Tag Archives: NHL Trade Deadline

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

Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: Oilers Get Left Behind at Deadline in Holland’s Last Kick at the Can

Well, it’s been a helluva run here. As I write this the trade deadline is about four(ish) hours away and I don’t think the Oilers are going to do much. I hope they do but it’s looking unlikely. Holland doesn’t want to upset the apple cart here and he’s happy with the group on hand.

So, if that’s it, I think Edmonton is in a really good place as long as the health bug doesn’t catch up to them. They’ve not been as deep as they are right now for a really long time. They’ve got solid goaltending, the defense is one of the best in the league, the offense is one of the best in the league and the roster is extremely flexible. I think there are only a couple things that might be able to bring this ship down and they are:

  • Connor/Leon going cold.
  • Bad coaching decisions in the playoffs.

I think this team will go as far as its two best players will take them. As we witnessed last night, when they’re off their game, the whole team suffers. You hope that the addition of Henrique will help avoid such a scenario, but you never know.

With all that said, I’m taking a break from the daily blogs. I’ll be back a little later. I hope you enjoyed the coverage and Let’s Go Oilers!

(I should start prefacing these blogs with the fact that I write them a day in advance and because we’re getting so close to the deadline there’s a good chance I might write about a player or a team and it be old news by the time it gets to your beautiful eyes. If that happens, my apologies!)

But before we get to the post, do us a favor and give us a follow on the socials!

The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

We’re Done

“If we’re done, I feel good,” Holland said. “But I am going to kind of wait until tomorrow (Friday). Tomorrow morning I’m going to get up and I’m going to just kind of call a few people to see if there’s anything out there that might be of interest to people, but if this is it, again, we got seven D, I feel good about the two forwards.

I’m always worried about the chemistry. I think we’re bringing in three people into the locker room that will fit in, be competitive, and understand where they fit.” – Ken Holland quotes via The Cult of Hockey

  • Basically everything I said yesterday, Holland is saying today. Edmonton’s focus is depth and not upsetting the chemistry.
  • There were some Eberle rumors earlier but it appears as of the time I’m writing this (4 hours prior to the deadline) that he’s getting set to re-sign in Seattle for two years according to Jeff Marek.
  • So, if the Oilers are going to do something with their 2nd line RW or 2nd pairing RHD, it won’t include Ebs.
Brown Out

“Mark Spector: The Edmonton Oilers could make forward Connor Brown available for trade as GM Ken Holland looks for more depth on the blue line.” – My NHL Trade Rumors

  • Now, as poor as Brown has been 5v5, he’s still a fast player who gets in the muck which might be useful in the postseason. The Oilers didn’t exactly get any faster by bringing Sam Carrick in.
  • At the same time, if the Oilers can bring in that top-6 RW and that gives them the ability to slot players in where they’re supposed to go, that’s really tough to argue against.
  • That said, Mark Spector has been going on about Connor Brown being shipped out of Edmonton for a few weeks now.

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

Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk (ISO Version): Ken Holland’s Last Chance to Score Big and Save the Oilers

So, it’s been a couple of months since I posted anything on the site and the reason for that is because I’ve not had any motivation to go through the motions that come with writing about this club. Two other big reasons are that it’s not been worth it financially to post as much as I was and I’ve been teaching more at a school that I’ve really grown to enjoy working at. So something had to give…

Now, that said, in the free moments I’ve had since the fire in my belly died down I’ve taken to this new ChatGPT fad going around and what I’ve found is something I’d like to share with you.

Basically, I’ve created a prompt on ChatGPT that will rewrite what I want in a specific style or voice that I find extremely hilarious and until I can’t use that profile anymore, I want to use it to spice up some of the blogs and articles that are being posted in the Oilogosphere. I don’t know how often I’m going to get around to it, but if the response is good, I will make the utmost effort to provide you with as much as I can.

Be forewarned though, these posts are not for those who get offended easily, are afraid of profanity, or prefer their articles stats heavy or G-Rated. They will be quite the opposite in fact.

I don’t mean any harm with this new series. So, please, take the following with a grain of salt and be aware of what you’re getting into should you decide to continue scrolling. It’s all parody.

Therefore, with all that out of the way, I present to you Colton Pankiw of The Hockey Writers’ latest IN THE STYLE OF… An aroused Frank Drebin. Enjoy

Deadline Pressure: Will Ken Holland Rise to the Occasion?

