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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Which Oiler is the Most Likely to be Traded?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

The Athletic

NHL trades to watch for: One player on all 32 teams who will end the season on a different roster

Edmonton Oilers: Mikko Koskinen

The veteran goaltender is in the final year of his contract and the Oilers will need an upgrade in goal to go on a long playoff run. Koskinen’s $4.5 million salary won’t be as gargantuan by the trade deadline – whether for an acquiring or for the Oilers if they’re retaining money. One obstacle, however, is Koskinen’s modified no-trade clause, which allows him to block a deal to half the league. -Daniel Nugent-Bowman

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll tell you this right now, if Koskinen is rolling, Holland will stick with him. In fact, I don’t think that the big Finnish netminder is the most likely to be traded. I reckon it’s going to be one of the fringe guys like Benson, Turris, Kassian, or Russell. 

Sportsnet

NHL 2021-22 Pacific Division season preview: Can anyone topple Vegas?
  • At the high end are the Vegas Golden Knights, a perennial contender since the day they arrived in the NHL four years ago. The Edmonton Oilers are in a tier below, solidified as a top notch regular season team, but with lots to prove in the post-season.

EDMONTON OILERS

2021 season outcome: 35-19-2, Second in North Division, Eliminated by Winnipeg in first round (4-0)

Notable off-season roster additions: Zach Hyman, Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, Duncan Keith, Cody Ceci

Notable off-season subtractions: Dominik Kahun, Jujhar Khaira, James Neal, Adam Larsson, Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones

The Good News 

  • Well, they have the best player in the world and another one who ranks right up there as well.
  • The Oilers seem to have addressed a couple of lineup weaknesses, too. Derek Ryan is in as the third line centre, a player who will get PK minutes and win faceoffs. Zach Hyman not only gives McDavid a solid complementary winger, it should also remove any need to put McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line, except in specific, late-game situations, so the scoring depth should be greater.
  • They changed over the defence, and no matter what you think of what they gave up for Duncan Keith, it was worth taking a shot on the 38-year-old in a reduced role from his Chicago days.
  • The future is still strong on Edmonton’s blue line — Evan Bouchard will be a factor this season, while Dimitry Samorukov and Philip Broberg aren’t far off — so taking a shot on experience is worth it.

The Bad News 

  • While GM Ken Holland was able to make some changes among his skaters, ideally he would have been able to bring in another goaltender as well.
  • There’s also a chance this defence doesn’t fit the bill — Cody Ceci and Keith are wild cards somewhat and how will Tyson Barrie do without contract year motivation?

BLH’s Thoughts: I’d argue that a rejuvenated Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a plus as is emerging all-star Jesse Puljujarvi. Warren Foegele will be a plus not only on the third line also with the penalty killing. 

The goaltending isn’t as much of a concern for me until it is. Until then, the defense will be my main focus and results have been mixed so far. At this point Cody Ceci is looking like the new Kris Russell but I’m willing to give him some time to find his feet and Duncan Keith is producing at a point-per-game in the preseason, so I’m not as concerned with him. 

The wildcards with this team will be Kailer Yamamoto, can he regain that scoring touch and stay healthy enough to keep his place in Edmonton’s top-six. Evan Bouchard, will the Oilers young savior defense be able to live up to expectations or is it more realistic to think that it could take a year for him to get the hang of things as a full-time NHLer?

Now, if you want to go SUPER Wildcard, where does Dylan Holloway fit in when he’s ready to go and could Dmitri Samorukov, Philip Broberg, or Filip Berglund make an appearance with the Oilers sooner than later?

Spector’s Hockey

  • TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports there are some NHL teams interested in Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel who are willing to let him undergo disc replacement surgery, others not so much.
  • THE ATHLETIC: Adam Vingan reports Filip Forsberg’s agent told him contract talks with Predators management have not started.TSN: LeBrun believes the Montreal Canadiens announcement that the future of general manager Marc Bergevin wouldn’t be addressed until after this season suggests he could be a lame-duck GM.
  • OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the long-term absence of center Colin White to shoulder surgery could have the Senators seeking a short-term replacement via the waiver wire or trade market.
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Edmonton Oilers Talk: Benson/McLeod on Verge of Being Cut, Playfair’s Four Secrets of Defending, and More NHL Rumors!

