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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “Marody’s career may lay elsewhere.” Says Oilers Pundit

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 (Leavins)

What will the Edmonton Oilers off-season moves mean for its 2 biggest guns: 9 Things
  • 5. Debating and analyzing trades is part of what fans and those of us who write about and/or cover the team do. It’s part of the package. Having said that, it is my hope that Warren Foegele gets judged on his own merits on the ice as opposed to what Ethan Bear may or may not have brought to this club. If the Taylor Hall–Adam Larsson trade and subsequent departure of Larsson via free agency taught us anything, it is to judge the player and the transaction separately. Surely it’s OK to cheer for both players going forward.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ha! Good luck with that! 

  • 4. I think it is all but guaranteed that Ryan McLeod will start the season in Edmonton. And while I wouldn’t rule out Dylan Holloway making it onto the roster as well, I suspect he is penciled in to start the year in Bakersfield, perhaps in the 1C slot that McLeod held last campaign.

BLH’s Thoughts: Good idea. Holloway has a history of starting slow when he’s jumped up to the next level. Don’t believe me, check out his stat line here going back to his U15 days in Calgary… 

  • 3. I know that hockey content is always a little thin during the dog days of August. So it may be pure co-incidence that the Oilers social media team has been paying so much attention lately to Alex Stalock?

BLH’s Thoughts: Smith and Koskinen aren’t exactly lighting it up on the socials, are they? Who else are they going to put videos up of? I mean, if they were smart, they’d send their social media team out to get some footage of the guys who are training locally in order to build up some buzz for the new season. 

  • 2. 24-year old Cooper Marody is barely still a prospect at his age. The Oilers have issued Marody a qualifying offer to the RFA. As this piece went to press, Marody had yet to sign. What should we read into that? I’d suggest a range, from nothing at all (it’s not unusual for a minor contract like this to hang out there for a while) to a sign that Marody’s career may lay elsewhere.

BLH’s Thoughts: Maybe Cooper is surveying his options… He sees that there’s no chance in hell he’s making the Oilers roster and he’s done all he can do in the AHL… 

  • 1. One of the idiosyncrasies of a hockey market such as Edmonton is that everyone (me included) spends a big chunk of the off-season talking about every tiny detail surrounding the club. We dive deep into the 3rd-string goalies, 8th D-men and 14th Forwards. We dissect draft picks selected 200 positions deep.
    • To be clear: That’s not a criticism. The thirst for any new tidbit of information on the team is proof of just how strong the Oilers brand remains, and how brightly that incredible passion burns.

BLH’s Thoughts: Does anybody else get annoyed at this spin from the media? They don’t want to sound like they’re criticizing the fanbase for being f*cking obsessive about things that are totally out of their control, so they call it “passion”… I mean, it’s really condescending when you think about it because they know that the kind of “fanning” that has someone looking at a hockey team’s 3rd line center is not exactly healthy.

But I’m no doctor, so what do I know? “Passion” it up to your heart’s delight I suppose. Just don’t get pissed when somebody meets your “enthusiasm” for hockey with a “meh”. Egos don’t like that… 

  • …five of the seven men expected to break camp on the D-corps are very good puck movers/transporters. More pucks will move North from the sticks of Evan Bouchard, Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci than from the trio of Adam Larsson, Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear…
  • That extra help should help accomplish three key things:
    • It will serve to spread out the opposition’s defence, making the Oilers offense harder to stop.
    • It should lessen the load that McDavid and Draisaitl will have to shoulder, giving them more attack time with full tanks of has.
    • And it should put better offensive contributors on their flanks such as Zack Hyman, Warren Foegele and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (due to the presence of Derek Ryan) more consistently.
  • In short, the Oilers two biggest, most dangerous gunners are better equipped than ever before. And they were already Hart and Art Ross winners.

BLH’s Thoughts: I definitely agree with Leavins that this newly re-designed defense is going to be better at getting the puck up the ice, that said, they’ll need to get the puck in order to do that and which defenseman aside from Darnell Nurse do you trust to win the battles in the trenches more often than not?

The Athletic (Wheeler)

Who goes first in a 2018 NHL Draft redo? And how do their pre-draft rankings hold up today?

BIG Climbers

Fallers

BLH’s Thoughts: Wheeler also has Martin Kaut (COL), Jay O’Brien (PHI), and Isac Lundestrom (ANA) falling right out of the first round. He’s also got Quinn Hughes leaping over Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, and Brady Tkachuk to be the 1st overall pick in this re-draft… 

This quote on Kotkaniemi is… unique,

  • “He was probably taken too high and probably rushed, though, and he’s not going to be a great player.”

