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

Can Woodcroft and Manson Produce the Next Adam Larsson?

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!

Copper N Blue (Chapman)

Forecasting Jesse Puljujärvi’s 2021-22
  • In some of his best work to date, Ken Holland helped repair the relationship between Jesse Puljujärvi and the Edmonton Oilers. Holland was able to get Puljujärvi to sign for two years at a tiny 1.175 AAV. It’s his best work since becoming GM of the Oilers.
  • It took six games for Puljujärvi to leave the third line and ascend to the top line with Connor McDavid…
  • Puljujärvi’s first year back in Edmonton was absolutely a success, though his 25 points might raise some eyebrows for a player that spent so much of his time on the top line. Puljujärvi scored 15 goals in the abbreviated season, a career high for him. 13 of those were at even strength.
  • Puljujärvi averaged about 13 and a half minutes a game this past season. Expect that number to go up in 2021-22. He finished with a 51% CF against elite competition, he was at 53% or better everywhere else.
  • Puljujärvi just needs to keep doing what he did in the past season for a good shot at 20 goals. I think he gets that and a little bit more. With Alex Chiasson not on the roster, Puljujärvi may be in line for some of those minutes going forward. I don’t think 25 goals is out of the question in 2021-22, though I’d take another season of what I just saw.
  • This past season’s numbers had Puljujärvi pacing for 38 points… I’ve got him getting a bit more time on the power play this season coming up, and I’ll put him in for 45 points on the year (23-22-45) over 82 healthy games.

BLH’s Thoughts: I like that prognostication by Chapman. I feel that the range he has Jesse in makes sense. I’m not sure he’ll be stapled to Connor’s wing all year, mind you, and that could present other challenges that may or may not impact his point totals.

I’m thinking the time is right to really start to lean on Pulju and take advantage of his age and development and see what happens. What’s the hurt in playing him in as many situations as possible and finding out if they’ve got an asset on their hands that they can put on the ice at any time? 

The Cult of Hockey (Staples)

There’s one huge advantage for Oilers big d-man prospect Michael Kesselring
  • Kesselring, 21, split his time between college hockey for Northeastern and Bakersfield of the American Hockey League last season, where he was on an AHL contract, meaning he’s still got three full years on his Entry Level Contract with the Oilers.
  • This represents a huge advantage for Kesselring. It gives him extra development years over Oilers d-man prospects like Filip Berglund and Markus Niemelainen, who have just one year left on their Entry Level Contracts…
  • If Kesselring does make it, he’ll be that rarest of Oilers late round draft picks, one who actually makes a mark in the NHL. To date only six Oilers drafted later than 150th overall have played more than 400 NHL games…
  • Kesselring was drafted 164th overall in the 2018 draft…
  • …now 6-5, 215-pounds, and he’s got some skill but the best thing about him is his hockey sense. He’s a smart player who reads the game well and gets to where he needs to be on the ice.
  • His biggest drawback? His skating.
  • Kesselring is going to be expected to be a physical player. He should watch endless replays of the way Adam Larsson hammered players in semi-legal fashion.
  • Expectation for 2021-22: Kesselring takes a regular shift in Bakersfield and gets some PK time.

BLH’s Thoughts: Is it me or do a lot of Edmonton’s prospects drafted outside of the first couple of rounds have skating issues that need working out? Is that the case for most players drafted in the 3rd round or later, though? I just feel like I’ve been reading player reviews for the past week or so and every one of them has had something written in it about Player X’s skating… 

I’d be more concerned if the Oilers haven’t seen some galactic leaps in skating development from some of their best players over the years. Nurse, Draisaitl, and Puljujarvi (all big guys) have improved massively in that department, so I think there’s a bit of fair play in thinking another big ginormous fella like Kesselring could do something similar. 

Of course, there’s always the other side of the coin with the likes of Ty Benson and Cooper Marody. Skating issues of have followed them around for years like the plague and we’ve yet to get any indication that improvement has been made. 

So, we’ll have to wait and see, but at the very least, I’m intrigued at the prospect of watching this behemoth patrol Bakersfield’s blueline next year alongside the likes of Markus Niemelainen and Vincent Desharnais. All three are 6’5″ or taller… Reminds me of the times when Steve Smith, Randy Gregg, and Jeff Beukeboom were policing Edmonton’s end in the mid-80s. 

