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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Holland to Sign Barrie, Ceci, Hyman, and More Today?

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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Edmonton Sun (Terry Jones)

JONES: Oilers heading into most important days in team history
  • Word was that about-to-be-free-agent Barrie and the Oilers were still talking Tuesday and that the money was close, but Barrie wanted longer than the three-year term Holland didn’t want to budge on.
  • The thing is that Holland is Mr. Draft & Develop and the Oilers and Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov are expected to move in to major roles and Holland want to clear the path for their future.
  • I wonder how much temptation there might be when it comes to the defence, to save some of that cap space until trade deadline day.
  • Whatever, the bottom line of what happens Wednesday, or in the next few days of free agency, is to be able to announce to the hockey world and the Oilers players themselves that they are unquestionably and undeniably an improved hockey team to forge forward into the McDavid-Draisaitl Window Open go-for-it years.

BLH’s Thoughts: By the time this has been published, there should be lots of free agent news leaking out. So I apologize for some redundant reading you may have to do today. 

Barrie looks to be signed to a wonderful deal (3yrs $4M-$5M/yr). It’ll be good to have another highly skilled hockey player who WANTS to be in Edmonton and is willing to sign for less than market value. Those are very hard to come by. 

My personal feeling is that Holland will indeed leave some cap room for down the road be that for internal transactions (around $1M or just above) or external moves at the deadline. It’s just a good plan not to blow your entire wad at one time, right?

Cult of Hockey (David Staples)

Darnell Nurse and Edmonton Oilers working on new deal to cover his McDavid Era years
  • This in from Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, news that the Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse, 26, are at work on a new deal, but for four years, not the maximum eight-year term.
    • “Hearing EDM and Darnell Nurse working on what is believed to be a four-year deal. The defenceman — who had a terrific season — has one year remaining before UFA eligibility.”
  • Given his splendid play for the team, why would the Oilers not want to lock him in through all of his prime years? But it’s easy to see how a four-year term works for Nurse.
  • If he signs for four more years that will mean he’s with the Oilers five more seasons, exactly the same length of remaining term on the Connor McDavid contract, with Leon Draisaitl signed for four more years. We’ve long heard that these three players are good friends and form the leadership core of the team.
  • If Draisaitl and McDavid were to choose to move on — which is completely within their rights — then Nurse would be free to move on as well
  • It’s also the case that Nurse will be 31 when a four-year deal ends and in line to sign one more big contract, but that will come at a time when the NHL cap might finally be shooting up again. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t have a whole lot to say on Nurse other than he deserves every penny he gets. Early in his career he failed to impress me, but this past season he was nothing short of unbelievable for the Oilers. He’s developed into the new Kevin Lowe and it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays well into his late-30s at a high level. Surely, with his work ethic and some trade secrets passed on to him from Duncan Keith, being a top-four defender when he decides to retire isn’t an otherworldly notion.

Sportsnet (Elliotte Friedman)

Free-agency predictions: Will Brayden Point and Darnell Nurse be extended?

EXTENSIONS

  • Darnell Nurse: Reported Tuesday Edmonton was discussing a four-year extension for him. Both sides want to extend, but there is a debate about the term. We’ll see where it goes.

FREE AGENTS

  • Zach Hyman: Edmonton
  • Cody Ceci: Edmonton

TRADE

  • Ethan Bear: Not sure, but with Tyson Barrie, Evan Bouchard and Ceci in Edmonton, there could be something here. I like Bear, and so do a few teams.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m under the impression that the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, and Arizona Coyotes have interest in Bear.

I implore you not to get mesmerized by all the player charts that are going to be tossed around today. There’s going to be a lot of people out there who will try to convince you that a player is bad because his metrics show him in a bad light, Cody Ceci being one of them.

(According to Natural Stat Trick, his high-danger against metrics at even strength relative are sub zero… That’s a real positive!)

I’m under the impression that Ceci was very solid in Pittsburgh last year after being slotted in a better spot with the Pens. Sounds to me like he was played too much in Ottawa and Toronto and that’s the reason his fancies look as poor as they do. 

Is Ceci my first choice for Edmonton, probably not (I kind of like Jason Demers on a short-term deal to replace Larsson), the options look bleak though. He seems painfully average, but maybe that’s just what the team needs, defenders who go about their jobs whilst staying out of the limelight. Now, maybe the thought is that he’ll slide in beside Duncan Keith and be the veteran’s perfect partner. 

