Tag Archives: Jesse Puljujarvi

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

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers Speculation: Mike Green, RNH, Puljujarvi, the NHL’s Latest Dunce Move, and MORE!

I have to be honest, previously I was under the impression that veteran defender Mike Green was more or less a lock to re-sign in Edmonton during the abbreviated off-season that will take place this year, but now, I’m not so sure and here’s why,

During Tuesday’s installment of Oilers Now, host Bob Stauffer stated that he thought Green’s current price point would be around $2M and I reckon that’s simply out of the Oilers’ price range. If the salary cap was going up, it wouldn’t be a problem.

I will say this though, I don’t think it’s a fait accompli that he doesn’t re-sign in Northern Alberta.

Last summer, Andrej Sekera (33), Braydon Coburn (34), Roman Polak (33), and Carl Gunnarsson (32) all signed contracts for well under $2M per season with new clubs (Sekera/Polak) or their existing ones (Coburn/Gunnarsson). If Edmonton is a place that the 34-year-old Green would like to continue his career, he’s going to have to do the same because they already have Matthew Benning on the roster and Evan Bouchard bubbling right under.

Maybe he goes the Mike Smith route and signs a team/cap-friendly deal stacked with bonuses? OR maybe he comes into Oilers camp on a PTO Jason Garrison-style and earns a contract? Then again, if I remember right, I think Calgary has three or four defenders who are free agents. Since Green has a place in C-Town, maybe he simply puts down roots there…

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Edmonton Oilers Quick Hits

  • Word out of Russia is that Jesse Puljujarvi isn’t going to the KHL (that includes Finnish-based team Jokerit). My sources have indicated to me that he’s willing to continue his hockey-playing career in Sweden, Switzerland, and Finland.
  • If he does go to Sweden, Frolunda sounds like it could be a good option as it is one of the wealthier clubs in the country and they’ve got a reputation for developing good young players. Imagine Puljujarvi and Lucas Raymond ripping it up over there?
  • Rumour has it, Auston Matthews was nearly signed by Frolunda before choosing ZSC in the Swiss league during his draft year.
  • Bob Stauffer said yesterday that he could see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins making as much as $7M per year on his next deal and that there’s an appetite to see that come to fruition because of what the player means to the market.
  • Can we get some more broadcasters out of the Western Conference to vote on the Jack Adams, please? It’s a joke that Dave Tippett wasn’t even a nominee for this year’s coach-of-the-year award… What the hell did Bruce Cassidy and the Sundance Kids do to earn theirs?
  • John Tortorella and Alain Vigneault I can see, but Cassidy? Come on… Give me a break.
  • Speaking of awards, Leon Draisaitl is up against Nathan MacKinnon and Artemi Panarin for the Ted Lindsay, and to me, it’s Leon’s to lose.
  • Panarin shouldn’t even be on any of the awards ballots as a candidate. He’s a phenomenal player to watch but Zibanejad is the best player on that team.
  • Defenseman Calvin de Haan is out for Chicago now? My word… They’re not going to have much of roster to ice if this trend keeps on going. They just signed highly-touted defensive prospect Ian Mitchell, but I’m not sure if he’s eligible. I want to say no.

The NHL’s Latest Blunder

Can anybody tell me who is even more jacked to see an NHL hockey game because their team will be playing a regional rival in their exhibition match before the play-ins start?

This is the league, once again, putting the almighty buck ahead of the safety of the players… Surely, nothing could happen in a meaningless game of hockey, right?

Well, maybe the players need a game to get “the juices flowing”… As if every game between the Oilers and the Flames wasn’t a bloody slugfest this year that started with Matthew Tkachuk taking runs at Zack Kassian… I guess Jason Gregor forget about that yesterday…

I think there’s a legit concern when your team is facing one of the cheapest players the NHL has seen since Claude Lemieux was a regular in the league. So it begs the question, apart from financial motivation, what’s the point in having teams play their rivals? There’s so much more to lose than there is to gain, isn’t there?

