Good morning hockey fans! As we mentioned yesterday, we’re going to up the content production here! We’ve talked to the fine gents over at The Scoring Touch and they’ve agreed to post some of their daily NHL rumors here at Beer League Heroes!
Now, if you don’t know, The Scoring Touch is the official website of The Puck Report from Instagram and Twitter. They produce some really rad IG graphics and are on the ball NHL news-wise on Twitter as well. You definitely need to give them a follow if you aren’t already!
The plan I have for this new segment is to comment on some of the speculations that are out there from an Edmonton Oilers perspective to try and keep things interesting during this next four-month layoff…
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Today’s edition of the Puck Report Speculation Station features Bruce Boudreau, the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, and more.
Bob Stauffer on 630CHED: “I would expect to see a change in goaltending for the Oilers and at least one change to the defense this off-season. Take that for what it’s worth.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Most are speculating that one of Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, or Adam Larsson will be traded, but personally, I think that would be a mistake and the Oilers should deal Kris Russell in order to A) open up around $4M in cap space and B) to give Caleb Jones a real chance to make the club full-time.
Dan Kingerski: Samuel Poulin is “borderline ready” for NHL hockey next season. The Penguins will likely give him the 9-game trial period and send him back to juniors, if they have room in the lineup for him. Has a 75% chance of making the roster next season.Pierre-Oliver Joseph is basically a lock for the NHL next season, but he probably won’t start in the top six D. The Penguins will need to move out one of Jack Johnson or Juuso Riikola for him to make the lineup regularly. GM Jim Rutherford could also look to add a defensive anchor on the right side.
Terry Jones (Edmonton Journal): “With Oilers GM Ken Holland talking about the flat salary cap, my read was guys like Andreas Athanasiou, Mike Smith and James Neal might not be coming back and raised the possibility of moving one of his top four veteran defensemen not named Ethan Bear. I’d guess Adam Larsson might be available in a semi-major trade.”
BLH’s Thoughts: It’s going to be a real numbers game this off-season that determines what happens with these three players. Smith had some tough nights this past season but he always followed them up with a great performance. I’m not against him being re-signed.
As for Athanasiou, he’s not been good save for one game against the Blackhawks. If Oilers GM Ken Holland can recoup some draft picks for him, maybe a team like New Jersey or Montreal could use him.
James Neal is not a guy I’d move. Bloated salary or not, he’s an experienced vet that is well-liked in the dressing room. Holland would definitely know the value of this kind of player and seeing how things went after moving Sam Gagner, my feeling is that Neal stays for at least one more year and is dangled to Seattle at the expansion draft.
Lance Hornby: There’s talk Bruce Boudreau would consider applying for an assistant GM role – but only if it meant a chance to work with his hometown Maple Leafs. His preference is to explore potential NHL head coach options first before “giving himself a demotion.”
Lisa Dillman, TheAthletic: “The speculation up here is that Ottawa is going to offer the 3rd and 5th overall picks to the Rangers for 1st overall. But I wouldn’t do that.”Graeme Nichols adds he hopes those rumors are unfounded, but it would be a very “Melnyk-esque” deal if it did happen.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’d make that offer. The rumor going around is that the Kings are leaning towards taking Tim Stutzle which means the Rangers could get their franchise center in Quinton Byfield and possibly a future top-pairing defender in Jamie Drysdale if they accepted the trade. I like Alexis Lafreniere but the Rangers have a lot of depth on the wing with Panarin and Kreider on the left and Kakko, Buchnevich, and Kravtsov on the right. They need to build down the middle and on defense. Ottawa needs Laffy.
Winnipeg Sun: Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff says they’ll look to add NHL players to the roster, whether it’s by free agency or trade. Friesen writes a second-line center and a proven top-four defender are must-haves for the Jets to become competitive again. They have the cap space this off-season to do it.
Pierre LeBrun, TheAthletic (subscription required): Former Flyers GM Ron Hextall wants to get back in the GM fold again after being let go by the club a few seasons back. His new advisory role with the LA Kings has re-energized him after what he called a “surprise dismissal” in Philadelphia.LeBrun adds: “It just so happens there’s an opening in Florida, where the Panthers are planning an extensive GM search. It would surprise me if they don’t at least talk to Hextall as part of that process.”
Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice: “For Bryan Little, from the Winnipeg Jets and from me personally, I want his life and health to be great, and if that means he doesn’t step on the ice again then that’s what I want.”Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet reiterates that there will be significant turnover on the Jets’ roster this off-season with all the pending free agents they have. GM Cheveldayoff hasn’t begun discussions yet with Dylan DeMelo on a new contract but says they’ll take a hard look at it.It’s also possible the Jets opt to go big-game hunting, perhaps making a pitch to St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo.
BLH’s Thoughts: If the Oilers are looking to make a big splash, what about restructuring their defense around Alex Pietrangelo? This guy has triplets though. I’d bet there’s a better chance that he stays in St. Louis. What about local boy Colton Parayko though?