NHLTradeRumors.me

Jake DeBrusk has been a name in the rumor mill, but a deal has yet to come into fruition. However, according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are both interested in the Bruins winger.

  • The Oilers certainly could benefit from adding another left winger to their lineup. Yet, the Flames could be a nice consolation option for him personally, as Calgary of course is in Alberta, too.

BLH’s Thoughts: Has Fluto taken a gander at either of Edmonton’s or Calgary’s Roster or paid even the slightest bit of attention to the moves both teams have made this summer? Jake DeBrusk is a top-six LW and both clubs are three deep in that position as it stands.

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: “I could see them bringing a right-shot veteran D-man to camp on a PTO…” – Gregor

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

No league to play in? Just another challenge for intriguing Oilers prospect Ty Tullio
  • He and a couple of teammates from Oshawa Generals along with two other OHL players joined Liptovsky Mikulas HK of the Slovakian League.
  • Tullio’s output of 19 GP, 4-9-13, -4 is reasonably impressive. What really stands out, though, is the 77 penalty minutes he compiled, an average of 4 per game.
    • Not too surprising for a player who models his game after Brad Marchand.
  • After his stint in Slovakia had ended, Tullio did earn an amateur tryout with Bakersfield Condors and practiced with the team for a spell but didn’t get any games.
  • Expectation for 2021-22: Return to the OHL and play on Oshawa’s top line and both special teams. At some point along the way, sign an entry-level deal with the Oilers.

“Tullio looked considerably stronger on his feet and that strength showed in his game, including in his wrister (which surprised me with its pop). He can wait too long to make his play, though, which slows things down because he’s not a skater who’s going to burn anyone. That put him into some tough spots occasionally.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

BLH’s Thoughts: That quote comes from Wheeler’s viewings of Tullio at Hockey Canada’s summer camp for 2022 World Juniors. 

It’s nice that he’s getting some national team consideration but I’m not sure he’s got a realistic chance at making the club unless the coaching staff thinks he’s the perfect fit for a specialized role on the team, something we’ve seen happen in the past… 

As for his professional aspirations, he’s got to improve the boots or else risk being the next Tyler Benson and have your NHL potential questioned every season you don’t make the jump to the NHL whilst destroying the AHL year after year. 

I mean, the fact that before the pause he was a point-per-game player for Oshawa with the skating “issues” says a lot for the rest of his game and his toolbox. Are we looking at another Josh Archibald or perhaps the next Andrew Mangiapane?

Oilersnation (Gregor)

Oilers Fans Should Prepare to be Vaccinated
  • A source confirmed to me the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) will likely announce that fans attending games this season will need to be fully vaccinated. The OEG has been working on a strategy of how it will implement proof of vaccination and once that is established, expect the announcement.
  • The challenge for the OEG, and other teams, will be how to accurately and conveniently enforce proof of vaccination.
  • Fans under 12 years of age will be exempt since they are ineligible for a vaccine at this time, however, they would need to be accompanied by an adult who is vaccinated.
  • The other option for fans, I’m told, is they will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test result from a healthcare provider taken within 48-72 hours of the game’s scheduled start time.

News & Notes

  • I wrote a few weeks ago that I won’t be surprised if Bouchard is eventually skating with Darnell Nurse this season. He won’t start there, Tyson Barrie will, but I expect Bouchard to slide into that spot during the season.
  • Tippett surprised me a bit when he said Bouchard is going to be killing penalties this season.
  • I feel Bouchard can match, and surpass, Bear’s offensive game and outlet passing. I think he will fill that void at 5×5.
  • I could see them bringing a right-shot veteran D-man to camp on a PTO. They don’t have much RD depth so bringing a vet on a PTO makes sense to me. Current right-shot UFAS include Sami Vatanen, Jason Demers, Erik Gudbranson, Paul Ladue, Nate Prosser, Michael Stone or Cody Goloubef.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ladue seems like an interesting name because we know he’s willing to play in the AHL and he can fill in at the NHL level if pressed plus he’s got a ton of experience playing against Bakersfield after all those years in LA’s system. 

