Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

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Cult of Hockey (David Staples)

Big Boys Bomb about to go off on Edmonton Oilers

• Since the 2013 draft, Edmonton has been stocking up on big d-men. A number of them are close to making an impact in the NHL.
• The Oilers have 10 large d-men in their prospect pipeline. If two or three of them pan out as Top 4 d-men, the Oilers will be set up for success in the second half of Connor McDavid’s eight-year contract.
• Oiler GMs Craig MacTavish started the work in 2013, drafting big Nurse, and in 2014, drafting thick Swede William Lagesson. GM Peter Chiarelli accelerated the Big Boys recruitment program, taking towering Ziyat Paigin in 2015, Filip Berglund and Markus Niemelanien in 2016, Dmitri Samorukov and Phil Kemp in 2017 and Evan Bouchard and Michael Kesselring in 2018.
• Current GM Ken Holland kept up the momentum in 2019, drafting Philip Broberg, then took Luca Munzenberger and Maxium Wanner this year.
• Bouchard, Samorukov and Broberg have the most obvious potential to play on Edmonton’s first or second pairings, with huge Niemelainen and Kesselring the best bets to stick on the bottom pairing.

BLH’s Thoughts: The big difference between this group of dmen and the ones that were often referred to as “Coke machines” in the past are that these guys can skate very well. They pass well, they think the game better, and their overall level of skill is much higher. 

Now, on a related note, one seed I want to plant in your mind right now is one that you might like. If you’re Bob Stauffer, you’re at half-mast just thinking about it. 

Colton Parayko. 

I’m curious if Edmonton takes a run at him at the trade deadline and uses a few of the dmen mentioned above to bring him in. Maybe someone like Phil Kemp and Dmitri Samorukov (if he’s not used to bring in a goalie) as well as a roster player. I mean, it wouldn’t really shock me if Cody Ceci was the guy off the club sent over in such a deal. I know he just signed for four years, but there’s no trade protection in the deal. 

Woodblog

Duncan Keith Played Some 1st Pair but…

• A hobby horse of mine for years has been trying to figure out exactly how coaches are deploying defensemen so I dug into how CHI deployed Keith last year out of my own curiosity and thought it was interesting enough to share with a post.
• The first thing I look at is the Dmen’s 5v5 TOI/gm.  This result more than any  other will tell you how the coach viewed and used the player:

• My definition of “top pair” is the pair that played the most 5v5 and played the most vs Elite forwards, not which players had the most TOI/gm as that includes special teams.
• While time on special teams have value, they do not factor into figuring out if a player was a “first pairing Dman”.
• This was a strange year for tracking TOI% vs Elite forwards.  Due to the “division-only” schedule format the “usual” TOI% vs Elites that we see year after year was skewed in each division.
• In the Central and West division there were fewer Elite forwards so “1st pairing” Dmen often were around 25% of their TOI vs Elites, whereas in a normal year they would be ~35%.
• CHI was in the Central and there were less Elite TOI% to play against. 

• Keith’s results vs Elites Forwards were better than Zadorov’s with each of the RHD when they were in a Top 4 role.
• Even if those 3 Dmen aren’t great, its tough to get good results on a team that didn’t have its top 2 centers for most of the year.
• Murphy ended the season with almost 500 NHL games played and Zadorov ended with just over 400.  They were each other’s main partner and it makes sense that the coach would deploy them in *slightly* tougher minutes than Keith given that Keith had a lot of rookie time on this right side.
• Despite Keith leading CHI’s Dmen in TOI per game, he was not their “top pairing Dman”.
• Keith’s role won’t diminish on EDM compared to his role on CHI in my opinion.
• The job would have been a lot easier if Larsson was his partner, but now it looks like it will be Cody Ceci who was mostly 3rd pair in PIT last year.  Ceci did ok in a top 4 role in TOR the year before when with Rielly, so it might work, but we don’t know yet.

BLH’s Thoughts: It was a pain in the ass to try and find great excerpts from this blog, so I highly suggest you head over and take the 10 minutes and read it entirely so that nothing is lost.

