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!
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Lowetide.ca
CHINATOWN
- I believe drafting Bourgault was the correct call. He’ll arrive in pro hockey in time for fall 2023, Leon Draisaitl will have two years left in his deal, McDavid three. Someone has to be in place to take over key roles, in case those men choose to sign elsewhere. Currently, Dylan Holloway, Bourgault, Ryan McLeod, Raphael Lavoie and Jake Chiasson represent the possible future at center. That isn’t enough, but the organization must keep feeding the prospect pipeline and the two most recent drafts have been important.
- We know these Oilers are not among the efficient teams. The Bear for Foegele trade is an example. I like Foegele a bunch, but the position he fills (two-way winger in the middle six) has less value than Bear (top-four defender, RH, fairly complete skill set and proven to be effective versus elite opposition).
- The best thing you can say about that trade is that Edmonton badly needed Foegele to rebuild the third line, and that Bear’s contract ask a year from now would have been difficult to satisfy.
- Finally, Holland can’t run his team as if the world ends when McDavid’s deal is done and he can’t mortgage all of Edmonton’s future for today. I think Bourgault was a helluva pick. I look forward to watching his progress. He may play in a time when the Oilers do not feature 97 or 29. That possibility is the reason using the pick was necessary.
BLH’s Thoughts: Even if I’m still pissed about the Oilers not taking Jesper Wallstedt, I like what I’m reading and seeing out of Bourgault so far. Although, I’m still not 100% sold and this upcoming season will be key in how my judgement sways. I want to see him play an entire season and I’d really like to see him make Team Canada at the World Juniors because I have a feeling he’ll be relied upon in a defensive role as the likes of Conor Bedard, Shane Wright, Dylan Guenther, Mason MacTavish, etc. run the offense.
Can anybody else explain to me why LT keeps saying Rafa Lavoie is a center? I don’t see that at all given he’s played wing throughout junior and minor pro. Also, his skating is not at the level a center in the NHL requires and his bread and butter is his shot off the wing as it is… I’m very curious as to why some are considering his future to be one played down the middle. I just think he’s got power forward written all over him.
As long as I know what I know, I will always be of the belief that the Ethan Bear trade was less about making a “hockey deal” and more about Ethan wanting a fresh start somewhere else due to the abuse he received after the Oilers were swept in the playoffs. Also, my feeling is that he saw the writing on the wall with Bouchard and the return of Tyson Barrie and knew that he was bound to be stuck on the 3rd pair for the foreseeable future considering how the Oilers coaches deployed him this past year.
Spector’s Hockey
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 1, 2021
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks wonders if the Buffalo Sabres would be willing to retain half of Jack Eichel’s $10 million annual cap hit to facilitate a trade. He envisions a scenario where the Rangers could then pitch promising winger Kaapo Kakko in a package deal including other prospects and perhaps a first-round pick. That would enable the Rangers to re-sign Mika Zibanejad for around $9 million per season, giving the Blueshirts a powerful one-two punch at center.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy recently reported the Sabres’ asking price from the Golden Knights was believed to be winger Reilly Smith, prospect Peyton Krebs, promising defenseman Nicolas Hague and a first-round pick. However, they’re already sitting just above the $81.5 million salary cap. It’ll be a tight fit even if the Sabres picked up half of Eichel’s cap hit, meaning another cost-cutting deal would have to be made.
The Hockey Writers
NHL Rumors: Sharks, Blackhawks, Rangers, Canucks, More
The Chicago Blackhawks got good news on Sunday as (Marc-Andre) Fleury has informed the franchise he will play next season despite his unhappiness with being moved by the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade that caught a lot of attention just ahead of NHL free agency this offseason. The Blackhawks tweeted a photo of a flower and multiple insiders are saying Fleury has told the team he’s good to go.
Noting that a lot of what happens between the Rangers and Eichel will depend on what happens between the Rangers and Mika Zibanejad first, Larry Brooks of the NY Post writes that a source said a recent Rangers offer didn’t include Filip Chytil but did include Vitali Kravtsov, Zach Jones, Alexandar Georgiev and a first-round draft pick.