I agree that he was rushed but he was a hot ticket on draft day too. Long term, I think he’s got a future as a no.2 center in the NHL and you can’t get there without being a great player. 

What’s got me perplexed is how Filip Zadina (11th) survived not getting cut out of the first round. He’s not exactly hit it out of the park in Detroit and Wheeler had him re-drafted ahead of Evan Bouchard (12th)

RANK RE-DRAFT 2018 NHL DRAFT
1
Quinn Hughes
Rasmus Dahlin
2
Andrei Svechnikov
Andrei Svechnikov
3
Rasmus Dahlin
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
4
Brady Tkachuk
Brady Tkachuk
5
Joel Farabee
Barrett Hayton
6
Adam Boqvist
Filip Zadina
7
Ty Smith
Quinn Hughes
8
Noah Dobson
Adam Boqvist
9
K’Andre Miller
Vitali Kravtsov
10
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Evan Bouchard
11
Filip Zadina
Oliver Wahlstrom
12
Evan Bouchard
Noah Dobson
13
Nils Lundkvist
Ty Dellandrea
14
Oliver Wahlstrom
Joel Farabee
15
Rasmus Sandin
Grigori Denisenko
16
Yegor Sharangovich
Martin Kaut
17
Alexander Romanov
Ty Smith
18
Jonatan Berggren
Liam Foudy
19
Calen Addison
Jay O’Brien
20
Vitali Kravtsov
Rasmus Kupari
21
John Leonard
Ryan Merkley
22
Ryan Merkley
K’Andre Miller
23
Kirill Marchenko
Isac Lundestrom
24
Barrett Hayton
Filip Johansson
25
Philipp Kurashev
Dominik Bokk
26
Grigori Denisenko
Jacob Bernard-Docker
27
Liam Foudy
Nicolas Beaudin
28
Scott Perunovich
Nils Lundkvist
29
Jack Drury
Rasmus Sandin
30
Rasmus Kupari
Joe Veleno
31
Nicolas Beaudin
Alexander Alexeyev

The Athletic (Granger)

Which NHL teams improved or hurt their Stanley Cup odds the most this offseason?

Odds Improved

  • 1. Chicago Blackhawks +5000 (-1500)
  • 2. New Jersey Devils +6500 (-1500)
  • 3. Florida Panthers +2000 (-500)

Odds Worsened

  • 1. Arizona Coyotes +15000 (+8500)
  • 2. Anaheim Ducks +15000 (+5000)
  • 3. Columbus Blue Jackets +10000 (+2000)

BLH’s Thoughts: The Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup odds based on the last month of offseason moves stayed the same at +2800.

The Bet MGM favorites for the 2021-22 Stanley Cup are, Colorado (+600), Tampa (+700), and Vegas (+850). 

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “The Oilers want Bouchard to force them to play him more…”

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post 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!

Sports Illustrated (Tychkowski)

Evan Bouchard: The Slow-Cook Method
  • The Oilers want Bouchard to force them to play him more rather than simply gifting him a top-four job on the blueline.
  • In terms of offense, Bouchard is more than NHL-ready. He sees the ice like an seasoned pro, he skates well, has an excellent passing game and a unique knack for getting his point shot through to the net…Throw in a poise and maturity, on the ice and off, that belies his age and it’s easy to see why the Oilers have such high hopes for him. 
  • Where he needs to improve is on the defensive side. He has enough offensive skill that some defensive shortcomings can be overlooked, but being a top-four D-man also means being able to shut down top-six forwards on the other team.
  • …ideally, Edmonton wants to keep him on the third pairing, cherry-pick his spots, get him some power-play time, and let him deserve more than he’s getting rather than giving him more than he can handle and then being frustrated by costly mistakes.

BLH’s Thoughts: Imagine having Alex Pietrangelo and Al MacInnis on your blueline for the next 10 years or so, would you do whatever it took to make sure you didn’t f*ck that up?

Well, that’s what the Edmonton Oilers are looking at with Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard, in my opinion.

It’s such a change from the previous regimes that threw Edmonton’s young dmen into the chummed up shark infested waters and said, “Good Luck! If you survive this, you’re going to be a hall-of-famer.”

