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 Cult of Hockey
Is Edmonton Oilers G.M. Ken Holland still in there pitching with his best fastball?: 9 Things
- 8. I’ve always been on the list of people who would keep Tyson Barrie. The indirect chatter I hear is that Barrie likes it in Edmonton and feels it’s a fit. While he will almost certainly test free agency (he has earned that right), for reasonable term and salary he’d return to the Oilers. Would 3-Yrs/$4.5m be “reasonable” for his kind of production? $5m?
BLH’s Thoughts: Re-signing Barrie would definitely have a direct impact on which one of Ethan Bear or Evan Bouchard is an Edmonton Oiler next season and I’d put my money on Bouchard sticking around over Bear…
- 7. Word is Arizona would take prospects and picks & also be willing to retain some salary in order to move Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Would they be willing to keep enough of his $8.25m in order to make the contract realistic in Edmonton? Remember, the maximum a club can retain is 50%. Dave Tippett has lots of experience with Ekman-Larsson. But then he did with Kyle Turris, too.
BLH’s Thoughts: As I said yesterday, I wonder if Ken Holland is looking at Shea Weber’s resurgence in Montreal and wondering if OEL could have the same impact with the Oilers? Holland has the prospects, the picks, and the cap room to get this deal done if Arizona can eat 40-50% of the remainder of Ekman-Larsson’s contract…
What if Edmonton did acquire him and it became apparent that it wasn’t going to work out in the first couple of seasons. Would it be a bit easier to move him if his contract was at $8M or $4M? And we know there’d be suitors in Vancouver and Boston…
When I look at the following group on defense, I feel good about it, but I’m also a cup half-full sort of fella too though…
Nurse/Barrie
OEL/Larsson
Russell/Bouchard
LagessonMind you, can the Oilers add Barrie, OEL, and Larsson for $13M? Aside from Bouchard, the Oilers defense would be set for at least the next four years if nothing changed AND they’d have Broberg coming along as well as others in the event the group needed a change.
- 5. The Oilers have lost the rights to their 100th over-all pick from 2019 by not signing him before the June 1st deadline. But from what I can gather, while the club didn’t want to lose Matej Blumel they also didn’t consider him an “A” or maybe even a “B” prospect. As such, they did not feel compelled to use one of their 50 contracts on him. Is this a mistake by the club? Time will tell. I’m made to understand the fact that Blumel decided against staying and developing in college was also a factor.
BLH’s Thoughts: Well, as fun as it would be to shit on the club for letting this prospect walk, it looks like Blumel is the one taking his career into his own hands and good on him for doing it. I hope it works out as well for him as it did for Jesse Puljujarvi. I’ve been kind of hoping he would turn into the next Ondrej Palat for Edmonton and he still could if things work out, but either way, good luck to him.
- 4. I have mentioned in this space previously that I could see the Oilers trying to trade for a 3C rather than gamble with what are sure to be inflated prices in Free Agency. Hockey Hall of Fame writer Jim Matheson mentions Nolan Patrick from Philadelphia as one possibility. A right-shot, skilled, with size and still young, Patrick will be looking to rebound from a bad 2020-21. Will the Flyers want to protect the RFA? And would they be looking for a young NHL-ready D-man in return to shore up their blueline? Someone who’d be happy in Philly?
BLH’s Thoughts: Someone who’d be happy in Philly? Is that Caleb Jones maybe? Especially if his brother, Seth, makes it to the Flyers as well? Now, if that’s a real deal that’s sitting on Holland’s desk right now, send it in Kenny! Jones’ future in Edmonton is as clear as mud right now and if they can get Nolan Patrick for him, why the hell not?
- 3. It would seem that the Oilers still aren’t sure about the status of Oscar Klefbom. This is a major complicating factor in Ken Holland’s off-season. Until he knows whether Klefbom has decided to return to play after surgery, its harder for Ken to make a decision on the afore-mentioned Tyson Barrie who more than replaced Klefbom offensively in 2020-21. If Klebom can’t or won’t return, then does Holland spend money/assets on a LHD to replace him? And does Klefbom get protected in the expansion draft? If it’s a yes, then another useful and healthier player may end up being exposed to Seattle as a result. At this point, one would have to think that Holland must proceed with the presumption that Klefbom won’t be back…and not protect him.
BLH’s Thoughts: Holland has to do what he feels is best for the team right now and if Oscar Klefbom comes back, cross that bridge when it comes. For what it’s worth, Jason Gregor said on Friday that he’s 99% sure that Klefbom won’t be back this upcoming season or the one after it…
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