I think that Demers, Vatanen, Gudbranson, and Prosser might be more inclined to sign something that’ll keep them in the NHL and with better financial compensation. 

So, here we are on the verge of heading into season three of the COVID era. The local football team has already had their season disrupted by a number of positive tests, I wonder if there will be any hockey teams that get shut down in 2021-22 for the same reason? 

I’m very excited to see Evan Bouchard’s career get started full-time as the expectations are quite high for him. It’s sort of been a long time coming too, eh? I can remember back to his draft and folks were saying that as a teenager that he was already the club’s best passer. That blew my mind! And then I started to watch him closer and he reminded me of Al MacInnis so much with his shooting style. Fact of the matter is, Bouchard’s shooting might be more akin to Ray Bourque seeing how 77 could find gaps of any size and fit the puck through at whatever velocity he chose. 

What’s dogged EB in the past is his lack of “assertiveness”, so I’m hoping that a summer of training with Darnell Nurse in combination with increased strength will release his inner beast and what we see in September really is a 2021 version of MacInnis. 

As for the PK stuff, I’m not concerned about that. Bouchard is already one of the smartest players on the team. He’ll catch on in no time and getting in the shooting lane will not be a problem for him like it was for others. 

NHLRumors.com

  • David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period: Training camp is a month away and multiple sources have said that Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel still hasn’t had any surgery to repair a herniated disc. It seems doubtful that he’ll get clearance and won’t be available for the start of the season.
    • “Multiple sources have confirmed that (Jack) Eichel has still not undergone surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck, and it’s looking likely that he will not be medically cleared and available for the start of the regular-season – regardless of what team he’s on.” – TFP
  • Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times: Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said after acquiring Tyler Johnson that he would be their third-line center. That would move Dylan Strome to the wing, a position he hasn’t played well at.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “If Stalock has to play a single minute for the Oilers this season it’s a bad sign…”

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 (Mitchell)

Lowetide: What should Oilers fans expect from Zach Hyman in his first season?

What should Oilers fans expect from Hyman?

  • Quality play in all disciplines, on any line and either wing.

Is he a lock for the McDavid line?

  • Yes. There’s no other way to justify the investment. I do think the coach is going to be tempted by a possible “supergroup” line with 97, 29 and Hyman.

Could he flourish on a second or third line?

  • Until his scoring touch goes away, or Dylan Holloway replaces him, there’s not enough depth on the roster to send Hyman to the third line for any length of time.

Will he be the net-front presence on the power play?

  • I expect Hyman will get time there, but it’s going to be tempting to run him on the PK in order to give the other high-skill forwards extra time at five-on-five.

What should Oilers fans expect from Hyman in his first season with the Oilers? A strong season from the No. 1 left-winger, 25 goals and 60 points. Maybe more. Oilers fans will love this player.

BLH’s Thoughts: I believe Hyman is a lock for the top-six. I won’t go as far as to say he’s a lock for McDavid’s line because I don’t know if Coach Tippett will choose to reunite Draisaitl and McDavid a lot more knowing that he’s got the soldiers to pull it off now. 

I think that Hyman will get more time on the PP that folks may think. The net-front slot doesn’t require a Paul Kariya or a Pavel Bure type of skiller, that position is almost always filled by a big-bodied, grunt who can absorb the abuse and use muscle to put the puck in the net. 

Oilersnation

Monday Mailbag – What to expect from Kailer Yamamoto

Will the real Kailer Yamamoto stand up this year and which one will it be?

  • The real Yamamoto? Expecting him to be a point-per-game player is unrealistic. That was a massive heater. – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: Funny, ask anybody this question and if the phrase “in the middle” isn’t uttered, you’ve found yourself a unicorn of sorts.

Yamamoto didn’t have that poor of a season last year, it was simply highlighted by that massive scoring drought. His pts/60 was 1.5 and if you compare that with the previous year’s 3.3, it’s painfully clear that his first year was an outlier. Yamo’s 21pts in 52gp in 2020-21, that’s just under a half-a-point per game. In a full season that would have him producing around 33pts and if I had to guess what his peak is, I’d say it’s around 45pts in a normal season and upwards of 55pts in a good one.