I think a lot of journalists and radio men who cover the Oilers are thinking that Bouchard will be in the top-four in the new year, but I think he’ll be up there a lot faster than that. I predict before Christmas he’ll be getting time with both Duncan Keith and Darnell Nurse. 

Oilersnation (baggedmilk)

Random Thoughts: Around the NHL Edition
  • Every year there seems to be at least one Oiler that we’re waiting on for a new contract, and here in 2021, it’s Kailer Yamamoto that’s taking a little bit longer than we maybe expected.
    • A couple of weeks back on Oilersnation Radio, I took a guess at $1.85 million/year for two years, thinking that maybe a two-year bridge deal would give us Yamo enough time and motivation to prove he’s worth a long-term contract while also affording the organization two more seasons to figure out what we have here.
  • I can’t believe we’re still talking about Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres.
    • …my favourite potential option for Eichel would be to see him go back to Buffalo…
    • The shenanigans that followed a scenario like that would be hilarious and the ‘Team Chaos’ that lives inside of me would love to watch the awkwardness play out as everyone tried to be professional.
  • …the City of Glendale announced this past week that the 2021-22 NHL season would be the Coyotes’ last at Gila River Arena…
    • I’m actually feeling really bummed out for fans of the team that are watching this same movie again for the 1000th time.
  • On Friday, Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement from hockey after 15 NHL seasons and 887 games played, capping off what was undoubtedly a career that will be remembered by many for years to come.
    • Either way, seeing another guy retire that I spent the bulk of my life watching is yet another chapter in the “holy hell how did I get this old” saga.

BLH’s Thoughts: Can we just move on from Arizona? Get that team out of there and on to a market who can support the team, PLEASE!

Jack Eichel staying in Buffalo WOULD be funny but I don’t wish ill will on the guy or those in the Sabres organization. There’s nothing great about going to a job where you’re not wanted or having someone work for you that you don’t want there. 

I really love the idea of Eichel going to the Rangers or the Bruins, but I’m a bit of a sucker for stories like that. Just keep him out of the Pacific Division… That guy is scary good. 

Back in the late 90s/early 2000s (I can’t remember the exact year), Henrik Lundqvist came to my hometown in Camrose, AB to play for Team Sweden and the now defunct Viking Cup.

It’s funny, these players that you see year in and year out but you never really pay that much attention to even though they’re elite hockey players. For me, Lundqvist is one of those and I’m not sure if it was because he played in New York as the reason I didn’t watch him closer or if it was because he was a bit of a quiet superstar. Either way, he’s had one helluva career and I’m saddened by the reason he’s had to call it a day, but I hope he finds a way to stay in the sport. 

Spector’s Hockey

NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien recently looked at how some of the most prominent restricted free agent situations could play out.

  • Regarding Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes, O’Brien noted the club’s salary-cap crunch could result in bridge contracts for those two.
  • O’Brien doesn’t see a team attempting to sign Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov to an offer sheet. However, he wonders if the one signed by teammate Sebastian Aho two years ago (five years, $8.45 million annually) could be a barometer for what Svechnikov gets.
  • Observing Kirill Kaprizov’s contract standoff with the Minnesota Wild, O’Brien wonders if some of the other notable RFAs might wait and see what he eventually signs for.
  • O’Brien noted there was plenty of speculation over how much Brady Tkachuk might get on his next contract with the Ottawa Senators. Mikko Rantanen’s six-year, $9.25 million AAV with the Colorado Avalanche was one suggested comparable.
  • Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s up-and-down performance and the mess that is the Sabres franchise could affect what his next deal looks like. Projections suggest a three-year, $6.5 million AAV deal, six years at $6 million per or eight years at between $8 million and $8.25 million annually.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “If this team fails to succeed there is no more blaming Peter Chiarelli.”

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post 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!

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Lowetide.ca

OPPORTUNITY
  • You might have a different view on some players, but this is imo a reasonable consensus roster for opening night. Key additions in primary spots include Duncan Keith (No. 2 LHD), Cody Ceci (No. 2 RHD), Zach Hyman (No. 1 LW) and Derek Ryan (No. 3 C). That’s four big pieces in one summer.
  • The great thing about this roster is how much can be accomplished on the lines. Coach Dave Tippett can move Hyman to right wing, run him on any of the top three lines, and still have enough quality to fill in no matter. Injuries will impact of course, and in this model names like Tyler Benson and Dylan Holloway don’t impact opening night. A reminder: Injuries will have a say in what opening night looks like.