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Oilersnation

Playfair Outlines Four Area of Defending

On Wednesday Edmonton Oilers associate coach Jim Playfair was a guest on my radio show and he grabbed my attention early when he mentioned the four basic components of defending that he coaches his players.

  • Basically, being a real aggressive player at the offensive blueline. Starting our defence at the offensive line, getting pucks to the net, finding outlets in the offensive zone, trying to maintain and then support our offense. Can we jump in and join the play in the offensive zone? Can we be aggressive?
  • And off of that it’s defending to the neutral zone. Making sure we’re able to protect the middle of the ice and we’re able to reach the rush and see who is coming at us and be aware of that.
  • Then getting the forecheck stopped up and plays stopped up in our own zone. Being hard to play against. Keeping someone from the front of our net.
  • And then the breakout component. Getting pucks up to our forwards, getting pucks up and out of our zone.

Basically, I always try to work from the offensive blueline back to our net and try to make sure that those four pillars of our defencemen’s game are consistent.

BLH’s Thoughts: This was a really good interview with Jim Playfair. I think that everybody could learn something from it no matter if you’re a fan, player, or a coach; there’s lots to glean. I only posted the pertinent info to keep it short, but I really encourage you to click the link above and read the post in its entirety because there are some little tidbits on each Oilers defenseman that you’ll want to keep an eye out for as you watch them play this year. 

Edmonton Sun

McLeod on the bubble with opening rosters coming soon
  • McLeod, who looked to have a leg up on a guaranteed spot going into camp, is No. 5 centre behind Devin Shore with one exhibition left in Vancouver.
  • The six-foot-two, 207-pound McLeod is probably the fastest skater after Connor McDavid. He can transport the puck up ice, he can kill penalties, win some face-offs but to be overly physical means stepping out of his comfort zone.
  • …he doesn’t have to clear waivers so his spot on the opening 23-man roster is up in the air.

“I don’t want him running all over hitting people,” said the Edmonton Oilers’ coach. “But I’m looking at the puck battles. Getting the puck back, using your physical play and that’s not always hitting.”

  • Dmitry Samorukov, who is out six weeks after breaking his jaw Sept. 19 in an Oilers-Flames rookie game, didn’t need it wired, so he’s been able to eat solid foods. It hasn’t been a liquid diet. He’s a quick healer, he says.

“Russians are made out of special strong steel,” the defenceman joked when talking to SportsNet’s Mark Spector.

  • Tyler Benson isn’t expected to play in Vancouver. Probably not a good sign for a bubble winger.
  • We want to get Dylan (Holloway) and Samorukov acclimated. They’re in the team meetings,” said Tippett.
  • Don’t be surprised if the Oilers work some fiscal gymnastics with their 23-man roster that has to be into the NHL by Sunday for waivers and farm assignments before being finalized Monday afternoon.
  • Farmhand Philip Broberg, because of his $850,000 performance bonuses on top of his $863,000 salary, might go on the roster briefly.
  • With camp winding down, Colton Sceviour still isn’t signed but was playing in Zack Kassian’s (concussion protocol) spot on a third line at practice and it appears he’ll play Saturday.

BLH’s Thoughts: I like that Samorukov has a sense of humor that translates to well to the English-speaking crowd. 

Man, it’s hard not to get excited when a homegrown prospect starts to show some promise eh? It’s not happened all that often over the years in Edmonton and when it has, said player has usually be shipped out. 

Ryan McLeod will be an NHL player, I don’t have any reservations in saying that. What I’m wondering is if he can overcome this mental obstacle (getting in the guts of the game) that’s been shadowing him since his days in junior. He’s got almost all of the other tools to be a successful 3rd line forward I feel and what’s really interesting is that he reminds me of Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann. I think they’re similar stylistically and I’m just hoping that Edmonton takes a much more cautious route with McLeod than McCann’s previous handful of GMs because I feel like if he can up his physicality and muck game, he’s going to be a very useful player for the Oilers. All he’s got to do is hit a couple of guys real good and get some confidence and then roll with it. 