We shouldn’t be surprised if he gets fewer than 45 though. Well, I should say that I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t hit that mark, you’re free to feel whatever you choose.

If Holloway is as ready as some say he is, can you see him stealing a spot in the top 9?

  • I bet Holloway does a Yamamoto type of thing where he starts in the AHL and works his way onto the big club by the second half of the season. – baggedmilk

BLH’s Thoughts: This narrative seems to be the one that pundits like Bob Stauffer and Craig Button are throwing out there.

Personally, I wonder if his contract will play a role in the timing of when he starts his career in Edmonton. The Oilers are going to be tight against the cap for the next two years at least and would it not be better to have Holloway in Edmonton as an impact player in order to take advantage of his ELC?

What I mean is, if he wins a spot in training camp, both parties are still going to have to go through the speed bumps of having a rookie on the roster and hat means big peaks and deep valleys.

Conversely, stick him in Bakersfield, let him acclimate to the minor league pro game, monitor his progress, and call him up for a cup of coffee after New Year’s. Depending on how that goes, it wouldn’t hurt him to go back to the Condors to finish the year out and then re-join the Oilers for their playoff run should they get one.

If you were to guess, do you see Alex Stalock playing any games for the Oilers this season?

  • If Stalock has to play a single minute for the Oilers this season it’s a bad sign no matter how you slice it. – Brownlee

BLH’s Thoughts: Dark response from Brownlee, but fair. I can only see Stalock lacing up the skates if something happens with Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen. Aside from that, he’ll go on waivers, get claimed, or traded. I believe the Oilers are happy bringing up Stu Skinner in any sort of crisis should it arise because they’ve got Konovalov and Rodrigue right behind him in the pecking order. 

Do you think Klefbom can be back for the playoffs and come off LTIR just in time to see the cap rules lifted, or do you think he is actually done for good?

  • I hope he’s healthy enough to come back and play but at this point, I don’t think it’s going to happen. It would certainly be huge for the Oilers, but they shouldn’t be banking on it. – Yaremchuk

BLH’s Thoughts: Gregor seems to think that Klefbom won’t be coming back to play hockey because he hasn’t been able to work out at an NHL level and I suppose he could have a point there, but speaking more optimistically, Mario Lemieux finished a season after going through chemo treatments for months prior. Not only did he finish it, he won the scoring race. 

Now, don’t misconstrue what I’m saying, obviously Klef isn’t the greatest hockey player of all-time, but the one thing we know with hockey players is that if there’s a burning desire to get back on the ice and play the game, they’ll do it. Regardless of if they’ve trained at an NHL level or not and if their coach and GM thinks they can help, they’ll do whatever they can in their power to make it happen.

There’s a little bit of chatter out there regarding the Oilers trading Klefbom’s contract next summer in order to open some cap space for Jesse Puljujarvi. 

Spector’s Hockey

THE ATHLETIC:In a recent mailbag segment, Adam Vingan was asked whether the Nashville Predators should re-sign Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm to long- or short-term contracts.

  • Vingan expects Ekholm to get a four-year deal worth around $6 million annually.
  • Vingan believes Forsberg could get up to $8 million annually on the open market. He feels the Predators should avoid paying that much but it’s hard to see Forsberg accepting less than the $8 million annually being paid to teammates Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES:Dylan Strome could be shopped but that might not happen if captain Jonathan Toews isn’t ready to return to action in September and October.

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “I love the guy. He’s so much fun to have on the ice.” – Dave Tippett

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 (Brownlee)

Off the Top of My Head
  • A lot of Oilers’ fans with raised expectations are awaiting the answer as Puljujarvi, still only 23, tries to build on a season in which he tallied 15-10-25 in 55 games and looked better and more engaged many nights than those numbers indicate.
  • Count me among the many who had doubts about Puljujarvi when he went home after three seasons. I understood the questions about how and with whom Puljujarvi was used in his first go-around, but when a player chooses to go home instead of staying with the team that drafted him into the best league in the world, you sometimes lose them for good.
  • Instead, Puljujarvi matured and grew his game. When he returned to the Oilers, he was 22, not the teenager who was pressed into playing before he was ready… there’s no doubt he’s an NHL player.

