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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Holland Looking to Add More Cup-Winning Veterans?

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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Oilersnation (Robin Brownlee)

Off the Top of My Head
  • With the Oilers in win-now mode and looking to get something done as we enter the prime years of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, a prospect like Bourgault, selected 22nd overall from Shawinigan Friday, could arrive right in the middle of that push. The plan by GM Ken Holland, meanwhile, is to have Hyman be an important part of getting the climb into contention started.
  • I wonder if the decision to move down to take Bourgault rather than select Jesper Wallstedt with Sebastian Cossa already picked by the Detroit Red Wings amounts to a vote of confidence in how crease prospect Ilya Konovalov projects.
  • With Holland looking at a replacement for Adam Larsson to bolster a right side that’s a bit thin with Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard, might Josh Manson, going into the final year of a contract with a $4.1-million AAV with Anaheim, be a fit?
  • UFA Travis Hamonic is another right-shot option who might fit. He wouldn’t cost Holland an asset in a trade and he’d be on a cheaper ticket than Manson.

BLH’s Thoughts: It sounds like Ducks are looking for something close to a first rounder for Manson, if the Oilers were creative, they could definitely chisel that down and get their Larsson replacement. 

I do love the idea of getting Dave Manson’s son in an Oilers uniform, but Travis Hamonic intrigues me as well. If he came in on an affordable $2M-ish deal, they could allocate dollars elsewhere. I’d say the difference between the two would be that Hamonic is closer to a 3rd pairing dman now than a 2nd pairing one. 

My biggest fear is that Ethan Bear tops out as a no.4 and Evan Bouchard needs a year on the 3rd pair. Darnell Nurse’s partner has to be someone who is capable of handling top-pairing TOI which includes time on special teams be that the PP or the PK or both.

If Bouchard can take over the PP from Barrie and keep his head above water on the bottom pair, that would be perfect because, in theory, it would allow the Oilers to get a more affordable defenseman for Darnell. Someone who could spend most of their TOI on even strength and on the PK and generally that guy is paid less than the defenseman who racks up the points. 

As it is, I’m expecting a $4M player to come in on defense and I’m told the Oilers believe the free agent market is a little thin on defense, so we should expect this player to come in via trade. Where he’ll line up on the depth chart, that I do not know.

Sportsnet (Elliotte Friedman)

Big week for potential Jack Eichel trade, free agency predictions
  • Toronto has made it clear finding Jack Campbell’s partner is its number one priority, and whatever cap room is left over will fill out the forward core.
  • We know Philadelphia wants an experienced partner for Carter Hart.
  • If Braden Holtby isn’t traded, does he get bought out by Vancouver?
  • Does Martin Jones get a new start somewhere, assuming a buyout from San Jose?
  • Is Carolina’s next starter Antti Raanta, Frederik Andersen or someone else? (A few teams suspect the analytics-inclined Hurricanes love Raanta.)
  • Where does Darcy Kuemper end up?
  • What does Vegas do? There were rumblings they had a move for someone that fell through. I thought it might be Robin Lehner to New Jersey or Marc-Andre Fleury to Chicago.
  • What is Colorado’s limit with Philipp Grubauer? The highest recent UFA goalie deal was Jordan Binnington’s 6×6, and it’s believed Grubauer’s ask was somewhere near there — but I don’t believe the Avalanche would go there.
  • What’s the market for Linus Ullmark?

Some Predictions

  • Dougie Hamilton: New Jersey
  • David Savard: Montreal
  • Gabriel Landeskog: not hugely confident in this prediction, but he and Colorado find a way
  • Blake Coleman: the prediction is, he gets 6×5
  • Jaden Schwartz: Seattle, basically done during the Kraken’s exclusive window
  • Brandon Saad: St. Louis, Islanders, Pittsburgh or Los Angeles
  • Kyle Palmieri: haven’t heard a thing, which means the Islanders probably have him locked up
  • Phillip Danault: Los Angeles takes a surprise look
  • Alec Martinez: stays in Vegas
  • Alex Goligoski: Minnesota
  • Derek Forbort: Boston
  • Zach Hyman: Edmonton. Makes me feel I’m getting one right
  • Alexander Ovechkin: 3×10 to stay in Washington
  • Ryan Suter: Dallas
  • Florida: locks up Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe.

