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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Is This Dave Tippett’s Last Year Behind the Bench?

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!

Lowetide.ca

SHARE THE LAND

 

Here are the numbers so far from Oilers prospects across the hockey world for 2021-22:

  • LC Maxim Denezhkin, Lada (VHL) 9, 1-5-6
  • LW Patrik Siikanen, JyP (Liiga) 8, 2-2-4
  • LW Maxim Berezkin, Lokomotiv (MHL) 1, 1-1-2
  • RD Max Wanner, Moose Jaw (WHL) 2, 0-2-2
  • LW Maxim Berezkin, Lokomotiv (KHL) 10, 0-0-0
  • LW Shane Lachance, Youngstown (USHL) 4, 0-0-0
  • LW Jeremias Lindewall, MoDo (Allsvenskan) 2, 0-0-0
  • RC Xavier Bourgault, Shawinigan (QMJHL) 1, 0-0-0
  • LD Luca Munzenberger, Vermont (Hockey East) 1, 0-0-0
  • RC Tomas Mazura, Providence (Hockey East) 1, 0-0-0

BLH’s Thoughts: No surprise to me that Denezhkin is racking up points in Russia’s junior league. You’d like to see him graduate to the MHL soon though and start plying his skills in a more challenging league. 

To see Siikanen performing as well as he is pleases me. It’s not easy for young players to produce in that league, but he’s on a club that is icing two top prospects for the 2022 NHL draft in Joakim Kemell and Brad Lambert. 

Berezkin looks to have started in the KHL and with nothing going he was sent to Lokomotiv’s farm team where he’s having some better luck. That’s a much better move for his development but sometimes these Russian clubs move really young kids onto their KHL rosters and let them sit. I have no idea why, but it happens nonetheless. 

Oilersnation

Off the Top of My Head
  • Duncan Keith made it known he found it “frustrating” that he had to get vaccinated against COVID 19 to play hockey. In a province that just two days earlier recorded 34 pandemic deaths, it was obvious Keith hadn’t bothered to read the room.
  • The old saying is you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Framed in the circumstances we find ourselves in, I didn’t much care for what the two-time Norris Trophy winner and three-time Stanley Cup champion had to say off the top.
  • …if Keith delivers what the Oilers are paying him handsomely for out on the ice and in the dressing room over the next two seasons, what he said Friday won’t matter a bit.
  • Ethan Bear, the price the Oilers paid to acquire forward Warren Foegele from the Carolina Hurricanes, has been paired with Jaccob Slavin to start training camp.
  • Slavin led Carolina skaters in ice time last season at 22:59 and it sounds at this point like Bear will get every chance to stay paired with him into the season.
  • It’s understandable some Oilers’ fans have been beefing about trading a potential top-two blueliner in Bear for a third-line winger like Foegele. I get the sentiment, but I have a feeling that Foegele will be a pleasant surprise where he’s slotted. There’s more here. As for Bear, let’s see if he sticks in that top pair.
  • With four goals in four pre-season games, including one in a Friday’s 2-1 OT loss to Seattle, keeping things simple is obviously working for Brendan Perlini.
  • … if Perlini’s name isn’t written in ink on Tippett’s line-up card by now to start the upcoming regular season, I don’t know what it’ll take.

BLH’s Thoughts: It’s clear to me that Duncan Keith gives zero f*cks as to how he rubs other people. If you aren’t a fan of his brand of honesty, that’s on you, deal with it. 

Me? I’m going to love every minute of it! Even when it involves my boy Yessa because there are too many folks who pussyfoot around these days. I like directness from hockey personalities when they speak. 

I see Mr. Brownlee isn’t the only one who’s skeptical of Ethan Bear’s potential. Bear could be a very good top-four defenseman, but I think it would be more fair to let him show us he’s capable of that instead of using some pretty analytics graphics. Personally, I think he’s going to be exposed playing in the Atlantic against the Capitals and Islanders, but that’s just me. I wish him good luck, but in my mind the Oilers won that trade and I don’t think it’s close. 

