Tag Archives: Teddy Purcell

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

Five Trades I’d Like to See the Oilers Make

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Trade me right f*cking now!
Trade me right f*cking now!

With the NHL trade deadline making it’s decent sooner than later, I reckon it’s time to get into some hypotheticals and create some stir. In my opinion, the Edmonton Oilers are an improving team but they are lacking some key elements found in the teams that brought coach Todd McLellan’s San Jose Sharks and general manager Peter Chiarelli’s Boston Bruins Success.

I feel that the Oilers are lacking in the following:

  • Veteran Playoff-Experienced Leadership – I don’t think this team has a definitive leader that everyone looks up to. No Chara, no Thornton. Hendricks is a dandy veteran and Hall is an emotional guy but I don’t see the team buckling up and following those two into the trenches.
  • Intelligent Puck-Moving Defenceman – Jultz, I’m sorry, but he’s not going to cut it and as good as Oscar Klefbom is, he’s not the guy you’re looking for here. Sekera is okay, Davidson too but there’s not-a-one guy who can move the puck fast enough or smart enough on this Oilers team.
  • Shooters – Have you watched the Oilers PP or whenever they get set up in the offensive zone? How many cute little passes do they try to make before the other team takes the puck away and sends it down-ice? They need a trigger man and for some reason Yakupov isn’t getting the chances or taking advantage of the one he does have. Eberle is doing well now but he does well every year when the playoffs are out of reach and he’s just as guilty of making those cute plays as the others.
  • Physical, Tenacious, Fearless Wingers – McLellan and Chiarelli want a better cycling team down low? Well players that are slight in stature won’t last long in that system. The team needs size and puck protection on their wings. If Nuge comes back and Draisaitl is moved to the wing, this could be a redundant element.

Now just to preface, I don’t want the team to make all of these trade. That’s just nonsense. I would, however, like to see the team make some considerable moves. I really think that the team is due for a big shake up and this might be the last season where we see Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Justin Schultz playing for the Oilers.

These aren’t rumors I’ve heard through the grapevine nor are they proposals I’ve ripped off of HFBoards or Facebook or Twitter. They’re simply cannon fodder for conversation, nothing more and nothing less. Besides, I’m sure there are much smarter people over at HFBoards with much better suggestions. I’m just trying to have a bit of fun and hope you guys will join in.

Click the pic and get your Better Call Hall shirt!!

Trade #1

Justin Schultz to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 3rd round pick.

Reasoning: To get him the F out-of-town. He’s harshing my mellow and the Lightning could use a RH dman to cover for Jason Garrison while he sits on IR. The Oilers need to stock up on early round picks too. Their system is bone dry.

Trade #2

Teddy Purcell to the Chicago Blackhawks for Mark McNeil.

Reasoning: Every likes Teddy and he deserves to go to a team that has a good chance at winning the cup. The Oilers would get back a 22-year-old, hard-working, gritty forward who scores at nearly a point-per-game pace in the AHL. He’s 6’2″ and nearly 200lbs and plays a style suited to the bottom six. Regularly spoken of by Bob Stauffer when it comes to trade rumors between the Hawks and Oilers.

Trade #3

Taylor Hall to the Winnipeg Jets for Jacob Trouba, Kyle Connor, and Andrew Ladd.

Reasoning: As I’ve said in the past, I do not believe that Taylor Hall is in Peter Chiarelli’s long-term plans. He’s not afraid to make the difficult move either. Jacob Trouba is a highly regarded young dman who is struggling in his third NHL season but he’s coming up in trade rumors a bit more frequently now. The American-born defenseman plays the right side and is a restricted free agent this summer. Trouba reminds me of Dave Manson a bit, he’s mean and he’s got a cannon. Left winger Andrew Ladd is the leader this team has been clambering for since Bill Guerin left, and Kyle Connor is tearing up the NCAA Jack Eichel-style.