Trades…

  • Ryan Strome: Seattle, Vegas or Ottawa.
  • Vladimir Tarasenko: Islanders or New Jersey.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’d add that Nick Bonino could possibly be on Edmonton’s radar as well. His wife is from St. Alberta, AB and that could be a determining factor in where he chooses to sign his next deal. Remember, a very strong theme of this year’s offseason is family. With that in mind though, Bonino is an American and Elliotte Friedman recently noted that US-born players are hard pressed to come to Canada because of a number of things like pandemic restrictions, media, and social media pressures.

Now, from what I’m told, the 33yr old left-shot center could be got for between $2.5M and $3.5M. His cap hit was $4.1M last year and he scored 26pts in 55 games for Minnesota.

Don’t forget he’s got a couple of Cup rings from his time in Pittsburgh and it looks like there’s quite a bit of value being placed in veterans who’ve been to “The Show”…

Spector’s Hockey

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 25, 2021

BLH’s Thoughts: As Friedman speculated upon the market for Linus Ullmark, that has me thinking that if the Oilers want their guy, they’re going to need to up the ante a bit in order to secure him. Will the contract he signs end up looking like something closer to a $5M AAV or can he be negotiated down to a more affordable $4M-ish AAV?

We know that Ken Holland is looking to sell the players he’s courting on contract security but with them already knowing that, won’t the try to squeeze him for more dollars?

Rest assured, I’m told that Ken Holland is working his bag off to try and do what it takes to get this roster over their current hump and into the top-8 of the league. 

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: More on Bourgault, Getzlaf is set to hit the market, 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!

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The Hockey Writers (Brian Swane)

5 Things to Know About Oilers’ First-Round Pick Xavier Bourgault
  • He Was Drafted On Cue
    • Bourgault’s name was called right around the point expected.
    • Bourgault was No. 20 on Bob McKenzie’s rankings, one spot higher than on the list of TSN colleague Craig Button. The Athletic slotted him 23rd, while The Sporting News had Bourgault at No. 24. NBC Sports actually called it, projecting the Oilers would pick Bourgault, albeit with their original pick at No. 20.

  • He’s Making History For His Hometown

    • Bourgault hails from L’Islet, a town of about 4,000 people in southern Quebec. He’s the first L’Islet-native to be drafted by an NHL club, and would become the town’s first ever NHL player.

  • He’s Edmonton’s First Cataractes Prospect in 25 Years

    • The last time Edmonton drafted a player from Shawnigan’s QMJHL team was 1996, when they used the 19th-overall pick to select Matthieu Descoteaux, a defenceman.

  • He Minds His Manners

    • Bourgault was one of three finalists this season for the QMJHL’s Frank J. Selke Trophy, recognizing the most gentlemanly player in the league. Consideration is given to players who prove efficiency on the ice, while showing maximum respect towards opponents and officials and by avoiding the penalty box.

  • He Takes This Stuff Seriously

    • Bourgault was asked if he had any hobbies and what interested him that isn’t related to hockey. The teenager’s response? “I’m a guy who really likes to train. This summer I left my hometown to live in Montreal,” he said. “It’s four hours from my hometown, so training is very important. I’m very serious in everything…”

BLH’s Thoughts: A grinder eh? Bob Stauffer will love that about this guy. Expect to hear a lot about Bourgault’s work ethic on Oilers Now this week as Bob reviews Edmonton’s draft class. 

As I said in this morning’s post, if Bourgault can come close to developing into a Nick Suzuki-type, that’ll help me forget about the Oilers passing on Jesper Wallstedt. My advice for the young man, get bloody good at taking faceoffs and never stop working on them. 

NHLEntryDraft.com

2021 NHL DRAFT GRADES: FULL RESULTS, ANALYSIS FOR EVERY FIRST-ROUND PICK
  1. EDMONTON OILERS (VIA MIN) — XAVIER BOURGAULT, C, SHAWINIGAN (QMJHL) | GRADE: A

The Oilers traded down and drafted highly dynamic center Xavier Bourgault. The forward is an extremely intelligent player, with strong skating, exceptional positioning and impressive awareness. Bourgault has some creativity in his game that he utilizes to drive to the net. There is likely a belief that he’ll shift to the wing with the Oilers or he could eventually be the third-line centre if he does stick to the middle.

