Speculating from an Oilers fan’s perspective, BLH comments on the latest NHL news and rumors feat. Patrik Laine, Ryan Murray, Taylor Hall, Derek Stepan, and many more!
Button from the 1981 Stanley Cup final: Minnesota vs. New York Islanders. New York prevailed in 5. pic.twitter.com/iy0Xntg6J9
— Howard Berger (@Berger_BYTES) September 26, 2020
The News and Rumors
- Darren Dreger (TSN): Minnesota getting a top-6 center for Matt Dumba isn’t a reality. They’re willing to listen to “softer offers” like a higher 1st round pick and a young roster player.
BLH’s Thoughts: I guess Minnesota should’ve pulled the trigger on the Nugent-Hopkins/Dumba deal that was on the table a few seasons ago. It seems like his value has gone down slightly since then.
Would the Oilers entertain a Larsson + the 14th overall for Dumba trade? Would Minnesota?
- More Dreger: The St. Louis Blues could potentially pursue Coyotes d-man Oliver Ekman-Larsson this offseason.
BLH’s Thoughts: Considering that the Blues are reluctant to give Alex Pietrangelo more than $8M/yr, I can’t see them all of a suddent changing that for OEL.
- Sportsnet: Max Domi’s new agent Darren Ferris says his desire “is and always has been” to stay with Montreal. He never requested a trade, either.
BLH’s Thoughts: This sounds like the dreaded “vote of confidence” that a player gives right before getting moved so that he’s still got some clout with the fanbase. That said, a responsible GM would see to it that the spine of his team is the strongest part of it and build around it. Right now Montreal has Philip Danualt, Domi, Nick Suzuki, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi down the middle and it wouldn’t hurt them to keep it that way for another year.
That said, if they could bring in a Taylor Hall or Patrik Laine, Mike Hoffman or someone like Jaden Schwartz, maybe that changes things a bit.
- Rick Dhaliwal (TSN): “One agent told me the busiest team in the trade market is the Vancouver Canucks. Also, Travis Green is a big fan of Chris Tanev’s play and wants him to stay.
- Frank Seravalli (TSN): The Arizona Coyotes want to move out guys on the wrong side of 30yrs old or approaching it. They want to continue to build the young core.
BLH’s Thoughts: Could the Coyotes be gearing up to bring in two megastars in the next five years? Think about it. Scottsdale-born Matthew Tkachuk’s $7M/yr deal ends in two years and he’ll still be under team control but he’ll have arbitration rights. Will they be able to afford him? Two years after this Auston Matthews contract expires and he’ll be a UFA…
Probably the best thing for the future of that franchise is building up the assets so that when it’s time to bring home a couple of native sons, they have the actual ability to do it.
- More Seravalli: The Oilers haven’t been able to trade Andreas Athanasiou so far. Teams are interested but don’t want to give up an asset or give out a $3M qualifying offer.
BLH’s Thoughts: Frankly, this is shocking news to me. I was under the impression that a player who can skate really fast and one time scored 30 goals would have some value…
- Seravalli cont: Jake DeBrusk will likely be on the next Trade Bait list. The Bruins have made a final offer to Torey Krug, take it or leave it. He also thinks the Bruins are potentially a team interested in Taylor Hall and could move DeBrusk if Hall signs with them.
BLH’s Thoughts: You can be damned sure that the Oilers will have interest in bringing DeBrusk OR Hall to Edmonton should those opportunities present themselves.
Is Krug going to Detroit? The Islanders could use a puck-mover like him, no?
- A Little More Seravalli: Henrik Lundqvist is likely heading towards a buyout this offseason.
- Michael Russo (The Athletic): Mikko Koivu on a Zoom call with media says he’s not prepared to say right now if he will continue playing in the NHL, Finland, or retire from Hockey.
BLH’s Thoughts: I feel like one year of Mikko Koivu centering the 3rd line would be great for the Oilers. Give him Puljujarvi on the right side and maybe Tyler Benson on the left-side until Joakim Nygard is ready and there’s some real potential there for a very dangerous bottom-6 line.
