Tag Archives: Vancouver Canucks

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

2020-21 Edmonton Oilers GM50: Oilers vs. Canucks – Three Players to Watch

Tonight, the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks will embark on a journey together that will last the week and see them play each other a mind-boggling four times!

On the surface an average fan would look at these four match-ups and where these two teams sit in the standings of the North Division and come to the conclusion that the final scores of these four games really don’t matter all that much and the points are Edmonton’s to lose, but I beg to differ…

  • Each team has a number of younger players who need reps.
    • VAN: Kole Lind, Nils Hoglander, Jalen Chatfield
    • EDM: Evan Bouchard, Ryan Mcleod
  • Edmonton has a few vets coming off of the IR who need to get back into game shape before the post-season.
    • EDM: Slater Koekkoek, Jujhar Khaira, Joakim Nygard
  • The backups for each team will get the opportunity to get in a few extra starts so the starters can rest. This is more important for the Oilers obviously.
  • Statistical milestones (for the Oilers at least),
    • Connor McDavid is gunning for 100pts.
    • Leon Draisaitl is closing in on 80pts.
    • Darnell Nurse is very close to his 20th goal of the year.
    • Tyson Barrie is within reach of 50pts.
    • Ryan McLeod is still looking for his first NHL point.
    • Mike Smith has his 20th win of the year in his sights.
    • Alex Stalock could play his first game in over a year still.

Maybe more importantly, for both organizations, there’s room to move up the standings still. Edmonton would love to somehow catch the Toronto Maple Leafs and finish first in the North and conversely, Vancouver wants nothing more than to leave the basement of the division to the Ottawa Senators or Calgary Flames.

Oh! And one more thing, if Edmonton secures one point this evening, they’ll clinch a playoff spot.

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Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Canucks tonight,

  • #78 Kole Lind – Two games into his career and he’s got two shots and is -1. No biggie. When I watched him ahead of the 2017 draft, I thought he reminded me of a younger Ryan Smyth with his work ethic, drive, and playing style. I’ll be looking forward to seeing if that’s the sort of player he’s developed into.
  • #43 Quinn Hughes – There’s nothing more entertaining to watch in hockey than a defenseman who can go coast-to-coast with regularity and do it with such effectiveness. Hughes is this guy.
  • #6 Brock Boeser – Since March 3rd, Boeser only has one goal despite firing the puck on net 23 times. He’s due I’d say.

For Vancouver to have success, they need to play Edmonton very hard and in nearly every aspect of the game, they’ll need their goaltender to stand on his head, and for the Oilers to have a game full of tough luck. Aside from that, I have a really hard time seeing the Canucks winning this game let alone the other three this week. That said, stranger things have happened.

With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,

  • #56 Kailer Yamamoto – ZERO points in his last five games. Two of those being alongside two of the best players in the NHL… Is Killer dealing with a hand or wrist injury? I can’t be the only one who’s noticed that he’s shooting very little this year.
  • #97 Connor McDavid – It’s only fair to put him on this list every game until he hits 100pts, right?
  • #15 Josh Archibald – Three points in his last five and in the bottom six no less. Archie is going to be a key contributor down the stretch and into the post-season for Edmonton thanks to his aggressive nature and intense gameplay. It wouldn’t shock me if Coach Tippett moved him up the lineup in the event Yamamoto continues to put up donuts on the scoresheet.

Three Keys to Success For the Oilers

  • Fast Farmin’

The Canucks are a team who are coming off a devastating spell on the IR with the ‘Vid. We saw how that affected the Sabres, Devils, and others already this year and without sounding completely ruthless, all Edmonton has to do is play their game at a high pace in order to secure the win.

  • Protect the House

In the past, the Oilers’ netminders have had troubles with deflections and redirections coming from the slot that have originated from point shots. The Canucks have at least four defensemen who have fantastic shots (Schmidt, Edler, Myers, Hughes) and Edmonton has played the opposition’s points with relaxed concentration quite a bit this season.

  • Beware of the Man Who Has Nothing to Lose

The Canucks know they’re not making the playoffs. They also know that that they could ruin Edmonton’s playoff experience in one way or another. The Oilers have to be quite careful that they don’t get themselves into a spot of bother here because the worst thing that could happen right now is if somebody got hurt.

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(3/23/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors Quick Hits Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Jack Eichel (BUF), Frederik Andersen (TOR), Dylan Strome (CHI), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Renaud Lavoie (TVA Sports) is reporting that the ask for Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel is at least four first round draft picks be they players that were once selected in the first round of the NHL draft or are future selections.

