BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Nikita Kucherov, Kailer Yamamoto, Noah Hanifin, Erik Haula, and more!
Watch Connor McDavid help Team Canada end a five-year WJHC gold medal drought right here!
Evan Bouchard has been recalled from his loan in Sweden, now he’s got to make the Oilers or his future could be cloudy. Read about that here.
Read what TSN’s Craig Button had to say about Carter Savoie, Dylan Holloway, and the 2020 World Juniors right here!
At the 2010 World Juniors, Jordan Eberle was a hero but it was all for naught in the Gold Medal Final… Watch the epic 6-5 battle with Team USA in its entirety right here.
Oilers Insider Bob Stauffer dropped a massive hint regarding a new signing. Read about it here!
NHL Rumors and Speculation
- Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): Via Twitter,
- “TB’s cap issues may be solved by LTIR. There is word Nikita Kucherov is battling an injury that may keep him out awhile. No comment from team/agent, so details are sketchy — but clarity expected this week. If unable to play (unfortunately), it will clear room for the Lightning.”
BLH’s Thoughts: HA! How convenient. That $9.5M in LTIR-induced cap space will come in extremely handy. I mean, if the Lightning can win a cup sans Steven Stamkos, why not try again without their other superstar winger for the year?
- More Friedman: On his 31 Thoughts podcast said,
- “Somebody told me too that the Montreal Canadiens might not be done. Bergevin still wants to make his team better.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Good Lord! What else has he got up his sleeve?! He wouldn’t be dumb enough to move Phillip Danault before the season started, would he?
- Travis Yost (TSN): Conducted a fun exercise where the task was to assemble a starting lineup (with coach) using one player (and coach) from each of the Canadian teams in the North Division. His team looked like this: Claude Julien (MTL), Thomas Chabot (Ott), TJ Brodie (TOR), JT Miller (VAN), Connor McDavid (EDM), Matthew Tkachuk (CGY).
BLH’s Thoughts: My team would be Connor McDavid (EDM), Matthew Tkachuk (CGY), Brady Tkachuk (OTT), Morgan Rielly (TOR), Shea Weber (MTL), Connor Hellebuyck (WPG), with Travis Green as my coach.
- Bruce McCurdy (The Cult of Hockey): Could James Neal hit the waiver wire this year or is it possible that Oscar Klefbom could opt-out of the 2020-21 NHL season? According to McCurdy, the answer to those hypotheticals is yes and all in the name of saving a few bucks.
- Allan Mitchell (The Athletic): Says this about Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ethan Bear’s new contract when he signs it,
- “Bet the under. Bet a crushingly low contract number. Bet the Oilers pay dearly in the years to come.”
- Brian De La Rose (Pro Hockey Rumors): Thinks the 2021 World Juniors in Edmonton is Canada’s to lose but is intrigued by the Russians since they have the best goalie in Yaroslav Askarov, are lead by Rodion Amirov and Vasili Podkolzin, and have been playing for months now. Something the Canadians haven’t been doing…
BLH’s Thoughts: This tournament really is Canada’s to lose. My concern has always been the extended quarantine time off the ice and the fact that there are some teams like Sweden, the USA, and Russia who have elite netminding. All those three teams need to do is keep the puck out of their nets and if they face Canada, shut down the Dach line because I feel like that line is going to be the heartbeat of the team. How they go, the team goes. #NoPressure
- Joe Haggerty (Boston Hockey Now): The Boston Bruins have also been linked to Calgary Flames D-man Noah Hanifin in trade rumors for a reason. They very clearly need somebody that can replace Torey Krug’s vacant spot as a top offense producer and power-play quarterback.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m picking Boston as one of the teams that shits the bed in 2020-21. Their stars are injured, too old, or disillusioned and one of those alone is enough to sink a team let alone three… This could be the year Boston comes down to Earth and is waving to the Sabres as they start their rise.
- Ryan Dixon (Sportsnet): Has Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto as his player with the biggest breakout potential in the Canadian Division,
- “If the slick 22-year-old — who has played just 53 total NHL games over the course of three seasons — can continue that kind of production, it will give Edmonton’s top two lines the balance the Oilers have been searching for forever since No. 97 entered the league.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I like the pick, but I’m not sure Yamo will be that guy. For one, RNH is most likely moving up to McDavid’s line and that will leave Dominik Kahun to replace him. The German isn’t exactly the next Mike Peca out there, he’s more Jordan Eberle. So that begs the question, who’s going to take the responsibility of playing defence on that line? Nuge was the glue that held it together last season.
So if Yamo struggles on that line, guess who might replace him? Someone who actually is quite apt at playing responsible two-way hockey, Jesse Puljujarvi!
That’s just on the Oilers though, as for the entire division, I’m going to say… Rasmus Sandin in Toronto. I love his hockey IQ, his skill and grit, and his ability to move the puck either by passing or rushing. The guy is a stud.
- David Pagnotta (The Fourth Period): Says that up to five teams have circled back on UFA center Erik Haula. However, he did not indicate which five teams those were.
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