minnesota, or St. Louis. 

As much as it pains me to say though, Calgary has 4-line two-way depth at forward, the defence is big, tough, and can move the puck, they’ve got one of the best goalies in the league, and on top of that they’ve got a coach who builds teams that excel in the post-season. 

Trade Rumors

  • Spector’s Hockey: A league source told Powers they wouldn’t be shocked if (Kyle) Davidson shopped Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat this summer.
    • Davidson could attempt to move (Tyler) Johnson via trade or buy out the remainder of his contract.
    • In a recent mailbag segment, Craig Morgan was asked about Jakob Chychrun’s future with the Arizona Coyotes… He doesn’t see Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong budging from his high asking price. If teams aren’t willing to pay it this summer (and Chychrun’s subpar season didn’t help), Armstrong won’t trade him.
  • The Daily Goal Horn: “There’s been a lot of rumors about some of the changes they may or may not make,” Friedman said. “I think one scenario that a lot of people will be watching is Pierre-Luc Dubois.
    • The Golden Knights are on the brink of elimination which could mean a bunch of offseason changes. I would even say that the jobs of GM Kelly McCrimmon and head coach Peter DeBoer aren’t safe.
    • Lehner has 3 years remaining at $5M AAV with a modified no-trade clause. It would not be a shock if he’s moved in the offseason.
  • The Hockey Writers: As per Scott Powers of The Athletic, rebuilding plans out of Chicago might be affected by the moves general manager Kyle Davidson can pull off in this year’s NHL Entry Draft… If Chicago doesn’t land in the top two, they might tear everything down…
    • “So, if that is Davidson’s goal, you can expect him to further weaken his NHL roster. It’s possible Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome will be allowed to walk as free agents, and they wouldn’t likely be replaced by any top-six-caliber forwards.”

BLH’s Thoughts: So, Tank Hard for Bedard, Play Soft for Michkov is in full swing already eh?

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Edmonton Oilers Talk: “Gretz suggests they need to shed some salary to free up the cap space needed to keep…”

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 Hockey Writers

5 Reasons the Oilers Made the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs

  • You can’t say enough about the play of McDavid and Draisaitl this season, like every other. They are consistently at the very top of the league and prove night in and night out that they are two of the best in the game.
  • The Oilers have had a complete season turnaround since Jay Woodcroft was hired to replace Dave Tippett on Feb. 10. At the time, the team was 23-18-3 (.557 win percentage). Since Woodcroft’s hiring, the Oilers are 23-8-3 (.721 win percentage). Before the Tippett firing, the team was securely in a playoff spot after a hot start. They dropped 13 of 15 games, both of those wins coming when Tippett wasn’t behind the bench.
  • The signing of Evander Kane came just at the right time. He gave the Oilers a legitimate scoring winger who also adds physicality to a top-six that lacks that.
  • The power play, albeit, not where it has been the past couple of seasons since it was seemingly unstoppable, is doing the right thing but getting unlucky… The team has gone from the bottom of the league to 18th on the penalty kill and has almost brought their PK percentage to 80 which is generally the league average.
  • Their record as it stands right now when scoring the first goal is 29-2-1.

BLH’s Thoughts: It might not be popular opinion and could be a product of Jay Woodcroft being hired, but the Oilers netminding in the 2nd half of the season has been elite, especially as of late, and I don’t use that word lightly. Without Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen, this team would be struggling for a wildcard spot if not gifting themselves a prime place in the NHL draft lottery and that’s despite Connor and Leon’s individual heroics. Ken Holland deserves a lot of credit for going with his gut on this one. 

Jesse Puljujarvi has been a revelation (for some) on the first line RW, but for anybody who knows their way around the game, they could see in his first year with the team where he would provide an immense amount of value. That being on the forecheck and in the muck. Back then he was one of the best breakout disruptors on the team, now he’s one of the best in the league at giving opposing defensemen fits. 

Could there be something said about this roster having a proper spine? McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and take your pick of Ryan McLeod, Derek Ryan, or Devin Shore down the middle. Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, and Duncan Keith providing stability defensively, and then the Koski, Smitty, and Skinner (to an extent) sharing the duties down the stretch (and prior). The great thing about the club’s strength down the middle is that it’s only getting better with Philip Broberg about ready to take the next step as well as the emergence of Evan Bouchard. And then there’s the complimentary talent in Dylan Holloway, Xavier Bourgault, Carter Savoie, Matty Petrov, Vincent Desharnais, Markus Niemelainen, etc. that are coming very soon. 

