Tag Archives: Cam Talbot

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Details on Chiasson Contract Negotiations, Oilers Shopping Wingers, and How Sekera Will Fit Back In

Alrighty, let’s make this Edmonton Oilers rumor update a quicky so you can get back to your lunch! But first, the preface!

  • Oilers offered Alex Chiasson a 3-yr deal worth $1.5M per year, Chiasson’s camp countered with $2M per year and Edmonton hung up the phone… 

I wouldn’t give this guy $1.5M per year… What in the world makes anybody think that he’s going to replicate this again? As much as I like Chiasson’s performances, he’s cooled off severely since his hot start, just as he said he would when he was getting interviewed at the beginning of the year. He starts off hot with new teams and then goes cold. IMO, if he doesn’t want to sign for $1M on a one-year deal, thank him for his services and move on.

  • Andrej Sekera is most likely making his return to the Oilers roster by the weekend and Edmonton is going to have to make a couple of roster moves to do that. Word is that they’ll waive Brandon Manning and Alex Petrovic in hopes that at least one of them gets claimed. 

JE-SUS… What a mess these boys have to clean up here. Now, you might be wondering to yourself, “Didn’t you support those moves?”

I tried to find the positive in the moves. To my eye, Manning has been way superior to Petrovic so far and that’s not a great thing for Josh Marshall’s good buddy. But it might not matter if they both hit the waiver wire.

They said before that the Oilers were working as a committee to get things done. For example, Bob Stauffer talked about Hall and Eberle being traded and referred to those trades as “organizational trades”. We remember when Hitchcock came in, he said he was the one that had Puljujarvi recalled. Then, later on, he thanked “Keith especially” after the Petrovic/Manning trades. Oh and don’t forget Bob Nicholson saying that Chia wasn’t the only person working on the Koskinen contract… Now we’re being told that it was all Chiarelli…

https://twitter.com/TheOilKnight/status/1095060072793665536

Well, I can pretty much tell you with a high degree of certainty that Chiarelli wasn’t working alone but that he made a lot of the final decisions on player acquisitions/contracts that a lot of the other members of the management team didn’t agree with.

A lot of folks get pissy at the pro scouting department but from what I’ve gathered, Chiarelli didn’t have time for those that opposed him. Going as far as removing them from meetings. Word has it that Peter preferred the word of his brother Mike when it came to scouting.

  • The Oilers are still taking calls on Cam Talbot.

Oh boy… I hope they get something good for this guy but I’m not hopeful on it. He’ll play great one game and shite the next. He does have a clause in his deal that gives him the choice as to where he’s traded but since that Chicago game (and subsequent trade demand), I don’t think he’s going to make a fuss about it.

I wonder if Columbus might make sense should they find a way to move Sergei Bobrovsky. Personally, Philadelphia makes the most sense to me. Their need for a mentor for Carter Hart and a goalie that could be a short-term stop gap for a couple of seasons while Hart gets broken in just tells me there’s a fit there.

  • Rieder and Kassian are bring shopped HARD. 

Kassian has been playing quite well as of recent. Well enough to get back on the 1st line with McDavid and Draisaitl at least. Whereas Rieder STILL hasn’t scored a goal. If there’s a team out there that’ll take either of these boys off the Oilers’ hands without Edmonton retaining salary, GET. IT. DONE!

  • Oilers like Zuccarello

This would be a fine acquisition if there weren’t rumors of him wanted to sign back in NY this summer… If those rumors are indeed true, his price won’t be high, so Edmonton might pick him up after all. I wouldn’t bet your house on it though.

  • Brodziak could be moved out for a younger 4C

Yeah… Not so sure on this one. I don’t know any teams that would want to pick Brodziak up really. If he does move, it’ll be right on deadline day and that trade will be a fallback deal for some team that missed out on another one.

I think they should go with Jujhar Khaira as 4C. I watched the Leafs do it with Frederik Gauthier and he’s a worse player than JJ in my opinion.

