Tag Archives: 2021 World Juniors

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

(1/3/2021) – BLH’s NHL Rumor Roundup: “…Any rumors that include them should be taken with some caution”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Mat Barzal, Henrik Borgstrom, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jesper Bratt, Zdeno Chara, and more!

Are the Oilers going to make a trade sooner or later? Read about that conundrum here!

Who Might Newly-Signed Slater Koekkoek replace in the Oilers Lineup? Read about it now!

Oilers pundit says the club might be down ANOTHER forward before camp starts! Who could it be?

Are the Oilers tough enough for the 2020-21 NHL season? A former NHL GM says NO!

Have you read this hilarious Joe Thornton story about the time he was chirping Connor McDavid from the bench and he made everyone within earshot burst out laughing? Do it now!

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Luke Fox (Sportsnet): Wonders if Nick Robertson can make the Toronto Maple Leafs this season out of camp, how all the new additions (Thornton, Simmonds, Lehtonen, etc) will fit into Toronto’s scheme, and what tweaks will be made to a penalty kill that has continuously gotten worse?
  • Elliotte Friedman (Sportnet): Certainly will be more detail in morning, but there are rumblings Travis Hamonic will go to VAN on a PTO. GM Jim Benning and coach Travis Green are scheduled to speak on Sunday.
  • Empire Sports: New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is looking to lock up Barzal in the ballpark of $7.5 million per season.
    • Luke Fox (Sportsnet): Barzal’s camp, naturally, would prefer a higher figure — but a recent report by Andrew Gross suggests Barzal, like Pulock, is considering a team-friendly deal to keep the band together.
  • Sportsnet: GM Tom Fitzgerald regarding New Jersey Devils’ unsigned RFA Jesper Bratt,
    • “Right now, I’d say it would be hard-pressed to think Jesper Bratt will be in training camp because of all the obstacles we’d have to go over with quarantine and immigration,” Fitzgerald told the Two-Man Advantage podcast on Dec. 23.”
  • David Dwork (Local 10): On the status of Florida Panthers forward Henrik Borgstrom,
    • “There have been whispers that the 2016 first-round pick would be staying with HIFK for its entire season, and as NHL camp has drawn closer, those whispers have only gotten louder,” reports David Dwork of Local 10. “That could be, at least in part, due to rumors that circulated earlier this year that Borgstrom has not been pleased with his role in the Panthers organization to this point.”
  • Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): Was quite impressed with a couple of Slovakian 2022 NHL draft eligibles from his group play viewings at the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championships in Edmonton, AB.
    • “Juraj Slafkovsky (LW/RW): He’s already 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, but he doesn’t play at all like the big, physical, powerful prototype you might expect from that frame. A fluid stride and excellent hands help him carve through the neutral zone in transition and keep sequences alive in the offensive zone.”
    • Simon Nemec (RHD): He has helped create three of Slovakia’s five goals in the tournament. They’ve been more competitive than expected because of their 2003 and 2004 age group and they’re excited, as a team, for what’s ahead in future tournaments with that group. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nemec wears the “A” for them in 2022 and a “C” for them in 2023. He’s got some assertiveness to his game already.”
  • Jim Parsons (NHL Trade Talk): On the Pierre-Luc Dubois to Boston rumors,
    • “Dubois would be a great fit in Boston, but it would take a lot to land him. The Bruins also haven’t been incredibly active this offseason, so any rumors that include them should be taken with some caution.”
  • Anthony Scultore (Daily Goal Horn): Contracted the agent of disgruntled Winnipeg Jets RFA forward Jack Roslovic and was told this,
    • “He seemed pretty confident that Roslovic will be traded but to where remains to be seen. Being that Roslovic is an RFA, I was informed at least half a dozen teams have expressed interest in him.”

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

(12/12/2020) – BLH’s NHL Rumor Roundup AM Edition: “Do They Want to Burn a Substantial Amount on a 30-Something Forward”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Carter Savoie, Team Canada, a new Might Ducks TV Series, Mikael Backlund, Rasmus Sandin, and more!

Would you make this blockbuster trade? Read This!

Watch the “Punch-up in Piestany” in its entirety right here!

Woodguy on the 2020-21 Edmonton Oilers.
Watch 16yr Old Wayne Gretzky Destroy the Czechs at the ’78 World Juniors!

Watch Connor McDavid help Team Canada end a five year JHC gold medal drought right here!

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

BLH’s Thoughts: I watched the first couple games of Savoie’s season with Denver and I was really underwhelmed. Since then he’s simply continued scoring goals. I’m probably just nitpicking, but I believe most of those ginos were scored with the man advantage. I could be wrong, but what’s his plan when he makes it to the next level and he’s not getting that cherry PP TOI? He can’t choose to bring the intangibles every five or six games like he is now. His shooting % is otherworldly right now too, right? I think I heard Bob Stauffer say he has only 16 shots but 6 goals?…

That said, he’s doing a fine impression of Brett Hull at the moment and I’m very happy to watch him continue that.

  • Mark Spector (Sportsnet): Darnell Nurse on shutdown defensemen in today’s NHL,
    • “Shutdown guys are different now. Everyone thinks of the stereotypical shutdown guy from the ‘90s, early 20000’s. They didn’t cross the red-line. I’ve watched every game — the games I am most effective is when I am moving my feet. It’s not just sitting back. It’s closing on things quick and taking away time and space.”

BLH’s Thoughts: In that article Nurse also says that the Oilers’ M.O. has been to work on getting the goals-against down for a while now, my question is, how’s that been working out for you?

The way I see it, we’re at the “Jeff Petry before getting traded to Montreal” stage of this team’s defence. It’s decent, but not great, yet… If the club gives up on it, we could be in for more bumpy roads. As it is though, Nurse will have his work cut out for him and I’m rooting for him for at least another year until I have to get back on his case because he’ll be looking for more money than he’s worth.