The Athletic

LeBrun: What’s the status of these six NHL coaches on expiring contracts?
  • Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay – Joel Quenneville is the highest-paid coach in the NHL at around $6 million. Let’s see if Cooper can get in the $5-million range at the least, which would be an achievement in the pandemic era.
  • Jared Bednar, Colorado –  It’s Cup or bust again with even more pressure to deliver. But it’s hard to complain about Bednar’s work since he took over, that’s for sure.
  • Dave Tippett, Edmonton – There are no talks going on right now between Tippett and the Oilers’ brass and that’s just fine with him… How this season goes will have a big say in Tippett’s future decision.
  • Dean Evason, Minnesota – I believe Bill Guerin intends to extend Evason when the time is right. I just don’t think the Wild GM feels there’s any hurry at this stage to get into it.
  • Craig Berube, St. Louis – I don’t think he’s in any danger, nor is there any rush to extend his contract. I suspect the season will play out for a bit before there are conversations on this front.
  • Rick Bowness, Dallas – The popular veteran coach turns 67 in January so it should surprise no one that he hasn’t had any talks at this stage about an extension, as I’ve heard. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve heard that if the Oilers stumble out of the gate that they’ll actively look to replace Tippett, but regardless, at the end of the season there will be discussions as to the club hiring somebody else.

Is that Jay Woodcroft’s music?!!!

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Irony, Roster Cuts, Expectations, 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

Josh Archibald “out indefinitely” with post-COVID myocarditis; Oilers cut 5 others

“He had a severe viral infection coming out of his quarantine. He tried to skate for a few days and just wasn’t feeling right, so we got a bunch of tests done with him. What the tests showed was that at some point this summer, he had COVID, so he tested for the antibodies and he was struggling with the viral infection. He got a bunch of blood work done and since then has been diagnosed with Myocarditis.” – Dave Tippett

  • Archibald has been in the news a lot lately as the only unvaccinated player on a Canadian NHL team. Now he’s in the headlines for contracting the illness that the vaccine was designed to prevent.
  • Said illness is notorious for its belated and/or long-term after-effects. Myocarditis being one such.
  • That roster was further slashed by five players on Sunday,
    • Cooper Marody: He didn’t get a sniff on the scoresheet in three preseason opportunities, likely sealing his fate.
    • Seth Griffith is something of an older version of Marody, a 28-year-old scoring forward capable of playing centre or wing. Griffith played the last 3 preseason games, showing some offence at times but was among those burned on a key goal-against on Saturday night.
    • Ilya Konovalov is a three-year vet of the KHL who is making his North America debut at age 23… He’s expected to share time with Stuart Skinner who remains on the big club’s roster, for now.
    • Philip Broberg and Filip Berglund have been joined at the hip since camp began, and surely will remain a steadfast pairing in Bakersfield… A natural lefty-righty duo, the high-pedigreed Broberg is very much the proactive one, Berglund the smart positional player who’ll let the puck do the work and cover off his more adventuresome partner.

BLH’s Thoughts: OH! THE IRONY!!! 

With that out of the way, get well soon Archie! 

I fully expect Marody to clear waivers tomorrow and be on his way to Bakersfield unless the Oilers can find another team and make a trade. I mean it might even happen after he clears waivers because the team acquiring him can send Marody right to their own farm team at that point. 

We can officially start to get excited for the upcoming Condors season now that Broberg and Konovalov are on their way to Bakersfield. It’s going to be a very entertaining season for Edmonton’s farm team with all of that talent suiting up for them in 2021-22. 

With Mike Smith leaving practise yesterday, I would think Stu Skinner will stay up until whatever’s ailing Smitty is cleared up. 

Oilersnation

Random Thoughts: NHL Preseason Edition
  • Brendan Perlini is turning out to be the preseason king we always love around these parts, and my body is ready to start inscribing his name on The Answer title belt if he can keep his mini heater going.
  • I know we’re not supposed to get excited about what happens in the preseason, but I am 1000% on board with what’s happening on the first line. I could be getting ahead of myself a little bit here but would you really look at the way they’ve been buzzing so far and bet against them? I wouldn’t.
  • I found myself feeling incredibly jealous of everyone that’s been lucky enough to check out a game so far.Before Monday’s game against Seattle, the Oilers unveiled their tribute to Joey Moss and I wanted to give them some quick props for nailing it. From mounting the statue at his actual height to creating an exact replica of his hand, the Oilers really went all-in on the details and I love knowing that they put this much care into creating a permanent place for Joey in their locker room.
  • Over at ESPN, Emily Kaplan wrote an article about the NHL considering its guidelines on the players’ dress code after the Arizona Coyotes announced that they’d let their guys wear whatever they want on game days instead of the traditional suit and tie we’re all used to. Does it really matter what NHL players wear to the rink? I don’t think so, but then again, I’m a guy that wears hoodies and hats no matter where I go or what I’m doing.

