The Fourth Period Summer Trade Chart has the Edmonton Oilers Connected to EIGHT Players

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 the Edmonton Sun


OILERS NOTES: It’s Duncan Keith vs. Vlad Tarasenko on the Edmonton trade front

The loud dissenters want no part of a Chicago trade for a guy who makes $5.4 million the next two seasons, yet a good number want the Oilers to investigate St. Louis winger winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who has had three shoulder surgeries, makes $7.5 million for two more years and whose game has regressed. In good part, because his shoulder won’t allow him to shoot like he used to. A shoulder that may never be what it once was.

  • “Here’s the deal with Keith. I’m sure (general manager Ken) Holland has talked to (Connor) McDavid and (Leon) Draisaitl and (Darnell) Nurse about whether he would help them. Same as Glen Sather asking Wayne Gretzky back in the day about a player on another team.” said a long-time NHL team executive. “Keith can teach them about what it takes to win.”

If the Oilers are looking for a mid-20s goalie to partner with Mike Smith, rather than Mikko Koskinen, who turns 33 on July 18, free-agent names like Linus Ullmark (Buffalo) and Chris Driedger (Florida) are possibilities. But they could also make a call to Pittsburgh on Tristan Jarry as a trade.

At 26, Jarry is the right age for the Oilers, has a friendly contract of $3.5 million for two more years before he hits the open market and has a strong history with Oilers goalie coach, Dustin Schwartz. Schwartz was his instructor with the junior Oil Kings when they won the Memorial Cup in 2014.

Definitely on the Oilers’ free-agent radar is Joel Armia, because he can play right or left-wing, he can kill penalties and he’s a big body. Plus, he’s a Finn who could help Jesse Puljujarvi.

The Oilers most likely do not want to qualify Jujhar Khaira at his $1.2 million to keep his rights before, but it’s suspected they might offer a two-year deal at $900,000 and $1 million for the fourth-liner, who is one of their top two penalty-kill guys because he’s breaks up plays with his long arms and wins battles along the boards.

The Oilers may also take a look at Leafs unrestricted free agent Freddie Andersen, who has beaten them over and over again. The only problem is he turns 32 in October and they may want to look younger.

BLH’s Thoughts: Vlad Tarasenko has had TWO botched surgeries on his shoulder that have all but robbed him of his scoring touch. Oilers fans should be used to watching a player’s prime taken away because of a bad shoulder, no? Oscar Klefbom? Hello?! 

Andersen seems like a bit of a far-fetched option unless everything falls apart, no? I mean, I could see him heading to SoCal. Especially in the event that the Anaheim Ducks move on from John Gibson. Andersen has a history in with that franchise.

As far as the other netminders mentioned, I think you always have to step lightly with the ones who have poor injury histories. I hear a lot of good things about Linus Ullmark, but he’s a guy who can’t stay healthy apparently. 


From The Hockey Writers


Maple Leafs Have Interest in Tyler Bertuzzi

After a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger that the Leafs might be a team that kicks tires on Taylor Hall, per Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs might have their eyes on someone different. He says the Leafs organization had interest in Tyler Bertuzzi for a while now. This could be a player the team looks at if they are unable to re-sign Zach Hyman and if Alex Kerfoot is picked up in the NHL Expansion Draft.

  • “I’m wondering if he’s one of the guys they’re going to look at,” Friedman said. ” He plays a way that I think Toronto would like to add to their roster.”

Bertuzzi is three years younger than Hyman and already has had two seasons with career highs (47, 48 pts) that were higher than anything Hyman has produced (41 pts). For Toronto, there could be a belief that Bertuzzi hasn’t scratched the ceiling of what he could do, especially if placed with some elite-level talent.

Bertuzzi is an RFA this summer and Friedman heard the Maple Leafs were looking at him ahead of the NHL trade deadline last year, but before the player got hurt and was done for the season.