BLH’s Thoughts: Lowetide has TWO more projected rosters over at his site that are worth taking a gander at if you want to get the whole picture. The one above is simply the version he assumes will be present on opening night.

The only change I could see is Kassian and Yamamoto flipping spots depending on how training camp plays out. 

I’d also caution against looking at the names on Edmonton’s roster right now as being cemented in. There will be PTOs and some players will come surely become available via waivers prior to opening night.  

Oil on Whyte (Hladunewich)

Edmonton Oilers: Is Ken Holland on the Hot Seat?
  • Since Holland took over, the Edmonton Oilers have played 127 regular-season games. They have a record of 72 W-44L-11OTL. That is a winning percentage of 57.7%. During that time they have outscored their opponents 408-371. That is a total goal differential of 37 goals.
  • To put this in perspective the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Stanley Cup winners over these past seasons, have only won 7 more regular-season games than the Oilers. They have scored 18 more goals than the Oilers, but have given up 29 fewer goals. That is a goal differential of 84, that’s 47 more than the Oilers.
  • I believe the Edmonton Oilers need to become annual cup contenders by the 2024-25 season. This is the year Leon Draisaitl‘s contract is up for renewal.
  • If this team fails to succeed there is no more blaming Peter Chiarelli.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ken Holland isn’t on the hot seat and he won’t be unless the club misses the playoffs this season. Even then, 2021-22 will be year one of his regime, more or less. The organization would be making a pretty big mistake firing him after he’s just cleaned up the financial mess left behind by the Chiarelli era and signed a plethora of big pieces for the latter half of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s deals. 

The Daily Goal Horn

  • (Henrik) Lundqvist revealed he was close to returning to the Capitals. “It was three days before I was going back to Washington that I found out that I had pericarditis,” he said. “I was very close to coming back – it was very tough to go through that again, but this was a completely different thing – because it had nothing to do with the operation.”
  • Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk was rumored to be on the block for a majority of last season but no deal ever came to fruition. One team that was interested were the Oilers and according to Fluto Shinzawa, they may still be looking at the 24 year-old.

“I have heard Edmonton remains interested in DeBrusk. Calgary to a lesser degree. Combine that with the cluster of left-shot forwards and the shortness of cap space, and trading DeBrusk remains a possibility. A No. 2 center would be the ideal return. But they are not in a great spot to trade picks. It would have to be someone of DeBrusk’s profile: an underperforming player with potential to play better elsewhere.” – The Athletic

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Would the You Flip this Winger for Jake DeBrusk?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post 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!

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The Athletic (Mitchell)

Lowetide: Will the Ethan Bear trade be the latest shortsighted move that haunts the Oilers?

What do the Oilers need to accomplish after trading Bear?

  • When Bear was on the ice against the best in the Canadian Division, Edmonton enjoyed almost 60 percent of the shot share and quality.
  • Bear is making $2 million in 2021-22 and then will likely earn $4 million-plus on a longer contract that could buy some free-agent seasons.
  • He is 24 and, barring injury, is likely to be productive for the next several years. The Carolina Hurricanes have him signed through his mid-20s or close to his peak value.
  • That’s what Edmonton needs to replace.
  • I see the Bear trade as Holland measuring Bear’s future value (one year at $2 million, plus two more RFA seasons after his current contract expires) against signing Barrie to a three-year deal worth $4.5 million per season as well as the return he got for Bear in Warren Foegele.
  • Holland did a nice job delaying the start of Evan Bouchard’s entry deal, Edmonton will have the young phenom on a value contract for the next two seasons.
  • If the Oilers make the playoffs and win two rounds, fans will move on. If Edmonton falters, and Bear flourishes, the deal will join a long list of trades that are famous only for bringing back less than full value.

BLH’s Thoughts: What happens if the Oilers make the playoffs and win two rounds and Carolina also does well or what happens if Edmonton falters and Bear has a shit season? Why do we need to simply contemplate a scenario where one party does well while the other doesn’t?

Now, I’m willing to bet that Oilers fans will do what they do and that’s find a way to justify their position in the conversation as opposed to accepted what is and moving on… 

I look at the team moving on from Bear this way, 

  • The trade comes down to Edmonton adding Barrie’s value contract (which will outperform Bear’s), a full-time Evan Bouchard (who will also outperform Bear on the ice and at a cheaper rate) in the lineup, as well as the bet on Warren Foegele. 