BLH’s Thoughts: Here’s the thing with heaters, they don’t last. Ask Kailer Yamamoto. The thing to watch out for with Perlini is if he continues to find the soft ice for chances on net as the preseason closes and the quality of competition rises. If he can keep getting that shot off, that’s a great sign. If the opposing defenses start boxing him out and he can’t get anything done, the party’s over. 

Baggedmilk is right, the Oilers’ first line is going to cause an immense amount of havoc for their opponents going forward. Not only will the have to deal with Hyman and Puljujarvi’s talents in the muck, they’ve got McDavid lurking about too… Can they score more than Colorado’s top line or Boston’s?

A fine job done by the organization with the Joey Moss tribute! What more is there to be said?

I don’t care what a hockey player wears to the rink to be honest. If he wants to wear a banana costume, give ‘er. I’m concerned with how they play on the ice, not what they do off of it (within reason).

The Daily Goal Horn

Top 5 Trade Candidates

  • It should not surprise anyone that Jack Eichel would top the list followed by Vladimir Tarasenko. Phil Kessel is most likely to soon be traded within the group. Both Johnny Gaudreau and Tomas Hertl are pending UFA’s and likely to be dealt by the trade deadline if contract extensions can’t be reached.

Johnny Gaudreau no longer talking about contract

  • One thing is clear, now that the offseason is done Gaudreau doesn’t want to discuss it… If the two sides can’t work out an extension by the trade deadline, it will be Gaudreau whose in control of his destination. That’s because his 5 team no move clause kicked in this past July.

Predators and Filip Forsberg

  • In a recent article by Gentry Estes in the Nashville Tennessean, he suggest that if the Predators opt to trade a player like Forsberg at the deadline for futures, then they will have finally committed to a full rebuild.

The Sabres, Eichel, and the Rangers

  • Reports have surfaced that the Buffalo Sabres have finally agreed to share Jack Eichel’s medicals with interested teams. This ongoing saga still has a long way to go, but for the first time, teams now have more information in order to make what the feel is a fair offer.
  • I asked around and those in the know still see the New York Rangers as the most logical destination.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: 30g for Pulju? Koski having Fun Again? McLeod to the Farm?

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

Mikko Koskinen’s hard luck 2021 is a good reminder of just who these guys really are: 9 Things
  • 9. Stuart Skinner is having an eye-opening pre-season. I’m not sure Skinner will ever be a #1 man in the NHL. But on a club that still has some cap challenges, having one of your 2 goaltenders next year just off his ELC but at the league minimum would be a meaningful turn of events.

BLH’s Thoughts: Never read too much into preseason. The sample size is too small and the quality of competition is nowhere near where it gets during the regular season.

We need to see Skinner become a dominant goalie at the AHL level and then as a backup in the NHL before we heave to much praise. 

Mr. Leavins does make a good point with regards to the financial advantages the Oilers would obtain if Skinner could work himself onto the roster next season (or this season for that matter). 

  • 8. If I am reading the tea leaves correctly, expect Colton Sceviour to sign a 2-way deal with Edmonton.

BLH’s Thoughts: I think Sceviour had to play himself OUT of a contract offer in order for this not to happen. So no big surprise here. 

  • 6. The longer I watch the 4LW battle between Brendan Perlini and Tyler Benson the more I wonder if the Oilers keep both and perhaps instead farm out Ryan McLeod.

BLH’s Thoughts: Now THIS would be a surprise. McLeod getting sent to Bakersfield would send a strong message to the young forward, “Get your shit together offensively or see yourself out.”…

Personally, I’d rather keep him on the roster and move him to the wing at the risk of losing Benson, but that’s just me. I see more potential in McLeod. 

  • 5. I didn’t like Dave Tippett’s post-game criticism of Leon Draisaitl on Saturday, after #29 had won the game (albeit a mostly meaningless exhibition tilt) with that amazing backhand pass to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins…  I generally have a lot of respect for Tippett. But I don’t remember Glen Sather winning 4 cups in this city by blaming his best players.

BLH’s Thoughts: Every player on this club should be open to critique from the coaching staff. We don’t know the whole story, do we? Maybe Tippett had already whispered something in Drai’s ear to cut out the cute shit and Leon decided to go all Fleetwood Mac and go his own way hence the public shaming.