So there you have it. The latest up to date info on the Oilers! Have a great day!

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Edmonton Oilers Rumor: Cam Talbot Demands Out

The Edmonton Oilers had that game in the bag, but just as they had the two points virtually locked up versus Philadelphia and Montreal, the wheels completely fell off. Again. The difference being they didn’t even walk away with one point last night.

It really is a bloody miracle that the Oilers are so close to the 2nd wildcard spot AND the bottom of the Western Conference. That can’t be making interim-GM Keith Gretzky’s job any easier.

CAM TALBOT DEMANDS TRADE

I was watching the game and messaging with one of my sources last night and before the game was out, I got this message,

Talbot is done. He just requested a trade. Heard it happened about 10 mins ago. Went up to Keith. He wants out.

Not that this message coincides with the tweet below from TSN’s Ryan Rishaug but it certainly points to a VERY frustrated goalie. A netminder who at the beginning before he was acquired by the Oilers said he didn’t even want to go to Edmonton…

It’s just the repeat story of another goaltender who’s come to Edmonton with arrows trending up only to watch his stock plummet after two or three seasons with the team. To an extent, we could say Talbot has joined the likes of Devan Dubnyk and Laurent Brossoit. But it’s hard when you’ve got one of THE most mentally fragile teams in the league in front of you not doing you any favors.

Last night, Talbot was playing fine until the 3rd period. Then it all fell apart. I think some blame can be laid at his feet (the Kane goal), but for the most part, the defensive breakdowns from the players in front of him (Darnell Nurse for at least two goals last night) are the cause of this apparent trade demand.

I’ve liked Cam Talbot since he joined the Oilers. He and his wife Kelly have been good citizens in Edmonton this whole time and as a person, I don’t think I could find a fault in him, but there are some things about his game that have driven me nuts throughout his tenure with the team,

  • All the times the first shot of the game went in?
  • How many times he got/gets beat glove hand hight…

How in the world does a professional goalie not fix these aspects of his game from one season to the next?

What do you think Cam Talbot was saying to Ken Hitchcock here?

It was said when he was hired that Hitch is hard on his goalies and there were questions as to how long Talbot/Koskinen would be able to put up with it. One of my sources said this about it,

Hitch and Talbot dont get along.

Dallas got sick of him. That’s why this year he was an advisor by title. In reality? They told him to get the fuck out and go home.

Later in the evening after things had cooled down I was texting with a friend of the blog and we were wondering if Hitchcock’s “act” had already worn thin with the players?

Word around the organization is that he won’t be brought back. This experiment isn’t working and the team needs coaches who can get their message across more effectively with this new generation of players.

Even Bob Stauffer is circling around the subject recently on his show. Yesterday, he said if he were Hitchcock he’d try to bring as much positivity to the team as possible right now.

I’m of the belief that they’ll aggressively pursue Connor McDavid’s old coach from Erie, Kris Knoblauch, this off-season to replace Hitch. How many coaches will that be in the last 10 years for the Oilers? We know it’ll be Connor’s 3rd in 5 years when it does happen. Not good…

Hitchcock himself even sounds heartbroken these days during his post-gamers. Last night’s didn’t even hit a minute long. He got a question about his thoughts on the game and then the blown goalie interference call, then it got shut down. Even a man as experienced as himself doesn’t have the answers to what ails this team and now it seems like the roster is in full revolt.

It really is an absolute mess right now and I don’t think anybody knows what direction to go in.

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Edmonton Oilers Rumor: Update on Talbot and Spooner

This morning Cult of Hockey writer Kurt Leavins has been sending out some very Stauffer-like tweets and it has me thinking a bit… Are the Oilers about to send Cam Talbot to the reigning Stanley Cup champs for an RFA on an expiring contract?

This definitely has me intrigued and I asked one of my sources about this and was told,

I think the Oilers are going to find a way to get Spooner’s money off the books here. We’ll see. 

