BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Alexander Ovechkin, Tuukka Rask, Nick Robertson, Connor Hellebuyck, and more!
Oilers pundit says the club might be down ANOTHER forward before camp starts! Who could it be?
Have you read this hilarious Joe Thornton story about the time he was chirping Connor McDavid from the bench and he made everyone within earshot burst out laughing? Do it now!
Have you ever seen the video of the time Doug Risebrough sucker-punched Marty McSorley and then had his ass handed to him? You have to check it out here.
Did Connor McDavid have a hand in bringing Jesse Puljujarvi back to Edmonton? Read about it here.
Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!
NHL Rumors and Speculation
Jim Matheson (Edmonton Sun): Says Dominik Kahun and Devin Shore took physicals and fitness testing Tuesday and could be back on the ice soon.
Sara Olesky (TSN):Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is aiming to play between 40-45 games this season.
Jim Parsons (NHL Trade Talk): On Tuukka Rask future with the Boston Bruins,
“If the Bruins don’t see him sticking after this season and Rask doesn’t see himself playing anywhere else, that could be it for him in the NHL.”
Tom Gulitti of NHL.com: writes that Alexander Ovechkin discussed his pending negotiations with the Washington Capitals and said,
“I think we understand everything that’s happening right now, so whenever it’s done, it’s done.” He added, “If it’s not done, we’re going to talk and we’ll see.”
Ken Campbell (SI.com) Writes that there is a real frustration in Columbus over the news that star centre Pierre-Luc Dubois wants out. No one seems to know why he doesn’t want to be there any longer and they’re not sure if it’s the coach, the market, or the GM?
Joe Smith (The Athletic): Expects next summer to be as painful as this past off-season for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“The Lightning should be Cup contenders for the next several years, as long as their stars stay healthy. Next summer is going to be painful in terms of seeing more familiar faces depart.”
Ryan Dixon (Sportsnet): Has the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning in his “top tier” of NHL clubs who have the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup this season.
Re: Edmonton Oilers – “The Oilers are doing a nice job of filling things out around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but losing Oscar Klefbom for the season really stings and the goaltending is just too big of a question mark.”
Luke Fox (Sportsnet): Nick Robertson finds himself on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ non-NHL “B” squad at training camp and appears to be on track to open the season as a taxi-squad option.
Just like Kass protects his boys, you can protect yourself with this sweet mask! Click the pic and get yours today!This is how Pavel used to tell you who was #1 back in the day! Click the pic and grab a shirt or a mask!
According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the NHL and NHLPA are getting ready to vote on a plethora of topics regarding to Phase three and four in the league’s return to play as well as a collective bargaining agreement extension.
One of the details at the forefront is the salary cap going forward and apparently this is going to remain “flat” for each of the next two seasons (20/21 and 21/22) and then there’s the possibility of incremental increases over the following three to four seasons depending on how much revenue the league can obtain. At the moment, the salary cap sits at $81.5M.
So how will that impact the Edmonton Oilers? Who might the Oilers have to let walk?
At the conclusion of the 2019/20 NHL season, the Oilers will have up to TEN free agents (not including AHL contracts) if you throw in holdout Jesse Puljujarvi. Here is a list of the players who’ll be out of contract.
A. Athanasiou, LW (RFA)
J. Puljujarvi, RW (RFA)
E. Bear, RD (RFA)
M. Benning, RD (RFA)
W. Lagesson, LD (RFA)
M. Green, RD (UFA)
M. Smith, G (UFA)
P. Russell, RW (UFA)
T. Ennis, LW (UFA)
R. Sheahan, C (UFA)
General Manager Ken Holland already has approximately $71M tied up to start the 2020/21 campaign. Meaning, he has around $10M to round out his team.
Borrowed from www.lowetide.ca
Here is a representation of the Oilers’ roster sans any impending UFAs and a few of the prospects courtesy of Lowetide’s blog.
*Indicates RFA
I would say that qualifying Athanasiou, Bear, Benning, and Lagesson is priority no.1 and that is going to tie up a really solid portion of that ten million dollars… Athanasiou is at least $3.1M, Bear should come in around $2M if Holland is feeling generous (or half that if he isn’t) and Benning as well, and Wild Bill Lagesson most likely will cost the Oilers close to 800k. In total, that’s near $8M.
