Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with 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 The Athletic
Stock up, stock down: Whose chances of making Team Canada’s 2022 Olympic roster have risen, or fallen, this postseason? by Pierre LeBrun
This is a specific look at some players whose stock has risen or fallen since the season began in January, especially with the playoffs in mind:
Stock Down
Mike Smith: I actually struggled with whether I should say his stock is up or down. His stock went up after a terrific regular season, but then the Oilers got swept in the first round. The reality is that I don’t think Smith, at 39, is on Team Canada’s radar. Great story this year, though.
Stock Up
Darnell Nurse: Speaking of the left side, a breakout season for Nurse had him rising up Team Canada’s list. I have no doubt about it. He needs to continue that play come the fall, but he’s at least in the conversation.
BLH’s Thoughts: There’s no way Mike Smith is making that team. It’s my belief that the only spot up for grabs is the no.3 spot. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury are proving they still have what it takes to play at an elite level. So if I had to guess on the no.3, I’ll say it comes down to Darcy Kuemper and Carter Hart.
Conversely, if Darnell Nurse isn’t on Team Canada for the next winter Olympics, I’ll consider that a travesty. He’s absolutely one of the best left-shot defenders in the league right now.
From The Cult of Hockey
Edmonton Oilers have one good shot at the 2021 draft. Can Wright and Green score? by David Staples
There’s no sure road to success in the NHL but drafting well is as good as any, which is why it’s so crucial that each entry draft Edmonton Oilers draft bosses Tyler Wright and Bob Green get it right.
The Oilers have just five picks this year, the 19th overall pick in the first round, then picks of marginal value in the fourth, sixth (two) and seventh rounds.
For Edmonton to be successful, it’s got to find at least one Core 12 player in the 2021 draft. That pick is most likely to be the team’s first selection, which has four times as much as value than its other four picks combined.
BLH’s Thoughts: I get that the need to hit on a first round pick is of the utmost importance, but I think a debate could be had, specifically concerning the Edmonton Oilers, that this team needs to hit on their picks in the latter rounds, especially if the plan is to build the team up more akin to the Winnipeg Jets or Montreal Canadiens.
However, to Staples’ point, I’d argue that the players coming into the league today are better and more prepared than they were back in the 90s and early 2000s when Detroit was having all of that luck at the draft table.
Therefore, I think it’s reasonable to expect that the Oilers will select an individual in the first round this year that will turn out to be an NHL player to some degree, just as they have the past seven years (Nurse, Draisaitl, McDavid, Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Broberg, Holloway).
I still haven’t got this straightened out, but I do believe Edmonton will be picking 19th overall and with all the hype surrounding Edmonton Oil Kings netminder Sebastian Cossa, I don’t think he’ll be falling that far, which is a shame.
So with that said, there should be some fantastic forwards available like the following,
- Zachary L’Heureux (C/LW, 5’11” 196lb, Halifax/QMJHL) – A skilled pest. Brings players into the muck with him. Some comps to Brad Marchand.
- Aatu Raty (C, 6’2″ 185lb, Karpat/SM-Liiga) – Lightning fast hands, brings energy and physicality to each shift, Pronman projects him as a 2C. Raty could be a low-risk high-reward selection if developed properly.
- Cole Sillinger (C, 6’0″ 187lb, Sioux Falls/USHL) – Very smart player offensively, has an NHL shot, loves the muck. Might turn out to be a heart and soul type.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqlSdn_yiSU
- Wyatt Johnston (C, 6’1″ 180lb, Windsor/OHL) – Can stickhandle in a phonebooth, excellent 1v1, plays a physically assertive game. Could be exactly the sort of player who excels come playoff time.
I like all four of these players because they don’t shy away from the rough stuff and I really believe that the Oilers need some more of these players. That’s not their bread and butter though, all of the players mentioned above are extremely skilled with the puck as well.
For yourself, it might come down to the smallest attribute like L’Heureux’s ability to get under the skin of his opponent or Johnston’s never die on a puck attitude, Sillinger’s hard forecheck and blister wrister, or Raty’s ridiculous ability to stickhandle in traffic.
One more player to add to this list, if winger Fabian Lysell falls to 19, the Oilers have to grab him. This Swede’s style of play has been compared to Artemi Panarin and Mitch Marner but more realistically to Nils Hoglander. I think he falls somewhere in between. Maybe Viktor Arvidsson with some more finesse.
See for yourself,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUgP6LQuWAY
From The Fourth Period
HAMILTON ALLOWED TO TALK TO OTHER TEAMS
The Carolina Hurricanes have granted defenceman Dougie Hamilton permission to speak and negotiate a new contract with other teams, it was reported Monday morning.
The Hurricanes and Hamilton discussed an extension during the season, but decided to table negotiations until after their season came to a close. Now, it appears Hamilton may prefer to sign elsewhere – and, as Friedman noted, gives the veteran blueliner the opportunity to see how competitive of a deal the Hurricanes are willing to table if he prefers to stay in Raleigh.
Several teams were believed to have Hamilton on their radars had he hit the open market next month, and those clubs will surely reach out to Hamilton and his agent now that permission has been granted.
The Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils could be among the teams that speak with Hamilton in the near future.
BLH’s Thoughts: The Oilers will definitely chat with Hamilton’s camp but I don’t see him green lighting that move. Of all the markets he’ll be most comfortable in, Carolina may be the best for him considering how he’s rumored to dislike the limelight that would come with playing in Canada or a larger American market.
Now, if CBJ moves Seth Jones, maybe Columbus is a team that would be a good fit for Hamilton.
Besides, if we’ve learned anything in Edmonton about being too top heavy, it probably would be a poor decision to let Adam Larsson walk and leave the right side of the defense to Bear, Bouchard, and a free agent.
If you’re hell bent on keeping Ethan Bear, move him to the left side and partner him with Bouchard or Larsson, then you have at least five NHL defenders on your roster every evening and some positional flexibility and depth.
That move, of course, would mean less money to allocate to the forwards though… Elliotte Friedman did say on Oilers Now yesterday that he thinks the Oilers are looking to upgrade their defense this summer though…
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