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!

From The Athletic (Daniel Nugent-Bowman)

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Oilers come under the microscope after passing on Jesper Wallstedt in first round of NHL Draft

• Though they appear to have a clear need for a goaltender of the future, the Oilers passed on arguably the best one available with their pick at No. 20.Jesper Wallstedt, an 18-year-old who posted a .908 save percentage in 22 games with Lulea in Sweden’s top league, tumbled down the draft board and was right there waiting to be plucked.
• Instead of selecting Wallstedt, who was 10th on colleagues Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler’s collective big board, the Oilers opted to move down in the draft. 
• The Oilers got the 22nd and 90th picks in the deal. They selected forward Xavier Bourgault, a six-foot, 178-pound forward from QMJHL Shawinigan, with the first of those selections.
• It came down to two factors for the Oilers — not having another draft choice until the fourth round this year and some players they really coveted were selected just ahead of their original No. 20 spot.
• This is the type of move that won’t be forgotten, for better or worse.
• The Oilers might have simply opted for a safer choice.
• Bourgault’s ability to play both centre and wing was appealing.
• The Oilers aren’t exactly brimming with forwards in the pipeline and very well could have picked a useful one on Friday.

BLH’s Thoughts: I was so jacked when I saw that Wallstedt was going to drop to Edmonton and in a moment’s notice my dreams were dashed. I’ll say it flat out, this is not an organization decision I support. Wallstedt’s been spoken of in the same breath as other elite netminders like Spencer Knight (FLA) and Yaroslav Askarov (NSH) over the last few years and I thought Edmonton would finally get their guy… 

That said, my belief is that they passed on the ridiculous potential in Wallstedt because they believe they’ve got a good chance at securing themselves an NHL goalie who’s on the younger side. We’ve been hearing the names of Linus Ullmark, Joonas Korpisalo, Elvis Merzlikins, etc. lately and given the urgent nature of things in Edmonton, I think the club passed on a goalie they thought would take three to five years of development before he arrived on the scene with the Oilers and they’ve got three netminders in the system who’ll be battling it out for a spot in Edmonton sooner than later. 

So, if you’re in the “win now” camp, this is a move you probably shouldn’t mind. I’m not in that camp, so it annoys me mildly. The team hasn’t had an “elite” netminder in its system since the early 80s and I suppose my ego really wanted the Oilers to get one this year.

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From The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)

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BLH’s Thoughts: From my gathering, the Oilers took the safe pick in Bourgault instead of somebody more risky like Aatu Raty or Jesper Wallstedt (depending on how you feel about taking goalies in the first round).

He reminds me of a bit of Jake DeBrusk. A thick body, long stick, good puckhandler, great shot, gets in the muck, and is a really good complimentary player. Wow… I don’t know if that description could have any more innuendo in it…

Anyway, I think the club has plans to move him to center since he has some history playing there prior to this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if next season he was playing down the middle for his junior club. Maybe the Oilers see some Nick Suzuki in him?

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From the Edmonton Sun (Jim Matheson)

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Oilers take forward Bourgault rather than goalie with first pick

• The scouts say he plays through bigger opponents, like Kailer Yamamoto, also a right-winger. He’s only at 178 pounds now, but he’s six-feet, so he’ll grow.
• Bourgault, who has been invited to Canada’s under-20 world junior team development camp later in July, checks all the usual first-round forward boxes. 
• They had enough viewings of that league, but Bourgault, who turns 19 in October, has played three years in Quebec, so he didn’t just pop up in their soup.
  • “We’re projecting him as a top-six forward,” said Wright. “Really good offensive player, excellent vision and skill, student of the game and very competitive. He can play with elite players and that was very attractive for us. He’s got his priorities off-ice in terms of training. Very impressive to talk to.”
• They were also very high on winger Brennan Othmann, who plays a Brendan Gallagher type game, but he went to the Rangers at No. 16. They liked centre Chaz Lucius who went to the Jets before them, also Zach Bolduc, picked by St. Louis before their original No. 20 slot.

BLH’s Thoughts: The word is that Bourgault is the analytics pick, so that doesn’t make me feel more comfortable that the Oilers picked him over Wallstedt.