BLH’s Thoughts: I love Bertuzzi. This is the guy Edmonton should be chasing instead of Zach Hyman, in my opinion. He’s greasy, thrives in the muck, and his underlying numbers have been quite nice in the past. He’s also younger than Hyman! 


The Fourth Period


SUMMER TRADE WATCH 2021

The pundits over at TFP have the Edmonton Oilers connected to multiple players on their top-30 list of players they think could get traded this summer.

  • 6. Phil Kessel (ARI)
  • 9. Conor Garland (ARI)
  • 10. Rickard Rakell (ANA)
  • 12. Darcy Kuemper (ARI)
  • 13. Mattias Ekholm (NSH)
  • 21. Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ)
  • 25. Duncan Keith (CHI)

TFP also released a report claiming Edmonton is one of the teams interested in the aforementioned Tyler Bertuzzi.

  • “Teams have inquired about Bertuzzi,” Pagnotta said. “He’s a pending RFA. I’m told Detroit’s not against moving him.”

Several teams are believed to have interest in Bertuzzi, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings, among others.

BLH’s Thoughts: Of all those names, I wonder about Mattias Ekholm. I do believe that the Predators really want to bring him back for the remainder of his career, but it feels like they’ve they’ve got something up their sleeve. I think the Oilers would be fine paying an above average price to bring the Swede to Edmonton.

Everybody else on that list would be nice to have in Edmonton but the real push right now is to shore up the defense and give it a harder look. There aren’t too many competitors like Mattias Ekholm out there either… 

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Friedman on Oilers/Hawks Deal: “I just wonder if Edmonton and Chicago are gonna say ‘we’re doing this or we’re not.'”

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 NHL Trade Talk


What’s Delaying the Inevitable Duncan Keith Trade to Oilers

Sportsnet’s insider Elliotte Friedman was the first to break the story and he’s the first to offer an update on where things might be at with all the parties involved. Friedman had the scoop on Keith asking for the Blackhawks to consider a move so he could be closer to his son, who resides in his offseason home in Penticton, BC. In his latest 31 Thoughts podcast, Friedman tried to explain the hold up on a potential deal.

  • “I wonder if this Edmonton – Chicago thing is getting to a yes or no situation,” said Friedman. He added, “I just wonder if Edmonton and Chicago are gonna say ‘we’re doing this or we’re not.’”
  • “They’re kind of staring at each other, they know what’s on the table, are we gonna do it or not? Both these teams have to have certainty on what they’re doing for a) the expansion draft and b) eventually, especially in Edmonton’s case, free agency. Gotta know if this is gonna get done or not.”
  •  “I’m betting Chicago would rather trade (Keith) than buy him out, added Friedman. “And also get the cap hit completely gone.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Yes, I’m sure that Chicago would love to get rid of that entire ticket, but they’re the ones over a barrel here, not who ever is dealing with them. So if they want to do their legacy player a solid, they might want to just take the L on this one and get what they get before things get too messy. 


From NHLRumors.com


Boston Bruins and their pending free agents…

Ondrej Kase remains more interesting than one would suspect. He will not get qualified at $2.6 million. If he is healthy, do the Boston Bruins consider taking a short-term shot at far less money? That becomes an increasing possibility.

Then, there are Nick Ritchie and Jake DeBrusk. It seems like Boston has to decide as to one or the other. If DeBrusk is somehow moved, the thought process is that Ritchie could very well be kept. Ritchie would be easier to keep at a reasonable salary compared to DeBrusk.

BLH’s Thoughts: Bob Stauffer said on Oilers Now yesterday that with 100% certainty, the Edmonton Oilers will be adding a 2LW and a 2LHD. Now, I don’t think Nick Ritchie is either of those things, but Jake DeBrusk might be the 2LW… 

Keys to the offseason for the Montreal Canadiens

Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski: Taking a look at some of the offseason questions the Montreal Canadiens are facing.