Now, with that in mind, knowing Leon’s personality, the public criticism probably rolled right off his back. Besides, Draisaitl and McDavid are going to hear a helluva lot worse from Duncan Keith. Will Leavins question Keith’s tactics when he does it, or will the former Norris Trophy winner get a pass?

  • 2. My eyes tell me that Jesse Puljujarvi has taken another step forward… If he stays on the line with Connor McDavid and Zack Hyman, I can see Puljujarvi scoring 30 goals.
  • 1.Mikko Koskinen was excellent Saturday. If his season goes anything like last night (so, a .912 SV%) then that solves a big potential problem in the Edmonton nets.

BLH’s Thoughts: Is it the Year of the Finn? Well, no. It’s actually the year of the rat. Rat? Finn? Hey, remember when Esa Tikkanen said that Puljujarvi didn’t have it in him to be an NHL player?

Edmonton Sun

It was lonely existence for Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen last season
  •  Mikko Koskinen is coming off a winter of discontent.
  • The Edmonton Oilers goalie couldn’t stop enough pucks and couldn’t stop thinking of his wife Karolina and two kids (sons Lukas and Oscar), also his dog, back in Finland.
  • Koskinen knows he has to be much better after he was overworked in the first month of the 56-game last season when Smith had a leg injury and he played all but one of the first 13 games.
  • So far, in a small sample size in two exhibition games, Koskinen has been very sharp, against Seattle and Winnipeg. He looks like he’s having fun in the net; saves will do that, so will have his family here, again.

“In the last year it was tough with no fans, sometimes it felt like, not pointless, but we are just chasing the puck. My family is gone and the whole world is basically closed,” said Koskinen. “Now everything seems to be back to normal … I’m trying to have fun this year.”

BLH’s Thoughts: If comedian Bill Burr and Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus had a baby, it’d come out looking like Mikko and that’s no insult, those two guys are ridiculously handsome!

But facetiousness aside, Koskinen was put in a very difficult position last year after Mike Smith got hurt. Compound that with not being able to have your family around and I get it. It was probably really hard to get in the right frame of mind for his games and mentally he wasn’t as sharp as he needed to be. The club probably should’ve just gave Stu Skinner some more starts to be honest, but from their POV you’ve got to see how cutthroat things are at that level too. 

That said, it’s a new year, Koski looks rejuvenated, his family is around, and given it’s a contract season, I think we’re going to see him at his very best. 

Spector’s Hockey

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek recently looked at which notable players among the 2022 unrestricted free agents could become trade candidates later this season.

  • Florida Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov
  • Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly
  • Boston Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron
  • Calgary Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau
  • Nashville Predators’ Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm
  • New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad
  • Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

THE TENNESSEAN: Gentry Estes believes Filip Forsberg’s contract negotiations could determine the Nashville Predators’ true intentions. Trading him for draft picks and prospects will signal the rebuild is on rather than a soft reset, marking the end of an era for the club.

BLH’s Thoughts: I do wonder if Ken Holland picks one of the big upcoming UFAs and makes him a trade deadline priority this year? Mattias Ekholm would make a lot of sense to me in that you can never have enough high-end defenders on your roster heading into the post-season. 

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Red Rotten Oilers Find a Way to Defeat Jets Plus 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!

Edmonton Sun

Puljujarvi, Koskinen the story in Edmonton Oilers’ win over Jets
  • Puljujarvi, who looks like he wants the puck more this season as Connor McDavid’s right-winger, tipped in a Leon Draisaitl power-play shot, blew a 40-footer past Brick founder Bill Comrie’s boy, Eric, and was dangerous on almost every shift in the Oilers’ 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
  • Mikko Koskinen, could easily have won first star in the Oilers net, giving up an unstoppable goal by Kyle Connor, who ended the three-overtime playoff game last May on the game’s second shot. He flashed a series of big saves, many with his glove hand, until Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey beat him late in the third — both in tight with his defenders not defending.
  • While Draisaitl fed one of those incredible 40-foot backhand saucers onto Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ stick for the winner with 116 seconds left, Puljujarvi and Koskinen were the story.

“We were red rotten in front of him and Mikko was excellent,” said Oilers coach Dave Tippett

  • Tippett, while loving the winning feed after stealing the puck, was lukewarm on his overall offensive game in this one.

“He threw a lot of back-hands tonight, some to our team, some to the other team,” he said. “The problem is when that happens in the playoffs, it usually goes against you, and that’s the problem I have.”

