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2023/24 Edmonton Oilers GM9: Oilers Vs. Stars – 3P2W – The Season Starts Today… For Real This Time

Hey y’all! Welcome back for another season of Edmonton Oilers hockey! I’m BLH and I’ll be giving you the skinny on today’s game!

If you’re new here and are wondering what 3P2W means, well, it stands for Three Players to Watch and seeing I’m as lazy as I am, I figured we’d shorten it to 3P2W.

So with that out of the way, let’s talk a little bit about what’s been going on lately in the Oilogospehere and then get into the player’s I’ve put under the spotlight for tonight’s matchup!

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Random Pontifications

  • Dallas is 6-1-1 on the year the entire team is firing on all cylinders. The absolutely dismantled the Flames like it was no big deal and even though I predicted a win for the Oilers, I think if they do take the 2pts it’ll be because the Stars played last night and it’s a scheduled loss for them.
  • I think the big thing for me in this one is that the Oilers take control early and refuse to give it to Dallas at any point.
  • Another bothersome thought going through my head is the idea of the Oilers getting goalie’d again by Scott Westwood seeing as Oettinger got the start last night. I mean, it’s completely in the realm possibility that Edmonton gets done in by a backup goalie as it’s happened time and time again in recent years.
  • Ryan McLeod… Gets his big raise after doing the organization a “solid” by taking less on his last contract and he’s doing f*ck all to earn it so far this season and with that, he’s letting down some in the Oilers organization to the point to where his name is in play.
  • There are some loud voices within the club who aren’t exactly enamored with McLeod’s lack of production, his lack of physicality, his failure to sort out the faceoff dot, and just his inability to tap into his potential.
  • The Oilers need production from their third line at the very least because when it comes time and Woodcroft reaches into his trusty tickle trunk to pull out the Draisaitl-McDavid line, all the TOI that those two aren’t on the ice becomes even more critical.
  • Woodcroft spoke about having a team that comes at you in waves but as it stands, this team doesn’t even come at you when 97 and 29 are on the bench. So to address that, there’s a thought that the younger players and future assets may need to be sacrificed.
  • I mean, look at Dallas’ third line tonight, it consists of Mason Marchment, Matt Duchene, and Tyler Seguin. Are you f*cking kidding me?!!! Edmonton cannot compete with that even with Connor and Leon, but that’s what I’m talking about. I’ll be very interested in seeing how Woodcroft matches the lines tonight.
  • Don’t tell me that Nuge, Kane, or Hyman can’t play on the 3rd line when the Stars are sending out over $16M in salary on theirs.

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Three Players to Watch for the (team)

  • #53 Wyatt Johnston (3g 4a 7pts) – This young sniper has 6 of his 7 points on the year in his last five games. He’s fast, smart, and he fills the net at will. There’s some who think that Tyler Wright got the axe because the Oilers passed on Johnston at the ’21 draft to take Xavier Bourgault.
  • #14 Jamie Benn (3g 5a 8pt) – He takes a licking and keeps on ticking. The former Art Ross winner is having an excellent start to the year. I like to point him out because he can influence the game in multiple categories if you’re a fantasy guy.
  • #95 Matt Duchene (1g 3a 4pts) – Nashville let him go and he decided to take his guitar over to Dallas. He’s still got the wheels and one helluva wrister. Four points in his last five during this heater for the Stars tells me he’s not lost his mojo.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #5 Cody Ceci (0g 1a 0pts) – Ceci is seemingly back to where he was a couple years ago when he was healthy, playing a solid brand of defensive hockey. I still think that Adam Larsson is the better dman, but if Ceci can keep this up, he might not get traded this year.
  • #18 Zach Hyman (3g 6a 9pts) – He’s 2nd on the team in scoring for the time being. I’ve enjoyed his tenacious manner this season. I feel like he’s been quite effective on the forecheck and that he’s been keeping things very simple.
  • #89 Sam Gagner (0g 0a 0pts) – He’s back. Hopefully his return will spark some emotion in this team because I don’t think their goaltending is going to have their backs tonight. You know what would be cool is if Gagner could have a bit of a revival and give the Oilers that cagey old vet who can put some points up on the board. Sort of in the same way Joe Pavelski does for Dallas.

