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 Spector’s Hockey
LATEST ON MATTHEW TKACHUK
THE ATHLETIC: Hailey Salvian recently weighed in on the trade speculation swirling about Matthew Tkachuk this summer. One rumor linked the Calgary Flames winger was linked to St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko.
Salvian also cited colleague Jeremy Rutherford indicating sources saying the Blues had an interest in Tkachuk but it would take more than Tarasenko to pry him away from the Flames. That’s if Tarasenko would waive his no-trade clause to go to Calgary.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. Both sides could be waiting to see how this season shakes out before negotiating a long-term deal. He’s entering the third season of a three-year, $21 million contract. He’ll earn $9 million in actual salary this season, which could be what he’ll seek as an annual average value on his next deal.
BLH’s Thoughts: Calgary won’t be moving Sean Monahan because he’s having surgery this summer and the recovery will bleed into the beginning of next season. So that leaves them the option of moving Johnny Hockey or Matthew Tkachuk, doesn’t it?
I suppose they could keep everybody in tow until next season and really ramp up the pressure, but if Calgary eats shit again next year, do you think ownership is going to keep Brad Treliving around and not move Darryl Sutter back up to the GMs position?…
I just think that Treliving, in order to save his job, would need to pull off one helluva trade AND find a way to make it to the conference final at least next season. Unlikely is that scenario in my books.
SHARKS SHOPPING LEBANC
THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz reports multiple sources said the San Jose Sharks are ramping up trade talks with other clubs. Kevin Labanc, Radim Simek and Dylan Gambrell are being dangled as the Sharks seek a “hockey trade” in which they get players in return. They’re also hoping to land draft picks. General manager Doug Wilson wants to upgrade his goaltending and add a third-line center.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The decline in Lebanc’s production could be tied to the change in the Sharks’ system under Boughner. He tallied six points in 10 games for Team USA at this year’s World Championships. Perhaps playing with a deeper club or one with a more offensive style would be better suited to his type of game. His contract could be an issue with the cap remaining flattened for 2021-22.
BLH’s Thoughts: Normally, I’d say the Oilers should look into acquiring LaBanc, but I’m not sure he’d be a fit for what the club is looking for in their top-six.
Radek Simek, on the other hand, might be a decent depth option for Edmonton and he only makes a shade over $2M. Good things have been said about this player in recent years.
Don’t be shocked if you hear Jason Gregor talking about one or both of these players in the future since his nephew plays for the Sharks.
From Oilers Now ft. Mark Spector
On the Oilers’ Desire to Get More Experience in the Lineup
- “You can’t win with all old guys and you can’t win with all young guys… Not if you want to win. It has to be a mix.”
- “The Oilers need better veterans. Their plus 26yr old players, they need better players in those roles.”
BLH’s Thoughts: YES! Please! Holland can’t be signing older guys who can’t play and that have never gone through the war that is getting all the way to the Stanley Cup final or played multiple years in the playoffs. 100% there’s value in an veteran who knows what it takes once the regular season is over. Every season we see it be that your Barclay Goodrows, Corey Perrys, Kyle Cliffords, Joe Pavelskis, or your Paul Byrons.
On Adam Larsson
- “I’m not concerned (that he’s yet to re-sign with the club). The Oilers dearly want Adam Larsson back. They absolutely value this player.”
- “Ken Holland had a really good relationship with Brad Stuart back in the day in Detroit and he covets Adam Larsson.”
- “There’s a couple of things in play here, maybe if the Keith deal is still alive and you and I would agree, if Keith comes to town he’s going to be Larsson’s partner, maybe there is a handshake deal here that says, ‘Look, if we can get Keith, we won’t sign you until after the expansion draft.’ and that makes everything better for everybody. You’d have to protect Keith if you got him.”
- “This is a chance for him to really explore. So I’m not saying he goes out and explores and doesn’t come back to Edmonton. I think he wants to play here, that’s what he says. I think he’s got a good opportunity, he’s an important part of the team, he’s a major leader on this team, but I would say to you that he’s, no doubt, enjoying the ride letting in unfold, and I think if it was your son or your client, you’d advise him to do the same thing.”
BLH’s Thoughts: If Adam Larsson decided to sign elsewhere, it would be a punch to the gut for this team. He’s really that old battle axe on Edmonton’s back end. Not that he’s old or anything, but he’s a trusted warrior that has the respect of his teammates. Everybody knows that he’ll go to war for them and to lose that kind of player would hurt.
With that in mind, there will be options on the market to replace him with if need be. It might cost the Oilers some assets, but Ken Holland is not up the river without a paddle here. The Wild have to decide what to do with Matt Dumba, what are the Sabres willing to take for Rasmus Ristolainen, would David Savard be willing to head north?
At the end of the day, I hope that Adam comes back to Edmonton and carries on this journey to the Stanley Cup with the Oilers. Ken Holland loves this guy and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’d make it worth Larsson’s time.
On What Ken Holland’s Doing with the Oilers
- “Here’s one thing that the fans should know about what Ken Holland’s doing with all of these players including RNH, he’s trying to build this winning team. Everybody can’t have every dollar that they want.”
