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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Oilersnation (Laing)

The Edmonton Oilers have the most stressed fans in the NHL

• The Oilers, according to a study done by BetUs, came in at 29% alongside the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.
• BetUS garnered the rankings, according to the Calgary Herald, by pulling more than 100,000 tweets and message forum responses for each team. Those were then ran through TensiStrength, a tool that detects levels of stress or relaxation through short bursts of text.
• The least stressed fans of teams were the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks.

“Having not won a Stanley Cup since 1990, it’s no wonder Oilers fans are feeling the pressure.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Having not won since 1990? That’s what is stressing out Oilers fans? LOL! Shout out to all the other fanbases whose teams haven’t won a championship yet for being able to keep hold of their sanity. 

I don’t know what to say about this. Gauging a the stress level of a team’s fanbase using social media and forum posts seems like low-hanging fruit, but it is the summer and we’re still a few weeks away from training camp getting started. Everybody needs something to write about… 

The Hockey Writers (Swane)

5 Oilers Prospects to Watch in College this Season

• Skyler Brind’Amour – Over his first two years at Quinnipiac University, Skyler Brind’Amour has played every game for the Bobcats men’s hockey team, and the forward’s statistical output has been just as consistent: two goals, nine assists, 37 shots and a plus/minus of zero in 2020-21; the following season, he had four goals, nine assists, 39 shots and a plus/minus of zero in 2019-20.
• Filip Engaras – …will be looked upon to have a big senior season at the University of New Hampshire, realizing the potential that the Oilers visualized when they drafted the 6-foot-0 Swedish forward in the sixth round in 2020.
• Tomas Mazura – …the Oilers drafted in the sixth round in 2019, is at last set to play his freshman season at Providence College, nearly three years after committing to the Rhode Island school.
• Luca Munzenberger – …he will attend the University of Vermont and suit up for its men’s hockey team. Luca Munzenberger’s coach on the Catamounts is Todd Woodcroft, brother of Jay Woodcroft, coach of the Bakersfield Condors, Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.
• Carter Savoie – Edmonton drafted 100th overall in 2020, is heading into his sophomore season at the University of Denver after a standout freshman campaign in which he was a unanimous National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) All-Rookie Team selection.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m quite curious about Engaras and Mazura. We don’t hear much about these players and as a fan of the club and I’d like to. It would be an excellent sign if the club could continue to develop mid-to-late round picks.

Obviously Savoie and Munzenberger have the highest ceiling of this group, but the road to the NHL will be a difficult one for this pair as Edmonton’s organizational depth on the wings and defense is as deep as it’s been for some time.

That said, there’s no harm in taking an extended route to the pros for these college players. Just ask Zach Hyman. 

Spector’s Hockey

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wonders what Jack Eichel’s decision to change agents could mean for the Bruins if they want to trade for the Buffalo Sabres captain. 

Murphy feels that might not help the Bruins as GM Don Sweeney had a good rapport with Eichel’s former agents. Brisson has a close relationship with Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and Eichel was linked to the Habs at one point.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau recently looked at five NHL head coaches on the hot seat for the coming season.

• The Calgary Flames hired Darryl Sutter midway through last season. The club is at a crossroads right now. If they stumble out of the gate, perhaps general manager Brad Treliving seeks another replacement to save his job.
• Travis Green recently signed a contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks. However, some general managers have no problem firing a coach with term remaining on his contract. 
• The Chicago Blackhawks made a series of changes this offseason, which include the acquisitions of Marc-Andre Fleury and Seth Jones. Jeremy Colliton’s job could be in jeopardy if the Blackhawks fail to improve.
• Jeff Blashill has been coach of the Detroit Red Wings for six seasons. A lack of improvement this season could cost him his job. 
• Meanwhile, San Jose Sharks bench boss Bob Boughner could also get the ax if GM Doug Wilson decides to shake up his mediocre roster.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’d add Dave Tippett’s name to that list if the Oilers stumble of the gate or if they fail to make it past the first round of the playoffs again. 