NHLRumors.com

  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: Have been told that Pittsburgh Penguins and pending UFA defenseman Kris Letang’s agents had spoken over the offseason and that a contract extension is not imminent.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs are able to offer an eight-year contract, and althought there was several $9 million (plus) UFA defenseman signings this offseason, Morgan Rielly may still be in the $8 million range.
  • Have been told that Dallas Stars and John Klingberg have had good contract talks this past offseason. Think a deal could get done in December or January as the sides narrow the gap.
  • Have been told there hadn’t been much talks between the Penguins and Evgeni Malkin this offseason.
  • If Patrice Bergeron wants to continue playing hockey, the Boston Bruins will get it done.
  • TSN: Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin is entering the final year of his contract and the Canadiens announced that his situation won’t be addressed until after this season.
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Edmonton Oilers Talk: Why Has Tippett Been Running his Top Three Lines Together So Much?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Sportsnet

Jesse Puljujarvi looks poised to make big impact for Oilers
  • This is the story of an NHL player who, off the ice, hasn’t figured out that he’s famous. On the ice, he is only beginning to show signs of a player who realizes how lethal the sum of his skills could be.
  • Installed permanently on McDavid’s right wing, Puljujarvi is poised for a massive breakout. He has four goals and six points in four pre-season games, and could be the kind of story that hockey execs dream of.

“The sky’s the limit for that guy,” said Kailer Yamamoto

  • That Puljujarvi is still an Oiler is a minor miracle, considering how the team mishandled the player through his first NHL stint.
  • …he spent a couple of shorter stints on McDavid’s wing, as a 19-year-old, but it was clear then that the young Oilers captain wasn’t interested in running a daycare.
  • Had any of the 31 other GMs offered Ken Holland a first-round draft pick in return, perhaps the Oilers GM would have traded Puljujarvi during his Finnish flight.
  • Today, Puljujarvi has learned how to use his big frame to create space and win battles. He has confidence to use a superior shot, and affixed with the best player in the game, scoring opportunities will be endless.
  • He could score 25 or 30 goals this season, and perhaps 50 down the road.

“His attitude has allowed him to make it work. He stayed positive,” said Oilers centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

BLH’s Thoughts: There are going to be some media personalities who say nobody could’ve known that Jesse would’ve turned out the way he has and to them I call bullshit. Remember all the Twitter GMs and “experts” online watching Puljujarvi score goals for Karpat and replying, “He’ll never do that in the NHL!”? Now we’re watching him do the exact same thing for the Oilers… 

World Junior MVPs rarely spit the bit and Puljujarvi wasn’t about to either. He had too many of the right attributes to become a dominant NHL player and he was mislead by people he thought cared for him. In addition to that, he had players drafted ahead of him lighting up the league in Matthews, Laine, and Dubois. So that didn’t help any. 

Folks who blame him not having the best English have only themselves to blame. Puljujarvi spent tons of time with the older Finns on the club in those early years, there was a lot of opportunity to communicate with him. 

All Pulju needed was time (and a little respect, to be honest), you could see the elite talent when he was the youngest player in the AHL and Jay Woodcroft was just telling him to go out and play his game. Every time the Oilers sent him down, he tore up that league.

So if you’re surprised by how he’s developed, there’s really not much I can tell you, I saw it coming and you should’ve as well. He was always going to pop, the question was, for which NHL team?

Lucky for the Oilers, he’s got a soft heart and chose to come back. 

