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 The Athletic
Eric Duhatschek and Ryan S. Clark recently posted their latest mock Seattle Kraken expansion draft. The Athletic’s analytics guru Dom L. was also involoved and here’s what was said about their selections from the Edmonton Oilers,
Edmonton Oilers
Clark: This is another situation in which the Kraken could take a defenseman. But snapping up Stuart Skinner allows the Kraken to get a potential goaltender of the future at a cheap cost.
Duhatschek: Caleb Jones. His stock fell this season,but he’s 24, moderately priced and, if necessary, can probably be flipped to whichever team ends up trading for his older brother Seth this summer.
Luszczyszyn: Caleb Jones. Don’t think he’s as good as his 2019-20 numbers or as bad as his 2020-21 numbers, but worth a flier unless Seattle wants to eat a bit more salary and grab Oscar Klefbom. After missing an entire season, I don’t think I would.
BLH’s Thoughts: If it is true that the Kraken’s ownership want a winner out of the blocks like Vegas, no disrespect to these players, but I don’t see how taking Caleb Jones or Stuart Skinner is going to help that apart from using the selection in a future trade to bring someone in more established.
Their best play is to make the most out of the UFA signing window they’ve been granted and get Ryan Nugent-Hopkins under contract for the next 8yrs at $6.5M-$7.5M/yr. He’d then be considered their expansion draft choice from the Oilers in that case.
Lowetide: What Will Oilers Do If They Must Replace Oscar Klefbom?
(Dmitry) Kulikov is the easy answer. He got results during the regular season with Larsson, despite some chaos (as I mentioned in the year-end report card). He struggled in the playoffs, but fans may remember Igor Ulanov having a tough time after the 2000 trade deadline acquisition, but flourishing the following year.
Free agency offers limited options for Edmonton beyond Kulikov, with the most attractive options (Alec Martinez, Jamie Oleksiak, Derek Forbort) likely signed to contracts that exceed actual value by a significant margin.
One player to keep in mind is Barrie. If Klefbom doesn’t return, the LTIR money can be applied to Barrie’s contract, thus bringing him back for a year (or longer) on a more generous contract.
It might come down to dealing Bear on the downbeat, possibly for a left-side defenceman of similar value. As righties are unicorns in hockey, Holland could make a deal fairly easily for a solid return.
Trading Bear would be a mistake, despite some struggles last season. He’s young, owns a value contract and can play against elite competition, according to Puck IQ.
BLH’s Thoughts: Ya know, if Edmonton didn’t have Evan Bouchard, who is already posting better numbers than Bear, I’d agree with LT with regards to trading the former Seattle Thunderbird. I just don’t think the coaches trust him right now and the time to offer extra leash is running out for young players on this team. Plus, as I’ve said before, Bear’s skating has to get better.
All that said, the Oilers could probably get away with running Ethan, Adam Larsson, and Bouchard for the start of the regular season and that would give them ample time to gauge whether or not Bear (or others) will stick or not.
I’m sure this’ll change weekly, but my ideal plan for Edmonton if Klefbom is unable to return is to re-sign Dmitry Kulikov for one more season, if he’s willing to return, do my damnedest to get David Savard to sign in Edmonton for three years (four at most) at around $5M/yr, and then put together a package that includes Ethan Bear and move it to Philly for Nolan Patrick because over the last three seasons the right-shot center has taken 1209 faceoffs and won 51.7% of them.
The defense going into 2021-22 would be as such:
Nurse/Savard
Kulikov/Larsson
Russell/Bouchard
Lagesson, Jones, Samorukov, Niemelainen, Broberg (you pick)What I fear about that group is a lack of offense but this is what you’d want the Oilers to be throwing out there in the post-season. Four big bodied dmen who play a throwback game sprinkled with the offense of a young Evan Bouchard and possibly a spry Philip Broberg.
From The Daily Goal Horn
Jack Eichel Trade Coming Soon
Jeremy White on WGR550 in Buffalo followed up on the most recent LeBrun report that talks have intensified with “I’m hearing days, not weeks” for an Eichel trade.
If this is true, then the team that seems to be most rumored lately and best positioned are the Anaheim Ducks. Friedman was also on WGR550 today to say that the Sabres preference would be to send him out West. He added that those in the East get the sense if they want him, they’ll need to pay more.
GM Bob Murray has been rumored to be looking to make a splash this offseason. Now that he has some cap space thanks to Ryan Getzlaf’s $8.25 million hit coming off the books, trading for Jack Eichel is a possibility. Anaheim holds the third overall pick in the draft which is a given to be part of the package. They key here is who’s the roster player they move, and will they part with Trevor Zegras? If they are willing to, and assume the full risk of the neck injury – this could be the team Eichel lands on.
BLH’s Thoughts: So, you’re Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, what are you plucking off of Anaheim knowing that they’re not moving Trevor Zegras OR Jamie Drysdale? Keeping in mind, you’re getting that 3rd overall.
If Buffalo is hitting the reset button here that’ll mean they want high-end prospects or younger players to go with that 3rd overall and to me the names that pop out are Troy Terry, Sam Steel, Isac Lundestrom, Jacob Perreault, and Sam Colangelo on forward.
Would this offer suffice in your opinion?
To Buffalo: 2021 1st, Isac Lundestrom, Sam Colangelo, Jackson LaCombe, Adam Henrique, and Josh Manson
To Anaheim: Jack Eichel and Rasmus RistolainenWe know that Bob Murray was trying to move Josh Manson at the deadline and Adam Henrique’s time in SoCal is seemingly all but done (his contract helps balance the financial weight of the deal) plus Buffalo gets a plethora of good prospects but not the ‘A’ graded ones.
https://twitter.com/NHL_Watcher/status/1405878129177079808
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