Would that be most excellent? If that move does go down, I wonder what Edmonton would have to include with Spooner to move him? Or conversely, take back.

If Chiarelli and his crew could manage to procure Andre Burakovsky from the Capitals for Cam Talbot, would that undo some of the hate and vitriol that’s still being sent his way this morning?

Connor McDavid’s old junior linemate in Erie is not having a good year under new coach Todd Richards. He’s definitely a buy-low candidate and he currently resides at number 35 on the TSN Trade Board.

What if it’s not Burakovsky though and it’s Dmitrij Jaskin? Both players are on expiring deals and are RFAs at season’s end.

Jaskin was a waiver pick-up, so I don’t see a lot going on there to be honest. He couldn’t make it in St. Louis and as far as I can tell, he’s not making a massive difference in Washington either.

But there’s one more extreme long shot… Jakub Vrana…

Personally, I can’t see the Oilers being able to procure this guy’s talents without sending some serious assets back the Capitals’ way, but he’s pretty much exactly what they’re looking for in a forward. He’s one of the fastest players in the league and he loves to shoot. He’s also trending towards 3o goals…

Vrana (LW) – 48gp 15g 11a 26pts
Jaskin (LW) – 29gp 1g 6a 7pts
Burakovsky (RW) – 42gp 5g 6a 11pts

According to Pierre LeBrun, there’s one other thing that is making teams shy away from Burakovsky though,

For a player trying to find his game, it’s a little rich that he’s making $3.25 million in cash and his AAV is $3 million. Furthermore, Burakovsky’s qualifying offer would be $3.25 million

The Caps have a fella named Phoenix Copley tending back=up for them right now but I’d have to say, that Talbot is an upgrade on him and you can be damned sure that Washington isn’t taking any chances with Holtby’s latest eye injury.

Lastly, I had to get in touch with another source to see what was being sent down the grapevine,

I don’t foresee a major trade coming at this time. It would be something minor. I’d be shocked if a major trade happens.

So, we’ll see what happens here but the fact of the matter is, this team has to sort this out by themselves and get on the same page. No massive trade is going to magically turn this team around. With all due respect to the players I’m about to name, picking up Colton Parayko, Tyler Toffoli, or Michael Ferland will not all of a sudden spark a 15-game winning streak.

Connor McDavid hasn’t had the best couple of games recently and he also needs to get back to being the best McDavid he can be.

The team needs to get back to playing like a team and Hitchcock hockey. Bear down, dig deep and play defense-first, counter-attack hockey.

This season is FAR from lost. The Oilers are still right there in the race and you’d think that they’ve just been eliminated from the playoffs. How many times can you say the Oilers were playing meaningful hockey games into February in the last 15 years?

Step away from the ledge… There’s plenty to be optimistic about here. Klefbom’s return is right around the corner and then we’ll be able to see what this team can really do when players are slotted where they’re supposed to be.

Well, see which deals Ken Hitchcock gives the green light to in the next couple of weeks here too. They’re on the hunt for a winger or two. Coaches usually have some input on roster moves but Hitch is right in the thick of things here in Edmonton I’m told.

What do you think? Do you have interest in any of those young wingers out of Washington? Leave your comments below!

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Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Cam Talbot Requests Out? Could He Be Sent to the Eastern Conference?

Yesterday, I wrote: “Speculation is rife that the team has fired Peter Chiarelli but I got word from a source that the Edmonton Oilers have been shopping Leon Draisaitl heavily.”

Every time I post a rumor or something about someone getting fired, I tell you, the reader, that anything can change and it usually does. I’ve been lucky with the McLellan firing this year and the timing hasn’t come together on the times I’ve written about Chiarelli being let go. But a fact remains when I post a Tweet like this:

It’s not 100% untrue. When I contacted my source late last evening I was simply told that he was given bad info BUT at that time, all the arrows were pointing to Chiarelli being axed yesterday, hence why the information was passed on.

