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!
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Edmonton Sun (Ellingson/Tychkowski
Oil Spills: Oilers summertime mop-up
Can the Oilers pull of a goalie trade before the season starts?
- Nobody’s taking Mikko Koskinen for that $4.5M for a backup goalie.
- Goaltending wasn’t a crippling issue for them last year.
- As the clock ticks on Koskinen’s final year of his contract, by the time they get to the trade deadline, they will be able to move him because there’s not going to be as much money left on it.
- My guess is that they ride the two and if things go catastrophically wrong, maybe Stalock can come in and see what he can do?
- It’s the same goaltending tandem that got them into the playoffs two years in a row, so I don’t think the house is quite on fire.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’d be surprised if Stalock isn’t claimed on waivers should he be put on, but on the other hand, other clubs could be wary of claiming a netminder who hasn’t played an NHL game in over a year too…
I think Holland is going to bide his time with this move and wait until things flush out a bit. Eventually, there’s going to be a team that needs a backup goalie and that’s when he’ll be able to get his trade.
Are there any other signings or trades to pursue?
- They are where they are and that should be it.
- If they do anything else, it’ll be pretty small.
How about the Ethan Bear for Warren Foegele trade?
- Something like that was always coming down the pipe because they’ve got a lot of really good defensemen coming up through the system.
- You can’t have Evan Bouchard and Ethan Bear in your top-six and expect to go far in the playoffs, you can’t win like that with young players unless they’re superstar talents.
- The need at forward was pressing and with Evan Bouchard coming up, that made Ethan Bear expendable.
- Maybe we overvalue him (Bear). He didn’t have a great year, his points were way low, he’s good, not great, defensively. He doesn’t have a whole bunch of size, maybe you fall in love with the guy you have and other teams look at him from the outside and don’t see the same player.
- They (Oilers) sold low, there’s no question. But then they’re in that situation next year where you’ve got to play Bouchard or Bear and people were grinding him (Ken Holland) because Bouchard wasn’t getting much ice, but you can only play so many young defensemen at one time when you’re in a win-now situation.
- Teams with young defensemen make too many young defenseman mistakes to succeed in the playoffs.
BLH’s Thoughts: Tychkowski said it all I think. Most important is the part where he talks about fans falling in love with a player that folks from the outside see differently.
Bear’s decision to have a tough year couldn’t have been more poorly timed, I reckon. Sometimes the Hockey Gods have their own plans for a player…
Spector’s Hockey
SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently examined where things stand with some of the top restricted free agents.
- Negotiations are ongoing between the Vancouver Canucks and center Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes.
- Fox noted the recent report of Kirill Kaprizov having a tentative one-year, eight-figure contract with KHL club CSKA Moscow in case negotiations with the Minnesota Wild fall through. Wild GM Bill Guerin is willing to compromise with a five- or six-year offer to the 2021 Calder Trophy winner.
- Brady Tkachuk would be willing to commit to a long-term deal with the Ottawa Senators if ownership is willing to spend what it takes to deliver a Stanley Cup team.
- Contract terms seem to be the sticking point between the Carolina Hurricanes and Andrei Svechnikov.
- The Detroit Red Wings remain flush with cap space after signing Jakub Vrana and Tyler Bertuzzi. Fox believes defenseman Filip Hronek could get more term on his new contract than any of his teammates.
- Negotiations are underway between the Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Fox suggested the safe play for both sides could be a bridge deal.
NHLRumors.com
- Ken Wiebe: Have been hearing that the Winnipeg Jets and forward Evgeny Svechnikov have a mutual interest.
- The Hockey News: Jaromir Jagr says if he quits playing hockey, his Kladno could fold.
- “Do you know why I’m still playing? I have a responsibility to the club, otherwise I wouldn’t fly here and I wouldn’t be making a fool of myself. But if I quit, the partners and sponsors would leave and the club may be done. I have no choice. People don’t understand it, but I don’t care. Only God will judge me. I expect much more from myself, and I also believe that I have it in me.”
