Tag Archives: John Klingberg

Celebrations and Trade Deadline Whispers

I just wanted to share a bit of good news with you before getting into today’s post but a little background first.

When I started this blog way back in 2012 over on Weebly, my goal was to hit the first page of google without having “Edmonton” or “Oilers” in the URL because I figured that it’d be that much more challenging.Now I’m no SEO expert, I may have read a few blogs on the topic but if I’m not mistaken, one would like all the advantages he/she can get when it comes to making it easier for people to find your website, right?

Next, I wanted to step up the site’s coverage back in 2015 and take it to the next level, so I picked up the domain and registered www.beerleagueheroes.com with the idea that maybe, just maybe, it’d help the site reach the first page.

Well after 5 years of existence and 2 years as a dot com…

BEER LEAGUE HEROES HIT THE FIRST PAGE OF GOOGLE UNDER “EDMONTON OILERS BLOGS”!!!

So I’m pretty stoked about hitting Google page one as I can honestly say I did almost the bare minimum to get it there. That being said, you are the ones that made the most impact. You chose to read our content! And we thank you so much for that. I hope we’re still up there when you get around to reading this.

Trade me right f*cking now! Happy 40th Birthday to the Greatest Hockey Movie of All-Time!!!

Trades Completed and Otherwise

  • Patrick Eaves going to the Ducks for a conditional 2nd rounder is interesting. It turns into a first rounder if the Ducks make it to the Western Conference Finals AND if Eaves plays 50% of the games in the rounds previous. So even if the Ducks do make it to the conference finals, that 1st rounder will be akin to a 2nd rounder anyhow.

I would’ve liked to have seen Eaves on the Oilers previously but I have to question if he’d be surplus to requirement on the Oilers now that Pakarinen is healthy, Slepyshev, when he’s in the lineup, is looking dangerous and he’s not shying away from the dirty areas. Leon Draisaitl is racking up the points again and Jordan Eberle appeared to have some real jump in his game vs. Washington. And Lastly, I’m loving Zack Kassian more and more each time I watch him.

How much would Eaves have really helped? And don’t forget, Puljujarvi is lighting up the AHL right now. So he’s there to call up if need be.

  • Tomas Jurco for a 3rd rounder

I asked my source if the Oilers had any interest in this guy as a depth scorer with speed and a good possession game. I was told the Oilers had ZERO interest.

Source Says…

  • PC is talking to STL about Shattenkirk. He’s open to coming to Edm. He sees what’s happening in Edm with McDavid, Draisaitl, and Co.

So this is an interesting twist. If you’ve been following any NHL media whatsoever in the last 48 hours, you’ve probably read or heard all the talk about Shattenkirk turning down deals to go to other teams, Edmonton included. But what I was told was that as far as an extension goes, the Oilers would have to win a couple of playoff rounds to convince Kevin Shattenkirk to re-sign in Edmonton. Otherwise, the Oilers aren’t willing to go any higher than what the market is currently dictating for rental defensemen. Michael Stone went for a third and Hainsey went for a 2nd rounder plus a career AHLer, so read between the lines there.

I got a bit of flack on Twitter for asking why a team would pay more than a 3rd rounder for a player that isn’t interested in re-signing with their club. I understand that Shattenkirk is a MUCH better player than Michael Stone and Ron Hainsey but would you give up a 1st or a 2nd round pick for a rental? Providing he’s gone on July 1st?

I know a few GMs (Bergevin/Rutherford) who might but the Oilers GM won’t be unless Shattenkirk agrees to re-sign in Edmonton. And if that happens, we should be able to put the Kris Russell 2017 contract debate to bed.

  • Speaking of Russell, the Oilers have broken off talks with his camp. I guess he’s still angling for a 4 year deal with $4M per year. Surprisingly price isn’t the problem, term is.
  • Derek Ryan should be an Oiler soon. They’ve been scouting him something fierce lately.
  • The Oilers are trying their damnedest to move Pouliot and Fayne but doesn’t sound like anything is going to happen on that front.
  • No on Hanzal and Vrbata and Iginla.

Edmonton wants a sniper and would prefer a bit more speed and size up front. But none of those players are fleet of foot and their price tag is too high.

  • Dallas is strapped to the cap and looking to move some bodies. The names that came up were Sharp, Eaves (already spoken for), and John Klingberg…

I can see Sharp and the Oilers being a potential fit but John Klingberg?!! Why in the world would Jim Nill be open to moving him? If I were the Oilers, I’d have a separate phone special for Jim Nill and I’d be calling him constantly to see what the price is. Klingberg has a beauty long-term contract similar to Larsson and Klefbom’s and that would fit in too well with the Oilers future plans.