Cult of Hockey

As the Oilers head to the playoffs, Ken Holland’s report card deserves a fresh grade: 9 Things

  • Given that Connor McDavid went to bat for Kane, actively helped recruit him and by observation so enjoys playing with him, one can’t help but wonder how hard Ken Holland would work to re-sign him.
  • With just 4 games left, the Oilers 98 points is the 2nd highest for the franchise since 1987-88 (99) when Oilers won a cup. I wonder how that sits with the camp who wanted Ken Holland’s job and the roster subsequently blown up?
  • One of the concerns behind the scenes as the Oilers enter the playoffs is depth on Defence… Slater Koekkoek is away from the club, Dmitri Samorukov and Marcus Niemelainen are both hurt. That leaves Philip Broberg as the next (and practically only other) man up if there’s an injury.
  • It is difficult to argue that Keith hasn’t turned into the experienced rearguard this team needed deeper in its lineup… Keith is delivering one of his best performances since the 2017-18 season. Where Keith’s combined experience and ability should really have a chance to shine is in the playoffs, where he has 135 games under his belt.
  • The Oilers expect to have Darnell Nurse in the lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs if not by one of the 28th or 29th home games.
  • (Mike) Smith has at least a .919 SV% in all his last 7 starts and has won 9 of his last 10. Not long ago, I wrote that it’s rare for any team to win in the playoffs with a tandem. That’s no longer an issue in Edmonton, where Smith has clearly emerged as the #1. And that’s no disrespect to Mikko Koskinen, who has been very good in 3 of his last 5.
  • Is Ken Holland owed an apology?
    • Zach Hyman is having a career year.
    • As mentioned a few paragraphs back, 38-year-old Duncan Keith is having perhaps his best campaign in 5 years.
    • Warren Foegele will just about match his best year in Carolina, while the talented D-man he was traded for is a 6-7D for the Canes.
    • Cody Ceci. Disbelief was the reaction of many to his 4-year, 13-million-dollar contract. But as an Oilers regular? But he’s another guy having a career year.
    • Evander Kane. Lots questioned the wisdom of this move. But so far, he has been an impact player on the ice with no sign of an issue off it. Has there been a more successful mid-season acquisition in the NHL anywhere this season?
    • The Coach. Holland had never fired a coach mid-season. He gave Dave Tippett longer than many would have. But he ultimately went against a career’s worth of experience with the results being we see in he standings now.
    • Mike Smith. Many wanted the struggling veteran goalie gone altogether. But Ken Holland repeatedly cautioned that he wanted to see this team when it’s #1 goaltender was healthy. And Holland was right. It’s very difficult to argue that Smith hasn’t been a major reason for the late season surge.

BLH’s Thoughts: Enough said. AHH! (All Hail Holland!) 

Trade Rumors

  • Spector’s Hockey: (Elliotte) Friedman speculated Dubois’ name could be out there in this summer’s trade market if the 23-year-old center and the Jets fail to reach an agreement on a long-term contract.
    • Adam Gretz believes the Minnesota Wild must find a way to re-sign Kevin Fiala, who’s formed a dominant scoring duo with rookie Matt Boldy this season… Gretz suggests they need to shed some salary to free up the cap space needed to keep Fiala in the fold. They could ship out a depth forward such as Marcus Foligno or Jordan Greenway or Tyson Jost, or perhaps a higher-salaried player such as Matt Dumba or Jonas Brodin.
  • The Daily Goal Horn: “What I can tell you is that there’s been ongoing talk with Kris Letang and the Pittsburgh Penguins, less so with Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins but that’s more or less by design,” Darren Dreger noted on TSN Insider Trading.
    • One team that I could see ready to add a player like (Tyler) Bertuzzi are the New York Islanders. After a disappointing year, Lou Lamoriello has already said he’s looking to make hockey deals.
  • NHLRumors.com: One of the names to keep an eye on with regards to the San Jose Sharks GM search is Kevin Weekes.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’d heard from a source out East that the Bruins are preparing for a scenario that sees Patrice Bergeron announcing his retirement… 

Reckon Pierre-Luc Dubois would be more apt to sign long-term if he was told there were going to be some changes around the locker room and the Jets would be building the club around him. There’ve been lots of rumors about Mark Scheifele moving on after this year is done and Blake Wheeler isn’t getting any younger… 

If the Wild are going to move Marcus Foligno, that’s one guy I’d love to see on the Oilers. He’d be a tough one to squeeze in though considering all the work Holland has to do to get Kane, Kuzmenko, Pulju, Yamo, McLeod, and a goalie signed this summer. Jordan Greenway is a beast too… 

If Kevin Weekes is a serious candidate for the Sharks job, I bet you might hear something on Oilers Now (630CHED) about it at some point. 