Sure, injuries are part of the game and you don’t go on the ice with the notion of having to stay healthy floating around in your headbone. But what about suspensions? In a game where the intensity is heightened due to a series of prior games being transported straight out of the 80s to now and where you’ve got players who haven’t laid a body check in more than four months, what are the odds that someone gets overzealous and hits an opponent in a questionable manner? I think it’s a fair question to ask.

Now, do I love the idea of watching Calgary and Edmonton play? Of course, I do! Those games have been really entertaining recently. What I’m more concerned with is the team going on a deep run to the Stanley Cup Final. So with the Cup run in mind, I couldn’t give two sh*ts about an exhibition game against Flames. If the team needs to get loose and back into the swing of things, have them play Coyotes.

I’m being selfish on this one. I know. I just feel like the league is being careless.

Puck Racism

The sales are starting to trickle in with this design and I’m going to spam the hell out of it on my website and the BLH Hockey Instagram because I feel passionate about it and I feel like Hockey is Diversity deserves the proceeds that I’ll be donating to them.

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Hockey is Diversity is a German group whose aim is to draw attention to the ethnic diversity in society, which goes beyond the sporting borders in order to sensitize people interculturally. The diversity that has long been regarded as an enrichment in sport as a melting pot of people of different ethnicities, cultures, and religions should also be transferred to society.

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

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers: The Hawks, the Latest on Puljujarvi (New Rumor), and a Chat with Former World Junior Star Tyler Bouck

What a bloody joke this is. The Edmonton Oilers finish HIGHER than the Dallas Stars but have to participate in a “play-in” vs. the Chicago Blackhawks in order to get to the actual playoffs… Why would a team who was 2nd in their division when the regular season ended be required to win FIVE different playoff series in order to win the Stanley Cup? Where’s the integrity of the game there?

What’s funniest about this whole situation is that there’s a small possibility that the Oilers could win the draft lottery and have a shot at Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Tim Stutzle, or Jamie Drysdale should they lose the best-of-five series against the Blackhawks.

(If you’re on Instagram and haven’t had a chance to check out the BLH Hockey account, please, head on over and follow us for daily coverage of the Oilers and other hockey news!)

Another thing that has me chuckling is Bill Daly saying, “If 1 or 2 players from a team tested positive for the coronavirus, it wouldn’t necessarily require a team quarantine. That continues to be the medical advice that both we and the Players Association (separately) are receiving.”

WHAT?! If two students in an elementary school in Taipei test positive, they shut the whole building down and send everyone home! To put that into perspective, an elementary school here could have at least 1000 students in it, if not hundreds more depending on the school. All sent home over TWO positive cases… One positive case cancels a class, that’s about 30 kids…

Is the NHL receiving medical advice from Trump’s advisors or what? Such an ignorant position to take… Absolutely irresponsible.

Now with that said, I will be watching the hockey games should they be televised. I’m guessing the Oilers should have a really decent chance against Chicago. Kane, Toews, and Crawford don’t scare me as much as Edmonton not really knowing how to handle the situation and blowing it does.

Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith had some really nice momentum going just as the season stopped too and that pair builds it up at a snail’s pace plus they’re prone to some rank dips in form, something the Oilers cannot afford.

Now, what about the mindsets of players like Kris Russell, Matt Benning, and Markus Granlund? All three of these players are near guaranteed to be moved in the off-season, how will their performances go after such a long break and so much speculation?

My feeling is that the first hockey we see is going to be AWESOME though! It’ll be full of mistakes and creativity, the players will be revved up after such a long break, and the refs will be getting their games up to par as well, so the unpredictability there is going to be great!

But how long will fans in Edmonton “just be happy that hockey is back” if they lose out in three straight?…

New Jesse Puljujarvi Rumor

There’s some talk out of Sweden from one of their commentators, Teppo Laaksonen, that if Puljujarvi isn’t traded out of Edmonton that he might be better off landing in Sweden. The common belief is that the Swedish Hockey League is a bit better than the SM-Liiga and it would be an excellent stepping stone for the young Finn.

