Tag Archives: Toronto Maple Leafs

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

Oilers/Leafs/Sabres Three-Way Trade Coming?

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A sign of things to come?…

Boy the Toronto Maple Leafs are making waves today! Dion Phaneuf becomes a Senator (Are they paving the way for Steven Stamkos to come home?) and now there are rumblings that they could be involved in a three-way trade with the Oilers and the Sabres! Add to that the fact that Griffin Reinhart (Not Darnell Nurse…) was sent down to Bakersfield, Justin Schultz is a healthy scratch for the Oilers’ game versus the New Jersey Devils on Martin Brodeur’s jersey retirement night AND Cody Franson is a healthy scratch for the Sabres…

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My source told me WEEKS AGO here that the Sabres and Oilers were talking Schultz, so this isn’t breaking news to those that follow the site. But maybe the Sabres were waiting on the Phaneuf deal’s shoe to drop in order to make this move closer to happening.

To add to the Sabres rumour, Tampa Bay was also a team I was told were looking at Schultz and they just lost Jason Garrison…

On today’s episode of Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer dove in right off the bat with news that Schultz’s healthy scratch could be trade related. Later on in the segment,  he noted that he was sure that something could happen before the trade deadline but was skeptical that anything would happen in the duration of his show.

In addition, Renaud Lavoie was the gentleman that broke the news.

As for the three-way deal, it’s just rumoured at the moment, but essentially Schultz would go to Buffalo, Franson would head back to Toronto where he enjoyed some success before being dealt to Nashville last year and then signing with the Sabres this year, and prospects would head back to Edmonton.

No word on any prospects has leaked out yet. Paul Almeida of Saturday Sports Extra indicated that he likes a guy in the Sabres system named Will Borgen, a 6’2″ 190lb two-way defenceman. He’s playing for St.Cloud in the NCAA right now and is a former 4th round pick in 2015. Hockey’s Future had this to say about him:

Borgen is an athletic, two-way skating defenseman. He is not the biggest player on the ice, but is willing to engage physically and competes every shift. He has proven he can score at the high school level, but lacks dynamic offensive ability to really translate to the pros.

He IS right-handed but I’d sure like it if the Oilers were to aim little higher. That being said, this player is just one that Almeida said he liked and premised on a one-for-one deal, not a three-way.

The Sabres prospects do not impress me at all, I’m not sure I’d listen to any deals if Tim Murray was offering them. But the Maple Leafs’ have a plethora of good-looking prospects that would help the Oilers depth. Andrew Neilsen, Viktor Loov, and Scott Harrington are large bodied stay-at-home dmen with a physical edge. Connor Brown and Zach Hyman are skilled left-wingers and Brendan Leipsic and Dmytro Timashov are compact but crafty right-wingers with big compete levels and an ability to put points on the board.

As for Bob Stauffer, he’s certain that the Oilers can get more than the 4th round pick that Mark Spector was speculating on.

What do you think about this Oilers trade rumor? Could the Oilers get more or less than a 4th rounder for Justin Schultz? Let me know in the comments below!

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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.

 

 

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

BLH Post Gamer G25 Oilers VS Leafs: Hello Darkness My Old Friend

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Hallsy couldn’t do it all himself tonight despite trying. Photo courtesy of Graig Abel.

Three points from a possible 10 on this road trip has the Edmonton Oilers firmly entrenched in the Auston Matthews sweepstakes. I mean here we are again, a month later albeit, about to crack open the latest scouting reports on this year’s draft class to see who might be blessing the team with their presence next summer. Surely Lowetide will have his draft class previews being posted in due time but you’d have to think that we’re past this, right?

The game versus the Maple Leafs might just be the straw that broke Chiarelli’s back. Did you see how irate Todd McLellan was on the bench? He was using every morsel of strength he had just to hold back from blowing his top and I don’t blame him one bit. The team did nothing apart from hand a rookie goalie a shutout in his first NHL start and help put his name in the record books as the first Toronto Maple Leaf to get a shutout in his debut.