Lastly, I got a DM late LATE last night and it said that last week there was a massive brawl in the bubble amongst the Calgary Flames. I was told that Milan Lucic and an unnamed Flames veteran was at the center of all of it (sound familiar Oilers fans?)…
Also mentioned was during Chiarelli’s last year in Edmonton, he was looking at bringing in Scott Hartnell to “reign in Milan”.
It’s all unsubstantiated and hearsay and I’m glad that Milan is finding some success in Calgary, but maybe Mr. Lucic isn’t the saint that some painted him out to be. He had some issues in Boston during his time with the Bruins there I’m told from my sources out East.
Is it possible the bubble isn’t as tight as everybody thinks…
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It’s done. They said he couldn’t be moved with that contract. They said that since Toronto included a 1st rounder to move a single year of Patrick Marleau’s contract, that Edmonton would have to do even better than that! They were wrong!
Milan Lucic is no longer an Edmonton Oiler and Ken Holland moved the unmoveable. He traded four years of Lucic’s toxic deal only having to eat a bit of salary and include a conditional 3rd rounder! Between him and Brad Treliving, they got Lucic to waive his NMC and what have I always said about no-movement clauses or no-trade clauses? They can always be waived…
All Hail Holland! (A.H.H!)
I feel a modicum of relief. Now, I suppose all that’s left is to find out what happens to my favorite Finn (Please come back, Jesse!).
On that note, if you listened to Ken Holland’s media call yesterday, you might’ve heard him comment on Puljujarvi, these are his words on the matter,
I’ve got one outstanding situation with the Jesse Puljujarvi situation that I have to decide what I’m going to do. Whether I decide I’m going to trade him or whether I decide there’s nothing that makes sense and then he needs to make a decision on what he wants to do for this upcoming season…
So, nothing new there. I do wonder though if Holland knows how to pronounce Pulju’s name or if he’s mispronouncing on purpose… Chiarelli couldn’t say it either. Weird.
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The Trade
I’m not going to point out all of the statistics and whatnot. There are far better writers out there that have already done that. I’ll just say that I’m on board with the trade so far. Hopefully, Edmonton ends up paying the Flames that conditional third-rounder. I really want Milan to make a race of it though. If he scores 15 for the Flames, then Neal best be scoring 25 for Edmonton.
Did you find it hard to be surprised when the trade came through? I didn’t. I mean, that rumored trade had been out there for a ridiculous amount of time, right? It was inevitable I felt plus, I had a bit of insider help.
I think something could go down as early as tomorrow with the #Oilers. I don't know how big or how small, but the chatter has picked up a bit behind the scenes.
— B.L.H. (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast) (@BeerLeagueHeroe) July 18, 2019
I guess it surprised the blue checkmarks out there who thought Brad Treliving was smarter than that, but to the Flames GM’s credit, if Calgary makes the playoffs and Lucic is a force, this will be one gamble that could pay off at least for one year.
I do have one more concern though that isn’t financially related for the Flames. Their coach has never had a player who racks up as many PIMs as Lucic does. So I’m curious, how is he going to deploy this player and use him to his team’s advantage?
As for Neal, it’s great that everyone is jacked to see him on the team and I’m really looking forward to this player. I also reckon that Neal has some flaws that will drive not only fans crazy but his teammates too.
You see, James Neal can embellish things a bit from time to time, he likes to throw cheap shots, and he’s got a “strong personality”, which is media talk for, “he can be a dick”. Why else would he be on his fourth team in four seasons if there weren’t some attitude issues? These character flaws will need to be addressed early so as to prevent him from repeating last season’s production and another dressing room distraction.
On the other hand, isn’t it nice to be on the other side of a “bad shooting percentage” trade and doesn’t it feel like Holland is undoing the damage that Chiarelli did in short time too?
Chia deals Caggiula, Holland signs Archibald
Chia deals Eberle, Holland trades for Neal
Chia deals Strome, Holland signs Haas (this one might be a stretch…)
All that’s left is to see what the Oilers GM does to undo the Taylor Hall trade. The summer of 2020 can’t come fast enough, can it? (Hall might be heading to the open market then…)
I’ll say this though, I was 100% on board with the signing of Milan Lucic and the day after he was brought on board in 2016, I wrote this,
I remember all those years ago when we’d bitch and moan that we didn’t have a guy like Milan Lucic on the team. Now we do and I can’t be happier. To put it in context, I’m as happy that Lucic is an Oiler as the fanbase was sad that Taylor Hall was traded. Honestly, it’s game f*cking on in Oil Country and I truly hope that the rest of the teams in the NHL are ready for the juggernaut that is about to roll through the league come October.
Three seasons later… Egg on my face. I’ll wear it though as these things happen.
Is it James Neal and Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall now?
That said, even after his first year and a half with the Oilers, who could’ve REALLY guessed that his game would fall off that badly. Yes, there was a pocketful of Twitter analysts who predicted that he’d decline in the latter years of his deal, but I’ve yet to find one that said he would after one and a half seasons.
Milan left us with some good memories though, right?
My, how the tide has turned now. Maybe we’ll see Smith v. Lucic II at some point next season. Whatever you want to say about Looch, he always showed up for the Battle of Alberta and somebody was going to be left bloody.