Remember Marco Roy? Edmonton picked him way back in 2013 in the 2nd round, he was also a selection the Oilers made via the fancies according to Bob Stauffer and that was a considerable disaster given the players that were picked after him (William Carrier, Tyler Bertuzzi, Zach Sanford, Jake Guentzel, Pavel Buchnevich)…

Look, here’s the thing, I’m not impressed with the pick but I’m going to be a good supporter and wish this young man all the luck in the world because that’s what he deserves. I think it’s ridiculous that not even 10 minutes after his name was announced that the fans and media in Edmonton were already looking for ways to slight the kid. 

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From Spector’s Hockey

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NHL Rumor Mill – July 23, 2021

TSN: Darren Dreger reports contract discussions are ongoing between the Edmonton Oilers and winger Zach Hyman but some believe the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t out of it yet. If the Oilers want that eighth year in Hyman’s contract it will have to be a sign-and-trade with the Leafs.

Dreger also reports they’re continuing to discuss a possible re-signing with defenseman Tyson Barrie. 

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli wonders if the Oilers could be a dark horse candidate for Carolina Hurricanes free-agent defenseman Dougie Hamilton. They’re expected to clear cap space by buying out James Neal and there’s talk of moving winger Zack Kassian. He’s also not sold on Ethan Bear being in Edmonton for the long haul.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t think for one second that the Oilers are in for Dougie Hamilton. The fishbowl that is Edmonton would not be a great landing spot for him and I’m not sure the club is looking to add his personality to the locker room. There’s a reason he might be on his fourth team soon. 

Ethan Bear’s consistency and conditioning getting called out by Seravalli is very interesting… If it were me, I’d try to move him in a package for a better RHD, but I think it would be fair to give him a chance to show the club that last year was an anomaly and that by training in Edmonton with Kyle Turris, Dmitri Samorukov, etc. he’s actively attempting to put that season behind him. 

The Oilers did pick up an extra 3rd rounder this year by trading down in the first round yesterday, will Holland use that to acquire Zach Hyman’s rights? I hope not, but it does sound like something he’d do this year as he’s been very proactive in getting his man despite a high price. The extra 400k saved per year on the deal, I’d be willing to eat that to keep the 3rd round pick. 

If Edmonton brings back Tyson Barrie, something I’m not against by the way, it could mean that Ethan Bear gets moved and Bob Stauffer did tweet out recently that the Oilers have been contacted by numerous agents who have clients who feel they’d be able to fill Adam Larsson’s old spot and only cost in the $1.5M to $2.5M range. 

If I had to guess, I would think names such as Jason Demers (who the Oilers courted back in 2016), Travis Hamonic, and Cody Ceci would fit into that range. I asked a source about Zach Bogosian and it looks like he’s going to try to sign with a team in the states on the East Coast. 

So ask yourself this, could you see the Oilers running Barrie, Evan Bouchard, and Cody Ceci down the right side next season and producing better results or should they aim higher and spend more futures to get a guy like Josh Manson and then run him, Bouchard, and Bear?

One more name to give you something to chew on, Brendan Dillon. I’m hearing the Oilers like him.

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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!

From Draft Prospects Hockey (Kai Farenholtz, Alex Taxman, and Willem Dezwaan)

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2021 Draft Prospect Comparisons

• Fabian Lysell – Brayden Point
  Dangerous right-hand shot with an even more lethal set of wheels combined with a beyond average offensive IQ. Will completely obliterate you in transition if you offer the slightest bit of empty space.
• Brennan Othmann – Max Pacioretty
  A goalie’s worst nightmare… pure goal scorer with the ability to shoot from anywhere and leave a damaging shot. Full of strength and is an absolute hound on the forecheck, all while keeping some creativity in his arsenal.
• Oskar Olausson – Denis Gurianov
  He’s got a sick wrist shot, a heavy and accurate one timer, and is able to beat defensemen and goaltenders one on one. His skating is strong and he has breakaway speed. A bit of a one dimensional player, but that one dimension is scoring, and he’s damn good at it.
• Xavier Bourgault – Claude Giroux
  One of the best playmakers in the draft, with a strong and accurate shot as well. The one thing he lacks is high end speed, but he’s not slow. He’ll likely be a big point producer at the next level.
• Aatu Raty – Mika Zibanejad
  He’s a strong, fast skater who can handle the puck at top speed, and he uses his size to his advantage in holding defenders off with his body. Raty’s also an elite shooter, with a quick, whip-like release. He feasts around the front of the net and slot area, but he can score from long range as well. He’s got all the tools to be a productive NHL forward, but the only question right now is consistency.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t know if I see a lot of Claude Giroux in Bourgault’s game. I do agree with the description of the player above though. He’s strong on the puck, he’s good along the wall, he makes very simply plays that NHL coaches will love, and even though he’s described as a skilled winger, he’s not a soft one. He’s very competitive and when he grows into his frame, he could be a force on the wing for the Oilers in years to come. 

