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 Cult of Hockey

Five signals this summer that the Edmonton Oilers organization is finally on target

Here are five signals that things are going right for the Oilers.

1. Be wary of shiny things.

• “Part of me loves the idea of Vladimir Tarasenko or Zach Hyman on Connor McDavid’s wing. I’m especially partial to the notion of Hyman being to McDavid what Chris Kunitz was for years in Pittsburgh to Sidney Crosby… Does the team really want to make another such massive bet, especially when they work out, at best, about half the time?”

2. Do not block promising AHL players.

• “Tampa Bay is a model franchise in large part because it drafts, develops, plays and holds on to players. You won’t often see them trading a way a Jeff Petry-type player… If Edmonton is ever going to turn the corner, the road runs right from Bakersfield to Edmonton.”

3. Be opportunistic in free agency.

• “Some of the best free agency finds don’t come with massive price tags. Edmonton found that out with Tyson Barrie this past year… Look for the next Cam Talbot, Philipp Grubauer or Darcy Kuemper, not for the next Jacob Markstrom or Sergei Bobrovsky.”

4. Do analytics, but do them the right way.

• “…Do the Oilers have this same detailed information for every other player in the NHL? If this kind of statistical record is crucial for the assessment of their own players, why don’t the Oilers have this data for other players they’re looking at paying dearly for, both in terms of acquisition cost, term and salary?… getting together this kind of team of analysts as soon as possible is crucial to the team’s future.”

5. Win a trade.

• “Tampa was built mainly through drafting and development, but also threw some shrewd trades…  If the Oilers are going to win a Cup, Holland will almost certainly have to win big on a trade one of these days. He’s yet to do so.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I think these points make a tone of sense, but I do want to ask, why do the Oilers have to copy the blueprint laid out by the Lightning. It ends up with the team getting dismantled anyhow.

What’s wrong with using Holland’s blueprint that he used in Detroit to turn that club into a team that made the playoffs yearly for two decades. I’d much rather have that, to be honest.

From The Athletic

Yes or no? Have your say on 10 hypothetical Oilers trades

BLH’s Thoughts: First off, who is Quinn Olson? Secondly, if I can’t get DeBrusk for Bear, I’m probably not doing it. I think Samorukov could have some Konstantinov in him and that has me excited to see what he can do. 

Now, if Holland wants to flip a 1st rounder for Louie’s boy, I might be able to be talked into buying that soup. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t mind this at all. Edmonton would have to take on that full salary, but Zucker’s a fantastic shooting forward who scores goals at a really nice clip every year. It would give the club two more years to sort out if Dylan Holloway is going to be a LW in the top-six or a third line center with the Oilers too. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Sure! Sign me up for this one. Edmonton gets a really nice 3C who can skate and contribute to the PK and they find a fresh start for Marody, a player I’ve never seen as someone who’d make it to the NHL with his current set of wheels. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I like Sam Reinhart quite a bit. He’s a jack of all trades and quite underrated, in my opinion. That said, I’m not sure I’m willing to give up those three assets to get him. Edmonton is shy of depth at forward in their prospect system and this would really dig into that. 

Now, if you believe that Yamamoto, who ever is selected with that draft pick, and Lavoie have futures that don’t involve top-six minutes, you might make that deal, but I’ve got a feeling Yamo is going to bounce back hard after watching what his buddy Tyler Johnson did in the Stanley Cup final as well as the performance Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher put forth. 

I think I’d pass on this one. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t mind this one bit. Edmonton get’s Keith at a reasonable price, the Hawks get their Seth Jones incentive, Caleb gets a fresh start with a club that might suit his skills a bit more, and the Coyotes get to add a draft pick that the desperately need in order to get this rebuild back on track. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Meh… No thanks. 

BLH’s Thoughts: This deal I don’t mind. Graves is as rock solid as they come and is only paid $3.2M/yr for a couple of more seasons. I’d do this. 