Addressing the Hole Lucic Leaves Behind
I asked a source of mine how he felt about the trade and he said, “I’m good with it.” So, I followed that up by asking what his feeling was now that Matt Tkachuk had some muscle behind him and I was told, “I’m not worried.” This got me wondering if the Oilers would address the toughness that was leaving down the QE2 to Calgary and the name Pat Maroon came to mind. So I enquired, the message to me was that the Oilers WOULD be addressing that but it probably wouldn’t be with Pat Maroon and it probably would be via trade. I know that in the Oilers Now coverage of the trade that Bob Stauffer had mentioned that the Oilers could bring in a guy making 700k to fill that need…
On the other side of the fence, I happened to speak to another gentleman with some deep connections and he said that he couldn’t foresee the Oilers doing anything on the “toughness” front. Mentioned that they already have JJ Khaira and Darnell Nurse to take care of that stuff.
So pontificate away Oilers fans! Who do you think Ken Holland would bring in to play limited minutes and offer some heavyweight physicality?
I know he probably wouldn’t be universally praised, but what about a guy like Auston Watson? My favorite would probably be Miles Wood because that boy can play as well as chuck Knucks. Sam Bennett and Josh Anderson aren’t that far off either as ideal additions to the team.
Funny thing is, they probably don’t need to add anyone in that role. As mentioned above, Nurse and Khaira find themselves in the heavyweight division already, right? So I could see them NOT doing anything about that too.
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Lucic’s Parting Shot at McDavid?
In an interview with George Johnson over at NHL.com, Milan Lucic made a comment regarding the leadership of the Flames,
“This is a bit more of an older team, with an older captain, which I had in Boston with Zdeno (Chara). Gio is coming off his best year, winning the Norris Trophy – and deservedly so. That’s a great starting point for any team.” (source)
“With an older captain”… What’s that supposed to mean? Why would he bring that up? It seems like Milan is preferable to a team with older leadership with this comment. Does Lucic believe that there’s no real leader in the locker room and that the big three of Connor, Leon, and Darnell are doing as they like and leaving the rest of the team to pick up the pieces? Maybe Lucic couldn’t handle the leadership role he was given as he was used to playing backup to guys like Chara or Kopitar.
Kinda seems like nothing has changed over the years if that’s the case. The team giving the kids the keys to the city, I mean. And in the future, I don’t think we’ll ever hear Looch going on Edmonton radio and complaining about the youngsters partying a bit too much when he was in Edmonton though…
I’ve always been of the belief that the Oilers need older players on the team that can play still so that the younger players have someone to look up to and to learn from within the locker room. There’s only so much the Oilers alumni can do from the owners box to help…
So, there’s still room for improvement but I want to propose to you a different forward configuration where Tippett plays the big boys in their natural positions and gives the wings a shuffle. Defense/goaltending remain the same as above.
Neal-McDavid-Kassian
Nygard-Draisaitl-Chiasson (Puljujarvi if he re-signs)
Granlund-RNH-Archibald
Khaira-Haas-Gagner
*Cave
Bringing Neal is allows the team to at least try this tactic without disrupting the line-up drastically. It’s probably a bit too much TOI for Chiasson, but I do like that 2nd line if Jesse comes back, and spare me the “earn it” cries, please. Been there, done that. One has to do what’s best for the team when it comes to the standings at some point.
What do you think? Is this a roster that can compete for a playoff spot now? Let us know in the comments below!
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We’re going to talk about the recent Oilers rumors making their rounds briefly and then move on to take a look at how the Oilers draft would look like if we used Steve Kournianos’ 2019 NHL Draft Report to make the Oilers selections at this year’s NHL entry draft.
THE RUMORS
Corey Perry is the latest to come up and if Anaheim can’t find him a new home via trade, the talk is that they’ll buy him out. Now, I wouldn’t mind having the former Hart winner on the team because he’s an epic shit talker and you never know when you’ll need someone to concuss a goalie or pick on a rookie? But if he’s going to cost the Oilers anything more than $2M, I don’t think I’m interested. The Oilers ARE trying to get faster right?
Nikita Zaitsev has the same agent as Pavel Datsyuk and we know who the former Red Wing’s GM used to be right? It’s the Oilers new GM, Ken Holland. I don’t believe there’s much to this Dreger rumor and Friedman basically shut it down on Oilers Now yesterday morning. Edmonton’s defense is full at the moment, why would they be looking to add another overpaid option and weaken their leverage? I mean, are the Leafs looking to add some functional truculence to their team? In that scenario, let’s talk.
Would you rather have James Neal, Loui Eriksson, or Milan Lucic? For me it depends. Would I rather have someone who can score, help out on the PK, or address my puck possession numbers? Neal will kill on defensively but he’s not that old and he is still a bit of a pest at times. Lucic can’t score but he doesn’t kill you in the fancies. Whereas Eriksson will offer some veteran guidance to the younger players on the team, but not much more than what Lucic is giving you production-wise, apart from the puck not dying on his stick.
