Tag Archives: Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumours

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

Oilers Live Podcast, Davidson Trade Part Deux, and Today’s Latest Trade Speculation

A few nights ago I was on the Oilers Live Podcast with Sean from theoilknight.ca and we talked about a plethora of things including:

  • the Oilers to date and why they are where they are and who’s to blame.
  • Their developmental system (or lack thereof)
  • Erik Karlsson and where he might end up
  • Pat Maroon and the recent rumors on his destination including one city nobody has thought of yet.
  • All the latest Oilers trade speculation.

You should head over to Mike’s website and also subscribe to his podcast as every week he’s got either a handful of Oilers die hard fans being interviewed or bloggers/journalists who cover other NHL teams. His latest before the one I was on was with former Edmonton Oiler Jason Strudwick and it was a beauty!

BRANDON DAVIDSON TRADED AGAIN!

So far Brandon Davidson has been an excellent source of “income” for Peter Chiarelli. Last year at the trade deadline Davidson was dealt for David Desharnais, who in turn provided the team with some excellent veteran leadership and a critical OT goal in the playoffs vs. San Jose and Now Chiarelli has acquired a 2019 3rd round pick for the defenseman from the New York Islanders.

I think it’s an awesome trade. Anytime you can turn a waiver wire acquisition into a 3rd round draft pick, you’re doing something right.

Would I have preferred to keep him? Hell yes! I really have enjoyed Davidson’s effort and impact on the team since being selected off of the waiver wire but I do understand that he’s a dman with value, he’ll never be anything more than a bottom pairing defender in the NHL, and that by dealing him Chiarelli opened up another roster spot on the 50-man list.

How do you think everyone else reacted to the deal?

https://twitter.com/OilersWizard/status/967533897129984000

https://twitter.com/Oceanstormprint/status/967532434840469504

Those are the AGAINSTs. The way I see it, unless Davidson would’ve brought back a 1st rounder or a top pairing right-handed powerplay specialist, the trade was going to be a fail in their eyes anyhow.

Here are some FORs:

https://twitter.com/puckmarks/status/967487954103906304

Let’s look at some of the analytics bloggers Twitter opinions on the trade.

https://twitter.com/dellowhockey/status/967495873616891904

Lordy that is a lot of tweets. So, I think, as usual, the fanbase is divided on the deal.

Look, the Isles get a nice depth dman and the Oilers get another asset to which they could use, and Chiarelli said he would prefer to do this, to try and obtain a near-NHL ready prospect at the draft. Another thing he could do is use it to try and move up in the draft this year.

One more positive, the Oilers are 1-0 in the post-Davidson era 🙂

LATEST ON THE TRADE FRONT

I suspect now that Rick Nash is a Boston Bruin that Pat Maroon will be going to Tampa Bay. I mean I guess the Bruins could pick Maroon up to if they wanted to really go for it.

Who might the Lightning give up for the Big Rig? Who knows to be honest but here are a few names to let percolate in your head bone:

  • Vladimir Namestnikov
  • Anthony Cirelli
  • Matthew Peca

If I recall correctly, Winnipeg is in on Letestu and Maroon and you can add Mike Cammalleri to that list. Putting up 10 pts in the last 10 games tends to put you on the radar of other teams this time of year and if Davidson can bring a 3rd rounder, Plekanec can get the Habs some solid prospects, and Nash can bring in 4 pieces for the Rags, surely Maroon, Letestu, and Cammalleri will net the Oilers 1, if not two, acceptable young players who will have a chance to show what their worth down the stretch.

I’m hoping that Chiarelli clears some roster room up at this deadline too.

Winnipeg is in “win-now” mode more than ever right now. The iron is hot and they NEED to strike. But you know what? St.Louis is awfully quiet right now… The pundits are tossing Jake Allen’s name out there… Do the Oilers and Blues get together on a deal? It’d have to be a money in, money out type of deal though. St.Louis is right up against the cap at the moment.

You know what’s going to happen right? All three of those guys will head to teams that we never even thought of.. lol.

I was having a conversation with a buddy of mine at hockey last night and he suggested Josh Ho-Sang in return for that draft pick Davidson got the Oilers…

What do you think?

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

The Rumoured Offer for Pat Maroon

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The Oilers have an offer on the table for Patrick Maroon from the Boston Bruins. It is Austin Czarnik and a 2nd round pick. No word on if that pic was for the upcoming draft or the next.

Interesting eh?

I was hoping for a player of a bit more significance but let’s look at this Czarnik kid and maybe our opinions will turn faster than an analytics blogger who once described Peter Chiarelli as a very smart man and now refers to his supports as the Flat Earthers of hockey. Love you too G!


