Tag Archives: Matt Benning

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Oilers Trade Deadline Thoughts and Rumors Heading Into the Final Hours

Here we are, the 2019 NHL trade deadline is upon us and the Oilers could make some big moves but are unlikely to do so. Interim-GM Keith Gretzky’s mandate is to clear cap space NOT make a big splash and Bob Nicholson is overseeing everything like a David Hasselhoff protected beach. Nothing is getting by him.

From what I understand, the following players are being shopped heavily as you read this but according to my sources, the Oilers are likely to be quiet today.

  • Matt Benning
  • Kyle Brodziak
  • Alex Chiasson
  • Zack Kassian
  • Milan Lucic
  • Tobias Rieder
  • Alex Petrovic

Now, the Oilers can offer these players out but that doesn’t mean they’re going to get traded.

I also hear conflicting reports on Kris Russell. Some say there’s no way he’s being moved and I’ve been told there’d been exploratory conversations with Columbus. Probably a summer move if he’s to be traded.

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If Brodziak didn’t have another year on his deal, he’d have been traded already. There are some retirement rumors floating out there. Not sure how legit those are.

Chiasson had been connected more prominently to the San Jose Sharks but then they went ahead and traded for Gus Nyquist. That said, I was told there’s still a small possibility he ends up there. Lowetide mentioned two players yesterday in his blog, Rourke Chartier and Antti Suomela. Both older forwards playing in the AHL at the moment.

I’m still waiting for Vegas to drop the bomb here. They play things tight to the chest but Edmonton was just scouting the Golden Knights recently too… It’d be great for the team if they could bring in Brandon Pirri and Daniel Carr.

Edmonton has been scouting Boston and Chicago A LOT this past month and it would surprise me a little if the Oilers didn’t make a deal with at least one of these teams.

I think that since there are a few more shoes to drop (Wayne Simmonds and Mark Stone namely), players like Chiasson and Kassian are likely to be dealt later in the day or not at all. The Oilers have been really impressed with their work ethic and compete and the team does need bodies on the roster for their game tonight.

https://twitter.com/TheOilKnight/status/1099850072005566464

SPR makes a good point here. The Oilers couldn’t give Kassian away earlier in the year (when he asked out) and now there are quite a few teams knocking on Gretzky’s door asking for Kass. I’m not sure if you want to deal him straight across for Cehlarik mind you but that gets the conversation going, right? Maybe Cehlarik and Zach Senyshyn for Kassian and Matt Benning?

I’ve been told that the fleet-footed Senyshyn can be had as he’s fallen out of favor in Boston to some degree. His development has stalled a bit since joining their AHL affiliate in Providence. But Keith Gretzky was all over that pick when he selected him for the Bruins in 2015 (instead of Matt Barzal, Thomas Chabot, or Brock Boeser…).

Either way, keep a close eye on any transactions coming from the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. If a forward gets called up, that might mean that the Oilers have dealt a forward for picks and/or prospects.

Also, there are going to be a lot of players going on waivers today. We might see Edmonton dip their toes into that pool should the need arise.

JESSE PULJUJARVI

I found the timing of these rumors incredible when I discovered them. Jesse Puljujarvi is in NY getting a second opinion on his banged-up hip at the moment. I would think his agent, Markus Lehto, is there as well. Is it too convenient that these hot takes would get released now?

Lehto has clients in both Boston (Rask) and New York (Pionk)… #Weird

Interesting to read Jimmy Murphy say that the Oilers had been talking with Boston for a couple of months now. How long has Lehto wanted his client moved and has Jesse been dealing with this hip issue since then?

If you remember there was the game vs. Vancouver on January 16th where Puljujarvi only played 6 minutes and a bit of a huff was made over that. Was that the catalyst?

Would you have traded Puljujarvi for Ryan Donato? Or included him in a trade to move Lucic’s contract?

I think there’s a VERY outside chance he’s traded today but I wouldn’t bet on it. The best thing for him now is to get whatever procedure done that needs to be done, rehab, and come back stronger than ever next season either to win a spot on the Oilers or to increase his value enough to have him traded.

Just one last thing on this Puljujarvi mess. For those of you who think that the relationship is too far gone to repair, remember how rocky it got between Jacob Trouba and the Winnipeg Jets. Where there’s a will, there’s a way and you’d be surprised how fast minds change when winning is involved.

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I will say this though, if the Oilers don’t manage to make any more trades, I will view this effort as a fail on their part.