The Score

Grading Oilers’ forwards ahead of 2021-22 season
  • Edmonton possesses the league’s most lethal one-two punch and has a chance in any game as long as McDavid and Draisaitl are healthy.
  • Hyman is a tremendous fit for the Oilers and could post new career highs through the first couple of seasons of his seven-year contract.
  • With Hyman joining Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, and Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers’ top six is formidable, to say the least.
  • Foegele is a useful addition to a bottom six that’s long lacked the capabilities to supplement the Oilers’ top dogs.
  • Ryan was a quiet offseason acquisition, but his defensive acumen will be a tremendous asset when Edmonton is on the penalty kill or protecting a lead.
  • Veterans like Kassian and Turris must contribute far more consistently if they’re to make a difference for the team and maintain everyday roles.
  • Grade: A-

BLH’s Thoughts: Well to say that’s better than what they scored Edmonton’s defense (D) and their goaltending (C) is a bit of an understatement. 

I will say this, I’m concerned for Killer. He’s having a hard time staying healthy thanks to his style of play and frankly, his size. I hope he regains his scoring touch soon… 

If preseason performances are somewhat of an indicator as to what might be in store for Oilers fans, it looks like the netminding is sorted. Smith and Koskinen have done very well during training camp by my eye but I would say that the defense is a bit of a project right now. 

The Daily Goal Horn

  • … the Rangers will be in on Jack Eichel up until Mika Zibanejad signs an extension.
  • Letang, 34, is entering the final season of his contract that comes with an AAV of $7.25 million… According to Pierre LeBrun, there’s a 50/50 chance he returns to the Pittsburgh Penguins next season.
    •  “A short-term deal is possible from the team’s perspective but all things being equal, I think Letang himself is willing to be patient here to see how the season plays out…This one could go either way.”
  • …the Sharks told inquiring teams in the offseason that they were still hopeful to work things out. What remains to be seen is if the Sharks will be a contender come the NHL Trade Deadline. If so, the belief is both sides will want to continue the relationship.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ya know… Cody Ceci had a pretty good year in Pittsburgh, do you think there’s a chance he’d go back if the Oilers were unhappy with his performances? Could you imagine a 2nd pairing of Letang and Keith?

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Bold Predictions, The Waiver Wire, and the Latest NHL Rumors!

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

The Cult of Hockey

Bold prediction from NHL insider: “Edmonton Oilers are going to shock everybody and win the Stanley Cup”
  • This in from NHL insider Brian Lawton, talking to Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now, saying his bold prediction of the year is that the Edmonton Oilers will win the Stanley Cup, even as Lawton has the team ranked somewhere between the sixth and ninth best team in the league.

“My bold prediction was — and I did this partly because (fellow NHL network analyst) Mike Johnston told me that Edmonton is not that good, they’re not going to do that well, they don’t have the overall depth, the goaltending they need — so my bold prediction … The Edmonton Oilers are going to shock everybody and win the Stanley Cup this year. That was my one bold prediction.”

  • Lawton makes clear he sees Edmonton ranked sixth-to-ninth, but he also sees them as a squad that could well catch fire in the playoffs and go all the way. And Lawton is correct. If Edmonton gets solid goaltending next spring, it’s got the scoring power in the line-up to win the Stanley Cup.

BLH’s Thoughts: All the Oilers have to do is get to the dance, then all the bets are off. At that point, everything falls to the goaltenders because as we know, the teams with the best netminding usually make it to the Final. 

I’m certain that Ken Holland will bring in one or two quality trade deadline assets to bolster the roster. So the skaters won’t be my worry. 

So the real question is, are Edmonton’s goalies of the Stanley Cup winning variety?

I think anything’s possible considering what I’ve witnessed to date, but if you were asking me to bet my mortgage on the Oilers winning the Cup today, I’d probably decline.

Ask me again after the trade deadline and I might change my tune though. 

Lowetide.ca

WAIVERS
  • LW Jonah Gadjovich, Vancouver. I think there’s a chance he gets plucked off the waiver wire, he’s a PF who scored 40 in his draft year and 15 goals in 19 AHL games one year ago.
  • RW Kole Lind, Seattle. A skill winger with a solid pro resume, Lind not making the Kraken is no big surprise (they have a lot of candidates for work) but Lind might be a player of interest for another NHL team looking for complementary scorers.
  • RW Alex Volkov, Anaheim. Genuinely surprised he didn’t make the team, Volkov has size and skill, he has been productive (seven goals in his most recent 37 NHL games) enough to warrant a roster spot.