So just from looking at his numbers alone, we can see that there’s offense in them hills. Something that’s really working for him is that size doesn’t seem to be much of an issue anymore. Not that that has been an issue for him in the past but the little guy is making a return!

I also like that he’s right-handed and after the Oilers trade Mark Letestu, they’ll need another righty on the team.

Now, I’m not sure if he’ll be a centre at the NHL level. I think he’s more suited for the wing to be honest but then again Desharnais isn’t that big and Letestu isn’t either.

At the minor league level he is 5th in the AHL for pts/game with a 1.1 in all situations (25th 5×5 w/ .59 pts/game) but most of his points are garnered on the PP. As for his PP pts/game he sits at 3rd in the AHL with .44. These numbers are for players who’ve played more than 30 games and I got them at this fantastic website called prospect-stats.com

So how about some scouting reports on Czarnik?

In Czarnik’s 56 games, he’s been a terrific “possession” player, for lack of a better work. He holds a 53.8 CF%, and a 53.2 xGF%. – Stanley Cup of Chowder (source)

This ties into the new possession team that Chiarelli has been building since he was hired. So I dig that.

If Czarnik continues to improve at the AHL level he may not be far from getting a long look with the Bruins. Small and crafty his game follows the mould of Gaudreau or Kane while not being quite so polished. Injuries will be a risk for such an undersized centre, however, smaller forwards are having success in today’s NHL. – Dobber’s Prospects (source)

I’m not sure he’ll get to Kane and Gaudreau status but I would expect a player with the offensive acumen that Czarnik has to be better than say Drake Caggiula. Maybe they’re different players though.

The bottom line is that some guys can skate fast if that is their primary focus. For Czarnik, being that fast is easy enough that he can start thinking two or three steps ahead of everyone else. – SBN College Hockey (source) 

Hockey IQ I’ve decided is going to be the attribute that will be of the utmost importance going forward in hockey. The physical tools can be developed and fine tuned but hockey IQ will be paramount in the future.

Lastly, Czarnik is an RFA at season’s end and he’s only making a shade under 700k this year. The fact that he’s played 3/4 of a season in the NHL will not help him make more than that 700k in my opinion and IF this deal does go down, I reckon Czarnik’s new contract will fall under the category of “Value Contracts” for whatever team he’s playing for.

I don’t think he’s banged up as much as the team is leading us to believe. It’s trade deadline on Monday and Maroon is heading out. He’s being rested for that reason. Now if his effort is in question and they’re sitting him for that, I take issue there. This season there have been plenty other players who should’ve sat for less-than-satisfactory performances.

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

The Latest Oilers Trade Rumblings and Compliance Buyouts Are Coming According to John Shannon

First off I want to say that I’m very proud of the Women’s Canadian Hockey team. That was such a good hockey game and they worked their asses off. That move the American shooter made to win it was outstanding though. Seriously…

A silver medal is nothing to scoff at no matter how much Lias Andersson tries to convince you it is. And those ladies join another elite hockey team to lose a very important hockey game at the Olympics in Asia via the shootout…

99 on the bench after losing to the Czechs in ’98 at Nagano, Japan.

On yesterday’s Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer asked John Shannon a very interesting question,

Do you think that it’s an automatic that there are two non-compliance options options (going to be in the new CBA), like there have been in past CBAs?

John Shannon’s reply was, “Guaranteed!”

I’m a little confused at this point as to which kind of compliance buyouts Stauffer and Shannon are talking about. I reckon Stauffer is talking about compliance buy outs NOT non-compliance ones though.

But just to relieve any confusion, let’s go over their definitions:

  • Non-Compliance Buyout – Consider this the “regular” buyout like the one Chiarelli used on Pouliot last summer. NHL teams can choose to buy out and terminate any player’s standard player contract. It isn’t quite as easy as just cutting a player though, because any bought-out player is still due a portion of the money owed to him; either one-third or two-thirds of his remaining salary (depending on the terms of the original deal) to be paid out over twice the remaining years of the terminated contract.
  • Compliance Buyout – This is the “Get Out of Jail Free” buyout. Basically, teams can buy out any contract on their roster and it won’t count against their cap but it has to be a contract signed.

Now with those compliance (or amnesty) buyouts, in the past, there’s been a 2-week window right after the Stanley Cup final’s conclusion where the teams could do their business if you will. Also, the last time compliance buyouts were eligible to be utilized, only players who’d signed contracts on or before Sept.12 of 2012 were given the O.K. to be bought out and this was for the 2013 and 2014 seasons…

2021/22 is when the current CBA expires and conversely, the new Seattle franchise is expected to join the league the season previous. I don’t think that it would be in the league’s best interest to expand, have the new team play a year and then have a lockout. Both the NHL (Sept.1) or the NHLPA (Sept.19) can opt out next summer (2019/20) but that’s unlikely according to Shannon.