BLH’s Thoughts: With Kuemper going to free agency next summer, I’m not comfortable paying that first rounder right now when I can get him for money in the offseason. 

BLH’s Thoughts: No! F*ck that deal. Sweet Jesus, why would you pay that much? Just put Neal on LTIR if he can’t play anymore… Save the money that way. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Nope. As much as Kass has failed to live up to that deal, he’s going to be a contributor in the post-season because that’s where his game thrives. When the rink shrinks and the officiating relaxes… Plus, who are you bringing in to replace him? How many players who make less than him, play the same style, can skate and have skills like him, and can be deployed in the top-six like him are there in the league? Very few, if any, is the answer. 

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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 Spector’s Hockey

KEITH TRADE BETWEEN BLACKHAWKS AND OILERS FALLING APART?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers are reaching a point of “Does it happen or not” regarding a Duncan Keith trade. The Oilers have rejected most of what the Blackhawks sought in return, which may have include Ethan Bear and/or Ryan McLeod.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli said the Blackhawks don’t want to retain any portion of Keith’s $5.53 million annual cap hit. The Oilers’ interest has waned and they’ve pulled back on the assets they were willing to send to Chicago in return. Seravalli believes Caleb Jones was part of it. He also said the Oilers have tabled a “take it or leave it” offer and there’s only a certain price they’ll pay if the Blackhawks won’t retain salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Looks like Oilers general manager Ken Holland is taking a firm approach here. He’s under no pressure to acquire Keith. The Oilers could use a second-pairing left-side defenseman but they can find more affordable options if the Hawks won’t retain salary. There’s also no indication the Hawks will take on someone like James Neal or Mikko Koskinen for the purpose of buying them out. If the Blackhawks won’t bend, this deal falls apart.

BLH’s Thoughts: Tick Tock, folks! 

The fact of the matter is, the Oilers have choices whereas the Blackhawks don’t really. If Keith says he’s not waiving for anybody but Edmonton, Stan Bowman has to comply or risk fracturing a long-standing relationship with a player whose number is surely to be retired by the club. 

I do believe it was Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek who wondered if Chicago might just have to take the ‘L’ with this deal to do Keith one last solid after all these years of him doing the team a favor with that team-friendly contract of his. 

From NHLRumors.com

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: The Canadiens and pending UFA Phillip Danault maybe $500,000 to $750,000 per season apart on a multi-year extension. He averaged the most minutes per game among the forwards during the playoffs.

• John Lu: Danault admitted that their contract talks that were stalled earlier were related to potential usage: “I was scared (Suzuki) and (Kotkaniemi) would take more minutes but if you see around the league you need two-way centres … I found my game. I know what I am and I know what I can give.”
• John Lu: Danault also admits that the leaked contract terms really affected him: “I wasn’t playing that good; I wasn’t playing my best hockey at that time. It was tough mentally but I got way stronger mentally and I believe that’s why I could play that type of (shutdown) hockey in the playoffs.”

Eric Engels: Canadiens pending UFA forward Corey Perry:  “Yes, I intend to play hockey next year. There’s still a lot of good hockey left in me, and I would love to come back to experience Montreal for what it’s like really being in Montreal.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Does anybody else think that the Habs are going to need to make some really tough decisions shortly as to what to do with Danault, Suzuki, and Kotkaniemi? I mean, that’s a helluva trio down the middle for the club but will they be able to build around that and what happens when Danault is transitioned to the 3C but is being paid like a 2C?

Also, is it too early to start thinking about a post-Weber/Price era in Montreal? There might not be a better time to try and move one of those future hall-of-famers than right now.

Question, as an Oilers fan, would you rather spend on a 3C like Phillip Danault and go cheaper on the top-six LW or the other way around?

NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 590 on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi.

• “One of the guys I’m kinda wondering about is Bertuzzi from Detroit. I think that’s a guy they’ve had some interest in and he was hurt last year at the deadline. I’m wondering if he’s one of the guys they’re going to look at.”