For Oilers fans, yes it would hurt to lose a talent like Hall and the Oilers would have to work hard to get Trouba and Ladd signed but every year Hall plays I can’t stop thinking about other elite wingers that had to go elsewhere to experience success. Marian Gaborik, Rick Nash, and Ilya Kovalchuk are all examples. And I look at a defense that is built around Oscar Klefbom, Andrej Sekera, Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, and Brandon Davidson and think, “Yup, that’s not too shabby! Expensive down the road but effective.”

Jets fans can rejoice in potentially having one of the best lines in hockey in Hall-Little-Wheeler as well as a defence that includes Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers and Josh Morrisey.

Trade #4

Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders for Kyle Okposo and Josh Ho-Sang

Reasoning: Here comes the muscle. Okposo would be the Nathan Horton-like player Chiarelli is looking for. I added Ho-Sang here because he’s a headache with tremendous potential but is also a wildcard AND Okposo is a free agent at season’s end who is looking for some top dollar. Another note on Ho-Sang, the Oilers are truly lacking some real offensive prospects in their cupboards. Sleypyshev? Is he the only real offensive gem (if you can consider him a gem) down in Bakersfield that is an Oilers draft pick?

Ok now. I’m sure you’re fuming over that Hall idea but calm your tits. Yes, Eberle and McDavid are having success together and Ebs looks like a man possessed. He’s fun to watch again but I urge you to look up the names Blair MacDonald and Rob Brown… He’s a complimentary winger who doesn’t fit into McLellan’s and Chiarelli’s system in my opinion. McDavid is THAT GUY who makes others better, right Benoit Pouliot?

Trade #5 (If the Oilers win the draft lottery)

The first round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Rasmus Ristolainen and the Sabres first round pick.

Reasoning: Auston Matthews-Jack Eichel-Ryan O’Reilly… That is a 1-2-3 punch if I’ve seen one. I think it’d hurt for them to lose the big Finn Ristolainen but they signed Cody Franson to be an impact defender and he’s playing third pairing… Perhaps he’s being deployed incorrectly. With Brendan Guhle coming in next year or Chad Ruhwedel, they’ve got cover for that #6 spot in the defense.

Edmonton simply doesn’t need any more 1st overalls let alone high impact forwards. They’re dying on the back-end and a deal like this would do wonders I believe.

So what do you think about my trades? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to check out the new Better Call Hall tee below! It’s on for $14 until Tuesday I believe, then she goes back up to regular price.

Click the pic and get your Better Call Hall shirt!!

 

Kris Hansen

BLH Heroes Weekly Recap Feb 2nd-6th

 

EDMONTON, AB – SEPTEMBER 21: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers makes his way to the ice prior to a preseason game against the Calgary Flames on September 21, 2015 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

 

The Edmonton Oilers returned after an extended all star game break, having three games in the span of the week. It started off with a bang, with a 5-1 win over Columbus on Tuesday night and a 7-2 thrashing to the seemingly hapless Ottawa Senators, but reality came crashing back to earth with a stinker loss against Montreal yesterday, dropping the game against former Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens, 5-1.

Playoffs aren’t a realistic expectation right now. Injuries have been an arguable factor and the defence has been a let down once again this year. For me, the last 29 games this season is the Connor McDavid show: the 19 year old returned Tuesday Night after a three month layoff due to his clavicle break.

Edmonton Oilers Three Stars:

3. Benoit Pouliot: Pouliot returns on the three stars after an impressive effort. In his last three games, Pouliot had five points, including the lone goal against Montreal yesterday. I like Pouliot’s game and with the new economics in the league, his cap hit for his production is good. Jonathan Willis of Oilersnation had a good post explaining why Pouliot is a good second line option.

2. Jordan Eberle: Despite being chewed out by Connor McDavid on the bench yesterday for not being in the right spot, Eberle has looked good with 97. Eberle posted three goals and two assists in his last 3 games. His chemistry with McDavid was very apparent during the Columbus and Ottawa games and is simply the better option over Nail Yakupov at this point.

