Category Archives: Edmonton Oilers

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

Oilers Pundit Says Kassian Could Start the 2021-22 Season on McDavid’s Wing

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, Sportsnet, and TSN 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 Cult of Hockey (Leavins)

Olympic reward just part of the excitement of a new Edmonton Oilers season: 9 Things
  • Still no contract for Kailer Yamamoto. As I have written in this space in the recent past, I expect Yamamoto and club will ultimately land on a 2-year, somewhere between $1.5m-$1.75m. Is agent J.P. Barry playing a waiting game? With his client coming off a decline in production in 2020-21 and with no arbitration rights, “waiting” past training camp could put the player further behind just when he’s trying to recapture his momentum.
  • In talking with sources close to team, I hear Kyle Turris has had a tremendous off-season and has really put in the work in order to show up in optimum shape. And for a 2nd consecutive season, I am hearing that Evan Bouchard is arriving back in Edmonton in spectacular form. On Friday’s Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, Associate Coach Jim Playfair came back (unprompted) not once but twice to Bouchard’s promise and professionalism.
  • I would not be surprised if Kassian ended up on the 1st unit to start. He has a history of being productive with McDavid. Some will read into this that I don’t like Puljujarvi. To the contrary, it’s because I think Puljujarvi can be driver on a line and the club might have a more balanced attack if he instead lined up with Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele.
  • If Zack Hyman’s season takes off on McDavid or Draisaitl’s wing I can see him getting a shot in the Chris Kunitz role. I expect that was one of the reasons why he liked the Edmonton option on free agency. Let’s include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as a dark horse candidate. Depending on his start to his season, The Nuge is a top-level special teams performer that could play a very specific role on the Olympic team.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ugh! Are we going to be talking about Kailer Yamamoto every day until his contract is signed? Maybe something happens this week and we can move on to talking about rookie camp sooner than later…

Leavins is really pushing this narrative that the NHL vet is working his ass off this summer and will be in outstanding shape, but what does that even mean? Was he not in shape last season? Is his problem that his conditioning prevented him from keeping up with everybody else on the ice or has his game eroded to the point to where he’s always a step behind?

Pulju to the third line is an interesting turn of events… I mean, the guy could drive that line, no problem and Leavins is right, Zack Kassian’s fancies over the years tell us that he’s been quite good with McDavid. I still don’t see how you pull Jesse off of the top line and replace him with Kass when Yamamoto was the one who was in over his head on the 2nd line last season. That’s just me though and I’m more a fan of Puljujarvi than Killer. 

I’m telling ya, Mark Scheifele over Hyman on Connor’s wing. The Jets captain is far and away the better player.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is better than Rob Zamuner, right? Remember when Hockey Canada took Zamuner to the Olympics because he was a defensive specialist?… Nothing against Nuge, but how’d that work out?

Reckon Mat Barzal makes Team Canada? Bloody guy is as electrifying as hell with the puck on his stick, but I’m not sure the coaching staff would be a fan of the rest of his game. That said, Barry Trotz is on Canada’s coaching staff. Will that work for or against Barzal?

Oil on Whyte (Courville-Lynch)

Three Potential Tryout Options For Training Camp
  • Michael Stone: …a 31-year-old Defenseman from Winnipeg, who most recently played for the Calgary Flames. In his 11 NHL seasons, Stone has played 493 games and has 128 points to show for it. His toughness is apparent, as he sits at a career total of 270 penalty minutes, but his +/- is an underwhelming -52.
  • Magnus Paajarvi: Now 30 years old, the once highly-touted prospect is looking for a job, and the Oilers could be just the place. The team needs to add an offensive boost to the bottom 6, and he could fit in to the role of 13th forward, or bottom 6 winger depending on how well his camp went. Putting him on a line with a couple young guys line McLeod & Archibald could put Paajarvi in a spot to succeed with the team.
  • Tyler Ennis: Ennis would likely earn a $700k contract for a season, but would only be the 13th forward at best, and would be fighting for a spot night in and night out…

BLH’s Thoughts: Maybe Stone comes in because the team needs somebody who can play in the minors that has the ability to come up to the parent club in a pinch, but I reckon Paajarvi and Ennis are done in the NHL. 

Spector’s Hockey

THE ATHLETIC: If the Rangers intend to acquire Eichel, Carpiniello believes they’ll have to trade center Mika Zibanejad now or at the March trade deadline… Carpiniello doesn’t believe the Rangers should include promising winger Kaapo Kakko in any deal for Eichel. One of their young defensemen and perhaps center Filip Chytil would have to be part of the return.