BLH’s Thoughts: Bourgault’s been a winger in Shawinigan for the most part, I don’t understand why the belief is that he’ll shift to a position he’s already familiar with. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? He’s got the size and the frame to do it and from what I’ve seen, he looks quite strong on his feet and tough to knock off and those are all great assets to have if you want to play center. 

My only problem with some pundits comparing him to high-end two-way forwards like Pageau and Bergeron is that every other scouting report I’ve read line tells me his defensive game isn’t all that great, he likes to cheat positionally, and that because of his wide skating stance, his mobility on the ice gets hurt. 

So I guess we’ll see. I can see him getting moved to center next season if Mavrik Bourque graduates to the pros and he’s going to be a consideration for Team Canada’s World Junior squad.

https://twitter.com/ShaneOBrien55/status/1418990347179364352

The Daily Goal Horn

NHL Rumors Roundup: Dougie Hamilton; Jack Eichel; Mika Zibanejad; and Zach Hyman
  • We’re told that there might be mutual interest between the Devils and Hamilton, who previously had been linked to the Kraken. That interest could come in the form of a seven-year deal worth an average of $9 million per. The contract would essentially replace P.K. Subban’s when No. 76’s deal expires at the end of the season. It would also create a splash. – NY Post
  • According to a recent report in The Athletic, the Pegula’s who own the Sabres want to trade him (Jack Eichel) out West. It also sounds like they would be willing to accept less in order to keep him out of the East.
  • There have been preliminary discussions between Drury and Zibanejad’s agent, Monir Kalgoum, who happens to be the center’s brother. Our best information at this point is that Zibanejad is seeking a deal that would be at least commensurate with the one under which Eichel is operating in Buffalo. That would entail a commitment of $10 million per year. – NY Post

BLH’s Thoughts: Help me understand the part about the NJ Devils adding Dougie Hamilton at $9M/yr to their squad? To me, it sounds like they’d be happy riding out next season with Subban AND Hamilton both making $9M just to make sure they’ve got Dougie in tow long-term. I just wonder with the offensive firepower the team is being built around, wouldn’t it be better to have a more rounded defender to help bring along Ty Smith and in the future, Luke Hughes?

I remember reading a report earlier this summer about how the Pegulas and Jack Eichel were on great terms, yet, that’s not what I’m reading above, “We love the guy, but get him as far away from Buffalo as possible!”. Maybe they’re just doing him a favor… Or not.

I like Mika Zibanejad but for the love of Christ, if the Rangers give him $10M/yr on a new deal, they’re going to shoot themselves in the foot. He’s an outstanding hockey player but there’s no way he should be making more than Leon Draisaitl. 

Just on that tweet above regarding Ryan Getzlaf, all year long Bob Stauffer has been bringing his name up subtly and since Getzlaf’s agent (Gerry Johansson) is buddy buddy with Stauffer, it makes sense that the Oilers play-by-play colorman would be pumping the Ducks captain’s tires like that.

I know the Oilers would love to get their hands on him because he’d be the perfect third line center, but they’d have to do one helluva sell job given his family situation and I’m thinking the money they’d need to pay him would cause “that” portion of the Oilers fanbase to collectively rip their dicks off in frustration, metaphorically speaking. So, I’ll put that one on the “believe it when I see it” pile. 

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: “I expect, and it’s good to be prepared, for a wildly unpopular trade involving one of the youngsters.”

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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Lowetide.ca

SIXTEEN SHELLS FROM A THIRTY-OUGHT-SIX
  • One of the things that came out of draft weekend is the sense Xavier Bourgault (32.1 NHLe) is not a strong first-round pick. I ran NHL equivalencies for the last three Oilers drafts, and as you can see, Bourgault’s offense in his draft year is the most promising in the group. Anything over 30 points NHLE in a draft year is a strong showing.
  • Philip Broberg gets no respect at all from many Oilers fans, but has in fact progressed. At the same age, Oscar Klefbom’s NHLE was 13.3, meaning Broberg (14.4) is right in the range offensively.
  • The RH side of Barrie, Bear and Bouchard has the feel of too much puck mover and not enough suppression. I expect, and it’s good to be prepared, for a wildly unpopular trade involving one of the youngsters.
  • Edmonton could try running two righties on a third pair, and I looked at adding Brenden Dillon from the Washington Capitals (Caps need cap relief) but it doesn’t work. I did like the idea of Dillon playing with Bouchard, though.
  • Anyway, I’m not sure what Holland will get for a young RH blue and wish he wouldn’t, but you can see it coming like a wild prairie storm building on the horizon.