They’ve done well bringing in Gagner and Stolarz but they should absolutely be able to move some of the players I mentioned above to teams looking to add depth for their playoff runs.

Speaking of the runs, congratulations to Josh Currie on scoring his first NHL goal! Atta go to the net and make things happen bud!

So enjoy the day and don’t get too pissy if the Oilers don’t make any moves. Everyone is saying they’ll be quiet but I for one will be hoping they make one notable roster transaction. At least something to really make watching them worthwhile for another 20 games.

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Gagner, Sekera In. Talbot, Puljujarvi Out. Who’s Next?

What. A. Weekend! I was convinced that the Oilers were going to really make a go of it against Pittsburgh, Carolina, and the Islanders but man did they show me how wrong I really was. So much for getting rewarded for hard work eh? Those boys must be absolutely spent mentally. It’s come to the point to where they can’t even get a win when they do the right things…

Well, no need to dwell on that. The Oilers have started the sell-off with a couple of deals. One that I expected very much and the other that I’d heard rumblings of but didn’t actually think it would go down.

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Cam Talbot Gets His Trade

We talked about this WAY back in November, eh?

The recent rumor was that Brian Elliott was going to be the goalie coming back from Philadelphia, but it turned out that the management team lead by Keith Gretzky found a way to get 25-year-old Anthony Stolarz instead and cleared up almost $3.5M in cap space in the process.

Has anybody found out how Chuck Fletcher is going to deal with having Brian Elliott, Michael Neuvirth, Carter Hart, and Cam Talbot on the team?

I approve of this deal because I’m tired of seeing goals being scored on Edmonton in the first few shifts of a game or a period. Not a knock on Dadbot the person because he was a great citizen in Edmonton, but he didn’t want to be there anymore, the Oilers didn’t want him anymore. He’ll be a good mentor and backup for the Flyers.

Another plus to that deal was that Edmonton didn’t have to retain any salary. So good on them for that.

I don’t know a lot about Stolarz. When Bob Stauffer asked Gretzky for the scouting report on this kid, all he could say was that he was big and athletic… Alrighty then. Well, hopefully, the Oilers goalie coach doesn’t get him to leave the top corners open as he has with Koskinen and Talbot.

https://twitter.com/TheOilKnight/status/1096645322510557184

The Return of Samwise

I’d heard whispers of this maybe a month ago and I also remember it hypothetically being brought up on Oilers Now but I never thought it would actually go down. It was widely believed that Ryan Spooner would either be a buyout this summer or he’d be buried in the minors until his contract had expired, Mark Fayne-style.

My belief is that while Sam has still got the mind for the game and his hands are still there, his skating is not. I really think he was brought in for his leadership qualities and to gain a bit of favor with an irate fanbase. There’s nothing like bringing back a fan favorite!

It didn’t take long for him to get up to the 2nd line either eh? Jesse Puljujarvi couldn’t buy a second on the Oilers 2nd PP unit but Gagner gets thrust right into it with Colby Cave and Ty Rattie… If that doesn’t tell you how far Hitchcock’s coaching has fallen, I don’t know what does.

Were These Going to be Chiarelli’s Trades?

We were told that both of these deals were being negotiated for some time before they’d been finalized. So why all of a sudden is Keith Gretzky getting the push from the Oilers media to be the team’s next GM? All he did was say ok.

https://twitter.com/NHLbyMatty/status/1096827711262212098

I think that for the sake of the Gretzky name, Keith should take his name out of the running for the job and stay behind the scenes. Just because he’s got his name on a trade that the Oilers have won and another that is a wash doesn’t mean he’s qualified for the position. And let’s say he does get hired and nothing changes with the performances of the team. You think the fans are angry now… Just wait until they start vandalizing the Gretzky statue outside the arena.

Kretzky can be a very effective member of this team’s management structure without having to be the general manager.

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Who’s Getting Traded Next?

Let’s take a look at some of the Oilers most likely to be moved between now and the deadline. Keeping in mind here that the plan is to clear as much cap space as possible.

