July 13, 2022 /

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Could We See the Oilers Add Another Dan Milstein Client Today?

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Monday Mailbag – How to prioritize the Oilers’ new cap space

What were everyone’s first thoughts about the Zack Kassian cap dump trade?

  • “A necessary evil, I think. I liked Kass as a player but he produced too inconsistently to be on the roster at $3.2 million. Unfortunately, that meant he had to go and we knew it was going to take a sweetener to make it happen.” – Baggedmilk

Was anyone else surprised to see that Duncan Keith was retiring?

  • “Yeah, I really thought he was coming back. it sounded like he enjoyed his time here and I thought the pull of trying to win one more Stanley Cup on a team with Connor McDavid would be strong enough to bring him back. Guess not.” – Yaremchuk

Which are the biggest areas of need that you think will take up those extra dollars?

  • “Goaltending is top of the list. It’s also worthwhile finding out what it’ll take to re-sign Evander Kane.” – Brownlee

All of a sudden the Oilers have some cap space to play with but plenty of holes that need filling. How would you prioritize the money…?

  • “Goalie, Defence, Scoring winger” – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: Kane has been re-signed for four years @ $5.1M, so that’s done. Kevin Weekes says Jack Campbell will sign with the Oilers today (probably done by the time you read this), and I’ve got a feeling another Dan Milstein client will join the Oilers considering he’s got a history with one of Edmonton’s defensemen from their time in Colorado. I’ll let you guess who that is. 

I was pretty shocked that Keith retired. I was under the impression that he left his previous agent to sign with Gerry Johansson (who got nothing out of the deal officially) so that he could sign another contract after this one… Things change though and good luck to him going forward. I don’t think he’s done with the game quite yet. 

The Kassian trade was about as good as it was going to get. Brad… I mean Ken Holland is on a roll right now. 

The Athletic

Oilers’ Brad Holland on AGM role, analytics, working with his dad: Q&A
  • … I think Tyler Wright in amateur (scouting) would say the same thing — we might not have held analytics titles, but analytics has informed just about every decision that I’ve seen get made here in Edmonton since my time, to varying degrees.
  • Like you cannot catch what it means for someone like Duncan Keith to willingly and want to be a part of this group. And he was definitely a part of the team that got to the Western Conference final. Players are more apt to come here now. And that’s not a statistical analysis. There’s nothing about the numbers that’s ever going to catch that.
  • As far as the specifics on the numbers, I see it; I know it. All the numbers say that Jesse increases the shot share, the scoring chances, the expected goals models of any centre that he plays with.
    • Now, if he’s going to continue to grow as a player, I think we’re going to have a very good long-term relationship. But you know as well as I do, the salary cap has caught a lot of different teams in a lot of different ways.
    • I hope Jesse’s a part of it because I can see what he brings to our team. We’ll see where it goes.
  • [Brad on his Dad] It’s funny because as much as I love numbers and, he might disagree with me on this, he has one of the most analytical minds you’ll ever meet. If you ever sit down and listen to him run through his salary cap…
    • It’s remarkable the degree to which he understands the cap and its implications, and he has every single name and number memorized and can recite them.
    • It might not inform his decision-making to the same degree that it does mine, but he’s always loved numbers.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t have a lot to say about Brad Holland right now but I do find it funny that as soon as he’s named AGM and Director of Pro Scouting that the team starts making some sound roster moves. 

Oh, did anybody else catch Holland say that it’s only him and Chris Cichocki left as pro scouts? Paul Messier is still listed on the team’s website but I reckon things are about to change in Edmonton’s front office this year.

It really feels like the Oilers are in the driver’s seat now and that’s where Ken Holland’s in his wheelhouse. He’s pulled the club out of the Chiarelli years finally and now has them poised to be an NHL powerhouse for at least a few more years here. A better pro scouting team and a larger analytics department will keep this team at the top of the league for a lot longer I’m betting. 

Trade Rumors

Sportsnet
  • On Johnny Gaudreau: “I do think the Flames thought they were close, with one executive saying his team heard an eight-year deal with an AAV of $10.5M was going to get done not long before we learned it went the opposite way.”
  • New Jersey was the name on many lips Tuesday night. I’d be surprised if it was the Islanders.
  • All eyes are on New Jersey and Philadelphia for Gaudreau. The Flyers have indicated James van Riemsdyk will not be traded, because they are not willing to pay what it will cost to move the cap hit.

  • Assuming the Flyers stick to that philosophy, it’s hard to see a path for Gaudreau… They’re also believed to have interest in Dylan Strome.
  • …look for Vincent Trocheck in Manhattan. That appears to be his best fit.
  • Florida and Ottawa remain the leaders for Giroux, with Carolina lurking.
  • Mason Marchment is very popular, although Florida has tried to keep him. Also popular: David Perron.
  • Ondrej Palat’s got a few teams surrounding him. I’d heard Jersey, but no idea if that can work if Gaudreau ends up there. Seattle, too.
  • The Kraken are also expected to be hard after John Klingberg and possibly a veteran centre like Noel Acciari (had heard possibility of Toronto with Acciari, too.) Andre Burakovsky would make a lot of sense for Seattle, too.

  • Carolina, Colorado and Montreal are believed to have interest in Brett Kulak.
  • I will guess Andrew Copp to Detroit…
  • Ilya Mikheyev guess: Washington. 
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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!