NHL.COM: Nicholas J. Cotsonika believes the Vegas Golden Knights still need a first-line center. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said they’re happy with their depth at that position after acquiring Nolan Patrick and Brett Howden during the offseason. Promising Peyton Krebs could also crack their lineup this season.

Classic Captain Wendel, taking care of business once more! Click the pic and grab a shirt for yourself!

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

The Smart Play and Two Mock Trades

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, Sportsnet, and TSN 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 (Brownlee)

Off the Top of My Head
  • Enough already about Kailer Yamamoto’s contract status… Honestly, I had the best intentions, but along comes Joel Farabee and his new $30-million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and here we are.
  • Farabee has 59 points. After 105 games in parts of four seasons, Yamamoto has 52 points with the Oilers. That, some people insist, makes them comparable. Well, no. Farabee’s deal sets the market. Well, no.
  • I don’t think there’s any question the Flyers are overpaying Farabee right now, which is not a luxury Oilers’ counterpart Ken Holland has.
  • The Oilers, clearly, aren’t as sure about Yamamoto at this point with the way the second half of this season went.
  • There’s no good reason for Holland to rush to judgment. The smart play is a two-year bridge deal at right around $1.5 million per.
  • Farabee doesn’t change that. If Yamamoto and agent J.P. Barry think he does and are dragging their feet because of it, it’s a mistake. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Clearly Robin Brownlee and Jim Matheson are not on the same page with regards to Kailer Yamamoto and his next contract. 

You hope for Yamamoto’s sake that his agent isn’t actually using the contracts signed by Drake Batherson and Joel Farabee as comps for Killer’s next deal because it’s a horrible plan and Yamo doesn’t have arb rights anyhow. JP Barry may very well see his client sitting at the beginning of the season instead of working his way into a much better third contract with the Oilers. 

On the other hand, Ken Holland had better not get screwed into signing another bloated deal because the peers of that player signed big contracts. One’s enough… 

Oil on Whyte (Courville-Lynch)

Two Mock Trades for Mikko Koskinen

Trade #1:
Oilers Acquire: Joonas Korpisalo
Blue Jackets Acquire: Mikko Koskinen(25% retained)

  • A trade to Columbus makes the most sense for both sides. Flipping him for another struggling goaltender in Joonas Korpisalo would be perfect for both goalies, and both teams. Korpisalo is 27 years old, whereas Koskinen is 33, so the Oilers may have to either retain a little salary to make it work or add another piece into the deal.

BLH’s Thoughts: I see where Courville-Lynch is coming with this one, it’s been through the rumor mill over and over this offseason. I like the idea of getting a bit younger in net, but I’m not a huge fan of Korpisalo’s numbers since that fantastic playoff series he won for Columbus over Tampa a few seasons back. I’m also not certain that he will end up saving the Oilers some money when if he chose to sign with the Oilers as opposed to hitting the open market next summer… 

Trade #2:
Oilers Acquire: Jake Allen
Habs Acquire: Mikko Koskinen, 2nd Round Pick

  • Allen was arguably the best backup goalie in the league behind certified legend Carey Price. But the Oilers were linked to Jake Allen in the past, and when Montreal exposed Price to Seattle for the expansion draft, the rumors began to fly that it was because the Habs had a trade lined up for Allen, and didn’t want to lose him for free.
  • But the advantage would be that Allen is locked up for until 2023, and is only making $2.875M a season in comparison to Koskinen’s $4.5M a season.

BLH’s Thoughts: Another thing to add here is that Allen was a legitimate starting goalie in St. Louis before getting usurped by Jordan Binnington during the Blues’ Cup run and that can’t be said about Joonas Korpisalo. This is important considering the Oilers’ hopes are pinned on Mike Smith recreating his form from last season. 