BLH’s Thoughts: Craig Button is comparing Bourgault to JG Pageau and to a lesser extent, Patrice Bergeron. The feeling I get from the club is that they might be looking at this guy as the next Nick Suzuki and if he turns out as competitive and skilled as him, I’ll forget all about the fact they passed on Jesper Wallstedt. 

I have been told that the team is definitely looking at Brendan Dillon but also they’re working on something big, possibly involving a goaltender AND a defenseman. I wasn’t told any more than that though.

That said, could they be looking at the Penguins for this blockbuster? Kris Letang is on the last year of his deal and they want to move Tristan Jarry, right? Edmonton has a player they covet in Zack Kassian and I wonder if something could be worked out with James Neal and another prospect/pick going to Pittsburgh for some retained salary on Letang’s deal? However, the veteran dman would need to waive his NMC to make it happen.

The Athletic (Thomas Drance)

Buyout watch: 8 players to monitor ahead of NHL free agency

  • Mikko Koskinen, Edmonton Oilers
  • James Neal, Edmonton Oilers
  • As it stands, the Oilers are poised to have about $7.5 million in salary-cap space once they sign the Hyman deal on Wednesday. They’re still relatively well-positioned cap-wise overall…
  • With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at the peak of their powers, the time is now for the Oilers. Every move they’ve made this offseason backs that up.
  • If the Oilers buy out the pair, they’d add nearly $7 million in cap space ahead of free agency. It would allow them to continue big game hunting on both the trade market and in free agency in the weeks to come.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve been talking to sources all week and the chatter out there is that Ken Holland is still trying to trade the contracts of Neal and Koskinen as opposed to buying them out. The last thing he wants is to have more dead money on the books going forward despite intimating that he’ll be using the CBA to his advantage in prior media avails. Now, with that in mind, that decision is time sensitive and other GMs know this. If I’m not mistaken, I think Holland has to figure out whether or not to pull the trigger on a buyout by Tuesday. 

The Fourth Period

TOP 30 UFAs: 2021
  • Philipp Grubauer, G – Grubauer is the best goalie in the free agent market and Colorado appears focused on trying to re-sign him. If the Avs can’t lock him up, a few teams will come calling that need a new No.1.
  • Frederik Andersen, G – Andersen is looking for a salary north of $5 million and that’s, so far, priced him out of Toronto. Teams will be calling and he should have a number of options once the market opens.
  • Tyson Barrie, RD – The Oilers will try to re-sign Barrie, but he’s looking to cash in on a big contract after proving his worth with Edmonton in 2021. He wants term and a solid paycheck and he’s proven his offensive abilities can be valuable.
  • Zach Hyman, LW – All signs point to Hyman signing a seven-year contract with the Oilers. After Edmonton and Toronto weren’t able to work out a trade to give him an extra year on his deal, the Oilers are the expected destination, regardless.
  • Blake Coleman, LW – Coleman is looking to cash in this off-season, following in the footsteps of former linemate Barclay Goodrow, who signed a 6-year deal with a $3.6M AAV with the Rangers. Coleman will surely generate a larger deal somewhere and should see his cap hit come in well north of $4M.
  • Linus Ullmark, G – Ullmark was set on seeing what options are ahead of him after rejecting a contract offer from Buffalo during the season. He hasn’t closed the door on the Sabres, but he wants to see what’s out there.
  • Nick Foligno, C/LW – Foligno’s season didn’t end exactly how he hoped, but Cup contenders know what he brings to the table. There will be plenty of interest in him this summer, with the Leafs still in the mix.