• TL/DR: Mark Spector says Duncan Keith is a top-pairing defender using Keith’s overall TOI, Woodguy writes a very detailed blog explaining why he isn’t based on last year’s 5×5 data. 

Kudos to WG for going to all that effort to prove Mark Spector wrong… But, who the hell cares if Duncan Keith played “top-pair” minutes last year and why should WG’s definition of what a 1st pairing defender trump what an NHL coach or GM would consider one to be. 

Personally, I do not agree with WG’s definition of what a 1st pair defender is. I feel that if a defenseman is averaging near 24 minutes a night, he’s a top-pairing defender, regardless of how his time is split up. It’s obviously an indication of how much a coach trusts his defenseman when he’s willing to put said defender in such critical situations like a man advantage or a penalty kill.

Last year’s Norris Trophy winner played over 25 minutes a night at all strengths, but only a shade over 17 minutes at 5v5, does that mean he’s not a first pairing dman?

Look, no disrespect to WG, it’s interesting what he’s dug up but it’s trivial in my mind and honestly, unimportant unless the Oilers are planning on using him alongside Darnell Nurse. He’s only using one season’s worth of data and there’s a caveat for said data. To me, wouldn’t it make sense to derive your conclusion from information that doesn’t require caveats and clarifications?

What about instead of delving into whether or not Mark Spector’s quote was right or wrong, trying to project where Keith could thrive in Edmonton’s system under Dave Tippett? Why is there a need to look for failure?

Keith is going to play fewer minutes at all strengths in Edmonton, there’s no doubt in my mind about that, but WG and I do share a common concern and that’s his d-partner. I don’t mind Cody Ceci, but I am not confident that he’ll be a good sidekick for the 3x Stanley Cup winner.

The Daily Goal Horn

NHL Rumors: Rangers latest offer for Eichel

• According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post he’s hearing the Rangers original package has changed, partially due to the Sabres need of a starting goalie.
  • “There is a strong sense that Chytil would necessarily be included in a package going the other way in a hypothetical deal for Eichel, because the Sabres need a center in return and all that. But one individual with some knowledge of the proceedings told The Post on Thursday that the latest entreaty includes Vitali Kravtsov, Zac Jones, Alexandar Georgiev and a first-rounder, but not Chytil.”
• Last night they also went out and traded for enforcer Ryan Reaves to plant a seed in the head of Tom Wilson or anyone else that liberties against their stars will not be tolerated. That trade only added $1.75 million to their cap and they still have $14 million to play with.

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

Give us a follow on the socials!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
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Edmonton Sun (Rob Tychkowski)

The day after: What to make of the new-look Edmonton Oilers

• There is always risk involved when committing big money over several years to fill an vital spots on the roster. And Holland certainly stuck his chin out this offseason, dancing with a bit of danger in almost all of his acquisitions.
• Barrie is controversial because there are more holes in his game than a first pairing guy should really have, and signing him might have squeezed out Ethan Bear.
• Duncan Keith is risky because he’s pushing 40 and he cost them another young defenceman in Caleb Jones, who might come back to haunt them now that he’s being mentored by his brother in Chicago.
• Hyman is a concern because the deal is seven years and you have to wonder about the engine life of a 29-year-old who logs the kind of hard miles that he does.
• Foegele is questionable because he’s all they got for Bear.
• The Oilers have more depth and tenacity up front now, and it’s going to make a difference.
• On defence, the Oilers were in an untenable situation on the right side.
  • Something had to give, and that something was Bear. In the very short term, you can understand the Oilers’ logic. He is a talented young player with plenty of unrealized upside, but isn’t a first- or second-pairing defenceman on a “win now” team.
• Cody Ceci on the second pairing is a slight downgrade from Larsson, no question, but Keith is the key to that equation.
• Ceci and rejuvenated Keith could even be an upgrade on Larsson and the platoon of left defencemen (Jones, Lagesson, Dmitry Kulikov, and Kris Russell) who played there last year.
• The best-laid plans can be gutted by average netminding and the potential for that is very real this season.

