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!

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The Athletic (Mitchell)

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Lowetide: What should the Oilers expect from Cody Ceci in his first season?

• Oilers fans will remember Cody Ceci as a member of the Ottawa Senators, where he played tough minutes at a young age and struggled.
• Some might recall his one year in Toronto, where Ceci played fewer minutes against elites and had much better results.
• Ceci had an interesting season five-on-five, finishing ahead of Kris Letang in points per 60 (1.23 to 1.22) while playing second or third pair with Matheson.
• Ceci looks like, and at times the results resemble a shutdown defender. He is not that player type, though. He’ll bring more offence than Larsson, but in shot and goal suppression the difference is notable. 
• It’s safe to conclude that Ceci will improve the puck movement and contribute more at five-on-five than Larsson, but will also allow more shots (and opportunities) than Larsson would have if he turned in another healthy season.
• Ceci’s skill set matches the description of a two-way defender, so viewing him as a replacement for Larsson is unwise.
• The contract is long but affordable, and if it comes to it, tradable.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve been reading and hearing, for what seems like years now, that NHL defenses should be chalk full of puck movers. Well, we’re going to see if the analytics community is right. It didn’t exactly work for the Avalanche in the playoffs last year, but that’s only one year and Vegas worked them over pretty good. 

I’m taking the piss a bit here because Vegas simply outmuscled Colorado and the refs put their whistles away amongst other issues. All I’m saying is that the absence of a cycle breaker beyond Darnell Nurse is going to be felt. That said, nobody is saying that one of Edmonton’s dmen won’t emerge as the club’s new defensive stalwart or that the fancy stat ultras won’t be right and having more puck movers on defense will translate to more goals. 

I like Ceci, he’s got good size, he gets around the ice well, he’s improving with experience, and he’s a player that the Oilers can move up and down the lineup. He’s a defenseman that provides the club some flexibility in multiple facets and to me, I can’t find fault in that.

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The Cult of Hockey (Leavins)

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The curtain draws open wide on Ryan McLeod’s Edmonton Oilers career

• Certainly, a player with skating skills that approach an elite level.
• He is a young prospect with remarkable defensive instincts for his age.
• Related but not, he was also just a shade under 51% in the face off circle.
• And we also witnessed an impressive amount of ice in his veins, given how reliable he was down the stretch and in the playoffs. 
• To my eye, taking a more direct line to the net would really help in the production department.
• McLeod seems poised to play with better wingers than we’ve seen on the Oilers 3^rd Line in some time.
• …a hint that the Oilers are serious in giving McLeod an even shot at the full-time job is the off-season chatter than Kyle Turris (the only other serious contender for one of those 4 center spots) may spend most of camp at Right Wing.
• PROJECTION: Ryan McLeod is likely to break camp in either the 3 of 4C slot, depending on how the battle with Derek Ryan goes. But the opportunity very much seems to be there for McLeod to grab.

BLH’s Thoughts: Who do you think will be Edmonton’s 3C in 2021-22? I feel like it should probably be McLeod going off of TOI because he’s got the physical traits and with Ryan’s age, the team might want to pick their spots with him. 

When McLeod gains more confidence and man strength, I think we’ll see him drive the net more often. It’s not something that’s brought him success in the past mind you, but once he gains a familiarity with the league and establishes himself on the team as a full-time member, he’ll start to take more risks. 

Until then, I’ll be happy to see him use that elite skating and those soft hands to be one of the team’s best defensive hockey players on the ice at any given time. 

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NHLTradeRumor.com

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• Earlier this offseason NHL Trade Rumors was reporting New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald was looking to trade P.K. Subban.
  • With one year left on his contract, Subban makes $9 million against the cap so the Devils would need to retain salary to make any trade realistic.
  • Some reports have the Boston Bruins interested in a Subban trade. 
• NHL Trade Rumors earlier this offseason had the Ottawa Senators interested in a Tomas Hertl trade.
  • Lyle Richardson of SI.com reports Hertl is entering the final season of his four-year, $22.5-million contract.
  • Richardson went on to say Hertl could command between $7 million and $8 million on the open market next summer. 

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Edmonton Sun (Matheson)

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What does Kailer Yamamoto get after Joel Farabee signing?