The fact of the matter is, Milan Lucic has gone to management THREE SEASONS IN A ROW and has made it known that he wouldn’t stand in the way of a trade… That followed an incident in Calgary that involved some alcohol and him breaking his leg thus making him ineligible to play in the final Battle of Alberta of the season and subsequently the one game where Connor McDavid gets hurt… I think that’s a poor display of leadership from someone who was brought in to bring just that to the locker room.
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THE DRAFT ANALYST’S 2019 NHL DRAFT REPORT
The 2019 NHL Entry Draft is just around the corner and I’ve got a plethora of draft guides sitting on my desktop and in my tablet just waiting to be utilized. So I thought a good idea might be to use the picks from each guide’s rankings to perform the draft for the Edmonton Oilers.
Check out the previous articles written in the 2019 series below:
Now, some guides don’t have enough players ranked to do the entire draft, so we’ll just have to do with rounds one to four in that case, but for the rest that do have enough, I’ll lay them out for you and give you the best brief reports on those players that I can. I haven’t watched all of the players and therefore I’ll be forced to go with reports from other publications and my own digging about to get a good idea on them in order to present it to you.
Today we’re going to use one of the most affordable draft guides available, The Draft Analyst’s 2019 NHL Draft Report. You can find it for the low low price of $5 right here. What will you find in this guide? Let’s let the Draft Analyst himself, Steve Kournianos, tell you,
The Draft Analyst’s 2019 NHL Draft Report is now complete. Inside you’ll find 249 player profiles that take an in-depth look at every prospect’s skills, strengths and weaknesses. Also included are rankings for both first-year eligibles and draft overagers, as well as the most detailed NHL team previews around! Find out what each club is doing right, doing wrong or in some cases, not doing a thing! Each team’s top prospects are listed by position, as well as immediate draft needs and the players they should target to address each one.
Want more? How about a two-round mock draft, top-25 rankings by position and a detailed breakdown of the draft order. I’ve also added a Top-31 ranking for the 2020 NHL Draft. There’s no better guide to have in your hands as NHL teams run through pick after pick. Don’t miss out on one of the most detailed draft primers on the market.
For $5 there’s no way you can go wrong with the amount of content you’re getting. Steve is an independent scout and you’d be doing a massive service to him and his efforts by grabbing his draft report. For the price of a Big Mac meal, you won’t regret it and you’ll be healthier for it!
The Oilers have the no.8, 38, 85, 100, 162, and 193 picks in the draft. This is who The Draft Analyst has ranked at those numbers.
At this point, you’ve probably heard everything there is to hear about “Goal” Caufield. The comparisons to DeBrincat are a tad shallow I feel. Sure, they’re small and they score goals but I think that Caufield is a bit better off the puck than DeBrincat is. The way that Caufield finds the areas on the ice where he can pull the trigger is really reminiscent of how Brett Hull used to do it. The other thing I like about this little fella is that he’s pretty effective at digging the pucks out of corners and finding an open teammate. I don’t reckon he’ll be winning and Selke trophies anytime soon but nobody cared about Hull’s 200ft game when he was scoring 70 goals a season and Cup-winning goals.
Put him on a line with McDavid or Draisaitl (or both) and the Oilers will reap the benefits.
I have to agree with Kournianos here. Boldy is already gone in his rankings, as is Turcotte, Podkolsin, and Zegras. So I’ll take the next best thing in my books, the scoring specialist. It might be fair to wonder about the choice mind you, the Oilers do have Kailer Yamamoto, who is the same size, coming along and there’s been no definite decision made on Jesse Puljujarvi yet. I simply feel that if all the other options are off the board, you take the goal-scoring specialist.
He’s a bull in a China shop folks. When’s the last time you saw Edmonton draft and develop a proper old-school power forward. I’m not talking about the days when Cameron Abney and Mitch Moroz were picked and no disrespect to Abney and Moroz, but Poulin is much more of a player than those gentlemen.
As I watched Poulin at the U18s, I noticed how responsible of a player he is defensively. Having an NHLer for a father has paid massive dividends with regards to Poulin’s hockey IQ and awareness. He’s not the fastest but he knows where to go and the best way to arrive at his destination. You’d think for a man of his size he’d lack in the finesse dept. but not Poulin. He’s got a good set of soft mitts on him and he can dangle.
I’ve watched Albin Grewe be a complete non-factor in games and I’ve seen him take over games as well. This is a player who is as feisty and pesky as he is skilled. He could very well be the next elite pest and we might be saying his name in the same breath as the Brad Marchands or Claude Lemieuxs of the world.
Grewe will blow past you, deke your D partner out of his jock, create a scoring chance, and then wallpaper your teammate in the corner chasing the loose puck. You have to keep our head on a swivel and be mindful of when he’s on the ice or you might just find yourself counting sheep.
It sounds like Grewe is the next coming of Cam Neely or something, right? He’s pretty dangerous but the way I see him is that he’s a throwback player with modern skills. He’d be the next Esa Tikkanen if the Oilers drafted him sans the Tikkanese.
The feather-lite Berka is best described as a gamble that could pay off massively should his development plan succeed. He is a dangerous player on the ice at all times as he loves to play inside the dots. His motor runs high at all times and you’ll never question his work ethic.
Berka’s wrist shot is hard and accurate, and he likes to use it off the stride.