The Next Twelve Games (#2-#13)

  • 10/14 vs. Canucks – I think the Oilers will take 2/2 vs. Vancouver to start the year. (W)
    • (4-3 LOSS)
  • 10/17 @. Predators – The Pred don’t scare me. Their roster is in shambles. Poor Jusse Saros and Roman Josi. (W)
    • (6-1 WIN)
  • 10/19 @ Flyers – Their forward group looks entertaining but they’ve got nobody on defense. (W)
    • (4-1 LOSS)
  • 10/21 vs. Winnipeg – The Jets are always a tough out. I like their chances. (L)
    • (3-2 OTL)
  • 10/24 @ Wild – Minny isn’t as good as they used to be but still very solid. (W)
    • (7-4 LOSS)
  • 10/26 vs. Rangers – I like NY’s defense and goaltending here. (L)
    • (3-0 LOSS)
  • 10/29 vs.Flames – Calgary is going to surprise a few this year. (L)
    • (5-2 WIN)
  • 11/2 vs. Stars – This will be a very tight game. (W)
  • 11/4 vs. Predators – Leon will continue to light the Preds up. (W)
  • 11/6 @ Canucks – I’ll take Edmonton for a third time here, Alex. (W)
  • 11/9 @ Sharks – I don’t even recognize half the names on SJ’s roster… (W)
  • 11/11 @ Kraken – I like Seattle’s roster. Well-rounded. (L)

(predictions made 10/11/2023)

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(3/16/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: Hall to the Oilers? Gaudreau to the Maple Leafs?

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF), Josh Manson (ANA), Johnny Gaudreau (CGY), John Klingberg (DAL), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

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

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Eric Duhatschek (The Athletic) recently listed off ten teams that MUST make a trade by the April 12th trade deadline this year. Here are some of the more interesting snippets of what he said in that article,

  • Buffalo Sabres – “Maybe the most intriguing player on the Sabres outside of Eichel is defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, 26, with this year and next left on a contract that pays him $5.4 million.”
  • Nashville Predators – “The Predators also have a long list of reasonable rentals (Granlund, Haula, Richardson) or players with reasonable term (Cousins, Borowiecki, Kunin, Calle Jarnkrok) that they could move. Duchene and Johansen likely are owed too much money ($8 million apiece) and have too much term remaining on their contracts to elicit anything more than lukewarm interest, unless two teams can get reasonably creative.”
  • Anaheim Ducks – “The most attractive bit of trade bait is Josh Manson, 29, a right-shot defenseman earning $4.1 million for this year and next, but someone who has had a difficult time staying healthy. But when he is, Manson is a tough, edgy player to play against.”
  • Boston Bruins – “There are some defensive upgrades that they could conceivably manage… Options that would fit the bill on a shorter-term basis include Ryan Murray from the Devils, David Savard from Columbus, Jamie Oleksiak from Dallas and Montour, from the Sabres.”
  • Colorado Avalanche – “If the Stars were to fall out of contention, wouldn’t it be something if the short-term solution in Colorado turns out to be Anton Khudobin? Other more realistic options: Jonathan Bernier from Detroit or Antti Raanta from Arizona, who put on a goaltending clinic vs. the Avs last Wednesday night.”
  • Toronto Maple Leafs – “The Predators’ Granlund has been linked to the Leafs in some speculative circles, but repatriating Josh Leivo would be an inexpensive insurance policy and someone such as Boone Jenner, 27, at $3.75 million for this year and next might be a nice fit as well.”
  • Minnesota Wild – “If (Bill) Guerin wants to be bold, he could dangle Matt Dumba on the market, given that if he doesn’t move Dumba either at the deadline or just before the expansion draft, he’s got a protection issue.”
  • Calgary Flames – “If they do fall further out of contention, it’s possible they’ll be sellers but other than Bennett or a depth piece such as Leivo, it’s hard to see a lot of major moves in Calgary until the offseason.”
  • Detroit Red Wings – “(Jonathan) Bernier, as an insurance policy on a contending team, probably has the greatest value here, unless they legitimately start listening on Mantha.”
  • Ottawa Senators – “The Senators can expect to get calls on their UFAs and maybe even a few signed players, such as Chris Tierney, Connor Brown or Austin Watson. Is it just me or does Watson seem like a Darryl Sutter type of player?”
  • New Jersey Devils – ” if the Devils can judiciously sell at this year’s deadline, they’ll be in a position to spend, spend, spend going forward – at a time when everyone else will be trying to shed, shed, shed salary. They will be worth monitoring, a team that could be genuinely impactful at the deadline.”

