If the Edmonton Oilers could add Evander Kane, Artem Zub and Jack Campbell this summer, would it be enough? Consider the number of young players making less than $2 million that would be required. Goalie Stuart Skinner, defensemen Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg and possibly Markus Niemelainen, Dmitri Samorukov or Vincent Desharnais, plus forwards Ryan McLeod, Dylan Holloway and (outside chance) Xavier Bourgault.
The team would address areas of weakness, but would the depth improve? The key is the top three lines and the first two pairings, plus the goalie.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: 10 free agents for Edmonton Oilers to target this summer
- Lowetide: What Oilers assets should Ken Holland trade this summer?
- DNB: Oilers commit to coach Jay Woodcroft
- DNB: Which Oilers are most likely to return next season? Who goes?
- Lowetide: Are Oilers prospects Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway NHL-ready?
- Lowetide: How Edmonton Oilers would benefit from signing Andrei Kuzmenko
- DNB: What if Edmonton Oilers trade Jesse Puljujarvi? The case for and against
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ Tyler Benson is at a career crossroads
- Lowetide: What does Oilers’ optimal roster for Jay Woodcroft look like?
- DNB: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s playoffs for the ages: What’s the legacy?
- DNB & Scott Powers: Oilers’ cap situations if Duncan Keith retires
- Lowetide: Oilers pro scouts have to get it right in free agency this summer
- DNB: Edmonton Oilers offseason priorities: A 10-step plan for success
- Lowetide: What will Edmonton Oilers do in first round of 2022 NHL Draft?
- Lowetide: Can the ‘Connor McDavid will ask Oilers to be traded?’ group please sit down?
- DNB: What Oilers goalie Mike Smith’s unclear future could mean for offseason plans
- Lowetide: Why Jordan Dumais could be NHL Draft steal for Edmonton Oilers
POSSIBLE 2022-23 ROSTER
This roster comes in with $360,000 to spare and the Oilers are not in LTIR using this model. Here’s the pretzel:
- Traded Oscar Klefbom’s contract and a 2023 second-round selection to the Arizona Coyotes.
- Mike Smith retired.
- Traded Tyson Barrie to Seattle for G Semyon Vyazovoi.
- Traded Jesse Puljujarvi and Zack Kassian to the Ottawa Senators for Artem Zub and Zach Senyshyn.
- Signed free agents Evander Kane, Jack Campbell, Maxim Mamin.
- Rookies are Philip Broberg, Markus Niemelainen, Dmitri Samorukov, Stuart Skinner, Xavier Bourgault, Dylan Holloway.
I like the goaltening, and the top three lines look solid with some questions (is Nuge better placed as No. 3 C, can Bourgault grab enough minutes) needing answers. I like the fourth line, and believe some of those names could legitimately move up the depth chart during the year. The defense is the worry, I do like adding Zub and wonder if Broberg-Zub emerges as the second pairing. Overall, if the Oilers go this route, the internal options will be vital.
OILERS MOCK DRAFT
- No. 29 overall: LC Servac Petrovsky, Owen Sound Attack (OHL). One of the youngest players in the draft, he possesses the complete range of skills. He’s a playmaker who plays a strong two-way game already, had a quality Ivan Hlinka and is already playing in North America. This young man’s offense is underrated and his complete game is impressive already. He’s underrated in every ranking. Scored six goals in his final 10 regular season games. He went 9-10-19 on the power play, 3-1-4 on the PK and 16-15-31 at even strength (in 65 games).
- No. 157 overall: RD Jack Sparkes, St. John’s (OJHL). He’s a 6.08 defenseman, 209 and a long shot, but if he develops the Oilers will have a unicorn.
- No. 189 overall: LD Jeremy Langlois, Cape Breton Sreaming Eagles (QMJHL). Two-way defender, good skater, intelligent player.
- No. 221 overall: LW Eric Alarie, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL). Has size and skill, never gets mentioned but delivered 25-33-58 in 68 games this season. Oilers amateur scouts do pay attention to skill, and there should be some even late in the draft.
FWIW, Leavins latest includes a mention of Brad Holland being a ‘student of analytics’, and the ‘most progressive’ member of the scouting staff.
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/the-edmonton-oilers-mission-get-good-people-keep-good-people-on-and-off-the-ice-9-things/wcm/51363b6d-b895-4fff-9f17-20af9d0295fa/amp/
Kane on a short deal for $5.5m per is like the ultimate wet dream
Summarizing!