I know when I write on these kinds of things I feel like I’ve glossed something over, so please feel free to let me know if I’ve gotten something wrong in my interpretation either in the comments below or on Twitter (@beerleagueheroe). Thx!

HOW MIGHT THIS AFFECT THE OILERS?

If I’m right in interpreting the verbiage from past compliance buyout windows, it might allow them to buy out Milan Lucic IF he’s still with the club. I was thinking possibly Sekera and/or Russell but their contracts will have expired by the time a window opens and there’s no guarantee they’d be on the club at that point either. I’m thinking one of them will be in Seattle and the other playing in a different city.

  • Milan Lucic is signed for $6M/yr until 2022/23

But there’s the fact that Lucic’s deal is so laden with signing bonuses, would it even be worth it to the team to buy out the last year of his deal?

So I guess the only players who might be considered in the compliance buyout category at this point in time are Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid… Unlikely targets but you never know… Maybe the Oilers go on to sign John Carlson to a mega-deal this summer and he shits the bed for them… Or maybe they trade for Erik Karlsson and he slows right the F down in those later years and becomes a liability. I guess at that point, a compliance buyout might be an option for the Oilers.

The other thing Edmonton could do is acquire heavy contracts in exchange for tasty draft picks or prospects and then buy them out in the windows. Similar to what the Vegas or Arizona have done in the past.

I mean other teams could simply do that themselves but what if there’s a team that is desperate to get a contract off of the books, in theory, my notion above would be applicable, no? I guess the follow up to that would be, how much cap room will the Oilers have by then and if they have enough cap room to make such a move, why is that?

What do you think? Have I got it all wrong here?

LATEST ON THE OILERS TRADE FRONT

Erik Karlsson…

No, I don’t believe that the Oilers and Sens are talking Karlsson and Bobby Ryan because Eklund tweeted that out. But I do believe it’s worth a discussion IF the Sens would take Lucic back.

I love Lucic, I really do, and I want him to succeed but it’s really hard to watch him this year. He tries to engage in the games but nobody will fight him, nobody will even hit him. So the things that got him fired up in the past aren’t available anymore and he’s struggling to get out of this slump. He’s squeezing his stick way to tightly, he’s doing fly bys at the net when he should be stopping.

He looks tired.

I’d feel bad for him if he got dealt this early into his deal but it would be what it would be if it happened. I’d accept it and move on. I’d much rather him see success as part of the Oilers than another team obviously.

I don’t want to get into the details of a proper proposal but I do want to offer an idea to you…

What if the Oilers went ahead and traded for Karlsson and then traded him at the deadline next year? What kind of haul do you think the Oilers could get IF Doughty and OEL were on the market too? Not only that but what if the Oilers also won the lottery and drafted Dahlin?

Bob Stauffer also said yesterday that the Maple Leafs have watched the Oilers five of the last 7 games… They’re not looking at Maroon and I can only assume they’re not looking at Cammalleri…. Is there a Josh Leivo/Mark Letestu deal in the works with Toronto?

Toronto has a few names that jump out to me like RH’d Connor Carrick (RFA), plus their UFAs Bozak, Komarov, and Van Riemsdyk. Not to mention a whole whack of guys on their AHL team like Andreas Johnsson, Jeremy Bracco, Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen, Calvin Pickard and Garrett Sparks.

I think the thing with Toronto is that they’ll want more bodies moving out than coming in but the potential for a huge deal is there.

Speaking of Letestu, Jim Matheson wrote recently that in addition to Toronto, Columbus and Pittsburgh are interested in his services.

if the Penguins can’t bring back Matt Cullen from Minnesota, Letestu is their second choice.

One would think that Letestu would be the first choice due to age but Cullen would definitely know the Pens system a lot better.

Matheson also says that the Oilers are looking for a first rounder in exchange for Maroon but I’m thinking they’ll have to settle for a 2nd or 3rd and a prospect. Jakub Zboril’s name has come up from Boston and so has Zach Senyshyn’s but earlier this week Joe Haggerty said he couldn’t see Senyshyn getting moved.

Stauffer talked a bit about Anders Bjork yesterday and the report on Bjork is that he can move out there. A very fast player who has 12pts in 30 games this season for the Bruins and 4pts in 9 games for their AHL affiliate.