Peter Chiarelli might not have been at the office and we all know his time is done. A lot of times decisions are made and then organizations take a day or two to get their things in order before putting out a press release too.

So please, don’t come at me and say, “But you said he was getting fired…” I didn’t say that, I said there was speculation he was getting fired in my post but fans are so bloodthirsty they’re clamoring to retweet or share the news online to rejoice in their victory.

About Being Wrong

I’m happy to be wrong. It happens more often than not and sometimes I get the teams right but the players wrong. Yesterday, something that I posted something didn’t come true. It happens. But that doesn’t mean it won’t come true.

So it’s no skin off my back if you’re wondering. Just as with professional hockey, this is a form of entertainment and you wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you chose NOT to read the content or unfollowed me on Twitter.

In fact, if the things that I put out make you upset or causes you stress, don’t read it. Don’t talk about it. Don’t pass it along… I’d rather you be happy and healthy than the opposite just so I can get a click or a view.

The Oilers NEW No.1 Keeper

I like waking up to Oilers news and I was pleased to see that the Oilers had locked up Koskinen and without a no-movement clause or a no-trade clause to boot! The structure of the deal isn’t buyout proof either. So that’s three wins in one deal in my opinion.

But as usual, there are the folks that didn’t like the deal.

  • The Oilers just got shellacked two games in a row, let’s reward the goalie!
  • A move involving this much cap space should never have been allowed to occur.
  • A 3-year contract and $4.5 million average is a lot to pay and a lot to risk after having only seen 24 starts this season.

Do you think Mikko Koskinen would sign for $4M? (source)

I guess I was only a hair off of what Koskinen actually did end up signing for…

Oilers fans need to get off the ledge and listen to their captain…

The competition for the goalie market this summer will be rife and I am guessing the Oilers are happy with what they’ve seen from Koskinen. So they got business done early. Do you honestly think they’d go into the summer without a goalie under contract?

So Koskinen gets Talbot’s old contract plus a few hundred K more… Who really cares? It was him or someone else for $4M plus. The table has been set for next season and who can honestly say that Talbot has outplayed the Finnish Hodor this year? Nobody can and if they try, they’re delusional.

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Maybe the Oilers could’ve held out and got Robin Lehner on a 1-year deal worth $1.5M like the Islanders did last summer. If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

The best UFA goalie candidates are as follows:

  • Sergei Bobrovsky (CLB) – $7.425M/yr
  • Semyon Varlamov (COL) – $5.9M/yr
  • Mike Smith (CGY) – $5.66M/yr
  • Jimmy Howard (DET) – $5.291M/yr
  • Cam Talbot (EDM) – $4.166M/yr
  • Robin Lehner (NYI) – $1.5M/yr

So that’s FIVE goalies that are currently making about the same annually as Koskinen’s new contract. Then there’s Lehner and he’s going to get PAID this summer… Perhaps the Oilers could convince the Swedish netminder to sign another one year contract for under $2M with them?… But do you honestly think that’s a realistic proposal right now with the way the Islanders are playing?

Suck it up, Three-Meter Mikko is our guy for the next three seasons and I couldn’t be happier for it. That’s one less hole in the lineup I have to worry about and since he shares an agent with Jesse Puljujarvi, maybe the Oilers will get a deal there when he re-signs in Edmonton this summer on a bridge contract.

FYI: I was told that Chiarelli and Gretzky tag teamed this deal and it was Gretzky that called in all of the transactions today. Which makes sense since Peter was out of the office and usually the AGM does handle some portion of the contract negotiations.

Where’s Cam Talbot Going?

I suspect Talbot will be willing to accept a trade anywhere at this stage.