Daily Goal Horn

NHL Rumors: Stars want Ryan Suter; Predators in on Dougie Hamilton; and Bruins trying to get Christian Dvorak
  • According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, Suter has several 4 year deals on the table and the Dallas Stars are one of the top teams in the mix. Dallas recently lost Jamie Oleksiak in the Seattle Expansion draft and would love to take the money they allocated for him and use it on Suter.
  • Yesterday, The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein was on NHL Radio and said a stealth team for Hamilton would be the Nashville Predators. His reasoning for it is because the Preds have cleared cap space and are looking for a partner for Roman Josi after trading Ryan Ellis.
  • Dvorak has generated plenty of interest and multiple sources have confirmed the Coyotes and Boston Bruins have discussed a trade involving the 25-year-old centre. It is believed Arizona is looking for a package of draft picks and prospects for Dvorak, who has four-years left on his contract. – The Fourth Period

BLH’s Thoughts: The Oilers do like Christian Dvorak… Could that be somebody Edmonton would target by using Ethan Bear as trade bait? The only thing with trading him to Arizona is that they’ve already got three RHD in the lineup, I don’t know if they’d be open to adding another.

Actually, Dallas seems like a better destination for Bear as the Stars need a 3rd pairing right shot defender as Andrej Sekera transitions to 7th defenseman.

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Barrie Signing with Oilers (3yrs @ $4M-$5M) and is Ethan Bear off to Seattle or Arizona?

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!

The Athletic (Allan Mitchell)

Lowetide: Oilers targets for early and late in NHL free agency, from Ryan Getzlaf to Linus Ullmark
  • Nick Ritchie is a late entry into the free-agent pool and might be an option for Edmonton as a later addition. He has power-forward attributes and there are some similarities to Patrick Maroon in style and presence.
  • Ryan Getzlaf is heading to free agency and that’s a big deal… He’s a right-handed centre and a bull on the ice, with a long history of success. He is above 50 percent in the faceoff circle and Puck IQ had him above 50 percent in possession against elite opposition in 2020-21.
  • David Kampf is not a famous player and many NHL fans know little about him despite 235 games in the league. He is a defensive centre whose possession numbers are positive relative to teammates in three of his four seasons. He has been a regular penalty killer during his career, although he has an uneven record in this area.
  • Mark Pysyk is a solid late target, although the evidence is incomplete and anecdotal… Pysyk is not a shutdown type but has good speed and can outlet passes well. He won’t replace Adam Larsson or Barrie but he can play defence.
  • Ryan Murray is the best early option for Edmonton at this spot, although his role will be secondary… Murray could serve as a mentor to Evan Bouchard on the third pairing and offer some insurance in case Duncan Keith is unable to handle second-pairing minutes. 
  • Linus Ullmark is the perfect early option in goal for the Oilers and it isn’t close… Ullmark’s consistency through his NHL career has been remarkable and he’s young enough (he turns 28 at the end of July) to backstop a team for several years into the future. His 2020-21 five-on-five save percentage was .937, making him one of the five best goalies in the category.
  • Laurent Brossoit is an established NHL backup with parts of seven seasons in the league. He has struggled at times but the teams in front of him were also having some issues as his game went sideways.

BLH’s Thoughts: Seravalli said Ullmark’s asking for Jordan Binnington money ($6Mx6), and that might be out of Edmonton’s range. I don’t know if I could see Brossoit returning to the Oilers, that seems unrealistic to me. He doesn’t really fit what the club is really looking for in net. 

Murray would’ve been a good signing had Holland decided to pass on Duncan Keith and re-sign Adam Larsson earlier. He’d be too expensive as a 3rd pairing dman. 

Pysyk is an interesting option though. I think the Oilers will want to get one more extra RHD since they are overflowing with lefties right now. He’d be on the cheaper side, so there could be some merit in suggesting him.

There’s going to be a shit ton of suitors for Nick Ritchie, I wonder if the Penguins will take a real good run at him. As for Kampf, I don’t believe he’s got enough offense or experience for Edmonton to be a realistic option for them. 

