July 17, 2021 /

Could Zach Hyman be the New Ryan Smyth?

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!

From the Edmonton Sun (Jim Matheson)

OILERS NOTES: Leafs’ Zack Hyman would be ideal fit at winger, but for how long?
  • He was the most noticeable player every game for the Toronto Maple Leafs when they took the Oilers to the woodshed in their three-game romp at Rogers Place this season. He would also provide some bite to their top six, something sorely missing.
    • “Zach is a smart player. Low maintenance, plays the same every shift, doesn’t complain. I’ve compared him to Jere Lehtinen. Very similar personalities,” said Button, who was in Dallas working for the Stars when Lehtinen was there.
  • So, do the Oilers offer Hyman more per year than they just paid Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on average ($5.125 million) over eight years? After all, Nugent-Hopkins is the longest-serving Oilers player, drafted in 2011.
    • “I think you would have to sit with Ryan and tell him what you’re trying to do with Zach and say it’s more than you’re making, are you OK with this?’’’ said Button.
  • The Oilers need Hyman’s grit, but can’t go overboard because they also need a third-line centre. Maybe another bottom six winger, like Joel Armia. Maybe a goalie.
  • With the Oilers in the hunt for Hyman, Holland also has to have a backup plan if he can’t get him. He has to be talking to St. Louis Blues winger Jaden Schwartz’s agent, too.
  • Restricted free-agent winger Dominik Kahun might be a one-and-done experiment after the expected chemistry with Draisaitl didn’t work last season. Chances of qualifying Kahun are less than 50-50.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve wondered in the past how Ken Holland could justify paying an outsider more than the longest tenured Edmonton Oiler. To me, only an incredibly ego-less human would be okay with that and maybe Nuge is just that guy. 

The secret for Hyman to win over the fanbase and the pundits in Edmonton, should he sign there, would be to find way to become a mash-up of Glenn Anderson and Ryan Smyth. Fans in that market absolutely love a player who will run through a wall to get a goal or to stop one. If his production drops off, they won’t mind that as long as the effort remains the same. It’s such a simple equation.

From Oilersnation (Bagged Milk)

Three Big Questions…
  • WHAT HAPPENS IF LARSSON DOESN’T RE-SIGN?

As much as I like both Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard, having only those two guys and their limited experience locked up on the right side doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for a long playoff push, does it?

  • CAN HOLLAND REALLY TRADE KOSKINEN?

Not only am I anxious to find out which team will want to take a swing on Koskinen, I’m equally looking forward to the #SummerOfRage outcry that comes after the Oilers will be forced to retain salary but weren’t able to get Chicago to do the same in the Keith trade.

  • DUNCAN or DUNCAN’T?

As much as the intangibles he brings to the team and dressing room are nice, it’s also fair to wonder how much those will make a difference on the ice or even how much gas the two-time Norris Trophy winner still has in the tank despite all the talk of his incredible conditioning.

BLH’s Thoughts: If Larsson doesn’t re-sign, expect the Oilers to get in on somebody else, be it Rasmus Ristolainen, David Savard, Dougie Hamilton, or Tyson Barrie. They’re not going into the summer without a plan B. 

Of course they Oilers can trade Koskinen. They’ve been trying to for a couple of years now albeit to no success but there some teams with one goalie (ARI, SJ, TOR, DET)  or no goalies (CAR, BOS, BUF) under an NHL contract at the moment and I’d suggest those would be some candidates to take on Koskinen (salary reduced).

My feeling on Keith is that his impact will be subtle and that’ll piss off a lot of fans and pundits who will unrealistically expect a version of the player more akin to his career peak. What we’ll need to look out for is a flattening of the peaks and valleys that come with a younger team. How long will the losing streaks or the pointless streaks last? His technical skills will erode an a more exponential rate now, but the way he thinks the game won’t and if he can still skate better than most of the players in the league, he’ll be an impactful asset to the Oilers. 

From The Athletic (Daniel Nugent-Bowman)

What I’m hearing about the Oilers offseason 2.0: Adam Larsson and free agency? Who’s on the expansion list?
  • Larsson is expected to be a hot commodity in free agency — should he make it there. As noted, I’m told a team is willing to offer the defensive blueliner a five-year deal with at least a $5 million AAV in free agency. The Oilers theoretically could make such a deal work under their budget, but it might limit improvements to the roster in other areas.
  • The one thing Holland made clear is he won’t be making any type of side deal with the Kraken. He said he doesn’t want to pay a future asset or assets to alleviate any salary cap quandary.
  • Four possible RFAs — Jujhar Khaira, Dominik Kahun, Cooper Marody, and Theodor Lennstrom. These are the answers I got from a team source on those players: Khaira, undecided; Kahun, probably not; Marody, yes; Lennstrom, no.

BLH’s Thoughts: As far as my understanding goes, Larsson wants to be part of what Ken Holland is building in Edmonton, so I’d be a little shocked to see him go elsewhere just for another year on his contract. I think Philly is the team that is really hoping to get an audience with him so that they could find a partner for their uber-talented Russian defender Ivan Provorov, but are the Flyers closer to winning a championship than Edmonton and will that added TOI be more help or harm to Larsson’s game? The Metro division doesn’t look all that savory from a dman’s POV either… 

If Edmonton is expecting to lose Tyler Benson, they’re still going to need forwards for Bakersfield and Cooper Marody has proven to be a good teammate for young players coming up so far, so why not qualify him?

For what it’s worth, Bob Stauffer sounded very confident that Jujhar Khaira will be Seattle’s selection from Edmonton. 

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CategoriesArmchair GM Beer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL Rumors

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Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!