  • Alex Petrovic – If not waivers, it sounds like the Pens are interested in him. I don’t think the Oilers will get much back in return. Hopefully, a draft pick but if I were gunning for a prospect, I really like a kid by the name of JS Dea. He’s a small skilled center that doesn’t look like there’s a future for him in Pittsburgh at 24 years old. I think he’d fit seamlessly onto Bakersfield’s roster.
  • Matt Benning – Toronto, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Dallas, and Arizona are teams I’ve heard with interest in the rugged defender. He’s on the IR right now though. Once again, I’m sure a draft pick is the aim but if I could get a player out of these teams, I’d try for these ones,
    • TOR – Calle Rosen (D) – offensive dman who’s lighting up the AHL for the Marlies.
    • MTL – Joni Ikonen (C) – Highly skilled pivot scoring in bunches in Finland. Could be the key to unlocking Puljujarvi?
    • ARI – Nick Cousins (C) – No offensive output but he’s a dedicated 3C who can win draws. Edmonton needs players who pride themselves on their defensive acumen.
    • DAL – Julius Honka (D) – High-risk dman who can move the puck. Has worn his welcome out in Dallas though.
  • Brandon Manning – If the Oilers can find a way to get rid of Ryan Spooner, I’ve got some faith they might be able to do the same with Manning. If not, a waivers he will go!

**EDIT: To make room for Andrej Sekera, Manning was put on waivers for the purpose of assignment. Finally taking some of the power out of Hitchcock’s hands…**

  • Zack Kassian – If there’s a guy who I’d like to see stay, it’s Zack. Maybe he’s changed his mind from before and he feels the same but one has to wonder why he’s getting such a push on McDavid’s line recently if it’s not for a showcasing. I guess Boston has been asking around with regards to his availability.
    • BOS – Edmonton has been watching a lot of Bruins games in the last couple of weeks and I wouldn’t be surprised if a bigger deal was being negotiated but Don Sweeney is all-in this year and they’re younger players are up for grabs. Forwards like Danton Heinen, Anton Blidh, and Peter Cehlarik are available. I know the Oilers have liked Heinen in the past and he’s a player with some zip/speed to his game that Edmonton could certainly use and he did put up nearly 50 points last season.
  • Alex Chiasson – Gretzky said he’d like to keep him because if they traded him the Oilers wouldn’t have enough NHL forwards on the team. So he’s basically given him an NMC unofficially but I think they’ll be getting calls on him. Chiasson is exactly the kind of player teams who plan to go deep into the playoffs acquire. He’s big, he works his ass off, and he’s effective along the boards. Plus he starts off really well with new teams in terms of goal-scoring. No word on who’s interested here. I think Nashville would be though with Austin Watson out. Possibly Montreal as they could use a bit of size on the flanks.
    • NSH – Give me Tolvanen! Just kidding! I don’t see a lot on their roster that would be feasible in terms of a player-for-player trade. So a mid-round draft pick would suffice
    • MTL – Charles Hudon (F) recently went through waivers. I’d have time for him.
  • Toby Rieder – Edmonton is having trouble giving this guy away but I feel like a team who’d like a player who can contribute on the PK might come calling for him on deadline day.

I could probably do the whole roster but I’m going to stop there. Can’t see Manning getting claimed and in my opinion, Kevin Gravel has earned himself a new contract. So that means Petrovic is probably the next shoe to drop folks!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!
Click the image above and get this sweet Leon’s parody shirt!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Fresh Rumors for the New Year!

What a game last night! What have I been saying for nearly two weeks now? The Oilers aren’t getting scoring from the secondary because they aren’t going to the net and they aren’t shooting. What happens vs. Anaheim? They get shots on net and there are players there to clean up the garbage and against a potential Hart Trophy candidate in John Gibson no less.

The boys saved Chia’s ass last night 🙂

Would like to see them limit the other team’s shots on goal mind you. They’re not going to get goaltending like this every night and Anaheim is the 2nd worst scoring team in the league right now. With all of that depth and talent, it’s a shock their GM is even employed.

I’m still upset with Lucic even though he made a great play on Draisaitl’s goal by wallpapering Montour in order to get to the puck first so that he could make the play out front.

Speaking of that goal. The whole thing where he walks past Montour to give him a piece of his mind for the high stick, get’s punched in the head, headlocked, and receives 4 minutes in penalties for it… That was BS but it isn’t what caught my eye.

What I noticed was Montour not even thinking twice about throwing a punch at Lucic. That tells me he’s not feared anymore. Even little Leipsic in LA was giving it back to him.

It might just be time for Milan to hang them up OR he could go on one last tour of destruction. Either way, he’s not fooling anybody on the ice anymore.

I’m not even going to talk about the garbage with the reffing.

That’s a lie, I will for a second here.

