Should the Oilers Take a Patience Approach to Free Agency This Summer?

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 Daily Goal Horn

New York Rangers Rumors

Currently, the Rangers just don’t have the players to fill out bottom six roles properly. Last season for example, Vitali Kravtsov was deployed on the third and fourth line which is not who he is. The young prospect is projected as a top six right winger in the NHL, and the Rangers already have Pavel Buchnevich and Kaapo Kakko occupying those spots. Changes are coming this summer for the Blueshirts.

Several players are believed to be high on their radar in the Islanders Casey Cizikas, Hurricanes Jordan Martinook, and Lightning players Blake Coleman and Barlcay Goodrow.

BLH’s Thoughts: Are the bottom sixers in this year’s UFA market going to get themselves a good raise after the success of the Montreal Canadiens and to a lesser extent, New York Islanders.

I’ve heard Jordan Martinook and Barclay Goodrow’s names in connection to the Oilers before, only whispers though.

Now, if the Rangers want to move Pavel Buchnevich, I’d have time for him in Edmonton. Could the Oilers maybe send over Kassian and a prospect for the big Russian winger? Maybe that’d move Yamamoto to the third line, a place some might argue is more suitable for his style of play and quality of opposition.

From NHL Trade Talk

Golden Knights Coach Hints Lehner and Fleury Tandem Won’t Be Back

If there was speculation that one of Marc-Andre Fleury or Robin Lehner were going to be traded this offseason before, there’s certainly buzz about a potential deal after the comments made by Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer. Speaking with the media after his team was eliminated from the playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens, DeBoer seemed to insinuate that the luxury of having both Lehner and Fleury was not a luxury the team would have again.

“DeBoer says the goalie tandem with Fleury and Lehner was a blessing this season, and an integral part of their success, but ends with “Next year is a different year” and mentioned they won’t be in the unique situation with a condensed schedule again.”

Comments on the post immediately assumed DeBoer was suggesting one of the players would not be back. A couple of insiders have said the same. Notably, Elliotte Friedman recently commented during an Oilers Now segment with Bob Stauffer that Vegas tried to move Fleury to the Pittsburgh Penguins this past offseason via way of Anaheim or Los Angeles and there’s a belief they’ll try to do so again.

BLH’s Thoughts: I still hold out hope that Ken Holland pulls a major move out of his butt this summer and one way of doing that could be to use a third team to help facilitate such a trade.

From NHLRumors.com

The Washington Capitals and Ilya Samsonov

J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington: Brian MacLellan faces many questions but one of the bigger inquiries is Ilya Samsonov. Samsonov started to look like the goalie many Washington think he can be in the postseason. However, there exist obvious concerns with some disciplinary lapses.

Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic: With tight cap space, this will not be an easy offseason for the Washington Capitals? What would a good offseason look like? Here are a few possibilities.

Evgeny Kuznetsov stays in Washington and returns to being the engaged player that the Capitals expect. A trade may not be in the Capitals’ best interest because they have little leverage.
Washington needs Seattle to take a defenseman off their hands — preferably a higher-salaried one. Justin Schultz could be left unprotected or Brenden Dillon. Either one frees up around $4 million of space.

BLH’s Thoughts: If Brenden Dillion is available, I’m not sure if the Oilers could afford to take on his whole deal, but maybe if they got creative they could add themselves are very difficult left-shot defenseman to play against.

I don’t believe Justin Schultz or Evgeny Kuznetsov would be realistic options for Edmonton at this point in time.

From Lowetide

At this point, I think we’re looking at a mild free-agent procurement summer, say Mike Smith, Adam Larsson, Tomas Tatar. At this point Nuge not returning appears possible.

This is kind of a sticky wicket summer, partly due to the Seattle Kraken and the massive amount of cap room the expansion club will bring to the league. I’ve done an expansion draft for the Kraken, and there’s some built-in requirements that will force the new team to spend cap dollars (limited number of rfa’s allowed).

Holland has $25 million in cap. Teams are going to be looking to deal away some useful pieces. I’m seeing names like Mason Appleton, Mathieu Joseph, Alex Kerfoot, Jared McCann, Vince Dunn and others.

If Edmonton doesn’t spend a dime on the first day of free agency, you might consider it a blessing. If the top end (Landeskog, Hall, Hamilton) is heading elsewhere, Holland would do well to keep his powder dry for a time. He’ll need to get a LW, RHD and a goalie early, though. Patience on the center, No. 2 LW and No. 2 LHD may be the better plan.

BLH’s Thoughts: Ya know, I’m with LT here. I don’t think the Oilers should go out on day one and blow their cap right off the hop nor do I think they will unless there’s a player they really believe will help take this team to the next level. Maybe they’ll grab themselves some depth options but I don’t see the need to make headlines as soon as the puck is dropped. Mind you, they earlier they get their business done (including trades), the faster they can begin to prepare for the 2021-22 NHL season.

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