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

Lowetide.ca

TRAINING CAMP HOPEFUL NO. 4: MARKUS NIEMELAINEN

• He was described as being a big defender with a terrific wingspan and good speed for his size, but a poor passer.
• Despite being a third-round selection, nothing that came my way for years—years!—suggested he had an NHL chance. He has an NHL chance.
• What role will he play in Bakersfield this season? Shutdown defender, penalty killer, he posted 2-4-6 in 21 AHL games but his game is about suppression.
• So he’s David Musil offensively? He’s a little more capable offensively than guys like Martin Marincin, Brandon Davidson or Musil were at the same age, but they’re all part of the same family, yes.
• What about Samorukov and Broberg? Sure, they’re in the group pushing, too. I just don’t see a clear winner from the group behind Nurse. We know Keith and Russell will be on the roster. What else do we know?
• Do you honestly believe he’ll play? Both Ken Holland and Dave Tippett have deployed this player type before, and the future of Edmonton’s defense is size and speed. He has those things.
  • Edmonton’s defensive depth chart on the LH side is fuzzy right now. Keith and Russell are older men and may not be healthy all season. Lagesson and Koekkoek will need to show they can deliver at higher levels than one year ago. Samorukov, Broberg and Niemelainen are big, fast and either ready or close to NHL-ready.
• Will he play? Barring a trade or waiver pickup, I’d say Niemelainen has an excellent chance to make his NHL debut in 2021-22.

BLH’s Thoughts: As I’ve mentioned before, Edmonton’s glaring weakness on defense is its lack of cycle-breakers since Adam Larsson joined that grunge outfit in Seattle. So I believe that’s a role with an easier barrier to entry than that of puck-mover as the club is stocked full there.

You should read all of LT’s post though, he’s got around 15 questions on Niemelainen in total worth reading about. I only chose the five I found most interesting and to the point. 

Oilersnation (baggedmilk)

• I know the most likely scenario for Dylan Holloway is that he’ll head to Bakersfield for at least the start of the season, but I wonder how long it will be before he forces his way onto the big club’s lineup.
• Would it really be that unreasonable to think that he could be with the Oilers in the last half of the season if he manages to score with some consistency at the AHL level?

BLH’s Thoughts: BM correctly notes that Kailer Yamamoto only played 50 games with the Condors before getting his permanent recall, but I’d also point out that Edmonton’s depth on the wings was pretty woeful back then too. 

So, we’ll have to see on Holloway. He’s always had a tough first year with a new level dating back to his u15 days in Calgary, so if he takes a season to find his footing in the AHL, it wouldn’t shock me at all. I think it would also be fair for Holland and Tippett to give the new acquisitions a season to find their footing with Edmonton… 

NHLTradeRumors.me

Carolina Hurricanes Send Offer Sheet To Jesperi Kotkaniemi!

• The Carolina Hurricanes have tendered an offer sheet to Montreal Canadiens forward Jesper Kotkaniemi. It is a one-year, $6.1 million deal.
• If the Canadiens decide not to match it, they will get back a first and third-round pick as compensation.
• Lastly, the offer sheet comes with a $20 bonus, which of course is Aho’s number. You can’t make this stuff up.

2 Possible Destinations For Trade Target Dylan Strome

• Seattle Kraken: The Chicago Blackhawks could use another defenseman on their team and the Kraken happen to have an abundance of them. The Kraken also would certainly benefit from adding a center on their team, too.
• Columbus Blue Jackets: Strome would also be given the chance to play top-six minutes on the Columbus Blue Jackets. With him still being quite young, he also fits into their current rebuilding stage. 

Canucks Bo Horvat is Sick and Tired of Losing

• Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat continues to say all the right things this offseason as he recently opened up about how much he hates losing,
• “I’ve been on the team, this will be my eighth year coming up, which is crazy. And I want to be in the playoffs. I don’t want to go through the motions in the regular season and be done in April. I want to be playing in the playoffs, it’s the best time to play, it’s when I find I take my game to the next level. And I think we have the team here to get there. We just have to prove it now. Enough is enough, we can talk all we want, at the end of the day we have to go out there and prove it on the ice.”
• The Canucks made a huge trade and brought in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland and also added Jason Dickinson and Tucker Poolman. Let’s see if it’s enough to satisfy Horvat. who will be doing his best to lead by example next season.

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

The Athletic (Mitchell)

Lowetide: What should Oilers expect from Duncan Keith in his first season?

What can Keith deliver this season to the Oilers playoff effort? 

• If the Oilers want Keith to deliver optimal performance, third pair deployment with a veteran like Cody Ceci is the ideal spot in the batting order.

Is the issue offensive, defensive or both?

