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!

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Cult of Hockey

9 Things

• The Patrick Kane rumblings are fun. From a contract perspective, it would be easier for the Oilers to accomplish than I had originally thought… But if I were to spend an asset(s) on another player, I think it would be another D-man.
• The Oilers have hired Keith McCambridge as the new Condors Assistant Coach… A tough-as-nails defender, McCambridge has a long resume coaching in the AHL.
• The Battle of Alberta will take on a new feel this season, with the departure of Johnny Gaudreau and Matt Tkachuk… If they can sign him longer term, Jonathan Huberdeau can come close to replacing Gaudreau’s offence.
• I get some of the concern over Warren Foegele’s salary vis-à-vis his usual place in the lineup… Would have he produced more than 12 goals had he spent more time with elite linemates just like Jesse Puljujarvi (who had 14 but in fewer games) did?… Foegele does not have Jesse’s skill level. But if the Finn cannot finish? I would not be too quick to recycle Foegele.
• The Oilers are planning to add one or two more NHL contracts to the roster before training camp, not including any possible PTO’s.
  • UFA names that I have mentioned in the past and that I still think 1) Merit consideration and 2) Remain unsigned elsewhere: Wingers Sonny Milano, Evan Rodrigues, and Johan Larsson.
  • And a name I keep hearing come up but who I had originally dismissed: Phil Kessel. Was his drop-off in scoring last year a blip or a caution sing?
• Going forward, Canadian-based teams will need to be cautious about building their rosters around American players. The risk of losing them due to forces that they have no control over is high.
• If the Jesse Puljujarvi camp truly wanted a trade, they would never let this file get to the arbitrator… I fully expect Jesse Puljujarvi’s number to end up above $3m. An dif the club felt Puljujarvi was a lock to be a Top-6 player, I think they would find a way to swallow that.
  • … the higher that salary ends up being, the tougher it will be for General Manager Ken Holland to accommodate the trade request.
  • …the ultimate return will not so much what assets Holland can attract but what kind of cap space he could create.
  • While I think it is possible Puljujarvi stays on a short-term deal, at least temporarily, this longer-term script is essentially written.

BLH’s Thoughts: OK. So who would you spurn the chance to acquire Patrick Kane for? We’re probably talking about a UFA, right? So next year’s crop of dmen that should interest the Oilers includes Matt Dumba (MIN), Erik Johnson (COL), Dmitri Orlov (WAS), Travis Sanheim (PHI), Damon Severson and Ryan Graves (NJ), Vladislav Gavrikov (CBJ), Artem Zub (OTT), Radko Gudas (FLA), and Scott Mayfield (NYI). 

Minny wants to move Dumba, that is no secret. Johnson would probably retire before waiving his NTC, I can’t see Orlov waiving to leave Washington, Sanheim probably could be had, Severson and Graves are realistic if NJ is still out of the playoffs by the deadline, Gavrikov I like, I don’t think Ottawa are dealing Zub, Gudas I’d love as a playoff rental, and Scott Mayfield is an absolute beast but I don’t know if Lamoriello is trading him. 

Now, some of those defensemen would really help Edmonton down the stretch and in the guts of the post-season but how many teams do you know are able to shut down three or four superstars if Patty Kane came to the Oilers? I think all the Oilers would have to do is beef up the bottom-six and bottom pair on defense if they could get Patrick Kane and they’d be golden. 

Whether you agree with it or not, I listened to McCambridge’s spot on Oilers Now and the impression I got was that the Oilers brought him in to teach their young dmen how to play a bit old school. Specifically, Vincent Desharnais’ name was brought up. I wonder if Philip Broberg ends up spending some time with the Condors for this reason because he puts himself in a position to get smoked a lot. Maybe McCambridge can show him a trick or two that would make the other team’s forecheckers think twice about bum-rushing him so much. 

On the Tkachuk trade, the Panthers won that deal in my opinion. I don’t think Huberdeau will stay in Calgary when the Capitals are going to have well over $20M in cap space next summer and Ovie might need a new setup man to help break Gretzky’s record plus Darryl Sutter… They might be able to get Weegar to re-sign though and their blueline is pretty deep as it is without him. With him, it’s even deeper and when you add that to the team having one of the better goalies in the league, that’s a great start.