Pinto is a really smart player that can see the way a play is developing before it does. His wrist/snap shot is pro-ready, he’s got the strength, hockey IQ, and positional flexibility that coaches at the next level will really love.
He’s not the most physically engaging player, but he doesn’t shy away from it. He could probably work on his defensive awareness in his own zone. I reckon he’d be a good pick for the Oilers as he’s pretty much flown under the radar until recently, I feel like with his size and toolbox, he could turn out be at the very least a depth scorer and at best, a two-way middle-6 forward. Edmonton could use as much depth as possible.
No. 100 – David Karlstrom – C – 6’1″ 187lbs – AIK U20 (SuperElit) – 41gp 9g 11a 20pts
Karlstrom is your standard 3rd line checking forward. He works his butt off and plays a very honest blue-collar game. He’s pretty average at everything sans his wrister, which is actually quite powerful and accurate.
BLH’s Pick: Dustin Wolf – G – 6’0″ 156lbs – Everett (WHL) (ranked 106th)
Half of my prospect covering super duo, Max (@TPEHockey), had this to say about Wolf at the beginning of the season,
Wolf’s game is highlighted by his technical play that is common with a lot of upcoming high-level goaltenders. Every movement is calculated and crisp. He doesn’t panic when out of position and makes a recovery using his skating ability and edges. Wolf is a butterfly goaltender and makes a lot of his movements on his knees. He’s good at sealing the ice which prevents him from opening up holes when moving.
Another quality to his game is his puck tracking and vision. Screens and tipped shots don’t phase him since often a shot is taken through a screen and Wolf can easily find it and pick it out of the air.
The hits on Wolf are his size and ability to take up the net. He measures in at about 183cm (6’0”) which is under the expected height for a top goaltending prospect at 188 (6’2”). This doesn’t combine well with his lack of aggressiveness. Wolf relies a little too much on his lightning quick reflexes and could come out of his net more to take away space. Although this isn’t a huge issue as it’s something he could easily fix as he progresses his game.
One of the reasons I really like this player is his ability to handle the puck. Watching the Oilers offensive attack die on the vine because they’ve attempted to dump it in only to see the goalie stop it and make a counter play, it’s made me really appreciate how much skill it takes to handle a puck for a goalie. To add to that, Wolf put up comparable stats to Ian Scott (Prince Albert) but because Everett wasn’t as deep (read: successful), he lost the WHL Goalie of the Year to Scott.
I know that Edmonton has Skinner, Wells, Starrett, and Rodrigue in the system, but none of those netminders have the hands and calmness that Wolf has. I’m not sure I see Wells and Starrett as long-term members of the Oilers as it is.
No. 162 – Simon Jellus – C – 6’2″ 194lbs – Lulea U20 (SuperElit) – 35gp 12g 15a 27pts
Kournianos is the only person who has a report on Jellus in the draft guides I’ve covered so far. So really, all I’ve got to go on is what The Draft Analyst says with the young Slovak, which is thus,
An inventive playmaking center with size and strength who shows flashes of dynamism.
Jellus is crafty and creative with the puck, using a series of moves and tricks to get himself inside for a clean look at the net. Jellus is a very good set-up man who looks to involve the entire five-man unit into the attack.
Jellus is a heady player who keeps his eyes open and looks over his shoulder quite a bit, even when moving quickly up ice. He has excellent speed and strong balance, with little to no regard for traffic no matter how thick the wall of opponents at the line may be.
BLH’s Pick: Jackson Lacombe – D – 6’1″ 171lbs – Shattuck (HS-MN) (ranked 164th)
The Eden Prairie native is a fantastic skater with the silky mitts who models his game after Shea Theodore (VGK). Lacombe is an intelligent puck mover and an adaptable defender. Meaning, he can read situations quite well and he’s not all gung-ho offense all of the time. He knows when to go and when to stay back. He used to be a forward, so he has those scoring instincts ingrained into him hence the gaudy point totals.
This puck-moving defender played for Shattuck St. Mary’s High School program last season and racked up 89pts in 54 games. He did play five games for the Chicago Steel (USHL) but didn’t manage to put up any points. Apparently, Lacombe would’ve played more if not for an injury. According to Hockeyprospect.com, he should spend the year playing in the USHL next year and then move on to the Univ. of Minnesota.
I wonder long-term if we’re looking at a player who will find himself being compared to Cale Makar, Thomas Chabot, and Shea Theodore due to his outstanding mobility and edgework?
Washkurak is your typical short-statured hard-working grinder. He’s a smart player who knows where to go with and without the puck. He’s the kind of player that teammates love having on their squad because he goes to battle for them. Problem is, his skating isn’t great and he’s not that skilled. His ceiling is a 4th-line role player if he makes it to the NHL.
For me, I really think that these players can be found as free agents and that using a draft pick on them is a bit of a waste with the way the league is trending.
