Speculating from an Oilers fan’s perspective, BLH comments on the latest Edmonton Oilers news as well as the freshest NHL speculation featuring players such as Mat Barzal, Frederik Andersen, Mike Hoffman, and many more!
Found this old pic of @CMHA_Vikings peewee AA team, 10 kids currently playing AAA(academy) All the boys played for one of these volunteers coaches in Camrose or Wetaskwin plus many more like @Reider25 @PoppiBigg @TGHockey1 @GaryTanton1 and many more..Great job Dads đź’Ş @hawkwired pic.twitter.com/Sd40uU07hK
— HARRY YORK (@MOTONHL74) October 29, 2020
The News and Rumors
- Darren Dreger (TSN): Brad Treliving is still actively seeking another right side defenseman, evaluating both the free agent and trade markets. Whether this is due to Tanev’s injury history or Andersson’s inexperience, it is believed that Treliving would like to add another established right-handed defenseman.
BLH’s Thoughts: I think the Flames could afford to deal out one of their top-9 forwards for help on the blueline with the emergences of Mangiapane and Dube. Maybe even using one of those players to bring in a really decent defenseman.Â
They’ll have to do something though. It’d be a real kick in the nuts to Jacob Markstrom if he signed there and the defense was utter shite.Â
- Pierre LeBrun (TSN): Mike Hoffman and his camp are willing to be patient and wait for a deal that measures up to the veteran forward’s ability. Just how long will they wait? Potentially until after the season begins, currently projected for early January.
- There are a number of potential suitors for Hoffman’s services who may “circle back” on Hoffman once they are able to place current players on Long-Term Injured Reserve. That would allow for teams to open up the cap space required to add Hoffman. Among the teams mentioned as potential landing spots in this scenario are the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, and St. Louis Blues.
BLH’s Thoughts: Hoffman is doing the right thing here, he’s waiting to see how rosters shape up and then he’ll make his decision. The one that suits his goals and motivations for the upcoming season. Does he want money or success?
There’s a part of me that wonders if Oilers GM Ken Holland has something up his sleeve… Hoffman would be the steal of the off-season IF he could get him on the cheap.Â
- Sonny Sachdeva (Sportsnet): Lists Mat Barzal (NYI), Mikhail Sergachev (TB), Eric Cernak (TB), Anthony Cirelli (TB), Ethan Bear (EDM), Anthony Mantha (DET), Roope Hintz (DAL), and Pierre-Luc Dubois (CLB) as his eight offer-sheet candidates for this off-season.
- Josh Wegman (The Score): Believes Nashville, Columbus, and Florida should attempt to sign Barzal or one of the RFAs in Tampa. He thinks, for the Predators, a deal worth $10.9M over five years for Barzal would be worth the two 1st rounders, a 2nd, and a 3rd round pick.
- Mike Futa (Sportsnet): “I think they’re another team (New Jersey) that’s primed for an offer sheet,” Futa said during an early October broadcast. “And I can tell you that because I did not get the job as general manager there and it was a big part of the interview, talking about how much they wanted to give out an offer sheet.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I would love for teams just to adopt the offer-sheet as a normal aspect of doing business in the NHL. It would make off-seasons and drafts that much more interesting and a helluva lot more entertaining.Â
- Shawn Simpson (Sportsnet): The Senators have no plans to bring back Anthony Duclair. “If the reports are right, and Ottawa used what was offered to Duclair to sign Evgenii Dadanov. How lucky and happy they should be. It’s not even close on overall game, and Dadanov makes others better.”
BLH’s Thoughts: It’s not easy to side with the Senators on many things, but this decision I’m 100% with them. Duclair turned down what would be one of the higher contracts of the off-season because he thought he could get half a million more somewhere else… He might be better off heading to Europe and looking for a contract there so that he won’t have to pay into escrow while it’s as high as it is.Â
- Nick Kypreos: “Even if (Frederik) Andersen loses next season in the first round, I don’t think he will have a problem getting six (years) times six (million US per season) like Jacob Markstrom did (in free agency with the Calgary Flames).”
BLH’s Thoughts: You know what? I don’t think Andersen will get as much as Markstrom. He’s a really good goalie but with the flat-cap scheduled to be in place for the next two or three seasons, salaries are going down. To add to that, he’s going to have competition in the marketplace if the likes of Tuuka Rask, Pekka Rinne, and Jordan Binnington go UFA.Â
The Oilers Talk
No Edmonton Oilers chat today but I thought we could talk about what my Team Canada roster would look like for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships.