I do like this trade for Edmonton but the Habs are already over the cap, both GMs would need to get creative to make a trade like this work… 

The Daily Goal Horn

NHL Trade Bait Tracker

#1 Jack Eichel (C), Buffalo Sabres
Destinations: Rangers, Golden Knights, Wild, and Ducks

#2 Vladimir Tarasenko (F), St. Louis Blues
Destinations: Rangers, and Devils

#3 Alexandar Georgiev (G), New York Rangers
Destinations: Sabres, Coyotes

#4 Phil Kessel (F), Arizona Coyotes
Destinations: Golden Knights

#5 Christian Dvorak (C), Arizona Coyotes
Destinations: Bruins, Rangers, Devils, Flames

#6 Tomas Hertl (C), San Jose Sharks
Destinations: Rangers, Kraken, Golden Knights, and Blue Jackets

#7 Evgeny Kuznetsov (C), Washington Capitals
Destinations: Rangers, Blue Jackets, Kraken

#8 Joonas Korpisalo (G), Columbus Blue Jackets
Destinations: Oilers

#9 Ryan Strome (F), New York Rangers
Destinations: Senators, Kraken, Sabres

#10 Sean Monahan (C), Calgary Flames
Destinations: Rangers, Wild, Blue Jackets

#11 Johnny Gaudreau (F), Calgary Flames
Destinations: Flyers

#12 Claude Giroux (C), Philadelphia Flyers
Destinations: TBD

#13 Rickard Rakell (F), Anaheim Ducks
Destinations: TBD

#14 Evander Kane (F), San Jose Sharks
Destinations: TBD

Classic Captain Wendel, taking care of business once more! Click the pic and grab a shirt for yourself!

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

Better Safe Than Sorry (Updated)

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, Sportsnet, and TSN 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!

(*Sorry, the site’s been giving me a few headaches recently. This is a re-post from this morning. I hope I can get things all cleared up very very soon! Thanks for your patience!*)

Lowetide.ca

IRRATIONAL HATRED AND YOUR TEAM’S DRAFTING
  • If you look around the league, most of the scoring leaderboards are populated by top-10 overall selections. Oh sure Brad Marchand beat the odds, but guys like Alex DeBrincat are rare. That’s one reason Kailer Yamamoto represents a draft victory, a change in long held bias, and the season to come is an important one for him.
  • Lots of media reports about Holloway’s hand/thumb injury and how things might impact. Previous drafts tell us that player and organization have to be careful, there’s a laundry list (led by Doug Lynch) of prospects getting derailed by it.
  • On the other hand, the Holland Oilers did the same thing with Kailer Yamamoto in the summer/fall of 2019 (he didn’t play any preseason games, first time he dressed came in Bakersfield on October 4, 2019). We could see the same kind of handling with Holloway. Better safe than sorry.

BLH’s Thoughts: Better safe than sorry? I think that’s how every prospect should be handled, don’t you? I want Dylan Holloway to be an impact NHLer when he arrives and that means he should be more physically and mentally mature. He should start the year in Bakersfield and I think he should play the whole year there and come up to Edmonton next season because “better safe than sorry”. He’s not the only one either, Philip Broberg, Dmitri Samorukov, Rafa Lavoie, Ilya Konovalov, they all should be slow-brewed for another year or two before beginning their NHL careers in Edmonton.

I mean, wouldn’t you rather have your prospects in a position to be impact players upon arrival as opposed to having to struggle alongside them as they find their feet at that level?

Can you imagine how much better the Edmonton Oilers would’ve been in the decade of darkness had they simply embraced a more risk averse player development strategy? 

Oil on Whyte

Parallels to the New York Islanders

1. Both originated in some fashion from the WHA (World Hockey Association)

  • The Oilers were one of the four teams that were moved over to the NHL after the WHA went broke – the rest being the Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques.
  • … the Islanders were an expansion team that came into the league in 1972, and although they didn’t come directly from the WHA like the Oilers did, they came in response to the threat of a WHA expansion team after the WHA had plans to place it’s New York Team there (they were going to call it the Raiders).

2. Both franchises were the last two NHL dynasties

  • Unless you consider the Detroit Red Wings winning three cups in six years – which frankly I don’t – as a dynasty then the Islanders and the Oilers were the last two great NHL dynasties.
  • The Islanders won five straight cups between 1979-1983, losing to the Oilers in the 1984 Cup finals, which at the time unbeknownst to anyone else was a passing of the torch. The Oilers, after winning in ’84, would go on to win in ’85, ’87, ’88, and 1990. Five cups in seven years.