BLH’s Thoughts: I was just going over the sv% leaders from 1997 to 2021 and during Detroit’s best years their goaltending was painfully average if not below average. Not a lot of years with netminders over a .920 in that category and we’re talking about goalies like Chris Osgood, Manny Legace, Dominik Hasek, and Curtis Joseph. So this leads me to believe that on a Ken Holland built team, his focus is on developing a great group of skaters in front of his goaltender so that he doesn’t have to invest too many resources in the net. On his championship clubs, average goaltending in the regular season IS enough, the trick is to have a puck stopper who can step it up in the post-season. 

Sportsnet (Mark Spector)

Hyman will solidify Oilers’ top line, but other roster questions linger

• It is near impossible to find a negative view on Hyman from around the hockey world. “Steady as a drumbeat,” was one description that sums up the player.
• For some, signing an above average offensive D-man (Barrie) on a contract we would consider to be favourable is bad business. Those folks are not named McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or Darnell Nurse, however.
• Who is Ceci? Is he the player who finished second in plus-minus (plus-18) and second in scoring (17 points, all even strength) while playing 18:31 per game for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season?
  • Or is he the guy who struggled in Toronto the year before that, part of a Leafs blue line that needed an overhaul?
• This is the one acquisition Holland made on Wednesday that carries the biggest asterisk. We don’t blame him for losing Larsson, but on a day he needed a stout defender, acquiring Ceci is going to be on people’s radar for a long while in Edmonton.
• Bear was, in the end, another small defenceman who doesn’t defend well enough. A right side of Barrie, Bear and young Evan Bouchard simply is not an option for a team that wants playoff success, so turning him into a bigger, third-line left-winger who can help Edmonton’s depth up front was good business.
• Holland has a third-line centre-of-the-future in Ryan McLeod, and was unable to acquire a high-end 3C on Wednesday. So he landed what is essentially a high-end 4C in (Derek) Ryan, a smart utility forward who will insulate McLeod and help him grow into the role.
• In goal, where Holland failed to get in on a goalie carousel that saw 14 netminders move through Central Registry on their way to new clubs Wednesday. He was in on Darcy Kuemper but couldn’t close the deal, and had a deal to move Mikko Koskinen’s contract if he could have landed the Arizona goalie.

BLH’s Thoughts: If the acquisitions of Zach Hyman, Warren Foegele, and Derek Ryan in addition to the internal additions of Ryan McLeod and (possibly) Tyler Benson can result in the Oilers spending less time defending, that’ll ultimately benefit the defense and the goaltenders, no? 

Tyson Barrie is anything but an “above average offensive dman”, his ability to produce points should be considered elite. Getting him an a below market value contract is most definitely a grade A free agent signing.

I have my own concerns over Ceci but one of them isn’t regarding his ability to come in an duplicate Adam Larsson’s game. I think he’s going to be solid beside Duncan Keith. What sent up yellow flags is how he said he wants to rediscover some of his offensive game that’s been lost over the years. I want him to focus on being a good defender and somebody who can get the puck to the forwards as quickly as possible, let them do the work on the offense. His d-partner is going to need someone who can cover when he gets aggressive on the puck, not the other way around.  

The Athletic (Jonathan Willis)

Oilers 2021-22 depth chart: How Zach Hyman, Duncan Keith, Warren Foegele and Cody Ceci change the picture