If Huberdeau does leave (He’s going to want $10M/yr on his next contract and he’s already pissed about the trade) and Weegar ($6M/yr on a new deal?) follows him out the door, I don’t necessarily think that will mean CGY will need to tear it all down though. That would be daft and Brad Treliving would have those two traded at the deadline before seeing them walk for nothing. Add to that the ridiculous stable or UFAs that’s going to be available next year… They’d be able to regroup fairly quickly. 

Warren Foegele played 128 minutes with Connor McDavid last year and 97’s GF% without the big winger was 59.60. Together they were evens at 50% and unsurprisingly McLovin’s GF% away from Connor was 46.05%… 

Now, contrast that with Puljujarvi. In 604 minutes (much higher, I know) last season, they put up a staggering 69% GF%! Connor away from Jesse saw a massive 22 point drop (47%) but Pulju away from McDavid was nearly at 60% (58%)… 

(stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick)

So I don’t need to wonder what Foegele would do with Connor because the numbers couldn’t be more in favor of Jesse that it’s not even worth considering. I also find it funny that we’re talking about keeping a Canadian hockey player who was healthy scratched in the playoffs over a Finnish one who outscored him in few games (Finn can’t score? What?)… 

Although, we’ve seen in the past where the Oilers have tried sticking bottom sixers up with McDavid before… More often than not it’s ended in failure and even more frustration for the Oilers captain. Besides, the Oilers have Hyman and Kane to play with 97… Why in the world would there be any consideration being paid to Foegele here? Trade him (Sorry Warren… Nothing personal.), keep Jesse, and let’s put this stupid narrative behind us. 

Interesting to see Leavins going on record and saying that there’s been a trade request from Puljujarvi’s camp…

Speaking of the eventual Puljujarvi trade, it’s going to be a horseshit trade if it goes down this summer. Very Yakupov-like I’m thinking because the onus is on how much cap space is being “opened up” by moving Jesse and then who they sign to ultimately replace him.

I’m here to say that the only way Holland redeems himself in this scenario is if he can find a way to get Phil Kessel to sign in Edmonton. He’s the only player in that list that Leavins has above that will do that because he’s got scoring and championship pedigree. 

For what it’s worth, Jason Gregor’s been talking about Phil the Thrill a bit lately, Jason Strudwick as well, and I’m pretty certain Bob Stauffer’s spoken briefly about the possibility of adding him too.

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey

• Jimmy Murphy suggests that Pierre-Luc Dubois accepting a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer with the Winnipeg Jets creases the skids for a potential trade to the Montreal Canadiens.
  • A source told Murphy that Dubois’ agent, Pat Brisson, is doing everything he can to make a trade to Montreal happen.
• Kevin Kurz reported a source informed him of “rumblings” that the New York Islanders were making a push for Nazem Kadri.
• Stefen Rosner recently observed the Islanders missed out on what he considered a “glorious opportunity” to acquire Vladimir Tarasenko last summer when the winger requested a trade from the St. Louis Blues.
  • Rosner wondered if the Isles might revisit efforts to acquire Tarasenko this summer.

BLH’s Thoughts: It seems the Islanders are poised to make some serious moves before the summer is out. If I recall correctly, I think they want to move Josh Bailey, Anthony Beauvillier, and Semyon Varlamov. If they could do it, that’s about $15M in cap room and I wouldn’t put it past Lou Lamoriello to not only sign Nazem Kadri but maybe John Klingberg too. He’s stealthy like that. 

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
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The Athletic