Scott Burnside (The Athletic) has written about six NHL trade deadline deals he’d like to see this year. Here are some clips of what he posted,

  • Buffalo Sabres trade Taylor Hall to Edmonton Oilers – “The Sabres would have to eat half of Hall’s $8 million salary and the return would be negligible, maybe a mid-range pick and a mid-range prospect… But maybe the Oilers sweeten the pot if the Sabres took Neal off their hands…
  • Calgary Flames trade Johnny Gaudreau to Toronto Maple Leafs – “The Flames will likely have to eat some of Gaudreau’s $6.75 million salary as well as likely take back some salary possibly in the form of Alex Kerfoot… a first-round pick in either this year’s draft or next and another solid pick plus a prospect like Timothy Liljegren.”
  • Arizona Coyotes trade Darcy Kuemper to Colorado Avalanche – “Perhaps adding Francouz, whom goaltending experts believe has NHL starter capability, plus perhaps a second-round pick for Kuemper is the smart play for the Coyotes.”
  • Los Angeles Kings trade Dustin Brown to Pittsburgh Penguins – “The Kings might eat some of that depending on what kind of piece gets sent back. Given the overloaded state of the Pittsburgh blue line maybe there’s a young defensive bauble that satisfies the Kings end of things.”
  • Dallas Stars trade John Klingberg to Philadelphia Flyers – “What would it cost? Plenty. A package that includes a first and maybe a second-round pick plus one of the Flyer’s top young offensive prospects.”
  • Los Angeles Kings trade Jonathan Quick to Carolina Hurricanes – “As for a return, at this stage of his career and given Quick’s contract a late-round pick or lower-tier prospect is likely all it would cost Carolina. Pretty small exposure for a possible big-time return on investment.”

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(3/16/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors PLUS Mock Trades

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Mattias Ekholm (NSH), Timo Meier (SJ), Zach Hyman (TOR), Jakub Voracek (PHI), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

