Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with 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 Spector’s Hockey
WHAT NEXT FOR THE LEAFS?
ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski believes Toronto Maple Leafs management shouldn’t panic and make any rash moves following yet another first-round playoff exit. He points to how the Washington Capitals got sent into “a philosophical crisis” for several seasons after falling to another underdog Montreal Canadiens squad in 2010.
Wyshynski feels the Leafs’ window of opportunity remains wide open. He suggests they rethink their supporting cast by opting instead for players with speed, rather than bring in those with experience as they did this season. He also proposes they look to this summer’s trade and free-agent markets for someone to share the goalie duties with Jack Campbell.
Of their eight unrestricted free agents, Wyshynski believes they’ll bring back Zach Hyman given his contributions to the first line.
BLH’s Thoughts: So the Toronto Maple Leafs became the latest victim to another one of Carey Price’s post-season heaters. It’s a pretty amazing thing that some of these elite athletes can do when the time comes, eh?
Now, just as with the Oilers, there’s no need to blow things up in T.O. at this point. The bulk of the team is there, it just needs some tweaks. The vets and sandpaper Kyle Dubas brought in didn’t pan out, it happens. I probably would’ve taken the same players in Edmonton and been happy as well but this is hockey and countless times over the years, good teams have lost.
The other thing, what happens when you remove a John Tavares and a Jake Muzzin from your roster? These two players were MASSIVELY important to their plan. I’d equate it to Edmonton losing Draisaitl and Nurse. If Edmonton didn’t have those two in the lineup vs. Winnipeg, it would’ve been a bloodbath…
What I think they need is a marquee pair on defense. They f*cked up missing out on Alex Pietrangelo last year. He could’ve been a gamechanger for that team. My suggestion is that they get in elbow deep and try to acquire Seth Jones if he’s willing to go there. Then their top-four is truly set and if push came to shove, they’d have four dmen who they could lean on with all their weight if needed.
The dumbest thing they can do is listen to their fanbase right now as I’m sure it’s screaming to get rid of Willy Nylander and Mitch Marner. Unless they’re getting dealt for players who are of equal or better talent, they need to stay.
LATEST SETH JONES SPECULATION
SI.COM/THE HOCKEY NEWS: Matt Larkin examined several possible trade destinations for Seth Jones after the defenseman informed the Columbus Blue Jackets he intends to test next summer’s free-agent market.
He feels the best hockey fits would be the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Winnipeg Jets, with the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils as possible sleepers. The Los Angeles Kings could be the best all-around fit for Jones, though he plays the same side on defense as Drew Doughty.
BLH’s Thoughts: Detroit and LA do have the assets in their system to trade for a guy like Jones, but is he looking to be part of a rebuild right now? He’d get some stupid money in those places potentially, however, you’d like to think that he’d want to chose his spot if money was a motivating factor. At this point in his career, surely he’s had enough of the peaks and valleys and would prefer to join a club that is already at the peak or nearing it.
I wish the Oilers could get in on Jones, but that’s a pipe dream given the troubles his brother is having with the club right now…
(LINK)
From Oil On Whyte
Jimmy Lynch from Oil on Whyte recently posted five free agents that he thinks the Oilers should be in on. Let’s take a look!
Phillip Danault: Number one on the list is Montreal Canadiens centermen Phillip Danault. Danault has been with the Canadiens since the 2016-17 season. With the team, he has put up 54 goals and 140 assists over the course of six seasons. The 28-year-old is a beast in the faceoff dot and would be a great addition to this team.
Brandon Saad: Saad has the experience, something Edmonton does not have a lot of, and he is someone that plays two ways and is as strong away from the puck as he is with it. It came down to signing a player like RNH or Saad I think this would honestly be a tougher decision than I am willing to admit.
Mattias Janmark: Janmark is another player having a great playoff run with his team, the Vegas Golden Knights. Janmark scored a hattrick in game seven to help push his team over the Minnesota Wild and he shows just how important a little depth scoring can be at the right moment.
Brock McGinn: McGinn would be a solid option to add to the team’s forward group. They should be able to sign him on a relatively cheap deal at around just three million or so, as he is currently making 2.1 with the Hurricanes.
David Kampf: The longtime fourth-line center for the Blackhawks would give Edmonton a great centerman who can win the team possession almost every time he is on the ice. He should be a relatively cheap signing for the team and he would factor into the team’s bottom-six as a winger or a center depending on who else is brought into the fold
BLH’s Thoughts: I love Danault. Sure, he’s a lefty, but quality is quality and he’d be perfect for the 3C spot in Edmonton that Ryan McLeod is keeping warm. In fact, I reckon the Oilers could slide McLeod over to the wing on that third line and have them play together with a Josh Archibald or a Zack Kassian to form one helluva third line.
I’ve talked about Brandon Saad here before and I do think his experience, speed, shooting, and goal-scoring ability would be a find addition to someone like Leon Draisaitl’s wing. I’m just not certain he’ll want to leave Colorado if the Avs can get to the Cup final.
As for the final three suggestions, Janmark I don’t mind but don’t take that hat-trick vs. Minnesota as some sort of indicator that he’s a consistent point producer. His bread and butter is the forecheck and being an annoying presence to deal with.
Kampf scored one goal for the Blackhawks this year and he’s a lefty but he was over 52% on the dot. I would imagine that Edmonton is eying someone who is a right-shot for that spot and is a UFA, not an RFA.
McGinn had 13 points for the Canes this year and for me, that’s not enough for $2.1M/yr. He’s not a player I’d target if I were GM, there are definitely better options out there.
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