  • The Oilers are looking at two players with regards to the backup position. Jaroslav Halak and Ondrej Pavelec. With either of those players, the Islanders/Jets would need to retain salary.

Now, I know which goalie I’d prefer. The one who had a helluva playoff run not too long ago for the Montreal Canadiens. A run so amazing that it had fans of the Habs asking for the team to trade Carey Price away… But alas, we’ve heard from Bob Stauffer that he believes Halak will be bought out at season’s end by the Isles. So, who knows what will happen there. I’m not sold on Pavelec one bit…

Personally, I’m guessing the Oilers go out and grab a right-shooting face-off man for sure. I think if they can’t get the right deal for a backup, they’ll wing it and go with Brossoit or if disaster hits, Nick Ellis. I’m with Chiarelli in that the Oilers are right on the precipice of becoming a great team with excellent depth at the minor league level and the prospect level and there’s no real reason to bet the farm this season. Next season mind you, that will be a different story.

That’s it for now. I’ll update you later on if something comes in! And thanks again for helping us to page 1 on Google! Check out our T-shirt shop! There’s a sale going on right now where you can get some pretty sweet tees for you or your kids or maybe someone else or their kids… Click the pic below and it’ll take you to our shop! You’re a beauty!!!

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Oilers Should Look to Dallas For Help

Wow! What a game that was last night in Winnipeg eh? Who would’ve thunk that if I wrote an article outlining what the Oilers could do to get out of their powerplay funk that they would actually go ahead and get out of it in a major way! Three goals on the PP? And did you notice where that first one was? Right in the upper slot. A place where Eberle should’ve been the whole time.

How many of you completely forgot about the Oilers getting scored upon in the first minute of the game like I did? And Patrick Laine… Good Lord can that guy shoot a puck. Is he the best sniper in the NHL right now?

Ze German, Leon… Wow! Mr.Draisaitl moves up to #20 in the NHL in scoring with this beauty!

There are probably a few who could do it better but that was a pretty damned nice goal. The German is en fuego!

SEARCHING FOR STARS IN DALLAS

So I guess the Stars are leaking goals left and right and I suppose that might have something to do with them running a defense who can barely grow a beard.

Before Johnny Oduya went down the Stars had 8 or 9 NHL level dmen getting ice time for them. Those included are:

  • Esa Lindell
  • John Klingberg
  • Patrik Nemeth
  • Jamie Oleksiak
  • Julius Honka
  • Stephen Johns
  • Jordie Benn
  • Dan Hamhuis
  • Johnny Oduya

Despite going ape sh*t on the Jets PK last night, the Oilers still could use that guy to run the PP for them. Swede John Klingberg is off last year’s pace with only 12 pts this year and has been healthy scratched at least once. Blazing up behind Klingberg is Finn Julius Honka, who has played 6 games and has 3 assists already. Stephen Johns leads the team in hits and I believe is 4th in blocked shots.

The reason I speak of those three defenders is because they are all right-handed and that’s the type of dman the Oilers will be looking for? But my question is, why would the Stars consider dealing any of Klingberg, Honka, or Johns for anything less that somebody in the Oilers top 6. They surely don’t need any more defensemen, so what could Chiarelli possibly offer the Stars to get one of those righties?

John Klingberg would be the guy I’d go after. He’s got a very nice Klefbom/Larsson-like contract being signed for $4.25M until 2021/22, he has a history, short albeit, of producing offense, and he’s a rightie! But that would force the Oilers to leave a pretty decent forward unprotected for Las Vegas and Jim Matheson wouldn’t get to keep his beloved Kris Russell 🙁

We know that Edmonton NEEDS to rid themselves of a Pouliot and a Fayne. But there is no way in Sam’s good green hell that Jim Nill is going to take those guys without a helluva sweetener and only $1.8M in cap space.

Would Mark Fayne be the kind of experienced veteran that could calm the Stars blueline corps down a bit? Dan Hamhuis has been scratched one time already but maybe their in the same situation that Edmonton was in before Kris Russell came on board. Perhaps they could just use a couple of veterans to sort things out and calm everything the f*ck down.

Dealing Jordan Eberle would leave the Oilers SEVERELY short-handed on the right side and they’ve got no use for Nugent-Hopkins if their center depth is Seguin-Spezza-Eakins… So ChiaPete would have to really put on his thinking cap for this one.

Best Case Scenario (For me at least): Peter Chiarelli pulls a rabbit out of his ass and finds a way to get Klingberg and Antoine Roussel for minimal damage. Perhaps Pouliot/Fayne/1st rounder/prospects and eating some salary. I’ll just slip away here and see if my NHL 17 will let me make that deal…

What do you think? How do you reckon the Oilers could take advantage of Dallas Stars team that is looking to solidify their defense? Let us know in the comments below!