• In looking at Keith’s numbers over three seasons, and observing his recovery time on broken plays, I think the problem is going to be foot speed.

Will Holland be forced to find an external replacement during the season?

• The bet here is that Holland will be active at the deadline. Edmonton’s 2022 first-round pick might be in play.

What can Oilers fans expect from Keith?

• A season of struggle is indicated if he’s used on the second pairing, and even though some players overcome the odds (Mike Smith a year ago) and perform at unusual levels, the smart play with Keith is third pair minutes at even strength, no time on the power play but significant time penalty killing.

BLH’s Thoughts: A rejuvenated Duncan Keith is going to surprise a lot of people and he’s going to get a really long leash from his teammates and his coaches. I reckon the post-season is where his impact might be seen most obviously, but subtly, his presence in the locker room, the gym, the practice ice, on the airplane, and off the ice will affect everybody on the roster. 

I don’t know if Evan Bouchard will get a lot of ice-time with the former Norris Trophy winner, but that’s a mentorship I look forward to hearing about. 

As for the trades, it’ll cost the team a helluva lot less to go out at the trade deadline and pick up a few grunts and depth roster players than to sign them in the summer time. Plus, the club has quite a few younger left-shot dmen in Bakersfield who could get a cup of coffee to show their mettle if need be. 

So, I don’t know if they’ll be making a substantial trade in the event that Keith can’t keep up on the 2nd pair. 

I’d say that if Holland is going to go big fish shopping during the year, it’ll be for a goaltender that can contribute in the post-season. 

Copper N Blue (Chapman)

Forecasting Kailer Yamamoto’s 2021-22

• The good thing about his 2021 numbers? You’re getting almost all even strength Yamamoto in the results. Any power play time will likely put some more numbers on top of last season’s 30 point even strength projection; a season that saw Yamamoto shoot a much more realistic 11% while at evens.
• I’ll take Yamamoto’s 30 point even strength scoring pace, and I’ll add some power play time into the mix. Over an 82 game season, I like Kailer Yamamoto to score 38 points (13-25-38) with a chance to push for 40.

BLH’s Thoughts: Extremely fair prognostication from Chapman. I couldn’t agree more with his prediction.

With that in mind though, I wonder if Killer will produce more from the 3rd line facing that kind of opposition as opposed to the 2nd line with Draisaitl and the top-4 defenders that’ll surely be deployed to stop him. 

NHLTradeRumors.me

Carolina Hurricanes Trying to Make a Trade

• …reports have surfaced suggesting the Hurricanes are trying to acquire a left-winger.
• “If something comes up that makes sense between now and when we start we’ll take a look at it. If not, it gives us a lot of flexibility during the year.” – Hurricanes GM Don Waddell
• The Hurricanes have a decent farm system to pull from, along with four draft picks in first three rounds in 2022. Expect to see the team use their cap space and sell off some assets at some point this season. 

Details Revealed on Claude Giroux’s Future in Philly

• This will be the final season of Giroux’s current deal that’s paying him $8.275 million for the season.
• “I’ve had good conversations with Claude and with Pat Brisson, his agent, and at this point our plan is to play the season out and we’ll talk at the end of (it). I think we’re both comfortable with that.” – Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher

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

The Hockey Writers (Swane)

5 Oilers That Could Play in the 2022 Beijing Olympics

• Connor McDavid, the NHL’s reigning point scoring champ and Hart Trophy recipient, would lead Canada in its pursuit to reclaim gold. The 24-year-old centre has previously represented his country several times, winning gold at three different levels: U18 Worlds (2013), World Juniors (2015), and the World Championship (2016).
• Darnell Nurse wasn’t among the leading names being discussed for a place on Team Canada, but that all changed after a fantastic season from the Oilers rearguard, who scored 16 goals (second among defencemen) while logging 1,435 minutes (third among all skaters) in 2020-21. TSN’s Craig Button included Nurse in a recent projection of the 2022 Canadian Olympic roster, slotting the 26-year-old on the left side of Canada’s third defensive pairing opposite Dougie Hamilton.
• Tyson Barrie has never even been in the Canadian conversation, but after leading all NHL defenceman in points (48) last season when he paired with Nurse, could Barrie catch a ride on his partner’s coattails to Beijing?
• Jesse Puljujarvi was always likely to be named to the 2022 Finnish Olympic men’s hockey team, but the Oilers winger secured his spot with a breakout season in 2020-21. That’s when he returned to Edmonton after a year back home in the Liiga, and produced NHL career-highs of 15 goals and 25 points in 55 games. The 23-year-old has a terrific international resume, winning two gold medals in 2016, at World U18s and World Juniors.
• Leon Draisaitl is arguably the best player on the planet that doesn’t have a Canadian birth certificate. The native of Cologne might have to be even better than that if Germany is to make it back-to-back appearances on the podium after winning a surprising silver at the 2018 Olympics.