David Pagnotta (The Fourth Period) says the LA Kings have spoken to the Toronto Maple Leafs about goalie Jonathan Quick but nothing is imminent on that front. The belief is that Buds netminder Frederik Andersen would go the other way if a trade is finalized.

Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet) counters the Quick to Toronto claims by saying that he doesn’t think it’s happening because he believes the Maple Leafs don’t think it’s viable.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have been taking calls on Travis Hamonic, Jordie Benn, Tanner Pearson (before injury), and Brandon Sutter. They’re gauging the market but in wait-and-see mode with their playoff status
  • Things have changed in Columbus as they’ve caught Chicago for the fourth and final playoff spot in their division which probably means David Savard and Nick Foligno might not get dealt. If Columbus stays in it and hold their UFAs, that changes the market.

TSN1200: Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving on his club’s potential trade deadline plans,

“I’m certainly not looking to spend high draft or prospect capital for rental players, but if there’s a way to help our team, that’s what we’ll continue to do. I’m not in a position where I need to be spending those types of assets on a rental.”

Daily Faceoff Podcast: Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell on what his club might be looking for ahead of the trade deadline,

“A right-shot defender would be something I’ve asked around about and another top-nine forward potentially. We’re also looking at all our positions from a depth standpoint.”

Andrew Gross (Newsday) has speculated recently on whether or not the the New York Islanders will pursue New Jersey Devils winger Kyle Palmieri before the trade deadline.

Larry Brooks (NY Post) has suggested that the New York Rangers keep Russian winger Pavel Buchnevich at $5.5M AAV for 4-5 years.

John Hoven (Mayor’s Manor) expects the LA Kings to retain Alex Iafallo’s services and sees him staying in LA. To date, not serious contract talks have taken place and nothing is imminent. Most signs point to a deal being announced later down the road.

Kevin Kurz (The Athletic) Patrick Marleau would definitely consider a trade to a contender if the opportunity arises but he’s not actively looking for it. His goal is still to win a Stanley Cup.

The Athletic says a league source has informed them that the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t shopping center Dylan Strome but they are willing to entertain offers for Connor McDavid’s former junior linemate.

Max Bultman (The Athletic) says if healthy, forward Tyler Bertuzzi will have a ton of appeal for buyers at the trade deadline.

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(3/22/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: “Elliotte Friedman said that the Ottawa Senators will be listening to teams inquiries about…”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Erik Gudbranson (OTT), Darcy Kuemper (ARI), Ryan Getzlaf (ANA), Mikael Granlund (NSH), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Satiar Shah: The best-case scenario if the Vancouver Canucks were to trade Tanner Pearson would now be to get a conditional draft pick for him if he’s healthy enough to move before the trade deadline.

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman said that the Ottawa Senators will be listening to teams inquiries about their pending unrestricted free agents including Artem Anisimov, Ryan Dzingel and Erik Gudbranson.

Sportsnet: The Montreal Canadiens have a deep prospect pool and plenty of draft picks. GM Marc Bergevin did a lot this past offseason and he’s said he may not do much. Friedman says that Bergevin is never afraid to make a deal.

“The thing about Bergevin is he’s unafraid and he’s shown that this is an enormous year for the Canadiens with all of his actions so far… So what he’s selling, not everybody is buying. He’s got a lot of picks, he’s got a lot of good players. He said he won’t use things like that to alleviate his cap burden, but if he wants to do something big, there’s probably nobody in Canada that’s more capable of doing it than Bergevin is.”

The Athletic took a look at some potential trade candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both James Mirtle and Jason Siegel listed their top five trade targets, focusing exclusively on forwards.

Siegel’s List Mirtle’s List
Alex Iafallo Mikael Granlund
Taylor Hall Kyle Palmieri
Filip Forsberg Tanner Pearson
Rickard Rakell Bobby Ryan
Matt Nieto Eric Staal

Honourable mentions include Nick Foligno, Adam Henrique, Darcy Kuemper, Mattias Ekholm, Jamie Oleksiak, and Dmitry Kulikov.

Shug McSween (nhltraderumors.me) believes the Los Angeles Kings have two forwards who are very likely to be traded, Alex Iafallo and Dustin Brown.