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Unless there is a major swing, it doesn’t appear that Zach Hyman will be back with the Maple Leafs next year. The Red Wings will be among the teams having an interest in the pending UFA.

Rick Tocchet has been linked to an assistant coach position with the Maple Leafs. If Luke Richardson becomes available, he would make sense for the Leafs.

BLH’s Thoughts: Do you reckon the writing would be on the wall for current Maple Leafs head coach if he’s got Rick Tocchet and Luke Richardson on his bench looking over his shoulder… 

If the Red Wings move on from Tyler Bertuzzi, surely that would be a sign that GM Steve Yzerman would go LW hunting and given that it’s a buyer’s market this year, perhaps Zach Hyman would go back to Michigan to play out his career where he played his college hockey.  

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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 NHLTradeRumors.me

Casey Cizikas is a very popular pending unrestricted free agent. Although he is not known for producing a lot of offense, he is an immensely effective defensively. He has plays with a bit of grit, which is always a nice element for a bottom-six forward to have. He not only has been the true heart of the Islanders’ fourth-line, but also one of their top penalty killers in the process.

• New York Islanders

The New York Islanders will certainly try to bring back Cizikas because of his importance to the team… However, the Islanders have limited cap space and three big-time RFAs in Ilya Sorokin, Adam Pelech and Anthony Beauvillier to bring back, too.

• New York Rangers

He is exactly the type of bottom-six forward they need. He not only would give them a defensively sound bottom-six center, but also great leadership because of his vast experience.

• Boston Bruins

With the Bruins on the verge of losing Sean Kuraly to free agency, Cizikas would be a serious upgrade. The Bruins also are expected to have a good amount of cap space to work with, so the possibility is on the table if he hits the market.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll add the Edmonton Oilers to that list. For the same reasons the teams above, the Oilers could 100% use a player like Cizikas on their 3rd line with an eye on transitioning to the 4th line. 

This organization needs an injection of “I’ll run through a f*cking wall to score/stop that goal.”

Matt Hendricks was the last one to really embrace that role and I still love that guy for everything he had to put up with in Edmonton and what he did for the team. The Oilers need more of that. 

From The Cult of Hockey

The Edmonton Oilers pursuit of Duncan Keith comes down to the wire: 9 Things

6. The Oilers have made an official offer to the Mike Smith camp. And while I didn’t hear this directly, I have heard it reported that negotiations between Smith and the club are now on-going. I would be surprised if things are finalized before the expansion draft, though. That means Stuart Skinner is likely the goalie to be protected.

BLH’s Thoughts: Is it just me or would the Kraken taking Stuart Skinner be a blessing in disguise for the Oilers. No disrespect to Skinner, but Edmonton will have one too many goalies in Bakersfield next season if he’s on the roster, no? I don’t think Konovalov signed with the Oilers to be sent to the ECHL nor do I think after playing the year in the AHL is Olivier Rodrigue going to Wichita. Tack that on to the fact that the Oilers are using Caleb Jones as trade fodder to bring in Duncan Keith… Skinner could be playing in the Kraken’s system next season… 

4. If I were to pick 4 left wingers the Oilers would entertain during this off-season, they would be Zack Hyman, Taylor Hall, Alex Killorn and Tomas Tatar. I’m not saying there might not be more names. But I think the club feels that any of the 4 (in that order) could line up on Connor McDavid’s port side, along with Jesse Puljujarvi over on the right. I suspect Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is ticketed for the Leon Draisaitl–Kailer Yamamoto line. Of those 4 that I mentioned, I suspect the Oilers might like Hyman the best in terms of over-all fit. But I also think Hyman will have a lot of suitors. I do think Taylor Hall would return to Edmonton for less than some people might think but he would also be looking for term.

BLH’s Thoughts: There’s some chatter out there that Taylor Hall might be open to signing long-term in Edmonton for around what RNH signed for (TWIN deals! Remember when I brought that up a few weeks ago?) and having him back with the club would be a really fun story to follow, but you have to wonder what sort of player is best for Edmonton’s top-six. How many bulldozers do they have up there to work the muck, right? 

