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 the Edmonton Sun
OILERS NOTES: Maybe Oilers should take run at Jaden Schwartz as free-agent
If Ken Holland can’t work a long-term deal for left winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Edmonton Oilers GM has between $5.5 million and $6 million a year to spend at the Free-Agent Emporium July 28.
You can forget Colorado’s Gabe Landeskog. Too expensive. And while Zach Hyman and Brandon Saad are the shiniest buys after the Avs’ captain, on aisle three you’ll also find St. Louis’s Jaden Schwartz, who turned 29 Friday. He’s faster and highly competitive, good defensively and he would come cheaper than Hyman and Saad.
- If the Oilers do sign Nugent-Hopkins, they still need a second-line LW in the $3.5-million range, which is where Tomas Tatar (Montreal) comes in (22 even-strength points out of his 30 this season). They’re not getting Blake Coleman (Tampa) at that price. Mattias Janmark (Vegas) is a third-line winger.
- The Oilers have checked in on Florida free-agent goalie Chris Driedger.
- While the Oilers are eying Oil Kings’ goalie Sebastian Cossa at No. 19, he’s likely on Chicago’s radar (No. 11 selection) because they don’t have much in the pipeline.
- with the success of Montreal and the Islanders in the playoffs with their imposing, mobile defence, for sure, he’s (Ken Holland) eying Dallas’s Jamie Oleksiak.
- Getzlaf in Edmonton? Three Words: Not a chance.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m not going to say I called anything, but I remember saying something about names leaking after the pro scouts meeting. That said, all of these names were kind of in circulation before Matheson started firing them out this week. I’m just pointing out that we’re going to start seeing waves of names come out, so it might be worth your while, if you care, to pay attention to the ones that journos like Matheson publish.
It’s nice to see others are starting to see Cossa as a player that’ll go earlier than previously expected though. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went ahead of Swedish netminder Jesper Wallstedt at all.
All in all, the Oilers could do worse than to come away with RNH/Schwartz, Tatar, Oleksiak, and Janmark this summer though. Mind you, I don’t know if they’ll get Driedger. That’ll mean one of Smith or Koskinen aren’t back and either of those scenarios presents its own set of unique ramifications.
From NHLRumors.com
The Red Wings are looking for a goaltender
Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now: The Detroit Red Wings will be looking for a goaltender this offseason through trade and/or free agency and likely one in the draft.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have an extra goaltender and could move one.
The Red Wings hold the No. 6 and No. 22 picks in the 2021 draft. The Blue Jackets have the No. 5, No. 24 and No. 30, as well as goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.
Though it likely won’t happen, what about the No. 22 pick and one of the Red Wings three second-round picks for Merzlikins and the No. 24 pick.
BLH’s Thoughts: Or, Edmonton could offer their #19 straight up for Merzlikins and beat them to it. If the Oilers don’t get their hands on Cossa, then why not use the pick on a more established netminder?
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