Edmonton Sun (Jim Matheson)

Oilers have several other free-agent targets outside of Zach Hyman
  • Goal: Ullmark, who put up wonderful numbers (the last 54 games over two seasons: 26-20-6, .916 save percentage) in Buffalo behind a bad defence. Most pro scouts feel he’s ready for a much bigger role in net as he turns 28 Saturday. Maybe he turns into somebody as good as fellow Swede Robin Lehner.
  • Fall-backs in net: Carolina’s Petr Mrazek, who played for Holland in Detroit. Freddie Andersen, who has beaten the Oilers for fun in his Toronto days… Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper, who has one year left on his contract. True starter, but he’s also hurt a lot (knee).
  • They have circled back to Tyson Barrie, the highest-scoring defenceman in the league last year, about returning but short-term (three years). They don’t want Barrie to block fellow offensive D Evan Bouchard.
  • Travis Hamonic would fit too but at this stage he’s a third-pairing right-D. Long-shot in a trade, although he would have to waive a no-move clause: Colorado’s Erik Johnson, 33. But only if Avs would be willing to eat $2 million of his $6 million cap hit for the next two seasons.
  • Getzlaf. We know he’s 36 and we know he’s got a wife and four kids who have spent their life in southern California but he was born in Regina. There’s some smoke here… 
  • Nick Bonino in Minnesota. Oilers assistant coach Glen Gulutzan was in Vancouver doing same job when Bonino played for Canucks so there’s intel there. Bonino’s wife Lauren is from St. Albert; maybe she wants to come home.
  • Florida’s Alexander Wennberg had bounce back year and has offensive pop (17 goals). Mikael Granlund in Nashville plays left wing, also centre and was one of coach John Hynes most trusted players with 13 goals and 27 points.
  • Buffalo has no goalies with Ullmark and Carter Hutton UFA and Holland has certainly called about Koskinen.
  • Would Oilers want to bring back UFA Andrew Cogliano at $1 million to play fourth-line wing? He’s still got great wheels. Just turned 34, 1,066 NHL games.

BLH’s Thoughts: It looks like the Oilers have Barrie locked up for three years for something between $4M and $5M according to the Bobfather and I’ve got to say that is outstanding! I thought he was going to come in over $5M. If he signs for under $5M/yr, that’ll be a major win as it’ll leave more funds to allocate elsewhere. If Ullmark really wants $6M/yr, Edmonton is going to have to pony up. 

It sounds like Wennberg might be staying in Florida and if I’m not wrong, I believe it was Bob Stauffer saying that yesterday.

I love the idea of adding Nick Bonino, but if Ryan Getzlaf is willing to go to Edmonton, I know who I’m picking. 

Bob McKenzie is also saying that Cogliano could be going to San Jose.

Oilersnation (Zach Laing)

Report: Edmonton Oilers “potential fit” for UFA Ryan Getzlaf
  • Getzlaf, 36, has spent his full 1,101 game NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks scoring 279 goals and 982 points in that time.
  • He’s coming off a down year having scored just five goals and 17 points in 48 games this year, but had scored well over 2 P/60 in the years prior.
  • The 6’4, 225 lb. right-shot centre fits the bill for what the Oilers are looking for to fill that 3C slot and Getzlaf still brings a lot on the ice.
  • According to hockeyviz.com, at even-strength this year he contributed offence at a five percent rate above league average and defence at a three percent rate above league average. He would undoubtedly bring the intangibles the Oilers are looking for, too.

BLH’s Thoughts: “I wouldn’t say never say never on Getzlaf.” – Bob Stauffer

Yesterday on Oilers Now, Stauffer read a text out loud from Getzlaf’s agent, Gerry Johansson, that said Edmonton would be a place Getzlaf would consider. Stauffer also stated that he thinks there’s an outside chance the Anaheim captain would sign with the Oilers. Mark Spector, on the other hand, said that all the people he spoke to felt that there’s no chance he goes north to play in Edmonton… 

Also mentioned on Stauffer’s show yesterday morning, Duncan Keith has been in contact with Getzlaf. The belief there is that since they were Olympic teammates, Keith spoke to the career-long Duck about coming to Edmonton and joining him in their bid for Lord Stanley’s Cup. 