So, as far as I’m concerned, the Oilers have already done what they need to do to replace Bear. The club is older, more experienced, faster, more skilled, and bigger after the trade.

Lastly, and no disrespect to Bear, but if Ethan Bear was valued league-wide as a top-pairing right-shot defenseman, there would’ve been a lineup 31 teams long for his services. The rumor mill would’ve been in overdrive and pundits in Edmonton would’ve been chatting daily about this. I mean, you have to ask yourself, how often have you heard the talking heads, radio jockeys, and basement bloggers in other markets say publicly, “Team X would be a much better club if they could pry Ethan Bear out of Edmonton.” 

Not. Very. Often (If at all). 

Oil on Whyte (Coureville-Lynch)

Oilers Rumors: Is Jake DeBrusk a Solid Depth Option?
  • According to Fluto Shinzawa, a Bruins reporter for The Athletic, the Edmonton Oilers are still interested in Bruins Forward Jake DeBrusk. The cost is expected to be a player of DeBrusk’s profile: An underperforming player with potential to improve on a different team.
  •  I have created a shortlist of possible players, that the Oilers could trade for him.

Zack Kassian

  • …his grittiness and willingness to stand up for his teammates in any scenario, is something that the Bruins need in their lineup, and with Boston being a cup contender this upcoming season, Kassian could bring that extra spark.

Josh Archibald

  • Archibald is a gritty player. Always willing to battle in the corners with anyone, even if they are much bigger than he is, and his hockey IQ seems to be improving year after year.

Kailer Yamamoto

  • They don’t want him to be offer sheeted and lose the young star in the making for nothing if they can’t afford him.
  • If Boston retains salary on DeBrusk, they can flip Yamamoto for DeBrusk and draft picks, and be left with a bit of money to work with come the deadline.

BLH’s Thoughts: I think we’ve been over this far too much in recent months but that was before Holland suped up his LW with the additions of Hyman and Foegele. DeBrusk qualifying offer next summer is $4.85M and to me, that’s going to be too much for Edmonton. On the other hand, it might be too much for Boston too and if they hold onto him through the 2021-22 season and then not qualify him, DeBrusk could become a free agent… 

A hopeful and overly optimistic scene, in my opinion. Boston’s looking for another center and another defenseman anyhow, but as I often say, anything can happen and things change all of the time. 

NHLTradeRumor.com

  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports the Senators want to make another move or two to either add a veteran centre or another forward to the mix after making a couple of additions on defence this offseason.
    • Garrioch added, Erik Brannstrom could still be a trade chip in these trade negotiations if the organization tries to make a deal
  • ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski asked Panthers GM Bill Zito, if there was a date when he’d have to consider trading the star center. He said there isn’t one, because “I’m confident we’ll be able to work something out.”
    • The Panthers may be able to sign Barkov to a $9 million/year deal since the state of Florida does not charge tax, but the Panthers will still have to find cap room to sign 10 other players that will be a UFA or RFA after the 2021-22 season.
  • Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com reports Habs general manager Marc Bergevin said Weber’s career could be over, so finding a top four defenseman for the long term should be a target.
    • Montreal will have to trade for one or wait till next off-season and maybe look at some free agent options like Morgan Reilly.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Do the Edmonton Oilers have an ELITE Defensive Forward in their Ranks?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post 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 (McCurdy)

These are the value years for Kailer Yamamoto, but first Edmonton Oilers need to re-sign him
  • Between injuries, “time between leagues” and actual shortened seasons, he’s come in around 50 GP a year since being drafted. Each season, the percentage of those games in the NHL creeping up from 18% to 39% to 54% to 100%. He’s in the bigs to stay now.
  • The player has no arbitration rights and a generally weak negotiating position beyond his actual performance to date. He’s in a similar spot Ethan Bear was last summer, a negotiation that wound up dragging right to the cusp of training camp to the detriment of both player and team.
  • Bear eventually got a two-year bridge deal at $2 million per, and many have speculated that Yamamoto may fall in the same range.
  • The club may even be considering a one-year extension as a cost control measure, albeit one with the potential to bite back hard a year from now if Yamamoto has a strong season. (Think: Kevin Labanc in San Jose.)
  • In 2021 he played nearly twice as many games but wound up with fewer goals, fewer assists, fewer points, lower plus than his outstanding run in the winter of 2020.
  • In 2021 Yamamoto was again joined at the hip with Draisaitl on what remained an outscoring line, even as his numbers fell off as the season progressed.
  • The suspicion was he was nursing an injury of some sort, taking a number of “maintenance days” along the way and missing a couple of games here and there. Given his occasional reluctance and persistent ineffectiveness shooting the puck, this observer wondered if it might be an arm issue of some sort — a thumb, a wrist, a bicep perhaps.
  • Add it all up and in the past two seasons the Drai-Yam duo outscored their opponents by a whopping 59 goals to 27. Yamamoto apart was an ugly +3/-11, though in a tiny enough sample size (under 200 minutes, or just 17% of his total ice time) that some of it can be hand-waved away to variance and luck.
  • By eye Yamamoto is already a strong defensive player with the potential of becoming an elite one. He fearlessly engages opponents, makes a beeline for the puck in all three zones, has an “active stick” and a top-notch understanding of both passing and shooting lanes.
  • Questions remain about his ability to finish, and whether he is better described as a “top six” vs. “top nine” forward at this point. I’m convinced he’s got the defensive chops to help the team from either spot…

