Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!
They mused over Gabriel Landeskog’s future with the club following his disappointing performance against the Golden Knights. Chambers speculates the Avs could offer their captain a “take it or leave it” offer of $5 million annually and not at his preferred term. O’Halloran believes a “bad team with salary-cap space” like the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks seeking a “heart-and-guts leader like Landeskog” will give him an offer he can’t or won’t refuse.
If Sakic decides to make a blockbuster move, Chambers believes he should target a third-line power forward similar to Vegas’ Alex Tuch and “a big, heavy defenseman”. Kiszla proposed offering Girard to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Seth Jones, though he admitted the Jackets could be hesitant to do that deal. O’Halloran proposed pursuing Buffalo’s Jack Eichel but also suggested more realistic options like Montreal’s Phillip Danault or Toronto’s Nick Foligno.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve had some tell me that there’s no way the Avs walk away from Landeskog but I’m not so sure after this past year. Their young defense were really exposed and if there’s a chance they can add Seth Jones at the cost of their current captain, that could be a sacrifice well worth the cost.
The name in the rumor mill going to Columbus in the Seth Jones speculation is Samuel Girard. Do the Blue Jackets need another lefty though and if you’re Jarmo Kekalainen, aren’t you asking for Bowen Byram?
Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province: Vancouver Canucks pending UFA center Brandon Sutter would prefer to remain with the team. wonders if the Canucks should have some trade interest in Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alex Kerfoot.
The 32-year old Sutter has had issues staying healthy. If the Canucks bring Sutter back to center their fourth-line, what does that mean for Jay Beagle who has a year left at a $3 million salary cap hit and $2.2 million salary?
BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t mind the idea of Edmonton taking on Beagle for a year in the right deal to play on the 4th line. He’s a right shot and won 56.2% of his faceoffs this past year. If I’m not mistaken, he was also on Washington’s Stanley Cup winning team alongside current Oiler (for the time being) Alex Chiasson.
For what it’s worth, Sutter played thirteen more games than Beagle this year, is also right-handed, and had a FO% of 55.5%. I’d have time for him as well in an Oilers jersey.
The downside of the Oilers doing what the Hurricanes are doing (allowing Dougie Hamilton to speak to other teams before free agency opens) is that another team might value Nugent-Hopkins more than the Oilers do. It’s not that the Oilers don’t value him; most reports suggest both sides want this to work out. That said, for GM Ken Holland, he’s got a lot of things he needs to tackle this offseason. Drawing a line in the sand on a Nugent-Hopkins extension might be the best way to handle this particular piece of business.
BLH’s Thoughts: I never considered a sign-and-trade deal for RNH before. They’re more rare than an offer sheet I reckon so I don’t even know how to gauge the asset value there. I’ll have to think on that one for a bit.
There’s another option nobody is talking about though. If Seattle comes to an agreement with Nuge and signs him, he instantly becomes their expansion draft selection off of the Oilers. Not many people know this but they can offer Nugent-Hopkins an 8yr term as if he’s one of their own players. How do the Oilers compete with that if they’re asking him to take less than $6M/yr when the Kraken are possible offering closer to $7M/yr…
Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!
Andy Strickland: Don’t believe that St. Louis Blues pending UFA forward Mike Hoffman has closed the door on possibly returning to the Blues.
He would need to consider signing a somewhat friendly deal if the Blues were to be able to make it work.
Last offseason he received a good amount of interest and the same is expected this offseason.
BLH’s Thoughts: I could see the Oilers being in on Hoffman on a one year deal possibly and honestly, he should be looking at Edmonton very seriously with the quality of playmakers the Oilers have in their top-six. To add to that, if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins moves on, the spot on the left wall of the PP will be available. Maybe Leon Draisaitl moves there or maybe that’s tailor made for a player like Hoffman…
2 Players Who Could be Traded by the Vancouver Canucks this Summer
Jake Virtanen: Virtanen has been a problem child in Vancouver and Canucks management has seen enough. At 24, the former first round pick still holds some value and Benning will be able to find a GM to take a flyer on him for a change of scenery. Virtanen appeared in 38 games last season, recording five goals and zero assists. Canucks fans – don’t expect much more than a mid-level prospect or late draft pick coming back in the deal. He is currently on leave for sexual allegations.