1. Connor McDavid: This is not a surprising pick here. McDavid posted a goal and four assists in the past three games, keeping up with the point total with his other linemates, but he’s clearly the best player on his line. Every time Connor McDavid touches the puck, it’s magic. You’re on the edge of your seat anticipating his next move. While he was held pointless yesterday against Montreal, he was the best forward and nearly had another goal of the year attempt, where he just barely missed the net.

 

However, Tuesday Connor McDavid had the goal of the year: he goes through three defenders and just dekes the poor goalie to oblivion. I don’t think words does the goal much justice: just watch.

 

Edmonton Oilers News and Rumors:

It’s the calm before the Trade Deadline Storm. It’s quiet right now, but people are rightfully speculating which Oilers will go.

My two cents: I think Justin Schultz is the most obvious to go, despite his shoddy play. He’s entering Tom Poti levels of venom when it comes to the fanbase. His effort against Montreal was absolutely putrid and Clendening has looked better (albeit in a VERY limited sample size). I would rather keep Teddy Purcell, although I might be in a minority.

I feel that Feburary 29th might be a quiet day for the Oilers, but I imagine a move is made. I think the bigger moves will be for the off season where teams have more flexibility.

Around the League

Erik Karlsson is second in league scoring. SECOND. 

NHL All Star MVP John Scott welcomed the birth of his twin girls 

Braden Holtby is eyeing Brodeur’s win record in a single season

The NHL released an updated website and a new streaming app. It’s been a bit of a disaster. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs released a new logo that they will be wearing starting next season. I like it!

Highlights

The Blackhawks drilled the Stars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqOCCKwMV1c

 

Marchand scored an Overtime Penalty shot game winner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW0VR0Y1vF0

The Oilers vs Senators Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBnjO_yxF6Y

 

The Week Ahead

The Oilers have four games this week including a game at 12:30 MT against the New York Islanders, A tilt in New Jersey Tuesday. They host the Maple Leafs on the 11th and then the Jets on the 13th.

That’s the week that was, feel free to give me a follow on Twitter! Have a wonderful week.

 

 

Armchair GM, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors, Zach Laing

Evaluating the Oilers trade options prior to the deadline

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As we are now less than a month away from the deadline, it’s time to take a look at some Oilers trade options for the upcoming month.

After listening to a radio hit provided by Elliotte Friedman Friday on 630 CHED, it seems that the Oilers and Schultz could be going seperate ways sometime within the next month.

Schutlz time in Edmonton has been one that has been surrounded by disappointment. After he came out of the NCAA ranks and signed with the Oilers, I was hopeful that the team had really hit on a solid player. At the time, he was being courted by nearly every team in the league.

Oilers hype man Wayne Gretzky even helped out:

Now, after a four year stint, Schultz and his large contract could be out the door. Simply put, Schultz has not transitioned into the “Norris trophy potential” DMan the Oilers so desperately have needed.

None the less with rumours surrounding the Oilers making a move for a top end defenceman, I have to wonder if Justin Schultz could be a part of a package deal.

I wrote about the building buzz surrounding Schultz after Darren Dreger reported there could be some interest in the RFA defenceman here.

Would Schultz, Yakupov and our 2nd round draft pick this year be enough for a defenceman like Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm or Travis Hamonic? Maybe. Would Jordan Eberle be able to get a deal done like that? I would think so.

If Eberle was the one involved, I really think that both the Islanders and the Ducks would certainly be interested as he would fit right in on either of their top lines.

There would have to be a little bit of tweaking done on both sides I think, but both teams could use a high-end scoring winger. I think that could be a strong basis for a deal.

Nobody forgets the magic that Jordan Eberle and John Tavares had during their time at the World Juniors. Like Tavares, Jordan Eberle is a very smart player on the ice, often seeing things others don’t.

Who could it be?


Teddy Purcell is one Oiler who I could see the team moving on from within the next month. Like the Arizona Coyotes did with Antoine Vermette last year, the Oilers could trade Purcell for assets at the deadline and then re-sign him in the offseason.