  • Tippett said Archibald, who hasn’t been on the ice since camp started, still isn’t ready for practices.
  • Benson, who played the first four pre-season games, has a slight groin issue…
  • Evan Bouchard was out for the last shift, protecting the one-goal lead, but Tippett wasn’t raving about his play. “He’s had a good camp but he still has to get stronger and be harder (defensively). His puck play has to improve.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll say it again for those in the back, don’t fall in love with preseason performances. Jesse and Mikko might’ve had good games and Brendan Perlini really having himself some good luck, but none of it matter. 

Of course, it’s nice to see and there’s a lot to be said about gaining confidence early on, but the door can slam shut in the first week of the regular season and then that player is up the river without a paddle. 

What you want to see is consistent performances from players and that they’re doing the little things right as often as possible. Last night’s game was a tough one to watch from that perspective because there were a shit ton of mistakes made, so the coaches are going to have a bit to go over this week prior to Edmonton’s next game against the Flames.

Cult of Hockey

Player grades: Oilers finally beat Jets, led by Koski, Pulju and a touch of Drai
  • #5 Cody Ceci, 4. He was mostly fine when the puck was on his stick and/or outside of Oilers territory, but he had a tough night in his own end.
  • #13 Jesse Puljujarvi, 7. Made a big defensive play to cover off Broberg and break up a Connor-to-Ehlers slot pass that had “goal” written all over it.
  • #19 Mikko Koskinen, 8. After a bit of a slow start he was the man most responsible for keeping the Oilers close in a sloppy opening frame.
  • #37 Warren Foegele, 6. Got a chance to play on McDavid’s line… Physical, 2 hits, a quasi-scrum, a bit of attitude. Not his best game I don’t suppose, but I see a lot to like in this player.
  • #42 Brendan Perlini, 5. Didn’t score a goal for the first time in 4 preseason games, but did the next best thing when his outside shot was tipped home by Shore. Spent much of the night trapped in own end, with his 2 giveaways not helping in the possession game either.
  • #71 Ryan McLeod, 4. He only deserved half of his own -2, as he was the victim of Turris’ ill-timed line change and could only ever get as close as “also in frame”…  Again didn’t create much at the good end of the ice. 4/8=50% on the dot.
  • #75 Evan Bouchard, 4. Paired with Nurse, not always successfully… Stood up for himself in a third period scrum and viewed the game winner, scored 4-on-4, from the sin bin. Played 24:42 with 5 shot attempts, 4 giveaways and some critical words from his coach.
  • #84 William Lagesson, 3. Unable to contain his man below the goal line and allowed a dangerous slot pass that Koskinen cleaned up. Gone fishing on the Oilers one penalty of the night, when it fell to Kassian to clean up the mess… The walls may be closing in.
  • #86 Philip Broberg, 5. Had a very tough start but recovered thereafter… 3 shots on goal at one end, 3 shot blocks at the other, and no goals against on his watch.

BLH’s Thoughts: Man, that first goal was a bit of a dog’s breakfast. Nurse and Kassian couldn’t decide who was going to go for the area pass that Bouchard rimmed around the boards, so the Jets player took over, beat Darnell Nurse in a puck battle, and then Kass failed to tie up Connor and he was -1. 

Is anybody else a little bit miffed at the amount of distance goals that Edmonton has scored recently? Pulju had one last night and Draisaitl and Perlini’s shots were from the blue line with a redirection too. I can’t expect that kind of luck to continue into the regular season, but I’ll say this, I miss the days when a forward could step over the blue line and blow one by the goalie. 

The Oilers defense was in shambles all night pretty much, so one can understand why Coach Tippett was furious after the game. I noticed on multiple occasions where Cody Ceci or William Lagesson were chasing a forward up as far as their own blue line thus leaving the front of their own net unprotected. I suppose in those scenarios you’d like your centers to help out a bit more, right?

Ah well, it’s only preseason and these games are to get the kinks out. So there’s really no sense in getting our sacks tied in a knot over a meaningless hockey game. 

