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Oilersnation
Important dates for the 2021-22 NHL season
- In a joint announcement by the NHL and NHLPA, the league announced the dates for some key events in the schedule like the last possible day for the Stanley Cup Finals (June 30th), the NHL Entry Draft (July 7-8), the start of free agency (July 12th)…
- While some events like the Draft and free agency are a little bit later than usual — this is the second third straight offseason with free agency not landing on Canada Day — we’re getting a lot closer to normal than we were even last year, and it will be interesting to see if any of these dates change as the year progresses.
NHL/NHLPA signed off today on transition rules for '21-22 season, which incl. amended critical dates calendar. Most every contract deadline, including end dates, buyouts and no-trade clauses, has been bumped back a few days. (Contracts ending June 30 will now end July 12, etc). pic.twitter.com/7zFGL5IrVW
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 27, 2021
BLH’s Thoughts: July 11th will be a date to keep an eye on if Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi haven’t re-upped by then. Also March 21st is the NHL trade deadline. Hopefully May 2nd is another date that will have a significant impact on the Oilers season.
Edmonton Sun
Oilers power play still a fright for opposing teams
- While the Edmonton Oilers have Zack Kassian and Darnell Nurse to shoo the flies away from the stars, they really beat teams up on their power play with 107 goals in 127 games over the last two seasons—with Boston Bruins a distant second at 92.
- …they’re doing it, even though 10 teams including Arizona and Ottawa, have somehow drawn more than their 374 power plays.
- Over the last two seasons, the Oilers have a 28.6 success rate on the power play, almost five percent higher than Boston, St. Louis and Carolina at 23.8.
- With the NHL cracking down on cross-checking, and inevitably calling a raft of those penalties in the early going of the season, we’ll see if the Oilers get more calls.
- Darnell Nurse is healthy and wealthy, signing that eight-year $74 million contract, which got everybody’s attention around the NHL, now he also has to catch the eye of the selectors for Canada’s Olympic team blueline.
- …the left is more wide-open with Shea Thedore, Pietrangelo’s Vegas teammate, Adam Pelech (Islanders), Jakob Chychrun (Arizona), Morgan Rielly (Leafs) and Thomas Chabot (Ottawa) all in the mix along with Nurse.
- The unvaxxed Josh Archibald still isn’t a participant at Oiler practices, five days after he left quarantine… But there’s no message-sending from the team. Sources confirms he isn’t feeling right physically.
- Defenceman Kris Russell (neck issue) was back with the experienced Oiler group Monday.
BLH’s Thoughts: As long as the Oilers have as many elite offensive pieces on their club, the power play is always going to be at the top the league. Now they’ve got two very high-end net front pieces in Hyman and Puljujarvi to add to it.
Personally, I think Hockey Canada should take Nurse over Rielly and Pelech. Chabot and Theodore should be shoe-ins for the team though. Darnell has taken his game to the next level in a way that Rielly and Pelech haven’t. He’s truly a two-way threat now and he can play MASSIVE minutes as displayed in last year’s playoffs during that OT loss where he had over 1hr in TOI. Jakob Chychrun is going to be a direct threat to Nurse’s spot though… Keep an eye on that talented young man.
If a player has been infected with COVID during training camp, does the club have to disclose that information or is that only during the regular season?…
NHLTradeRumor.com
Luke Fox of Sportsnet reports the Florida Panthers should do everything in their power to sign Barkov and prevent a John Tavares situation that happened to the New York Islanders… Barkov should rightly become the highest-paid player in Panthers history. It is likely he will be looking for a $11 million/year contact… if not signed to a contract he could be playing for another team.
It was reported earlier this offseason that Tomas Hertl would rather be traded then re-sign with the San Jose Sharks. One team that had serious interest in a trade was the Ottawa Senators… It is looking like GM Wilson would like to re-sign Hertl but not to the dollar amount Hertl wants. It is likely Hertl will be traded at the 2022 NHL trade deadline.