Has anybody considered that maybe the league WANTS hitting taken out of the game? So they allow this BS to go on because they’re playing the long game? Take hitting out, no more headshots, no more concussions from hits, no more lawsuits. Plus faster play, more goals, more excitement… Bla bla bla… It’s all dumb because it’s all a lie.

I know for a fact there are some markets in the US that go to hockey games to see if a fight breaks out. I watched minor league hockey in Huntsville, AL (where Talbot played and Woodcroft coached) and the fans there couldn’t have cared less what was going on on the ice until there was a fight. THEN everyone stood up and cheered.

The NHL is looking after itself here. No doubt. I for one hope a new league forms one day that is a call-back to the great days of hockey.

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Anyways, on to the rumors…

I’ve got a hunch that the Oilers have a plan to ice a more veteran-laden lineup for 2019-20. Letting the kids run the show has not worked one bit and that goes back to the days of H.O.P.E (Hall, Omark, Paajarvi, Eberle)… I’ll tie this together at the end to show you.

Bob Stauffer has been talking a lot about the weak draft coming up and how fans would feel if the Oilers used their first rounder in this year’s draft (lottery protected of course) to upgrade the roster.

So on Twitter the other day I threw out a hypothetical trade with the Flyers,

That proposal was only slightly hypothetical and after that performance against Anaheim, I’d be hard-pressed to trade Talbot but I believe the Oilers are interested in bringing Wayne Simmonds to play alongside Connor McDavid. Hitchcock likes having big bodies who are good along the boards and can play net-front, right? Yes, Simmonds is a UFA at season’s end and he’ll be 31 next season but he can still skate, score (on pace for 24 goals this year), and get dirty (53 PIMs).

I’m guessing the Flyers are having a tough time re-signing him and their desperation for a starting goalie is growing stronger by the loss. I am not sure how much money the Oilers would offer him to stay, perhaps just a bit more than he’s making now which is $3.975 million.

What would you offer him? $5.5 million for four years? Three years? How could the Oilers learn from the Milan Lucic debacle but still get their kind of man without developing him from within.

You probably noticed a former 2nd overall pick and 4th overall pick in that trade too. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with Patrick in Philly. He’s not progressing as quickly as they’d like I suppose and he’s been injured quite a bit, but he’s a name I tossed out there to my source and I was told he’d very likely be the ask if Jesse Puljujarvi was included in the deal.

NOOOOOOO!!! DO. NOT. TRADE. PULJUJARVI!

I will not be a very happy Oilers fan if Pulju gets dealt, that much can be said.

A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!

 

Another name that is making the rounds is that of former Edmonton Oilers, Jordan Eberle!

Bob Stauffer brought him up on Friday during his show and I was asked how I felt about the Oilers potentially bringing him in by my source. To me, that says this is a serious consideration from the organization. To add to that, Jordan isn’t having a great time in Long Island since joining the club and I guess his significant other feels the same. They’re looking to go to a smaller market after this year and what better small market than Edmonton, right?

What would you pay Eberle now? He’s on pace for 14 goals right now and those are not numbers worthy of a $6 million player. Would you give him three years at $4 million per? I think I might.

Two other names that have popped up are Charles Hudon of the Montreal Canadiens and Daniel Carr of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Hudon has three goals and one assist in 23 games this year. That’s a stark contrast to what he produced last season (ten goals and 20 assists). He’s on an expiring contract worth 650k and he’ll be an RFA at the end of the year.

Whereas Carr is dominating the AHL right now (15g 20a in 24 gp). He makes 750k this season and is a UFA this summer.

The interesting thing about Carr and Hudon is that they have a history together ripping it up for Montreal’s farm teams in Hamilton and St. John’s from 2014-15 to 2016-17. They’re both high energy players, they’re quick and they play an honest game.

Bonus: Carr is a local lad. Born in Sherwood Park, he played midget in Leduc and junior for the St. Albert Steel.

I imagine Edmonton might try to peddle Matt Benning to Montreal for Hudon and wait to sign Carr in the off-season. \

I’ve also heard Colton Sceviour is a target the Oilers have been watching this year. He makes $1.2 million for two more years after this.

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Tying It All Together

Here’s a potential snapshot of what the Oilers roster COULD look like next year if everything were to go to plan.

Draisaitl-McDavid-Simmonds
XXX (Lee)-RNH-Eberle
Hudon–Patrick-Yamamoto
Sceviour-Khaira-Kassian
Brodziak-Carr/Tanev

I have the Oilers buying out Spooner. It would cost them $1.3 million for two seasons to do that. The alternative is playing him beside RNH and Ebs… Can’t see it though.