“I love the guy. He’s so much fun to have on the ice. He’s smiling all the time. You do a drill and he’s competing like crazy.” – Dave Tippett, Oilers Head Coach

BLH’s Thoughts: There’s a swell growing amongst the Edmonton Oilers media that has Marody playing elsewhere in 2021-22 written all over it, isn’t there?

The Oilers found a coach who was willing to stick with Jesse and to no surprise of my own, Pulju has repaid that faith.

JP is more mature mentally and physically now, but re-building his confidence at the NHL level and reintroducing him in a locker room that might’ve been apprehensive to his return, deserves some praise directed at Tippett, Holland and the club’s leadership core. 

Now that Puljujarvi is comfortable and a year stronger, wiser, faster, quicker, more experienced, etc. AND that he’s in a contract year, we may very well see him take a Nursian leap in his development in 2021-22. 

The Athletic (Mitchell)

Lowetide: Dylan Holloway headlines new arrivals for Bakersfield Condors in 2021-22
  • Dylan Holloway is a perfect fit for the big club, with size (6-foot-1, 203 pounds), speed and a rambunctious presence at centre or left wing.
  • His sophomore numbers at Wisconsin (Big Ten) were 11-24-35 in 23 games, making his closest college comparable Reilly Smith of the Vegas Golden Knights. 
  • Under Rob Vollman’s NHL equivalencies, fans could expect Holloway to post substantially more than a point per game this coming season in the AHL. 
  • The only big question with regard to Holloway is where he’ll play…
  • Philip Broberg is another anticipated arrival, although many Oilers fans view him as being more suspect than prospect after an uneven performance in 2020-21.
  • Broberg’s career so far has been similar to that of Oscar Klefbom, another Swedish defenceman drafted by Edmonton almost a decade before him. 
  • The Oilers are thinking AHL for the big defender in 2021-22, and it’s also possible Broberg blows the doors off other hopefuls as he did in the bubble training camp at Rogers Place in the summer of 2020.
  • Broberg might be one of those players who are better on the smaller North American ice surface than the spacious European rinks.
  • Ilya Konovalov has an impressive resume, compiled in the world’s second-best hockey league (KHL).
  • Konovalov has the talent, but he’ll have to win the position from a fairly large group of candidates. 
  • HockeyProspecting.com considers him one of the best players in the Oilers system and charts him as a possible difference-maker at the highest level…

BLH’s Thoughts: If Jay Woodcroft wants to ease Dylan Holloway into professional hockey, he’ll start him on the wing. If the club see him as a center in the NHL, then Woody will have him slotted at center from the get-go and then the education starts immediately. 

Personally, I think Holloway starts at center. He has the size, speed, and skill as it is and the Condors are already stocked on the wing with blue chippers and AHL veterans to help ease the transition. 

On the other hand, Broberg may very well beat out Kris Russell and William Lagesson for a spot on Edmonton’s roster. Last season he was fraught with injuries that started at the World Juniors and didn’t really get better as his season with Skelleftea wore on. A healthy Broberg will show us a very different picture and with the coaching staff and management being so high on this young man, don’t count on him being in Bakersfield very long if he acclimates well to the competition.

I’ve got nothing on Konovalov. I’ve not seen him play, just read a lot of reports on him. So I’ll reserve my comments on him until training camp. 

Sport Illustrated (Chen)

Previewing the 2022 NHL UFA Class: Under-30 Forwards Edition
  • Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – $6.75 million AAV: If the Flames don’t pay Gaudreau, someone else will, and if doesn’t figure into the team’s long-term plans, he’s arguably their best trade chip. It’s no secret Gaudreau grew up idolizing the Flyers, another team that’s also going through a roster overhaul.
  • Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators – $6 million AAV: … if the Preds stumble out of the gates and once again face an uphill climb to make the playoffs, there’s always a possibility Forsberg is traded for the right price. 
  • Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – $5.9 million AAV: It would be a colossal, franchise-altering decision if Barkov were to hit free agency, who would become the ultimate prize, just like how John Tavares ruled the summer of 2018.
  • Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks – $5.625 million AAV: There’s a valid argument to re-sign Hertl and build around him, but he’s also got a lot of trade value and he could bring in a massive haul of futures for a team that lacks multiple first-round picks and elite prospects beyond William Eklund…
  • Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – $4.33 million AAV: There is zero chance the Flyers even let Couturier get close to free agency.
  • Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers – $5.35 million AAV and Ryan Strome, New York Rangers – $4.5 million AAV: Zibanejad and Strome’s futures are both tied to one player: Jack Eichel. There’s no room for all three of them if the Rangers manage to pull off that trade…Right now, the Rangers seem committed going into the season with Zibanejad and Strome as their top two centers, but given the franchise’s sea change this offseason, their futures with the Rangers seem very unsure.