Cult of Hockey

Edmonton Oilers’ free agent targets likely include Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci, NHL insiders report
  • “EDM and Tyson Barrie are getting closer to a multi-year contract that would take the defenceman out of free agency.” – Bob McKenzie
  • “Some rumblings Cody Ceci will be in mix, too.” – Elliotte Friedman
  • Barrie is reportedly looking for a four-year deal somewhere in the $5 million range, with the Oilers said to prefer a three-year pact.
  • Cody Ceci, 27, is nearly as experienced, with 549 NHL games under his belt. The 15th overall draft pick in 2012 (Ottawa Senators) was in the NHL to stay by his Draft +2 season. Since then he’s averaged a relatively modest 6-16-22 per 82 GP, with a career average of 20:46 ice time. That’s effectively top four minutes
  • A persistent buzz this summer is that it might be Bear who is the odd man out and might be shopped. While that prospect will leave a sour taste in the mouths of many Oil fans including this one, my pragmatic side has to ask what might they be able to get in return for the popular rearguard?
  • Seattle might be a prime target given Bear’s connection to the city where he played four years of junior hockey, winning the WHL’s defenceman of the year award in his final campaign in which he helped lead the Thunderbirds to a berth in the Memorial Cup.
  • From this distance, a defence involving Barrie, Ceci and Bouchard playing the right side would be a vulnerable group, but if history has taught us anything, it’s “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”

BLH’s Thoughts: If the Oilers lock up Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci, they’re going to have to find their “muscle” on the left side. Ian Cole, to me, would be a good signing for the bottom pair. The Avs really missed him in their playoff series against Vegas this year and I just feel like he’s almost picture perfect for the role he’d be filling. He’s also much better than Kris Russell and William Lagesson… Brayden McNabb might be another option, but the Oilers would have to trade for him.

Dan Tencer said something interesting on Twitter regarding Tyson Barrie last night that I’d like to share with you,

  • “The right handed shot barely 30 year old D who led the league in defense scoring is voluntarily re-signing in a city that many players (still) shrug off. So naturally people will be…furious?”

The last time an Edmonton Oilers defenseman lead the league in scoring amongst defenders the internet didn’t even exist. It’s amazing to me that there are fans of the team who are so quick to dismiss the kind of talent Barrie is. Then again, most of those folks probably weren’t born yet.

Another thing, the analytics community within the Oilers fanbase are bringing out metrics that show Barrie as a drag on Connor McDavid when they were on the ice together last season. My question is, what’s the motivation? What more do you want aside from having the highest scoring forward and the highest scoring defenseman on the same team? Is this some sort of journey to find the perfect hockey player? NEWS FLASH! HE DOESN’T EXIST!!! So stop denigrating the accomplishments of an individual because your charts don’t show him a good light according to your publicly available numbers. 

What’s more amusing is that that same group of individuals would rather have a defenseman who’s never finished a year with more GF than GA on their top pairing and are screaming bloody murder at the notion that the team might move him to upgrade the roster elsewhere. A player who the coaching staff obviously doesn’t trust yet and was benched on multiple occasions during the most important time of the year for the Oilers.

FYI: Ethan Bear is NOT Jeff Petry. He’s not Justin Schultz. He’s not Chris Pronger, Paul Coffey, Eric Brewer, or Oscar Klefbom and I’ll say it right now, he’ll never be those players and do you know why? Because he’s going to be Ethan Bear, a very capable and solid middle/bottom-pairing defenseman at his peak. Why does he have to be somebody else just because his name is coming up in trade rumors?

Sorry about the rant… I just feel like some fans in Edmonton are so entitled and it drives me nuts. 

This is how Pavel used to tell you who was #1 back in the day! Click the pic and grab a shirt or a mask!

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

Oilers Pundit on Potential FA signing: “He is very vocal and energetic, which the dressing room needs.”

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!

The Athletic (Allan Mitchell)

Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, summer 2021
  • It’s been years since the Edmonton Oilers boasted one of the NHL’s top prospect lists, and based on the number of picks being sent away in recent summers, the club is unlikely to be near the top again in the near future.
  1. Evan Bouchard, RHD
  2. Dylan Holloway, C/LW
  3. Philip Broberg, LHD
  4. Xavier Bourgault, C/RW
  5. Raphael Lavoie, RW
  6. Ryan McLeod, C
  7. Dmitri Samorukov, LHD
  8. Carter Savoie, LW
  9. Ilya Konovalov, G
  10. Tyler Benson, LW
  11. Tyler Tullio, RW
  12. Stuart Skinner, G
  13. William Lagesson, LHD
  14. Matvei Petrov, LW
  15. Olivier Rodrigue, G
  16. Cooper Marody, RW
  17. Jake Chiasson, C
  18. Filip Berglund, RHD
  19. Maxim Berezkin, LW
  20. Markus Niemelainen, LHD

BLH’s Thoughts: LT’s list is fantastic and fair, that said, I’d have a few players a little higher and some not even on the list, to be honest. 