On Iafallo: The 27-year-old versatile forward is a pending unrestricted free-agent and drawing the most interest of Blake’s hockey team. So far this season he’s recorded seven goals and 19 points in 27 games and can easily jump into a top-six or top-nine forward group on a contender. Last season he finished with 43 points and has shown he’s capable of producing on a nightly basis. Iafallo is making $2.45 million this season and team’s interested include the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Brown: Brown is battle tested, a proven winner and has outstanding leadership qualities, most playoff bound teams would love to have him. The 36-year-old veteran has one season left on his contract for 2021-22, making $5.6 million on the cap. A steep number for sure, however with the resurgence of 13 goals in 27 games this season, some team’s may be willing to pay it. If the Kings retain salary, their return gets even bigger, it’s likely this is the case if a trade transpires. Teams interested include the Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins.

The Fourth Period is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs have been talking about goaltender Jonathan Quick as of late,

According to multiple sources, the Los Angeles Kings have spoken with the Maple Leafs about Quick. At this point, a move does not sound imminent, but the option appears to be available if Toronto decides to pursue it in the next three weeks.

There’s a belief out there that if Andersen isn’t severely injured, he (and his $5 million cap hit) would be sent to the Los Angeles, upon which Kings GM Rob Blake can hold on to him for their own playoff run until he hits the open market as a UFA in the summer or flip him to another team before the deadline – the Carolina Hurricanes had interest in him in the off-season.

Assuming this actually plays out and the Kings take back a portion of Quick’s deal, acquiring him takes care of Toronto’s starter’s role for the next two seasons at a lower cap figure… It also creates slightly more space for another add up front, which Dubas is trying to do ahead of the April 12 trade deadline.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope reports Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman is “actively having conversations” regarding trade possibilities with other clubs as deadline day approaches. Bowman suggested he could be a buyer and seller. He’s seeking players who can be a part of the club’s future but won’t ship out players he feels can be part of their long-term plans.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: David Schoen reports the Vegas Golden Knights are unlikely to make moves before the trade deadline. They’ve made big splashes during the last two deadlines by acquiring Mark Stone and Robin Lehner but GM Kelly McCrimmon believes his club is in a different position now. He also pointed out his club has limited salary-cap space.

Sportsnet’s Luke Fox listed Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf, Buffalo’s Taylor Hall and Eric Staal, Columbus’ Nick Foligno, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri, Minnesota’s Mikael Granlund and Los Angeles’ Alex Iafallo as his top-seven pure rental targets for the Leafs.

TSN: Frank Seravalli considers the following clubs as “soft” buyers: Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Oilers need either a scoring left-winger or a second-pairing left-shot defenseman but they aren’t interested in rentals or moving draft picks.

Sources: Spector’s Hockey, NHLTradeRumors.me, The Athletic, NHLRumor.com, NHLTradeTalk.com, The Fourth Period,

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(3/21/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: “One name I’m intrigued by, provided the Kings wanted to move him, is…”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Tyson Barrie (EDM), John Gibson (ANA), P.K. Subban (NJ), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Greg Wyshynski (ESPN): Says that there are six teams who MUST nail the upccoming NHL trade deadline,

  • Anaheim Ducks: They should honestly tear this thing down to the concrete and prospects. For me, that would include exploring a Hampus Lindholm trade in the offseason and moving goalie John Gibson either now or in the offseason.
  • Boston Bruins: Jake DeBrusk’s name has been mentioned for a while as trade bait for bigger fish, and he’s a desirable target at just a $3.675 million annual cap hit that runs through next season. He also strikes you as someone with the Tyler Seguin-esque ability to level up his game in a new locale and make whatever deal the Bruins include him in become “The DeBrusk Trade” within two seasons.
  • Carolina Hurricanes: Adding a center would seem paramount. The question is whether that center should be the Buffalo Sabres‘ Eric Staal — a reunion of franchise player and franchise that is seemingly being willed into existence by fans and media lately.
  • Nashville Predators: Obviously, Ekholm is a deadline bounty waiting to happen. The 2019 Jake Muzzin trade between the Kings and Maple Leafs has been held up as a comparable windfall, and that delivered Carl Grundstrom, Sean Durzi and Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft to Los Angeles.
  • Philadelphia Flyers: Another reason for the defensive letdown is that the Flyers still haven’t replaced Matt Niskanen on their blue line… They could also bring in Manson from the Ducks, but his offense hasn’t been anywhere near consistent in the past three seasons.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs: One name I’m intrigued by, provided the Kings wanted to move him, is Alex Iafallo. A 27-year-old pending unrestricted free agent, he costs $2.425 million against the cap and is as comfortable killing penalties as he is playing in the top six. Plus, Dubas and Kings GM Rob Blake have done some nice business in the Muzzin and Campbell trades before.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Vancouver Canucks have decided to hold off on becoming sellers now that they’ve climbed back into the Scotia North Division playoff race. They want to see how things play out and as a result has slowed things down in the trade market. The Columbus Blue Jackets are another club holding off after battling back into the postseason.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks points out P.K. Subban is having a pretty good season with the New Jersey Devils. Subban has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $9 million. Brooks suggests he’d be a good option for clubs seeking a right-side defenseman if the Devils agreed to pick up half of his cap hit.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports teams have shown an interest in Arizona Coyotes winger Conor Garland. He doesn’t believe it’s a move the Coyotes want to do but perhaps they’d consider it for the right price if it allows them to restock.