HM: Max Domi (CBJ), Nino Niederreiter/Vincent Trochek (CAR), Rickard Rakell (ANA), Andre Burakovsky/Valeri Nichushkin (COL), and Calle Jarnkrok (SEA).

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

Could As Many As Three Edmonton Oilers Be Lost to Waivers 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!

Oil on Whyte (Gretzky)

Edmonton Oilers: Why hasn’t Kailer Yamamoto been signed yet?
  •  …it’s hardly time to panic or call him a bust. After all, Yamamoto will be turning 23 before training camp starts (September 29, to be exact) and he only has 105 NHL games on his resume. He has another 95 to go and another two years of age to go before we truly know what we have with this player and how far he can go.
  • One thing we do know for sure – he has chemistry with Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl two of the best players on the team. Not every NHL player has that, and that’s a great tool to have in his toolbox.
  • Bottom line, this should be an easy negotiation for both sides and it’s not done yet. I have to wonder why.

BLH’s Thoughts: Phil, you and everybody else are wondering the same thing. I’m not because there’s no rush to get it done. 

Now, with that in mind, are we 100% sure Yamamoto has “chemistry” with Leon and RNH or is it possible that Killer simply capitalized on a heater playing on the same line as two all-stars? Last year he was on Leon’s wing for a majority of the year and the scoring disappeared for whatever reason. Was that because of an injury, the sophomore slump, or because the rest of the league had a book on him to that point and sorted him out?

One thing that is for sure, we’re going to find out which Yamo is the true version this upcoming season.

Lowetide.ca

I’D RATHER BE A HAMMER (THAN A NAIL)
  • Waivers is a double-edged sword. If you make the right claim, it can benefit the roster for free. On the other hand, it’s possible to lose a player who is valued by the organization. Edmonton may be up against it this fall.
  • There is no one among the ‘certain Oilers’ who is likely to be on waivers this fall. Several veterans could clear because of cap (Mikko Koskinen, Zack Kassian) but that’s extremely unlikely.
  • Tyler Benson, Cooper Marody, Brendan Perlini and Kyle Turris are vulnerable.
  • William Lagesson will be eligible for waivers.
  • Stalock probably hits waivers unless there’s an injury to Smith or Koskinen.
  • The Oilers don’t lose many prospects to waivers…The last drafted Oilers I recall being lost to waivers were Rob Schremp (who went 17-30-47 in 89 games with the NY Islanders over two seasons) and Taylor Chorney.
  • I think Benson could be claimed on waivers. Marody might be more vulnerable if a team sees him as a RH center who can play in the NHL…
  • Lagesson is an inexpensive defenseman and they always have value

BLH’s Thoughts: Benson and Stalock are probably the only two on Edmonton I could see getting claimed if they hit the waiver wire. One would think that if the Oilers were concerned about losing somebody to waivers that they would try and make a trade though… Tough position to be in, mind you, since the other clubs could simply put a claim in for said player and not have to give up an assets UNLESS they think another team could claim him… Then, my friend, you’d have a opportunity. 

Spector’s Trade Rumors

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Eric Stephens was asked about the rumor linking the Anaheim Ducks to Jack Eichel.

  • Stephens felt any trade for Eichel could take place during the season after the 24-year-old center returns to the ice and proves he can still play at an elite level.
  • Asked about the possibility of acquiring Eichel and St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasensko, Stephens pointed out their combined cap hit is $17.5 million. That move would mean trading away salaried players.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Jordan Hall observed the Flyers will be right up against the salary cap when this season opens following their signing of Travis Sanheim to a two-year deal.

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