Personally, I like the idea of trading for Alex Killorn and being able to bring in a proper 3C too. Although, I wouldn’t be against paying Philip Danault and then going a tad cheaper on the top-six LW too…

3. I wonder at those who think Caleb Jones is better than Duncan Keith and that as a result Jones would be “A Bridge Too Far” in the Keith stakes. Jones is an NHL-caliber skater. He moves the puck o.k. But there are gaps in the rest of his game that he has not been able to close. He’s had a couple opportunities to do so. And if a player keeps making the same mistakes, does that say something important about his ability to learn and to be coached? Also, remember: Names such as Dmitry Kulikov, Kris Russell and Slater Koekkoek and William Lagesson all out-played young Jones this past season. And while I respect all 4 of those guys as pro’s, none of them are Duncan Keith. It is not uncommon for home fan bases to over-value their own prospects. But when Jones has sat in the press box, I’ve seen what I perceived to be the reasons why.

BLH’s Thoughts: Headline – “Oilers Fans Overvalue Analytics Darling! Shocking!”

2. Mark Spector wrote an excellent column this week on how outsiders see Duncan Keith. I recommend reading it. You can find it here.  Mark has a rolodex infinitely bigger and deeper than mine. A couple hockey people I heard back from also watched Keith play lots of minutes this past year. They told me the following: No, Duncan Keith isn’t the Stanley Cup/Norris Trophy winning Duncan Keith. But they say he remains a well above-average skater for an NHL D-man. They said Keith’s time spent alongside Adam Boqvist was “adventures in babysitting”, especially in the defensive zone (although one man said Boqvist is actually decent in-between the bluelines). Both were highly critical of Jeremy Colliton’s defensive structure. It was a mess. No Black Hawk thrived under it. I immediately thought back to how Dallas Eakins’ system crashed & burned in Edmonton when he was a rookie coach. So, there you are. From 2 guys not associated with the Oilers in any way, shape or form who watched Keith play between a 3^rd and a half of his 54 games. They’d take him.

BLH’s Thoughts: Kinda makes you wonder what would’ve happened to Nail Yakupov had Eakins not got his meat hooks into him… 

The only people on social media saying they wouldn’t take Duncan Keith are using pretty graphics and shiny stat sheets to support their position or aping what others are saying and not bringing up anything original.

Almost every person who’s played or worked at the NHL level in some capacity that has commented on this move over the past week and some has said they’d take him and that’s because they know the game. They know that he’d go into Edmonton and not be required to play the same role he’s been filling in Chicago for the past decade +. They know that if he couldn’t fulfill the responsibility of a 2nd pairing defender, he could play on the third pairing. They also know that when the best player in the entire world says, jump, you say, how high?

1. The comparisons between Keith and other signings by Edmonton front offices aren’t comparable. Pedigree matters. Those other guys were never as good as Keith. And most of them haven’t kept themselves in as good of shape as Keith either. So, not only did they start from behind in terms of pure skill. They didn’t close the gap with hard work and commitment. But Duncan Keith has. He too can still shred. People with no horse in the race but who work in hockey at a high level for a living say so.

We know Keith isn’t as good as back when Chicago was winning Cups. If he was Chicago wouldn’t trade him.

Frankly, some of the over-the-top criticism of the player is unbecoming and a bad look for the market.

Here you have a future Hall of Famer who “wants” to come here. Professional hockey people are saying he can still play. A couple people have said to me that the Oilers very best players are loving the idea. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned being around the game all these years? The players almost always know.

BLH’s Thoughts: What?! The fans in Edmonton appearing unbecoming? What is Leavins smoking? The Oilers fanbase is a collective group of Angels. They’re saints! They’d never utter a negative word about a player who’s never played for the club. 