BLH’s Pick: Jonathan Brinkman – W – 5’11” 165lbs – Aalborg (DEN) (ranked 204th)
Brinkman is considered Denmark’s premier u18 prospect. He’s fast, intense, tenacious, gritty, elusive, and his shot and release are both lightning quick. I look at players like Michael Grabner and Marcus Sorenson, for example, and I think that taking a shot at Brinkman in the 7th round has very little risk and quite a bit of upside. I think the Oilers’ plan is to get faster and more skilled and Brinkman is both of those.
What do you think of those selections? Let us know in the comments below!
Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!The Vegas Golden Misfits are going to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018!!! Love ’em or hate ’em it’s an amazing story and this is one punk rocker’s way of giving tribute! Click the pic above and get yours today!
It’s time to get into the #AskBLH mailbag one more time! This is where you ask me any question you’d like and I give you my honest answer. Topics might simply be centered on the Edmonton Oilers, but I encourage folks to step outside that box and ask me whatever is on their minds.
Now, I hope to get around to everybody who sends me their question, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. In that case, I will do my best to get back to you on the ol’ Twitter machine.
THE MAILBAG!
@dashate24 asks: Why do we want to trade Lucic for a more useless player?
Good question my friend! I think it’s just a matter of giving guys a fresh start in other markets. What I’m wondering is why the Oilers are the ones having to sweeten the deal if the Canucks are the ones who really want Lucic?
@AhmedMayta asks: Realistic free agents Oilers should target?
You know what Ahmed? I think it’s going to be really hard to gauge this until we know what the roster is going to look like the night before Canada Day. I would say they should go after players like Dan Carr, Brandon Pirri, Joonas Donskoi, and Brian Elliott, but if they find a way to clear up some cap space by trading some of their bigger tickets, that changes things. You might see them go after players like Gus Nyquist, Marcus Johansson, or Anton Stralman then.
@adnacOilGhost asks: You replace Bob Nicholson as CEO, what’s the very first thing you do?
Oh! I like this question. I’d make it as affordable as possible to go to regular season games for everyone. Bringing down the prices on healthier food options would be a must for me. I’d do what it takes to make the in-game presentation one that rivals that of Vegas’ or Nashville’s. The fan experience is really important to me, so I’d try to maximize that potential the most.
I enjoy anarchy a bit, so I’d also give media passes to the Oilers bloggers out there who pass my rigorous interview process.
As for the team itself, I’d encourage my GM to expand the scouting team as much as possible. I feel like teams really skimp out here. I want scouts everywhere, including Asia. I’d be having hockey camps all over the world promoting the brand and keeping an eye out for talent.
@dashate24 asks: Is it possible that Poolparty (Puljujarvi) gets an offer sheet at $2M x 4 years, and if he does, do we take the 3rd rounder?
I’d match it. JP at $2M for four years would be an amazing contract.
@ArchivistSports asks: What do you think JP will do this June/July?
I think he’ll head home and resume his off-ice training and participate in his annual charity games. Whether he comes back in September or not, we’ll have to wait and see on that.
@Tusen_bitar asks: Why and when you have chosen Oilers?
I was born in 1980, so one might consider me to have been born into the Oilers. My father tells me stories of cheering for Edmonton when I was a very young lad during their Cup dynasty days but I don’t really remember much about that.
As I got older I gravitated towards the Red Wings because of Yzerman/Coffey/Federov and the Penguins for Lemieux/Jagr/Coffey in the early 90s. I liked Peter Forsberg and the Avs for a while and also the Maple Leafs when Curtis Joseph was playing net for them too.
But I always had the Oilers in my back pocket. It wasn’t really until they started to get really bad as to when I ramped up my interest in the team and I simply haven’t found a reason to not cheer for them since then.
@OilDoug asks: What happens with Lucic this offseason. Stay? Go? What comes back?
He gone. What comes back for him? Who knows? It sounds like a player who needs a change of scenery like Milan.
@LonnbergMari asks: If Leavins is right and part of the team just doesn’t want to play with him, what should a smart gm do? Resign or trade and in either case, just hope for the best?
I’m torn on this. Aren’t we sick of the locker room cliques on this team yet? If Holland believes there’s still something in Jesse, he could sit down those guilty of alienating Jesse and give them a stern grilling. Then at the same time, sit Pulju down and tell him it’s time to grow up and that we don’t always work/play with people we like.
But if things are simply too broken, he would find a way to move him and get a good like-aged player in return. My fear in this scenario is that Jesse hits his stride on another club and the Oilers get burned though.
When it’s all said and done though, the players have a job to do, so they should go and do it.
— B.L.H. (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast) (@BeerLeagueHeroe) June 11, 2019
THE 2019 NHL ENTRY DRAFTS 1ST AND 2ND TEAM ALL-STARS by Keith Fries
With this article, I thought it’d be fun to try and construct all-first and all-second teams for this year’s draft-eligible prospects.
Keep in mind that I went with the player’s primary position.
All-First Team
LW – Matthew Boldy/C – Jack Hughes/RW – Kaapo Kakko
LD – Bowen Byram/RD – Moritz Seider
LG – Spencer Knight
A forward line made up of Boldy, Hughes, and Kakko would likely be nicknamed, “Goals and Grit.”
