Pulju to San Jose/NY, Yamo to Chicago, Foegele/Kass to OTT… Silly Season is Upon Us!

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Sportsnet

What will the off-season bring to Edmonton?

Edmonton’s two primary UFA targets are Ville Husso and Jack Campbell.
We predict the market will drive Husso’s price tag too high — he is 27 and has just 64 NHL games played — while Campbell is more of a known commodity. Zach Hyman will know Campbell well… By all accounts Campbell is a person who would work well with Stuart Skinner, who should get 25 starts this season.
My bold prediction: Holland gives Skinner every chance to become Jordan Binnington or Tristan Jarry. And in the meantime, Campbell comes to Edmonton for stability.
I see Puljujarvi as an analytics fail, the same way Mark Fayne, Benoit Pouliot, Martin Marincin and (if I recall correctly) Dominik Kahun had analytics that far exceeded their actual value as a player. We know that both the eye test and analytics get to wrong sometimes. I believe this is one of those times.
I think it is a quiet instruction for the San Jose Sharks, who still owe Kane almost $22 million on his voided contract, to make a trade and move the contract along without voiding it.
The NHL would rather avoid a precedent being set here, yet can not force Kane to go back and play for the Sharks.
I suspect Edmonton’s only chance of retaining Kane is to make a trade with the Sharks. San Jose could possibly retain some salary, or relieve the Oilers of some money…

BLH’s Thoughts: Bob Stauffer has hinted at something getting done with Kane before that arbitration hearing. So maybe there’s a bit of smoke to that fire.

How could Puljujarvi be an analytics fail? If injuries and COVID don’t take him out this year is it not fair to ask if he would’ve continued on that near PPG pace he started the season with? I mean, it’s not like Jesse’s fancies are wavering or inconsistent, he’s getting better and better with each season. But what’s the point in arguing with Spec on this one? Every year he finds a new angle to tell everybody that JP isn’t a fit in Edmonton and this season’s is “analytics fail”.

So it was pretty “interesting” what tidbits Bob Stauffer dropped on his show yesterday. One texter sent in a request for him to elaborate on his constant teases regarding how the Oilers are going to have a bit more cap space to work with than people know and then the very next text he reads suggests the Oilers send Puljujarvi and a couple more pieces to San Jose for Evander Kane’s contract… I think that might’ve been Bob reading a text message he sent to the Oilers Now show himself…

The “text line” also had Bob talking about Kaapo Kakko and Kirby Dach being acquired by the Oilers whilst using the likes of Puljujarvi and Yamamoto as the fodder to bring those “struggling” young forwards to Edmonton.

Lastly, Stauff mused upon Connor Brown coming to Edmonton while at the same time mentioning that wingers Warren Foegele and Zack Kassian played under Sens coach DJ Smith at one time…

Are the Oilers really going to blow up the right side of their club like that? JP, Killer, Barrie, Kassian gone! That’s a lot of player movement for a conservative GM and for a team that just made the conference final…

The Hockey Writers

3 Oilers Trade Partners for Tyson Barrie

Carolina Hurricanes

Brett Pesce is the only right defenceman, other than fringe NHLer Jalen Chatfield, signed with the team, so the Hurricanes may be in need of a power-play specialist and a second-line right defence. Barrie fits that mould perfectly, and the Hurricanes would get more value playing Barrie higher up in the lineup while saving a ton of cap space after what DeAngelo will ask for.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang has said he’s looking to play at least four more seasons, so any team committing to him won’t need to for too long. The Penguins are already paying four defenders over $4 million per season but are actively trying to trade at least one of them.

Dallas Stars

With a hole in the top-four and on the right side, the Stars will be looking to shore up that spot in free agency or trade. Klingberg expects a decent pay raise from the $4.25 million he was making for the last seven years, as this will likely be the last big contract of his career. If the Stars are unwilling to pay $6-$7 million-plus for Klingberg, that should take players like Letang and DeAngelo out of the mix.

BLH’s Thoughts: Those are all pretty decent bets I reckon. I’ve heard the Canucks have their eyes on John Marino and should the Pens trade him and let Letang walk, they’re going to need a puck mover on that right side, no? I mean, unless the plan is to give Chad Ruhwedal a massive promotion, Tyson Barrie would look pretty good playing alongside Sid and Gino. Problem is, what are they trading to Edmonton considering they don’t have a 2nd or 3rd round pick in the draft this year?

Now, with Dallas, there’s a bit more room for trade because they’ve got all of their picks except for the 7th rounder AND they’ve got some tasty prospects including Wyatt Johntson, Logan Stankoven, and Antonio Stranges. Personally, I think they’d be dumb to move on from any of those killer kids but you never know what ownership is thinking and Jamie Benn isn’t getting any younger.

I would prefer Holland target Stars hulking dman Jani Hakanpaa ($1.5M for two more years) but a lot of things really depend on if Edmonton plans on giving 6’7″ dman Vincent Desharnais a true shot next season. Especially if they’re eyeing a scenario that has the big righty pairing up with his AHL partner, Phil Broberg, at some point.

As for Carolina, they’ll be a team to watch this summer. I think they’ll be active in moving underperforming assets and signing undervalued ones. Tony DeAngelo would be silly to play chicken with these guys at the negotiating table but he’s also proven that he fits in their system and performs very well in it too. I’m betting they bring him back and go into next season with a very good top-4 of him, Skjei, Pesce, and Slavin. That won’t leave much for the bottom-pair and a team like that would most likely give an internal option a chance (Joey Keane) or find an affordable option in the free agency market. So, all that said, Carolina isn’t so realistic for me.

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey

Kevin Kurz recently pondered the possibility of the New York Islanders shopping Anthony Beauvillier for help on their blueline.
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun could be a trade target. Most Isles fans polled by Kurz would be fine with bundling Beauvillier with their first-round pick (13th overall) in this year’s draft for Chychrun, though Kurz believes the Coyotes would want a prospect included in the deal.
(Mike) Harrington advocates pursuing Braden Holtby to share the goalie duties and mentor promising Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen, suggesting they offer up a two-year, $8 million deal.

The Daily Goal Horn

“By the way, according to information obtained during the final, the New York Rangers would be more than interested in acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois,” said Gagnon in a translated tweet. “Ongoing negotiations with the Jets on the parameters of a transaction. It’s not done, but Chris Drury is very interested.” – Francis Gagnon
“Numerous agents have told me that, after conversations they’ve had with Penguins general manager Ron Hextall, they believe it’s unlikely that Evgeni Malkin is returning to Pittsburgh. Some people I’ve spoken with in the Penguins organization feel the same way.” – Josh Yohe
According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, the Colorado Avalanche asked about New York Rangers pending RFA Alexandar Georgiev last season for a trade.