BLH’s Thoughts: Of this group, I think that Barrie, Hyman (duh), Ullmark, and Foligno are the most likely targets Edmonton could hit. Foligno being the least realistic option and Hyman the most.

I’m torn on Barrie though. I love the idea of having him on the team because he brings something nobody else on the team can right now. Now, you might say Evan Bouchard could do anything Barrie can and in time I think that’ll be true. What you have weigh out though is even if Bouch can produce points at the same rate Barrie can, there’d still be growing pains.

If I was the GM and Barrie was willing to come in on the same contract or slightly more that what he was paid last year and for three years, I’d do it and deal Ethan Bear for Adam Larsson’s replacement. The built in hedge on that bet is Barrie could transition down the lineup or traded because who can’t use a good right-shot point producing defenseman?

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Holland Targeting Savard, Johnson, Hamonic as Larsson Replacement?

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!

Edmonton Sun (Jim Matheson)

OILERS NOTES: Mike Smith is a big fan of Zach Hyman’s competitive fire
  • Goalies watch the puck, but also guys on other teams… And Mike Smith has seen more than enough of Zach Hyman in the Edmonton Oilers’ latest games against Toronto to know the winger is exactly what they need in their top-six…
    • “I’ve hated playing against Zach. He was kind of an Oiler killer this season. Every time he’s on the ice, you know he’s out there. He’s kind of the driving force on whatever line he’s on. He’s one of those players you hate to play against but you want them on your team. Hopefully we land him. Not too many players bring that kind of energy to a hockey team,” said Smith.
  • Smith was tickled to have Duncan Keith added to the mix in a Chicago trade.
    • “He’s an elite defenceman who will bring a calmness to our D core. I really believe adding veteran players is important to the growth of young guys. He can solidify the defence on the left side and I’m sure he’ll help the young guys develop,”
  • The Oilers passed on goalie Jesper Wallstedt at No. 20, but TSN’s scouting savant Craig Button is an Xavier Bourgault fan.
    • “Really strong two-way player, intense and competitive like (Jean-Gabriel) Pageau. Invested in the areas where the game is hard, he doesn’t play on the outside. Smart in his game like (Patrice) Bergeron, a lower-case Bergeron. He’s not exactly those guys but his approach is similar.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I love that Smith is 100% on board with what Ken Holland is doing this summer. He’s a major influencer in the Oilers locker room and he’s also somebody who doesn’t give two shits about what the fans have to say. The players get it because they’re the ones on the battlefield and that’s something the fans and chart makers will never understand.

Man, if Bourgault’s floor is JG Pageau and his ceiling is Patrice Bergeron, the Oilers are in good shape and it will help me forget about the team passing on a future no.1 goalie. 

Edmonton Sun (Craig Ellingson)

Oil Spills: Oilers free-agency primer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=76&v=wd-ZHMDDhwk&feature=emb_logo

BLH’s Thoughts: So, basically the answers to those questions from Matheson are:

  • David Savard, Erik Johnson Travis Hamonic, or internal solutions like Philip Broberg or Dmitri Samorukov. 
    • Matheson speculated that the Oilers could find a way to get the Avs to retain $2M on Johnson in a trade because they’re looking to transition their defense to a younger group.
  • The Oilers CAN bring Barrie back but they have Evan Bouchard already in the lineup and he’s an offensive dman as well. The team would still need a right-shot shutdown defenseman. 
  • The Oilers would take Khaira back at 900k but are prepared to lose him via free agency. They need a third line center but that might cost upwards of $3.5M/yr.
  • The Oilers are going to really pursue Linus Ullmark hard. Tristan Jarry (PIT) and Korpisalo (CBJ) are also in Edmonton’s range of the kind of netminder they’re looking for. 

Is this the summer that Ken Holland hits all his targets after missing on some big ones last year? He’s already brought in Duncan Keith, Zach Hyman looks to be a certainty, and all that’s left is Linus Ullmark and that right-shot defender whoever that may be. 

Now, every year there’s a move that doesn’t turn out, the problem is, those holes that Ken Holland is trying to fill are incredibly important areas and the team really cannot afford to shit the bed in any of them this upcoming season. 

