Tag Archives: Edmonton Oilers

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: “I don’t think Edmonton is done in goal.” Says Friedman

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Lowetide.ca

I REMEMBER HOW THE DARKNESS DOUBLED
  • One player I believe will have an impact is Foegele from the Carolina Hurricanes. Based on reading countless online articles about his play, and the comments from his coach, I would say the fast winger held high value with the Hurricanes.
  • If Foegele can help the third line outscore opponents, even if the goal total is meager, the impact of a third unit not bleeding out will be substantial.
  • Hyman is a player with great utility and a man who can flourish on more than one line.
  • Hyman has a ruggedness to him, and McDavid is a veteran now, I think this is a nice mix of brains and brawn.

BLH’s Thoughts: I seen a vlogger compare Warren Foegele to cult hero Fernando Pisani and it wasn’t until some video footage was played back-to-back of these two that I saw how similar they appear on the ice. It’s nuts. 

Look, here’s the deal, gone are the skillers like Kahun, Haas, Nygard, etc. As much fun as it was to watch them, they were ineffective in the NHL. Ken Holland was now re-tooled this roster to resemble that of a hockey team who can compete in ANY scenario, literally.

The Lunch Pail Gang is back and the fanbase is going to forget about the Ethan Bears and the Caleb Joneses and the Adam Larssons in no time. Trust me. The only folks who don’t put those players behind them, probably aren’t interested in doing that anyhow and they’d prefer to keep that ammo on standby just in case one of them has two assists in a game or features in a highlight on ESPN.

The Cult of Hockey

Ilya Konovalov gives Edmonton Oilers rookies a fighting chance, but popgun offence fails to respond

 

  • Not a lot of excitement to be found in the second contest between the Edmonton Oilers rookies and their counterparts from Calgary Flames. The roles were reversed this time as the Oilers had a decent first period and took an early lead before ultimately getting their show run in what ultimately became a 4-1 Calgary win.
  • Calgary was in fact the better squad and it wasn’t particularly close. Only a strong performance by netminder Ilya Konovalov kept the Oilers close on the scoreboard for 58 minutes. That was the good news.
  • The bad? A popgun offence that could generate very little, especially from the forwards.
  • Edmonton’s weakness down the middle was apparent in this one. Of the six forwards on the ice who have NHL-class contracts, all play on the wing. The Flames largely dominated the middle of the ice starting with faceoffs where they held a massive advantage throughout.

BLH’s Thoughts: It was a tough game. I thought the Oilers were playing very well in the first, but they let the game get away from them. I noticed Calgary wasn’t as overly physical in this one as they were in game one and that might’ve offered them a bit more time with the puck as they seemed to be a lot smarter with it in the last two frames. 

Konovalov didn’t have as much to do in comparison to what Olivier Rodrigue was tasked with on the weekend. The Russian netminder played a quiet and effective game and I can only really blame him for the rebound goal he gave up, but even then, his defensemen left him out to dry. 

Lavoie was Edmonton’s best forward. He’s not far from being NHL-ready in my opinion. He really looks the part, but if he could add another gear to his game, he could be a force to reckon with in a year. 

That slapshot that Filip Berglund took, I could hear that all the way over here in Taipei. Did Zary’s leg snap in half when the puck hit it? Good lord that was a scene… 

Broberg and Niemelainen were Edmonton’s best defenders, there’s no doubt about that. To my eye, the Finn might be ahead by the slightest of margins in terms of who should get the first call-up just for the simple fact that he doesn’t leave himself in vulnerable positions to get rocked whereas I noticed on probably four separate occasions that Broberg was getting hit hard by Calgary’s forecheckers. 

Lastly, I’ve got my eye on Phil Kemp. The pass that Mr. McCurdy is referring to in his blog that sent in Devin Brosseau (I think), was pure class. He’s very solid defensively and just needs more developmental time. I like this guy. 

The Daily Goal Horn

James Mirtle, who covers the Leafs for The Athletic, examined the roster and determined that Toronto may have to make a trade. If they don’t they risk losing players like Pierre Engvall for nothing.

  • One player he mentions is Ilya Mikheyev… Mikheyev is in the final year of his contract that comes with a $1.645M cap hit. He will be a UFA at the end of this season, but if some of the others players can win a spot Toronto’s position could change.