• The big changes are in the bottom-six, a group that struggled mightily last season. The trade cost for Warren Foegele (Ethan Bear) was high but he instantly becomes a two-way force and anchor point for Edmonton’s third line.
• The price for crafty right-shot centre Derek Ryan was much lower, but he’s a better bet at centre than the miscast Turris was last season. 
• As it stands, the Oilers are set to have three young players join the group: Ryan McLeod, Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody. 
  • An established fourth-line/penalty-killing left wing would allow them to bump Benson into a reserve slot and force Marody to win a job rather than getting one by default.
• One also wonders if Edmonton might revisit some of its still unsigned UFAs.
  • Chiasson’s 183 games in Edmonton make it his longest NHL stop and his 78 points make it his most productive; would he and the team have mutual interest in bringing him back on a six-figure contract?
• This is now a thoroughly Ken Holland blue line, featuring four veterans signed as unrestricted free agents in top-six roles, with two of them new this year.
• It’s likely that the Oilers add another body to the mix: probably someone big, cheap and with penalty-killing experience. There are plenty of options out there, including Koekkoek, whose first season in Edmonton was wiped out by injury.
• As a mental exercise, try to imagine the coach shortening his bench to two pairings to defend a one-goal lead in a must-win game. Nurse makes the list for sure, and then Keith and Ceci … but the next-best bet on the right side might be Russell rather than any of the right-shooters. This looks like a wobbly group and they’ll have to prove otherwise.
•  Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen. They’re both NHL-caliber goalies, and if neither is the true No. 1 the Oilers long for they still might be good enough in the aggregate to get the team to the postseason. They’ve done it twice; the third time will be the charm.
• Finding a goalie through trade will be tough too. Teams are leery of a compacted Olympic schedule and generally want two guys who can play regularly. 
• One advantage the Oilers do have is a lot of options behind Smith and Koskinen. Stalock has played 151 NHL games and owns a career .909 save percentage. Skinner’s AHL performance has him knocking on the door. Konovalov had a .923 save percentage in the second-best league in the world last year.
• Give or take some minor deals at the edges, this appears to be the Oilers team that will compete for the Stanley Cup next season.

BLH’s Thoughts: I liked that mental exercise Jonathan presented because it made me think back to who Dave Tippett had on every second shift in overtime vs. Winnipeg in game four of their playoff series this year. It was Darnell Nurse and… wait for it… Tyson Barrie! To add to that, some say that Barrie got better and better as that series wore on… So I’ve got no reservations about Edmonton’s top-four in a close game. 

However, they will want to sign another LHD as well as another winger. I think Slater Koekkoek is somebody they like as he block shots, can transition the puck, has an element of offense to his game, and proved his worth last season to the coaching staff.

At forward, if they can’t find anybody else, Alex Chiasson makes a ton of sense too. Dave Tippett trusts him a great deal and he can be brought into the lineup on as the 4RW with Josh Archibald sliding over to the left side as he’s often done in Edmonton since his arrival. Chiasson would be a very cheap signing and this would force a Cooper Marody or a Tyler Benson to beat out a veteran for that spot. 

The Daily Goal Horn

NHL Rumors: Blues trade ask too high on Tarasenko; Rangers were in on Danault; and Wild out on Eichel

• Armstrong has miscalculated the (Tarasenko) situation, asking for “too much” in return. There were once four teams interested in Tarasenko, and there are still at least two, but the options are dwindling after Wednesday’s signings around the league. – The Athletic
• So we have it on good authority that the Rangers were indeed in on the bidding for Montreal shutdown center Phillip Danault when the free-agent market opened at noon on Wednesday, but dropped out when the bidding yielded a six-year offer of an average annual value of $5.5 million per season from the Kings. – NY Post
• Although at least temporarily the Wild have backed out of Jack Eichel trade talks, sources say, because they’re fed up with the asking price from the Buffalo Sabres for the $10 million star with a neck injury. – The Athletic

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

Give us a follow on the socials!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
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Edmonton Sun (Jim Matheson)

OILERS NOTES: Former Golden Bears forward Derek Ryan back where it all began

• Apart from defencemen Randy Gregg and Cory Cross, Ryan is the most famous forward who ever played for the Golden Bears. Through his four years there, he was a star with the puck, and as an NHL centre, he has been tasked with stopping other people with it.
• Which is exactly why the Oilers just signed the centre from Spokane to a two-year free-agent deal — to win draws, kill penalties, play smart and play third- or fourth-line. He’s a better Gaetan Haas, entering his sixth NHL season.
• He also has a tie-in with Kailer Yamamoto.
  • “I work out four times a week with Yams in Spokane. I’ve trained with him half a decade or so and when I was playing for the (Western Hockey League’s) Chiefs, he was at hockey camps I was working at. He’s always had exceptional skill and high hockey IQ,” he said.
• Sources say a stumbling block in the Oilers chase of Arizona goalie Darcy Kuemper was Kuemper’s salary. If they were prepared to give up the Coyotes’ desire for a first-round pick and a prospect, Edmonton felt Arizona had to pay all or most of Kuemper’s $4.5 million.
• One NHL scout on Kyle Turris, who never found his niche here last year as a third-line centre or a penalty-killer or a key face-off guy: “He has to have a big training camp and show his competitive fire is back. His skating’s good enough but he was late to the party everywhere last season.” The Oilers would rather not bury $1.075 million of his contract ($2.1 million) on the farm in Bakersfield.