There’s a trend I’m noticing as of late. When the Oilers are up against teams that are supposed to be better than them, they find a way to stay in the game. Against supposed inferior or equal teams, they shit the bed or better yet, they stay home. Also if the Oilers are playing a tenacious and physical team they are more likely to have poor games. Is it time to shake up the foundation of this team? Small and skilled is fine but a team still needs those players that are willing to do the dirty jobs. Is there one player in the top six that you respect for his playing style or his character?

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What I mean by that is, take Ryan Smyth for example. Everybody loved him because he went to the dirty places and got the jobs done that others wouldn’t do. He earned a ton of respect from fans, players, and management types for that. The closest players on the team are Taylor Hall and Matt Hendricks. I’d lean more to Hendricks though. But the team is lacking those kind of players. You might not like what Brandon Dubinsky did to Sidney Crosby last week but he’s exactly the kind of player the team needs. In fact, there are a few guys on that Blue Jackets team I’d love to have on the Oilers. Scott Hartnell and Boone Jenner are two more. Get me more of those guys. You might say that there are too many of those players on that team and not enough skill… Could some sort of agreement be made between Columbus and Edmonton?

*I received a little message in my inbox after the game that the Oilers are preparing to make a deal with an Eastern Conference team for help on defense but not for Travis Hamonic. Possibly Ebs, Jultz, and an unnamed prospect are all in play. Your guess is as good as mine as to who the target might be.*

What really is the problem with this franchise? Is it the constant changes being made every year in an attempt to cash in on those magic beans as if there’s one move that is going to fix it all? Or is it the lack of meaningful changes? I remember when there were cries from the fanbase to get rid of the old core and that was back when Horcoff was running the show. Now there are new cries to get rid of the Hall/Ebs/Nuge core… What the hell folks?

With that said, imagine what the team would look like with Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones on their defence… Woof!

The Actual Game

  • It looks like Nuge is going to break out soon. He’s beginning to rush with the puck more and has been growing over the last couple games here.
  • Nurse stepping up on Phaneuf and having a chat with him was pleasing to see. It also led John Shannon to note during the intermission that the next Oilers captain might just be Darnell Nurse.
  • Every year that passes I earn a bit more respect for Nazim Kadri. I like his playing style and he puts up with a lot of crap in Toronto. He’s very a physical player and yet he can put up a point or two when needed. I wouldn’t mind him on the Oilers if we’re being honest.
  • Why weren’t the Oilers in on Leo Komarov?… He’s playing lights out this year but even if he wasn’t, he’d fit in so well with McLellan’s system.
  • Was anybody complaining about Dion Phaneuf’s contract while he was laying out every Oiler in sight? Didn’t think so.

Whilst the words that Mr.Soria speak are ever true, I have to wonder, when can we stop making excuses for the team’s performances?

I don’t have anything to say about the game to be honest. The Oilers had nothing going tonight and the Leafs strong two-way game and PP took advantage of a tired and weak Oilers hockey team. Hopefully they get some rest before their next game against the Boston Bruins because that game is not going to be any easier. If they made Garrett Sparks look this good, just imagine how Tukka Rask is going to look…

Take Care!

BLH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUvHs5BH0Nc

Armchair GM, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

2015 Beer League Heroes NHL Mock Draft Pt.2

Welcome back! Today we’re going to look at picks 16 through 30! Edmonton, Buffalo, Toronto, Winnipeg, Arizona and Philadelphia all have a second pick in the latter half of the first round. With that said, let’s get to work!

Continue reading 2015 Beer League Heroes NHL Mock Draft Pt.2 →

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

2015 Beer League Heroes NHL Mock Draft Pt.1

We’re under a week away until McDavid Day hockey fans! Well, I’ve thought long and hard and it’s time to release my Beer League Heroes NHL Mock Draft for 2015!

Continue reading 2015 Beer League Heroes NHL Mock Draft Pt.1 →