Les Cataractes will have to take the scenic route to the Memorial Cup final, as they lost 5-3 to the host Sea Dogs. Saint John advances right to Wednesday’s final, while Shawinigan will face Hamilton in the semi on Monday. It will be a rematch of Thursday’s game which Shawinigan won 3-2.
The Bourg had one assist with 3 SOG.
Shawinigan completely falling apart in the 2nd. Consecutive delay of game peanalties. 3 nothing lead evaporated.
Saint John now has a 4-3 lead after two. The Cats have them right where they want them. 😀
A steady Shawinigan parade to the sin bin meant The Bourg didn’t see a lot of ice in the second frame. Had a HDSC on a partial break but missed the net with his shot.
Shawinigan’s 3 goal lead down to a zero goal lead half way through the 2nd….
First draft Armchair GM:
(I assumed Smith buried, Kassian to Columbus for a 4th, Foegele to Arizona for a 3rd.
Barrie for Allen.)
https://www.capfriendly.com/forums/thread/602124
Basically a feasibility assessmetn
If Smith retires, I think that opens up about $1 million. And a little over a million to play with. Maybel $250K more for Yamo and Jesse each.
I have to sign a cheap veteran C/RW. A couple of veteran million dollar forwards.
Kane with million dollar stop cap vets. Or no Kane, and maybe slightly more expensive depth vets. That is the question.
Given your thoughts on Kassian as a player, how do you imagine he’s tradeable straight across for a 4th, even to a team that would like a “Wilson-deterent”……?
The exercise was more about getting Foegele and Kassian off the roster than “realistic” trade pricing for them. I looked at two conceivable places where Holland might trade them. The price certainly might be far higher. Kassian might have to be packaged along with a first in a pick swap.
The exercise was more about the effect of signing Evander Kane, whether it was possible at all, and I tried slightly more realistic price point than LT.
Kane, Kulak, and Allen or Jarry with Kassian Foegele and Barrie out. The rest has to be filled in with million dollar players. Otherwise money in, money out. I wanted to get a more precise feel for what the parameters of the off-season are.
Columbus will be young in a really tough division. Conceivably, they might have interest in Kassian.
Philly as well with Torts there. I think there’s some sort of market for him because of his rep and that he can still wheel and has hands
Most pugilists are out there are usually not the most stable players or they’d all be Kane. There’s lots of 3M marginal players in the league
Also, I think $2.25MM is low for both of Yamamoto and Puljujarvi- MAYBE Jesse as your 2-year deal walks him right to UFA status.
Also, I don’t see the bonus overage penalty which I believe is close to $900K…
Yup. Just over $5M in dead cap space next year in addition to Klef’s $4.1 in LTIR.
It’s a lot to overcome this coming year. The following season it is down to just under $2M.
Buyout should be stricken from the lexicon
The overages and dead cap look like they’re there. They show up by default on ArmchairGM now that they’re official/finalized.
Agree Puljujarvi and Yamamoto (likely Kulak too) are low, but Godot’s is a plausible look at next years team.
I’m thinking along those lines as well. I would try to upgrade Shore though. Someone cheap that doesn’t bleed 5v5 so Woody will play the 4th line more
4 lines 3 pairs is critical to arriving to the playoffs less banged up and with more in the tank. Also to a deep playoff run
I don’t really buy this superhuman recovery thing. All players get worn down, some have better recovery but are still wearing down. Tired players get hurt more and tired players start being less conscious of body position which leads to being hit more and awkward plays like the one that Nurse did his flexor on
All it takes is an awkward push against another player because your not set right and ping. Larsson used to do it a lot and his back would soon act up
Bodies aren’t like machines. You can’t just change the part
I’m liking Bourgault more and more every time I watch him play. He’ll get NHL games this upcoming season as early as January. Shifty, playmaker, sniper. All good.
Nice play by the Bourg for the 3rd goal
And then he rifled a one-timer off the iron in the waning seconds of the first.
Shawinigan leads 3-0 after one and will have a minute and a half of PP time to start the second.
Beauty one timer Tarkus.
Bourgault loses the puck on a 1 on 1 rush but his trailer teammate picks up the puck and pots in (as the defender sticks with Bourgault).