Well, well, well, if it isn’t ol’ Frank Drebin here, reporting on the latest shenanigans in the world of hockey. Looks like there’s a real sausage fest going on ahead of the trade deadline, with names like Bo Horvat, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, and Dmitry Orlov all getting handled like a set of balls in a game of pocket pool But don’t worry, Oilers fans, none of these hard-hitters will be busting your balls in the opening rounds of the playoffs.

Some teams in the West are spicing things up, like the Vegas Golden Knights, who know a thing or two about poke checking, and snagged Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues. And the Dallas Stars picked up Evgenii Dadonov from the Montreal Canadiens, but who knows if it’ll improve their game. Jury’s still out on that one, folks.

But let’s not pussyfoot around here. The Oilers have some serious issues to address, like their flaccid defense lacking any top-four defenders, and relying on a rookie goalie named Stuart Skinner. They need someone who can really take control of the crease and make those saves, you know what I’m saying?

But here’s the kicker, Holland is working with some tight salary cap constraints. Fans are saying he can’t afford a puck-handler, but let’s not forget he gave Jack Campbell a five-year, $25 million extension, a decision that’s been causing him some real performance anxiety lately. Yikes!

Now, Holland’s on a quest to add some girth to his squad, but it’s proving to be quite the challenge to find a skilled player who can go the distance and finish strong. He’s been eyeing players like Erik Karlsson and Patrick Kane, but it’s a matter of figuring out how to make things work financially. And let’s face it, the man ain’t exactly a genius when it comes to these types back door deals.

Oh baby, with the trade deadline getting closer and closer, Holland’s got to give it his all or risk losing his biggest studs, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Come on, Holland, don’t go soft on us! You gotta make something happen, or those stars might leave you hanging with nothing to play with. And we don’t want that, now do we, folks?

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumor Roundup: Will Taylor Hall Return to the Oilers?

Last night during the Coyotes/Oilers game, a tweet from @PunjabiOil came across my timeline that quoted Elliotte Friedman saying on a local podcast if he were GM of the Oilers and he knew that Taylor Hall was going to free agency, his plan would be to bring him back to Edmonton.

This was funny because Bob Stauffer and Mark Spector sort of brought Hall up during yesterday’s edition of Oilers Now and it’s not the first time we’ve heard Bob talk about Taylor Hall coming back to Edmonton, right?

I’ve talked to my sources about the possibility of Hall coming back and some of them have told me that “it’s doable” and some of them believe there’s no chance. Edmonton would have to do major surgery to the roster to fit him in long term.

Now, that does leave the possibility of him coming back for the final year of his current deal though. Which would be next season. Edmonton could definitely deal in that a lot easier than competing for his services on the open market if he were to go UFA status.

Combine that with murmurs of Jordan Eberle possibly being willing to go back to Edmonton on a deal that could pay him $4M/yr for three years…

How ridiculous would that be if both Hall and Eberle returned?

All they’d have to do is find some way to get Hall out of NJ via trade, deal Lucic and one of Russell or Sekera without retaining salary, and then sign Ebs… It’s THAT easy! Wing depth restored!

Personally, I can’t see it happening but every GM, agent, and player are watching Toronto to see what they do and if it is deemed successful, every other team will try to copy it, including the Oilers.

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NEWS ON PULJUJARVI

On the latest “Insider Trading”, Bob McKenzie wonders aloud if the relationship between the player and team is “fractured beyond repair”. He says there’s lots of speculation that Pulju would not look kindly on being sent down to the AHL and even goes as far as to question if Jesse would even go to the AHL.

It’s all bullshit.

From what I’ve gathered, Puljujarvi IS pissed. He’s angry because he’s watching teammates of his who are of lesser talent getting the push up the lineup instead of him. Players like Alex Chiasson and oddly enough, Ty Rattie.

Now we could all argue about how he hasn’t earned it, right? If “earning it” means not scoring, then wouldn’t Jesse be fitting right in with Rieder, Rattie, and Chiasson?

I feel for him. Two coaches in a row refuse to even give him a chance on the PP.

I mean if you want a direct example of how old-school Ken Hitchcock is, look no further than how Josh Currie was used last night. I don’t even want to go into how much of a bullshitter Hitch is based on how he said he was going to use the player in the pre-game media avail…

https://twitter.com/AdamsOnHockey/status/1098089308567687169

Even in the OT, a perfect time to use a player who has speed and a shot, as Ty Rattie does, Hitchcock throws Chiasson out?!