NHLRumors.com

  • Chris Johnston: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas on a potential Zach Hyman sign-and-trade with the Edmonton Oilers:
    • “I know that there’s a narrative that we should just get something, but when you’re saving a team significant dollars on the salary cap that comes with a cost, and we’re not going to bend on that.”
  • John Gambadoro: The Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks did talk about goaltender Braden Holtby being a part of their trade.
    • Darcy Kuemper has been getting interest. The Colorado Avalanche have been one of the main teams interested. It would make sense for the Coyotes to explore Holtby.
  • Dan Kingerski: The Boston Bruins are among the teams interested in Kuemper.

BLH’s Thoughts: Good on Dubas for standing pat. He feels like getting nothing instead of something for Hyman is the right thing to do and I’m all for it. I don’t think Holland should be paying to get the LWers rights anyhow. 

I wonder if Holtby could be a target for Edmonton should they fail to acquire a younger goalie? Maybe a Koskinen/Holtby swap would make sense?

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Ken Holland is Set to Spend Some Cash This Week

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!

The Athletic (Corey Pronman)

Oilers’ 2021 NHL Draft picks: Grades, fit and full scouting reports
  • 2021 Draft Grade: D+
    • This Oilers class is not my personal favorite. Xavier Bourgault is a great prospect and I think he will be a good NHL player. After him, though, I have questions. I think other teams were on Luca Munzenberger, but a third-round pick was rich for me. Some of their late forward picks have chances to make it, but I think this draft will likely just come down to Bourgault and how good he can become.
  • I like this fit a lot, as (Xavier) Bourgault is a dynamic skill players, which is something they don’t have a ton of in their system, even if off the puck he needs a lot of work.
  • (Luca) Muzenberger is a big, intelligent defenseman who can make a good number of stops and makes a good first pass.
  • Jake Chiasson is a forward who can play center or wing and is a very good passer, showing the ability to make creative feeds and find a lot of seams. 
  • (Matvei) Petrov has a chance due to his skill and scoring, but he will have to add elements to play in the NHL.
  • Shane Lachance is an intriguing talent. He’s 6-4, has great puck skills and vision. His skating is a major work in progress though and his effort can be inconsistent.
  • Max Wanner is a big defenseman who defends well at the junior level, but lacks dimensions in his skating and skill that will allow him to transport and move pucks at higher levels.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ouch… a D+ from Pronman… But to be honest, they deserve that grade. 

Ideally teams want to get at least two NHL players from every draft and I’ll be shocked if the Oilers get one out of this year’s crop. Skating should be the no.1 thing a scout looks at when projecting these prospects and if the team takes a player who needs work in that aspect, they’d better well have something else in their toolbox that is elite. With Lachance, Wanner, and Munzenberger, I haven’t really read anything in their online profiles that tell me they have something that will overcome their skating. 

The Cult of Hockey (Bruce McCurdy)

Edmonton Oilers 2021 draft wrap: A mishmash of prospects and projects in a difficult draft cycle
  • The Oilers stayed on the straight and narrow in Round One, drafting right-shot centre Xavier Bourgault from the Quebec League, then spent much of Day 2 straying far from the board.
  • The club followed its well-established practice of picking more mature prospects in the early going, as both of their top two choices were “late birthdays”. 
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m a fan of Edmonton’s habit of choosing late birthday’s in the first round. Getting them into the hands of Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson ASAP is an excellent plan as those two coaches have proven to be quite adept at developing NHL talent on a consistent basis. Hopefully the trend continues with this draft class. 

The Cult of Hockey (Kurt Leavins)

Some eye-opening comparisons for new Edmonton Oilers F Xavier Bourgault: 9 Things
  • 9. I expect Ken Holland is going to spend some dough in the next week on 2 gaps in his roster, 2RD and 3LW. Re-signing Tyson Barrie would mean 3 puck-moving D on that right side. I think one needs to be a shutdown/PK type of guy. And I have a feeling Ryan McLeod may get a shot at 3C.

BLH’s Thoughts: There’s a lot of inference amongst the pundits that if Tyson Barrie is re-signed, Ethan Bear will be moved. I’m not against the move, but those right-shot dmen are so damned valuable. Holland should be able to get his Larsson replacement by using Bear as trade bait. *Couch* John Klingberg *Cough*

I’m willing to bet that with a summer of training and a full preseason that Ryan McLeod will easily win the 3C position if the Oilers don’t sign someone for the spot.