You know, Bobby Orr could travel through time from 1968 and land in Edmonton today, say he wants to play for the Oilers, and that small group of local loudmouths within this fanbase would find a way to shit all over that idea. “Yeah, he’s a point per game player in 1968, but how’s his 200ft game? Can he even defend? F*ck that guy, we’ve got Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear!”

I mean, I’m sitting here wondering how Colorado Avalanche fans had to deal with the debacle that was trading for Ray Bourque in 2000… Poor fans… How they won that Stanley Cup in ’01 without Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Påhlsson and a first-round draft pick (2000 draft, 27th overall, Martin Samuelsson) will forever be a mystery to me. 

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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!

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From Lowetide.ca

THREE DAYS IN AUGUST

THIS YEAR’S PRONGER, PECA

The Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets and San Jose Sharks are the top candidates to make a Pronger or Joe Thornton trade this summer.

From those teams, possibly available talents include Jack Eichel, John Gibson, Jakob Chychrun. Anyone else? I’d love to see Gibson in Edmonton and Chychrun is exceptional when healthy. Not sure Eichel can be afforded.

JAMES NEAL BUYOUT

Jim Matheson checked with Neal’s agent and it’s crickets over there, and of course Edmonton has multiple buyout candidates (Mikko Koskinen, Kyle Turris, Zack Kassian).

We may also see some bloated contracts traded for each other, although I’m dubious about the idea. Zack Kassian for Paul Byron, or Kassian for Brett Connolly is interesting, but these are all men with something circled in red on their resumes at this time.

VLADIMIR TARASENKO

Injury is an issue, and the $7.5 million times two on the contract also noteworthy. James Neal’s contract is $5.75 million times two, that’s a $2 million risk that you can justify. St. Louis will get better offers, in fact my guess is there are teams willing to take on the entire deal in exchange for very little in the way of assets heading to Missouri.

BLH’s Thoughts: I think the LA Kings are one of the teams rumored to be interested in Tarasenko and they could take on his deal AND give St. Louis some decent futures for the Russian. I loath the idea of Edmonton having to face a line that features Viktor Arvidsson, Anze Kopitar, and Vladimir Tarasenko multiple times a year… 

I don’t care what you say, the minute Holland deals Kassian, he’ll be looking for another one. I think the other question that has to be asked, who in Edmonton’s bottom-six can step up and play in the top-six on the right wing if a Jesse Puljujarvi gets hurt or a Kailer Yamamoto can’t find his scoring touch again? Kassian can and to a lesser extent, Josh Archibald, I suppose, but Kassian has a much longer track record of being able to handle those minutes. 

Now, if the Oilers want to make their “Pronger deal”, the fans had better be prepared to lose a couple of VERY good prospects. I’m talking an Evan Bouchard, a Philip Broberg, or a Dylan Holloway, and by all accounts the team is not interested in losing those very valuable assets. Think about it, if Holland is unwilling to deal Ryan McLeod and Ethan Bear, can you see him moving more substantial blue chippers? 

From NHLRumors.com

NHL Rumors: Vladimir Tarasenko – Islanders, Rangers and Bruins

From Sportsnet

31 Thoughts: Where NHL’s Olympic participation stands as off-season begins

4. Chicago and Edmonton have been grinding away on a Duncan Keith deal for almost two weeks now, and we’re getting to the point of, “Does this happen, or not?” It’s believed Edmonton’s turned down some of the asks, such as Ethan Bear and/or Ryan McLeod. There’s definitely a desire for finality.

BLH’s Thoughts: I hope the title of today’s post goes over a bit better than the one I muffed up yesterday… 

The ball is in Chicago’s court now. I’m very interested in seeing how they counter here. 

5. I also believe the Oilers have begun talking to Darnell Nurse about an extension. He’s eligible this summer, with one more season before unrestricted free agency. In goal, it sounds like they are juggling multiple balls, from Mike Smith to someone younger.

BLH’s Thoughts: That Nurse extension is going to be of the utmost importance. Would you do $8Mx8yrs or try to get his number down a bit to something more team friendly?