3. Both franchises have suffered from ownership issues in recent years

  • The New York Islanders have arguably had two bad owners. The first one was John Spano, a guy who owned the Islanders briefly for about nine months, he ended up going to prison for fraud after it was revealed he intentionally and grossly overestimated his net worth in his paperwork filed with the NHL.
  • The second one was subsequent owner Charles Wang, who consistently went through many GM changes due to the fact that he insisted on meddling in their jobs, and history has shown us that hands-on owners in the NHL never work out.
  • For the Oilers, their bad owner was their first one – Peter Pocklington.
  • …long story short due to a combination of things both within and outside of his control, his business empire started crumbling in the late 80s and early 90s. In his early years in business, he seemed to be ethical, conducting business on the level, but as time went on greed seemed to take over in his decision making.

4. Both franchises at one point had the two oldest arenas in the league, only to secure new ones or have them open soon.

  • The Oilers got the downtown arena they’d been crying out for for years in 2016 when Rogers Place opened…
  • The Islander’s new arena is slated to open this November, six weeks into the NHL season…

5. Lots of players have suited up for both teams

  • The Oilers have traded away lots of players to Long Island, and have managed to snag some sweet trades from there as well. Among the notable players who have played for both teams through direct signings or trades – Jordan Eberle, Tommy Salo (thanks, mad Mike), Robert Nilsson, and Janne Niinimaa.

6. Both teams are currently playoff contenders

  • The Islanders have been this for much longer than the Oilers have, but at this point, I’d say both teams are currently capable of winning a playoff series.

BLH’s Thoughts: Given that the Islanders have been to the conference finals two seasons in a row only to lose to the Stanley Cup winners and prior to that they were eliminated in the second round, I also think they are capable of winning a playoff series… 

But seriously, if Ken Holland can construct a team that is capable of doing that sort of damage in the post-season, I reckon it’s only a matter of time until Connor McDavid is hoisting the Cup. No disrespect to Mikko Koskinen or Mike Smith, Edmonton’s netminding could be what is holding them back right now. It’s simply not as good as the Islanders’. 

Various NHL Rumors

NHLRumors.com

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Ottawa Senators RFA forward Logan Brown hasn’t signed the Senators qualifying offer and hopes to be traded. Things haven’t worked out well of late for Brown and the Senators and it may be best if both sides move on.

Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic: Have the sense that if the Capitals were going to trade Evgeny Kuznetsov this offseason they would have done so by now.

NHLTradeRumors.me

Jake Gardiner is going to have hip surgery. Due to this, he will be placed on long-term injured reserve by the Carolina Hurricanes. He will now be out for at least the beginning of the season. 

NHLTradeRumor.com

Shawn Simpson of TSN 1200 reports frustration has set in with the Brady Tkachuk camp. Brady is trying to stay positive, but doesn’t understand why it’s taking so long. I asked what has been offered, and it was termed they have not received a legitimate offer from the Sens… An offer sheet is always possible.

Nicolas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com reports the Golden Knights still need a No. 1 center… Vegas will likely start the season with the lineup projected below and likely make a move for a #1 center at some point during the season or at the 2022 NHL trade deadline.

Classic Captain Wendel, taking care of business once more! Click the pic and grab a shirt for yourself!

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: “Edmonton Oilers and forward Kailer Yamamoto have hit a bit of a roadblock…”

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, Sportsnet, and TSN 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 (baggedmilk)

  • …I was a little bit surprised to see a handful of Twitter folks in my mentions saying that they wouldn’t mind if someone hit the Oilers with an offer sheet on the former 22nd overall pick.
  • I know that Edmonton has more forward depth this year and that Yamo had a tough season in 2021 but that, in my opinion, was not for a lack of chances but rather an inability to finish.
  • The guy had all kinds of grade-A chances to score but he just couldn’t bury anything, and as a result, his season totals are lower than we would have liked to see.
  • Either way, when you look at what the comp would be for any potential offer sheet then you see how brutal it would be to lose an offensive guy for a measly 2nd or 3rd round pick. Even if it’s a 1st + a 3rd round pick, I don’t know that I’m really interested in acquiring picks unless they’re going to be flipped for someone that can help when October rolls around. Is that really reasonable?

BLH’s Thoughts: Is it just me or is an inability to finish a problem? I’m not sure why we’re just shaking that off as something insignificant and has anybody considered the idea that the opposition might have the book on Yamo now and with that are checking him with a bit more ease?

If somebody came in and threw an offer sheet at Kailer Yamamoto that netted the Oilers a 1st round pick AND a 3rd round pick, take the picks! Even if they weren’t flipped, the next two drafts are looking really good and Edmonton has the roster depth to withstand the loss of one of their RWs. You never know where another club’s first rounder might end up when it comes to the draft lottery, the Oilers could get lucky and net themselves their own Tim Stutzle. 