Let’s start with the list of names invited to camp,
G Brett Brochu (2021 draft eligible)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)
G Taylor Gauthier (2021 draft eligible)
G Tristan Lennox (2021 draft eligible)
G Devon Levi (FLA)
D Justin Barron (COL)
D Bowen Byram (COL)
D Lukas Cormier (VGK)
D Jamie Drysdale (ANA)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Thomas Harley (DAL)
D Daemon Hunt (MIN)
D Kaedan Korczak (VGK)
D Mason Millman (PHI)
D Ryan O’Rourke (MIN)
D Owen Power (2021 draft eligible)
D Matthew Robertson (NYR)
D Braden Schneider (NYR)
D Donovan Sebrango (DET)
D Jordan Spence (LAK)
F Adam Beckman (MIN)
F Mavrik Bourque (DAL)
F Quinton Byfield (LAK)
F Graeme Clarke (NJD)
F Dylan Cozens (BUF)
F Tyson Foerster (PHI)
F Gage Goncalves (TBL)
F Ridly Greig (OTT)
F Dylan Holloway (EDM)
F Seth Jarvis (CAR)
F Peyton Krebs (VGK)
F Hendrix Lapierre (WSH)
F Connor McMichael (WSH)
F Dawson Mercer (NJD)
F Alex Newhook (COL)
F Jakob Pelletier (CGY)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Samuel Poulin (PIT)
F Jack Quinn (BUF)
F Jamieson Rees (CAR)
F Cole Schwindt (FLA)
F Xavier Simoneau (2021 draft eligible)
F Ryan Suzuki (CAR)
F Philip Tomasino (NSH)
F Shane Wright (2022 draft eligible)
F Connor Zary (CGY)
I don’t mean to sound too Edmonton-centric here, but where are the Oil Kings? Where’s 1st rounder Jake Neighbours and 2021 1st round locks Dylan Guenther and Sebastian Cossa? How in the world did Xavier Simoneau, Gage Concavles, and Adam Beckman get their invites over Neighbours and Guenther?
Something smells fishy… The tournament is in Edmonton… Maybe throw a few local lads into the mix to see if they could earn their spot instead of some overagers and undrafted players…
Anyways, I’m not 100% on roster rules or Hockey Canada’s preferences with regards to taking two or three goalies, but here is the group of players I’d take if I were in charge,
Lafrenniere-Dach-Quinn
Newhook-Krebs-Cozens
Perfetti-Byfield-McMichael
Holloway-Neighbours-Mercer
Lapierre, Poulin
I love the two-way high-end skill that this group possesses. You can send any line out any time to perform any job and you can be confident that the task will be completed. Add to that the fact that every line has an elite level of compete so you don’t have to worry about a lack of work ethic or players turning into shrinking violets at the wrong time.
Harley-Drysdale
Byram-O’Rourke
Robertson-Schneider
Power
What I dig about this defence is that it has high-end puck moving abilities as well as consistency and reliability. I feel like Robertson, Harley, and O’Rourke bring a real calming influence to the defence. I threw Owen Power in there because I think it would be a good move for Hockey Canada to include him as they’ve done with numerous draft eligible defensemen in the past. I could’ve gone with Brandt Clarke too as they’ll both be vying for 1st overall in the 2021 NHL entry draft. I reckon the team has enough good puck movers with Drysdale, Byran, and Harley though and adding Clarke might be a bit overkill. Then again, can you have enough elite skilled defencemen?
Gauthier
Brochu
Cossa
Straight up, I have no clue when it comes to these netminders. You could take me to task here and I would have no argument. That said, I feel like I’ve been reading about Gauthier and Brochu for a long time now and Cossa’s been getting a lot of ink recently. Cossa is 6’5″ and is could be selected as high as the first round in the next draft, so it’s hard to ignore that.
Look, it’s one of those years. Good players are guaranteed to be left off this team. It’s just how it is. One could argue that up to ten players on my mocked roster above would be in the NHL next season if it were any other year.
Who would you have on your roster?
Give us a follow on the socials!
- Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
- Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
- Facebook: Beer League Heroes