The Hockey Writers (Rumors)

  • The Maple Leafs have signed 18-year-old center Braeden Kressler to a three-year entry-level contract, as per agent Dan Milstein on Twitter…  Kressler attended Toronto’s training camp as an undrafted free agent. He was eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft but was not selected… He’s a crafty, but scrappy winger, but also defensively responsible. The Maple Leafs must believe he can grow into something more
  • The Florida Panthers are engaged in ongoing negotiations on a contract extension with captain Aleksander Barkov. Per sources, talks are progressing slowly, but there is optimism a deal can be reached by the start of the reg-season (which is not currently considered a deadline). – David Pagnotta, The Fourth Period
  • Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports that because Jack Eichel is refusing to take the Sabres medical advice to have the fusion surgery, he risks not getting paid and could be suspended by the team. The scribe suggests the only way to break this stalemate and to eventually get traded is to have the surgery he wants (but the Sabres are denying) anyways, get healthy and make himself attractive to more NHL teams.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers: Who Will Be Edmonton’s Breakout Player in 2021-22?

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

Edmonton Oilers cut nine more as Bakersfield Condors’ roster takes shape
  • Philip Kemp showed well in his first NHL training camp, earning a couple of pre-season games in the process.
  • Michael Kesselring is another big right-shot NCAA-trained defender who will need lots of development time.
  • Markus Niemelainen is yet a third gigantic rearguard who lines up on the left side… might even be a call-up this season should the Oilers suffer a serious injury bug on the back end.
  • Olivier Rodrigue seems to be locked in as the organization’s #5 goaltender.
  • Adam Cracknell is an old pro who will remain part of the Condors’ strong leadership group.
  • Vincent Desharnais is yet another gigantic young rearguard, in fact the gigantic-ist of them all at am imposing 6’7, 228 pounds.
  • Luke Esposito is a junkyard dog on skates. A blood-and-guts grinder, he’s a bit undersized and doesn’t skate quite well enough to challenge for an NHL job.
  • James Hamblin signed a two-year minor-league deal a season ago, and performed well un his pro debut. He got two preseason games with the Oilers, scoring a breakaway goal in his debut.
  • Brad Malone is entering his fifth year in the Oilers organization, where he saw action as an in-season recall on occasion… He’s expected to resume his role as captain of the Condors.
  • No real surprises on the list, of whom all nine players were inevitably destined for the Condors all along. In fact, all nine played for the AHL’s Pacific Division champs last season. Five of them are on minor league contracts.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m a little surprised that Niemelainen got sent down this early. I suppose the team wants to give Philip Broberg some more time and fair enough too as the young Swede’s looked better with each game. 

I need to see more of Hamblin because I’m unsure as to why the team would want to give him an NHL deal. As I said though, my viewings can be counted on a one-handed pirate with three fingers. I’ll have to send some feelers out to my sources out West and see what the word is on this young man. 

For what it’s worth, if you’re interested in keeping an eye on Edmonton’s kids in Bakersfield (the team will be quite good again this year), the AHL package is very reasonable and I highly recommend subscribing to it. My math could be off a bit, but it comes to something like $5/month or so, CHEAP! 

Edmonton Sun

Edmonton Oilers depth players waging fierce battle for jobs
  • Colton Sceviour is making the most of his professional tryout opportunity and Brendan Perlini has been turning heads from the start, creating a nice little competition with some of the existing talent.
  • Tippett is taking a hard look at the depth battle, taking the whip to all of the guys on the bubble. Sceviour played all five games of the pre-season so far and Benson played the first four before a groin issue sat him out Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. Shore and Perlini also played four of the first five.
  • While scoring goals isn’t going to be a fourth liner’s bread and butter, it’s necessary gravy on a good team.
  • Perlini’s four goals in the pre-season (and an assist on Shore’s goal Saturday night) could be what tip the scales in his favour.

“We need more than just a few guys scoring, we need to have a little more of a balanced attack,” said Tippett. “We’re not looking for 30 or 40, we’re looking for 10 or 12. If we get that, we’ll see that balance come around.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Can you believe the heater Perlini is on? Good Lord, the guy contributed to another goal last night! 

Now, am I alone in that I never see Perlini until he scores? He’s like a silent assassin! Although, that being said, I have noticed him setting up shop at the blue line in the offensive zone as a one-time option and I’m wondering if that is a play-by-design or if he’s doing that on his own?

TSN’s Ryan Rishaug said something interesting last week that stood out for me. He noted that where club is in its progression, there’s no room for young players who need time. If they’re not ready, they won’t be playing in Edmonton this year and to me, he was talking specifically about Tyler Benson… 

Benson hasn’t been cut and put on waivers yet, but the regular season is quickly approaching and with every passing day, I wonder if he’s not traded before the season starts?

The Athletic

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