Brock Boeser on teammates Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes

  • “I think that’s what everyone strives to do, is find a fair deal. So whether it’s in a day or two or in a week I think they’re going to find a deal that’s fair for both sides,” he said. “I’m pretty confident that they’ll be here before the first game of the season so I don’t think we need to worry about that.”
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Archibald, Keith, and Possibly Stalock to Sit Out Start of Training Camp

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Edmonton Sun

Oilers defenceman Phillip Broberg draws comparisons to Jay Bouwmeester
  • When the Edmonton Oilers best defence prospect becomes a regular, is there any reason why Broberg, 20, can’t be a Bouwmeester facsimile?
  • Same size, same skating ability, same defence-first-with-some offence trait. If Broberg, who will get a long look at training camp but will start the season in Bakersfield, turns into Bouwmeester, this is a major win.
  • Bouwmeester, who turns 38 next week and retired because of heart issues, played 1,240 NHL games.
    • He won a Stanley Cup in St. Louis and played on the 2006 and 2014 Canadian Olympic teams.
    • His skating allowed him to choke off attacking players, he had a great stick to knock down pucks.
    • Not overly aggressive, he still used his frame effectively and he always made a strong, first pass up ice, or he carried it out.
  • It’s more congested on left D here right now. Maybe Oilers see him as a possibility on right D, not just left. Jonas Brodin has done that his whole NHL career in Minnesota, playing his off-side, and well.

This ‘N That:

  • Not sure of a reason why, but don’t believe we’ll be seeing goalie Alex Stalock at Oiler medicals and fitness testing Wednesday. Maybe not at Oiler camp at all.
  • Kris Russell is taking Adam Larsson’s No. 6 with Oilers retiring Kevin Lowe’s No. 4 on Nov. 5.

BLH’s Thoughts: Broberg is going to be a fantastic NHL defensemen, but I don’t know how long he’ll play in the league with the way that he positions himself to get destroyed by heavy forecheckers in his own zone. He’s going to need to work on getting thicker so as to absorb those checks better or his brain/feet are going to have to het a helluva lot faster. 

Stalock joins Duncan Keith and possibly Josh Archibald as members of the Edmonton Oilers who will miss the start of training camp. 

Now, we know that Duncan Keith’s excuse is because he’s awaiting his second vaccination shot for COVID. GM Ken Holland will be discussing that later on today (9/22/2021). 

There are rumors running rampant that Josh Archibald (who is in Edmonton)  may not be vaccinated at all, we don’t know that’s the case, but he’s not been skating with the rest of the team according to Tom Gazzola. So that might lend some credence to the rumors in addition to some anti-vax stuff that’s appeared on his Twitter account.

Not sure what’s up with Alex Stalock aside from what Matheson has put out. Has his heart issue flared up again? The American netminder says he wants to play out his final year with the Oilers, however the fact that Matheson is saying that Stalock will be missing physicals and maybe training camp altogether doesn’t speak well to him re-joining the team anytime soon.

So speculate what you will there and add that to the fact that Elliotte Friedman said in his latest 32 Thoughts that he thinks Edmonton isn’t done in net… 

It’s been pretty sunshiny with regards to Oilers news this offseason, I was wondering when the rainy clouds would start to hover over the team.

Oilersnation

Yamamoto and Puljujarvi. Who Takes a Step?
  • Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan McLeod will be unrestricted free agents next summer.
  • What type of production will lead to a significant raise? Twenty goals and 40-45 points will lead to a solid raise.
  • I don’t believe it is realistic to expect both Puljujarvi and Yamamoto to score 20 goals.
  • I think Puljujarvi will continue to improve his point totals… I could see him scoring 55 points, maybe more depending how he does on the power play.
  • It also helps that he had tried two new stick patterns this off-season. Small tweaks on his lie will help him handle the puck better.
  • It is realistic to expect Puljujarvi to score 23-27 goals.
  • Yamamoto will need to produce if he wants to play in the top six regularly. He spent 81% of his 5×5 TOI with Draisaitl and/or McDavid. Four goals in 40 games won’t get you that opportunity now.
  • The challenge is he is 5’6″ and 155 pounds. Battling much larger men takes a physical toll. He will go to the net without the puck, but he does struggle getting there with the puck on his stick when defenders can impede his progress. 
  • He doesn’t have the velocity to be an outside shooter, so if he wants to produce offence he needs to find ways to get to the net more with the puck or he has to play with a great passer.
  • When skill is similar size is a big advantage and Puljujarvi’s strength combined with his skill sets him to be the one to have a breakout season.

BLH’s Thoughts: Gregor goes into a lot of detail to find suitable comps for Yamamoto in this post and I encourage you to head over to read them. 