His season has been a strong one. With his play being inflated by the likes of Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl, he could be a play that could garner some interest from a team in position to make a push in the playoffs.

His UFA status is something that often attracts teams at the deadline, and the Oilers have the ability to eat some of the remaining dollars on his last year of the deal. This might make Purcell more attractive to other organizations.

Mark Fayne is another Oiler who could very well be out the door by the end of the next month. With two years left at a cap hit of $3.625 million after this season, the Oilers will have a bit more difficulty moving him. Like with Justin Schultz or Teddy Purcell, the team could opt to eat some of his remaining salary.

If the Oilers elect to do that, the team will be able to eat a maximum 50% of his salary, bringing his hit down to $1.8125 million – which is much more attractive to a team that’s strapped to the cap.

Mark Fayne’s 2015 – 2016 stats in all situations, prior to being sent to Bakersfield.
Mark Fayne’s 2015 – 2016 stats in all situations, prior to being recalled from Bakersfield.

Fayne’s time in Edmonton has been a disappointment but after being sent down to the Bakersfield Condors and returning, his stats say his play has not improved. Just from watching him play, he does seem to be a calmer player out on the ice and is making better decisions.

Is that enough for a team to take a chance on him for the next two years?

I would hope so.

None the less, the Edmonton Oilers are in a position to do some wheeling and dealing for the next month. The waiver claim of Adam Clendening was a move that made it clear to the players that management isn’t happy with the product on the ice. How could they? They are still at the bottom of the league, but the team does seem to be a better team on the ice. While it doesn’t show in the standings, the Oilers are a better team.

Clendening is an offensive defenseman with good puck-moving ability and a solid shot from the point. While he is known for his offensive and ability to transition the puck up ice, Clendening is solid defensively. He doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game and plays with a good deal of intensity. However, Clendening could stand to utilize his intensity and grit more to the benefit of his team. He also needs to keep his feet moving and improve his overall speed.

– Hockey’s Future

Clendening however, is a player that really intrigues me. Does he have the skills to do what Justin Schultz hasn’t been able to? Yes. They are similar players, with similar skill sets.

The Oilers have lacked defenseman that can move the puck, and if there is one thing Clendening is good at it’s getting the puck up the ice. I would not be surprised in the least to see the Peter Chiarelli and company being active in the trade market for the upcoming month, and into the offseason.

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

Mad Oilers Trade Rumours!

Ebs should be packing his bags. It looks like he’s going to get moved.

So the rumours are flying from some major sources (Friedman) and some not so major sources (Eklund) and I’d like to take a stab at some of them.

The beloved Elliotte Friedman was on Oilers Now today with good ol’ Bob Stauffer and he was letting the rumor bombs go left and right as they set ablaze the oilogosphere.

If you’d like to listen to his segment you can do that below. I’ll have another segment further down where Stauffer hits at the Washington Capitals need for a defenceman going into the playoffs…

After a bit of back and forth regarding Twitter dos and don’ts (Stauffer did tell a story about a blogger that made a comment about Bob’s weight for which he confronted said blogger at a Golden Bears game. I have a feeling I might know which blogger he was talking about and I could be wrong but… Lay off the RC Cola) they broke into some pretty major Oilers chatter.

First up was Justin Schultz which was premised by Bob asking Friedman what the market was for Jultz and adding that the Oilers are in a position to retain salary.

https://twitter.com/NicholsOnHockey/status/693158003906781184

https://twitter.com/NicholsOnHockey/status/693158294840410112

Stauffer goes on to pontificate about the futures of Travis Hamonic, Sami Vatanen, and Kevin Shattenkirk to which Friedman replied:

https://twitter.com/NicholsOnHockey/status/693158799176110080

https://twitter.com/NicholsOnHockey/status/693160012537933824

https://twitter.com/NicholsOnHockey/status/693161722899623936

Friedman also spoke about Kyle Okposo and that in turn fuelled the Twitter rumor that was cruising today, what about an Okposo/Hamonic for Eberle/Jultz deal? I looked at this waaaaay back in November here. The only thing that is holding this back is possibly Okposo’s contract demands. He’s looking for some major money and anybody who is anybody knows what happens when you give power forwards big bucks on long-term deals…