- “Every guy Holland talks to he’s trying to get them to take a little less and be part of a potential Stanley Cup winner and that includes Adam Larsson. Could he get $5M elsewhere? Maybe, but he’s not getting it here and if he wants to be part of this thing, he’s going to have to say to Ken Holland, ‘I’m not going to pick up the phone on Seattle, I’ll let you make a deal with Keith, and I’m going to sign on our agreed upon number when the expansion draft is over.'”.
BLH’s Thoughts: This is the exact same blueprint he used in Detroit in the late 90s and 2000s. It worked then and I don’t see how it could fail today. It’ll really depend on the character of the players on the Oilers and those that are interested in joining the Oilers. There will be no room for prima donnas in this plan…
On James Neal
- “I did speak to Pat Morris (Neal’s agent) last night at some length, and he’s not been informed of an imminent buyout but he speaks like the agent of a guy that wouldn’t be very surprised if a buyout happened.”
- “Nobody’s buying anybody out before the expansion draft. Before you buy anybody out, don’t you make a play with Seattle first?”
BLH’s Thoughts: Spec makes a good point there. Until teams know what their options are regarding the players they’d like to buy out, it’s best to hold on to them until their opportunities have been exhausted.
So if this means Ken Holland is working on a trade for James Neal, my ears are perked. Will he pay the same high price Toronto did to get rid of Patrick Marleau? Christ, I hope not. You kinda hope that if that option is being entertained that the Oilers would just trade him for somebody else’s headache and hope for the best.
Bob Stauffer’s Suggestion re: Edmonton’s Goaltending
- “I’m going to give you another name because there might be a fit for Edmonton and that’s Georgiev with the Rangers. Only because the Oilers have Zack Kassian and we know the New York Rangers were in Edmonton during the course of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers were the team that watched Tom Wilson throw them around.”
- “Zack Kassian, sometimes players in those roles need to be moved along every three or four years.”
- “I personally think that if you knew what you were going to get out of Kassian every night and it was consistent and you know he could be a pretty effective player. I just wonder whether or not something like that might make sense.”
BLH’s Thoughts: A texter also suggested Pittsburgh’s goalie, Tristan Jarry and I think there’s something to that. With that in mind, which GM is going to trade a young starting goalie straight across for Zack Kassian? I can’t see either Chris Drury or Ron Hextall going for that, so the deal would need to be expanded and that’s where Edmonton could end up losing the trade.
If you ask me though, I do not mind the idea of Georgiev and his $2.45M salary for the year coming to Edmonton. He’ll be an RFA when his deal is up but the qualifying cost won’t be prohibitive.
He’s 25, his agent was once that of Leon Draisaitl’s, but nor he or Jarry’s numbers are very flattering. Plus they’re not the biggest netminders in the world (Georgiev is listed at 6’1″ and Jarry 6’2″).
I guess I can give the Russian the benefit of the doubt playing for a young team like the Rangers though. What’s Jarry’s excuse?
Spector’s on Stauffer’s Trade Suggestion
- “It does make sense. Kassian is such a quandary for Oilers fans and Oilers management. We all know what he looks like when he’s doing what you want him to do and he’s so effective and if you get rid of Zack Kassian, I get it, I know all the reasons you might do it. He’s on an old economy contract, he’s making more than he should be making, but the first thing you’re going to try to do is to try and find someone to fill Kassian’s role.”
- “The Oilers need to get bigger, not smaller, but they also need a goalie here and hopefully whether it’s the Rangers, whether it’s Driedger (FLA), Whether it’s a Merzlikins (CBJ), what you want is a youngish guy with Mike Smith. A guy that doesn’t have to be your no.1 the minute he steps in the door, but a guy that if he comes in and earns the job, you don’t mind looking at 39yr old Mike Smith and saying, “Mike, you’re the backup now.”.
- “To me, the Oilers won’t be completely better losing Zack Kassian, even though we all know that he’s been mailing it in for too long.”
- “The gotta find big players and to get rid of their biggest roughest one might not be the place to start.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Kassian has three more years left at $3.2M/yr and yes, he’ll be overpaid if he spends all that time in Edmonton’s bottom-six and sans any special teams TOI. But as I’ve said before, come playoff time when the rink shrinks and the refs put the whistles away, Kass is going to be a very valued player…
Stauffer on a Texter’s Suggestion of Arizona’s Lawson Crouse
- “That’s a good suggestion. Lawson Crouse kills penalties, he’s 6’4″, he’s 220lbs, he can skate. He’s not as tough as Kassian, he’s a better penalty killer than Kassian is. We know Arizona is up for grabs too.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I think to say he’s not as tough as Kass is a bit of an understatement. Crouse isn’t afraid to drop the mitts, but from the fights I’ve watched online of his, I wouldn’t say his ability to chuck knucks strikes fear in the opposition. I’d love to know if he’s as physical as Kassian too because I’m not too sure he is. If you’ve been lucky enough to watch a number of Coyotes games over the years, please let me know on line (@beerleagueheroe) and tell me if Crouse is Kassian-lite or if he could legitimately fill the role that Kass has in Edmonton.
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