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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Latest NHL Speculation feat. Point, Landeskog, Reinhart, Granlund and More! (9/8/2020)

Today’s NHL news, rumors, and speculation feature the likes of Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, Mikael Granlund, Gabriel Landeskog, the Buffalo Sabres, and more!

Tell ya what, I didn’t expect the Lightning to put up a converted touchdown on the Islanders in game one of the Eastern Conference Final. But who did?

I’m pulling for Tampa Bay as I’d like to see Pat Maroon win another cup. He’s one of my favorite Oilers of all-time. It’d be kinda cool if they brought him back for a year I reckon.

Rishaug with the mind-numbing non-comment of the day… “Jesse Puljujarvi could re-sign and return to the club OR he could be traded.”… Thanks Shauger! Brilliant stuff there :p

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

The News and Rumors

  • Winnipeg Sun writer Scott Billeck thinks that if the Jets can clear cap space, they could at least consider offersheeting Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.

BLH’s Thoughts: You’d have to think that making a trade would be the better route to go here. I mean, who are the Jets going to deal out that would make a big enough dent in the cap without creating a void in talent? Mathieu Perreault and his $4M/yr salary is the only player I can think of that might be expendable and too expensive for them. 

  • ESPN’s Emily Kaplan says the Philadelphia Flyers could trade James Van Riemsdyk to clear cap space.

BLH’s Thoughts: Similar problem as the Jets I feel. Who’s taking this guy off of Philly’s hands? He’s 31, clearly past his best, and makes $7M for the next three seasons. Best bet would be to to pay Seattle to take him at the expansion draft. 

  • According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, some teams passed on Brayden Point because at the 2014 draft his force plate results were poor. The thought was that he’d never develop into an elite athlete.

BLH’s Thoughts: This happens at every draft. I imagine stories like this will stay at the forefront of the scouts’ minds when evaluating players at the combine going forward though. 

  • Colorado Avalanche beat writer Adrian Dater was told that Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog would have missed the rest of the playoffs if Colorado had advanced. The cut just above his knee from Cale Makar’s skate was very deep.
  • Victor Mete is the most likely Montreal Canadien to be trade before the draft depending on how much interest he generates says Marc-Antoine Godin (The Athletic Montreal)

BLH’s Thoughts: The Avs just couldn’t catch a break this year. The hockey gods clearly didn’t feel it was their time. 

Victor Mete is an interesting player. I really dig what he brings to the rink and as an Oilers fan, I have hope that Caleb Jones might develop into this sort of defenseman. That being said, why would the Habs want to move on from him? It’s not like they have a lot going on along the left-side of their defense… 

  • John Vogl (The Athletic) is saying that Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart could get up to $6.5M AAV on his next deal with the club.
  • Michael Russo (The Athletic) believes there’s no doubt that Wild GM Bill Guerin will at least place calls for players like Sean Monahan (CGY), Anthony Cirelli (TB), and Max Domi (MTL) but free agent center Erik Haula is also an option for the team.

BLH’s Thoughts: Can you imagine a world where Ryan Nugent-Hopkins signs a deal that is equal to what Sam Reinhart is making?… 

How much would you like to bet that we hear about the Wild inquiring into the services of The Nuge before the puck drops on the 20/21 season?

  • Pittsburgh Hockey NOW writer Dan Kingerski is saying that the Avalanche aren’t convinced that Philip Grubauer can be their no.1 keeper and Pens netminder Matt Murray could be their solution.
  • Adam Vingan (The Athletic) is reporting that Predators 23yr old forward Yakov Trenin could head back to Russia if his next contract isn’t a one-way NHL deal. His agents says that Trenin won’t sign a two-way contract for next season.

BLH’s Thoughts: Look, if the Avs don’t want Grubauer, the Oilers would surely take him. He’d be a perfect candidate to partner up with Mikko Koskinen and share goaltending duties next year. 

The Oilers Speculation

Is it just me or do you find that using your limited salary cap room on a 35yr old minor league journeyman a tad wasteful?

Adam Cracknell was the Captain of Kunlun Red Star in the KHL and I get the need for leadership in the minors but what’s Brad Malone been down there for if not leadership? I mean, Cracknell wasn’t even .5 PPG at the KHL level and this is a player that is being deemed “suitable” in a call-up scenario?

Wouldn’t Sam Gagner be a much better fit?

Is Ken Holland doing an agent a favor here?

Maybe this is some way to get another one of Anton Thun’s clients to sign with Edmonton in the off-season? Maybe a former Oiler who’s on an expiring contract who is still playing at the moment? Well not “playing” per se, but is on a team who is still alive…

Or could it be to grease a wheel? Maybe the GM signs one of the agent’s clients who is out of contract and in return that agent floats the notion of playing elsewhere to a current roster player for whom that agent also represents?

Because I don’t think there’s any one-ice reason that the Oilers would sign Cracknell. No disrespect to him but he was barely an NHL player when he was with Edmonton previously, how could he possibly improve the organization now while on the back-nine of his career?

I believe that it wouldn’t be that hard to convince younger (more effective) AHL vets to play hockey in California, why go shopping in China for them?

I can’t see any of this being true but let’s play along for shits and giggles. It’s Casey Middlestadt for Jesse Puljujarvi again, isn’t it?… BORING!

Here are a few names to ponder for Oilers fans when it comes to the Sabres:

  • Linus Ullmark (G) – RFA
  • Casey Middlestadt (C) – RFA (w/o arbitration rights and is waiver exempt)
  • Victor Olofsson (W) – RFA
  • Rasmus Ristolainen (D) – $5.4M for two more years.

The Sabres only have four NHL forwards under contract for next season (Eichel, Skinner, Okposo, and Johansson) and I have a feeling they might want to get into the goalie market and swing for a home run this off-season. Hence why I included Ullmark on that list above plus they’ve got another netminder named Jonas Johansson in the AHL who is probably ready to go.

Middlestadt would give the Oilers some roster flexibility in that they could send him to the minors without having to worry about waivers AND when it comes time to re-up, he doesn’t have arbitration rights, so the Oilers could potentially have an impact player on a bargain contract if all went to plan. That said, the Sabres have this player now, so why give him up?

Ultimately though, I’m not sure if the Sabres are a good trade partner for the Oilers. I think Edmonton will want someone like Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Asplund, or Ukko-Pekka Luukonen for Puljujarvi and I just can’t see Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams giving a deal like that the green light. Sabres need RWs, don’t get me wrong, but Ken Holland values Pulju highly and won’t be giving him away for peanuts.

Would the 14th overall pick in the upcoming draft and Puljujarvi for the 8th overall pick be a realistic trade scenario?

Get your “Stanley” today!