Loui Eriksson: Same ol’ story for Eriksson as it hasn’t worked out for him in Vancouver since signing his six-year deal back in 2012. Last season the Swedish winger appeared in seven games, recording one assist. The Canucks are going to have to retain some salary in any trade, so this could turn into a buyout before a trade comes to fruition. There isn’t much of a market for Eriksson anymore, so Benning’s hands are tied on this one.
BLH’s thoughts: I’d be shocked if either of those players were traded. On the other hand, a 4th liner like Jay Beagle could be deemed a tad expensive for his place on the roster and defenseman Nate Schmidt might be looking to play elsewhere. One could make an argument that Schmidt was massively overpaid for what he brought to the table last season…
3 Potential Trades For Dougie Hamilton
To the Toronto Maple Leafs for Morgan Rielly and Timothy Liljegren: Rielly is slowly becoming the odd man out in Toronto and given the Leafs depth on the left side with Jake Muzzin, TJ Brodie and Rasmus Sandin, he’s become expendable. Adding a player like Hamilton would go a long way in Toronto. Sure, there may be a pick or another prospect included, but the package would be centered around a 2-for-1. The Leafs want to improve the right-side of their defense, this does the trick and some.
To the Philadelphia Flyers for Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim: The Flyers are extremely interested in adding Hamilton, and if they get the chance to add an 8th-year to the contract via a sign-and-trade, they’ll likely overpay. Konecny is 24, and recorded 34 points in 50 games last season and would give the Hurricanes another RW which they desperately need. Sanheim is a big body who plays tough and would provide the ‘Canes with a replacement for Joel Edmundson which they haven’t had for a couple of seasons.
To the Chicago Blackhawks for Adam Boqvist and draft picks/prospects: Boqvist is one of the best young defensemen in the league who has all the tools. The former 8th overall pick from the 2018 draft has shown the ability to jump into the rush and contribute on both sides of the puck. Last season in 35 games he recorded 16 points, and appears to have the potential to be a 40-50 point defenseman. Carolina would be saving a ton of money with this trade and stocking up for the present and the future.
BLH’s Thoughts: Firstly the Carolina proposal, the Hurricanes already have FOUR left-shot defenders on their roster, does adding another one make a lot of sense? Toronto would be better off keeping Rielly and moving Nylander or pulling off a blockbuster that included Marner going to Carolina for Hamilton plus.
Next, the Philly offer. This one makes a bit of sense for me given Konecny is in the doghouse there and Sanheim could share top-four duties with Brett Pesce on the Canes blueline going forward. The two players’ salaries leaving the Flyers will probably be more than the $8M/yr after Sanheim signs a new deal (he’s a RFA this summer) but we’re seeing that depth rules in the postseason this year.
I don’t see Chicago having the assets to trade for Hamilton because I’m not sure the Hurricanes want to add futures only. Their window is now and as good as Boqvist is, if I were GM of the Canes, I’d say Nikita Zadorov and possibly Dylan Strome need to come as well and I’ll add another asset to go back to Chicago.
If you’re wondering about the Oilers, don’t. It’s the wrong market for Hamilton.
Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!
“The Leafs’ speedy forward group could use the size and ferocity Kassian brings, and be comfortable in the knowledge that he’ll also put up points in that offence.”
“Kassian can skate, fight, and hit, all without looking out of place alongside elite talent. Toronto’s “Big Four” have talent to burn, but questions have been raised, rightly or wrongly, about their ability to finish off the competition.”
“The cost to obtain Kassian wouldn’t be huge. Edmonton is sorely lacking draft picks this summer, due to bets made a year ago by Holland, and with the Oilers’ GM now looking to go big-game hunting with his sizeable cap space, it might not even cost the Leafs a roster player. With three years remaining on a deal that pays him $3.2 million per season, Kassian is affordable in a top-six role, which is arguably where he would slot in with Toronto. A player who will do anything for his teammates, Kassian would change the dynamic of the Maple Leaf roster and could be the piece that completes their long and frustrating postseason performance puzzle.
BLH’s Thoughts: If I had to guess on the future of Zack Kassian, I would bet he stays an Oiler until his contract expires for all the reasons listed above in this writer’s description of him, the most important being, “Kassian is affordable in a top-six role…”
See, unless the Oilers get an offer that they can’t turn down, Kassian is of great use to them and I think he knows it. The reason I say that is I find he turns up his effort when he’s playing with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl and to be honest, I think he should be playing with one of them if their wingers are scoring at a goal per month pace.
If Jesse Puljujarvi or Kailer Yamamoto aren’t playing up to expectations, the prudent thing to do is put them on the third line where they’ll face “easier” competition and rebuild that confidence.