  • Sportsnet: Twenty years on and The Mighty Ducks ARE BACK! Disney is bringing back Gordon Bombay’s boys in a new series entitled “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers”.

  • Eric Duhatschek (The Athletic): Reckons the Flames are set to lose core forward Mikael Backlund to Seattle in the upcoming expansion draft. He says that Backlund’s age and salary are the main reasons that the long-time Flame will be left exposed for the Kraken.
    • “His contract and the number on his birth certificate (he’ll be 32 by the expansion draft). Seattle will have a lot of cap flexibility. But do they want to burn a substantial amount on a 30-something forward, earning over $5 million per season for three more years? Maybe not.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Man. Backlund would be a fantastic pick-up for Seattle. He’s got that same competitive edge that Peter Forsberg had in his prime. Too bad for Calgary he doesn’t have Foppa’s skill either. Even at $5M/yr, that’s a cheap top-6 center in today’s game and as I’ve always said, you have to build from the middle out with a franchise. Your top-two centers, top-three defenders, and your starting goalie need to be the priority from the get-go if you’re planning to succeed.

  • Hailey Salvian (The Athletic): Says that the Senators might look to dump defenceman Mike Reilly at the NHL trade deadline this year.
    • If I was putting money on it, I’d say Reilly is the first to be moved, which would potentially allow the Senators to give Erik Brannstrom a run in the latter half of the season after some time in the AHL.

BLH’s Thoughts: Sure. Every year there’s a bottom-pairing puck mover who gets traded to a contender for a pick. You can’t have enough good NHL blueliners in the post-season.

  • Adam Gretz (NBC): On how the teams stack up in the Canadian Division,
    • “Toronto is the best team on paper, but that has not meant much in recent seasons. Ottawa is the one team clearly rebuilding and at the bottom of the pack, but there is not much separating the rest of these teams.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t agree that Toronto is the best on paper. They simply have the most popular players. I think Edmonton and Montreal are right up there and it wouldn’t shock me if Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Ottawa battled it out for the lottery spots this season.

BLH’s Thoughts: Sandin is soooo good. The Leafs are lucky to have this guy. Dermott could go, Holl could go too. But how much will Toronto really do before the expansion draft?

Lastly, Team Canada’s roster for the 2021 World Juniors is set! Check it out below and let me know what you think? It’s pretty stacked (as it should be)… I can’t wait to watch Edmonton Oilers 2020 first rounder Dylan Holloway crush it!

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

(12/10/2020) – BLH’s NHL Rumor Roundup PM Edition: “If He Doesn’t Agree by the Deadline, Move Him… For Anything.”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring One of the Hanson Brothers, Daniel Alfredsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Philip Danault, and more!

One NHL Insider is “super excited” to see Jesse Puljujarvi this year. Read about it here!

Would you make this blockbuster trade? Read This!

Watch the “Punch-up in Piestany” in its entirety right here!

Woodguy on the 2020-21 Edmonton Oilers. 

Watch 16yr Old Wayne Gretzky Destroy the Czechs at the ’78 World Juniors!

Remember how good Team Canada was at the 2005 WJHCs? Watch the Gold Medal Final here.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • The Tribune Democrat: Hockey fans all over have come to the rescue of one of the Hanson Brothers (Jeff Carlson) by raising over $27K to help him pay for needed surgeries.
  • Sportsnet: As Team Canada is trying to move forward from their COVID experience, there are some other nations who are dealing with outbreaks of their own. Most notably, Sweden and Germany so far.
  • Patrik Petrin: Daniel Alfredsson is the front-runner to take over as head coach of Team Sweden for the 2021 World Juniors. Original head coach Tomas Monten tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.
  • Shug McSween (NHL Trade Rumors): If Jonathan Marchessault is on the block, McSween reckons up to five teams should be in on the late-blooming winger. He lists the Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings as those clubs who could potentially interested.
  • Christ Johnston (Sportsnet): Three players have left Switzerland’s world junior camp: Yves Stoffel, who tested positive for Covid-19; Jannik Canova, who was Stoffel’s roommate; and Kevin Lindemann, who had an earlier positive Covid-19 test and wouldn’t be granted entry to Canada as a result.
  • Jimmy Murphy (Boston Hockey Now): Earlier in the day, two NHL sources connected to the discussions, confirmed to Boston Hockey Now and Vegas Hockey Now that the Los Angeles Kings have also circled back on Pacioretty and are, “Definitely interested in finishing the deal they thought they had two years ago at the draft.”, as one source put it. 
    • “This is definitely going to cost the Knights a first round pick too. …maybe even a future second.”
    • “In addition to the Penguins and Kings, the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Winnipeg Jets were mentioned amongst various sources as potential suitors for Pacioretty.”
  • Arpon Basu (The Athletic): Replying to a question regarding the possibility of the Montreal Canadiens simply walking away from impending UFA centre Philip Danault when his contract is up at the end of this year, Basu said this,
    • “This might be seen as poor asset management, but right now, the most valuable asset in a flat cap league is cap space. Considering how much of that cap space was used up in this highly active Canadiens offseason, allowing Danault to play out his contract and then decide what to do is probably the most judicious way of managing that asset.”
  • Anthony Scultore (Daily Goal Horn): Believes that in the event that Danault and the Habs fail to come to an agreement on a new contract by the trade deadline that Montreal should move him for anything.
  • Jonathan Davis (NHL Network): Believes that if the Oilers are in dire need to open up cap space, they could put winger James Neal on Waivers in addition to placing Oscar Klefbom on LTIR and that would be enough for them.

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