BLH’s Thoughts: Bob Stauffer said on his radio show during a hit with David Staples that Tampa Bay Lightning were offering Volkov and a draft pick for Puljujarvi before he re-joined the Oilers… Man, talk about avoiding disaster… 

Interesting that Gadjovich didn’t make the Canucks. I always thought he looked like a better skating Pat Maroon. The Sharks might’ve scored a good one here. 

As for Lind, stylistically he reminded me of Ryan Smyth when he was playing in the WHL. Tough break. Lots of time for him though. 

NHLRumors.com

  • Ken Warren of the Ottawa Sun: Unless they can reach a deal real soon, it’s looking like Brady Tkachuk won’t be taking part in the Senators training camp nor pre-season games. Contract talks could drag into the start of the season.
  • Kevin Kurz of The Athletic: It’s very unlikely that the Evander Kane investigations will wrap up soon and he’ll be showing up at the arena.
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Evander Kane is under investigation for submitting a fake vaccination card. It may not be something that would allow the San Jose Sharks to terminate his contract.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: If the Sharks are not in the playoff race at the trade deadline and Tomas Hertl hasn’t signed a contract extension, they’ll have to at least listen to trade offers for the pending unrestricted free agent center.
  • The Fourth Period: Teams that have shown some interest in Eichel include the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
  • Jimmy Murphy: As of last week and not sure if things have changed, but the Los Angeles Kings have moved away from trade talks with the Buffalo Sabres about Eichel.
  • Nick Kypreos: “Some @NHL teams like @NYRangers who are in on Eichel are passed medical issues. It appears #NYR will support Jack for artificial disc replacement surgery providing they can come to terms on a hockey trade with @BuffaloSabres . No indication they’re close on a deal.”
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Edmonton Oilers Talk: 3-2 Win Marred by TWO Crowd-Silencing Moments

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Cult of Hockey

The Edmonton Oilers edge the Canucks 3-2 in a game marred by Zack Kassian injury
  • MIKE SMITH. 8. Blocked 37 of 39 in all. Looks to be in mid-season (2021) form.
  • JESSE PULJUJARVI. 5. Looked snake bit and just a quarter-turn out of synch.
  • ZACH HYMAN. 4. The effort was there, but not Hyman’s best outing.
  • DUNCAN KEITH. 6. Lots of smart little plays back there, especially deep in his own zone. Effective down low.
  • CODY CECI. 5. Ceci and Keith were pretty good together after a rough outing versus the Flames. Registered 3 shots, 2 hits and 2 blocks in 18:07. Not bad.
  • ZACK KASSIAN. 6. Fought with the Canucks’ pest MacEwan late but when Kassian slipped…his helmet-less head banged off the ice. Late word was he talking with teammates afterward.
  • TYLER BENSON. 4. A 5-alarm turnover by Tyler Benson in the offensive zone led to a 3-on-1 Vancouver jail break that Smith snuffed out with his toe. He might be in a tough spot.
  • RYAN McLEOD. 5. Above-average performance from the young Center. Just 45% in the circle.
  • WARREN FOEGELE. 6. Drew not one but 2 penalties in the 1st Period by being in the guts of the game. He, Ryan and Kassian were highly effective together.

BLH’s Thoughts: Weird game but the Oilers PP won them another one and Mike Smith played really well despite getting clattered into by Vasili Podkolzin and Zach McEwen. 

The line of Foegele-Ryan-Kassian was very effective throughout the evening and gave the Canucks defensemen fits. If the big men on this line can stay healthy, they’re going to be like a battering ram for the Oilers.

Connor McDavid was playing like somebody kicked his dog. Man, he was pissed from the drop of the puck. Not angry enough to embarrass Vancouver, but enough to get physical with some of the Canucks’ nobody players. 