BLH’s Thoughts: I know Bob Stauffer (630CHED) has noted that the Oilers could try Kyle Turris on the 2nd line with Nuge and Leon during training camp, so that would speak to them not wanting to put him in Bakersfield and also to the idea that they might be pumping his tires in an attempt to trade him. 

With Ryan, I just hope that Tippett doesn’t lean on him too much. If he was putting up great fancies in Calgary playing under 12 minutes a night, maybe that’s where his wheelhouse is and the Oilers should experiment with that sort of deployment at the beginning. 

The Oilers Rig (Alex Thomas)

What Could Be Next For The Edmonton Oilers?

• Sign the RFA’s – Foegele and Yamamoto will both need new contracts, as do Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody.
• The expectation is that both Benson and Marody will come in at under $1,000,000 per year. Benson is more likely to sign a two-year deal, while Marody likely prefers a one-year pact.
• The expectation here is that Yamamoto will carry a cap hit of $2,200,000 per year.
• Foegele’s contract is more of a question. It’s possible he could sign a two-or-three-year deal worth somewhere in the $2,500,000 to $3,000,000 range.
• Add a left-shot defenseman – Russell and Lagesson are both on the roster above, but it’s likely that Holland adds a defenseman in the coming weeks.
• The club does maintain interest in free agent Slater Koekkoek, but he’s currently exploring the market. Other options include Brendan Smith, Ryan Murray, Jordie Benn and Jon Merrill.
• Add a bottom-six winger – Ideally, the Oilers want to add a cheap veteran winger that can provide leadership, gritty play and some penalty killing ability.
• Options are limited on the free agent market, but Marcus Sorensen, Michael Frolik and Mark Jankowski could be options. That trio won’t break the bank, and all three could be options later this summer as PTO’s.
• Continue the goaltending search – There are no promises that Holland will be able to get the job done here. 
• As it currently stands, the Oilers will go to training camp with Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen once again as their NHL duo. Alex Stalock and Stuart Skinner will be there too, but neither is expected to wrestle a spot away.
• Holland will likely check back in with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s had conversations with them in recent weeks, with Joonas Korpisalo the likely target. Alexander Georgiev of the New York Rangers is openly looking for a trade, and could be a target as well.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ken Holland said on Oilers Now yesterday morning that the team is close to being done making moves. He said that if they’re going to do more that it’ll be on the cheaper end, a more depth-adding type of acquisition. Holland also noted that he wants to give the kids (Benson, Holloway, Broberg) more of an opportunity next season as well. 

So with that in mind, I’m going to close the door on the club making a change in between the pipes for now. I think that they have five left wingers (RNH, Hyman, Foegele, Shore, and Benson) that they could go into the season feeling comfortable with. They might want to bring back Alex Chiasson on the right side to give them five options over there as well (Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Kassian, Archibald), but that’s open to debate because right now the Oilers only have a shade over $1M in cap space and they have to get Yamo and Foegele under contract as well as Benson and Marody…

In addition to Klefbom going on LTIR, a contract will need to be moved to open up more cap space… 

Oilersnation (Jason Gregor)

Are the Oilers Better?