If Smith is going to play hardball with Ken Holland, he should really take another moment to contemplate that choice. The Oilers have a lot of options when it comes to goaltenders this year, possibly including the one in the next point… 

14. Goaltending situation to watch: will Carolina qualify Alex Nedeljkovic? It seems crazy to ask, but there are rumours the Hurricanes are not crazy about his arbitration award potential. I’m not always good with comparables, but Vancouver’s extension with Thatcher Demko put his last two non-UFA seasons at $2.5 million and $4.5 million (including a $1-million signing bonus). Same situation Carolina’s going through with Warren Foegele. There’s been a lot of interest with him.

BLH’s Thoughts: When’s the last time the Edmonton Oilers made an impact in the playoffs with a homegrown netminder? Do we have to go back to the days of Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr? I mean, Bill Ranford was brought in from Boston and Curtis Joseph was a UFA. Dwayne Roloson as traded for as was Cam Talbot. 

It does seem insane to me that the Hurricanes would walk away from Nedeljkovic after spending all this time developing him and with the season he’s just had. However, he’d be the perfect goalie to join Edmonton and its young core. 

15. One Coyote who teams definitely are interested in: centre Christian Dvorak. He’s signed for four more years at $4.45 million — although it is back-ended. He’s a good centre, and they are valued.

BLH’s Thoughts: Not to be too nitpicky, but it’s a shame Dvorak isn’t a righty. Who couldn’t use a third line center who puts up 30+ points a year consistently thought?

That said, I do remember asking a prominent member of the Oilers media about Dvorak and being told in, no uncertain terms, there was no way the Coyotes would deal him. I suppose things have changed on that front. 

29. Commissioner Bettman mentioned the possibility of a Heritage Classic next March. The last time this was on the radar for Canada, Edmonton was the desired city. The Oilers hosted the first one, and it’s their time once again.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll be honest, these kinds of events do nothing for me. I’ve never been to an outdoor event like that nor would I probably ever go considering the distance from my seat to the rink, but these games generate a lot of buzz (and money) for the host city and it’s hard to argue against that. 

Is there not a collective belief in Edmonton that the organization wants to wait until the ICE District is finished? 

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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From Oilersnation

Edmonton has apparently offered Chicago a “take it or leave it” deal for Duncan Keith

On Friday’s episode of the DFO Rundown, Frank Seravalli and Jason Gregor spoke about the rumours, with Seravalli reporting that the Blackhawks aren’t interested in retaining any of Keith’s salary and that Ken Holland has offered a “take it or leave it” deal…

• SERAVALLI: “To touch on the Duncan Keith situation for a second with the Oilers, my understanding is that there is definite interest there, but I think that interest and paying a certain price has waned in the last week or so.”
• “The Oilers have had discussions with the Chicago Blackhawks. First off, there’s two things in play. One, Chicago is not willing to retain any salary, And the second thing is, whatever pieces the Oilers had on the table to try and make something happen, and I believe it centred around Caleb Jones plus something else, and you can understand why Jones was part of the picture because Chicago wants to also try and bring in Seth Jones, my understanding is one or more of those pieces has since been removed.”
• “Edmonton has offered a take it or leave it type deal and there’s only a certain price they’re willing to pay given that Chicago isn’t willing to retain money.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I like this style of negotiation from Ken Holland. I think he used it with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as well and look how that turned out. When Seravalli was on LT’s radio show, he said that the other piece had, in fact, been taken off the table.

So now the return is sitting at Caleb Jones with the pressure compounding as the deadline for teams to have their expansion draft protection lists submitted approaches. The Oilers have options, the Blackhawks do not… As Bob Stauffer always says, “time will tell on that regard.”

From The Daily Goal Horn

Potential trade destinations for Vladimir Tarasenko

Here are three potential ideal landing spots for Tarasenko, but it will require money going back out in order for the deal to work.