If we go by Gregor’s findings, then it isn’t inconceivable to think the Oilers could keep both wingers next season as Yamo’s deal, unless he turns into Brad Marchand, will most likely come in a lot cheaper than Puljujarvi’s. 

If Pulju blows up and gets 55pts next year, he’ll be looking for Farabee/Batherson $$$, whereas Killer might only end up with something closer to what Tyler Bertuzzi or Anthony Beauvillier make IF he blows up and that’s over $4M.

But is that a realistic scenario? Can both youngsters hit 50pts in 2021-22? It’d be rad, but I don’t see it. 

Spector’s Hockey

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal cited sources in Pettersson’s camp saying the young center has departed Vancouver and flown to Michigan to be with Hughes. Both are close friends and represented by agents Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry. They will remain in Michigan preparing for the upcoming season while awaiting a resolution in negotiations.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the lines of communication remain open between the Senators and Tkachuk but the two sides remain at a stalemate. While things can change with one phone call, it’s expected the Senators will open training camp tomorrow without the 22-year-old left winger.

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

Petrov, Broberg, and the Latest NHL Rumors!

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

The Cult of Hockey

If this late-round draft steal pans out, Edmonton Oilers can thank Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas
  • Not often does a player selected as late as Petrov was — 180th overall — make much of an impression as an 18-year-old in his first NHL rookie camp, but the right-shooting left winger has earned a spot on Edmonton’s second line on merit.
  • Future Considerations ranked him at #57, Craig Button at #70, Allan “Lowetide” Mitchell at #71.
  • At that time, it was an open secret that the Oilers were going to sign Toronto’s Zack Hyman as a free agent… Oilers GM Ken Holland reportedly courted his Toronto counterpart Kyle Dubas for a sign-and-trade arrangement to add an eighth year to the pact… The sweetener Holland offered? By all accounts, it was Edmonton’s sixth round draft pick. Dubas, who had just three picks in the entire draft after a variety of trades for players and cap relief, wanted more.
  • The Leafs wound up with nothing at all for Hyman, while Edmonton was able to turn that lowly sixth-round pick into a quality prospect who fell in the draft for reasons unknown.
  • A right-shooting left-winger, Petrov has good size at 6’2, 181 pounds. He’s best known for both his shooting ability and his eagerness to use it. His 212 shots on goal led his team by a wide margin and ranked 7th league-wide.
  • In theory the Oilers have a few options for an 18-year-old who was not on a CHL roster when drafted, but it’s been decided (correctly in my view) that he will soon be reporting to North Bay to play for the Battalion this season and probably next as well.

BLH’s Thoughts: Petrov has looked smooth this week. He’s not been a game-breaker or a line driver by any means, but he’s shown some nice offensive IQ and his playmaking and an eye for the soft ice I’ve enjoyed. The kid loves himself a shot on net too. 

A season in North Bay, in theory, should be great for his development. He’ll be playing alongside 2022 NHL draft eligible defenseman Ty Nelson. A little guy (Maybe 5’10”) who knows no quit and is slated to be a first rounder. He might fall into Edmonton’s range depending on how well they do this year. 

Long-term, I don’t know if Petrov will play for the Oilers, they seem to be sorted on the wing with Hyman, Nuge, Foegele, Holloway, Savoie, and Lavoie (he can play both wings) but as a professional hockey player, the kid’s got a future. 

The Athletic

The Oilers’ plan for prospect Philip Broberg: Focus is on development, not NHL reps — ‘there’s no rush’
  • The only way Broberg will make the team to stay, Oilers GM Ken Holland said, is if the coaching staff trusts him to play regular minutes. There’s no use having him sitting in the press box as the seventh or eighth blueliner or even skating 10 to 12 minutes a night as the No. 6, he added.
  • Broberg can play right defence, but he shoots left.
  • Though Broberg has the highest profile of any of the Oilers’ youngsters because he was drafted eighth overall in 2019, that potential has yet to be realized.
  • The raw tools are there. But the reality is Broberg has a fair bit to work on before he can become the top-four defenceman he’s being pegged to be.

BLH’s Thoughts: His first game against Calgary this week I found his performance underwhelming, but the second game last night, he was much much better. The ice really opened up for him and he really anchored Edmonton’s defense. 

This could change, but I don’t see him as a PP quarterback. He doesn’t move the puck fast enough and his hands a kind of slow, or at least those are my observations from these two rookie games. 

NHLTradeRumor.com

David Satriano of NHL.com suggests the Stars could seek another veteran forward rather than relying on young players in the system this season. The Stars have one of the deepest defensive cores and will want to focus on solidifying the forwards.

Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports GM Brad Treliving scoured the trade landscape all summer long with an eye on altering a core that has repeatedly struggled to live up to expectations.

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

Local Pundit Says to Expect One of Yamamoto or Puljujarvi to be Traded Next Summer

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Oilersnation

Monday Mailbag – Will the refs be better in 2021-22?

…do you expect to see any changes in how the game is called?

  • Lol. No. I don’t. The refs have been and will continue to be horrible in the NHL. Why they don’t feel the need to protect their stars is a mystery I don’t think will ever be solved. – Baggedmilk

BLH’s Thoughts: It is a bit of a weird conundrum that refs find themselves in, isn’t it? On the other hand they can’t be shown to be favoring the league’s stars yet those are the guys who have the puck the most and therefore are susceptible to the majority of the infractions. 

To answer the question, we may see an uptick in a category of penalties, like crosschecking, for example.

How much do you think our improved forward group will ease the pressure on the defence or are they not quite there yet?

  • I’m actually not terribly concerned about the Oilers blueline. I don’t think they’re as good as they were last season, but I still think they’ll be good enough to get the Oilers into the postseason. The Oilers group of defenseman won’t be so bad that it costs them a playoff spot, their goaltending might be though. The offence is far from a concern and I think you’d be smart to bet a lot of overs this season. – Yaremchuk

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m with Yaremchuk here. Lots of folks, fans and insiders alike, think Edmonton’s defense and goaltending could ultimately cost the team, but find me a club who wouldn’t implode if their defense and netminding was shite. 

Is this the year when Tyler Benson grabs a spot with the Oilers or is he reaching the end of the road with the organization as he enters his fifth post-draft season?

  • He is in a battle with Shore and Perlini for the 4th line LW spot. Even if he doesn’t make it out of camp doesn’t mean he is done, but he would be waiver eligible so there is a chance a team with not as good NHL depth, like Arizona or Buffalo, might look at him. – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: To start the year, I think Benson wins that 4th line spot. It’s my belief that the club wants to see what he can do and if after 20 games he’s not up to snuff, then they’ll explore other options. Maybe by that time Ken Holland will have dug up a goalie and then Koskinen and Benson may be used as trade fodder with the Sabres acting as a facilitator in the deal. 

How satisfied are you with the Oilers depth on defence to handle any injuries that may occur be it on the left or right side?

  • It would be interesting to see a young guy like Filip Berglund or Markus Niemelainen get a look in the event of an injury but that isn’t exactly ideal. I think the Oilers should bring in a veteran like Jason Demers on a PTO as a fall-back net. They’re pretty thin on the right side, and that’s assuming Evan Bouchard is ready to step into a full-time role. If he struggles, oof, that could get ugly. – Lewis

BLH’s Thoughts: If Nurse goes down, Keith can step up. The no.1 LHD spot is really the only bothersome concern for the Oilers. Could you imagine if they’d stuck with Caleb Jones and Nurse got hurt? They’d have NOBODY to cover Darnell’s spot. Now they have a future Hall-of-Famer to help out and before you point out how poor he might’ve played in that role for the Blackhawks the last couple of seasons, it might be argued that his partner in that scenario would be a better player than who he played with the previous two seasons. 

Oilers aren’t bringing in any PTOs on defense according to Jim Matheson (Post Media), so they’ll be relying on Barrie, Ceci, and Bouchard to carry the right side and they’ll have Kris Russell, Slater Koekkoek, and Filip Berglund to help out if something happens. 

The Athletic

Examining Ken Holland’s Oilers plan and how it could impact the future
  • Holland has (correctly) estimated the Oilers are a playoff team in a weak Pacific Division as currently constructed.
  • He also improved the club overall, despite heavy payments and reliance on veterans past their peak according to Dom Luszczyszyn’s metrics for The Athletic.
  • He is also aware that the club hasn’t won a series since he and Tippett arrived, and leaks on defence or in goal could be catastrophic.
  • The first-round pick is in play, and the goaltending is an area that Holland hasn’t addressed beyond signing Smith to three contracts. 
  • It’s a good guess that the first-round pick in 2022, plus the remaining portion of Mikko Koskinen’s deal, will be heading out by trade near the deadline. 
  • Another struggle in the playoffs by Smith-Koskinen could mean changes at more than just the player level. It seems likely we’ll see a trade.
  • Holland’s focus is on this season and if he gets to the deadline with a goaltending issue the first-round pick is gone. 
  • If the veteran general manager plans on exiting after five years, then fans can look to an ascension plan for years after Holland.
  • Most have Keith Gretzky as the favourite for next general manager… Brad Holland has a noteworthy resume and may be an individual to watch as the senior Holland gets closer to the completion of his five years in Edmonton.
  • Look for Holland to be active at the deadline and for one of Puljujarvi or Yamamoto to be on the move next summer. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Is anybody else projecting a Gretzky/Woodcroft combo in 2023? Regardless of playoff success, I reckon the Holland/Tippett era is simply a transitionary one. 