So you’ve got $2M left over, what does Holland do with that given he needs a backup goalie, a 3rd line centre, and at least TWO bottom-six wingers.
I’ve heard that Dave Tippett is a big fan of Ennis and The Great Dane, Patrick Russell too… Then you really can’t forget about the amazing job that Sheahan did on the Oilers’ PK.
He’s got to find a way to move some salary out, that’s what! So could he move out?
I reckon Kris Russell ($4M), Matt Benning (RFA), James Neal ($5.25M), Zack Kassian ($3.2M), Alex Chiasson ($2.1M, and possibly Mikko Koskinen ($4.5M) are candidates to be traded.
I wonder if Pittsburgh would entertain a deal built around Matt Murray and Mikko Koskinen? Word out on the street is that the Pens are leaning towards Tristan Jarry as their goalie of the future and could have trouble re-signing Murray. Recently re-signed Casey DeSmith is poised to step up to the big leagues as well giving the Penguins some real leverage.
If the Oilers were to trade Kris Russell, I don’t believe it would be far from Alberta if not in the province. He’s got a little bit of flexibility with that 15-team trade list. One team that really comes to mind is the Ottawa Senators when I think of trade destinations though. They’ve got a really cheap owner and a very young team that will need the experience and leadership that Russell provides. Plus they’ve got the cap room.
Would they take Matthew Benning and Kris Russell in exchange for Connor Brown (RFA)?
My feeling is that the Oilers would like to bring back Mike Green if possible as well as graduate Evan Bouchard at some point next season, and Benning is basically blocking the road. Mark Borowiecki isn’t going to be around forever and I think Benning would be a good replacement. The fans would love him in Ottawa.
Look, the proposals are fun and all, but we’re not even a whole season into the Holland-era, so I can’t begin to really tell what he may or may not do. It’s my belief that he’s more prone to acquiring veteran players and keeping them rather than experimenting with younger ones. Plus we’ve yet to even start getting into the expansion draft preparation. He’s said on more than one occasion since he’s been hired that he really believes in the AHL and that process. Therefore, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody were back in the minors for another year if the Oilers can find a way to sign their vets.
The Black Aces
Speaking of AHL players, this whole flat cap fiasco could force Holland’s hand a bit. If he can’t sign those vets and has to watch some valued players walk this summer because he can’t afford to bring them back in, we might see players like Benson, Marody (more on him in a second), and Ryan McLeod up with the big club before they’re ready. This would be very interesting… Things are have the potential to be very fluid.
Marody. He’s in Edmonton right now quarantining according to his Instagram and that leads me to believe that he’ll be one of the Oilers’ black aces when training camp time comes. Which also means somebody that we thought was an obvious choice to be in that group, isn’t going to be. My guess is that person is Markus Granlund.
I am not 100% sure on this but I think he’s still in Finland. Again. Not 100% sure. But he did sign a two-year deal to play in the KHL with Ufa Salavat. So, obviously his heart isn’t in Edmonton and to be honest, he didn’t have a good year at all and as a result, was sent down to the AHL.
Back to Marody (again), Ken Holland is really throwing this guy a bone. Cooper wasn’t having a great year on all accounts (performance, health, etc) and even I was told by more than one source that Marody was on thin ice with the organization… I hope this young man makes the most of this opportunity, because it could be his last in Edmonton.
Edmonton as a Hub City (Hooray!?…)
Well, the NHL finally put safety ahead of money. Things are changing weekly on this topic but it sure looks like Edmonton and Toronto are set to be the hub cities if the NHL returns to play. So good on those involved.
I do think that the real power brokers amongst the NHL’s agents started to put their support behind Edmonton’s bid when things in the USA started to take a real bad turn COVID-wise and Vancouver wouldn’t fall for the NHL’s shenanigans.
This is all fine and dandy, but there’s still massive risk involved. The COVID cases in Edmonton have been growing slowly over the past month and now Alberta Health is going to bring in 600 people (minimum) from all over the world (That means players who’ve been spending the break in the most infected parts of the USA. Where is it that the Coyotes and Stars play again?) to Edmonton in an attempt to finish the year.