EF did say that the Ducks will be looking for a young player in return. So could that be Eberle, could it maybe be Yakupov? I feel it’d be harder to see Eberle in a different jersey six times a year rather than Yak…

As for which blue liner I prefer. That is really a tough call as they are both quite good. The fact that the Oilers are dead last (I think) in scoring from the blue leads me to lean closer to Vatanen than Lindholm to be honest.

EF does wonder aloud about the Ducks willingness to add another big contract to which Stauffer says maybe Anaheim adds a contract going back to offset the $6m (Eberle I’m assuming) going to the Ducks.

Sounds like Shattenkirk is either sticking with the Blues as they go through this little injury crisis or he’s heading to Tampa in a deal for Drouin. I don’t think the Oilers were ever or will ever be in contention for the defenceman.

Later on in his segment with Friedman (11:23 mark above), Stauffer mentions Sabres GM Tim Murray’s interest in Justin Schultz and an interest that has been there since his days with the Anaheim Ducks. Now if you didn’t know, Justin Schultz was a 2nd round pick of the Ducks back in 2008. So perhaps some dots can be connected there.

Two weeks ago, I did in fact let it be known that through my sources that Buffalo was interested in a right-handed puck-moving defenceman on the Oilers here.

Later on in Oilers Now Bob Stauffer, as he often does when he’s leaking something OR misleading his audience, slyly went on about the Washington Capitals potentially looking for a replacement for Brooks Orpik. Now why would anything that the Caps do have anything to do with the Oilers? Well I imagine it’s possible the Oilers could have a dman or two that the Capitals fancy. Say…. Mark Fayne or Eric Gryba…

Staying on the Capitals, my source tells me that they’re interested in Teddy Purcell but they’re not the only team that’s interested. The other team being the Chicago Blackhawks and that lines up with Eklund’s newest post.

Now I understand fully that Eklund isn’t the most reliable of reference points and that nobody else is talking about the Hawks and Oiler getting together on Purcell but as I said before, this is the word I get. You can choose to believe it or you can choose to ignore it. Up to you. I just put it out there for all of you wonderful people to consume.

So if the Oilers move out Jordan Eberle and Teddy Purcell, that’s their two top RWs. Would Yakupov or Pakarinen get moved right up or is it possible the Oilers pick up a bad contract to fill in for the rest of the year. What about promoting Anton Slepyshev or bringing up Josh Winquist?

Lots of rumour talk today. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Brrrr. Must be cold in Edmonton. Pick up a sweet hoodie by clicking the pic!

 

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, NHL

BLH Post Gamer G36 Oilers VS Flames: The Old Hall Returns…

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Thanks to @HiggsDistortion for this sweet P-Shap! Click the pic to see Talbot’s T-Shirt!

Everyday that passes and every game that Cam Talbot saves the Oilers asses is one less chance for Chia Pete to sign him to a bargain deal because if T-Bot keeps up these performances he’s going to statistically justify himself into a contract that the Oilers might regret signing him to if this is a one year thing. Personally I’d like to think that the days of the flash-in-the-pan goalie are over but if there’s any team that knows about the one year wonder, it’s Edmonton. Right Ben Scrivens, Viktor Fasth… Maybe Anders Nilsson…

**So I wrote the above before the signing was announced. Three years at a shade over four million per year is not too shabby. Low on the starter’s scale but it’s a solid deal. Chiarelli has taken the necessary time to evaluate what he has in Cam Talbot and has jumped all over the opportunity (just as he did with Klefbom) to get him locked up. I like the three-year term because it gives our no.1 goaltending prospect Laurent Brossoit that much more time to marinate in the AHL and I wonder if Brossoit gets one more year in the ‘A’ and then is up for good in 2017.