While Hughes maybe is more on the “goals” side than the grit one, there’s no doubt that he’s flanked by some rough riders with skill. We know of Kakko’s explosive offensive abilities, but Boldy also shows a propensity to score. All three are great puck movers. Speaking of which, there’s Byram whose bread and butter is getting the puck out of his own zone. Playing alongside the physically imposing Seider would make those breakout rushes much easier for Byram. Once the puck enters the offensive zone, both defensemen have the ability to jump into the play as a fourth-forward. In their own zone, Seider is the more reliable defender of the two and is helped in net by arguably one of the best goaltending prospects of all-time. Knight, who some would say has franchise potential, doesn’t need much help in front of him to be the brick wall that he is.
This starting line-up certainly helps, though, but even if playing with an All-Worst Team, Knight would find ways to make his squad seem competitive.
All-Second Team
LW – Peyton Krebs/C – Alex Turcotte/RW – Cole Caufield
LD – Philip Broberg/RD – Victor Soderstrom
LG – Dustin Wolf
Krebs, Turcotte, and Caufield would not only be a hell of a trio, but could legitimately be one of the best power play units, in history.
Krebs’ distribution game is off the charts, and with his smart reads and calculated timing, could dish out some beautiful primary assists to either Caufield or Turcotte. We know Caufield is arguably the best sniper in his entire draft class, but Turcotte’s shooting stroke is just as pretty and just as effective. While he may be more of a playmaker, like Krebs, Turcotte has the kind of slick mitts that you want in a centerman to either set up his linemates or finish with a remarkable shot. On the back end, they’re flanked by two highly-skilled Swedish-born defensemen, Soderstrom and Broberg. While Soderstrom handles more of the defensive duties – sound play in his own end, moving the puck along the boards, or manning the point, Broberg is able to jump into the rush with his lightning quick speed and heads up play. The two would make a formidable pairing, with a complimentary skill set. An argument could be made about who slots in at goaltender, here – possibly Ilya Konovalov or Mads Sogaard – but there’s no argument in my mind. Wolf has been lights out since debuting in the WHL in 2017 and has received nothing but criticism along the way – all because of his undersized frame. His IQ, compete level, and maturity are all well beyond his years.
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How’s everybody’s week going? Since the Oilers haven’t fired someone from the Old Boys Club nor have they hired some ex-coworker of Ken Holland’s or Dave Tippett’s, it’s a tad slow. So let’s pick that up a bit.
Lots of pundits are talking about how the Oilers defense is going to be “transformed” this off-season, most notably speaking on this is Bob Stauffer. But the catch is, some mad contracts will have to be moved and I don’t think I have to beat around the bush as to who those players will be.
Kris Russell and Andrej Sekera have often been talked about over the previous three seasons as defensemen that will have to be traded at some point simply due to the amount of money they make. It’s my understanding that the more likely of the two to be moved is Kris Russell. Ken Holland LOVES his veterans and Andrej Sekera is a VERY respected member of the Oilers’ locker room.
The days of “When in doubt, off the glass and out” are coming to a close and since that (and blocking shots) is Rusty’s bread and butter, I would say we might not be seeing him in an Oilers uniform in 2019-20.
He won’t be the only contract moved mind you. Contrary to what the media is saying in Edmonton, I think Milan Lucic finds a new home. He’s wanted out for two seasons now and I do reckon Holland finds him a fresh opportunity.
But how will they do it? My best bet is that they’ll package draft picks and prospects with those contracts. What prospects and draft picks? I’d hate to see them do it, but perhaps Jesse Puljujarvi will go with one and one of Caleb Jones, William Lagesson, Ethan Bear, or John Marino might go with the other.
I’ve been told that if there’s a team that would like to move a centre, Edmonton might move their 2nd round pick. I guess the Oilers are looking to upgrade their 3C position for the foreseeable future. Out of these centres, who I believe to be available, which ones would be fair compensation for a 2nd round draft pick?
Erik Haula (VGK)
Nick Bjugstad (PIT)
JT Miller (TB)
Nazem Kadri (TOR)
Viktor Rask (MIN)
Now, of course, some of those players would cost more than a 2nd rounder, but I do wonder about teams like Vegas, Toronto, and Tampa because they are in dire straights with regards to their cap. Is this the year you really go hard after Kadri because his relationship with his team and fanbase probably couldn’t be any lower? He’s a 30-goal man and he can fill in at 2C… He’s also a mega-pest and for me, I’d gladly accept the odd bad penalty for a player of his ilk.
Yakimov Staying Home
F Bogdan Yakimov has accepted Severstal Cherepovets' qualifying offer, and will remain with the club for next season. #Oilershttps://t.co/mTxOExAy2Z
According to a source of mine, Bogdan Yakimov will sign with the Oilers for 1-year soon. Of course, this could all change. As I always say, but as of right now, I’ve got two sources on this and they’re both in alignment with each other. If it does come to fruition, I don’t think this will be a two-way deal. Can you see Yakimov coming all the way from Russia without a guarantee to be playing in the NHL?
To add to that, there’s probably a good chance that Severstal Cherepovets offer was much better than the one Edmonton was offering anyhow.