1. Bouchard 2. Broberg 3. Holloway 4. Bourgault 5. McLeod 6. Samorukov 7. Lavoie 8. Konovalov 9. Petrov 10. Niemelainen 11. Skinner 12. Savoie 13. Benson 14. Skinner 15. Tullio 16. Kesselring 17. Kemp 18. Rodrigue 19. Berezkin 20. Maksimov

I reckon Lagesson is a tad old for a prospects list now and the two righty dmen, Kemp and Kesselring, are two underdogs who might end up surprising a lot of people next year. Niemelainen had a very promising season in 2020-21 and if he can do it again, the Oilers are going to have an outstanding problem on their hands with him, Broberg, and Samorukov more or less ready to make the jump to the NHL in 2022-23.

Oilersnation (Jason Gregor)

Ken Holland’s Shopping List
  • With Hyman signed, they still have four holes they’d to fill: one top-nine left winger, a third line centre, a second pair right defenceman and a third pair left defender.
  • On the right side:
    David Savard, Travis Hamonic, Tucker Poolman, Jason Demers, Cody Ceci and Jani Hakanpaa.
  • Derek Forbort, Jake McCabe, Mike Reilly, Ian Cole and Ryan Murray. (On the left side)
  • Some options include: Ryan Getzlaf, Alex Wennberg, Paul Stastny, Nick Bonino, Erik Haula, Luke Glendening and Tomas Nosek. (Third line C)
  • Options include Tomas Tatar, Mike Hoffman, Jaden Schwartz, MIkael Granlund and Nick Ritchie (wasn’t qualified by Boston) and Jordan Martinook. (Left wing options)
  • Ritchie is a big body who has decent finish and plays with an edge. Last season was his best goal scoring season, but not his best points/game. He will get a lot of interest, due to his unique skill set. He probably gets priced out of Edmonton’s range, but a few years ago Patrick Maroon settled for $900K to sign in St.Louis. Maybe Ritchie won’t get the payday he wants and if so Edmonton should be very interested.
  • Jordan Martinook is more of a 4th line LW option. He is very vocal and energetic, which the dressing room needs. He’d be cost effective at around $1.1m and can kill penalties. He can also take some faceoffs if needed.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ceci, Hamonic, Poolman, and Demers make some sense for me as right-shot options on defense for the Oilers. Hamonic and Ceci most likely the best candidates to replace Adam Larsson.

On the left side of the defense, Derek Forbort is getting a lot of love from the Edmonton media over at TSN 1260. Boston is rumored to be the front-runner on him though. I dig Ian Cole as an addition to Edmonton’s bottom pairing as he brings that old school game I love. 

At centre, I’d say that Nick Bonino will get a bit of attention from the Oilers and perhaps Tomas Nosek. The others are probably pipe dreams with the wild card being Ryan Getzlaf. According to Bob Stauffer, Getzlaf could be had on a base and bonus deal worth between $3.5M and $4.5M. 

Of the left-wingers presented, Jordan Martinook makes the most sense for me. He’s a heart and soul bottom sixer who plays the game very hard, almost a younger version of Matt Hendricks I see in him. Also, there’s a prior working relationship between him and Dave Tippett from their time in Arizona.

NHLRumors.com

Joe Smith of The Athletic: Steven Stamkos remains one to watch out for. The rumors do not go away with the center and that is a big cap hit to shed. Alex Killorn could be moved but that leg might cause a small issue. That will be a tough one.

Vince Z.Mercogliano: Sense is that Rangers GM Chris Drury won’t give in to including certain players in a Jack Eichel deal. The Sabres may be trying to get more from teams like the Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings than what the Rangers were willing to offer.

NHL Watcher: Elliotte Friedman on his 31 Thoughts Podcast on Dougie Hamilton: “From what I understand, Carolina’s target area, at least at the beginning for (Dougie) Hamilton was Torey Krug, which is 7-years, $45.5M… I don’t think that’s going to do it and I think the one team we are all kind of looking at is New Jersey.”

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: If the Hurricanes lose out on Hamilton, and if Tyson Barrie doesn’t re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers, Barrie could be a fallback option for the Hurricanes.