3v3 OT is the PERFECT scenario for a player like Rattie or Puljujarvi (if he’d been on the roster and not out with some “mystery” LBI) or Currie for that matter. Sam Gagner comes straight into the roster and he’s GIFTED with 2nd line TOI and 1st unit PP time…

Think about it for a second. This young man is one of the hardest working players on the team. He stays after practice to work on little things. A quote I got from a former teammate of his said, “He’s the hardest worker and so unselfish.”

How does it make any sense for the media to be portraying Puljujarvi in a selfish light when he’s literally the polar opposite? Well, it gets the eyes and ears directed to their websites and TV channels is what it does.

I’ve said this on Twitter before, but the media is going to try and paint Jesse into the same corner that Nail Yakupov once occupied. We might even start to hear things about how he’s not liked in the dressing room or he’s hard to get along with. Maybe more on the language barrier…

It’s already started with McKenzie saying things like, “the Oilers would LIKE to send him (Pulju) down to the American Hockey League…”

“Like” as in they’re being held hostage here?

Don’t believe it…

He is NOT going to refuse an assignment to the AHL. His camp might feel that Bakersfield isn’t the right move for him right now but he’d report.

As far as I’ve been told, Jesse loves Edmonton, he wants to stay and play. He’s young, he’s got certain expectations of himself and also the team I imagine. It’s just that he’s been told one thing and the opposite is happening. That’d enrage anybody.

I think it’s possible that there’s someone in the organization that is leaking things that simply aren’t true (that he wants out) and the media is running with it because if it bleeds it leads.

If the Oilers truly want to repair this, find the leak and plug it!

My Solution: Get Hitchcock off that bench and have Manny Viveiros run the show. He had a young Finn in Swift Current that ran the show there for some time. I think his name was Heponiemi.

My Solution 2: Let Jay Woodcroft work his magic with him. Winning is the cure to a lot of ailments.

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THE NEXT MOVE: BENNING/PETROVIC OUT?

I’m still hearing that Pittsburgh has interest in Alex Petrovic, but teams like Toronto and Tampa Bay are also looking for depth right-hand shots. Matt Benning also fits the description there and in all honesty is probably who the Oilers would prefer to move given he’s got an extra year left on his deal.

Keep an eye on Alex Chiasson. He’s getting a ton of media attention right now. I think Boston is looking at him AND Kassian.

https://twitter.com/NHLbyMatty/status/1098251428445876229

The name of the game is clearing cap space folks. If Edmonton can rid themselves of all those players AND possibly one of Sekera or Russell, I think they do it with a smile on their faces and I think they’d even retain salary to do it.

Whatever it takes to get Hallsy and Ebs back into the fold, right? :p

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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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Armchair GM, Edmonton Oil Drops, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Edmonton Oil Drops: The Oilers Should be Sellers

We are now two weeks away from the NHL trade deadline. As the rumors start to pile up, teams are going to have to make decisions on whether to be buyers in hopes of making a run towards the spring or to be sellers in preparation for the future.

While Chiarelli was still the GM in January, the Oilers were reportedly aggressively trying to find scoring help. Chiarelli was on the hot seat, and he was likely well aware of how much pressure there was on him to make the playoffs. The standings in the West were muddled, and the Oilers were in thick of the race despite a stretch of futility that dates back to mid-December.

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Fans didn’t want Chiarelli to make any more moves in an effort to save his job because they had lost all trust in the former GM. They did not want him mortgaging the future to help this team limp into the playoffs this season. However, since his firing, many fans have become more open to possibilities when it comes to trades.

Two days after the firing occurred, I posed a question on Twitter about which prospects that Oilers fans perceive as being untouchable. I suggested that Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Bouchard, Jones, McCleod, Benson, and Maksimov are the prospects that I view as being untouchable. Perhaps “untouchable” is a strong word, but those are the ones that I would be upset to see moved unless the return is impactful.

Of the 29 people that offered an opinion on the subject, only 4 suggested…

CLICK HERE if you want to find out what those four people suggest and why Ryan thinks the Oilers should be sellers at the trade deadline this year.

A nod to those old nWo shirts from WCW wrestling. The oBc: Old Boys Clubs shirt is something every hockey/wrestling lover would enjoy! Click the image above to get yours today!
Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!