NBC Sports: San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson is now on record with the exact direction he’s going to take his hockey club and it’s not going to make star defenceman Erik Karlsson any happier.

  • “For very simple reasons. We were gonna reset,” Wilson said when asked why the Sharks weren’t buyers over the offseason. “That meant giving our younger player the opportunities. That’s the mode that we’re in right now. You want the Patty Marleaus, the Stef Noesens, the Marcus Sorensens, but you want opportunities for our young players to play. That is the mode that we’re in. We wanted to make sure that we replenished our system in the draft and that’s why we used all nine of those picks. We didn’t use those picks to go get players from the outside.”

Ken Campbell (The Hockey News): Had this to say with regards to Edmonton Oilers pending UFA defenseman Tyson Barrie,

  • “It’s pretty clear that if and when Barrie sits down with the Oilers, he’s going to have to adjust his expectations. If he wants to remain in what has turned out to be a great situation and be part of a team on the rise, he’ll likely have to sacrifice both money and term and take a hometown discount for an organization to which he has only one year of service. If not, he’ll sign for better terms somewhere else and be playing for his fourth team in four years.”

Adam Gretz (NBC Sports): Believes the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins are the most likely landing spots for Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm. 

  • “There is a lot to like about the Jets due to their forwards and goaltending, but the defense is still in need of some extra help. This team is screaming for a player like Ekholm. The North Division is wide open for the taking, and for as big of a lead as Toronto jumped out to it is not invincible out of that group. Somebody from that division is going to reach the semifinals. The Jets have the forwards and goaltending. They need the defense.Toronto is a logical choice given the seemingly “all in” mindset for this season, but given their current struggles they might need to address the goaltending issue before the defense. That is the concern right now.Boston has the salary cap space to make a play for a top defenseman at the trade deadline but given how much their secondary scoring has hurt this season.”

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(3/21/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: MOCK TRADES!!!

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring some trade proposals courtesy of The Athletic that include players like Jake DeBrusk (BOS), Jeff Skinner (BUF), Anthony Mantha (DET), Jack Eichel (BUF), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation (and Mock Trades)

Harman Dayal of The Athletic (mailbag): Says that the Vancouver Canucks could target some players like Warren Foegele (CAR) or Ryan Graves (COL) in expansion draft trades as their respective teams find a way to complete their protection lists.

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey NOW: Wonders if the Penguins might try to pull off a more drastic trade now with Evgeni Malkin on the IR. He also speculates that Pittsburgh might have interest in Luke Glendening and Bobby Ryan (DET), Erik Haula (NSH), Cody Eakin (BUF), or Ryan Dzingel (OTT).

Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey NOW (mailbag): Is of the belief that the Boston Bruins are in desperate need of some scoring and has thrown out names like Taylor Hall (BUF), Rickard Rackell (ANA), and Kyle Palmieiri (NJ). He warns though, those players may have a buyer beware tag on them.

Shawn Simpson: The Ottawa Senators should be looking to find a Marc Methot-type partner for Thomas Chabot this offseason.

Sportsnet: Chris Johnston said that Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames may not be that active at the trade deadline. The Winnipeg Jets have already made a big move but are a wild card team.

Kevin Bieksa (Sportsnet): Says the Tyson Barrie should do whatever it takes to stay with the Edmonton Oilers,

“When you’re a free agent, you gotta find a team that’s a good fit for you. … You look at it with Barrie, it’s just a good fit. The way he plays, he likes to handle the puck, he likes to be offensive, jump in the play, he’s good on the power play, he’s a right hand shot, which is also important for McDavid and Draisailt. He checks a lot of the boxes, he’s having a lot of success.”

Here are SOME of the promised mock trades courtesy of The Athletic!

What do you think of those proposals? Let us know in the comments below!

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