Today’s news and speculation from the NHL includes notes on Brock Boeser, Josh Ho-Sang, the search for a second-line center for Winnipeg and Columbus, a possible swap between the Oilers and the Bruins, and much more!
FYI: check out the Jim Matheson trade proposal at the end of the post!
How would you feel if the #Oilers traded their first round pick (14th OV) to Ottawa for the 28th, 33rd, and 58th picks in this year's draft?
So maybe you don't get a Jarvis or a Mercer but you'd get a Brisson, Paterka, and Kleven instead.
Thoughts?
— B.L.H. (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast) (@BeerLeagueHeroe) September 22, 2020
The News and Rumors
- Jesse Granger (The Athletic): The Golden Knights 3rd jersey (gold) is expected to be ready for next season. There were whispers of a red jersey with a star logo, but that’s unlikely.
BLH’s Thoughts: A red uni with a star logo? Sounds kinda Russian-y. Not that that is a bad thing. I’m sure it would look great. Just not sure how that’d go over in the current political climate in the US.
- Satiar Shah (SN590): Would be surprised if Tyler Toffili’s deal with Vancouver got done this week. Jacob Markstrom wants to stay and could get done if the Canucks move a little.
BLH’s Thoughts: We’ve heard Markstrom could be going to CGY and DET this week. If VAN wants to keep this guy, they’d best get to it. He actually wants to stay…
- Elliotte Friedman (SN960): It’s hard to see a future with the Golden Knights and Fleury together. Teams will have interest in Paul Stastny if made available.
BLH’s Thoughts: Yeah, DeBoer really fooked that relationship up. Fleury’s agent didn’t help, mind you. I’d still love to see Fleury in an Oilers uniform if that possibility could be made real.
Paul Stastny… Not quite a top-6 forward anymore but would be a great depth third-line center on a Cup contender I feel. Kinda pricey though…
- More Friedman: Players that have a higher cap hit than actual cash payout will be of interest to teams, especially the Arizona Coyotes.
BLH’s Thoughts: Paging Ken Holland! There’s a man here to speak to you about Kris Russell.
- James Mirtle (The Athletic): The news that Kyle Clifford won’t be re-signing with the Leafs isn’t a surprise. Expect they sign some free agent veterans for very low figures.
BLH’s Thoughts: This is going to be an interesting team to watch over the course of the offseason. How many players are going to want to sign in Toronto for bottom-dollar? Especially vets. That market is a real bitch if the club isn’t on top. My feeling is that the vets will see what Dubas does and go from there. If the Leafs can get themselves a real upgrade on defense, that might be enough.
- Arthur Staple (The Athletic): Josh Ho-Sang’s agent via text says his client still wants to play in North America and hasn’t signed in the KHL. No word on if the Islanders want him back.
BLH’s Thoughts: Do we really need official word regarding the Islanders opinion of Josh Ho-Sang? Why that guy hasn’t left the team by now is beyond me. He’s basically thrown his career down the toilet trying to push on a closed door.
- Bruce Garrioch (Postmedia/TSN): Senators coach DJ Smith says that they don’t plan on naming a captain for next season. “It’s a real tall order for a young guy to be captain in a rebuild.”
- Aaron Portzline (The Athletic): Four centers that are widely believed to be made available: Tyler Johnson (TB), Derek Stepan (ARI), Max Domi (ARI), and Jack Roslovic (WPG).
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m curious why Arizona would want to move Stepan when he’s only making $2M real money next season…
As an Oilers fan, would you send a first to TB for Johnson if they ate half of his salary? He’s a very versatile forward and Kailer Yamamoto’s mentor. Something to think about…
- Dan Kingerski (Pittsburgh Hockey NOW): Brock Boeser isn’t entirely on the trade block. Asking price is a legit top-4 d-man. “At least one Eastern Conference powerhouse has kicked the tires.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I’d be willing to bet that the Carolina Hurricanes (who have a plethora of defenders available) are the ones asking about Boeser.
Oilers/Canucks fans, Nurse for Boeser, who says no?
The Oilers Speculation
So quite a bit on the Oilers in the last 24 hours.
- Big congrats to Leon Draisaitl for sweeping the NHL awards! Maybe we should call him Leon Trisaitl since he won the Art Ross, Hart, and Ted Lindsay?
- It looks like the Oilers gauging the market on Zack Kassian. If it weren’t for the pandemic and the resulting flat-cap, they’d probably give him another season but, I feel, that new contract of his is having a bit of an adverse effect on Edmonton’s ability to do business and if the right deal were there maybe that’s something they’d look into.
- Teams like Arizona, Florida, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh could have interest in Kassian because he’s only paid $2.5M in real money (cap hit of $3.5M) next season and those clubs are looking to implement a hard internal salary cap next season.
- Bob Stauffer (630CHED) threw out an Alex Chiasson for Anders Bjork (BOS) proposal on his radio show this morning. He’s mentioned in the past that Edmonton and Boston could be potential trade partners due to the fact that the Bruins have a surplus of LWers and Edmonton has more RWers than it needs.
- If that Chiasson/Bjork deal went ahead, it would save the Oilers around 600k.
- Another bit of business I’m hearing is that all signs ARE pointing to Jesse Puljujarvi signing in Edmonton on a 1yr deal worth between $1.05M and 1.4M. Give or take a few thousand. No time frame was mentioned there and things could always change, keep that in mind.
- As for the Oliver Ekman-Larsson rumors, it appears that the only way he’ll be coming to Edmonton is if Arizona eats some of his deal.
- The Oilers want equal money in and out in this transaction and Bob Stauffer mentioned that Edmonton will need to be able to send about $6M to the Coyotes in order to make this happen.
- So if Arizona takes on $2M annually and sends the now $6.25M OEL to the Oilers, Edmonton could hypothetically send a first-round pick, Kris Russell, and Alex Chiasson (or JJ Khaira+Dmitri Samorukov) back the Coyotes’ way.
- Did you hear Jason Gregor (TSN1260) ask Ryan Rishaug if Jimmy Howard could possibly replace Mike Smith as the backup in Edmonton next season? Good Christ… I damn near puked in my mouth a little when I heard it.
- If a GM can’t find a suitable goalie during the offseason this year at an affordable rate, they’re doing something very wrong…
- Speaking of goalies, Postmedia’s Jim Matheson sent out a trade proposal of his own, a good defender (Klefbom/Nurse presumably), Mikko Koskinen, and Jesse Puljujarvi for Anaheim’s John Gibson…
- Personally, I think the Ducks give that a hard no. I get that they’re trending into a rebuild but if they lost Gibson, that club would really be lost. No disrespect to Koskinen, but he’s not Gibson.
- I have heard that Anaheim is looking into the values of Ryan Getzlaf, Cam Fowler, and now Gibson apparently…