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

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): The Nashville Predators are looking for a Jake Muzzin-like return for defenceman Mattias Ekholm. The hope is that they can get two prospects and a first-round pick in a trade for him.
    • The Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins are in on Ekholm as well. The Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens have been in on the defender as well according to some sources and not at all by others.
    • Friedman isn’t convinced that the Anaheim Ducks will trade winger Rickard Rakell. The price is too high and one team, the Maple Leafs, are unlikely to have the assets to acquire him.
    • Buffalo Sabres center Eric Staal is unlikely to be traded to a Canadian team due to quarantine rules according to Friedman.
    • The insider heard rumblings about Timo Meier being available but was told “don’t go down that road”.
    • Darren Dreger (TSN): Said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Canadiens didn’t use some of their 14 draft picks in the 2021 NHL draft to improve the team.
    • He believes that Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman would make $5M AAV on the open market recently saying, “I can’t envision the Leafs without Hyman, but if that guy believes this is the opportunity to chase that big contract, he’ll get it. He’ll get big money on the open marke, and when I say big money, I’m thinking in the $5M to $6M range. Above $5M.”
  • Dejan Kovacevic (DK Pittsburgh Sports): The Pittsburgh Penguins “have” to move out a left-handed defenseman if they look to make a move due to the cap.
    • There’s an effort being made by the Penguins to make it work with what they have, but they’re not happy with the fourth line.
  • The Athletic: Nick Cousins (NSH) will “almost certainly” be traded out of Nashville by April 12th.
  • Chris Johnston (Sportsnet): Some Canadian teams want the North Division to exist beyond this season. They believe it’d be good money with the fans.
  • Allan Mitchell (TSN1260): Recently suggested the Edmonton Oilers consider trading goalie Mikko Koskinen and defenseman Caleb Jones to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Elvis Merzlikins.
  • Matthew DeFranks (Dallas News): The Dallas Stars could likely become sellers and their most obvious trade candidates include: Andrew Cogliano, Jamie Oleksiak, and Blake Comeau.
  • The Fourth Period: The Philadelphia Flyers could look to be aggressive by the trade deadline in hopes of making the playoffs.

MOCK TRADES

Here are a few trade proposals courtesy of NHL.Puckcentral on Instagram.

To Toronto: Mikael Granlund
To Nashville: Martin Marincin, Alex Kerfoot.

To Boston: Jake DeBrusk, 2021 2nd round pick
To Nashville: Mattias Ekholm

To Toronto: Rickard Rakell (50% salary retained)
To Anaheim: 2021 1st round pick, Pierre Engvall, Mikhail Abramov

To Winnipeg: Mattiasa Ekholm, 2021 4th round pick
To Nashville: Sami Niku, 2021 1st round pick

To Philadelphia: Filip Forsberg, Mattias Ekholm, Eeli Tolvanen
To Nashville: Jakub Voracek, Nolan Patrick, Morgan Frost

To Edmonton: Jake DeBrusk, 2021 3rd round pick
To Boston: Tyson Barrie

To New York: Jack Eichel
To Buffalo: Adam Fox, Kaapo Kakko, Vitaly Kravtsov, 2022 1st+2nd round picks, 2023 2nd round pick

To Buffalo: JT Miller
To Vancouver: Sam Reinhart

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(3/14/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors PM Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Caleb Jones (EDM), Anton Khudobin (DAL), Taylor Hall (BUF), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

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

NHL Rumors and Speculation

The Athletic recently updated their NHL trade deadline big board and had an interesting comment about an Edmonton Oilers target,

  • “If you’re a team such as the Edmonton Oilers, seeking a long-term goaltending solution, you could imagine a scenario under which they would surrender one of their multiple, young defensive prospects in order to bring the talented Merzlikins to town. How about Caleb Jones, which would give him a chance to play with his brother Seth in Columbus? It’d be even better if Columbus were to take back Mikko Koskinen in a larger version of the deal.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I think there are some rumblings that Seth Jones is far from happy in Columbus. Now I had to read between the lines a bit when I heard that. It wasn’t exactly broadcasted as bluntly as that, but one of the things that was suggested was getting Caleb Jones to Columbus in an attempt to smooth things over with Seth. 

Now, at the trade deadline the BJs will have over $7M in cap space available and we already know that if the Oilers are going to make a trade, it’ll have to be money in, money out. Koskinen makes $4.5M for another year after this… Any deal involving him will require a trade partner who will have the cap space to fit him in… 

Arthur Staple of the Athletic brought up the idea of the New York Islanders trading for struggling Buffalo Sabres winger Taylor Hall and threw out a trade proposal, 

  • “If the Islanders could somehow get the Sabres to take defenseman Thomas Hickey along with a first- or second-round pick (or two seconds), they’d be able to replace their top wing with the top wing available.”

With Anders Lee being placed on LTIR, that would free up the cap space to take on Hall’s contract.