Free agents aplenty – The Canadiens have 20 players under contract for next season with about $10.7 million in cap space. They have pending free agents in Joel ArmiaPhillip DanaultTomas TatarEric StaalMichael FrolikCorey Perry, Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson.

Expansion draft decisions – Potential forwards that could be exposed include Jake EvansPaul ByronArtturi Lehkonen and maybe Jonathan Drouin. On the blue line, one of Ben Chiarot or Joel Edmundson will be exposed. Do they do a side deal with the Seattle Kraken?

BLH’s Thoughts: As you’ll read down the page a bit, the Edmonton Oilers are going to definitely be talking to Finnish winger Joel Armia. He can kill penalties AND he’s a prick to deal with on the walls and in the corners. If he came to Edmonton, he’d probably be able to teach Jesse Puljujarvi a few things. 

But if you’re the Oilers are you’re under the impression that the Habs have a few other players you like who might be in a spot of bother expansion draft-wise, wouldn’t you make the call to see what Marc Bergevin was thinking? I mean, personally, I really dig Lehkonen and Paul Byron. That kind of work rate is really missing in Edmonton’s bottom-six. 


From The Athletic


Lowetide: Which draft prospects will be available when the Oilers pick at No. 19?

Possible selections

There are over a dozen selections that we can count as certain to be off the board by the time Edmonton makes its first-round selection. Combining the fine work done by Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler for The Athletic, we can safely exclude over one dozen names who should be gone before Edmonton selects.

Sebastian Cossa
G
WHL
Giant goalie, he’s a wall
Brennan Othmann
LW
Swiss
Scorer, sixth sense for offence
Zachary L’Heureux
LW
QMJHL
Skilled agitator plays at the edge
Corson Ceulemans
RHD
AJHL
Complete skill set, size, speed
Fabian Lysell
RW
SHL
The new Ales Hemsky

BLH’s Thoughts: I LOVE Fabian Lysell. He’s absolutely electric with the puck and that f*cker can fly! I get Pavel Bure vibes when I watch him but that’s just me. I’ve heard he’s got a hidden mean streak in him to boot. 

But if we’re drafting for need, Cossa should probably be first, then Othmann, L’Heureux, Lysell, and Ceulemans. I’d argue the Russian centre, Svechkov,  should get some consideration as well as the Oilers don’t have much coming up the pipeline pivot-wise. 


From the Edmonton Journal


OILERS NOTES: James Neal hasn’t gone down buy-out road just yet

Oilers general manager Ken Holland hasn’t told the player’s agent he is being bought out, although it’s likely

  • “They haven’t expressed anything yet,” said agent Pat Morris.

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Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Kassian, Jones, Neal, 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!

From NHLTradeRumor.com


WILL DUNCAN KEITH END UP IN EDMONTON OR SEATTLE?

With NHL trade rumors going around that the Chicago Blackhawks are looking to add an elite defeceman, this all but confirms that Duncan Keith will not be back with the team this upcoming season.

While nothing is done, there are 2 North-Western teams who Keith would likely waive his no-trade clause for: Edmonton and the Seattle Kraken. But the Oilers appear to be the front runners.

If the Oilers cannot work out a trade for Keith, they will look at free agent Ryan Murray or Calgary’s Mark Giordano.

BLH’s Thoughts: There are some questions with Murray’s health that have the team taking a cautious approach with him and I can only see Giordano coming to Edmonton if Seattle gets him in the expansion draft first and then the Oilers acquire him from the Kraken. Now, I’m not 100% sure how Giordano’s M-NTC works here if he does get picked by Seattle. Reckon he’d waive that to go to Edmonton? I’m not sure I do.

BLH’s Thoughts: Well, that’s that. We’ll need to wait a couple more weeks to see what happens with Keith. Now, that said, Spector didn’t say anything about Mikko Koskinen… 


From NHLTradeRumors.me


Rumor: Vancouver Canucks & Arizona Coyotes Finalizing Deal

According to multiple sources, the Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes have revisited trade talks from last summer and are closing in on a deal that sees Oliver Ekman-Larsson head up to Western Canada.