With that in mind, he’s a RWer… Where do the futures of Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto lie with Bourgault and Rafa Lavoie on their way.

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From The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)

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21. Xavier Bourgault — C, Shawinigan Cataractes, six-feet

• Due to his October 2002 birthday, Bourgault has the rare advantage of having just completed his third QMJHL season. In the last two of those seasons, he’s had an impressive run, with a combined 53 goals and 115 points in 97 regular-season and playoff games. He was Shawinigan’s second-most productive player in both of those seasons behind Stars first-round pick Mavrik Bourque.
• Bourgault’s game doesn’t leap off the ice at you but he’s dangerous in a variety of ways, with a deceptive release that comes off of his blade early in his shooting motion and stance to surprise goalies (off of either foot or from awkward postures, too) and good playmaking instincts inside the offensive zone. He’s also an able carrier who adjusts to pressure and plays through contact consistently thanks in part to good core balance over a wide skating stance — a stance which can create a bit of an A-frame and limit his speed, though I’d still qualify him as an above-average skater.
• He’s also a serviceable defensive player — though I wouldn’t say it’s a focal point of his game — who does a good job staying above pucks and working to win back possession. I like the overall package as a late first-round pick with a legitimate middle-six projection.

BLH’s Thoughts: I find it interesting that the Oilers have selected another player with a late birthday, that means he’ll only have to spend one more season in junior and then he’ll be eligible to play in the AHL. I think it’s a smart plan to get these kids into Edmonton’s system ASAP. 

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From The Athletic (Corey Pronman)

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29. Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan-QMJHL

Oct. 22, 2002 | six-feet | 172 pounds

Skating: Average
Puck Skills: Average
Hockey Sense: Average
Compete: Average

• Bourgault is a very skilled forward who has put up huge numbers in the QMJHL the last two seasons with 111 points in 92 games. He scored 20 goals in 29 games in 2020-21.
• Bourgault stands out with the puck on his stick. He’s confident, attempting to make difficult dekes and passes and executing at a solid frequency.
• At higher levels he projects to play on a power play.
• He’s not an exceptional skater, but he will be able to skate at an NHL level, and has shown he can make skilled plays on the move and play with pace.
• I wouldn’t describe Bourgault as a physical player or the first guy over the boards on the penalty kill, but he backchecks well enough and creates turnovers with his hustle.
• In a sentence, Bourgault projects as a middle-six NHL forward, likely on the wing.

BLH’s Thoughts: Check out this video below if you want to see 15 minutes of Bourgault lighting up the Q this past season. The one thing that jumps out immediately to me is the long stick and the upright skating style. His shot is really good and he changes the angle on it in the same manner Matthews does. It’ll be interesting to watch this guy develop. 

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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!

From the Edmonton Sun (Terry Jones)

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JONES: Ken Holland all-in trying to make Oilers a contender

• In handcuffs in his first two years on the job because of the salary cap, Holland finally has salary cap room to make the Oilers better and he confessed that, because of the McDavid-Draisaitl Window, he is going forward with a strategy of using term as the hook to land a few big fish.
  • “The last couple of years we didn’t have a lot of cap space. We obviously filled a lot of holes with players making a million dollars a year. We have some more cap space now so I am going to maximize that cap space. If players that I think are going to be important to this team, would I consider giving term to get more cap space, that’s something I would consider.”
• If Holland lands Hyman, as expected, he’ll likely have $12 million to work with to replace Larsson, find a third line centre and a back up goalie.

BLH’s Thoughts: One of the good things about having the majority of your top-six signed up long-term is that you know what you’ve got to work with for the foreseeable future plus if any of those players fall out of favor in the first few years, there might be another GM willing to take on that player security. 

Holland is going to have to keep some of that powder dry for in-season transactions and potential trades, so if I had to guess, I’d say he spends a bit on a goalie and a defenseman and fills the 3C internally. 