• …the Philadelphia Flyers signing of winger Joel Farabee, with no leverage and almost identical NHL stats to Yamamoto, to six years and $30 million, certainly is a “whoa, what’s up with that?” moment.
  • Farabee, 21, who has one year left on his $925,000 entry level deal, has 59 points in 107 NHL games. Yamamoto, 22, who has completed his three-year first NHL contract, has 52 points in 105 games.
• …the best Yamamoto might get on a bridge contract is in the range of what Luke Kunin has left ($2.3 million) on his deal, or the $2 million for two years Tyson Jost is getting in Colorado now.
• …the cap-starved Oilers, with 14 forwards (including their best farmhand Tyler Benson) already signed, might be looking more at Jesse Puljujarvi’s $1.175 million because Yamamoto has no leverage here.
• With camp opening in three weeks, the Oilers clearly hold the hammer. They will get something done, either for one or two years for the 160-pound winger, although Casey Mittelstadt’s three-year contract for an average of $2.5 million with the Sabres is maybe in play too if they get around to talking three years.
• Yamamoto is still the No. 2 RW behind Puljujarvi, but if they want to move Zack Kassian up to give them more size in the top six because Kassian, as one pro scout says, “is more alert playing with skill players” then Yamamoto could be the third-line RW because of his compete level.

BLH’s Thoughts: For the love of Pete, Jimmy! What are ya thinking with this one? Farabee and Yamamoto aren’t comps! They’re not even similar hockey players. There’s no way Killer gets that kind of scratch after shitting the bed last year. 

Oilers GM Ken Holland has found a way to get most of the players who’ve signed with his club this summer to take a bit of a haircut. I’d argue that Darnell Nurse should’ve signed a deal closer to what Colton Parayko makes, but that’s a conversation for another day.

That said, Middelstadt’s deal looks like the ceiling on any new bridge contract for Yamo and you know what? I wouldn’t be shocked one bit if he actually ended up signing something closer to what Pulju makes. That’s a good shout from Matheson there. 

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Oilersnation (Lewis)

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Predicting The Pacific

1. Vegas Golden Knights – “Vegas will be rolling with a very similar group this year as they did last, so it’s safe to assume they’ll be good again. The big question is whether Robin Lehner can carry the load without Fleury.”

2. Edmonton Oilers – Edmonton’s roster appears stronger this year than last, but the wild-card yet again will be goaltending. Can Mike Smith be as good as he was in 2021? Will Mikko Koskinen rebound?

3. Seattle Kraken – Seattle didn’t have as exciting of an Expansion Draft as the Golden Knights did a few years ago, as they didn’t make any side deals with other teams, but they seem to have put together a pretty good roster. After what Vegas did and has continued to do, I wouldn’t ever bet against an expansion team.

4. Calgary Flames – A huge season from Markstrom could certainly help the Flames rebound, but they aren’t a stronger team this year than last. Not having Giordano will surely be a huge loss for Calgary.

5. Los Angeles Kings – L.A. still has a couple of cornerstones in Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty which is a great foundation for their wealth of young players breaking into the league. Gabriel Vilardi, Tyler Madden, Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Quinton Byfield are in the mix to make a difference this season, giving L.A. serious breakout potential.

6. Vancouver Canucks – The key to Vancouver’s season in 2021-22 will be how OEL looks in new scenery and how Pettersson, assuming he signs, bounces back from an injury-riddled year. It’s not easy to be optimistic about this group after last year.

7. San Jose Sharks – The Sharks are a mess. They’ve now missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, and, if they miss again this year, it’ll be their longest drought in franchise history. It’s difficult to see the Sharks bouncing back with their current group, which certainly isn’t getting any younger.

8. Anaheim Ducks – Anaheim didn’t do much this off-season so the only way they’ll have a better showing in 2021-22 is if young talent like Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras have huge, breakout seasons and John Gibson is unbeatable in net.

BLH’s Thoughts: If the Canucks can get Hughes and Pettersson signed, they’re going to be a dangerous club. They’ve got OEL and Garland coming in to bolster the forwards and defense, Vasili Podkolzin will be on the club and he’s going to be fantastic, and Jaro Halak should really shore up the goaltending where Holtby failed last year.

I don’t know why folks are sleeping on them. COVID screwed them last year and they still performed decently. I think they’ll be in the playoffs and Seattle will miss out. But they’ve got to get their big RFAs signed… 

1.Vegas 2.Edmonton 3.Vancouver 4.Calgary 5.Seattle 6.LA 7.Anaheim 8.San Jose

I’ll go with those predictions for now!

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NHL Trade Talk

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• If the Montreal Canadiens elect not to match the offer made by the Carolina Hurricanes for center Jesperi Kotkaniemi — talk is that they are shopping the compensatory picks around the NHL in their seven-day window — the groundwork for a deal between the Calgary Flames and Canadiens once the player is moved would be laid.
• That could lead to an opportunity for Calgary to pick up a first-round selection, with the the Canadiens receiving Sean Monahan in exchange.