At this point it’s expected any trade the Canucks make will likely include Schmidt and Jake Virtanen. Keep an eye on these two teams as the Coyotes are trying to move all their veterans out including Ekman-Larsson, Conor Garland, Phil Kessel and Darcy Kuemper, meanwhile the Canucks have a horrible track record lately with letting talent go for nothing, so Benning is trying to redeem himself this summer.

BLH’s Thoughts: Tell ya what, I don’t mind that swap for either team. If Vancouver takes on OEL’s entire ticket, it could cause some issues down the road possibly with Quinn Hughes, but honestly, if they play their cards right until Tyler Myer’s deal expires in three years, the Canucks could make the dollars work on their back end. 

I wonder with the Sedins back in the picture, if OEL sees a bit of a resurgence in his career should he land in Vancouver. Swedes have done pretty well there over the years… 

Expansion Draft: Edmonton Oilers Set to Lose Valuable Player to Seattle

Oilers Players to Watch:

Zack KassianKassian is the best player who is likely going to be exposed by the Oilers and the Kraken will be able to use his toughness. The rugged winger can score more than he’s giving credit for, and has the hands to keep up with being on a top-two line. His $3.2 million contract for the next three seasons isn’t necessarily ideal for the Kraken, so expect them to select Kassian and perhaps listen to some trade offers. Regardless if they keep him or not, he’s a prime target to get selected.
Caleb JonesSeth’s brother has been in a ton of trade chatter already this summer as the 24-year-old showed well last season. He’s signed for 2021-22 at $850,000 and becomes a restricted free-agent. The former fourth-round pick played in 33 games last season, recording four points. He hasn’t cracked all his potential just yet and could be given the chance to excel with the Kraken. That’s if he’s not traded for Duncan Keith before July 17.

BLH’s Thoughts: From everything that I’ve gathered since the Oilers’ season ended, I can’t see the club leaving Zack Kassian unprotected. I’ve heard Seattle does like him though. 

As for Caleb Jones, I think the odds are that if he’s still in the organization come July 17th, he will be left unprotected. 

Mind you, both players have some trade value to the Oilers. So, there’s that to consider. 

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The Ask for Duncan Keith from the Oilers Could be Ethan Bear

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!

*Sorry, the original title of this was ‘Dreger says the Ask for Duncan Keith is Ethan Bear’ and that’s false. I whipped this post up pretty quick and was careless with the title. As you’ll read down the line here, there is a belief amongst some that Bear is what Stan Bowman is asking for in return for Keith and why not ask for the moon and work your way down?*

From The Daily Goal Horn


Coyotes looking to trade Phil Kessel

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Arizona paid out his bonus on July 1st. That means he’s only owed $1 million in actual salary which could be perfect for some teams with cap space, but are also looking to be fiscally sound.

The 33 year-old winger can still produce and would give any offensively challenged team a boost. Last season, he scored 20 goals and 43 points in 56 games for the Yotes.

The likely alternative is for the Coyotes to retain some of his cap hit in order to facilitate a trade and receive a late first round pick from a contender.

BLH’s Thoughts: Hmmm. Brian Lawton did bring up Phil Kessel’s name on Oilers Now earlier this week… This kind of acquisition is right up Ken Holland’s alley too… 

Jets’ Seth Jones blockbuster?

Jets beat writer Mike McIntyre answered a question with regards to a Seth Jones trade.

One name he brought up that was interesting is Kyle Connor. That indicates to me the Jets desire to add a top defenseman is still very strong. Especially since he believes Winnipeg would part with such a prized forward.