Just to compare with Ontario,
6/6/2020 7-day avg: 362.4 Today: 150.3
Still quite a bit more but the numbers are coming down very quickly. https://t.co/1HrfR2RDwc
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) July 2, 2020
Don’t think for one second that there aren’t going to be hockey fans desperately seeking a glimpse of their favourite hockey players. I don’t care how large of a wall you build around downtown Edmonton, life finds a way. Besides, the players will be out and about where ever the league has mandated it a “safe zone” for them and they’ll be required to deal with the public…
I trust the players to be diligent about their well-being but the public I do not.
What I’m curious about is the number of infected hockey personnel it’s going to take to get a team forced into quarantine because whatever that number was, it was too big for BC health… It took only a handful to shut down an entire practice facility in Tampa and Arizona… I’m just saying. All for an asterisked Stanley Cup… You have to wonder if it’s worth it.
Puck Racism
The sales are starting to trickle in with this design and I’m going to spam the hell out of it on my website and the BLH Hockey Instagram because I feel passionate about it and I feel like Hockey is Diversity deserves the proceeds that I’ll be donating to them.
So, please. If you’ve got an extra $20 lying around and you want to do a good thing for good people, click the pic down below and grab a t-shirt, a mask, a onesie, a tank top, or some stickers.
Hockey is Diversity is a German group whose aim is to draw attention to the ethnic diversity in society, which goes beyond the sporting borders in order to sensitize people interculturally. The diversity that has long been regarded as an enrichment in sport as a melting pot of people of different ethnicities, cultures, and religions should also be transferred to society.
Click the pic and help support this worthy cause! Portions of the proceeds will go to Hockey is Diversity!
So. The Edmonton Oilers, according to the proposed 24-team COVID Cup plans the NHL is voting on, will not be a top-4 seed and they’ll have to go through a “play-in” in order to “make the playoffs” and that short series (not sure if that’d be a best of three or five) is against a team that, in any other season, would be a lottery team, the Chicago Blackhawks. And should they beat them, they get to play a team who got a bye but had fewer points than them in the standings, the Dallas Stars…
Are. You. Kidding. Me?
This joke is getting better by the day. In an effort to stay “relevant” (as if daily hockey coverage of when the NHL draft is going to take place or when hockey might come back isn’t keeping the NHL talk alive) and to recoup lost revenues, the NHL is ready to piss off a MASSIVE portion of its playing personnel.
I’m not concerned about the Oilers losing to Chicago, if you’re wondering. Now, I can’t wait to see if the NHL “awards” Edmonton the chance to be a hub for this summer tournament because they’re f*cking them over so badly.
You know how you fix this, you take the where everybody was in the standings when the league took its pause and those are your playoff teams. “What’s that? Your team’s points percentage is better than another’s? Too bad. We’ll work something out down the road with you. Maybe give you an All-Star game or a draft to host.”
I just feel that the NHL is laughing in the face of society right now. Why is it that professional athletes get access to things like lighter travel restrictions improved “lifestyle” choices ahead of the fans? How much more stoked would fanbases all over the world be if they could fill the arenas of their favorite sports teams as opposed to being stuck in their cages watching it on the tele?
Now, if hockey returns I’ll watch it. I still love the game. I mean, they might actually find a way to make it unwatchable, but I’ll give it a shot. What I won’t do is give it the same credence a regular Stanley Cup Playoffs would get because it’s not that. It’s an abomination
BLH Hockey Interview with Jason Strudwick
Following up our interview with Edmonton Oilers winger Patrick Russell, here’s our second interview of the BLH Hockey Interview series! This time with one of the greatest shootout scorers in the history of the NHL, former Islanders, Rangers, Canucks, Blackhawks, and Oilers defender Jason Strudwick.
I did up some sweet graphics for this interview and posted them over at the BLH Hockey Instagram account! Please, head on over and check them out! Give us a follow if you aren’t!
Growing up, who was your favorite player?