Now, the problem they’ll run into is winning faceoffs. McLeod isn’t great at taking them right now and that’ll mean Leon Draisaitl will have to come on for them or the Oilers will need to sign a 4C who can win draws. 

  • 8. With the cap flat and elite players still getting paid, it will be critical to have ELC’s (like McLeod) filling spots in your lineup. I wonder of that reality may challenge Ken Holland’s tendency to over-ripen. It just may not be as do-able in a cap world as it was in his earlier days in Detroit.

BLH’s Thoughts: I still think Holland can continue with that policy. The Oilers don’t have to always use their ELC players to save cash. Why not just sign or trade for some capable bottom six forwards or defensemen? There’s a lot more risk in ruining a prospects development by going to other route… 

  • 7. Darnell Nurse’s next contract with the Oilers was always going to at least start with at least a 7. But the yardsticks have moved, folks. Get used to hearing the number “8” associated with Nurse. And if you don’t like that, fine, who would you replace him with then? Because you’ll need to.

BLH’s Thoughts: We’ve been hearing that nurse will be asking for $8M/yr for a few years now, so this isn’t any surprise. What might be a shock is that the number will most likely start with a nine and get worked down into the eights. 

  • 3. I do believe that the Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of signing Zach Hyman. But I’ve seen just enough funny things happen on the way to the Forum, I’ll wait to celebrate until he’s actually wearing the jersey in a Zoom call… Toronto did demand a 2nd Round pick in order to seal the trade & sign…  it sure doesn’t sound like Kyle Dubas is interested in helping another team out with their cap situation. That of course is his prerogative. But these things have a way of coming around again. Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if Holland just waits out the clock and settles for 7 years.

BLH’s Thoughts: I am very curious to know how Kyle Dubas’ decision not to help out the Oilers will bite him in the ass down the road. If Stan Bowman can stand pat, send Duncan Keith to the Oilers sans salary retention, and not receive any flack for it, how’s Dubas going to be punished for doing the right thing for his club?

  • 1. Maybe Jesper Wallstedt would have become a franchise netminder here, had the Oilers picked him. He’s a good goalie. But 18 others teams didn’t take Wallstedt, either. Was it because they were concerned with his relative lack of athleticism? Is he vulnerable to the lateral pass? Did his softer second-half spark worries about conditioning? Maybe all 3?
BLH’s Thoughts: Some goalies are considered “athletic” like Dominik Hasek, Andrei Vasilevsiy, or Bill Ranford. Others are considered “blockers” or positionally sound and I’d put Wallstedt in that category and how many goalies aren’t vulnerable to the lateral pass? Also, why would half of a season be enough of a sample size considering Wallstedt was a 17yr old starter in the SHL this year and has dominated at every level he’s played? His playing record speaks for itself… For the Oilers to pass on him, I think it’s going to bite them in the ass down the road. Just watch what they pay to get a netminder this year and ask yourself if the cost was worth passing on Wallstedt.

NHLRumors.com

  • Greg Wyshynski: Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said that they “have gotten closer” on a Dougie Hamilton contract extension after Hamilton went out to see what the market may offer him.
  • Andy Strickland: The St. Louis Blues are interested in re-signing forward Mike Hoffman. It won’t be easy to re-sign him while they have Vladimir Tarasenko’s $7.5 million contract on the books.
  • Charlie O’Connor: Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher: “We wanted to get ahead of free agency. Could control the price points. But we still have work to do. Have to add a goalie. I’d look at another D and another F to add depth but we want to give young players a chance as well.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I dig what the Flyers have done. They got rid of Voracek’s ridiculous contract in return for Cam Atkinson, a winger who’s been good for 20+ goals going back almost a decade. To me, that’s a bloody steal. They’re going head into the next season with one of the most complete defenses in the league where players will be slotted correctly and on top of that, the new acquisitions are coming out of losing markets (apart from Ryan Ellis), they’re going to be absolutely jacked to play for the Flyers. 

Philly is going to surprise many next season. Mark my words. Their window is now and I believe they’ll do very well.

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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