That tells me that once Talbot was informed about the Koskinen signing, he told the Oilers to…

https://youtu.be/L1oD7mFB_SQ

I am of the opinion he’s going East. Talbot is from Caledonia, ON and it would not shock me one iota if Toronto was a destination. I do not think that Babcock or Dubas trust the goalies that they have right now (Sparks/Hutchinson) and they’ll definitely have the cap space to add Dadbot. I like Connor Brown…

I maintain that Philly is interested, Carolina might be interested, it’s possible Detroit could have interest in him if they can’t come to an agreement with Jimmy Howard.

My friend SPR sent out this tweet that makes a lot of sense to me as well,

https://twitter.com/TheOilKnight/status/1087504905508610048

So let’s add Pittsburgh, Columbus, San Jose, and Washington to the discussion.

  • Washington – Not in good shape cap wise (only 13k of proj. space) and apart from Burakovsky, I’m not sure I see any other roster players on the team they’d be willing to move on from.
  • San Jose – Chiarelli hates dealing within the division if at all possible. But a straight swap Dell for Talbot would be handy to both teams. Sharks could take on the extra $$$.
  • Columbus – Would a deal built around Talbot and Riley Nash make sense?
  • Detroit – They’ve got ZERO cap space. A deal here would have to benefit the Red Wings financially or the money would have to be a wash. I love Tyler Bertuzzi and Luke Glendening as solid roster adds for Edmonton but I’m not sure why Detroit would make a deal like that apart from to relieve some cap pressure.
  • Carolina – Lots of cap room here ($39M). If Edmonton wanted to get creative and find a way to move some salary, the Hurricanes would be the team to do it with. Word has it that Ferland might stay there after all and they just added a physical presence in Niederreiter, so Lucic to the Canes probably doesn’t make a lot of sense. But would they take Talbot, Sekera, a 1st rounder, and Cameron Hebig for Dougie Hamilton and Scott Darling? The Oilers could then just buyout Darling if need be.
  • Philadelphia – The Flyers have lots of cap room here too at a shade over $20M. the one scenario I was thinking about with regards to a Leon Draisaitl trade was one that had the Oilers sending him and Talbot to Philly for Sean Couturier and Radko Gudas.The reason that appealed to me is that I think Couturier is one of the league’s ELITE defensive centremen and he’s really emerged as a player who can put up 70+ points a year. He gets a lot of defensive zone starts and his goal share and possession metrics remain in the positives. Similar to Patrice Bergeron I find. He’s also $4M cheaper than Leon and wouldn’t have to play with Connor.New GM Chuck Fletcher is looking to shake things up, this would do it and it would send shockwaves through the locker room in Edmonton… Get your shit in gear or you’re out!
  • Pittsburgh – Talbot for Brassard is the only thing on my mind here. The Pens center has struggled to get any traction in Pittsburgh since being acquired last season. Both players are UFA at the end of the year, so no real harm done to any future salary caps. But they would have to fiddle about with their own current cap to make a deal like this OR send a player worth $1.1M to Edmonton in the deal.

What do you think? Would you do any of these deals? Let me know in the comments below!

Cap info courtesy of Capfriendly.

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Edmonton Oilers Rumors: New Names to Add to the Mill PLUS Who’s Safe in Edmonton?

Last night I was contacted by more than one source to tell me that Jesse Puljujarvi is SAFE and wouldn’t be traded. That message is obviously contrary to what insiders like Elliotte Friedman, Ryan Rishaug, and Chris Johnston are saying but I have a theory on that. It also dovetails with what Kurt Leavins said yesterday on Twitter,

I feel like the Edmonton Oilers fanbase is one of the most active in the NHL and that it drives a lot of numbers for TSN’s and Sportsnet’s hockey coverage. I have no proof of course but with the way that the media is crawling all over Peter Chiarelli right now, it makes sense on their end to exasperate the perceived situation for profit.

Case in point: Craig Button saying Evan Bouchard ISN’T one of the top-50 prospects not playing in the NHL right now.