Laaksonen says there’s no shortage of teams who could use a player like Jesse. Clubs such as Leksand, Skelleftea, Farjestad, Linkoping, and possibly Frolunda are all in the market for a dynamic forward in Pulju’s mold.

To add to this, since European players cannot sign and start playing right away in the NHL, they may sign flexible deals in countries like Sweden, Finland, Germany, or Switzerland in order to be able to leave when the 2020/21 NHL season does commence.

BLH Hockey Interview Vol.3: Tyler Bouck

Now, full disclosure, Tyler and I grew up in the same town (Camrose, AB) and we played minor soccer against each other and together for many years. I even had a chance to step on the ice with him a couple of times, once when we were both trying out for out minor novice rep team (I got cut and he was too good so they moved him up a couple of levels), and the other time was during noon shinny at the old haunted Wild Rose Arena. We were on a 2v0 and I considered myself to be a pretty good skater at the time, I don’t think I’ve ever tried to move my legs that fast ever… JUST TO KEEP UP! Needless to say, Tyler gave me the easy tap-in and I, in my infinite hockey wisdom thought he was in a better position and passed it back to him but he was already behind the net by then… Personal shame ensued…

Anyways, I’ve always looked up to Tyler and he’s been so kind to me and my parents over the years. I’m glad we got the chance to chat about hockey. Here’s our short interview.

Who was your hockey hero growing up?

I was fortunate to meet Adam Graves the summer of 1990, which was right after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup and he was the centerman for the “Kid Line”.  We struck up a friendship that lasts even today.  Since meeting him, he was my favorite player and someone I always tried to be like.  A great role model.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7M75bnQgY

Which NHL team was your favorite?

I grew up an Oilers fan, and then when Graves went to the New York Rangers they became my favorite team.  The 94’ Stanley Cup finals against Vancouver is still one of the best playoff series I have ever seen.

What was the best piece of advice given to you as a player? 

I don’t think it was actual advice, but watching Adam Graves and how he approached the game on and off the ice and trying to pick up his traits was very valuable to learning what it took to go farther. Now that I am older, my advice to a younger player would be to just keep working hard to improve and never give up.  I have become good friends with many NHL stars who were never drafted in the WHL draft, but just kept working and believing in themselves. 

What is your favorite memory from your playing career?

I have many great memories from 14 years of playing pro hockey and 4 in the WHL.  I made so many great friendships along the way and treasure them.  I think the best memory was my last playoff run in the DEL in Germany.  I hadn’t won anything and our team was a definite underdog.  My last game was game 7 in the finals and our team won 2 to 0 and I got to hoist the championship trophy with my two young sons beside me.

Who was the hardest player you ever faced?

In my first year pro, I was lucky enough to play 48 games for the Dallas Stars and got to suit up against many of my childhood idols.  I remember being in awe of Yzerman and Sakic the most.  It was special for me to be able to play against many of these players, but over my career the one player who stood out as being extremely difficult to play against (or rather watch our checking lines play against) was Jerome Iginla.  He was an all around great player and tough to play against as he could score, make plays, he played both sides of the puck, hit and he fought.

What was the World Junior experience like?

The world jr in Winnipeg is one of my fondest memories.  Unfortunately, we ended up losing the final in OT.  I got to play with some unreal players.  Roberto Luongo stole the show the entire tournament and if it weren’t for him, I am not sure we would have even made the final.

You played for some very famous hockey coaches (Ken Hitchcock, Marc Crawford, Alain Vigneault), who was the most difficult to play for?

Hard to say who was the most difficult.  I was a younger player playing for some the NHL coaches and just wanted to earn more ice time.  So it was keeping my mouth shut and just working as hard as I could.  My favorite coach ever was Kevin Dineen who I played 2 seasons for in Portland, Maine.  He was an intense competitor and demanded a lot of his players, but he had a way to bring the best out of all of his players.

We both grew up in Camrose and back then there weren’t that many people living there, what kind of advice would you give young players who live in small communities like we did if their dream is to make it to the NHL? 

I think it’s just not giving up on your dreams and working hard each day.  Whether a young player makes the NHL, WHL or even a top tier team they want to try out for in the fall, there are just so many good habits and traits learned by having a goal and making sacrifices to achieve it.