Rattie, Gambardella, Rieder are all let go or signed to two-way deals.

There are some tasty UFAs that could hit the market this summer for that LW spot that include Jeff Skinner, Anders Lee, Ryan Dzingel, and Michael Ferland but at what cost? Lee would be awfully nice to have there for $6.5 million or so…

As for that extra forward spot, I think a player like Brandon Tanev would fit in there perfectly. His tenaciousness and work ethic would be very welcome on this team. Similar to Carr in my mind.

There’s also the question of Alex Chiasson. Would the Oilers walk away from his career-high in goals or re-sign him and for how much? I have him gone in my scenario though.

Klefbom-Larsson
Nurse-Russell
Jones-Gravel
Bouchard

Brandon Manning is either bought out as well (916k in year one, 666k in year two) or sent to the minors and I think his cap hit would only be a shade over a million dollars then. I’ve also got Petrovic walking but I feel like they’d prefer to retain him over Manning.

I’m of the belief that the Oilers won’t trade Russell. We’re seeing just how valuable he is to the players on this team. The emergence of Caleb Jones is making me wonder if the team might reconsider trading for a PP QB like Justin Faulk or Tyson Barrie now…

Kevin Gravel has played his way to a new contract in my opinion. He’s been very good when deployed in the correct slot and I hope they keep him.

As for Evan Bouchard, he’ll be too old for the OHL next season. My prediction is that he makes the team out of camp due to him having the best shot and the best passing ability. What concerns me is that his defensive reads and skating aren’t up to par and maybe two months in Bakersfield would do him a lot of good learning under the tutelage of Dave Manson.

Koskinen
XXX (Francouz)

I would see if Pavel Francouz would sign on the cheap here and form the KHL duo. Do you think Mikko Koskinen would sign for $4M?

Now when I said “if everything goes to plan”, that means the following,

  • Lucic is moved with 50% retained and no players come back to Edmonton. (Better case scenario is he retires and forfeits the pay.)
  • Andrej Sekera never plays another game for the Oilers again and it’s off to Ference island for him. That’d be a headache come day 1 of the season each remaining year on his deal though as the Oilers would only be able to dig into his IR cushion after that date.
  • New signings and re-signings take haircuts on their deals.

I’m not getting too in-depth here. I think there are some problems cap-wise with my roster above but I just wanted to give a brief overview of what the Oilers roster COULD look like if the hockey gords shined the good light on Edmonton for an off-season.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section!

PS: Hi Darcy! How’s the wood? Need any shirts done up?

Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!

 

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

Edmonton Oilers: Dead Man (Men?) Walking

Here we are at game three of the 2018/19 season and we’re already into “Must-Win” territory. Is that f*cking insane or what?

The Oilers have lost both of their games so far to teams who are playing very well to start the year. Fair play to Boston and New Jersey could be said and bad luck to Edmonton could also be said.

The New Jersey game was a travesty of an effort but the Boston game was near completely opposite in terms of the compete level and I think Edmonton simply had poor puck luck. Here’s what I mean,

  • Goal #2 for Boston bounces off of Caggiula’s leg through Benning and Talbot – FLUKE
  • RNH hits a post on the PP – Bad Luck
  • RNH hits another post in the 3rd where the puck straddles the goalline – More Bad Luck

In a league where one goal can be the difference between 2pts or no points at all, those three examples gone the other way might’ve meant a 1-1-0 start for the Oilers, not a 0-2-0 start.

Yet, as I awoke today I read that the Oilers are in this “Must-Win” situation and I can agree with it to an extent. The New York Rangers are the least likely team to beat the Oilers this month but usually when Edmonton meets an opponent like that, it’s a closer game than not.

But let’s look at the teams Edmonton will play this month because I think there are flaws in their rosters that the Oilers could bring to light.

  • New York Rangers – New coach, new systems/philosophies, young defense that is vulnerable.
  • Winnipeg Jets – Win the bottom-6 battle. Jets are starting slow w/4pts in 4 games.
  • Boston Bruins – 1 line team. Shut it down for better success. Slow defence.
  • Nashville Predators (2x) – Yikes. Hope that their goalie shites the bed?
  • Pittsburgh Penguins – Pray that Matt Murray is still out by then?
  • Washington Capitals – Win the special teams battle.
  • Chicago Blackhawks – Get McDavid on the ice every time Manning is out there.
  • Minnesota Wild – Take advantage of the Wild’s aging slower roster.