  • “I would be hesitant to trade anyone for Seth Jones unless you are guaranteed to lock him up long-term, and at a price you can afford. But the pending UFA next summer is an intriguing player. Connor is a trade chip if taking a big blue-line swing, IMO.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Do the Jets have another young scoring winger coming up in their system who is as good as Kyle Connor or trending to be better? No? Then why in the hell would they consider that trade? If they wanted Jones, why didn’t they get him instead of PL Dubois when they traded Patrik Laine?

Oilers closing in on Duncan Keith

The 37 year-old rearguard has two years left at $5.5 million per season with a full no-move clause. Darren Dreger provided an update yesterday as the two sides get closer to a deal.

  • “Still back and forth between the Oilers and Blackhawks, but there’s still mutual interest in getting something done,” Dreger said on TSN.

Ultimately, the Blackhawks want to do right by Keith. It seems Edmonton is where he wants to go, but Chicago would like young a defenseman back in return. That’s why a deal has yet to be concluded.

Some believe Ethan Bear could be the young player Chicago covets, but it is unlikely Edmonton will part with him

BLH’s Thoughts: Man, if Bear is the ask and Chicago isn’t willing to eat 50%, I don’t see why the Oilers would continue the conversations. I’m not the biggest Bear supporter, but even then I can see a straight one-for-one trade would be a heavy victory for Stan Bowman. I mean, unless Edmonton really wants to rid themselves of Ethan Bear, which I don’t have any indication that is the case, I can see why the deal hasn’t been consummated yet. 

The Oilers can still win this deal AND get the intangibles they’re looking for, right? Why must they overpay in order to get Duncan Keith? It’s Chicago who is over a barrel here.

My feeling is that the closer we get to the 17th of July, the more reasonable the negotiations will get. 

Oilers may try and acquire Zach Hyman’s rights from Maple Leafs

During a radio spot on Toronto TSN 1050, Darren Dreger indicated the Edmonton Oilers are targeting Zach Hyman this offseason. What he indicated is that they may trade for his rights in order to begin early negotiations prior to free agent frenzy on July 28th.

This is not out of the ordinary, and usually comes in the form of a conditional pick. For instance, Edmonton would trade Toronto a conditional 7th round pick. If Hyman signs with the Oilers, that could become a 4th round pick. It’s wise asset management, especially if Toronto already knows they can’t sign him.

The 28 year-old Hyman is UFA and will make substantially more than the $2.25 million AAV he earns now. Estimates have him looking at 7 years with an AAV around $5.5 million range.

BLH’s Thoughts: I got a DM this morning from one of my sources out East basically confirming this. Now, I don’t know what the return would be but you’d have to think it’d be more than the suggested late-to-mid round pick and for Ken Holland to do this, he’d have to have a pretty good indication that Hyman would sign in Edmonton. The club has wasted enough draft picks over the years as it is.

One thing that an Oilers fan or pundit has to ask himself is, how creative would Ken Holland have to get in order to fit in Tyson Barrie, Duncan Keith, Adam Larsson, Phil Kessel, and Zach Hyman into his lineup next season because those are the most recent names being connected to the club… I’m not going to say that scenario is impossible, but man, the sell job Holland would need to do to get those GMs to eat cash and for those players to take a discount would have to be legendary… 

Maple Leafs interested in Taylor Hall

Darren Dreger was discussing Taylor Hall on the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading.

  • “But there’s outside interest as well [on Taylor Hall], including from the Toronto Maple Leafs, which may surprise some,” he said. “Toronto has interest, I’m sure, if they can’t get Zach Hyman signed, or depending on what happens with Freddy Andersen.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Hall’s never struck me as one to be the type that savors going home to try and win with the Maple Leafs, and how they’d afford him over Zach Hyman is a bit of a mystery to me. Mind you, Hall is obviously the better of the two wingers, so I could see the attraction. 

As this pertains to the Oilers, that final LW spot is up for grabs and I’m still hearing that they’d have interest in Hall if he hits the market. 