Duncan Keith has two points in two games for the Oilers this preseason and in this one, he was really good I though. He moved the puck very well, he was physical, and to say his stick was active is a slight understatement. The guy was like a lumberjack with that thing… 

I feel for Tyler Benson, he finally did what I was suggesting he do a long time ago and that was pivot his playing style. Last night he was one of the more physical players on the team despite not getting a lot of TOI. He looked like a 4th line sparkplug for the most part but unfortunately his energy tailed off as the game wore on. 

For me, that performance might’ve saved Benson a spot on the roster for the time being. I’m curious if Kassian might take some time after getting knocked out cold in that fight vs. MacEwan, bloody guy keeps getting hurt in fights. So if that’s the case, Benson might get a reprieve of sorts. 

Did anybody else’s heart jump into their throats when Mike Smith took an extra minute or five to get up after a net front collision with a Canucks forward? Rogers Place was certainly quiet as Edmonton’s trainer scooted out to see if their no.1 goalie was okay. 

Ryan McLeod showed flashes of brilliance and he got himself on the PK a bit, but I’m unsure of his roster spot security. He might get sent to Bakersfield regardless. 

The Turris showcase didn’t really pan out… 

The Edmonton Sun

Zach Hyman proving his versatility with Edmonton Oilers early on
  • Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins looking like they could be one of the top two PK pairs with Derek Ryan and Warren Foegele. They will also be on the Oilers power play.
  • “That’s one of the things we talked about when we acquired Zach…he’s comfortable wherever you put him, with whomever he plays with. He’ll play the same hard game. From a coaching stand-point, you look down the bench…it’s a nice thing to have,” said Tippett…
  • Zack Kassian’s helmet came off after a fight with Zack McEwen off a face-off then a wrestling match with the Vancouver winger with four minutes left in the third. Kassian was mad that MacEwen had poked Mike Smith in the goalmouth earlier in the third with the fiery Smith looking like he wanted to scrap with the Canucks’ winger
  • The Oilers had a major scare in the first period when Canucks’ rookie Vasily Podkolzin ran over Smith after the goalie had made a remarkable toe stop on the winger. It looked like Smith may have hurt his groin on the stretching save but he got bumped in the head and trainer T.D. Forss had to come out.
  • This was Smith’s kind of game; high-paced, bodies in his face, and fiery responses from the Oiler goalie as he made 36 stops.
  • As it stands now, Brendan Perlini and Devin Shore, who didn’t dress, have the inside track on two fourth line spots.
  • McLeod and Sceviour did get some PK work as a third pair but Benson sat. He made a bad pass in the neutral zone to set up the Podkolzin goalmouth play.

BLH’s Thoughts: The fight was going really well until Kass got tied up and McEwen slammed his face into the ice… Nobody said being a tough guy in the NHL was an easy job, but preseason or not, messages have to be sent to players that are taking liberties.

Personally, I’m not sure if Podkolzin wasn’t the guy that need a message sent to. He was in Smith’s grill quite a bit last night. 

Spector’s Hockey

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there could finally be some progress on the Jack Eichel front. Sources told him ongoing discussions between Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams and clubs interested in acquiring the 24-year-old center have become more serious in recent days.

Speculation suggests one of the interested clubs is a West Coast team like the Los Angeles Kings or Anaheim Ducks though sources from those teams are downplaying their interest. Turning to Eastern clubs, New York Rangers sources say they’re not among them.

Appearing Monday on the Jeff Marek Show, Friedman said the Calgary Flames were among the teams that “really tried” to acquire Eichel this summer. He also indicated not once did anyone say to him that Eichel wouldn’t go to Calgary. He also didn’t think the Sabres could swing a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights because the latter didn’t want to part with promising center Peyton Krebs.

BLH’s Thoughts: Oh! FFS! Can we keep this guy out of the Pacific? For the love of Pete! 

How much do you wanna bet that Vegas ends up with Eichel should they stumble out of the game. The guy they’ve got lining up a 1C is a 3C on a good team… 

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