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!
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Lowetide.ca
- It won’t be immediate, and it may not impact the Oilers in the final standings this year, but Vegas Golden Knights got their franchise center in the trade with Buffalo. Great trade for VGK assuming a return to health, great trade for Eichel because he can get surgery.
- For Buffalo? They didn’t get enough for the franchise center but Tuch is a quality player and Krebs a legit prospect.
- The Golden Knights made another loud noise trade, but this time it’s for a much younger player. In a way, this trade was a must. I’m not sure how the cap works for them but the team leads the league in LTIR so there must be a solution.
BLH’s Thoughts: I also agree that Buffalo didn’t get enough. Surely finding a way to upgrade the defense should’ve been part of the list of priorities in this deal considering where the Sabres are in their development and the group they’re deploying. If it were me, I would’ve targeted Nic Hague instead of the draft picks and ran a left side of Dahlin, Hague, and Bryson/Hagg this year and Dahlin, Hague, Owen Power next season.
Oilersnation
Oilers Prospect Report: Bourgault takes the lead in QMJHL scoring race
- Bourgault continues to reign terror on goaltenders across the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Oilers first-round scored eights points in two games extending his point streak to three.
- Shane Lachance finally got his name on the box score for the Youngstown Phantoms. He opened the scoring for Youngstown in their 4-2 win over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. The next night, Lachance grabbed his first assist of the year in a 5-1 win over the Chicago Steel.
- Maxim Denezhkin had himself a productive week… he scored two goals and five points in four games for Lada Togliatti. That now takes his season tally to five goals and 17 points in 19 games.
- Dmitri Samorukov scored the game-winner last Friday in his second game back from injury, and Philip Broberg picked up a couple of assists. Broberg now has five assists on the year, which leads the Condors.
BLH’s Thoughts: Bourgault is just toying with the “Q” right now. It’s too bad he can’t play in the AHL because you worry about a player developing bad habits or getting bored when he’s dominating so much. Another thing is that other teams don’t appreciate getting their asses handed to them by one guy and he will become a target for cheap shots if he’s not already and that brings along injury concerns.
That said, I reckon “Go-Go” will be getting serious consideration for Team Canada with this start.
As for LaChance, I don’t know if we’ll see him in Edmonton, but who can even tell right now? It’s so early in his playing career, we’re better off waiting another three years when he’s just started to grow into that massive frame of his and when there’s the possibility that he’s dominating due to said body mass increase and experience. I just think he’s a longshot to play for the Oilers because he’s not much of a producer nor is he the best skater… Yet.
Denezhkin is one of those little Russian skillers that will no doubt do well on the European ice, but I am concerned that he’s looking at Edmonton’s roster and whispering to his agent “F*ck that. I’m not going over there to play in the AHL or the Oilers’ bottom six. I’ll stay in Mother Russia and make more money and be an all-star over here.”
The Athletic
What 9 NHL executives think of the Jack Eichel trade to Vegas
- Team exec No. 1
“(Buffalo) Needed this saga to end for everyone’s sake and get the most they could.”
“…the risk is they have no cap flexibility at all moving forward, lose a really good young forward in Krebs who is NHL ready now and just getting going, lose a ‘Vegas identity’ player in Tuch for a guy who has four more years left at $10 million a season and nobody knows what kind of player he will be after he gets this surgery.”
- Team exec No. 2
“People are going to hammer Buffalo for it but nobody offered more because it’s hard to make room to add a $10 million player.”
- Team exec No. 3
“Just expected a little more of a return from Buffalo. Tuch is a good player under control thru 2025-26. Krebs, while a good prospect, jury is still out. Picks are decent. Would have expected at least another proven player in there.”
- Team exec No. 4
“This deal could swing in two ways: If Eichel’s health returns, it will be a massive win for Vegas. They clearly got the best player in the deal. However, if he doesn’t return to form, Buffalo will have dodged a bullet and broadened their base of talent by adding a top-line winger in Tuch and a potential top 6 center/winger in Krebs.”
- Team exec No. 5
“They should have done the deal at the draft when 31 teams are under orders to improve, have more cap space and more runway to correct their cap position if acquiring Eichel put them in cap non-compliance. They would have gotten a much better return.”
- Team exec No. 6
“I view this as a win-win for both sides. Buffalo was always going to be limited in the return they could get because of the injury, but I think they did well and got cost-controlled assets to build for the future and Vegas didn’t have to decimate their current roster to get their man.”
- Team exec No. 7
“I also have to wonder how quickly this deal got done (became a reality) based on the pressures of Vegas being the only team/option after the potential Calgary deal ‘leak’ yesterday…not good.”
- Team exec No. 8
“I’m curious about the collateral damage going forward now (for Vegas) trying to fit all those contracts under a flat cap when healthy. Probably have to move some more pieces and not be able to sign (Reilly) Smith etc., next summer.”
- Team exec No. 9
“Kevyn Adams did a great job in this way: he had damaged goods, he had a bunch of b.s. going on around it, and you’re never going to get maximum value for that player.”
- Lebrun’s Take
“On paper, this is a deal that Vegas couldn’t pass up. The ceiling on a healthy Eichel is worth the risk. There isn’t really a tomorrow for this franchise. They’re not terribly deep prospect-wise. It’s all about winning in this current window.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Well, at least the Flames didn’t get him and we’ll get to see McDavid v. Eichel 5x or more a year…