That’s a giant line of bullshit! He was in love with Bouchard before the draft and was saying if he was a better skater, he might be challenging Dahlin for 1st overall. To put a guy like Gabe Vilardi ahead of Bouchard is disingenuous. I mean, a scout worth his salt would never rate Vilardi ahead of Bouchard at this point. Generally, you want a player who’s going to actually play hockey in the future to be on a list like that, no? I wonder if Button is a bit salty that Bouchard had a tough World Juniors?

Getting back to Puljujarvi, Oilers management feels that they need to do right by this player and are willing to do what it takes to see things through with him. The same goes for Kailer Yamamoto. Peter Chiarelli is VERY hesitant to deal these players because he sees the potential in these players and Edmonton needs value contracts going forward. Pulju might not be producing at a Patrik Laine-like rate and that might result in his next contract being more affordable or “cheap” for lack of a better description. So him struggling to produce points might actually be a blessing in disguise because when he breaks out, and he will, the Oilers will be underpaying him.

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I’m just going to put the other things I was told in point form here to get this post moving a bit faster for you,

  • New Name: Oilers like Miles Wood out of NJ
  • Keith (Gretzky) is a big part of the negotiations, Peter is manning the controls, but Bob (Nicholson) has final say.
  • On Josh Ho-Sang: He’s a good young player. Just has to get his game together. If we get him, I wonder what Hitch can do for him?
  • On Michael Ferland: Oilers are talking to Car about him. They like him. No offer made but they’re chatting.
  • Oilers are also talking to Pitts about Brassard
  • Nuge isn’t being moved. Klef, Nurse. None of them.
  • They’re also not moving the 1st round pick for a UFA rental. That is out of the question.
  • On Wayne Simmonds: At this point is an absolute no. Philly wants a goaltender or top 6 roster player, a 1st pick AND a top blue chip prospect. Edm isn’t going down that road
  • On Cam Talbot: I don’t believe they’re moving Cam Talbot at this time unless a knock your socks off offer comes along that involves a goalie coming back.
  • On Tyler Toffolli: They’re not talking with LA. Not trading within their own division.
  • That first pick, unless it’s a productive player WITH term (3 4 years) the 1st will not be moved.
  • On Rishaug’s “Young developing player”: That young developing player would be a guy in Bakersfield. It will not be a guy like Yamo or Pulju. Have to stay patient with those two blue chippers.
  • They’re shopping Spooner and Benning. Trying to find a partner to dance with. Tough market for those fellas.
  • They’re not moving Milan Lucic either.
  • On Jordan Eberle: There is also some chat garnering around about bringing in Eberle. Now whether that’s now or offseason, I’d suggest off-season. Eberle would come over at $3M-$4M per on a 2 or 3-year deal is my guess.

 

So there you have it! It looks like Chiarelli is ready to die on the sword to save the core of this team despite what the owner wants. I can respect that and I might be in the minority here, but I don’t want him to do anything big. The teams around Edmonton in the playoff race are struggling and despite the Oilers poor recent record, they’re still in the thick of this. This is exactly the right time for some shooting percentages to return to the mean and Oscar Klefbom’s return is right around the corner.

Friedman mentioned Mats Zuccarello out of New York and I could see him being a nice add to the team. I wouldn’t pay top dollar for him as he’s struggled all year but if the Rangers would take Spooner back (hahaha, as if) or maybe Matt Benning, Edmonton might actually be able to afford him? What about a Rieder for Zuccarello trade? Ethan Bear and Ostap Safin?

If I had to guess, I wonder if Edmonton will try to acquire a really good right-handed face-off man for the 3rd line. It’s been a weakness of the team for some time and it really hurts them late in tight games I feel. Glendening out of Detroit comes to mind for me.

If not that piece then a veteran winger to give the Oilers the option to send Yamamoto back to Bakersfield. The aforementioned Zuccarello fits that description.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! Enjoy the game tonight!

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