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Edmonton Oilers Talk: Kane, Yamamoto’s Future, Chychrun, Zadina, and More!

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.ca

  • Jesse Puljujarvi delivered a tremendous season of outscoring (64% GF%), and those who understand the importance of this statistic know it’s really really real.
  • Did JP benefit from playing with Connor McDavid? Of course. The thing is, and that trips people up very often, Puljujarvi helps the captain outscore and therefore has tremendous value.
  • The combination I worry about right now is Leon Draisaitl-Kailer Yamamoto. Since Jay Woodcroft took over, the two men have played 230 minutes together, outscoring opponents 10-6. However, the shot differential (45.83 percent) is a concern.
  • Zach Hyman with Draisaitl have played together 278 minutes, have outscored opponents 17-15 and have a 50.92 shot share. Something to keep in mind as we enter the playoffs.

BLH’s Thoughts: When Leon plays center on his own line he’s forced to be both playmaker and sniper. Imagine how much better his line would perform if he had Hyman on one wing and a shoot-first winger on the other? 

I like Yamo just fine, but I still maintain that he’s an elite 3rd line winger. How would he look alongside Nuge and Foegele next season on that line if Ken Holland could find a way to give Drai a target man to hit or conversely, what if Dylan Holloway shows well and plays the role of assist man thus freeing Leon to be the sniper? 

Either way, Killer’s got the magnifying glass on him from all sides now and if he gets muscled out of these playoff games, the outcome may be an unfortunate one for him. 

The Athletic

‘He’s a gamer’: Evander Kane’s banner Oilers performance was fitting. And there could be more

  • …his on-ice fit with the Oilers has been as close to perfect as can be. However, it will take a lot of moving and shaking from Holland for Kane to return to the team next season on a new contract.
  • The Oilers are tight against the salary cap. They have $8.9 million in space with 15 players under contract, though one of them is injured defenceman Oscar Klefbom — per PuckPedia. Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan McLeod need new contracts. That’s without potentially adding a goaltender, too.
  • The Oilers also should have a top-six wing replacement ready in 2020 first-round pick Dylan Holloway, a cheaper option since he’s on his entry-level deal.
  • Kane is going to command much more than his current $2.1 million cap hit. That salary, combined with the type of longer-term agreement that ended so infamously in San Jose, should be enough of a deterrent to the Oilers — a team with plenty of lengthy commitments on the books. Someone is bound to pay Kane, but it’s buyer beware.
  • “The playoff-style hockey is what Evander is all about. He gets in the trenches. He goes in the hard areas. He’s not afraid to mix it up and stick up for a teammate and get involved physically. That’s what playoff hockey is all about.” – Mike Smith

BLH’s Thoughts: I do not envy Ken Holland’s position this summer at all, but that being said, if Evander leaves, the Oilers are in a good position to sign the top UFA NOT playing in the NHL, Andrei Kuzmenko. 

However, as good as Kuzmenko is, I feel like the Oilers need Kane more. Off ice stuff aside, to win in this league, you need players like Evander Kane on your team and you need a handful of them at each position. If it were at all possible and I was in charge, I’d find another power forward like Kane to play on the RW and one or two power dmen as well. Although if Niemelainen, Samorukov, and Desharnais are coming, Holland might not have far to look. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsc7aIErSBQ

Trade Rumors

  • Spector’s Hockey: Ken Wiebe believes the Winnipeg Jets must begin the process of repairing a winning culture that’s been in decline in recent years starting with their remaining games in this season. He feels the franchise’s foundation is showing cracks in need of repair.
    • Kevin Allen and Bob Duff recently addressed some questions about the Red Wings’ future plans. They don’t see Jeff Blashill returning as head coach, with Allen saying he’s heard GM Steve Yzerman could look at some tough, demanding coaching candidates if he replaces Blashill.
    • They also suggest Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Zadina as trade candidates if the Wings don’t see them as part of their long-term plans… Duff’s also hearing Yzerman could target Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg if he hits the open market.
  • The Hockey Writers: While the Anaheim Ducks aren’t rumored to be shopping goaltender John Gibson, Eric Stephens of The Athletic writes that it is likely the team will listen to offers for the veteran netminder.
  • NHLRumors.com: The Arizona Coyotes asking price for defenseman Jakob Chychrun is really high – four assets. Would have to think that for the Anaheim Ducks Olen Zellweger would be a part of the asking price.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Kulak, Ellis, Gallagher, Next Year’s Roster, and More!