I liked the more aggressive players that were physical. Mark Messier, Bob Probert and Luke Richardson all caught my attention. They were able to influence the game with their physicality and skills.
Which team was your favorite?
Growing up in Edmonton during the 80’s I was so lucky to fall in love with hockey by watching the great Oilers teams of that era. A group of HOFers running wild on the NHL and many cup runs sealed it for me.
What’s your favorite hockey memory from your playing career?
I was so lucky to play as long as I did in the league. Scoring my first goal, getting into the playoffs and scoring in a shootout were all great but playing live in front of my parents the first time is number 1. That is when it really became real for them and me. Growing up I never thought I could be an NHL player. I actually wanted to be an accountant. So when I made it I was quite surprised as were my parents!
Who’s the best player you ever played with?
Jagr was the top player I played with. I remember getting on the ice with him in training camp for the Rangers with him. I couldn’t believe how strong he was on his skates and how he controlled the play. It is true that you don’t know how good a player is until you play with him. We would be down a goal going into the 3rd period and both our team and the team we were playing against knew he was going to score the goal to tie it up and be involved in the winner!
Who’s the hardest player you ever faced?
There were so many great players to play against but I remember thinking that Paul Kariya was a blur. Let’s be honest, I didn’t get to match up against him every shift but when we did play on the ice at the same time I couldn’t believe how quick he was.
In your opinion, which trophy is harder to win, the Memorial Cup or the Stanley Cup?
I was very lucky to win 2 memorial cups. Those are great memories and it was two season of playing 100 games from the start of preseason till the final cup game. I do think that winning the Stanley Cup would be the hardest. Winning 4 rounds against the best in the world with the travel would really take its toll.
What was it like playing in the Hungarian league?
Playing in Hungary was such a great experience. I loved it. The team and fans were very passionate. I still hear from friends and teammates from there. I really enjoyed the chance to be an important player for our team. Getting lots of minutes and action reminded me of why I love the game and to keep playing it. The 2 years prior in the NHL I had been mostly used as a meat grinder and even though I didn’t mind it the reality is making plays and being on the ice at the end of a game is why we play the game. Coming back after that time in Hungary I was recharged and ready to be more then just the meat grinder. That first year after the Lockout was maybe my best year in the league and a lot of that has to do with my time in Hungary.
In order of importance, as a hockey coach today, how would you rank these player attributes, skill, smarts, heart/compete?
Wow…. These are all so important, hard to rank them. I do believe that heart/compete should be the foundation that a player is built on. If you don’t like to compete and test yourself against the best eventually you will be pushed out of the game because you are unable to keep up. Smarts is next, knowing how you can impact the game and where to be trumps the ability to dangle the whole team but being brain dead. Lastly I would put skill. Every player at the jr level and up has an amazing amount of skill so the other 2 are what create separation.
How can a younger player stand out if he/she doesn’t have elite talent?
This is something I get asked often and the answer is easy….be coachable. If the coach asks you to kill penalties become the best in your league at that skill. Listen to the advice they are offering you as to how you can improve. Trust me, at 15 you don’t have all the answer. I am still learning the game at 44!
What’s the best piece of advice given to you during your career?
If the door is locked kick it down. This means that when you go to a tryout you need to leave an impression. You can’t just be there to fill a jersey. Try to get noticed every skate. That could mean winning a faceoff, blocking a shot, throwing a hit, driving the net that results in a goal or killing a penalty. Right now everyone thinks you make an impression by toe dragging the whole team. There is more to the game and it gives players a great opportunity to get noticed and kick the door down!
A MASSIVE thank you to Mr. Strudwick for taking some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us. Now, if you didn’t know, Jason runs a hockey camp for defensemen in Edmonton and he says he’s not sure if the rinks will be open in August, but if they are, his camp will be running. He takes a very straightforward approach to teaching the position. Stick and body positioning are HUGE in the game and it can save a lot of unneeded movement on the ice! Head to Jasonstrudwick.com for more information!
Hockey players are the toughest athletes on the planet. Click the pic and purchase this shirt right now!The one time it’s okay to be a JERK! Grab this shirt while supplies last!
