Edmonton Oilers Talk: Players Not Coming Back in 2022/23, Puljujarvi’s Future Contract Comps, and the Latest NHL Rumors!

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Edmonton Sun

10 THINGS: Taking the Edmonton Oilers into the holiday season

1. The world’s best player probably doesn’t need anybody telling him how to work his way through a hockey game but Connor McDavid relished shooting in the first 10 games with 46 shots and eight goals.
3. Warren Foegele probably hadn’t played on the same line as McDavid since their peewee days when their Ontario team, coached by Connor’s dad, Brian, was in the Quebec International tournament. But he’s looked just fine there the past two games.
4. Goalie Stuart Skinner seems on the same organizational road as Laurent Brossoit four years ago, but they would love a different destination… Skinner may be the kid who could play 30 games next season with another partner. Mike Smith or somebody else.
5. Kailer Yamamoto gets high marks for even being in the NHL at 150 pounds, and his play away from the puck is exemplary, but while Draisaitl is right in pointing out there’s lots of his game to like as a linemate, doesn’t Yamamoto have to start working on things he is not good at?
6… Tyson Barrie does very good work on the point on the power play, but Bouchard still should be playing more than 36 seconds a game there.
9. Tyler Benson’s transformation from American Hockey League point-producer to NHL energy fourth-liner is coming along. He’s taken some cringe-worthy penalties, for sure, and hasn’t completely won the trust of the coaches but Benson seems to have had a moment like offensive college players Todd Marchant and Andrew Cogliano, who both realized they had to change their games to be NHL contributors.
10… So, how much is The Bison King worth next season on a long-term deal? Not sure who Puljujarvi’s comparables are exactly, but if Drake Batherson, also 23, is close to $5 million on a new deal in Ottawa, Puljujarvi he has to be in that range. Doesn’t he?

BLH’s Thoughts: I would be in favor of a top six that looked thusly,

Foegele-McDavid-Puljujarvi
RNH-Draisaitl-Hyman

The issue that arises is that you’ve got Yamamoto, Kassian, and Sceviour fighting for two spots in the bottom-six unless you throw one over to their weak side to usurp Tyler Benson or Brendan Perlini.

Stu Skinner has earned the backup job for the 2022/23 season, in my chesterfield scout’s opinion. So the real question is, who will he be sharing the net with? After two consecutive seasons of being left out to dry due to an early season Mike Smith injury, do you think that maybe there might be an appetite to bring in somebody who might be able to stay a bit healthier?

The Hockey Writers

4 Free Agents That Won’t Be Back With the Oilers Next Season

A pending UFA who is in the final year of a deal that pays him $4.5 million per season, Mikko Koskinen‘s time in Edmonton is coming to a close. All things considered, he’s not been a terrible goaltender, but bouts of bad goals and untimely gaffes have all but guaranteed he isn’t a reliable option for the team long-term.
Say what you will about Josh Archibald‘s decision to not get vaccinated or the fact that he’s drawn ill as a result of catching the virus, he’s a valuable depth forward on this Oilers’ roster and the team certainly misses him. That likely isn’t enough to warrant the team giving him another contract when his final year runs out at the end of this season.
The Kyle Turris experiment was a failure. Holland decided to sign the former Nashville Predators center to a two-year deal in the hopes that his pedigree as a high draft selection meant he had a lot more to offer and in the right environment could produce better results. Unfortunately, he’s been little more than a part-time roster member.
William Lagesson has been a handy asset to have around in a season that has been up and down with injuries and COVID illnesses. That said, in any other season, he’s not on this roster and not playing meaningful minutes. If and when the COVID situation calms itself a little, Lagesson probably isn’t on this team.

BLH’s Thoughts: File this post under “No Shit Sherlock”… All four probably can’t get get away fast enough, to be honest and the Oilers will most likely be happier with the cap space.

Spector’s Hockey

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Scott Powers said it’s too early to tell if goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will be interested in returning with the Chicago Blackhawks after this season. The club’s performance over the rest of the season will be a determining factor. He also indicated there haven’t been any contract talks with Fleury’s backup Kevin Lankinen.
SPORTSNET: Luke Fox is curious over why Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun has surfaced in recent trade speculation… he’s puzzled that the Coyotes aren’t trying to build around the blueliner. He wondered if it’s because of concern over his injury history or unhappiness with his play.