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Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Hyman, Tarasenko, and the Latest on Duncan Keith

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!

Former Tampa Bay Lightning GM Brian Lawton was on Oilers Now yesterday and he had some very interesting things to say about the Duncan Keith and the rumors connecting the Blackhawks dman to Edmonton.

Can Duncan Keith still play?

  • “He can still play. You have to take into account what system they’re playing, who’s coaching, a lot of different things, you just can’t go by last season and what the player’s numbers were, but that’s why you wanna blend. It’s not just straight numbers and it’s also not necessarily the eye test but taking into account other factors that don’t show up in the analytics.”
  • “I like Duncan Keith for a variety of reasons, I think he can still skate, but it’s really his leadership. You cannot deny what Montreal was able to do plucking some veteran players like Corey Perry, even Eric staal too much lesser degree, that have added significantly to the mix.”
  • “The Edmonton Oilers are a very young team, regardless of whether they get Duncan Keith or not, I believe they would be well served, they don’t have to be an old team, but to add at least a few veterans that could maybe help show the way to a lot of different players on this Edmonton team. Connor McDavid is Great, Leon Draisaitl is amazing, but neither one of them has gone deep in the playoffs in the National Hockey League. They have the pedigree to do it but it would make their lives a lot easier if you got some more veteran leadership in there.”
  • “I would not take Duncan Keith at $5.5M, I will tell you that Bob, but I think that there’s some middle ground there. I really do think there’s a deal with Chicago potentially maintaining 30% to 50% of the salary. If that were to happen, I think this would be a very good deal for the Oilers depending on what they give up, not being anything other than what I’ve heard.”
  • “A guy like Caleb Jones is expendable to me.”

Chicago doesn’t want to add money at this time, does that change the closer we get to putting in your expansion draft list?

  • “It does for me.”

So what’s true today might not be true a week from now for Stan Bowman?

  • “Correct. 100%. I don’t have any doubt about that. I talked to somebody the other day that was calling the NHL the nothing happening league in regard to moves made because of the salary cap crunch. Now there’s nothing you can do about that, it was a pandemic but it’s pretty stifled out there right now and that’s why I say “out of the box”.”
  • “A day ago, a couple days ago, a guy like Phil Kessel, a guy that nobody would want in Edmonton, just got paid a $5 million signing bonus team. You have a team like Arizona, who isn’t so concerned about the cap hit, I expect a guy like him to be moved. Would Edmonton consider him? I’m not saying that, I’m just saying think outside of the box. Things you wouldn’t normally do, you have to consider. Arizona is looking for draft picks.”

If you’re Stan Bowman, are you taking James Neal back?

  • “I wouldn’t do that. That’s just bad, that’s not realistic.”
  • “What is realistic is recognizing Stan Bowman’s position though and Duncan does have a no move clause. He does have great performance in history and is revered by the fanbase behind him as well. So, he’s gonna dictate if it goes anywhere where he goes.”
  • “He seems to have made it clear that he would accept a trade to Edmonton. Somehow you have to figure out a way to take advantage of that.”

Can Duncan Keith play in the NHL as a second pairing left-shot D in the NHL?

  • “Yes, I do and I do think that’s part of thinking outside of the box. Everyone will discount him because his age, He’s 37 turning 38 very soon, but as a lot of players that have played, because of the way they’re conditioned, and Duncan Keith falls into this, guys can go longer than you normally expect.”
  • “Duncan Keith to me is that Perry guy. I mean, he lead their team in ice time. The fans understand that, right?”
  • “A team that had a surprisingly better season than a lot of people thought they would have, I think he was a big part of the reason for that. I didn’t like the way they necessarily played defensively and yet this guy got a ton out of himself last year playing against a system that didn’t favor for him.”
  • “23 1/2 minutes of the game nearly. That’s pretty darn impressive if you ask me. The next closest guy was not a defenseman, it was Patrick Kane.”
  • “Duncan Keith can still play, it’s a worthwhile risk. you’re not gonna find a lot of options this year, you gotta look under every rock to come up with the best possibilities for a team like Edmonton that desperately needs to add some veteran leadership in my opinion.”