Personally, I think it’s as possible the Oilers could win 5 out of the 9 games here. The Rangers, Wild, Blackhawks, Jets, and Bruins are all teams I could envision Edmonton taking 2 pts from.

The line in the sand sits at 5-5-1 or false .500. Right now the Oilers are 0-2-0, so that means they need to go 5-3-1 for the rest of the month. So here’s to hoping they take some of the monsters they’re about to play to OT a couple of times.

Losing to New York will only pour gas on the fire though…

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Will the Oilers Fire McLellan and/or Chiarelli This Month?

I talked to a friend of mine who used to work with OEG and she said that she’d talked to some people who are still working there and when they went to work today (Friday), it was like walking into a morgue.

Then you have Uber insider Elliotte Friedman saying on Calgary radio and then again on Oilers Now on Friday that it’s tense in Edmonton and everyone is feeling it.

I have said before that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oilers let McLellan go in October and that’s not a new sentiment online. It’s a pretty quaint scenario actually because the Oilers’ schedule gets a bit easier after this month and if they find a way to turn things around, McLellan can be blamed and the new coach praised.

Now should he be fired? I think it’s probably time to at least consider some new blood and I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment but there will be some who think that we’re only 2 games into an 82-game season and this kind of talk is silly. To them, I’d say that they are right except the performances and results are simply a continuation of last season.

There will also be those who think that Katz won’t fire McLellan because he’s got term left on his deal. In the past, I would share those sentiments but we must not forget that after the game in Dallas last year, Katz wanted a coaching change. And it’s probably not a coincidence that Bovada has McLellan as the odds-on favorite to be the first coach axed.

Gregor reported on his show Friday that the players told McLellan in their exit interviews last year that they line shuffling was something that got to them and now he’s also said that Manny Viveiros isn’t running the PP, a job he was brought in to do. McLellan hasn’t really integrated Chiarelli’s new signings into the roster as best as he could either and don’t forget Chiarelli axed McLellan’s long-time assistants over the summer.

Look at that picture closely. I have never attended an NHL practice so maybe this is completely normal but when the coach is speaking don’t you normally look at him? I see more than one player in that pic gazing at the ice and that possibly says something about how the players are taking the coach’s directions. Then again, maybe the players are being lit into. In that case, nobody wants to make eye contact with the aggressor.

Is McLellan’s ego getting in the way? Is he keeping the lines the way they are, like Yamamoto on the 2nd line and Pulju on the 3rd or the d-pairings or the all-lefty PP unit for example, in spite?

See, I’ve always been confused by McLellan’s “earn it” philosophy. Like, how has Matt Benning earned it? Does his play in the first two games of the year tell us that Benning is ready for the season or does it tell us that maybe he should take a game or two to watch from the press box and Jason Garrison given a chance to show what he’s got?

When asked about Puljujarvi, Craig Button echoed that feeling on Gregor’s Friday show.

Strudwick: I believe that Jesse Puljujarvi is where he should be and if he wants to move up he has to earn that, do you see that as well Craig?

Button: In the same breath, has Kailer Yamamoto earned it?

Later on in the conversation Button had this to say,

Yamamoto and Puljujarvi are similar ages, 98 borns. Yamamoto’s resume isn’t even close to Puljujarvi’s. 

Can’t argue with that, can you? The other thing that Jesse has that Yamamoto doesn’t is a shot. Wouldn’t that be a nice thing to give Leon on his right-wing? Someone who can shoot the pill? Yamamoto doesn’t have an NHL-level shot. Yet.

But for some reason, this coaching staff are fully on-board Yamamoto Airlines and have given Puljujarvi the middle seat between the McCrary Twins.

Of course, Button goes on to say how poorly the Oilers have handled Puljujarvi since they drafted him and even mentions him in the same breath as Markus Naslund in the event of a trade. The second person to make such comparison, first being Bob Stauffer earlier in the day.

If you’re not sure about the reference, Markus Naslund was a promising player for the Pittsburgh Penguins but was taking a bit longer to realize his potential. Pittsburgh got impatient and dealt him to the Vancouver Canucks, where he realized his potential to say the least, for a tough guy by the name of Alex Stojanov. The rest is history.