I always found you were a great leader on and off the ice, do you think leaders are born that way or are they created? 

I am unsure, but the best leaders that I have played with or observed have one thing in common – they always put the betterment of the team ahead of themselves.  They also were some of hardest workers and inclusive of everyone on their team.   The best leader I played with was Mike Keane.  He won 3 Stanley Cups for a reason.  He always played the game the right way and was such a great role model for me as a young player.

A massive thank you to Tyler! I’ve been nagging him for a while to see if he answer some questions for me and I’m really thankful he agreed. If you are looking to move into the Kelowna area and need a good realtor, head on over to Jane Hoffman Realty and ask for Tyler. There’s no doubt in my mind that he could set you up with something that you’d absolutely love.

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

Edmonton Oilers 2019/20 Rumors: Puljujarvi to Florida NOT Happening and a Short Interview with Patrick Russell

A couple of days ago another report out of New York was published that the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers were interested in making a trade that would involve disgruntled forwards Lias Andersson and Jesse Puljujarvi but this time more pieces had been added. A 1st rounder from the Rangers and a B-level prospect from the Oilers.

The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins commented on this in his latest 9-Thoughts post and he said this,

An old associate of mine in New York tells me that there is renewed “smoke” these days over the possibility of a trade between the Rangers and Oilers involving Jesse Puljujarvi. It goes something like this: Edmonton is not opposed to the idea of receiving Blueshirts prospect Lias Andersson. But word in New York is that Ken Holland would also demand a 1st Round pick from the Rangers (with another mid-level Oilers prospect included in a 2-for-2 deal). Any fire here? Unsure. I have not heard the same from anyone in Edmonton. (source)

Some debate is ongoing as to who that mid-level prospect could be. It wouldn’t shock me if it was Cooper Marody as he’s coming off of a poor season and there are some in the organization that are very unhappy with his attitude and how he handled his off-season prior to the 2019/20 NHL campaign. I wondered if Tyler Benson might be that player. His skating is not where it needs to be and as we’re seeing with Jeremy Bracco and the Maple Leafs, just because you’re a star in the AHL doesn’t mean that will translate to the NHL. Big difference between those two being how they handle themselves as professionals… Work ethic has never been a question connected to Benson and he’s got the hands and the smarts to play, it’s just the boots aren’t quite there.

The Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson went on to throw some shade on an older Puljujarvi-to-the-Panthers rumor in his latest.

But right now, the Panthers feel centres are more important than wingers, something not unusual for most NHL teams, and after trading Vincent Trocheck to Carolina for four pieces, they still feel Borgstrom is at worst a top-nine centre.

Plus, the Panthers don’t really need Puljujarvi. They have fellow right-winger Owen Tippett pencilled in for regular work, and they just signed Russian Grigori Denisenko, who might also be an NHL right-winger. (source)

If Ken Holland can grab a late first in this draft in a deal involving Puljujarvi, that may very well be considered a coup. But what about this scenario?

  • Edmonton trades Puljujarvi to the Senators for two 2nd round picks (52nd/53rd overall) in this year’s draft
  • Edmonton trades down from 20th overall to 24th overall with the Wild and pick up another 2nd round pick (42nd overall)

Thank would give them four picks from 24th overall to 53rd overall! I know… I’m wishin… But humor me for a second, please. This is how I would spend those picks,

24th overall – Jake Neighbours (LW, Edmonton Oil Kings) – Hard-nosed Dustin Brown-like player.
42nd overall – Daniel Torgersson (RW, Frolunda U20) – Big-bodied right-winger who scores everywhere he goes.
52nd overall – Alexander Pashin (RW, Tolpar UFA) – Highly skilled and insanely quick but tiny winger. Absolutely electric forward.
53rd overall – Michael Benning (RD, Sherwood Park Crusaders) – Puck-moving point-producing defender. CJHL defender of the year in 2019/20.

