Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Leavins Forecasting Post-Training Camp Trade?

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The Cult of Hockey

Unexpected spots could be there for the taking as Edmonton Oilers training camp imminent: 9 Things

3 players who are standing out at camp so far; Dmitri Samorukov, Philip Broberg and Raphael Lavoie.
- Broberg because of his raw, elite skill set.
- Samorukov and Lavoie both showed up at the rink looking like men, having matured physically and put in the requisite work off the ice.
- Lavoie is a pure shooter who rang 2 posts Saturday.
- Samorukov’s 1st Period injury (a broken jaw) is a bitter pill, having just come all the way back from shoulder surgery. While serious and bad news, at least he doesn’t have to rehab that shoulder again and can maintain his cardio.
Hulking winger Ostap Safin’s performance on Saturday was an eye opener. He assisted on 2 goals with lovely passes deep in the Calgary zone and just missed connecting on several more. Safin appears to be moving better than I have seen him in the past.
Kailer Yamamoto has signed a 1-year contract, worth $1.175m. Good price point, identical to the deal handed to Jesse Puljujarvi.
- Some compare this “show me” scenario to the Jeff Petry situation. One difference: Kailer Yamamoto, for all of his attributes, isn’t a young 6’3, right shot, puck moving D-man.
…what of the cap implications of re-signing both Yamamoto and Puljujarvi going forward if both have big years? Well, that would be a nice problem to have. Even if you end up having to deal one, the value of the return would be higher.
The Oilers have signed Colton Sceviour to a PTO. The 32-year old Red Deer native has enjoyed a solid NHL career since being selected by Dallas in the 4^th Round of the 2007 draft.
- I do not believe for one second that Ken Holland is just “doing Sceviour a solid”. Do not discount that an opportunity that may exist for this player on the right hand side for the big club at the conclusion of camp. So, stay tuned.
Some will wonder why a prospect such as Cooper Marody would not get a shot at an opportunity such as that. But while I have time for Marody he doesn’t project to be a 4^th line energy player who can PK.

BLH’s Thoughts: A broken jaw for Samorukov? Fack! They say six weeks, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s on the ice a lot earlier than that. Dima’ll be eating a lot of borscht for the next little while.

Safin being a pleasant surprise was nice and he was a fantastic junior player, maybe he’s just one of those late-bloomers that happens to big bodied players.

“Even if you end up having to deal one”… The media is preparing the fanbase for the trade of another popular player?

Speaking of player moves, are you getting the feeling that Leavins is hinting that a spot on the wings in Edmonton may open up at the end of training camp, say when teams are finalizing rosters and the waiver wire gets a tad busier? Maybe some clubs won’t want to lose a guy on waivers, so they’ll make a trade instead?… Stay Tuned.

Oilersnation

Off the Top of My Head

In the end, Kailer Yamamoto and agent J.P. Barry looked at their limited options and made the smart move Saturday, signing a one-year deal worth $1.175 million with the Edmonton Oilers that will have the 22-year-old right winger in the mix when the team opens training camp Wednesday.
You can say Yamamoto is betting on himself, but that’s not really the case because GM Ken Holland had the hammer. Accepting that, getting the ink done and being back in the fold from the get-go is absolutely the right play.
Goaltending is the biggest question mark for me and for many of you. If Smith and Koskinen stay healthy and their playing time is divided up properly (so Koskinen isn’t over-worked in number of overall games or in any given stretch), the Oilers will be OK. Any wrench in that scenario spells trouble.

BLH’s Thoughts: The better deal for Killer was to take the single year offer because after ten games he earns arbitration rights. So in a really big way, he is betting on himself and he’ll have his work cut out considering his competition for that extra money is a larger RWer with a better draft pedigree who’s trending a lot better. Good luck to him.

As for Smith, it’s really a tough call. We expected him to fold like a cheap tent last year and he did the complete opposite. Perhaps with a full off-season of training for both netminders, the Oilers will actually be okay in the event of an injury. Covid did a real number on training last offseason, so I’m just thinking that maybe this year things will be better.

Spector’s Hockey

SPORTSNET: Outside of signing Blake Coleman, it was difficult for the Flames to attract notable free agents. Francis cited “the dated arena, winter weather, high taxes, the team’s lack of playoff success, the scrutiny in a Canadian market and a coach (Darryl Sutter) who scares some players off.”

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples points out the Oilers will have difficulty re-signing Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi next summer if both play well this season.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators center Logan Brown asked to be traded and changed agents in hopes of getting a deal. However, the club has insisted it’s not going to just give him away.