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So what I mean by that is, Yamamoto can play a grinding game because he’s got that mindset instilled into him from playing as the smallest guy on the ice his whole life and having bigger players roughing him up but he can also play a skilled game to compliment top-6 centers. Pulju needs to have skilled linemates who see the ice like him, who’ll give him the puck in stride, and the only place we find those players on the Edmonton roster is in the top-6.Tell me if I’m out to lunch here with this next thought. I see Kailer Yamamoto as the kind of player that you can basically plug and play with many different kinds of linemates and that’s awesome to have that sort of versatility whereas Jesse Puljujarvi needs to play with players of skill.

So Puljujarvi has gone to the minors and played significant amounts of time there in his first two seasons and now he’s getting his first taste of full-time NHL hockey. I’d say he’s “earned it”, no?

How much time has Kailer Yamamoto spent in the minors? Why doesn’t he have to climb the ladder as Jesse did? What is he doing that is so much better than Pulju that he’s not required to go the same route? Draisaitl spent time in the AHL as did Nurse, and Klefbom. It just doesn’t make sense to me other than perhaps they’re waiting for Chiasson to be ready to go before sending Kailer down.

This is the one roster management question I have that bugs the shite out of me. If the Oilers give Jesse the same amount of time with Leon and Milan as they do with Kailer, I can same with near certainty that Pulju will outscore Yamo.

But it all comes back to McLellan, is he listening to his players and doing as they wish or is he just being obtuse?

As for Chiarelli, man has he screwed the pooch the last two off-seasons. Not that he’s been helped by the injury to Sekera this summer but I think he’s safe in that he’s employed not only as general manager but also president of hockey operations. So the Oilers might just remove the GM tag from him and scoot him upstairs.

In my opinion, the playoffs are the only thing saving the jobs of the coaching staff and the management staff this season IF they survive the opening month. It would make the most sense to make the changes in October IF the organization was looking to salvage the season.

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Oilers Updates on Bieksa, Davidson, Lucic, and Who Needs to Step Up in 2018/19.

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I had a nice long chat with one of my North American sources last night and we got talking about everything from the players rumored to be joining the Oilers on a PTO, to Milan Lucic, to Darnell Nurse’s agent, to where The Hockey News has Cam Talbot ranked going into the 2018/19 season.

I’d like to share some of that conversation with you today and I’d also like to comment on a few players who need to step up their game in order for the Oilers to make a return to the playoffs.

*Disclaimer*

What you’re about to read is my interaction with a person I happen to know is close to the Oilers organization. I’m not asking you to believe what you’re about to read nor am I claiming it to be fact. It’s just what I’ve been told and what I have permission to share.

I always tell you to treat this like any other rumor you hear online, like water cooler banter. If it comes true, awesome. If it doesn’t, men…

PROFESSIONAL TRYOUT CONTRACTS

I asked my source about his opinion on the following players and their chances of being asked to come to Oilers camp:

  • Kevin Bieksa – Not their first choice but he IS an option for the Oilers. Toronto likes him as well as another Eastern team. Footspeed concerns the Oilers.
  • Brandon Davidson – Top of the Oilers list. 5 or 6 teams interested. SJ and Vegas in that group. He wants a 2yr deal and has demands that are shortening that list of teams like he wants assurances (and equivalent pay) that he’ll be a top-6 defender.
  • Alexei Emelin – Little interest. Emelin wants a top-4 role but Oilers don’t believe he’s good enough for that and don’t want to gift that to him but may circle back to him depending on what shakes out.
  • Luca Sbisa – Haven’t even discussed Sbisa. Bad wheels.
  • Slava Voynov – He’s been talked about because he IS a good dman. Can move the puck well, has a shot, and has 2 Stanley Cup rings but the Oilers feel that they’d lose a lot of fan support if they did bring him in. From a PR standpoint, it’d be disastrous for him. He’ll probably end up in a place where the fans support isn’t as strong.

I followed that up by asking if the Oilers would try to mend the hole left my Sekera internally and was told players like Ethan Bear, Evan Bouchard, or Joel Persson COULD be brought in to fill the void but in an ideal world none of them make the team. Not unless they blow the doors off of training camp.

They’re (Oilers) not going ot do anything spectacular unless it falls in their laps. They’ll look at a defender for a PTO but that’s about it. Fans expect way too much out of Chiarelli. This is real life NHL. Not NHL on the Xbox. 