I don’t think that my favorite player in this draft for the Oilers, Jan Mysak, will be available and Jake Neighbours intrigues me a bit due to his leadership qualities and him being an absolute tank on the ice. He was the one who put Lafreniere on the railroad tracks at the prospects game and hit him full bore when the consensus 1st overall pick tried to cross his own blue line with the puck. Neighbours isn’t just a grunt though. He has the skills and skating to be an NHL player as he scored 70pts in 64gp for Edmonton. The final thing that draws me to this player is that Edmonton needs to start developing effective and impactful players to come into their bottom and middle-six and this is where I see Neighbours’ ceiling being.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8KA92NeOdI

Getting back to the Puljujarvi rumor, the research that I’ve done has lead me to the conclusion that the Oilers really aren’t interested in Andersson because of his foot speed and the best they could possibly hope for is actually Henrik Borgstrom but other players are possibly in the mix such as Tyson Jost (COL), Casey Middlestadt (BUF). Dominik Bokk (CAR), and Pavel Zacha (NJ). The one thing linking Jost, Middlestadt, and Andersson is their footspeed though (or lack thereof).

Just an aside (Again… Sorry), what’s up with Markus Lehto’s clients wanting moves away from their original clubs? Is it Joel Quenneville in the cases of Teuvo Teravainen and Borgstrom? What about Kasperi Kapanen and Pulju? Has there been an agent who’s had so many clients behave like this so publicly recently or maybe this is a very Lehto-specific tactic? Using the media to get things moving I mean.

Those of you that are thinking that the Senators are a perfect match for Puljujarvi and the Oilers should consider one thing, Pierre Dorion might not be into the big Finn. Which is daft in my opinion… If you can come out of the 2020 NHL draft with TWO of Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Jamie Drysdale, Marco Rossi, Tim Stutzle, or Lucas Raymond AND Jesse Puljujarvi, you’ve got to jump all over that!

PATRICK RUSSELL INSTAGRAM INTERVIEW

I reached out to Edmonton’s Dangerous Dane to see if he was willing to answer a few questions for a new series of posts we’re going to be posting up on the BLH Hockey Instagram account recently and to our delight (and quite frankly, our surprise) he said yes!

Now, this isn’t some hard-hitting piece where I get a bunch of dirt on the locker room. There’s no way I was getting that and there was no way I was asking those questions either. I wanted to ask him questions as if I was a fan at different stages of my life. So some questions might resonate with an elementary school student, some might catch the eye of someone playing Junior hockey right now, and some may very well hit with an older crowd.

So here you are,

Who was your favorite hockey player growing up?

I always liked Jarome Iginla, he was a hard working player that never quit on a puck. I respected the way he played the game, hard and with passion.

Which NHL team was your favorite?

I didn’t really have a favorite team, I just followed the league and watched highlights occasionally.

What’s your favorite hockey memory?

I would have to pick two, my first NHL game was a huge moment for me. I was undrafted, went to college late and I know that many doubted my decision to leave college early. It was a good feeling to accomplish that first game in the NHL. The second would be the World Championship on home ice in Denmark, the sport have grown tremendously in Denmark lately and it was really cool to witness how big it has gotten.

Who’s been the hardest player to play against so far?

I don’t think I can point one guy out, but personally I thought that Tampa Bay has a really good and quick team, we have had some good games against them, but they are a good team.

Can you describe the battle of Alberta? How nasty is it?

Fun games to be part of. A lot of juices flowing, which is awesome. We play each other a lot throughout the year, so obviously some tension is gong to build up and I think that shows on the ice.

Why the NCAA route over major junior or European pro?

I decided to go the NCAA route because I felt it was the best option for me, I was 20 years old when I aged out of junior in Sweden. They decided they didn’t want me, so I went to the USHL which might have been the best thing that could happen for my career.

If you had to start a hockey team from scratch and you could pick any player from any era to build around, who would you take?

That’s a tough question, but I think I would have to pick Wayne Gretzky. That would be a good foundation for a succesfull team, haha!

What kind of advice do you have for young hockey players looking to take a similar route you did?