Bjork has the speed, offensive smarts and playmaking ability to potentially be a strong player in the NHL. If all goes well, he could be a second-liner. – Dobber’s Prospects

I would say that Bjork is really the epitome of modern day NHL player. He can play both ways, relies heavily on his speed, and has “creative” hands. – Chowder and Champions

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

Could Carolina Be in on Maroon?

After watching the Hurricanes/Devils game yesterday, I wondered if Pat Maroon would be a fit on the Hurricanes’ roster? It’s painfully obvious that it could use some size and power on those wings of theirs. They’ve only got two players over 200lbs, Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner.

The next thing you have to consider is with a new owner who is very progressive and aggressive, might the Hurricanes really try and make a splash at the deadline this year in an effort to make the playoffs? They’ve got the pieces in my opinion.

I reckon it wouldn’t cost them anything more than a couple of prospects and I’ve got my eyes on two specific ones, Janne Kuokkanen and Roland McKeown.

Janne Kuokkanen – 6’1″ 188lbs – LH – Centre – Charlotte Checkers: 38gp 6g 20a 26pts

If this name sounds familiar, it should. Kuokannen and current Oiler Jesse Puljujarvi had a helluva u18 world championships back in 2016 combining for 14pts. That’s enough right there to perk your ears right? Aapeli Rasanen also lit up the scoreboards in that tourney with 9pts in 7 games. And one more Oilers draftee, Markus Niemelainen played for Finland that year too.

Last season Kuokkanen played in London and put up over a point-per-game (60gp 26g 36a 62pts) for the OHL’s Knights.

Here are some scouting reports on the lean Finn:

Janne Kuokkanen is a very smart hockey player who uses his entire hockey IQ to make plays and setup scoring chances. His vision is outstanding and he is very well aware of his line mates. He reads the game well and distributes the puck using his powerful and accurate pass. If you watch him play you get the feeling that he knows what to do next even before he has the puck. – The Hockey Writers (source)

I think something more important than speed in today’s NHL is hockey IQ. But if you can get a player who’s quick (not the same as fast) AND is very smart, you’re in the money.

Kuokkanen is an average skater who uses his reach and a wide stance to protect the puck as he moves towards the net. His sense of awareness is extraordinary, so catching up to him won’t always nip an opportunity in the bud. Kuokkanen makes good use of time and space, and even though he has a good shot with a quick release, he is most certainly a pass-first winger, albeit one you should keep an eye on near the low slot. – The Draft Analyst (source)

Man, the Oilers system is really bereft of the kind of skill Kuokkanen has. Well, it’s bereft until Safin, Benson, and Yamamoto arrive next season. I suppose Aapeli Rasanen could leave college too if he wanted to join Bakersfield. I also believe that the Finn wouldn’t need that much more seasoning in the AHL either. This sort of prospect would fit the description of the kind of return the Oilers are looking for in return for Maroon.

The Hockey Writers have him compared to Markus Granlund.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ac0eXHGNqk

Roland McKeown – 6’2″ 19lbs – RH – Defenseman – Charlotte Checkers: 49gp 5g 14a 19pts

Fun Fact: Roland McKeown was originally an LA Kings draft pick (2nd round in 2014) but was traded to Carolina in a package for… Andrej Sekera!

One quote I really like about McKeown came from ‘Canes GM Ron Francis after the trade was made to acquire the former Kingston Frontenac,

“He’s a character guy, leadership guy. He’s a player used head-to-head against the other team’s best.”

It is only McKeown’s 2nd pro year but I’m not getting a sense that he’s got offense in those bones despite being the 2nd highest scoring dman on the Checkers. I dig that he’s a RHer and personally, I feel like you can never have enough of those in an organization but I wish he was putting up a bit more offense. Even in junior he wasn’t much of a point producer.

That said, he looks like a very solid 2-way defender. Plus/Minus shouldn’t ever be a solely relied upon stat but +30 this season is pretty decent.

Here are some scouting reports on McKeown:

McKeown is a strong, do-it-all defensemen whose biggest asset is his ability to think the game and know his position. He makes strong, simple plays, has a good shot and distributes the puck effectively. – Future Considerations (source)

The scouts at the Hockey Writers had McKeown compared to Roman Josi.

He enjoys joining the rush and creating opportunities for his teammates. He has the wherewithal to see the play develop and create chances. McKeown is poised with the puck and can maneuver out of the defensive zone with a few short strides. His skating is up there with the best prospects.

On the defensive side of the puck McKeown cuts down passing lanes and finds ways to disrupt the play. He’s not overly physical, but doesn’t have a problem throwing a hipcheck every once in a while. Occasionally, he will be caught up in the rush leading to a breakaway, but it isn’t often. In fact, his overall positioning is what makes him a great tw0-way defender. – The Hockey Writers (source)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flf12-6Oo-c

I would probably be looking at a couple of other prospects in the Hurricanes system like Warren Foegele or Valentin Zykov but you’d have to think since they are the ‘Canes top forward prospects, they’d be hands-off for a rental like Maroon.