Conversely, if Yamo received an offer sheet that only scored the Oilers a 2nd or a 3rd, it would be in their best interests to match it and handle any cap issues now. 

The Athletic (Mitchell)

Oilers’ potential Olympians are a small group with maximum possible impact
  • Connor McDavid: Early chatter has McDavid’s linemates as the hot topic. Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and Crosby are popular choices, although Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers) and Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights) are also compelling options…
  • Leon Draisaitl: He’ll arrive at the Olympics at or near the peak of his abilities (he’ll turn 26 in late October), and his recent NHL output has been outstanding. Draisaitl won the Hart, Art Ross and Lindsay awards for the 2019-20 season.
  • Jesse Puljujarvi: His style of play (rambunctious, aggressive puck pursuit) can at times run counter with the NHL Oilers, but Puljujarvi has always looked at home in the Finnish system. That’s likely to continue if he makes the national team for the Olympics.
  • Darnell Nurse: Most of the lists I see omit Nurse from Canada’s defence, and it may well play out that way… Nurse has dynamic skating and recovery skills that will have high value in a short tournament like the Olympics… 
  • For fans of the Oilers, there are few likely Olympians, but all will play prominent roles on their national teams. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I really don’t have much more to say on this. What can one say anyhow? I hope all the Oilers who’re slated to win spots on their national team’s stay healthy before, during, and after the tournament and that everything goes off without a hitch while they’re in China. 

Oh! I know, there’s been some chatter as to who should be the captain of Team Canada and the homers in Edmonton are obviously saying McDavid should lead the team but I don’t think it should be him. I think it’s Sidney Crosby’s captaincy to lose or possible Patrice Bergeron’s. They’re international experience and success in the NHL speaks for itself and there’s no way either of those players should be looked over when it comes to who wears the ‘C’ for Canada in Beijing IF they make it over. 

NHL Trade Talk

Canadiens Allow Jesperi Kotkaniemi to Slide to Hurricanes

  • …the Canadiens are saying goodbye to one of the organization’s most promising young players in Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The announcement was terse and to the point, simply saying that the team wouldn’t be matching the one-year, $6.1MM offer sheet that Kotkaniemi signed last weekend.
  • …the Hurricanes also now have their own salary-cap crunch. According to CapFriendly, the Hurricanes have a full roster and are $1.52 million over the salary cap… Something has to be in the works, because otherwise it doesn’t seem manageable.
Logan Brown Looking to Be Traded By Senators
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun notes that RFA forward Logan Brown hasn’t signed a qualifying offer with the Ottawa Senators and the player is looking to be traded by the organization.
  • … the San Jose Sharks, Carolina Hurricanes (depending on the Kotkaniemi situation), and Arizona Coyotes could be among the interested teams.
Montreal Canadiens Almost Traded for Marc-Andre Fleury [Report]
  • …according to popular website DANLESCOULISSES.com, the Montreal Canadiens had their eyes on goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury prior to the veteran landing with the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • Apparently, the Canadiens were thinking they might lose Carey Price to the Seattle Kraken and as a backup plan, were ready to swing a deal for Fleury.
Oilers Hit Snag in Kailer Yamamoto Contract Negotiations
  • Edmonton Journal scribe Jim Matheson notes that the Edmonton Oilers and forward Kailer Yamamoto have hit a bit of a roadblock when it comes to getting a contract extension signed.
“They are still grinding away, like Devin Shore working the corners, on a bridge deal, either one or two years because (A) the Oilers have dimes and nickels to spend not loonies and toonies with their cap situation and (B) they are still not sure what Yamamoto really is after he didn’t take a step forward last season. Is he a second-line right-winger with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or a 3RW with Warren Foegele and Derek Ryan?”
  • Matheson argues that the biggest sticking point are comparables that Yamamoto’s camp is using. This wouldn’t be a big deal except for the fact that the Philadelphia Flyers just signed Joel Farabee to a six-year and $30 million deal he had similar numbers to Yamamoto and also no leverage.
Classic Captain Wendel, taking care of business once more! Click the pic and grab a shirt for yourself!

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

Should the Edmonton Oilers Be Looking at This St. Louis Blue?

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, Sportsnet, and TSN 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!