My one concern is if the Oilers do not improve their defence and Talbot is left hanging and struggles, we’re hamstrung with a bad goalie on an expensive contract… Again.**

Anyways, going into the game versus Calgary I was feeling uneasy. The Flames had won the previous seven matches in Rexall and hotshot rookie Sam Bennett was on a tear. Not only that but the Oilers were, and are still, having a ridiculous time putting the puck in the net, clearing their own zone, and dominating puck possession… Yikes!

I didn’t like the start to the game, I didn’t like how Nuge took two identical penalties in just over 20 minutes of game time, and I didn’t like the carefree attitude that seemed to permeate the Oilers’ play. It was too lackadaisical and left me wondering how many goals they were going to get beat by.

Just three minutes in and we knew what kind of game it was going to be when the Nuge and Nurse were caught napping and forced Cam Talbot to make what I’m calling the save of the year on a wide open TJ Brodie. Check it out below! Wowzers!

Now Darnell Nurse did not have a good night and from all accounts he’s been having a tough go of it for some time now. Whether that was because he was paired with Justin Schultz or because he’s just been deployed in a fashion that is non-conducive to his level, as soon as his minutes were cut and he was paired with Eric Gryba, things seemed to calm down for the rookie. He led both teams with 7 hits on the evening.

The shots after one period were 14-8 and the Oilers were down by 1 care of Sam Bennett but halfway though the 2nd period something came over the boys and according to the fancies they started to pick up the pace Picante style! It was hard to see the swing in momentum using the eye test because it was a pretty boring game to be honest.

Click here to head over for more analysis from Oilers Nerd Alert!

But if we jump to the third period, that is when Mark Fayne scored off of a Taylor Hall (we’ll get to him in a  moment) faceoff to tie it up. I honestly didn’t feel as if the Oilers were going to pull through. The game felt as if it was all Flames and the Oilers big names were doing very little to change that. I feel they were pretty lucky to pull through and I was just hoping they’d manage the puck enough to take it to OT, which they did.

Overtime wasn’t anything special and going into the shootout I couldn’t help but recall the last one Talbot was in. That dreadful feeling was back and got stronger each time their shots were stopped. First with Eberle, then with Nuge, but then Teddy Purcell redeemed himself with a beauty! And the Oilers got the two!

Now, typically as a fan you’d like to see your major players step up versus the team’s greatest rivals and this is something that did not happen against Calgary. Hall was invisible and that could be due to being targeted by the Flames no.1 duo in Giordano and Brodie but that performance was his worst of the year so far. In fact, he hasn’t been doing all that much for that past 10 games and, to me at least, the Hall of old was back for a cameo. Nuge, who was outstanding on faceoffs (71%), didn’t create a lot of chances nor did Eberle. Yakupov was buzzing but not a whole lot was going for him and Kassian was smashing because that’s what Kassian does. How about that hit after Bennett’s goal in the first? OUCH!

It’s not fair for me to sh*t on everyone because the team did in fact win the game. I thought that Mark Fayne had a very tidy game as did Gryba and how could I forget about Rej?!!

Andrej Sekera was AMAZING! He racked up over 27 minutes on the ice with three shots and three blocks. How TJ Brodie was the no.1 star is shocking to me…

My whole feeling on this team is that it’s success hangs on its willingness to play aggressively. That doesn’t mean fighting but it does mean putting their bodies on the line. It means forechecking hard and getting in the other team’s faces. I refer you to the Florida game… The best game I’ve seen the team play in years…. YEARS!

 

Apologies on the tardiness of the post-gamer. Life gets in the way sometimes and priorities are priorities. I’m sure you can understand and I appreciate it very much!!

I can’t wait for the return of Hendy and the next game versus the Florida Panthers. Is this the creation of a new rivalry? Will Zack Kassian take a run and Erik Gudbranson? Will Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle show up?

I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

Until then, take care all!

BLH