Can the Oilers keep Puljujarvi? Will they trade for Patrick Kane? Mailbag

• I was told unequivocally that Yamamoto won’t be dealt. The superstars like playing with him too much for that to happen.
• With McLeod and Yamamoto back for, say, $4 million to 4.5 million, that doesn’t leave much money to re-sign Puljujarvi.
• The Oilers are open to moving Puljujarvi. However, it doesn’t sound like there’s much of a market for him around the league.
  • The understanding here is ditching the 2016 No. 4 pick for pennies on the dollar simply to save cap space is a last resort for the Oilers. There’s a high likelihood they’ll keep him if the offers don’t improve.
• Janmark brings many of the same skills as Foegele for 45 percent of the salary. Foegele has an extra year on his deal, too. All that could make him expendable. A league source doesn’t consider Foegele at $2.75 million AAV to be overpaid, so that helps his cause.
• The Oilers would have to find another experienced defenceman if they dealt Barrie.
• I think Puljujarvi is still the most likely to be moved, but I’m much less convinced that’ll happen than I was earlier this month. If he stays, one of Foegele or Barrie will surely have to go.
• Janmark was described to me by a scout as the “anti-Jesse.” By that, the scout meant that his analytics aren’t great, but he touches more facets of the game than Puljujarvi — a fancy stats darling.
• Expect both Puljujarvi and Yamamoto to top $3 million in annual salary on their next contracts. 
• The Oilers can’t walk away from a ruling by an arbitrator of less than $4.5 million. To keep both, at least one of Foegele or Barrie will likely have to go.
• It’s worth noting that the Oilers are awfully thin at right wing without Puljujarvi and Yamamoto.
• Yes, I believe the Oilers checked in on him and that there would be some interest if [Patrick] Kane were made available.
  • My understanding is this appears unlikely in the short term.
  • That would need to be cut in half for the Oilers to be able to fit him under the cap. I’m told the asking price to just do that is a first-round pick — and then teams need to pay other assets to acquire Kane for his talents. Working in a third team could drop the cap hit to $2.625 million for the Oilers, but that would require giving up another draft pick.
  • Don’t rule this out as an in-season move for the Oilers, especially if they struggle to score or if the asking price lowers.
• …from what I’ve been told, the Janmark signing — barring the trade of Foegele — does negatively affect Holloway’s chances of being on the ice on opening night. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Aside from the Puljujarvi camp truly wanting out of Edmonton, why would Ken Holland keep Warren Foegele over Puljujarvi. It’d be WAY easier to trade McLovin’ for pennies on the dollar than Pulju plus Dylan Holloway is right there to take over Foegele’s spot. 

Even if it means Jesse only signing for one year for what Foegele makes now (a shade under $3M), it’s a better plan than simply getting a 5th round pick for him or a bottom six grinder. They’d have the year to pump up his value in order to make a better trade down the line. 

I’m just thinking if the Oilers really want a crack at Patrick Kane, having JP around to use as trade fodder is a pretty good idea, especially if he’s taken another step in his development. 

What if Edmonton flipped the script on everyone and traded for Jonathan Toews though? How insane would that be?

Cult of Hockey

Might Edmonton Oilers winger Warren Foegele be skating on thin ice?

• With ice time of 12 minutes a game at even strength and little responsibility on either special team, “depth player” is the best description of Foegele. He was a bottom-sixer for all but a few games in 2021-22, with his most common linemates being Derek Ryan, Zack Kassian and McLeod.
• Foegele had decent underlying numbers. His shot shares north of 50% are a rare feat for an Oilers bottom sixer. Alas, those positive results didn’t quite extend to the all-important goals category, where the Oilers were outscored 37-43 (46%) on his watch with a traditional plus/minus of -9.
• But his performance in the post-season was disappointing. In 13 games he recorded just 0-1-1, -5, and found himself in the press box for 3 games after being the only Oiler to play all 82 during the season.
• To have to include a sweetener to move on from the player just a year after acquiring and then signing him would be a tough pill to swallow, but at some point Ken Holland will have to take his medicine to make his club cap-compliant.

BLH’s Thoughts: As I said above, it’s hard for me to understand why the Oilers would want to keep Foegele over Yamamoto or Puljujarvi in a scenario where trading one of them means taking back a mid-round draft pick.

As far as we know right now, there are teams trying to open up cap space in order to compete for Nazem Kadri and John Klingberg as well as others. So, we’re stuck waiting for some GM to blink and pay that extra freight to move their money around. I think once that starts happening things will open up and we’ll see action on Foegele and Edmonton’s RFAs. 

Interesting to note, yesterday Bob Stauffer said that he could see Yamamoto re-signing with the Oilers on a 2/3yr deal before his arbitration hearing in August. Does that mean Killer is going to take a bit of a cut before he’s walked to UFA status? I wonder if his deal might come in at around a $2.5M AAV? 

Either way, between now and next Friday the Puljujarvi situation will go from an unknown to a known. I can’t wait! If he’s dealt, his jersey might actually be available to buy. 

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey

• Matty Tkachuk: The St. Louis Blues are often mentioned as the top destination for Tkachuk because he grew up in St. Louis and his family still lives there. Others include the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.
  • …the Flames aren’t looking to rebuild. They’ll seek a return that helps them remain a playoff contender in the coming season as well as for several seasons afterward. They’ll want at least one good young NHL player as part of a package deal that could also include a first-round pick and/or a top prospect.
  • …the Devils are the best fit. Winger Jesper Bratt could be a good return though he recently filed for salary arbitration. If he’s willing to accept a long-term deal from the Flames, there could be a deal there. The Flames would probably have an interest in a prospect such as Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec or Alexander Holtz as part of the return.
• Adrian Dater reports former Avalanche center Nazem Kadri has offers on the table from several clubs but they’re either teams he doesn’t want to play for due to location, they lack contender status or both.