- Kevin Kurz (The Athletic): The San Jose Sharks will not be using a buyout during this window, according to a league source, so Martin Jones will be back next year with another goalie.
BLH’s Thoughts: Recently GM Doug Wilson said that San Jose is going to spend to the cap ceiling, does that mean they’ll use a chunk of their remaining cap on a goalie like Darcy Kuemper or Jacob Markstrom?
- Mark Scheig (The Hockey Writers): Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen: “If we could recoup a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick for the draft, that’d be great. I’d like to give the scouts more ammo.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Reckon anybody would give CBJ anything for Alexander Wennberg? There’s some talk he’ll be bought out, mind you. Boone Jenner is another player I’d love to see the Oilers acquire for their bottom-six. What’s he worth given he’s only 27yrs old and has two years left on his $3.75M/yr deal?
- The Fourth Period: The Coyotes are listening to offers on Derek Stepan. There’s interest out there but it’s a matter of making the money work.
BLH’s Thoughts: We saw Marc Staal moved to Detroit with a 2nd-round pick so that the Red Wings would eat his contract. Gotta wonder if that is what the Coyotes are staring at as they try to move Stepan. Even if they ate some of his deal, I’m not sure if he’s even a $3M player anymore.
- TFP cont: The LA Kings will not offer forward Trevor Lewis a contract extension and he will be heading to free agency.
BLH’s Thoughts: Will the Maple Leafs jump all over this? Feels like they’re kind of deal because I’m not sure if any other teams will. He’s 33 and had 12pts on one of the worst teams in the league. Might be time to head to Europe to run out the rest of the career.
- Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): The NJ Devils have made it known that if a team can offer a good young player with some term or team control, they’d be willing to trade one of the 18th or 20th overall picks.
BLH’s Thoughts: I was kind of hoping they would trade a few picks to Edmonton for their 14th overall but it looks like they’re going to add some proper NHLers who make a bit of skrilla. Now, if they move out PK Subban, they could really go shopping. I’d raid Tampa if I were them.
- More Friedman: The Vegas Golden Knights are likely a destination on the top of Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo’s destination list.
BLH’s Thoughts: How are the Golden Knights going to afford what Pietrangelo is asking for? Aside from Alex Tuch and Shea Theodore, who they aren’t moving, the rest of their high-paid players have M-NTCs.
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Pierre LeBrun (TSN): The Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes have both inquired on Jets forward Patrik Laine.
BLH’s Thoughts: Carolina is in a great position to bring the high-scoring Finn in and reunite him with Sebastian Aho. They could offer Brett Pesce and Vincent Trocheck to start and work from there.
- Rob Rossi (The Athletic): Brian Dumoulin could net the Pittsburgh Penguins a 1st round pick if they opt to trade him.
BLH’s Thoughts: If Dumoulin could get the Pens a first, surely Oscar Klefbom could get that and more… If I was GM Jim Rutherford though, Dumoulin wouldn’t be the player I was trading if my intention was to keep my club in the playoff race for another year.
The Oilers Speculation
I fully expect to be reading about some Oilers transactions in the next three to seven days as the Stanley Cup playoffs come to a close and the entry draft approaches. I’m thinking we’ll get an update on Jesse Puljujarvi and maybe some minor moves to set up the draft and free agency.
The fact of the matter is, as soon as the Cup is awarded, the clock starts ticking and if the Oilers intend on improving over last season, they’ll need to get on it ASAP. And this might mean moving some players who’ve been with the club for a long time and have deep roots embedded in the community. Could that Be Zack Kassian or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom may very well be candidates to be moved too…
It might also mean a trade that doesn’t look great from the onset but will help the team down the road like bringing OEL to Edmonton and trading for Matt Murray.
First, Ken Holland needs to sort out some of the contracts on the team in order to give himself some canvas to paint with.