1. The New York Islanders: Talk about a team that needs more offense. They have a little over $5 million in cap space so they will need to send money back to the Blues. Maybe Josh Bailey or Nick Leddy would be in the deal to make it work.
2. Vegas Golden Knights: The team wants help on the power play and Tarasenko can supply that. Vegas has $6 million in cap space and are talking about trading a goalie to get more. This is one to watch.
3. Washington Capitals: They will be signing Alexander Ovechkin after the expansion draft takes place and have vowed to take another kick at the Cup. It’s also possible they lose T.J. Oshie in expansion. Tarasenko will be a nice replacement here.

BLH’s Thoughts: I could definitely see the Islanders getting in on The Tank. Kevin Weekes was on Oilers Now this week and he seemed to feel strongly about that clubs chances at acquiring Taraseko.

My feeling is that the Isles would rather keep Leddy and Bailey and perhaps they’d send former Edmonton Oiler Jordan Eberle and Michael Dal Colle to St. Louis instead as they’ve got Kiefer Bellows and Oliver Wahlstrom on the verge of breaking through to the big club. 

From The Athletic

Lowetide: Is this the year the Oilers find a world-class agitator in the draft?

Fans can get mad, but the Oilers must prepare for a possible repeat performance in the next playoff series. How does a team add rugged, agitating forwards?

It all starts at the draft.

This year, there’s a dandy skill forward with agitating upside named Zachary L’Heureux. He is a load. Just 5.11 but 196, he’s built like a Coke machine and hits like a truck.

Intimidation, rugged play and an agitating style are all part of L’Heureux’s resume, as is going right to the line, and at times beyond.

L’Heureux isn’t going to be the next Mark Messier or Esa Tikkanen. He isn’t a lock to play on a skill line and could spend his hockey life on the third line.

BLH’s Thoughts: Could this be the new Yanni Gourde? I’m a big fan of this type of player but there’s risk involved drafting them I believe. The jump from junior to pro is massive and sometimes the learning curve can be a steep and painful one for them.

I remember they called Raffi Torres a “buzzsaw” in his draft year and he was a very talented junior player in addition to being physically imposing. It’s too bad he couldn’t help himself on the ice and stick to playing the game as opposed to ending the careers of his peers… 

All of that said, I would support taking this player in the first round should Sebastian Cossa or Fabian Lysell be selected before 19th overall. L’Heureux could be this team’s Maxim Lapierre or Alex Burrows at the bottom end of the fully developed NHLer scale OR he could the next David Perron… Food for thought. 

From The Oilers Rig

Oilers “Exploring” Goalie Market, In Talks With Mike Smith

According to David Pagnotta of ‘The Fourth Period‘, talks between the Oilers and Smith are underway.

• “Contract negotiations between the Oilers and G Mike Smith are ongoing,” Pagnotta tweeted on Friday afternoon. “I believe an offer has been tabled by the Oilers, but Smith’s camp will likely counter.”
• “Also hearing Edmonton has been exploring the goalie trade market,” Pagnotta added. “May have more to do with a possible Koskinen buyout.”

The Oilers have been connected to Florida Panthers goalie Chris Dreidger, who is set to hit the free agent market later this month. Sources indicate the Oilers have checked in about trading for his rights in advance of the market opening.

The Oilers have also reportedly checked in with the Arizona Coyotes, and are expected to show interest in Buffalo Sabres netminder Linus Ullmark should he hit the market.

BLH’s Thoughts: It’s an interesting year for players re-signing in Edmonton, isn’t it? Aside from Adam Larsson, the players really haven’t had a lot of leverage and even in Larsson’s case, the Oilers might choose to walk away from him and bring back Tyson Barrie to go along with Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard. I wouldn’t advise it, but it’s possible. 

So, with Smith, if his ask is too high, what’s stopping Holland from going out and making a move for Chris Driedger, Linus Ullmark, Petr Mrazek, or any other goalie that’s available. It’s a buyer’s market and the Oilers are flush, for now…