NHLRumors.me

• John Klingberg – These three teams are currently linked to signing the 29-year-old:
  • Ottawa: Klingberg likely signs for something north of $6 million per season, a number the Sens can fit in at the moment. Ottawa has $11.6 million in cap space available and should be considered a contender for signing Klingberg.
  • Buffalo: …the Buffalo Sabres are desperate for some more help on their right side. With Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin on the left side for the foreseeable future, adding a righty like Klingberg could do wonders.
  • Detroit: The Red Wings are getting more serious these days and look for them to be in the mix with Klingberg down to the wire of putting pen to paper.
• Canadiens Trade Candidates
  • [Christian] Dvorak has been linked to trade rumors since Kent Hughes took over in Montreal and with the recent rumblings about Dubois, he could be the focal piece heading back the other way.
  • [Josh] Anderson has been inconsistent for the Canadiens and is signed for five more seasons at $5.5 million.
  • As a pending free agent who has a ton of experience in net, Jake Allen will be dealt by the Canadiens.
• Teams Linked to Tkachuk
  • The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils are two teams who have reached out to Flames as recent as the NHL draft about the availability of Tkachuk and at that point, the talks went nowhere. The Devils believed to have offered the #2 overall pick for Tkachuk and were turned down.
  • These two teams join the likes of the favorites, St Louis Blues, along with the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers.
• St. Louis Blues Trade Candidates
  • One of the hottest names on the trade market, it seems like every big trade out of St Louis involves [Jordan] Kyrou going the other way.
  • The Blues tried to acquire Ryan McDonagh from the Tampa Bay Lightning which would have led to [Torey] Krug being dealt.
  • Depending on where the Blues sit mid-way through next season, the pending free-agent [Tarasenko] next summer could be dealt.

BLH’s Thoughts: Oilers play-by-play man, Jack Michaels, was on Oilers Now yesterday and he mentioned that they (Michaels and Stauffer) had heard last year that there was trouble in the Flames dressing room and that perhaps Tkachuk and Gaudreau didn’t see eye-to-eye but that the two leaving Calgary didn’t necessarily have anything to do with their poor relationship. 

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Oilersnation

Beginning of the End?

• According to PuckPedia, Holland has about $5.7 million in cap space at his disposal with which to sign Ryan McLeod, who does not have arb rights, Yamamoto and Puljujarvi. Even if Holland gets McLeod done for, say, $1.25 million, that doesn’t leave much room for negotiating with Puljujarvi and Yamamoto. And, if one or both of them went to a hearing and got something in the $2.5-$3 million range, the Oilers don’t have walk-away rights.
• For a player who still hasn’t accomplished much or established himself in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Jesse Puljujarvi draws a lot of attention and gets a lot of ink.
• Does he[Holland] even want to send away another player to keep Puljujarvi and Yamamoto?
• I wouldn’t be eager to turn my roster upside down for a guy who has already shown he’ll ask out if he doesn’t get his way.
• Captain Obvious would also add all the above is a moot point if both sides can agree, or have already agreed, that it’s time to move on. That makes a sign-and-trade the most likely outcome.

BLH’s Thoughts: I guess Gregor’s been talking to Brownlee here or they’re talking to the same source (Stauffer?) maybe because that’s the second local person to suggest a sign-and-trade scenario with Puljujarvi when none of the big pundits like Seravalli, Dreger, Weekes, or Friedman have brought that option up. Even Bob Stauffer hasn’t mentioned such an outcome as of yet.

Speaking of Seravalli, he was on Oilers Now yesterday talking about how Edmonton is a desired destination for free agents now that the team is a Cup contender but what he said following that was interesting.

“…Players who don’t want to be there and pout like Jesse Puljujarvi seems to have done privately whatever it may be. You’re going to find yourself somewhere else and use those cap dollars to find someone else. You’ve got to want it and be in the fight.”

Geez Frank. Tell us how you really feel about Puljujarvi.