What do you think McDavid and Draisaitl want Ken Holland to do?

  • “Those guys would revere a player like Duncan Keith. They’re fully aware of his history and there’s not a lot of guys that are gonna move the needle for them, but he would be one of the few players in terms of respect that he would immediately bring to the club and I mean those guys would respect him enormously.”

BLH’s Thoughts: So, the major thing I took out of that portion of his spot on Stauffer’s show was there the closer we get to the July 17th deadline for teams to have their protection lists in for the expansion draft, the more flexible Chicago might get with regards to retaining salary on Duncan Keith in order to move him out. 

I also think there’s a chance Edmonton could be talking to teams about players like Phil Kessel. Meaning skaters who’ve had big bonuses paid out and that play for teams who really need to move on from them. Actually, it wouldn’t shock me in the least if Kessel was actually somebody the Oilers were inquiring about. That would totally fall in line with the kind of move Ken Holland would make. 

I like listening to Lawton speak. He doesn’t pull any punches and gives it to you straight but not in an assholey kind of way. He tells you what, why and how and from a very unique point of view given he’s been a 1st overall pick in the NHL, a GM, an agent, and a pundit too… One might say his lack of success in the National Hockey League also adds to the credibility of his wisdom. 


From NHLTradeRumors.me


Maple Leafs Zach Hyman Linked to Edmonton Oilers

TSN’s Darren Dreger recently reported it wouldn’t come at a huge surprise to him to see the Edmonton Oilers try to get involved.

Dreger reported it wouldn’t shock him if Oilers general manager Ken Holland called Dubas and inquired about the asking price for Hyman’s negotiation rights. Imagine the Maple Leafs end up landing a first-round pick for Hyman, it’s certainly going to set off a fire storm of mixed feelings to the fan base.

BLH’s Thoughts: If the cost to acquire Hyman’s rights is a first round pick, I hope the Oilers pass on that ridiculous ask. The team is much better off sending Tyler Benson or another prospect over. 

I wonder if Bob Stauffer’s player source with the Maple Leafs still thinks Hyman will re-sign with Toronto on the cheap?


From NHL Trade Talk


Vladimir Tarasenko Requests Trade From Blues, Where He Might Wind Up

Speculation is that Tarasenko’s camp has already given the Blues a list of preferred trade destinations. From what some have said, there are as many as 10 teams on that list.

When you consider that he’s a $7.5 million cap hit and his actual salary in 2021-22 is $9.5 million, that’s not an easy pill to swallow for many teams. For teams struggling financially, to ask them to take on someone with his injury history and pay almost $10 million, it will likely rule out a ton of potential buyers.

Rutherford writes:

  • “The Islanders, who were knocked out of this year’s playoffs by Tampa Bay, have been mentioned as a possible fit. The New York Rangers, who have Tarasenko’s close friend Artemi Panarin (who is also represented by Theofanous) could be another. Would he waive his no-trade clause to play in Edmonton with Connor McDavid and company?”

As for what the Blues might want back, it’s likely the team will have to retain some salary, but the good news is, they probably want a player in return that can slot in and contribute immediately. This opens the door for a team to move salary in a deal where they otherwise might have been able to afford Tarasenko.

BLH’s Thoughts: Reckon if the Oilers were to get in on Tarasenko it wouldn’t cost them one of Jesse Puljujarvi or Kailer Yamamoto, at least? Tack on one of their top prospects and a draft pick as well as a contract to even out the financial end of the deal… Could be a pretty  complicated deal to make. 

I dunno, He’d be a helluva add, but his injury history and that ticket could be too much to overcome. Who knows though? Things change every day and I wouldn’t underestimate the powers of Ken Holland.

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