Never give up. Work harder than the guy next to you. They might have more talent when you’re younger, but if you work harder eventually you will pass them, so be patient and work hard every day.

A big thank you to Patrick and personally, I can’t wait to see him back out there on the ice kicking ass in the corners and in front of the net for the Oilers when hockey does return!

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

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Is Ken Holland Bringing Someone Back From Europe? (Puljujarvi?)

I can’t believe that this little nugget I’m about to share with you slipped through the ultra-fine teeth of the combs of the Edmonton Oilers’ rabid fanbase so easily. Well, that or the folks that have made comments about it on Oilers Twitter have me blocked…

Yesterday, prior to his weekly spot with Oilers legendary heavyweight enforcer Louie DeBrusk, host Bob Stauffer was talking about the recent signings that Edmonton has made to its AHL affiliate in Bakersfield and proceeded to let us all in on this tidbit,

“It wouldn’t surprise me if Edmonton signed two more forwards on NHL deals primarily targeted to play in the American Hockey League. Maybe one guy returning from Europe here shortly.”

When I heard this my heart jumped a little bit and can you guess which name I thought of first?

Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!

Not shocking at all. I thought of Jesse Puljujarvi, naturally. Now, the problem with that scenario is that I can’t see Pulju coming back to Edmonton if the plan is to stick him in the AHL. That’s what the whole problem was to begin with, right? He’s also made it pretty clear that he still would like to be moved to another club (*Cough* Carolina *Cough*). To add to the complications of that scenario, JP would need to clear waivers to go to the AHL…

I suppose it depends on the magical negotiating powers of Mr. Holland for this player. That said, I’ve been mentioning all along that if there’s one GM in the entire NHL (current or retired) that could convince Puljujarvi to come back, it’s Ken Holland.

One thing I’m not 100% sure of is if Bob was talking about players Edmonton only has the rights to or simply unrestricted free agents because they had massive interest in Brooks Macek not too long ago before he signed in the KHL. Also, there are players like Nikita Soshnikov who’ve played in North America before. I think I read that Linus Omark is a free agent now… Wouldn’t that be something? As if Omark is going to leave the riches of the KHL for the grind of the AHL though…

North American free agents at season’s end, Daniel Carr and Austin Czarnik have also been on Edmonton’s radar for some time and would be AHL stars for Bakersfield as well as serviceable bottom-six forwards for Edmonton if needed.

BREAKING NEWS: Oilers finally make public the Berglund signing. He won’t be coming to Edmonton next season as the Oilers will loan him back to Linkoping for a year. Great timing, because he’ll then come over at the same time as Philip Broberg and most likely be his d-partner in Bakersfield to boot.

Is it possible that Edmonton could be signing a prospect to their first pro deal? Sure, but I don’t think anybody in their cupboard is quite ready for AHL work or NHL for that matter. That could change once the draft is completed mind you.

The other thing might be that I’m interpreting Bob’s comment differently from what he actually means. Maybe he’s talking about a player who is in Europe at the moment, not one that has been playing there this past season.

Has anybody checked in on Tomas Jurco? He’s still recovering in Slovakia as far as I know. Bogdan Yakimov was just traded to SKA in the KHL… Would he come back? Was there not some talk of this earlier in the year?

Personally, I think a couple of players like Carr and Macek, for example, make sense. Character players that have no problems accepting their roles where ever they are playing and they won’t cost an arm and a leg.

What do you think? Who could Stauffer be talking about here? Let us know in the comments below!

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers: Haas, Puljujarvi, and Has Filip Berglund Really Signed?

Hey there Oilers fans! The posts are few and far between these days and there’s a good reason for that, I don’t want to comment on when or how the NHL is going to make its triumphant return on a daily basis. Also, I feel like it’s a real kick in the balls to be having that discussion while there are people dying in hospitals from COVID-19. In fact, I find it kind of sickening that each day as I sign-in to my socials and listen to the talk radio that I’m exposed to this.

Here’s the deal, when Ma and Pa can go back to work and earn a wage, THEN AND ONLY THEN, can professional sports return. Take care of the people who make this world go round and after that, the millionaire professional athletes can get their turn. No disrespect intended to the hockey players but let’s get our priorities straight.

