There are reports out of Russia this morning that New Jersey Devils RFA Pavel Zacha has agreed to terms with KHL club Avangard Omsk. Note though that no signing has been reported yet, just an agreement to terms. The club itself has distanced itself from the news and claimed it to be premature.
In the event that Zacha does actually sign with Avangard, he will not be able to return to the NHL until the 2020/21 season as NHL-out clauses are forbidden in the KHL.
You’re right, this has nothing to do with the Edmonton Oilers except for the droves of media and fans that have already jumped on the Jesse Puljujarvi for Zacha train… Would you make that deal? I sure wouldn’t.
Zacha was a fine player, if not a bit overhyped, in the OHL with Sarnia back in 2014/15 and 2015/16, but like Puljujarvi, he was rushed a bit. In his draft plus one season, he played for New Jersey and managed to scrounge up 24pts in 70 games. In the following two seasons, he’s only managed to increase his production per year by one point (25) and in just this last campaign, he was sent to the AHL for four games where he put up five assists in five games. Getting sent to the minors in year three after two years in the NHL full-time can’t be a great sign, can it?
Personally, I don’t think the big Czech has the ceiling that Puljujarvi has. He looks like he could be a solid 3rd line player who contributes on the penalty kill. He’s had trouble staying healthy so far as well with seasons of 70, 69, and 61 games played. I don’t know, maybe he’s like Pulju in that he’s been mishandled so far and there’s something more. I just don’t see it right now.
If I’m dealing Puljujarvi to NJ, I want someone back who can score. Not another body to make an already packed bottom-6 even more congested. Maybe the Oilers put him in a package to get Taylor Hall? I don’t know.
A Plan I’ve Seen Before
Oilers GM Ken Holland has been accruing a massive amount of veteran players on 1-yr deals this off-season and it sort of reminds me of how the Maple Leafs have done business of recent. Basically signing cheap players for the year and then pilfering them off for draft picks at the deadline. The key being that those players were coming from Europe but could still be sent to the AHL or they were veteran NHLers that would interest NHL teams looking for depth on their playoff run.
Given that the 2020 NHL entry draft is friggin’ loaded, is this the plan for the Oilers? They’ve got fourteen players on expiring contracts between the big club and their AHL affiliate. It makes perfect sense to play the season out, deal as many of those expiring contracts away at the deadline and then give the kids in Bakersfield a run out to end the year.