Actually, I don’t really think that Seravalli knows what he’s talking about here. Who tosses in a “whatever it may be” if they know what the situation actually is? He’s commenting on hearsay and that’s all it is right now. You might hear/read that Jess feels he can play in Edmonton’s top six but what player isn’t going to say that considering who is up there? As if one of Edmonton’s wingers is going to come out and say he doesn’t deserve a chance to play there or he thinks he’d be a better fit in the bottom six.

The fact of the matter is, Pulju CAN play in Edmonton’s top six and he CAN contribute on the PP. There are numbers to support this that far outweigh any narratives that are coming to light.

Cult of Hockey

Edmonton Oilers favoured to land Patrick Kane in a trade, gambling oddsmakers say

• Sportsbetting.ag has the Oilers edging out Colorado and the New York Rangers in bringing in the future Hall of Fame winger from the Chicago Blackhawks.
• Betonline reports the same… Oilers +300 (3/1)
• [John] Shannon noted that as of last Friday Kane had not decided if he was willing to waive his No Movement Clause and accept a trade… Shannon felt the New York Rangers made the most sense for Kane.
• Kane has one year left on a deal that pays him $10.5 million, with the real dollars pay-out at $6.9 million, with just $2.9 million of that left to be paid for the year as his $4 million signing bonus has already been paid.
• If Chicago retained 50 per cent of his cap hit, they would have to pay $1.45 million in cash and a $5.25 million cap hit. If a third team were to be involved, that team could retain $725,000 million in cash and a $2.625 million cap hit.
• This would leave a team having to pick up a cap hit of $2.625 million this year for Kane. Stauffer suggested it would take two first round picks to get Kane.

BLH’s Thoughts: Tell ya what. THIS is the trade you save Puljujarvi for because the Hawks are tearing it down to the studs and rebuilding hard. A deal to get Patrick Kane is going to cost some major futures considering that three teams are going to have to get involved just so Edmonton can fit Kane under the cap. If you’ve got Puljujarvi, two first rounders, Samorukov, Lavoie, etc. on the table, maybe you won’t have to give up Bourgault or Schaefer.

Now, a few times in the past week or so since Duncan Keith’s retirement I’ve heard callers/texters to Oilers Now suggest to Stauffer that maybe Keith puts in a good word to Kane about coming to the Oilers and every time Bob’s done his “Hmmmmm. That’s very interesting…” thing and that tells me there’s a modicum or realism to the suggestion.

So that has to make you wonder if Holland is holding out for a first rounder for Puljujarvi in order to make this deal with Chicago? I mean Jesse is basically developing into a Brandon Hagel, Barclay Goodrow type and we’ve seen what they’ve garnered on the trade market.

So as much as “it might be time” for the Oilers and JP to go their separate ways, the smart thing to do might be to hold onto the big Finn, pump the shit out of his numbers and get the most they can for him next season. Surely McDavid would agree to that if it meant Patrick Kane was coming to town.

That said, the Rangers sure have a lot of assets they could send Chicago’s way to make a deal for the future HHOFer.

Trade Rumors

The Daily Goal Horn

• JT Miller: Vancouver was believed to be seeking three to four pieces in return that would need to include at least one top prospect and a first-round pick.
  • There are a few teams that have some cap space to accommodate a Miller trade. The New York Islanders were reportedly interested and may have been close to a deal that supposedly fell apart on the draft floor. Another could be the new Jersey Devils, who were spurned by Johnny Gaudreau in free agency.
• Nazem Kadri: The Fourth Period also said the Avs could still be an option and the New York Islanders. They added the Seattle Kraken, Ottawa Senators, and Anaheim Ducks as other potential suitors.
  • “He’s waiting, because I think there’s some teams that want to sign him and they need to clear room,” Friedman said. “I think Colorado is a possibility and I think the Islanders would be someone else. But I wouldn’t assume them to be the only two.”
• Phil Kessel: One team that had interest in trading for him at last year’s trade deadline were the Nashville Predators.
  • Hey! You know who is really into signing aging veterans? The Pittsburgh Penguins, that’s who. Maybe a reunion is in the works.
• Matthew Tkachuk: The St. Louis Blues are one of the teams possibly interested in a trade for Tkachuk. Packages being bandied about would include Torey Krug, Jordan Kyrou, a top prospect and a first-round pick. That isn’t an exact offer but it gives you a good idea of what it would take to get a Matthew Tkachuk from the Flames.
  • …it’s also being reported that Tkachuk has already given the Flames a list of teams with whom he would sign a long-term contract. Per the report, that includes the likes of St. Louis, Vegas, Florida, Nashville and Dallas. Also noted are New Jersey and the New York Rangers as having past interest in acquiring him.