SHAMELESS PLUG: Before we get into the blog, if you’re on Instagram, please head over and give us a follow on our road to 10k. We’re posting original content daily over there and building a fantastic community that we want you to be a part of! So join us and click this link!

Filip Berglund

Jim Matheson tucked this little beauty right into the end of his latest article on Ryan Mantha over at the Edmonton Journal the other day,

The Oilers have signed Swedish draft pick defenceman Filip Berglund but he’s going to stay with his club team Linkoping for this upcoming season and he may come over in 2021 … 

Why did he have to bury it way at the bottom of a post on Ryan Mantha? I feel like an Edmonton Oilers prospect signing should be headline news these days, no? Is there a bit of fear that it might not be 100% true?

We were the first to report the Oilers’ interest in Ryan Mantha here for what it’s worth.

Anyways, back to Berglund. We have blog after blog claiming that the Oilers have signed this player and there’s been NOTHING official released ANYWHERE. I even contacted a well-placed source in Sweden and asked if there’s been any news on that side of the pond and was told no. I’m in the process of getting in touch with his agent to see if I can get some clarity but if I’m being honest, I’m not sure if I’ll have much luck there. Fingers crossed though.

So, for the time being, Filip Berglund hasn’t signed with Edmonton but that’s not to say he won’t. Knowing my luck, the release will come today at some point. Ha!

I think the Oilers’ intentions are to sign him, let him play a major role with Linkoping, and then bring him over right before the expansion draft…  My feeling is that the Oilers are probably getting prepared to lose a dman or two that summer and would like to have as many close-to-ready prospects in North America as possible.

Should the Oilers Bring Back Gaetan Haas?

I really liked Haas but I’m not sure the coach has time for him at the centre position. Late in the season, Coach Tippett moved JJ Khaira back to the middle and was sitting Haas, right?

I’m a huge fan of the Swiss player’s speed, tenacity, and unpredictability and the fact that there’s not much set to become available on the open market tells me that the Oilers should probably give Haas one more shot.

Unless GM Holland has plans to bring in Trevor Lewis, Jason Spezza, or Sam Gagner for one year, I reckon Haas is a pretty good bet to return.

Puljujarvi News

There is a french rumor site reporting that the Montreal Canadiens offered Victor Mete and a 2nd round pick for Puljujarvi. It also stated that the New York Rangers and Arizona Coyotes have expressed interest.

I wonder if Holland can pry Kravtsov out of the Rangers? Buchnevich would be better on the short-term but I think Kravtsov would be a really notable catch.

As for the Coyotes, would Taylor Hall be out of the question? lol. I keed!

Random Pontifications

  • Did anybody catch Brian Burke accusing Bob Stauffer of providing the Edmonton Oilers scouts’ list of questions to Leon Draisaitl’s camp before he was drafted in 2014?
  • Big shout out to the Draisaitl deniers on social media! Got to give it to those guys who are just so invested into their charts that their tripping over their own ballsack to tell us how much better Valeri Nichushkin is defensively than the current favorite for the 2019/20 Hart Trophy… Keep fighting the good fight guys!
  • I wonder if the Oilers might trade down and collect more picks whenever the 2020 NHL Draft is held? I feel like they could get a player they want anywhere from 20th to 31st overall because, after about 12th overall, the draft is gonna go bananas.
  • There’s a big Swede that I’m really growing into a big fan of and if the Oilers trade down, I feel like they could have a shot at him.
  • His name is Daniel Torgersson and he’s a 6’3″ 205lb scoring machine.

https://youtu.be/8XmxBwq9z5s?t=803

  • That said, if any one of Rodion Amirov, Seth Jarvis, Dawson Mercer, or my favorite, Jan Mysak are available at 20th, scoop one up and worry about piling up those 2nd rounders later and if luck is on Edmonton’s side, perhaps Torgersson is available to them later in the draft.

That’s it for today folks! I hope you’re doing well and finding ways to keep your sanity. Until next time, take care!

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