So my source was out to lunch on this one. It happens. But then again, maybe they had the right info but things changed. I try not to go all=in on things that are passed on to me because the majority of the time, things do, in fact, change. Hence the disclaimer.
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The BLH Mailbag
@StillAStyxFan asks: With Yakimov resigning in the KHL, do you think that the Oilers dodged a bullet by not having him in the lineup?
Possibly. He wasn’t really putting up great numbers in the KHL and he was on three teams last year. Not the kind of indicators that scream “NHL PLAYER”, right? But on the other hand, he’s a lot more skilled than Kyle Brodziak.
@AhmedMayta asks: Who are your most likely candidates to be brought on as assistant coaches to Mr.Tippett?
Tough call Ahmed. I’ve been watching this cat and mouse game between the Oilers and all of the hockey pundits covering the team and nobody has really been on the ball. Lots of folks are talking about Jim Playfair and Mark Lamb (nobody going to make the obvious Old Boys Club comment here?) joining, some in Philly are saying Dave Hakstol (although that’s been shut down recently).
I’m not as convinced that Tippett and the Oilers will go with an ex-coworker here. Scott Gordon did really well with the Flyers after Hakstol was let go and Jim Matheson speculated that he had an interview in Edmonton. Same with former Kings coach, John Stevens. Would Ray Whitney come back (insert Old Boys Club comment here) and re-join his former coach in Arizona? What about Doug Weight?
My feeling is that they’ll spare no expense in getting this right though.
@lowdee19 asks: What does the Oilers top 6 forwards look like going into the season?
Good Question Low Dee! I think it’ll look something like this:
Draisaitl-McDavid-Kassian
XXX-RNH-XXX
HA! Easy, right? To me, it would make sense to slot Jesse Puljujarvi in a 2RW. He’s older, wiser, more experienced, healthier, and is on the verge of busting out. The new coach would be smart to give him a try with Nuge and a free agent signing/trade (Loui Eriksson/Ryan Dzingel/Micheal Ferland?). It wouldn’t shock me if Tyler Benson made a case for that 2LW spot though, I just reckon he could use a bit more time in Bakersfield.
But let’s say that Benson does make the team and Edmonton needs to use Pulju as a sweetener to move a contract out. Well, that opens up the 2RW spot and I think there would be a few candidates out there to fill that hole like Gustav Nyquist, Joonas Donskoi, and Brett Connolly.
@ArchivistSports asks: ur fav Oilers memory of all time?
I’ve always been a fan of the underdog and the late 90’s Oilers that went to battle with the powerhouse Dallas, Detroit, and Colorado teams created a lot of impressionable memories with me but this game here is probably one of my favorites.
@nick_gon_jinn asks: Do you think we would go after Haula? If yes, what would we have to give up for him?
I think the Oilers go after him, for sure. The cost might be one of Edmonton’s B-grade prospects or a draft pick, something around the 3rd-5th round. Vegas has to make room for Cody Glass next season as well as re-sign Willliam Karlsson, so they won’t have the leverage in this one. That said, Kelly McCrimmon is a pretty savvy negotiator, so we won’t know until we do.
@24Barons asks: How is Connor’s rehab going? Any lingering effects or concerns with him being 100% when camp opens?
I haven’t heard much on this front recently. As for lingering concerns, I think there’s always a chance that things could regress. The knees are an area of the body you don’t want buggered up if you’re a player like Connor McDavid whose game relies quite a bit on speed. That said, I’m really confident that he’ll be at 100% and ready to go by the time training camp opens.
@ronnicolle asks: Any of our D worth enough to pry a forward from Fla? Bit of retained salary would Reimer be worth grabbing from them? They are going after Bobrovsky and Panarin. Helps top 6 and backup G. While moving out a D. What would Huberdeau cost us?
I think a few questions are being asked here, 1) Do the Oilers have any dmen valuable enough to pry a good forward out of Florida? 2) Would Reimer be worth grabbing from them? 3) What would Huberdeau cost the Oilers?
1 – Yes, they do. Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, Adam Larsson, and Even Bouchard would garner interest from the Panthers.
2 – Reimer could be handy to have but man is his ticket pricey. I’d prefer to go a cheaper route for the backup keeper personally unless they want to take Lucic’s contract.
3 – A lot. There were some rumors going around that Huberdeau would be part of a package to try and procure Malkin out of Pittsburgh. So unless Edmonton is looking at moving RNH plus, I don’t think it’s happening.
@oilers_ent asks: Will Holland be able to make the necessary personnel transactions that always eluded Chiarelli despite Edmonton being a less appealing market for players?
Holland learned from one of the best, Jimmy Devellano, and when Jimmy D got started in Detroit in the early 80s the Red Wings had missed the playoffs 16/18 seasons. It took him a few seasons to get things on track before passing on the torch to Mr. Holland, who simply kept the good times rolling.
I am very confident that the new GM will bring the playoffs back to Edmonton tout suite. Having the career-long connections he has and the respect from everyone in the NHL, I believe that he won’t face the same challenges that the previous GM had with regards to upgrading the roster.
Thanks for your questions folks! If I missed yours, I apologize, but I’ll try to make it up to you on the Twitter machine or in next week’s mailbag!
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