BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring the Calgary Flames, Dylan Holloway, Tyson Barrie, Nick Kypreos, and more!
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BLH has five pre-training camp questions regarding the Edmonton Oilers’ upcoming season. Read all about them here.
The Fourth Period is reporting that the Oilers are in on FIVE players! Read about it here!
Could Ryan Nugent-Hopkins be leaving Edmonton and might his replacement be Dylan Holloway? Read about that here!
Read about BLH’s FIVE underrated players to watch at this year’s World Juniors here!
NHL Rumors and Speculation
- Salim Valji (TSN): According to Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving, trade chatter has picked up.
- “Conversations over the last week or so have picked up,” Treliving said in an interview with TSN on Tuesday.“You may see some trade activity that takes place. I certainly think there will be player movement between now and the start of the season and in a lot of ways I think it’ll be normal course. Teams are always looking at ways that they think they can improve themselves.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m not exactly sure how long players have to quarantine for when they arrive from the US into Canada, but if it’s around 14 days I expect to see some moves this week so that teams can have their players at least on the roster for puck drop on January 13th. IF that’s when the season will actually be starting.
- Kurt Leavins (Cult of Hockey): Predicts that Dylan Holloway will be developing in Bakersfield by 2021-22 at the latest if not this Spring.
BLH’s Thoughts: We talked about this a few days ago, right? It makes sense for Holloway to leave Wisconsin after his second year and continue development within the Oilers organization. I was told by a source close to the club that he looks like he’ll be a 5-6-7 forward in Edmonton and when he’s developed fully, he’ll be the “grind” on whichever line he ends up on.
- Luke Fox (Sportsnet): When asked about his top-three in the Canadian Division, former NHL tough guy and Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos had this to say,
- “Toronto, Calgary, and Winnipeg. I got Winnipeg as a dark horse. Edmonton, they’ve got two of the best in McDavid and Draisaitl, but they’re thin on the outside. Montreal is better, but game-breakers they don’t have. Ottawa is not ready. And Vancouver will be in a bit of a transition in the aftershock of losing Jacob Markstrom.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I think Kipper might be out to lunch… Winnipeg as the no.3? I’ll be shocked if they beat out Ottawa for last place. And Calgary at no.2? That prediction isn’t out of the realm of possibility but I see them as more of a three/four in the North Division.
- Justin Bourne (Sportsnet): Predicts that Tyson Barrie will have an excellent season with the Oilers and re-sign with the club.
- “Placed properly in a position for his offensive instincts to shine, Barrie returns to 50-point form and — with fellow right shot Adam Larsson coming off the books in 2021 — earns himself a nice raise to remain in Alberta.”
BLH’s Thoughts: This is one to keep an eye on. You know that Holland will be hunting for a no.1 keeper and it’s already out there that Barrie might want to end up in Seattle. Edmonton has Bouchard coming along and my personal feeling on Larsson is that him coming back at a reduced salary is certainly a possibility but it really will depend on how his season goes in addition to how Ethan Bear does. And all of this isn’t even taking into consideration the fact that Dougie Hamilton could be available on the UFA market next off-season and he’s a right proper top-pair d-man.
- Travis Yost (TSN): Believes if the Oilers’ season starts slow that GM Ken Holland will be working the phones to find a trade to upgrade his playing personnel.
- “It is safe to say that the pressure has been dialed up for an Edmonton goaltending duo that was already going to be under the microscope. Should they get off to a rocky start, expect general manager Ken Holland to be aggressive on the trade market”.
BLH’s Thoughts: Holland has a real hodge-podge of trade assets he can use to upgrade his roster. He doesn’t have many draft picks for the upcoming draft, but he’s got quite a few prospects who are on the verge of becoming NHL players and he has some expiring contracts he could use. It will be a real talking point all year in Edmonton as to what he may or may not do in 2020-21.
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