Craig Simpson: “Until the Oilers Add This Element to their Roster, They Will Not Take the Next Step”

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

From Oilers Now

Craig Simpson’s Assessment of the Edmonton Oilers This Season

“I was really disappointed from the playoff perspective. You lose in four, you’ve got OT games that you easily could’ve changed.”
“I still think they were a much better defending team than they have been in other years and I don’t know how many times I said that to you, Bob, you have to be able to check and you have to have good sticks.”
“Going back to even Montreal, how they were able to beat Vegas, and beat Winnipeg so handily is because they checked unreal, they had great sticks, they were in the right places, they took away the shooting lanes… All those things that you need to have on a playoff-worthy team and that has probably been the biggest weakness of the Oilers in the past. Their ‘D’ not being able to shut down, box out, don’t allow anybody to the net, and they never really had a checking line.”
“If Edmonton had a similar semblance of that kind of third line (TB’s line of Gourde-Goodrow-Coleman) that completely changes the matchup game for your head coach. That, to me, is going to be something, if they’re going to take that next step, they have to have that throughout their lineup and they have to have that in the back-end.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I think that is what the team is looking to address this offseason and my personal belief is that the Oilers will probably have to overpay somewhat to get it and that’s why they haven’t done much to bring it in since Ken Holland was hired. They haven’t had the cash to do it.

They could add Goodrow this summer, and Gourde (at a discount no less) could be a target if Tampa isn’t willing to move Killorn. Do you throw Zack Kassian, Josh Archibald, or Ryan McLeod with those two and call it a day?

When the Oilers’ scoring lines get shut down, they need another line that’ll drag everybody into the muck and give the opposition something else to think about. Having disruptors like Yamamoto and Gourde on the team gives them the ability to suck their opponent into penalties and that’s where the scorers can find a spark, right?

From NHLRumors.com

Flames an unlikely landing spot for Sabres Jack Eichel

Eric Francis of Sportsnet: Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving will be looking to make a move or two to reshape their roster. One or more core pieces could be moved.

Trading for Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel seems like a pipe dream for the Flames. There are too many teams that can offer the Sabres a better package for the disgruntled center.

There was a fake tweet of the Flames sending Matthew Tkachuk, Dillon Dube and the No.12 pick for Eichel, with the Flames twitter responding to it, welcoming Eichel to the Flames. Would that trade idea work for both sides though?

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t think it’s completely a pipe dream, but the Flames are pretty front-loaded contract wise and they’ve got some key RFAs to re-sign. That said, if they want to get back in the conversation as a playoff contender again, they could do worse than to add to the fake deal proposed.

From The Hockey Writers

Forsberg Not Pleased About Arvidsson Trade

It might be nothing, but it might be worth watching. Forward Filip Forsberg seemed to publicly note his frustrations over news that Viktor Arvidsson had been traded by the Predators this week. Sharing a big thumbs down emoji on his social media account, it’s clear Forsberg didn’t support the decision.

It’s difficult to know if this is just a player being upset or if this is a player who is frustrated to the point he wanted to stir up conversation. We’ll find out in the next few weeks as the Predators are a team that could make significant changes.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m a little confused by the reaction as there are reports that Arvidsson asked to be moved. So, if we’re just finding this out now, surely the players on the team would’ve known about it for a long time.

Forsberg has one more year left on his contract and there were some rumors at the trade deadline this year that the Predators were listening to offers on him…

If the doesn’t sign an extension and the trade rumors start to creep up again, I do wonder if the Oilers could get in on those sweepstakes at the trade deadline. Talk about the perfect winger for Edmonton’s top-six…

Give us a follow on the socials!