The Carolina Hurricanes have three pending UFA goaltenders and hope to get at least one signed before Wednesday – Jonathan Bernier, Petr Mrazek and James Reimer. The Hurricanes could be among the teams interested in trading for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

Rick Dhaliwal: Agent Kevin Epp on the negativity about Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Vancouver: “Vancouver is a tough market media and fans wise, so driven by negative media, so unfair. They are already all over OEL, it is why some free agents stay away from VAN, the media scrutiny.”

Adrian Dater: Believe that things have turned for the worse with Gabriel Landeskog and the Colorado Avalanche.

Andy Strickland: There was a mutual interest between free agent defenseman Ryan Suter and the St. Louis Blues, but have been told that the Blues won’t go to the term that Suter wants.

David Pagnotta: The Detroit Red Wings continue to talk to teams about restricted free agent Tyler Bertuzzi. He has arbitration rights.

This is how Pavel used to tell you who was #1 back in the day! Click the pic and grab a shirt or a mask!

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Marody, James Neal, and More NHL Rumors!

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!

Oilersnation (Zach Laing)

The latest on James Neal…
  • The Edmonton Oilers elected to not place James Neal on waivers for the purpose of a buyout Monday morning. According to our own Jason Gregor, it’s because the team is believed to be examining trade options for the veteran winger.
  • The Oilers, as Gregor noted in another tweet, can still place Neal on waivers for the purpose of a buyout Tuesday morning as the window remains open.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m not going to toot my own horn, but we’ve been saying here and over on the Twitter machine that the Oilers have been trying to deal James Neal and Mikko Koskinen for a good month, if not more. By the time this post is published we’ll know whether or not Ken Holland has decided to pull the trigger on a buyout or a vastly unpopular trade. Good times!

Lowetide.ca

THE 50-MAN HAIRCUT
  • Ken Holland made an interesting move yesterday, qualifying Cooper Marody (among others) thus retaining his rights. What does that mean? Marody could be part of a trade in the next few days, or he could get a real shot at making the roster in the fall. Edmonton needs skill in the bottom six, Marody and Tyler Benson (also qualified) could be part of the solution. The team declined to qualify Jujhar Khaira and Dominik Kahun, one wonders if a contract for one or both gets signed in the coming days.

BLH’s Thoughts: I was a little shocked that Marody got qualified. I don’t see him or Benson as part of any solutions on the Oilers bottom-six. Being able to skate in the NHL is a real thing that I think a lot of fans don’t realize and if you can’t do that at an NHL level, you’d better have something else in your toolbox. 

My feeling is that Benson will stick around if he isn’t traded before the start of next season. So in the event that he’s not dealt or claimed on waivers, he’ll be given a proper shot at winning a roster spot next season because the club still sees the potential in him. 

Marody, on the other hand, I’m not confident the Oilers will keep him around the organization and I’m even less certain that he wants to be a hockey player as opposed to pursuing a life in the music industry. He’s too good to be an AHL player, but he doesn’t have the boots to play in the NHL and he’s 24 yrs old. The window in his NHL career is closing fast. 

It sounds like JJ Khaira is off to either Seattle or Vancouver, for what it’s worth. 

Spector’s Hockey

NHL Rumor Mill – July 26, 2021
  • WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sammi Silber reports the possibility of the Capitals trading Evgeny Kuznetsov appears less certain after GM Brian MacLellan downplayed that notion over the weekend. “We’ve never said we’re trading Kuznetsov,” he said. “I said we were open to discussions on most of our players in the trade market and if it comes up, it comes up and if it doesn’t make sense, same as always.”

BLH’s Thoughts: The Capitals look to be trying to open up some salary cap room after dealing Brendan Dillon to the Jets yesterday. I do wonder what their plan is here. Their roster is pretty much set aside from re-signing Ovechkin and Ilya Samsonov and they’ve got $13M is cap room to fill-in the rest of their roster. If they do deal Kuznetsov, that’ll create a massive hole on their 2nd line but it could open up another $8M-ish in cap room.

The Caps are an aging squad. I’m very curious as to how they play out their offseason this summer.

