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 Spector’s Hockey
WHAT NEXT FOR THE AVALANCHE?
THE DENVER POST: Mark Kiszla believes Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic needs to build a tougher roster and replace Bednar as head coach, citing the latter’s inability to make strategic roster adjustments against the Vegas Golden Knights during their second-round series. “The Avs are pretty, not gritty,” opined Kiszla among his colorful descriptions of their lack of postseason toughness.
- “The Avs are teddy bears that glide through the regular season. But the playoffs are a whole different animal, a grizzly bear that Colorado must learn to wrestle.”
BLH’s Thoughts: I feel like I’ve heard this somewhere… Oilers fans calling for Tippett’s head after another early exit in the post-season following a very promising regular season… “Pretty Not Gritty” should be on the front of the next issue of The Hockey News and the cover should have Edmonton’s, Colorado’s, and Toronto’s logos.
It just goes back to what I’ve been saying since the Oilers were eliminated. Skill will win you the regular season but when it comes to the playoffs a team has to have the beef and enough kamikaze to make it through because everything changes as soon as the puck drops in game one of the post-season. The reffing, the hitting, the rink shrinks 100ft in every direction, and the margins become even thinner…
If the Avs, Maple Leafs, and Oilers can’t find a way to come to grips with having some gritty foot soldiers on their rosters, I don’t see any championships coming their way anytime soon.
THE BOSTON GLOBE: Matt Porter wonders where the Bruins go from here after falling short against the New York Islanders in the second round.
His optimistic forecast regarding Tuukka Rask has the goaltender signing a short-term deal between $5 million and $6 million, undergoing whatever offseason surgery he requires and gradually returning to the lineup next season. He also suggests signing Taylor Hall to a five-year deal worth $6 million annually and David Krejci for a year at around $5 million. The latter would give the Bruins time to determine if Jack Studnicka or Charlie Coyle can play at second-line center or if they need to bring in someone for that role.
Porter also speculates Jake DeBrusk could be shopped for a helpful secondary player. The lack of quality left-side defense options via free agency could see them bring back Mike Reilly if another club doesn’t offer to double his $1.5 million cap hit.
(LINK)
BLH’s Thoughts: Would you put $10M into Tuukka Rask and David Krejci at this point in their careers? Wouldn’t it make more sense to use that money on younger players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and maybe Frederik Andersen? My feeling is that signing Hall and RNH to identical deals would be much better for the future of the team when Marchand and Bergeron are getting on in age…
I’m going to bang on this door until some sort of action is taken, but Jake DeBrusk should be on his way to Edmonton. The Oilers have the assets to acquire the local lad and he’s in desperate need of a change of scenery.
From NHLRumors.com
Blue Jackets have options with three first-round picks and cap space
Jeff Svoboda of BlueJackets.com: The Columbus Blue Jackets will pick at the No. 5 slot in the upcoming 2021 NHL draft. GM Jarmo Kekalainen said they select the best player available and not by need or position, but if there is a tie, they’d lean towards a centerman.
The Blue Jackets have three first-round picks and some salary cap flexibility this offseason.
They could look to moving at least one first-round pick if they can acquire someone that could immediately help them out next season.
(LINK)
BLH’s Thoughts: Over at mynhldraft.com, they’ve got the BJ’s three first-rounders sitting at 5th, 22nd, and 24th overall. If I were them, I’d forget this idea of a quick reset. Use those picks on players and start building up that prospect cupboard again.
At 5th overall, they’re going to have a choice of at least three really good defensemen.
- Simon Edvinsson (LHD/Frolunda) – Aside from the obvious nationality connection, he won’t escape the Victor Hedman comparisons and those are legit based on where Hedman was at this time in 2009.
- Brandt Clarke (RHD/Barrie) – Sees the game two steps ahead. Is terrific on the power play, but takes calculated risks to be part of the offence at even strength too.
- Luke Hughes (LHD/USNTDP) – Skating and puck skills show top-pairing potential. Size (6-foot-2, 176 pounds) is an asset with his evolving defensive side.
These players are projected to be top-4 defensemen at least. Clarke has the most upside offensively, I see Edvinsson as a John Klingberg-type, and Luke Hughes reminds me of Ryan Murray, a very safe pick in my opinion.
If the defensemen don’t interest them, dynamic Swedish forward William Eklund is somebody I highly recommend. He’s going to be a real player in a few years for sure. Also, sniping RWer Dylan Guenther should around at 5th overall too. Both of these skaters are going to be top-six contributors if they hit their ceilings as projected.
Those are the easy pick though, the possibilities with the latter two first-round picks are wide open! Here are some candidates I’d like to see the Blue Jackets consider,
- Samu Tuomaala, RW, Karpat Jr (FIN): A short, scoreless audition in the Liiga notwithstanding, the smallish, energetic forward is a threat from the blue line in.
- Francesco Pinelli, C, Kitchener Rangers (OHL): Produced through some early adversity for Canada at the U18. If NHL teams project him to his natural centre position, he may end up going higher than this ranking.
- Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks (AJHL): Progressed well from the start of the U18s to the end, but at times he leaves you wanting more.
Those micro-reports are borrowed from Sportsnet’s May 2021 NHL draft rankings.
Since this is primarily an Edmonton Oilers blog, you’re probably wondering what names are being rumored as their pick (19th overall) IF they keep their first rounder this year and it won’t surprise you to hear me tell you that Sebastian Cossa, the best goalie to come out of the WHL since Carey Price according to Bob Stauffer, is the player I hear the most when Oilers draft talk comes up.
Another player I wonder about is Kamloops Blazer Logan Stankoven. He’s got a lot of Brendan Gallagher in him but he’s even shorter at 5’8″ (maybe) than the Montreal Canadiens heart and soul. He kind of reminds me of a cross between Cole Caufield and Kailer Yamamoto in that he shoots to score and he lives in the muck where he’s very effective at digging pucks out of skates along the wall.
If he’s not going to develop into Theo Fleury, maybe a Ken Linesman-type could be a realistic alternative.
- “Similar to Frölunda’s Lucas Raymond, Stankoven plays a high-tempo game and is a menace in the offensive zone. He rushes towards the puck and plays the puck hard. Stankoven has elite forechecking ability and if his opponent has the puck along the boards in their own zone, he applies pressure to limit open lanes and capture possession of the puck. While some prospects are much stronger as a forechecker and are not as strong in the neutral and defensive zones, Stankoven is the opposite. When he is in his own zone and the neutral zone, he does not leave many gaps for his opponents.” – Josh Tessler (Smaht Scouting)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhm_extsKHQ
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