Edmonton Sun (Matheson)

OILERS NOTES: Tyler Ennis without a job going into training camp
  • …he would like to sign here again, but the Oilers re-signed Devin Shore on left-wing, brought in Brendan Perlini, also, and traded for Warren Foegele. They also will be giving farmhand Tyler Benson a long-look for a bottom six role.
  • Ennis reportedly had several European teams looking at him, maybe some in the KHL, after last season.
“I’m sure he could make $900,000 in Russia with how long he’s played in the NHL…and if he can’t make an NHL team now, I’m sure he could still go there because (struggling) teams let players go but it likely wouldn’t be a good team,” said a former KHL coach.
  • Most likely scenario: Ennis, who skated as usual at Perry Pearn’s annual 3-on-3 camp here and gets along famously with all the Oiler players, won’t be back here unless it’s on a PTO.

This ‘n That
  • Winger Dylan Holloway will need medical clearance to see how his repaired broken wrist is coming along before he’s on the ice for rookie camp Sept. 15. It’s up in the air, for now…
  • Duncan Keith should get an A on his Oiler jersey. He’s worn one in Chicago forever, plus he’s going to the Hall of Fame…
  • Senators’ Drake Batherson, another young, top-six winger comparable to Kailer Yamamoto just got a six-year deal for a $4.975 million cap hit in Ottawa.
  • Feisty Oiler 2020 draft winger Tyler Tullio is the new captain of the Oshawa Generals. He’ll be here for the Oiler rookie camp Sept. 15…
  • Defenceman Filip Berglund, who couldn’t get the paperwork done to fly from Sweden to Bakersfield to join the farm team last spring, will be part of a very young back-end picture this season. He has left Linkoping…

BLH’s Thoughts: Is Matheson on JP Barry’s payroll or what? Recently he’s been throwing out ridiculous contract comps for Yamamoto based on age and point production without adding the necessary context to why Killer probably won’t be getting deals like Batheson and Farabee. 

Reckon that ex-KHL coach who gave Matty that quote on Ennis might be somebody who coached the Oilers at one point? Maybe was the GM at another point? Perhaps he won a few Stanley Cups with the club in the 80s and 90s and another with New York in ’94?

Oil on Whyte (Coureville-Lynch)

Edmonton Oilers: 3 RFA Offer Sheet Options For The Team
  • Logan Brown is currently an RFA, his rights are owned by the Ottawa Senators. At 6’6, 218 pounds, his size is something the Oilers could use to their advantage.
  • Dylan Coghlan is a 23-year-old defenseman, with his rights owned by the Vegas Golden Knights. As a 6’2, 206 pound D man, his size and offensive skill is something every team should be looking for… Coghlan is a right shot…
  • Robert Thomas is a 22 year old Center/Right Wing, who’s rights are owned by the St. Louis Blues. Thomas could add depth to the Oilers bottom 6, and could even work his way up into the top 6 if he is able to continue his impressive offensive start to his career.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t have too much to say on Brown and Coghlan, but Bob Thomas is somebody I’d definitely be interest in for the Oilers. He’s so skilled and the work rate and character on this fella is top notch plus he’s positionally flexible and can contribute on the power play. I do wonder if he might transition into a player who could help out on the penalty kill too because he reminds me of a younger Sam Gagner. 

He’d be a really good middle-six forward for Edmonton, but the contract would be higher and those knees have to be a concern for anybody looking to acquire him, no? If I’m not mistaken, has he not had a couple of surgeries on them already? I mean, it’s 2021 and medical science has come a long way since the days of Bobby Orr, so, in theory, a hockey player should have a much better chance at not having his career ended by a couple of bunged up knees. 

I’m curious to know what Thomas’ value is? Could the Oilers flip Ryan McLeod+ for him or would they have to send a player like Kailer Yamamoto?

The Hockey Writers (Parsons)

  • (Rocky) Thompson will no longer act as an assistant coach with the Sharks, citing a medical condition that won’t allow him to get vaccinated and the complications with the NHL’s strict COVID protocols as the reason.
  • Thompson said, “Under the new League protocols, I am not permitted to fulfill my duties on the Sharks coaching staff at this time,” Thompson said in a statement. “I will have no further comment on this matter.”
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Brian Boyle and Matt Bartkowski to professional tryout contracts. Both are interesting choices as Boyle did not play in the NHL last season and Bartowski primarily played in the AHL with the Iowa Wild.
Classic Captain Wendel, taking care of business once more! Click the pic and grab a shirt for yourself!