The Athletic

Ranking the top 20 Calder Trophy candidates for the 2021-22 NHL season

1. Cole Caufield, RW, 20 (Montreal Canadiens — 15th overall, 2019)

2. Trevor Zegras, C/W, 20 (Anaheim Ducks — 9th overall, 2019)

3. Moritz Seider, RHD, 20 (Detroit Red Wings — 6th overall, 2019)

4. Spencer Knight, G, 20 (Florida Panthers — 13th overall, 2019)

5. Jeremy Swayman, G, 22 (Boston Bruins — 111th overall, 2017)

6. Quinton Byfield, C, 19 (Los Angeles Kings — 2nd overall, 2020)

7. Shane Pinto, C, 20 (Ottawa Senators — 32nd overall, 2019)

8. Jamie Drysdale, RHD, 19 (Anaheim Ducks — 6th overall, 2020)

9. Anton Lundell, C, 19 (Florida Panthers — 12th overall, 2020)

10. Alex Newhook, C, 20 (Colorado Avalanche — 16th overall, 2019)

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Holland Kibashes Plans to Bring in a Right-Shot Dman on a PTO

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Sportsnet

Will Keith’s experience help push team forward?
  • In Edmonton, Keith will play second-pairing minutes on a much better team, likely with veteran right-shot Cody Ceci. He’ll kill penalties but see minimal powerplay time. As such, his minutes and the competition he’ll face will be more suitable for a 38-year-old.
  • At camp, we’ll be watching for his ability to hit forwards with accurate breakout passes, and we’ll want to see the state of what was once a world-class ability to skate the puck out of the defensive zone and be a factor in trailing plays off the rush.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’d be willing to bet that Keith will be one of the better skaters from the start of camp considering his rigid offseason training regime. The change that he’ll have to go through this season is not being “the guy” on defense as that job belongs to Darnell Nurse and to a lesser extent, Tyson Barrie. 

Edmonton Sun

Steep learning curve for Oilers Russian goalie prospect Ilya Konovalov
  • Ilya Konovalov, bypassed in three NHL drafts before the Edmonton Oilers took a flier on the Anton Khudobin-sized Russia goalie in the third-round in 2019 when he was 21…
  • He’s 23, so a little late to the North American party, but he’s intriguing. Economy-size by NHL goalie standards, but he’s played against men in Russia for three years…
  • Konovalov will learn on the job, although the size of the NHL rink may not be such a big deal.

“It’s going to take time to adjust but there are many rinks in Russia that are North American size now. It’s not a big problem,” he said.

This ‘n That:
  • Goalie Alex Stalock, 34, who played in the annual Da Beauty League with other NHLers in Minnesota this summer and has another year on his Oiler contract at $785,000, hasn’t been at the Captain’s Skates. He might not be here for start of Oiler camp.
  • At present, there are no plans to bring an extra right-shot (Jason Demers, Sami Vatanen) defenceman in on an Oiler PTO.

BLH’s Thoughts: I thought Konovalov looked steady yesterday in Calgary. The game was a bit of a snoozer, mind you, and I’m not sure how much he was really tested. The two goals he did let in, he didn’t really have much of a chance on. 

Interesting note on Stalock projecting to be late for the start of Oilers camp. For a veteran not to show up for the beginning of training camp, there must be something up. Is he injured? There’s talk there are some players yet to be vaccinated, might he be one of them? Maybe there are visa troubles.

Spector’s Hockey

NHL.COM: Tracey Myers recently reported Tomas Hertl isn’t concerned about his future with the San Jose Sharks. He’s an unrestricted free agent next July but claims his focus is on the upcoming season.

STLTODAY.COM: In a recent mailbag, Tom Timmermann was asked about the status of Robert Thomas… The Blues are pressed against the $81.5 million salary cap. With Oskar Sundqvist expected to go on long-term injury reserve to start the season, they’ll have around $3.5 million to work with as they attempt to sign Thomas… Timmermann also suggests this gives the Blues a little more time to find a trade partner for Vladimir Tarasenko.

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