Now, I don’t expect that to be a problem for Jesse anymore, but Kailer had a horrid year production-wise this past year until he was moved down the lineup in the playoffs. He was absolutely flying alongside Gaetan Haas and Tyler Ennis in games four and five vs. Winnipeg and that’s what everybody wants to see from him, so why not keep him there for a half season or interchange him with Kass now and then to keep things fresh?
Let me throw out this suggestion though, Jake Virtanen.
Virtanen’s career is stalling out in Vancouver and his skillset is quite similar to Kassian’s plus he’s age relevant to McDavid and Draisaitl. It’s very apparent that the Canucks are done with him and if there’s a player who might be able to step in and replace Kassian, maybe it’s Jake Virtanen.
Then again, the Vancouver winger is having some off-ice troubles at the moment and those issues are most likely enough for the Oilers to stay away from the player.
Circling back, to answer the writer’s question regarding Kassian having the killer instinct Toronto needs, I agree. He probably does have it, but as soon as he’s dealt, the next article coming out will be, “Does (player X) have the killer instinct Edmonton needs?”
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope believes Hamilton could be the game-changing defenseman the Blackhawks need if he hits the open market next season. While recent rumors tied the Hawks to Columbus’ Seth Jones, Pope noted Jones’ offensive stats have declined in recent years. It would also cost the Blackhawks some young assets to acquire Jones in a trade.
BLH’s Thoughts: The Blackhawks definitely have some futures they could throw Columbus’ way in addition to a young-ish defender in Nikita Zadorov.
But let me throw this scenario out for you.
Seth Jones’ name is getting connected to Colorado a bit lately and I’m wondering if the Avs might be willing to let Gabriel Landeskog, their current captain, who is a UFA this summer, walk in order to give themselves a little bit of flexibility to bring in Jones and then name Nathan MacKinnon captain.
Mind you, maybe it’s a bit of a selfish bit of speculation on my part because I want Landeskog on the Oilers. I suppose we’ll have to just wait and see what happens as the days progress.
Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!
While there’s a lot of chatter that the Leafs will stick with the four core, but also recent reports that Morgan Reilly might be a player the Leafs contemplate trading, Chris Johnston from Sportsnet mentioned on the Steve Dangle podcast that Toronto will make at least one move for a big-name player.
“There’s going to be like one player on this roster on opening night that is going to get everyone excited. I’m talking like a big name, a big promise player and no ones gonna see it coming,”
Johnston offered up some hints as to the type of player the Leafs would target, saying the player is from a team that missed the playoffs, they are on an American-based team, and they have multiple years left on their contract. Early speculation from people who saw/listened to the podcast think Travis Konecny and Evander Kane but there could be a handful of player who fit the bill.
BLH’s Thoughts: Evander Kane would move the needle a little bit and give the Leafs what Wayne Simmonds was supposed to. That said, I still think they need to upgrade their defense and bring in some more functional grit for their bottom-six.
Who would they trade to get an Evander Kane or Travis Konecny by the way? Is that a Willy Nylander deal?
This is an excerpt from Lowetide’s post entitled, “How Ken Holland’s transaction history could foreshadow the Oilers summer to come.”
The Summer of 2021
According to PuckPedia, Holland has about $23 million in cap room. The general manager mentioned a buyout was possible at his year-end avail, so that number could increase.
The signings of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mike Smith and Adam Larsson seem likely based on Holland’s end-of-season media discussion. That’s as much as half of the $23 million available, with RFA Kailer Yamamoto still to sign.
If Holland hits the market with $16-18 million (assuming a buyout for James Neal or Mikko Koskinen) and a shopping list that includes a top-six left winger, a No. 3 centre and a goalie upgrade, how much can he spend on his top free-agent target?
Oilers fans see names like Gabriel Landeskog, David Krejci and Philipp Grubauer at the top of each spot on the depth chart where the club has an opening. Even with more cap room in memory, those names appear out of reach.
The general manager will make his list and check down as he did a year ago with Markstrom and then Smith.
Does Holland see a Hossa out there? We wait.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll tell ya what, if the Oilers to-do list is a 3C, a top-six LW, and a netminder, here’s who I’d prioritize for each position,
3C: Philip Danault (Paul Stastny)
LW: Taylor Hall (Tomas Tatar)
G: Chris Driedger (Petr Mrazek)
The fellas in brackets are the plan Bs if the plan As can’t be brought in.
