This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!
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Cult of Hockey
A list of possible targets for the Edmonton Oilers includes one name that may surprise you
- “The Philadelphia Flyers are open for business this off-season. And a contact of mine with connections to the player reports that the Oilers are one of the teams that has reached out to ask about Travis Konecny.”
- “I believe Oilers fans should also have a keen on eye winger Connor Brown come Free Agency.”
- “(Sam) Gagner with his offensive instincts, right shot and sterling attitude could be an asset, yes. But would it be any more than or even as much as Ryan’s PK abilities, faceoff prowess and (also) stellar character traits? To me, there is a redundancy between the two players that probably would not move the needle as much as the Oilers need to.”
- ” But there is another option out there I believe is also worthy of being in the very same conversation: Luke Glendenning.”
- Both an excellent defensive tactician and a superior faceoff man to either Derek Ryan or Sam Gagner (Glendenning was 59% on the dot over this past season and a career 56% faceoff man), I can see Glendenning making a solid contribution to Edmonton’s Bottom-6.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I like the idea of adding Konecny. A little guy who can score that has some edge… Probably what the club was hoping Yamamoto would turn into. Maybe they’ll get lucky and Philly has their eye on Killer.
Also, if you’re an avid listener to Oilers Now, you’ll probably be aware that Bob Stauffer’s been bringing up Travis Konecny’s name for a couple of weeks now. Subtly saying if there’s one guy on that team he’d like in Edmonton, it’s the diminutive goal-scoring winger out of Philly.
Sweet. More Connor Brown chatter. Leavins even going to the never-ending “remember his years with McDavid” well to boot. I don’t like it but if the money’s right, then there’s no sense in not trying it. I’m just asking fans to lower their expectations should it come to fruition. I mean, when’s the last time a couple of players who tore up the junior carried on that form into the pros? Moreover, add in a gap of six or seven years between their junior days and their NHL years, can you think of any two players who lived up to that sort of media build up?
Kurt does make a solid point with Gagner vs. Ryan though. I might add, mind you, that maybe not signing either would be an option. Perhaps the team should be looking for an upgrade on that line. Anyone of Noel Acciari, Tyler Motte, Ryan Donato, or Matt Nieto could come in on an affordable deal and give the Oilers something they lack. Hell, what about Jujhar Khaira? He was one of the Oilers best PKers under the previous regime when the Oilers were quite decent on the mad advantage. Another ex-Oiler, Tyler Pitlick, will be available too.
Simply put, there shouldn’t be any names written in ink amongst the bottom two lines for Ken Holland’s club right now. Anybody on an expiring contract who plays there is replaceable and that includes the RFAs too.
As for Luke Glendenning, I was calling for Edmonton to sign him years ago but it obviously fell on deaf ears and now that he’s barely an NHLer, Leavins is bringing him up… The team is better off giving Noah Philp a chance.
The Hockey Writers
Oilers Have 4 Good Top-6 Winger Options in Free Agency
- Max Pacioretty – “The Oilers can realistically bring him in on a one-year deal under $2 million average annual value (AAV) because of his health concerns… Over the past four seasons, he has scored 78 goals and 157 points in 163 games as a shoo-in for the top-six.”
- Connor Brown – “Zach Hyman’s offensive production skyrocketed when he joined the Oilers, and similarly, I think Brown’s could also rise by a large margin.”
- Gus Nyquist – “He is a four-time 20-goal scorer, is disciplined and will make similar money to Yamamoto on a short-term deal.”
- Evgenii Dadonov – “Dadonov is dynamic offensively, and he seems to fit in well when he’s put in a position to succeed with good players. He would get that exact role with the Oilers… He is capable of scoring 20-plus goals and doesn’t take a lot of penalties as an underrated two-way player.”
BLH’s Thoughts: There’s a Ken Holland connection with Nyquist that probably should be considered and another Russian one with Dadonov. Does anybody think that somebody will give Pacioretty a deal as soon as the market opens? I wonder if he ends up being a PTO, but that said, older veteran who can score goals… Gives me Luc Robitaille signing in Detroit vibes.
With all of those suggested, there’d be two-way consistency questions with the exception of Brown I’d say. Dadonov and Nyquist fade in and out and will never be mistake for Jere Lehtinen, plus they’re older and slower… But if given defined roles and realistic expectations, there’s potential for surprise.
My preference is Pacioretty. Slow boots aside, he’s a grizzled vet who knows how to score and has a lot to prove. One good year and he could hit the jackpot next summer. Even more so that Connor Brown possibly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIFXL-lvJGU
Trade Rumors
Spector’s Hockey
- Geoff Baker recently speculated that the Kraken could seek to use their cap space this summer to add another impact player… Trade targets could include New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere or Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland. The Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings could also attempt to shed salary.
- New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and Carolina Hurricanes winger Jesse Puljujarvi topped Frank Seravalli’s list of restricted free agents who might not get qualifying offers this summer.
BLH’s Thoughts: I look at Seattle’s group of forwards and I see a glaring need for a plus-sized power forward. They’ve got a lot of little guys running up and down the flanks but no tanks. A player like Klim Kostin would fit well on that roster in my opinion, but too bad for them, he’s an Oiler. For now.
Where will Pulju end up? Florida to team up with Barkov and Lundell? Dallas to play with BFF Roope Hintz? PDO is ruining his life right now but that’ll come back to normal and when it does, a luck team is going to have a 40pt winger who drives puck possession like crazy. If I had to guess, it’ll be one of the teams who lean into analytics heavily that grab him. Pittsburgh with Dubas in charge? Carolina could re-sign him on the cheap too.