BLH’s Thoughts: Reunited and it feels so good… That’s what Jordan Eberle would be singing as Hall walked into the Islanders dressing room. As for that suggested trade, it’s not bad. I’d have to imagine they’d like some more futures though. Maybe Simon Holmstrom plus a first in addition to Hickey? 

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic: (mailbag) There may be a mutual decision that John Tortorella may not be back with the Columbus Blue Jackets next season. Portzline also went on to give his thoughts on the idea of what it would take to get a no.1 center.

  • “If I’m the Blue Jackets, I pick a goaltender — either Korpisalo or Merzlikins — and build this roster around three pillars: the goalie, Laine and Seth Jones. I really, truly, honestly would not want to trade Zach Werenski because he’s a rare gem of a defenseman. But having two great defensemen may be a luxury they can’t afford if it’s a roster that doesn’t have an impact center. I’d do everything I could to not move Werenski. But the goaltender they trade isn’t likely to draw a top center all by himself.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I was kind of thinking this myself. Although I was wondering if it was Seth Jones that would be on the move. I think this team is going to lose the guts and heart this summer if Nick Foligno walks or is traded. They’re going to need a few players who possess the kind of leadership he provides if they don’t plan on sinking back to the bottom of the league, again. I wonder if they consider bringing in Bruce Boudreau if John Tortorella leaves… 

David Satriano (NHL.com): It looks like there’s trouble in paradise for defenseman Erik Karlssona and the San Jose Sharks. GM Doug Wilson said recently that it appears that they are heading for a “reset” and that didn’t sit well with the former Norris Trophy winner.

  • “Obviously, I did not sign here to go through a rebuild or go through what I did for 10 years in Ottawa. But it is what it is.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Oh my… I can’t see anybody taking on that albatross of a contract. Karlsson had best hope the Sharks have some amazing luck at the draft lottery. Maybe San Jose can get themselves a Shane Wright or William Eklund or both! Because that’s the kind of talent it’s going to take to right the ship in the Shark Tank. 

Matthew DeFranks (Dallasnews.com): Thinks that the Dallas Stars could trade goaltender Anton Khudobin instead of risking losing him to the Seattle Kraken at the expansion draft this summer.

  • “Trading Khudobin comes with a number of layers. The Stars will (likely) have Ben Bishop back by the trade deadline. Jake Oettinger has played well as a backup this season. If the Stars think Seattle selects Khudobin in the expansion draft, might they try to get something in return instead of coming away empty-handed? Landon Bow and Colton Point would still fulfill the goalie requirement for the expansion draft even without exposing Khudobin.”

BLH’s Thoughts: If the Stars are well on their way to a playoff-less season, they should be in fire sale mode with any impending free agents. Anything they can do to keep the cupboards full in their system is a plus in my mind. They can always circle back in the off-season to anybody they deal, right? And Khudobin has already established that he’s the kind of goalie you can depend on in the post-season. I would think a team like the Penguins would love to shore up their netminding given the slog they’re facing should they make the playoffs.

Anthony Scultore (Daily Goal Horn): Wrote about the idea of the Edmonton Oilers possibly trading for Taylor Hall before this year’s trade deadline,

  • “Thinking about reunions, how about Taylor Hall back in Edmonton? He never wanted to leave Edmonton and it looks like if the Oilers make a move they want it to be a big one.Ken Holland addressed the media and said this about the upcoming trade deadline. “If there is a player out there who we think can go into our lineup and have an impact more than depth, probably that is something I would look at.”What bigger impact player is available other than Taylor Hall. A player Connor McDavid is familiar with and could have a huge impact for them in the North Division.

    One thing is for certain, the Sabres are going to need to eat a large chunk of that salary to make it work. However cap gymnastics is something all these deadline teams will be doing come April 12.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Holland chased Hall last off-season before he chose Buffalo. I don’t think this is any breaking news to anybody. So the precedent is already there on this one. The Oilers are looking for a winger for Leon Draisaitl and the German played with Hall early on in his career with favorable results if I recall correctly. 