• I believe Edmonton made significant upgrades at forward by adding Zach Hyman, Warren Foegele and Derek Ryan. Edmonton has two legit top-six left wingers in Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Foegele is a proven, solid third line winger. Ryan is a much-needed right shot who can win faceoffs.
• Edmonton will be changing three full-time spots, while the third pair left defence will likely be a platoon spot with Kris Russell and whichever UFA D-man they sign. Ryan Murray would be a great signing to play there, but I sense he will cost too much.
• Ceci has been solid the past two seasons, but he doesn’t have the overall snarl of Larsson. He moves the puck better, but isn’t as solid defensively and not as physical.
• Bouchard will get some offensive zone starts, likely with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid’s lines, and I don’t expect Oilers defence coach, Jim Playfair, to overplay him early on.
  • He has better offensive skills than Bear, and his size and length could allow him to be equal defensively. He doesn’t have the penalty killing prowess of Bear, but I think we will see him get some PK time as the season progresses. His smarts, along with his reach could be an asset on the PK.
• The biggest question I have on the blueline is: Can they match the penalty killing of the departed defenders?
• No changes thus far with Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen under contract. Stuart Skinner and Alex Stalock will also be in camp, but Stalock didn’t play a game last season and I’m not sure if he is an upgrade on Koskinen.
• Smith will be the starter, but he shouldn’t have more than 52 starts at the most. It is unlikely he matches last season’s numbers, mainly because they were excellent.
  • I’d be surprised to see him fall off a cliff statistically, and if he hovers between .915sv% and .917sv% then he’ll still be in the top-half of the league.
• Is there a trade to be had? I think it is more likely we see a potential deal in-season or near the trade deadline if one of the goalies is struggling.

BLH’s Thoughts: The cool thing about Edmonton’s forwards this year is that the wingers are all tenacious and excellent on the wall. It’ll be tough to win a board battle against the Oilers this upcoming season and they forecheck really well too, so the opposition’s defenders are going to be under a lot of pressure and that might cause quite a few unforced errors thus creating scoring chances for Edmonton’s second or third man in.

With Edmonton’s penalty killing dmen, I reckon Nurse, Keith, and Ceci will get the most of the TOI there and Kris Russell will get some when he plays and whoever the end up signing or trading for to play on that third pair with Evan Bouchard. It wouldn’t shock me if that guy is someone who’s efficient at blocking shots, can clear cycles down low, take care of the front of the net, and stick up for his teammates. Slater Koekkoek comes to mind but also a wildcard option might be Zdeno Chara… Don’t be too quick to dismiss Big Z. 

NHLRumors.com

David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: The Vegas Golden Knights appear to be out of the Jack Eichel trade talks according to GM Kelly McCrimmon.

• • “We’re not likely to be involved in any other discussions. We used our money that we had available to us. We’ve addressed the needs that we identified going into this time frame. We’re anxious to get ready for training camp as we move into the next season.”

Michael Russo of The Athletic: Sources say the Minnesota Wild are out of the Jack Eichel trade talks as they are tired of the asking price that the Buffalo Sabres want.

Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic: Jack Eichel trade talks with the New York Rangers and basically everyone else has virtually stalled. The Minnesota Wild are out, and the Los Angeles Kings may not have the room for his $10 million cap hit. The Philadelphia Flyers and Vegas Golden Knights can’t afford him either.

Bruce Garrioch: After the Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Michael Del Zotto and traded for Nick Holden, you have to wonder if they will look at trading one of Victor Mete or Erik Brannstrom.

The Fourth Period: The St. Louis Blues continue to work on a Vladimir Tarasenko trade. They’ve been having trade talks with the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and Vegas Golden Knights.

Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic: A source said that it’s pretty quiet on the Vladimir Tarasenko trade front. The source added the longer they hold on to him the lesser his trade value becomes. A deal should have been made by now.

• • A source said that the Seattle Kraken would have drafted Tarasenko to trade him to anyone, but this no-trade clause killed that idea.

Elliotte Friedman: The Toronto Maple Leafs have indicated that they are protecting their remaining salary cap space. They have about $3.5 million. They are holding it for likely a top-six winger.

Tom Gazzola: The Edmonton Oilers are still trying to trade goaltender Mikko Koskinen. There had been some interest in him yesterday afternoon.

Drew Livingstone: Philipp Grubauer on signing with the Kraken: “It was a no brainer for me to go there (Seattle)” + “They (Avs) had their time and their opportunity”