Daily Goal Horn

NHL Rumors: Blackhawks in on Marc-Andre Fleury; Mike Hoffman hits market; and Bruins let Nick Ritchie walk
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic said a source informed him the Blackhawks were interested in Marc-Andre Fleury just after the Duncan Keith deal… Elliotte Friedman is now noting that the Knights had a potential trade fall through but wasn’t sure if it was Robin Lehner to the Devils/Red Wings or Fleury to Chicago. Keep an eye on this one.
  • Hoffman, 31, struggled this season but came on late for the Blues. He finished with 36 points in 52 games and will help several teams looking for some scoring… The goal scoring winger took a one year deal with the Blues and does not have interest in another short-term contract. It’s said he wants at least 4-5 years and at over $5M AAV.
  • In a bit of a surprising move, the Bruins did not qualify forward Nick Ritchie. He is now a 25 year-old UFA and will garner a lot of interest on Wednesday.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m shocked that there’s speculation that Hoffman is going to get $5M/yr on a mid-term contract. He’s aging and I don’t think he had the greatest of seasons last year. 

My belief is that the New York Rangers are going to take a swing at Ritchie, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t stop there. Keep in mind, there are still Kassian/Georgiev rumors flying about…

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Heinen, Ritchie, Granlund, and More!

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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Edmonton Sun (Jim Matheson)

OILERS NOTES: Still waiting to see if James Neal gets bought out
  • Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland hasn’t bought him out yet with free agency opening Wednesday but likely will if he can’t trade the winger to a team with lots of cap room and adding a deal sweetener.
  • If bought out at two-thirds of Neal’s number, the Oilers will save about $3.8 million this year and next to give Holland extra money to spend on a free agent Wednesday. Maybe he can use it on a third-line centre.
  • Holland has to re-sign second-line right-winger Kailer Yamamoto in the next while (maybe in the $2-million-a-year range on a bridge deal) and give his best defenceman, Darnell Nurse, a big bump on an expected eight-year contract, starting in 2021-22, along with winger Jesse Puljujarvi.
  • The Mikko Koskinen goalie buyout/trade/bring-back situation remains very fluid. Holland has investigated a trade, likely eating some of his $4.5 million. There don’t appear to be any current takers.
  • The list of UFAs now includes Blackhawks forward Pius Suter, who had 14 goals and 27 points last season as an NHL rookie, but couldn’t agree on new deal. Newly added Duncan Keith would have the scouting report, up close, on the Swiss player.
  • Also Anaheim, not surprisingly, didn’t qualify winger Danton Heinen at his $2.8 million. How about him at $1 million for the bottom-six here? Good shot, decent skill, not a grinder type.
  • Boston didn’t offer winger Nick Ritchie.
  • Before the Oilers gave up the 20th-overall pick to Minnesota for No. 22 and the 90th pick, Holland told Wild GM Bill Guerin he had to see who Nashville took at 19 first. When they took Russian forward Fedor Svechkov, Holland called Guerin to green light the trade of No. 20. So, maybe the Oilers were looking at Svechkov at 20?
  • One name to keep an eye on in free agency: Nashville’s Mikael Granlund plays wing or could be a 3C.

BLH’s Thoughts: Well, the good news about today is that we’re either going to get a trade (which fans probably won’t like) or we’re going to get a buyout. 

Things could always change, but it sounds like the Oilers are going to put the goaltending issue on the backburner for the time being as the market for Koskinen has cooled significantly. 

Pius Suter’s agent will definitely be getting a call from Ken Holland as he’d be a fine third liner for the Oilers. I do see him as more of a winger though given how poor he is on the faceoffs (42.6% last season).

The Oilers have had interest in Danton Heinen for years and I think he also will garner some interest from the Oilers given he’s a quick bottom-sixer who up until his trade to Anaheim had excellent advanced metrics. 

Nick Ritchie… Not so sure on that one. I suppose if the Oilers decide to deal Zack Kassian to the Rangers, they could swing around and talk to Ritchie. He might sign in Edmonton as his brother is a member of the Calgary Flames. The only thing with him is that he’s a bit of a sleeper when it comes to enforcing as opposed to Kassian who is very proactive when it’s time to tune in the opposition. 

With Mikael Granlund, I’d think he’s going to cost a pretty penny. How did his brother enjoy his time in Edmonton?… He’d be an excellent add, mind you. I love his two-way game. 