I happen to think that another piece should be added to that priority list though, a top-four defender and that player should be someone who’s big, experienced, and skates well.
But there are 31 other teams out there looking to upgrade their team as well, so there’s very little chance that Edmonton gets one of the players on my list let alone two or three and if you clink the link at the top of the excerpt and read his article, you’ll see that Holland is not as active as he once was.
Realistically, I think we should expect one major target for him to chase as he did with Jacob Markstrom last year.
Speaking of major targets…
Holland has spent two full years basically telling the public what he was going to do whether that was at the draft or as the trade deadline approached or even in the offseason. So we’ve yet to be shocked by a move yet and to me, that’s a tad uncharacteristic considering his past moves in Detroit.
I’m thinking that with a little bit of extra ammo in his pistol this year, he’s going to pull off a move that nobody saw coming. Nothing huge, but something significant enough to make the hockey world perk up a bit.
Expect the unexpected…
Following up on @FriedgeHNIC report on the Dougie Hamilton situation with Carolina. Hamilton’s agent, J.P. Barry was granted permission yesterday to speak to clubs which could encourage a sign and trade and option of an 8th year on term. Neither side is any rush at this point.
Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!
Fixing Holes: Left-handed Defencemen on the Free Agent Market by Cam Lewis
While the majority of talk about how the Oilers can improve this off-season is focused on adding forwards, the team could also use a veteran defender to play on the second pair.
Ken Holland went out and acquired Dmitry Kulikov ahead of the trade deadline to fill this role mid-season. Assuming Adam Larsson is re-signed, Holland will again want to find a veteran who can play on a shutdown pair with Larsson as a contingency plan for Klefbom.
Let’s go through some names on the free-agent market that could fit the bill.
Alec Martinez: Martinez had the best season of his career offensively this year, scoring 32 points over 53 games. He would have shattered his career-high of 39 points set back in 2016-17 had the season been a normal length.
Martinez turns 34 this off-season and will likely be able to translate his strong season into a raise from his current $4,000,000 annual salary.
BLH’s Thoughts: I can’t see him getting that much on a new contract in this economy and at his age. Now, if he’d be willing to sign for closer to $3M, I think the Oilers would have interest in him on a short-term deal. However, they do have Kris Russell who is of similar vintage and size and there are probably better clubs for Martinez to sign with at this point in his career.
Jamie Oleksiak: Drafted No. 14 overall in the 2011 draft, it took Jamie Oleksiak a few years to establish himself at the NHL level, but he’s emerged into a quality shutdown defender for the Dallas Stars. He was a rock for the Stars on their run to the Stanley Cup Final last summer and logged a career-high 20:29 per night in 2021.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m betting this is the guy that everybody wants and for good reason. When all the cards were on the table last season, he thrived. Now he’s considered one of the better 2nd pair defenders in the league.
Partnering him with Adam Larsson for the next four years would give the Oilers a formidable 2nd pair and allow them to bring Philip Broberg along at an appropriate pace.
Mind you, that’s a pretty rosy scenario and it requires a few things to break down in Dallas for Edmonton to even have a shot at the gargantuan defender. I would expect him to sign a decent-termed deal worth close to, if not more than, $4M/yr.
Mike Reilly: Reilly was traded to Boston ahead of the trade deadline and took on a large role on a Bruins blueline that was bogged down by injuries. He averaged a career-high 21:04 per night and posted an impressive 14-to-9 goal differential while with the Bruins.
Reilly’s 27 points this season was the highest of his career by a wide margin and he’ll earn himself a hefty raise on the two-year, $1,500,000 annual deal he signed his last time in free agency.
BLH’s Thoughts: Should the Oilers find themselves in a situation where they need a left-shot defender for 1-3 seasons, Mike Reilly would be a solid choice. He can move the puck, he skates well, and he’s old school. I remember him attempting to take some liberties with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl this past year and if he’s on my team, I dig the balls on a guy who’s willing to target the other team’s stars.
He could get as much as $3M/yr but I feel like it’ll come below that, maybe closer to $2.5M or lower depending on term.
Ryan Murray: The biggest challenge for Murray throughout his NHL career has been staying healthy. He did that this year with the Devils, logging 18:37 per night over 48 games with an impressive 35-to-29 goal differential.
BLH’s Thoughts: We know now that Edmonton wanted to take Ryan Murray instead of Nail Yakupov (remember him?) at the 2012 draft and in hindsight, it wouldn’t have matter because the right choice would’ve been Morgan Rielly.