BLH’s Thoughts: This isn’t the ’87 Canada Cup, so there won’t be a plethora of Edmonton Oilers making Team Canada. Sorry Tyson, as good as you are, I do not believe you’ll be getting picked over Makar, Doughty, Pietrangelo, or Dougie Hamilton if they’re all healthy. 

I’m a little surprised that Zach Hyman was left off the list given how much his name has received consideration for the squad. That said, I don’t think he’d make it either since there are probably three or four other LWers who are better hockey players that should be available. 

If Kailer Yamamoto is having a good season, does he get consideration for Team USA? What about Mike Smith? If he recaptures last season’s form, does he get some thought since he was part of the Olympic program in 2014?

Oilersnation (Laing)

Edmonton Oilers player review and 2021-22 preview: Evan Bouchard

• Before joining the Oilers ahead of the 2020-21 season, Bouchard lit it up in the Swedish second league playing for Södertälje SK in the HockeyAllsvenskan. In 23 games, he scored six goals, 17 points and somehow an impressive 76 PIM.
• After joining the Oilers, he probably played less than he would’ve liked to but when he broke into the lineup, he made his impact felt. In 14 games last year he scored two goals and five points — four of which points came at 5×5.
• All signs point towards Bouchard being an everyday player in the Edmonton Oilers lineup next season and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see him be an impact player, even in a third-pairing role.
• He showed signs of brilliance last year and that’s exactly what you want to see out of young players. He moves the puck very efficiently, he can walk the blue line in the offensive zone where has a very deceptive shot, and his solid defensive zone play. Don’t be surprised to see Bouchard kill penalties, either.

BLH’s Thoughts: How long has it been since the Edmonton Oilers produced a defenseman that pundits and fans alike are expecting big things from? Justin Schultz? Oscar Klefbom? Darnell Nurse? Paul Coffey?

I mean, we’re talking about a potential top-pairing defender here. A blueliner that can produce upwards of 60pts in a year and anchor a pairing on defense with Darnell Nurse. When’s the last time the Oilers had one of those?

I think his performances in 2021-22 are going to garner a bit of extra media attention, but with that I hope the coaching staff and management don’t get too excited and accelerate his responsibilities. 

The Daily Goal Horn

NHL Rumors: Who will be the Senators captain

• There appears to be an obvious choice for captain and that is Brady Tkachuk. Even Owner Eugene Melnyk hinted at that recently on the Bob McCown podcast. “That’s going to be what we’re thinking about all summer and whether he’s the person for that.”

Anaheim Ducks ready to make moves?

• Eric Stephens did a follow up mailbag post in The Athletic where he was pressed for more information on his previous reports concerning the Ducks and Jack Eichel.
  • “Details on discussions Murray has had with Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams are tough to procure but I do think there has been some level of talks beyond tire-kicking. From what I understand, any talk that includes Trevor Zegras (or Jamie Drysdale) ends quickly. A return of four top assets for an injured player is another obstacle. In that sense, waiting could help bring Adams’ asking price down, because Eichel’s no-move clause kicks in next summer.”
• John Gibson could eventually ask for a trade if things don’t turn around in Anaheim. The 28 year-old is signed for the next six seasons with an AAV of $6.4M.

James Neal a Lightning fit?

• Tampa really doesn’t have cap space but Neal may be a likely PTO candidate. He could impress enough to earn a 1-year deal at $1 million or less if one of the younger kids fails to impress during camp.

Eichel changes agents

• Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Jack Eichel has changed his representation from Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli to Pat Brisson.
• Eichel’s move to one of the game’s most powerful sports agents is a clear indication of just how frustrated he is with his current situation.
• Speaking with a former team executive, they agreed that this was the move Eichel needed to make. Calling Brisson a “true professional” and just exactly what this situation needs.