“Perhaps a change of tune would be good for Sean Monahan, who posted lower stats than he’s accustomed his teammates to in his eight years with the Calgary Flames. Author of 10 goals and 28 points in 50 duels in the last campaign, Monahan had a year of 82 points in 78 games in 2018-2019.” – TBA Sports (translated)

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Oilersnation (Brownlee)

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Waiting on Kailer

• Is it possible there’s an NHL GM out there who would consider submitting an offer sheet to Kailer Yamamoto of the Edmonton Oilers? Sure, it’s possible, but it’s only slightly more likely than me ending up on the cover of GQ Magazine.
• Yamamoto, 22, doesn’t hold the cards, Holland does. That much has been duly documented. Yamamoto tallied 8-13-21 in 52 games last season, but he scored just one goal in his last 25 games. He’s coming out of his entry-level contract, one that held a $1.24 million AAV. He doesn’t have arbitration rights.
• Going into training camp, Yamamoto is in the mix on the left side with Jesse Puljujarvi, Josh Archibald and Zack Kassian. Where he fits is up to reasonable debate.
• With three weeks remaining before training camp opens, the best thing Yamamoto and Barry can do is get the ink done and eliminate any distractions well before players filter into town.
• Common sense says a two-year bridge deal gets it done. Spend two seasons showing Holland exactly why the next deal should include bigger numbers and a longer term.
• My sense is the shelf life for stories about Yamamoto’s contract status, offer sheets included, is another week at most.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m in agreement with Mr. Brownlee. The longer Killer waits to get this deal done, the more adverse of an impact it could have on his season and he really needs to have himself a good year so that he can cash in on his next deal, right? Selfishly, I’m getting tired of talking about the reasons why he hasn’t signed yet too.

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The Cult of Hockey (Staples)

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Edmonton Oilers newcomer ranked as a top “sleeper” of the year in the NHL

Pete Jensen (NHL.com) on Zach Hyman going into the 2021-22 NHL season:

• “Hyman is coming off the highest points-per-game average (0.77) of his six NHL seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs and has even more fantasy appeal after signing a seven-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers.”
• “He will likely play on one of the first two lines with exposure to one of the top five fantasy players in either center Connor McDavid (led NHL with 105 points in 56 games last season) or Leon Draisaitl (second in League with 84 points).”
• “Hyman, mostly an even-strength scorer for Toronto, has untapped potential if he lands a first power-play role with the Oilers and brings strong hits coverage (1.4 per game in NHL career).

David Staples Take:

• The Sports Forecaster has Zach Hyman at 61 points in 78 games this year.
• If he’s going to reach 61 points, he’ll have to get power play time as well. But he’s at the front of the line for such a role in Edmonton.
• Edmonton’s top-level power play has been powered, in part, by two unsung players, net front wingers James Neal and Alex Chiasson.
• With Neal gone and Chiasson possibly on his way out, Hyman is the top candidate to get their power play minutes, though Jesse Puljujarvi will also push hard to claim that power play spot.
• The success of Edmonton’s power play hinges on finding someone else who can bring all that Chiasson did. That player doesn’t have to score a lot but he’s got to be a master of every trick of net-front battles and have an acute understanding of his real role, which is to do copious amounts of dirty work so that McDavid and Draisaitl can shine bright.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve voiced my concerns about Puljujarvi losing his spot on the first unit PP with the addition of Hyman to the lineup, but maybe I’ve been a tad impatient with my opinion. What very well may end up happening with that net-front role is that Jess and Hyman share the duties. Correct me if I’m wrong, but did James Neal, Alex Chiasson, and Pulju not share that role this past season?

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Spector’s Hockey

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FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: With Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier and Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov getting new contracts last week, George Richards wondered if Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov could be next to sign a lucrative long-term extension.

• It’s believed he’ll get more than the $7.75 million per season that Couturier and Svechnikov will receive.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple looked at what other moves could be in store for the New York Islanders after officially announcing new contracts yesterday for Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, Kyle Palmieri and Ilya Sorokin.

• Staple points out general manager Lou Lamoriello still hasn’t replaced Nick Leddy on the left side of the Islanders’ blueline.
• The Seattle Kraken has a surplus of left-handed defensemen but there hasn’t been much discussion between the two clubs. 

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Oil on Whyte (Courville-Lynch)

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Two Kailer Yamamoto Potential Trades For The Team

• Trade rumors and mock trades have been popping up all over social media as fans began to speculate if Yamamoto wants more than the Oilers can afford.

Mock Trade #1

Oilers Acquire: Jake Debrusk (50% Retained)
Bruins Acquire: Kailer Yamamoto

• This particular trade would free up some cap space for the Oilers, as the Bruins take on 50% of Debrusk’s contract to bring in Yamamoto.
• Putting Debrusk alongside a top 5 player in the NHL in the starting lineup and with him likely getting some powerplay time, his offensive impact would change drastically.

BLH’s Thoughts: There’s a part of me that is intrigued by a trade involving these players. Jake going home to Edmonton to play for the Oilers would be a good story and Kailer, being American, heading into a US market to a team that could use an injection of youth along with his tencacious game spells “Bruins Hockey” to me.