See more

Elliotte Friedman on SN960: thinks EDM offered a 6th for Hyman's sign and trade. Doesn't think Toronto thinks that's enough. Another GM told him a 6th wouldn't be enough for him to do it in the same situation either with how valuable cap space is.

— #1 A'ja Wilson Fan (@Account4hockey) July 23, 2021

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What I’m hearing about the Oilers offseason 3.0: Is Zach Hyman coming to Edmonton? Top Oilers draft targets?

• Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire — and there’s a ton of smoke surrounding Zach Hyman and the Oilers right now.
• Edmonton appears to be the clear frontrunner to land the pending free agent winger. Until a trade comes down and/or a contract is signed, never assume anything.
• The Oilers are trying to be the best team they can be during that time frame. Rightly or wrongly, it doesn’t appear as though they’re nearly as concerned if that’s followed by a dip.
• Here are a couple of names to watch for the Oilers: centres Cole Sillinger and Chaz Lucius.
• The industry scuttlebutt suggests both Sillinger and Lucius are likely to be off the board by the time the Oilers are picking. 
• Barring a last-minute change, my understanding is the Oilers’ preference is Sweden’s Jesper Wallstedt over Sebastian Cossa of WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings if they had their druthers.
• Again, it’s unlikely either goalie gets to the Oilers. 
• it’s entirely possible they move down in the first round of the draft to acquire another selection or two. The Oilers have just four picks in the draft and aren’t scheduled to select again until the fourth round (116th) after their first-round choice.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t really understand why DNB wrote about those four draft prospects if the Oilers aren’t going to have a shot at drafting them… Here’s a couple of guys, they won’t be around when Edmonton is picking, but if they are, there’ll be interest from the club. 

Lucius should be a top-12 pick, he’s one of the better big-bodies snipers in the draft. Sillinger is a pepper pot that can skate like the wing and hits like a freight train plus he’s got a helluva shot. 

I’d say Edmonton has a better chance at drafting a winger out of Sweden. Names like Oskar Olausson, Isak Rosen, and Simon Robertsson come to mind. But as I said earlier this week, there are a couple of Russian goal scorers that’ll be available in Nikita Chibrikov and Kirill Kirsanov, so the Oilers draft could have a real European flavor to it. 

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From NHLRumors.com

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• Daniel Nugent-Hopkins: Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland said that it’s unlikely that they trade for the negotiating rights of an unrestricted free agent. It’s unclear if Zach Hyman is part of that.
• Allan Mitchell of The Athletic: If Edmonton is forced to solve the No. 3 centre problem internally, the best solution is to use Khaira and McLeod as third- and fourth-line centres until the younger man takes over the more important position.
• John Gambadoro: The Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams interested in Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak.
• John Vogl: Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams: “We’re willing to listen to every possible thing that’s going to get our franchise pointed in the right direction.”
• Frank Seravalli of Daily FaceOff: Just a feeling that the Seattle Kraken could trade defenseman Vince Dunn. If the Kraken see a top four of Mark Giordano, Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson and Carson Soucy, then there isn’t a lot of room for Dunn.
  • Wonder if Dougie Hamilton could be a dark horse signing for the Edmonton Oilers.
  • Buying out James Neal and/or Mikko Koskinen would give the Oilers more cap room. Zack Kassian is getting some interest. Ethan Bear may not be in Edmonton for the long-haul.
• Mollie Walker of the NY Post: The New York Rangers have some decisions to make with their pending RFAs, headed by forward Pavel Buchnevich. Buchnevich’s agent Todd Diamond said they’ve been in touch with Rangers all offseason.
  • Chytil could be used as a trade piece as well. He made under $900,000 and will be looking for a raise. Is center the long-term position for him?
• Andy Strickland: Though it could be a costly acquisition, the St. Louis Blues are among the teams interested in New York Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich.
• Murray Pam: GM Francis talked about having salary cap space available to them after the expansion draft. Sounds like they could be willing to take on ‘bad contracts’ to acquire draft assets.
• Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now: (mailbag) The Boston Bruins have $20 million in salary cap space, with some of their own free agents to re-sign, and some free agent and trade options.
  • Vladimir Tarasenko, Conor Garland and Ryan Suter could be options for the Bruins.
• NHL Watcher: Darren Dreger said on TSN 1050 on Monday that the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking at Blake Coleman as a “replacement” for Zach Hyman. Coleman will be looking to at least double his salary to $3.6 million and that will be on the low side.

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