What kind of return would Buffalo expect though? I mean, people like to poke fun at the return Edmonton got for Hall, but Adam Larsson is by far the best thing any team has received in a trade for the former MVP and I’m thinking that the price tag won’t be that staggering. The Oiler have some prospects playing well in Bakersfield right now and are blessed with a number of good defensemen in their system. 

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(2/19/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: “If things don’t turn around fast this is headed towards a trade.”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Jack Eichel (BUF), Taylor Hall (BUF), Ryan Getzlaf (ANA), Oscar Klefbom (EDM), and more!

BLH has some ideas for the Oilers lineup card. Check those out here!

NEW: Keith Jones and Patrick Sharp think the Calgary Flames have a better chance at the playoffs this year than the Oilers. Read about that here. 

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

Would you give up a package like this to bring goalie John Gibson to Edmonton? Read about this insanity right here.

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NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Boston Hockey Now: Jimmy Murphy is saying that the Boston Bruins have had interest in Jake Virtanen for some time and with the news that defenceman Mattias Ekholm could be on the trade block, the 30yr old Swedish defender would make sense for Boston as well.
    • “Also of interest when it comes to the needs of the Boston Bruins, was TSN and Athletic NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun noting that Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm is also available on the NHL trade market right now… one would imagine Ekholm won’t last long on the NHL trade market. With Matt Grzelcyk in and more out of the lineup, will Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney try to fill that second pairing left slot with Ekholm?”
  • TSN: Frank Seravalli says the Ducks would only consider a trade if Ryan Getzlaf asked for one, but it would take him coming to the team and letting them know he’d be open to a deal or would like to be moved to a contender if possible.
  • WGR550: Elliotte Friedman believes that there’s a chance the Buffalo Sabres could move Jack Eichel. He was recently on The Instigators and replied “Yes.” to the question of Eichel possibly getting moved. The insider also suggested that the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings are two teams that have the assets to put together a package to obtain the Sabres superstar. Eichel has no-trade protection but it doesn’t kick in until 2022/23.
    • “Look, we know that this was something that came up last summer. I don’t know that it was ever close. The feeling that I’ve always had is that Buffalo knew Eichel was unhappy. They asked Eichel to take a step last year and he really did, we’ve talked about how much of a step Eichel took last year. Still, when it came to team success it just didn’t really go anywhere. Now you look at where it is this year, you know he’s going to be frustrated, and there were conversations last year. But what I was told was, the Sabres just said ’we are not ready to do this. We are not ready.’ Teams made offers, it was communicated that he was restless. I don’t think he ever asked for a trade, I don’t think it got that far. But he was restless and teams knew it. The Sabres took some offers and said ’no we’re not ready to do this.’”
  • Dallas Morning News: Matthew DeFranks doesn’t expect the Dallas Stars to make any significant trades this year as they’ve got some big contracts that will end up getting activated when Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop return from LTIR.
    • “If the Stars were to make a move for a forward without shedding a roster player, it would likely be a depth player on a minimal cap hit.”
  • TSN1260: Jason Gregor is of the belief that there’s a chance Oscar Klefbom’s shoulder arthritis is extremely serious and is putting the Swedish d-man’s career in doubt. He said in a recent Twitter exchange that he’d be surprised if Klefbom returns next season.
  • Sportsnet: Rory Boylen reckons that if the Buffalo Sabres don’t turn things around quickly, they might be dealing one of their bigger names before the season is out.
    • “It’s time to start wondering about Hall and his one-year deal. He wants to play in the playoffs – which made Buffalo an odd choice for a UFA – and he might yet get it. If the Sabres aren’t in it, they can’t go beyond the deadline and not get anything for Hall ahead of him becoming a free agent again. It’s too early for this talk to have picked up yet, but if things don’t turn around fast this is headed towards a trade.”

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