Edmonton Oilers Talk: One Pundit Says Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Bouchard, and Samorukov Could be Destined for Futures Outside of Edmonton

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

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Lowetide.ca

BRAND NEW DAY

I like the top two lines, and am heartened by the Foegele and Ryan additions to the third line. If that group can get close to 50 percent in five on five goal share, this Oilers team is going to look much better in 2021-22.
On defense, the top pair should perform as a year ago, and the five-man unit had success. I’ve seen numbers on Keith that are positive in moving the puck, but Cody Ceci as his partner screams third pair and I do believe that might be where things happen for these two.
What does that mean? I think the Oilers need one more defenseman. Left side, to partner with Evan Bouchard on what will be the second pair pdq. I think Ryan Murray is the best option out there. We wait.
History tells us that Jesse Puljujarvi, Tyler Benson, Kailer Yamamoto, Dmitri Samorukov, Stuart Skinner and Evan Bouchard are perhaps not destined to spend the heart of their careers in Edmonton. That’s a cynical take, but there’s something about human nature that puts more value on what you personally have experienced than things you’ve inherited.
Ken Holland will place higher value on Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway and Xavier Bourgault because his management and scouting team arrived at those destinations. That’s human nature. Getting mad is not the answer, and replacing the general manager only means more orphans.
The Oilers have been sending away Andrew Cogliano and Jeff Petry and now Ethan Bear for most of this century. Jason Chimera was traded that way, and on it goes. There are many ways to win, my preference is draft and development. I don’t think the Oilers have been in that business since about 2005, although one always hopes and Bear was a true example of how things should work. Maybe Broberg spends his career in Edmonton, or Savoie.

BLH’s Thoughts: After going through Ken Holland’s trade history with the Red Wings, he has dealt away a lot of youth in his time as a GM but I’d say that most of those players weren’t 1st rounders and if they were, they were almost always defensemen (like in the Chelios and Schneider deals). He moved a shit ton of players who were picked after the first round though and he also had no problems moving actual draft picks. This we know since he’s done a bit of that since joining the Oilers.

So as much as I could see him trading Pulju or Yamo or Bouchard, I could see him holding on to them as well because he sees the value in having 1st round selected skaters on his roster. Also, with the salary cap in place, dealing youth for expensive vets is harder than ever.

The Athletic (Allan Mitchell)

Lowetide: Warren Foegele acquisition possible key to improving the Oilers third line

Foegele’s talent is a great fit for the Oilers. His acquisition may signal the first step in solving a roster problem that has been a major issue for over a decade. That problem is a No. 3 line that can outscore opponents at five on five.
Foegele is a player with a great deal of utility. He has size at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, ample foot speed and a rambunctious style. He’s aggressive and versatile enough to play up and down the depth chart at left wing.
Foegele is a better player than the men who were deployed on the third line by coach Dave Tippett in Edmonton a year ago, but Jordan Staal isn’t coming with him so Holland may need to add another piece over the season.
Across the NHL, among forwards who played 50 or more minutes during 2020-21, Foegele finished with the best shots-against per 60 (30.92) and second-best goals-against per 60 (1.1) according to Natural Stat Trick.
If we’re dealing with the new roster additions and looking for future success, the ideal solution is to match Foegele and Ryan with Josh Archibald and elevate Edmonton’s new No. 3 line.

BLH’s Thoughts: Before the Oilers acquired Foegele, I’d heard and read a bit about him but he wasn’t all that interesting to me. That said, now that I’ve watched some more of him and dug into his game a bit more, I’m excited to see what he’ll bring to Edmonton’s third line. That remark by LT about Jordan Staal not coming along does tell me that there may be a slight learning curve for Foegele as he gets started in Edmonton. Ryan McLeod or Derek Ryan will not be able to rag the puck in the offensive zone like Staal does in Carolina, so it’s worth keeping an eye on to see if the young winger is reliant on a center who can do that or can he adapt and thrive alongside a more slick playmaking pivot.

Spector’s Hockey

NHL Rumor Mill – July 29, 2021

THE ATHLETIC: John Vogl provides an update on where things stand with the Buffalo Sabres’ efforts to trade Jack Eichel. The Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers could still be in the mix but the Minnesota Wild have dropped out. The Los Angeles Kings’ free-agent spending spree (Phillip Danault, Alex Edler and Andreas Athanasiou) takes them out of the equation.

Hailey Salvian wonders if the Calgary Flames could be positioning themselves to make a bid for Eichel with $12.9 million in cap space.

Eric Stephens observes the Ducks can afford Eichel if general manager Bob Murray can convince Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to take back a salary in return, suggesting Adam Henrique or Rickard Rakell as options. He anticipates the Ducks would also have to part with a promising young center (other than Trevor Zegras) and their 2022 first-round pick as part of the return.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford reports a source believes the St. Louis Blues are diminishing Vladimir Tarasenko’s trade value the longer they hand onto the unhappy winger.

Rutherford believes the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils make the most sense as trade destinations. The Devils have plenty of salary cap space and would like to add a top-six forward. The Hurricanes have $15.4 million in cap space and need scoring but they must also re-sign winger Andrei Svechnikov. He also wondered if the Blues might include Tarasenko in a pitch for Jack Eichel.