In all honesty, Edmonton would probably have to throw in a pick or prospect to get both Kuokkanen AND McKeown but I’d be willing to accept that. The Oilers AHL team needs more youthful quality anyhow and a 4th or 5th rounder (depending on how many games Montoya suits up for) would probably be less likely to bring the Oilers a Kuokkanen or a McKeown.

What do you think? Would you be happy if this were the kind of return the Oilers got for Pat Maroon this year? Or would you hold out for less but a higher impact player?

Let us know in the comments below!

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

The Jets are the Latest Team Talking to the Oilers

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According to Darren Dreger and Josh Yohe, the Winnipeg Jets are showing interest in upcoming Oilers UFAs Pat Maroon and Mark Letestu.

Pierre LeBrun believes that the Oilers are looking for a 1st round pick in return for Maroon but would be happier with an NHL-ready or near NHL-ready prospect to help turn the team around a bit quicker next season.

The highest return on Letestu that I’ve heard is a 3rd round pick which I think is fair for a 32-yr old UFA. And Edmonton will likely be without their 4th rounder from this year’s draft due to Al Montoya most likely suiting up for more than 7 games.

So which prospects do the Jets have that would interest the Oilers?

Right off the bat, let’s get the players who the Jets would be insane to deal away.

  • Kyle Connor
  • Jack Roslovic

There’s no point in even wasting any time speculating about these two. They’re currently in the Jets top 6 according to rosterresource.com and producing. Winnipeg would be nuts to sell on any of these guys for a couple of soon-to-be UFAs

But the Jets do have three players in their minor league system that I believe could interest Edmonton.

  • Mason Appleton – 6’2″ 201lbs – Right Shot – C – 21 years old

Appleton is leading the Manitoba Moose with 16 goals and 30 assists in 51 games. Some were surprised that he turned pro a year early after being named Captain of his NCAA team in his junior year. Here’s a scouting report from Dobber’s Prospects:

Plays with a fast pace and has great vision on the ice to find his teammates with a crisp pass. A bit of a late bloomer, but will get his first taste of pro hockey this year and could make an impact soon enough at the NHL level.

I think the fact that he can move, he shoots right, he’s producing in his rookie year in the AHL, and that he’s a centre are all things that would peak Chiarelli’s interest. Winnipeg seems set at centre for the foreseeable future as well with Scheifele, Little, Adam Lowry, and Andrew Copp down the middle.

  • Sami Niku – 6’1″ 175lbs – Left Shot – LD – 21 years old

Niku is 4th in team scoring for the Manitoba Moose. He has accrued 10 goals and 27 assists in 51 games played down in the minors. This also being his first year in the AHL and North America. He’s drawing comparisons to current Jets blueliner Tobias Enstrom and Sami Vatanen.

The small Finn could fall into the same vein as a Sami Vatanen if he’s able to survive the rigors of the NHL. A high-risk, high-reward long-term fantasy selection. – Dobber’s Prospects

I’m all for the Oilers adding more offensive-minded defensemen to their system. I do not think there are enough. Sure there’s Bear and Jones but I feel the more the merrier down in the AHL because you can teach defense to a young player, offensive, I’d argue, is a helluva lot tougher to teach if you don’t have it.

  • Brendan Lemieux – 6’1″ 209lbs – Left Shot – 21 years old

I’m not sure if Brendan is as irritating as his old man (Claude) but he has certainly progressed well. In his first season with the Moose last year he played 61 games and scored 12 goals and 7 assists as well as 130 PIMs (maybe he is as irritating as Claude…). This year in 31 games he has 28 pts (12g 16a).

Brendan competes in a similar skilled yet gritty mold often getting under the skin of opponents. Not afraid to drop the mitts or lay out a larger player, Lemieux plays a no fear and borderline reckless game. His offensive skills are underrated as he has shown an ability to finish off plays with a soft touch. Lemieux is an impact forward that rivals despise playing against and the fact that he can play several roles up and down the lineup is certainly appealing.

This might be my favorite potential target for the Oilers. They need this sort of player I believe as they don’t have an aggrevator on the squad at the moment. Zack Kassian has relinquished that role in an attempt to play a more sound hockey game. In 9 NHL games this season he’s amassed 21 PIMs and 1 assist.

What do you think? Would these players fit the description of players that would help the Oilers next season?

Let us know in the comments below!

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