The year is 1997. The undermanned and under-budgeted Edmonton Oilers have barely squeaked into the first round of the NHL playoffs with hard work, grit, determination, heart, and pride. They would go on to defeat the heavily favored Dallas Stars with multiple future Hall of Famers in 7 games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ1Ewaf-k0o
The next season it happened again vs the Colorado Avalanche who had just won a Stanley Cup in 1996. These Oiler teams were what many fans identified with and still identify with. We were underdogs. Afterthoughts. Had no business playing with the big boys. But they underestimated us. And we proved people wrong.
Fast forward to the decade of darkness and the present… It’s fair to say some things have changed. That hard-working group of rag tags turned into just rag tags. Mismanagement at all levels turned the Oilers into the joke of the NHL. Many fans embraced the suck hoping for the next first overall draft pick to help turn it around, but it was not to be.
When things go this bad for this long, it’s an even worse and longer process to fix it. And on April 18, 2015, the process sped up in a big way. We. Won… Connor! McDavid!
Unfortunately, McDavid doesn’t play defence or goaltender as well, but having the best player since Mario Lemieux fall into your laps is the greatest blessing a fan base could ever hope for.
The city and fans were absolutely ecstatic. For once there was serious hope it was going to turn around and with the greatest player (and person) to lead the way. At this point, we also added an experienced coach in Todd McLellan and an experienced Stanley Cup winning GM in Peter Chiarelli. Both were pretty quick to temper expectations, citing the massive amount of work to be done to rebuild after the awful mismanagement from previous years. This was described as a 5-year plan.
Nobody wanted to wait 5 years though. I didn’t. The “smart” fans (hate that term) saw the value in McDavid’s entry-level contract being the cheapest he’d ever be and felt that the next 3 years should be the time to make a run for the cup… After losing for 10 years. Go for The Cup!
This was pretty delusional as the team was far from complete. Something had to change. Everybody knew we needed an overhauled defence and goaltending to even get to the playoffs, let alone make a cup run. Even the said “smart” fans wanted a trade for a defenceman and to sign one or two more. Chiarelli did acquire Cam Talbot so we got the goalie. Then he signed Andrej Sekera. That was one defenceman. Still a little work to do…
After 2015-16 (another year missing the playoffs) it was crystal clear something big was going to change. There was no way to go on with a team so unbalanced with skilled forwards and no reliable defencemen. Many suggested trading Jordan Eberle as he was viewed as the more desirable player to give up between him, Hall, and Nuge. I was definitely in this camp but also wondered was that enough to get the lockdown defenceman we needed?
Then the Hall trade happened. I was livid just like everyone else. After a couple weeks, I calmed down. My thinking was if we make the playoffs, it’s worth it.
We made the playoffs. 2 rounds. (Would have been 3 had we not been screwed by the NHL, but that’s another story)
Now I’m very active on Twitter. I have a balanced feed of fans with all kinds of different opinions and stances. Many were grateful that we finally made the playoffs, many thought that wasn’t enough. I saw some prominent people with a large following say things like “The only way to justify the Hall trade is if the Oilers win the Cup”.. So we went from 10 years no playoffs to THE CUP OR FIRE CHIARELLI? .. What?
This isn’t the only thing I’ve seen, and I’m sure you have too. “The Oilers have wasted McDavids ELC”, “If we don’t win now, we’ll never win because of the McDavid and Draisaitl contracts”, and my favorite “McDavid should guarantee you at least 3 Cups”.
This is an absolutely ridiculous line of thinking. A certain portion of fans pretty much wanted the NHL to hand over the Stanley Cup once we won the lottery in 2015. It doesn’t work like that. Nothing is handed to you. Yes, we got extremely lucky but that’s not the finish line. That’s the starting gate.
Connor McDavid is only 21 years old. We are witnessing a young man creating magic night after night in the regular season. It’s incredible to watch. I’m thankful every night I get to watch him.
Let’s stop expecting the Stanley Cup every year and just enjoy the journey. When we get there it’ll be unexpected and therefore much more fulfilling. It will all be worth it one day.
The Dirtbag
CHECK UPSTAIRS w/ Color! Click the pic to see this design and more!
