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

Edmonton Oilers Talk and the Latest NHL Speculation feat. Ritchie, Athanasiou, Foligno, DeBrusk, and More! (10/18/2020)

Speculating from an Oilers fan’s perspective, BLH comments on the latest Edmonton Oilers news as well as the freshest NHL speculation featuring players such as Nick Ritchie, Andreas Athanasiou, Nick Foligno, Jake DeBrusk, and many more!

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The News and Rumors

  • Jimmy Murphy (Boston Hockey NOW): “We know already that Sweeney has engaged in trade discussions about DeBrusk, so would there be a fit in a potential trade for Laine? What about Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, who has also reportedly been brought up in trade talks?
    • There is ongoing progress in contract talks with RFA forwards Zach Senyshyn and Karson Kuhlman.

BLH’s Thoughts: A lot of people feel like the Winnipeg Jets are destined to lose a trade with Patrik Laine. I could see a scenario where the return that the Jets get for him is one that helps them now and in the future. The pandemic and the flat-cap are putting teams in positions where they have to consider letting go of some really good hockey players because they simply make too much. 

The have barely any cap room right now but that will ease up when the put Bryan Little’s $5M+ on LTIR. In addition to that, they are scheduled to have over $30M in cap space next off-season. 

I’ll predict it now, the Jets aren’t going to get fleeced for Laine. They’re going to get good players for him. 

  • Darren Ferris (NHL Player Agent): The Vancouver Canucks are among the teams that have spoken to Athanasiou, but talks didn’t get too far. Vancouver’s preference is to add a d-man.

BLH’s Thoughts: Today’s rumors are going to be a kick in the nuts for Athanasiou. Basically what I mean is that he went to the Canucks and asked for an application for employment and they told him that they weren’t hiring. Which is a bold faced lie as you’ll soon read. 

  • Joe Haggerty (Boston Hockey NOW): “The Bruins have explored a lot of deep options on the back end for once training camp rolls around. One of those possibilities is free agent defender Karl Alzner.

BLH’s Thoughts: Maybe bring back Zdeno Chara for one more year before he retires instead of going out and bringing in a different vet at league minimum? He is the captain after all… 

  • Brooks Bratten (NHL.com): Predators GM David Poile says he is engaged daily on contracts for Luke Kunin and Rem Pitlick. He may make some small additions to fill out the AHL roster.

BLH’s Thoughts: I talked to a member of the Oilers organization just before the draft and I was saying how much I really dug Kunin and how he’d be a great add for the Oilers. This particular member of the club told me that was a pipe dream and then at the draft Kunin got traded to Nashville… 

Kids, if you don’t ask the question, you’ll never have the answer. Did the Oilers have interest in Luke Kunin but failed to ask about his availability because they thought there was no way he was getting traded? Tough break if so. 

  • Joe Smith (The Athletic): Don’t expect the Tampa Bay Lightning to be much more active in free agency. They have agreements with Pat Maroon and Luke Schenn and believe they’ll end up with a new deal for Jan Rutta.

BLH’s Thoughts: Was Tampa so afraid that they were going to lose Maroon and Schenn in the opening days of free agency that they had to get them locked up ASAP? Could that cost them when they finally go to get some of that sweet sweet cap relief by trading one of their better players? Probably… 

  • Rick Dhaliwal (TSN): The Canucks have called Mike Hoffman’s agent but the agent was told ‘we have interest but we have to move money out first.’

BLH’s Thoughts: Do you think Athanasiou was on one phone line while Jim Benning was talking to Hoffman’s camp on another one?

  • Sam Carchidi (Philadelphia Inquirer): Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher is still actively talking to teams, but the flat cap makes it challenging to add players. Focused on trying to re-sign Phillipe Myers.
  • Aaron Portzline (The Athletic): Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno is now in the final year of his contract. Both sides expect to push back negotiations until the off-season of 2021.

BLH’s Thoughts: I love Nick Foligno’s game. If Edmonton can’t get Ryan Getzlaf to sign in Edmonton next season, I’d love to see a guy like Foligno bring his game to Northern Alberta. 

  • Thomas Drance (The Athletic): The Canucks are still talking to Jayce Hawryluk’s camp. Nothing is done yet, but the sense is talks are trending in a positive direction this weekend.

BLH’s Thoughts: Jim Benning says no to blazing speed and individual creativity in Athanasiou, he says no to 30 goals from Hoffman, but he’s all giddy about getting a bottom-6 grinder all locked up?… Okee Dokee… 

The Oilers Speculation

There are a couple of players that Edmonton Oilers fans should keep an ear to the ground one,

  • Nick Ritchie (BOS)
  • Madison Bowey (UFA)

Kurt Leavins threw Bowey’s name out in his latest over at the Cult of Hockey and Bob Stauffer’s been talking about the team adding some depth the defense. Someone who will be a tweener but won’t count against the AHL’s veteran count that each club is allowed to dress each night.

I’m not going to say it’s a foregone conclusion and things change all of the time, but I would say there’s a good chance he’s part of the Oilers organization before the 2020-21 season starts.

He’ll give Evan Bouchard some competition which is something that Ken Holland really relishes in his clubs. The young guys have to earn their spots by beating out an older player.

As for Nick Ritchie, he’s been in Edmonton’s plans for a while. I think most will think of him as a bottom-6 grunt but I see him as Pat Maroon 2.0. His fancies are pretty damned good against elite competition if I’m reading the numbers over at PuckIQ.com right.

Last season in Anaheim, he played 27% of his overall TOI vs elite competition and his goal share was 81%!!! That is ridiculous.

When he was traded to Boston his GF% was 100% as he played 44.5% of his ice-time against the elites. Mind you that was only in seven games, but he was batting pretty good in 2019-20.

If we go back to his second season in the league and take a look at his goal share percentage while on the ice vs. Elites, this is what it looks like.

  • 2018-19: GF% = 53.8% (26.8% TOI/60gp)
  • 2017-18: GF% = 42.9% (24.4% TOI/76gp)
  • 2016-17: GF% = 45.5% (25% TOI/77gp)

You can take a gander at the rest of his advanced stats right here and you’ll also see that he keeps his head above water for the most part on the shot share too…

So we often hear that it can take a big man some time to find his game at the pro level sometimes. Is that what is going on with Ritchie and might we see that LW for RW trade between the Oilers and Bruins that’s been floating around since before the draft actually go down?

Look, I know there’s going to be a few of you reading this that will puke a little at the idea of putting a big oaf like Nick Ritchie on McDavid’s line but look at who Connor has had some major success with. Big brooding slow-footed wingers. Guys who can work the boards for 97. Bruising wingers who make opposing defensemen pay the price for trying to take McDavid out.

Pat Maroon is out there winning Stanley Cups and playing vital roles on those teams too. Who can honestly say that Ritchie couldn’t perform that role on the Edmonton Oilers? If this player is about to pop, Ken Holland should be all over the Bruins trying to get him.

Flip Chiasson to Boston, get the 600k in cap relief (Ritchie has one year left on his deal with just under $1.5M and Chiasson makes $2.15m) and let’s get ready to rumble.

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