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

The Athletic

Oilers depth chart: Where did they improve and where can they make more moves?

• …they’re also an unfinished product by the GM’s own admission, something that becomes apparent when viewing the depth chart. Holland isn’t done tinkering in his attempt to enhance the roster.
• He and his staff might need to get creative if they want to do so. Ryan McLeod, Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi are restricted free agents and need contracts or must be moved.
• There are concerns about Kane off the ice and because he went on a shooting-percentage heater in four-plus months after signing with the Oilers in January.
• Dylan Holloway isn’t a lock to play in the season opener, but his name is written in pencil. That he’s Edmonton’s top forward prospect makes him an option for a scoring line.
• In a perfect world, another top-nine forward would be added to provide cover for Holloway or Foegele… It’s not absolutely essential. Another fourth-liner making less than $1 million is all but a necessity.
• Barrie could still be dealt for cap reasons.
• The Oilers are counting on Philip Broberg to make the team and be a key contributor. Look for that to happen.
• Vincent Desharnais, Slater Koekkoek, Markus Niemelainen and Dmitri Samorukov should vie for one of the last spots on the blue line.
• Puljujarvi and the Oilers are in a dispute over where he figures into the lineup. Puljujarvi wants a top-six role. The Oilers want him to earn it.
• The Oilers see value in Puljujarvi, and Holland has said he’s not looking to give the winger away. It appears as though it’ll be tricky to avoid trading him for futures or taking on a cheaper, and perhaps less effective, player.
• It’s worth noting that the Oilers have no prominent pending unrestricted free agents for next summer and only Bouchard and Skinner are RFAs. They’ll also gain $2.25 million in space because Sekera’s buyout comes off the books and Lucic’s contract ends.

BLH’s Thoughts: IF Holland’s going to add more bodies that means somebody will be leaving. Be that Puljujarvi, Foegele, Barrie or Yamamoto, somebody will be sacrificed to improve the team’s bottom six…

Tell, how that makes any sense by the way. The onus on the team should be to keep all four IF the intended goal is to create or maintain organizational depth. I get Foegele makes too much to be a 4th liner, but his contract really isn’t crippling the team. Besides, I’d be willing to bet that there will be better bottom six options available at the trade deadline.

All Holland has to do is get Yamo and Pulju to find it in their hearts to sign team-friendly deals for another year or two. And they should want to embrace the challenge of a show-me contract because there are question marks fully attached to both players… 

Oilersnation

Random Thoughts: Oilers RFAs, Jack Campbell’s kingdom, and Johnny Gaudreau

• If the general rule is $100K per point in arbitration, that makes him a $3.6 million player, which happens to be what Puljujarvi’s deal might look like if the two sides can’t come to an agreement.
• Personally, I want to see if Jesse can build upon the strong start he had in 2021-22 before looking like a different person at points post-injury and COVID. I want to know what he can give in a full season.
• If you believe in a guy like Ryan McLeod and believe he’ll get better with time, would you try to give him something longer than the usual two-year bridge?
• Yamo is coming off a one-year deal that didn’t come together until mid-September. After the heater he put down in 2019-20, the bubble year wasn’t the best for young Yams (52GP: 8G, 13A) and that’s why I actually respected the move of signing a one-year contract and betting on himself…
• … when he [Gaudreau] said, “It didn’t matter where I was signing, we just decided it was best not to go back to Calgary” my jaw damned near hit the floor. I mean, if you’ve made the unfortunate life choice to become a Flames fan, how do you not see that quote and feel like your heart has been ripped out of your chest?

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t think McLeod will get a Klefbom-like deal. The money’s just not there right now. It would be nice to have that kind of security down the middle though. 

According to that 100k/pt arbitration thing BM was talking about, Yamamoto’s about to be a more difficult case than Jesse and that’s why I wonder if it wouldn’t make more sense to sacrifice him while his value is high. 

Johnny Hockey left Calgary because he simply wanted out of that market and closer to home. He’s just signed maybe his last contract and in a city where he can walk down the street and probably have very few people recognizing him. This is a guy who just loves to play the game, winning and money obviously don’t motivate him more than his and his family’s overall happiness. I can respect that.