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

  • This is it, you know. A quick exit and who knows what happens, but a strong showing in the postseason would mean progress and, perhaps as important, no need for turnover.
  • The Oilers win a round, push deep in the second round and maybe ride a hot goalie to the final four.
  • The recent games suggest a buy-in on what the coaching staff is saying, and the goaltending looks better than could have been hoped for based on long stretches of the season.
  • The big item during the offseason is to return a roster that is better than the one currently playing in these games. It’s important to get better.

BLH’s Thoughts: One thing that bugs me about this right off the bat is the assumption that should the Oilers lose in the first round, the roster should be turned over. Why? If Edmonton had better luck health-wise this year they’d be Pacific Division champs or close to it. Why would you want to turn that sort of roster over after one series?

The second assumption that grinds my gears here is that the 2022/23 roster won’t be better that this year’s. My personal feeling is that aside from re-signings and FA/trade additions, next season the Oilers’ campaign won’t be affected by COVID like it was this year, there will be fewer new faces that will need time to get used to Jay Woodcroft’s systems, and the call-ups (Holloway, Savoie, Lavoie, Desharnais, Broberg, Niemelainen, etc.) will be that much better. So, organically the club is going to improve as its young players take the next step in their development. 

Now, if you want to talk about certain minor aspects of the roster coming back better, there might be a conversation to be had there, however, I don’t see those shortcomings being all that impactful in a macro sense.

On the whole though, this team will be as good or better than this year, book it. 

The Athletic

Is Kulak a strong candidate for signing?

  • Broberg and Niemelainen can begin the season in the minors, and Samorukov will challenge in training camp if he’s healthy.
  • At the very least, Kulak would be a suitable upgrade on No. 7 Kris Russell, but his fine play in early games for Edmonton suggests he can handle third-pairing minutes and calm the waters when Barrie is on the ice.
  • Kulak is playing out the final year of a three-year deal with a $1.85 million cap hit. His next contract probably includes a slight bump, but a $2 million third-pairing defenceman who can help settle down the defence, chip in on the penalty kill and contribute to overall team speed should cover the bet.
  • Kulak has good possession numbers in both cities and is helping Edmonton outscore when he’s on the ice. 
TEAM TOI SHOT DIFF. GOAL DIFF. X-GOAL %
Montreal
16:18
50.28
43.21
49.38
Edmonton
14:33
54.27
61.9
58.07

BLH’s Thoughts: Between Derrick Brassard and Kulak, the defenseman has been the more impressive of the two so far. I wouldn’t mind a short-term re-signing here if it meant the club would be adopting the 11-7 model more often than not next season, but I don’t know if that will be the case. I assume we’re going to find out what this club is lacking on its defense after the upcoming post-season. 

For me, the Oilers defense lacks size and physicality and if I had to take a stab at telling the future, I would say Edmonton will get knocked out of the playoffs this year because their defense couldn’t hold up against a bigger heavier team who employs a rabid forecheck and that means the likes of Tyson Barrie, Brett Kulak, and possibly Evan Bouchard would be replaced by an older more experienced rearguard who is adept at what they aren’t. 

Trade Rumors

  • Spector’s Hockey: Pierre LeBrun reports there’s been ongoing talk between the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Kris Letang. While Letang wants to focus on the season, there’s been more of a connection between his camp and the Penguins, though the progress has been slow.
  • The Daily Goal Horn: (Kent) Hughes would probably like to unload the final five seasons of (Brendan) Gallagher’s six-year, US$39-million contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $6.5 million.
    • The Habs should have no shortage of suitors if they place him on the trade block. One team that Cowan highlights are the L.A. Kings.
  • The Fourth Period: According to one source, some within the Flyers wonder if (Ryan) Ellis even wants to be part of the organization. As I was told earlier in the week, Ellis has not been seen around the team in three weeks.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ellis for Gallagher anybody?

Ryan Ellis is a fantastic defensemen when he’s healthy, as an Oilers fan, I’d love to have him on the blue line in Edmonton but not at his full ticket ($6.5M/yr for another five years). He does look like the kind of vet Ken Holland would get his hands on if he could though. For you, if Ellis could be had for $3.25M/yr until he’s 36 years old, would that be of interest or would you prefer to keep developing Evan Bouchard into a top-four dman and either promote 6’7″ hulking defender Vincent Desharnais or acquire a cycle-buster via free agency or trade?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBDad28CpY0

The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!