Sportsnet (Mike Johnston)

Top five UFA goalies: Will Grubauer stay with Avs or help new team?
  • Philipp Grubauer – The German is the clear top netminder set to hit the open market after going 30-9-1 with the Colorado Avalanche this past season. Among goalies with at least 25 appearances, his .922 save percentage ranked sixth, his seven shutouts were tied for first and his 1.95 goals-against average was best in the entire league.
  • Petr Mrazek – The 29-year-old’s 2020-21 campaign was marred with injuries, however he fared rather well when he did see action. Mrazek went 6-2-3 with a .923 save percentage, 2.06 GAA and three shutouts. He suited up for two playoff games against the eventual Cup winners, stopping 35 of 37 shots in an overtime win in one game then getting lit up for six goals in the other.
  • Frederik Andersen – Andersen signed a five-year, $25-million deal with the Maple Leafs back in 2016 after being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks. In his five seasons with Toronto he posted a 149-74-36 record but 2020-21 was his worst statistical season, posting career lows in games played (24), wins (13), .895 save percentage and a career-high 2.96 GAA.
  • Jonathan Bernier – There weren’t many bright spots on the 19-27-10 Detroit Red Wings last season. Bernier was one of them, though. The 32-year-old went 9-11-1 with a .914 save percentage and a 2.99 GAA. Any team looking for an experienced 1B type goalie or a quality backup might be well served to give Bernier’s agent a call.
  • Tuukka Rask – Rask went 15-5-2 with a .913 save percentage and 2.28 GAA in 2020-21 and performed admirably while battling through his hip injury in the playoffs, posting a 6-4 record, .919 save percentage and 2.36 GAA.

BLH’s Thoughts: If the Hurricanes fail to sign one of Petr Mrazek or Jon Bernier, I think there’s a slight possibility the Oilers could reach out and see what they’re asking for. But again, it will all really depend on what happens with Mikko Koskinen and if it’s still nothing, the Oilers might be forced to wait until the trade deadline or next summer to address the pipes. 

Oilersnation

The Adam Larsson Hole
  • Jason Gregor on Adam Larsson’s departure:
    • Maybe he did love the team and city, but couldn’t get over the loss of his father in Edmonton and the fact his mother had only visited once since. He was clearly torn in his decision. It wasn’t an easy decision. Life isn’t static. Things change. He had just lost a series where the team had played well, but couldn’t win. At that moment I believe he meant what he said. Two months later after some time to think and analyze every situation, he changed his mind. He is allowed to do it. I wouldn’t take it personally.

BLH’s Thoughts: That is a far cry from what he wrote on Twitter the day that it was announced Larsson had signed with Seattle. 

“Larsson didn’t leave for money. #Oilers should ask why? Why did the player want to leave? Usually UFAs leave for more money, a few want to play close to home or team didn’t have cap space to sign them. That wasn’t case with Larsson. I’d look internally as to why he left.” (source)

I have it on good authority that this tweet infuriated MANY inside the Oilers organization and I was told that at least one of the members of Edmonton’s leadership core reached out to Gregor to let him know what they thought of him and his opinion and it wasn’t pretty. 

The Fourth Period

BUSY DRAFT COULD LEAD TO BUSY WEEK
  • Eichel Watch 2021 will carry out into the week. There’s chatter teams want to know if they have a shot at acquiring him by the start of free agency. Calgary, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Vegas have continued to go back and forth. I’m not convinced the New York Rangers are paying the price, and I don’t think Minnesota wants to, either. Florida and Boston poked around, along with other teams.
  • Columbus started doing its due diligence over what the market could look like if Laine were up for grabs, again, in case contract negotiations go sideways.
  • The San Jose Sharks have taken calls on winger Timo Meier. Whispers of his availability got louder over the NHL Draft and there was some belief they were willing to move him for a high first-round pick.
  • The Montreal Canadiens are trying to find someone to step into Shea Weber’s spot in the lineup. Two pending free agents they will be in on are Dougie Hamilton and David Savard. 
  • The New Jersey Devils have been active around the NHL looking for a veteran goaltender to add to their roster to push, or split the duties with, Mackenzie Blackwood. There have been some rumblings the Devils spoke with the Vegas Golden Knights about Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner, and the Vancouver Canucks about Braden Holtby.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m hearing that the New Jersey Devils have some real big moves up their sleeves. Trading for Timo Meier and signing Dougie Hamilton would definitely be a major moves for that club. Who knows, maybe they’d have interest in Kassian since they’re young tough guy got claimed by Seattle. 

This is how Pavel used to tell you who was #1 back in the day! Click the pic and grab a shirt or a mask!

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