I think we could all use a night off from the Oilers after watching them sh*t the bed against the Blue Jackets last night. Good grief! What in Sam’s Hell was that? Can’t blame it on fatigue. Can we blame it on coaching? I mean I have no idea why McLellan was deploying his lines the way he was. Maybe he didn’t have a choice since the whole team was stinking up the joint, just let the lines roll baby…
But that shouldn’t have mattered anyhow. The Blue Jackets came to the rink prepared to outwork the Oilers and that they did. The Oilers could use a few more players like Boone Jenner on their roster in my opinion. Players who are willing to do what it takes night in and night out.
I did see that Jesse Puljujarvi has been in the conversations today though. I don’t get it with pundits and fans when they talk about Pulju. They all want him to be this 19-year-old Finnish Jari Kurri and right now too. Even when you listen to Stauffer, who says he loves the kid, talk about him, he stumbles over his words. Says things like Jesse comes from a “rural” part of Finland when defending him on his show. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
I reckon there are a lot of folk who are concerned that if our Grinnin’ Finn doesn’t start to pick it up here that he’ll be moved. It’s stark reality too given Peter Chiarelli’s transaction background but there’s a player here. Let’s give him the time to properly marinate.
There was once a time when 1st round draft picks didn’t make their team in their first, second, or third camp even. Hell, most of the time they had to go to the AHL to earn their stripes and then they’d get the call and it wasn’t straight to the top 6 either, it was bottom 6 and earn your way to the top lines and PP.
Now I’m not saying JP hasn’t earned it or that is even a thing now but Jesse Puljujarvi is in the best spot for him at this time in his development. 3rd line TOI against 3rd line opposition with two players who have been in the league quite some time.
So there’s absolutely no need to rush him in the final 12 games (5 games now) of the season. All the team needs to ask him to do is relax and work on some specific instructions. Then in the offseason, maybe go home to Finland for half and then come back to North America for half and train with someone like Gary Roberts and/or Adam Oates.
We’re going to see a drastically different player, for the good, next season and by the time Puljujarvi is 21, we’re going to have an outstanding winger because the team was patient with him and brought him along slowly.
Grab a Grinning Finn tee by clicking on the pic!!
OILERS NEWS
The Cult of Hockey – McDavid is Taking His Game to the Next Level – Remember when Connor McDavid was having trouble putting the biscuit in the basket? It was just a couple of months ago that the Edmonton Oilers phenom went through a drought, scoring just once in 13 games leading into the All-Star break.
The Cult of Hockey – Various Hockey Analysts on McDavid and the Hart Trophy – A number of NHL hockey writers say they will downgrade or eliminate Connor McDavid from contention to win the Hart Trophy for the league’s most valuable player because his Edmonton Oilers will fail to make the playoffs.
Oilersnation – Brownlee on the McDavid/Hart Trophy Debate – Whether an MVP candidate’s team makes the playoffs or not and how much weight that carries – is front and centre in the Hart Trophy debate right now. That’s understandable. What I don’t get is that some media people who have a vote don’t think McDavid even belongs in the top five on the PHWA ballot.
Oilersnation – The Oilers Biggest Need – The Edmonton Oilers have five games left and then the offseason begins. Roster moves don’t happen until June, but some coaches and general managers go, college free agents sign and the lottery balls are drawn to see who gets the first three picks in the draft. What is the Oilers’ biggest need going into the summer?
Oilersnation – The NHL Draft Lottery Odds Have Changed – The Edmonton Oilers are seasoned veterans of winning the draft lottery and they will be in consideration for the top pick yet again this year. Not a single person among us, media included (no matter how hard they try to revise history) believed that the team would be this bad this year.
Oilersnation – Cam Talbot’s Next Contract – How do you handle Talbot’s next contract? He’s signed for one more year before he can hit the open market. At this point last year, it seemed like a no-brainer he should be inked long-term. But is that still the case after this year’s showing?
Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel! We’re on the hunt for 1000 amazing subscribers! You’ll find comedy, tragedy, optimism, pessimism, interviews, highlights, top 10 lists and videos K-Pop cover songs (not really)!