Edmonton wouldn’t have to play DeBrusk in Yamamoto’s spot, they could slide Zach Hyman over to his strong side and put Jake up with Connor, right?

One could make the argument that DeBrusk needing to be qualified at over $4M next off-season could be a sticking point but conversely, if Yamamoto signs a one-year bride deal and then proceeds to have a very good season could price himself out of Edmonton.

On the other hand, the Bruins have David Pastrnak, Craig Smith, and Nick Foligno in their top-nine. They’d probably need to shuffle some bodies to shoehorn Killer into their lineup.

Mock Trade #2:

Oilers Receive: Tomas Hertl
Sharks Receive: Kailer Yamamoto, Zack Kassian(25% Retained), 1st Round Pick

• …if I was Ken Holland, I’d be all over the Sharks if the rumors about Hertl being available are true.
• Hertl can play both Center and wing. Having someone you can put almost anywhere in your lineup is crucial.
• The Oilers would have to move around some serious money to make this work as Hertl makes north of $5 Million a season, but if Hertl was an Oiler, they could easily be more than just a first-round and done team.

BLH’s Thoughts: Nope. He’s going to be a $7M or more player in the summer and San Jose will be looking to hit a home run when they trade him. Hell, they might even try to hide Evander Kane in Hertl’s luggage where ever they send him. 

So, maybe if there’s a team willing to take Kane with Hertl, the price of acquisition will be lower. If not, Doug Wilson will be looking for a very handsome return on the Prague native. I’m thinking a couple of grade A prospects and a 1st rounder, if not more. 

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Lowetide.ca

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NO TIME TO THINK

BRENDAN PERLINI

• What kind of player is he? A big winger with goal-scoring ability, he’s fast but one dimensional. Based on the numbers, I’d estimate he’s a member of the Zack Kassian family as a checker.
• What kind of season did Perlini have for Tippett? The season was 2016-17. Perlini was shy offensively five on five (1.25 pts-60) but did score goals (.83 goals-60) in that game state. His possession numbers weren’t good, and relative to teammates he was subpar throughout his NHL career to this point.
• Why was he available? Middling results at the end of his NHL time but he only missed 2020-21 so it isn’t like he’s been away forever. His last good scoring season was 2018-19, when he had 14 goals in 68 games.

BLH’s Thoughts: My expectations for Perlini are quite low. If he comes to camp and tries to play the game that gave him a little bit of success in junior, it’ll be a short stint with the club and he’ll be in Bakersfield lickity split. 

He should give Sam Gagner a call and get some advice from him because Sam did a fine job of pivoting his style. Nowadays, he’s a fantastic bottom-six forward for the Red Wings for no other reason than he’s decided he’s going to be the hardest working player on the ice at all times and he’ll block a shot buck naked if that’s what the coach wants. 

Perlini’s got the wheels, he’s got the size and the shot, but he needs the other intangibles and most importantly, he needs the want. Holland and Tippett are throwing him a bone here, he’s got to take advantage of it or come to the realization that his NHL dream could be over at 25 years old. 

NUGE AT CENTER?

• Nuge at center would require a significant step up on the wings by some unproven types, or veterans who have been flagging would need to turn back time.
• I think you’d need to keep Hyman on left-wing to make this work, and would love to see a stronger option for No. 3 right wing. It does open up the idea of bringing in a winger on a PTO, and as always there are more wingers than centers in the free-agent pool.

BLH’s Thoughts: I think we’ll see Nuge playing center more times than we expect in 2021-22. It just makes sense to move him to the middle if Coach Tippett wants to put The Hart Foundation (Draisaitl/McDavid) back together from time to time (aka every night and more so when their behind on the scoreboard). 

As for a full-time position, not unless Ryan McLeod is really struggling. 

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NHLRumors.com

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Vince Z. Mercogliano: Have been saying for a year now that if San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl is available for trade, he makes so much sense for the New York Rangers.

Rob Williams: A report out of Russia has a KHL team making a contract offer to former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen.

Jimmy Murphy: Have been hearing that there are multiple teams interested in New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban.

Larry Brooks: So if the Carolina Hurricanes really do have a multi-year contract extension agreed upon at around a $4 million AAV for Jesperi Kotkaniemi (report here) – if the offer sheet is not matched by the Montreal Canadiens – isn’t that circumvention?

Kevin Kurz of The Athletic: Another issue facing the Sharks this offseason is Tomas Hertl, who is entering the final year of his deal. Will he want to sign a long-term contract extension?

• Using the Max Pacioretty trade to the Vegas Golden Knights as a comparable, the Montreal Canadiens received Nick Suzuki and a first-round pick.