BLH’s Thoughts: Ya know, I was wondering what he was dealing with for the latter half of the season too. It seemed completely obtuse that he wasn’t shooting and according to Mr. McCurdy’s research, he wasn’t hitting either. I’d guess it was a shoulder problem, but that’s just me speculating. 

Killer’s game will never ever be about strength. If he’s to maximize his potential, he’ll need to add some ninja to his game. Nobody will question the amount of fight in this dog, but I think he’ll have a longer more impactful career if he holsters that aggression for the post-seasons and plays a more clever regular season game. 

Oilersnation (Laing)

Edmonton Oilers player review and 2021-22 preview: Alex Chiasson
  • Last year, Chiasson found himself fighting for a bottom-six role playing in 45 games, but his struggles this year were apparent.
  • With him on the ice at 5×5, the Oilers controlled 43.19 percent of the shot attempts, 37.93 percent of the goals scored, 41.36 percent of the expected goals while posting a 98.5 PDO.
  • His on-ice save percentage dipped three percent from the year before and that’s a big reason for his struggles.
  • At even-strength, he contributed offence at a seven percent rate below league average and defence at a one percent rate above league average.
  • He made his mark mainly on the powerplay, where according to hockeyviz.com, he contributed offence at a 15 percent rate above league average.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll miss Chiasson if he isn’t back. I liked what he brought to the team despite the declining numbers. He was a fantastic net-front presence on the PP and he didn’t take any shit out there. All he did was go out and leave it all on the ice. Lastly, and the thing I loved most about this guy, he told it as it was with the media. No mincing words with him, no BS. 

Good luck to him where ever he lands. 

NHLTradeRumors.me

Vegas Golden Knights: 2 Players Most Likely to Be Traded Next Season

  • Reilly Smith: The pending free agent may price himself off the team for the 2022-23 season as the Golden Knights won’t have a ton of cap space and Smith could be in line for a hefty raise… Depending on where Vegas is in the standings, Smith could be dealt mid-season.
  • Picks/Prospects: The Golden Knights are a long shot for Eichel, but expect them to be in on some other talent and using their first-round pick and prospects to entice other general managers to pull the trigger.

Tampa Bay Lightning: 2 Players Who Could Be Traded Next Season

  • Ondrej Palat: The Lightning lost Yanni Gourde to the Seattle Kraken and some feel it was Palat they were hoping to lose.
  • Picks/Prospects: The team is stacked and they will be adding some more pieces at the trade deadline…. Look for the Lightning to add grinders at the deadline as losing Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow is going to hurt.

Pittsburgh Penguins: 2 Players Most Likely to Be Traded Next Season

  • Jason Zucker:  Zucker hasn’t fit in well with Evgeni Malkin on the second-line and his $5.5 million salary isn’t suited for any team’s third-line.
  • Marcus Pettersson: Another expensive player who is not performing to his contract, Pettersson was given a knee-jerk extension by ex-Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford and now it looks like the team is stuck with him.

St Louis Blues: 2 Players Most Likely to Be Traded Next

  • Vladimir Tarasenko: At this point it’s been the New York Rangers, Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes who have been engaged with the Blues in serious discussions. 
  • Colton Parayko: A pending free-agent and someone who may price himself off the team. The 28-year-old could be one of the biggest names on the rental market come trade deadline…

BLH’s Thoughts: What do you think it would cost the Edmonton Oilers to get their hands on Colton Parayko? More than Cody Ceci, Philip Broberg, and Rafa Lavoie?

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