Anyway, Cam Lewis also says that due to Murray’s spotty health over the course of his career, he’d be a risky signing and I can’t disagree with that. If he could be trusted to stay healthy I wouldn’t mind taking a shot on him because if nothing else, he’s a very safe player to have on your backend.
Derek Forbort: Forbort was picked No. 15 overall in 2010 and didn’t crack the Kings full-time until the 2016-17 season. Since then, Forbort has established himself as a solid defensive defenceman. He played in all 56 games for the Jets this season, logging 20:45 per night, and played a big role in shutting down the Oilers in the first round of the playoffs.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m already hearing pundits around Edmonton chatting up Forbort as a possible target for the Oilers due to that performance against Edmonton. The recency bias is always strong within the Oilers media.
I’m not sold that he can recreate that form again and I distinctly recall Winnipeg not having the greatest regular season for which Forbort was a significant part of. In my opinion, they’re lucky they got into the playoffs.
If Edmonton wants to bring him in as a 3rd pair option on the cheap, I’ve got no qualms there.
Jordie Benn: A defensive defenceman the team acquired ahead of the trade deadline in order to add veteran depth to their blueline. Benn played just 14:45 per night between Vancouver and Winnipeg this season…
BLH’s Thoughts: Nope. No thanks. Next!
Jordan Oesterle: Oesterle is a quiet defender who passes well and plays a simple game. He doesn’t produce much offence and doesn’t have the profile of a tough, rugged shutdown defender, so he won’t command a large salary.
BLH’s Thoughts: Oesterle’s skillset would be a tad redundant in Edmonton, no?
Again, perhaps he’s a 3rd pair option for the Oilers, but he shouldn’t be considered anything more.
Niklas Hjalmarsson: A well-known veteran defender who played a key role on all three of the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup-winning teams. Hjalmarsson has had a very good career in the NHL but he’s also been beaten down by logging so many miles.
BLH’s Thoughts: The Swede wouldn’t waive his no-trade during the year, so I’m not sure he’d be willing to leave Arizona even as a free agent. It sounds like he’s planted some serious roots in the area.
He’d be an ideal trade deadline acquisition though…
Alex Goligoski: Goligoski has been a minute-munching machine throughout his NHL career and has hardly missed any time due to injury. Most recently, Goligoski logged 23:00 per game for the Coyotes, scoring 22 points over 56 games with a 48-to-43 goal differential at even-strength. He turns 36 in July but can clearly still be a quality NHL defender.
BLH’s Thoughts: I know that of all the players on this list most are probably going to look at Goligiski’s age and immediately reject him, but we have to remember who’s making the deals here. Ken Holland isn’t an ageist and if he thinks a player will help the team, he’ll bring that player in like he did with Mike Green and Mike Smith.
Goligoski can play serious minutes in the NHL still and that’ll have appeal to Dave Tippett who has a history with the player going back to their time in Arizona together.
Jon Merrill: In New Jersey, Merrill was consistently in the red in terms of goal differential, but he found a role in Vegas and became a rock defensively for them, putting up some of the best underlying numbers in the league over his three seasons with the team.
Merill provides virtually zero offence but his shot and goal suppression history makes him an interesting possibility for a shutdown line.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m not sure what happened to the Merrill who played in Vegas because if he was that good, he wouldn’t have a problem featuring for the Montreal Canadiens.
I wouldn’t consider him an option for Edmonton in the offseason unless Holland has really missed the boat.
Zdeno Chara: The Bruins opted to let Chara move on last off-season and he signed a one-year deal with the Capitals. He averaged 18:19 per game with the Caps and had a 35-to-33 on-ice goal differential at even-strength. The only question for Chara is if he wants to keep going.
BLH’s Thoughts: Chara could’ve went anywhere last year and he chose Washington. It’s clear to me that he’s more interested in playing for a Cup contender OR in a market close to Boston therefore Edmonton need not apply.
Dmitry Kulikov: He posted very strong underlying numbers in terms of shot suppression with New Jersey and was only on the ice for five goals against at even-strength in 10 regular-season games after getting traded to the Oilers.
BLH’s Thoughts: I was impressed by Kulikov in the regular season but in the series vs. Winnipeg he was healthy scratched in favor of Kris Russell… That probably should say enough about how the coaching staff sees the Russian and his prospects of re-signing with the Oilers.