My source also passed along that Chiarelli is still looking at Faulk but IF anything happens on that front it’ll be closer to the beginning of the season because of cap implications and LTIR. I was told that PC could’ve acquired Faulk last year for RNH and the brass would’ve understood the move but Chiarelli would’ve been fired this summer had he done it.

CURRENT OILERS

I wanted to switch gears a bit and talk about current Oilers, so we chatted about Jesse Puljujarvi and I was told this;

Management is VERY happy with what Puljujarvi has done this offseason. He is going to have a big year. He’s going to beat out Ty Rattie IMO and take his place beside Connor. 

Glad to hear that the organization is still high on Pulju. I love that kid!

If that prediction does come true, Rattie is S.O.L… And that’s predicated on him making the team out of camp. Something that isn’t guaranteed either…

We then talked about Milan Lucic and I was gifted with some info that shocked me.

The game is changing and fighting is less and less. Looch isn’t a fighter like he once was. He’s trying to get quicker. He really is. He’s just a big boy. 

He was asked to get down to 220lbs for this season and he was nice about it and said he didn’t know if he could but that he’d try.

I believe he’s down to 228lbs now.

That’s not the shocking part. The part that floored me was the answer to when I asked how heavy he was at the end of last season…

I think he weighed around 245lbs. He was a biiiiig boy. That’s a big man coming at you in the corner. 6’3″ 245…

WTF! I can’t wait to see him at training camp. He’ll look so skinny. lol.

Milan is really working on getting his weight down this summer and getting his foot speed up. Apparently, Lucic is in the best shape of his career.

So what is going on with Darnell Nurse I enquired.

His agent, that c*nt, wants 5/6 years at $5.5M per year and Nurse said that he’s cool with $3M per year for two years. 

Nurse is willing to sign right now but his agent is saying that they can get more. 

I asked what my source thought of The Hockey News saying that Cam Talbot was the 4th worst goalie in the NHL heading into 2018 and this was the response:

That’s just cause of last year. I don’t pay attention to that crap. Just bloggers and writers flapping their gums. 

Talbot will have a bounce back year. Koskinen will prove that he belongs in the show. Oilers will be alright. We’re back baby!

I love the enthusiasm! Don’t you! I share that opinion as well. I was watching one of the Oilers wins over Minnesota yesterday and Cam Talbot was making ridiculous saves in that game. That was the one where Draisaitl came down the right wing and whipped it past Dubnyk to win the game for Edmonton.

WHO’S STEPPING UP IN 2018

Cam Talbot – It’s a contract year for Dadbot and the Oilers won’t be going anywhere unless Talbot returns to his 2016/17 form. He’s arguably, apart from McDavid and Leon, the most important player for the team.

To add to that, he’s got Mikko Koskinen breathing down his neck because he’ll want that starting job as well.

Oscar Klefbom – The highest scoring defender on the Oilers last year was Darnell Nurse and he didn’t even hit 30 pts. We need Klef to reach 40pts or more this season and repay some of that patience the fans have shown him.

The Oilers don’t have a PP threat from the point and that’s why I think the PP was so poor last season. Teams simply cut off all of the other options and forced Edmonton to make shite decisions under pressure.

A healthy and confident Oscar Klefbom could be scary.

Matt Benning – Benning is going to be tasked with an increase in TOI this season. Last season he didn’t fare that well with the extra time. I feel like Benning could be a wildcard for PP QB on the Oilers 2nd unit because he’s got a slapshot that was registered at over 100mph last year.

I’d like to see more consistency in his game but being consistently good rather than consistently poor.

I’ve seen Matt Benning absolutely cream opposing players and I want to see more of that.

Ryan Strome – When Strome decided he was going to make an effort at being a better defensive centre and was placed on the PK, a little bit of magic occurred. The Oilers PK got better somehow and Strome gained a bit of confidence.

If Strome never scores 4opts in a season I won’t care but if he can be one of the league’s better PKers and defensive centres, I’ll be so happy for him. I don’t think he’ll ever be a Kadri-like centre but if he can even get close to that for Edmonton in 2018, I think that’ll push the Eberle/Strome trade closer to even than ever before.

Zack Kassian – I’ll always be of the belief that Kassian got “dinged up” after a game 1 fight with Tanner Glass last season and that’s why he couldn’t get back into the groove that we saw the previous year where he was an absolute beast.

We need him to become that beast again. His fearlessness, speed, and physicality are a rare combination of skills in the NHL today and when a player has that and applies it to the forecheck, he/she can be devastating.

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