I am as big a JP fan as anyone, but unless he is happy and wants to be an Oiler he might as well get traded. Probably mid season after he has shown some better offence.
Play him with McDavid lol
Happy to see the Bolts clinging on for another kick at the can.
Avs are sure to take the cup still, but the idea that they fumble this is too hilarious not to contemplate.
And another thing…
Since when has Canada stopped burning wood in their fireplaces? Have seen multi million dollar properties online for sale with the presentation that you are getting to live in some kind of bigtime lifestyle but with a pathetic gas fireplace!??
What are you supposed to do in your multi million dollar Canadian mansion when the grid fails for say, two weeks like it did for my relatives in Quebec one year with temperatures reaching -25 when they literally spent 2 weeks in their front room in front of a roaring log fire. No electricity, no gas, nothing for 2 weeks.
Right and I believe Quebec now has a ban on wood-burning fireplaces for new builds.
I don’t think Alberta has a ban but was talking to our chimney sweep and he thinks he’ll be out of a job in a few years because most people convert to gas.
Madness to me, but I threw a few logs on the fire last night while I was watching Dr Strange 2.
Cold weather isn’t a joke in Canada. Politicians banning wood fires in Canada are batshit insane and should be taken out and shot.
Excellent question. I have an old woodstove and some ductwork that I can jimmy-rig thru a window if I need to…It certainly wouldn’t pass code…and I couldn’t use it if the wind is blowing south….but it will keep the house above freezing. I’m a self proclaimed prepper and firewood is like gold to preppers.
If JP elects for arbitration, what of a one-for-one trade to acquire another stalled prospect/young player with pedigree?
Someone else, of the pre-FLA Bennett mold?
These players would be affordable on their next contracts, and a second opinion could likely benefit all involved.
If he is dealt, then those would be, in my opinion, two acceptable returns.
I don’t want Campbell. I don’t want the commitment. I’d rather trade for one of the goaltenders with limited term (one year left) on their contracts.
Varlamov, Allen, or Jarry. All those teams (NYI, Montreal, Pitt) might take Barrie for the goaltender.
You have to be mentally tough to survive playing net in Toronto
Can’t see the Pens trading their young goalie. Why would they?
As much as I’d love to resign Kane, I can’t see him agreeing to less than $7M. I’d shoot for a cheap version (next year anyway) in Jeannot and sign Nick Paul to shore up that left side.
Trade Puljujarvi & 2nd for Jeannot.
Trade Barrie for Jokiharju.
Sign Kulak and Paul
Sign either Husso or Francouz
Jeannot – McDavid – Yams
Paul – Draisaitl – Hyman
Holloway – Nuge – Ryan
Shore – McLeod – Kassian
Nurse – Ceci
Kulak – Bouchard
Keith – Jokiharju
Husso – Skinner
Francouz recently signed a 2 year extension with Colorado.
I’m confident that neither NSH nor BUF make those trades, but I like both targets.
Im hearing lots of feedback how Keith was a good fit in Edmonton and really helped out with team success. Sure he did, hes that type of hockey player. But he wasn’t really “good”. Not really.
And if he was, then trade him right now because we need his 5.5M cap space to work with. Unfortunately we can’t trade him can we. Not even sure if he has a no trade clause but regardless, there is not another Holland out there for us trade him to.
I don’t think any rosters should have him penciled in at #2 LHD. Hes much more likely to be #3LHD and move to #7D over the season. Keeping Keith at #2LHD makes the team much, much worse.
Kulack was one of the best playoff performers on the back end, easily outperforming the entire left side of the defence. Having Keith in and Kulak out is a losing move in my opinion.
He’s here for one more year, and his cap hit is a detriment. As a player, he did far more than I thought he would, the Keith-Bouchard pairing winning the goal share 26-15 at five-on-five. I understand that money could be put to better use, and it could all fall apart, but Keith had a good year.
To my eye, Bouchard was Keith’s outlet pass. Keith stopped moving the puck up and deferred to Bouchard. Between Burchard’s moving the puck, and his offensive output, it boosted those numbers.
Leadership, of course its present, but it was all about Darnell Nurse.
Here is where some poster might jump in and provide the overall breakdown of the Oilers defense as a group, which really emphasized Keith’s lack of effectiveness. (Some recent blogger has just completed this work)
But ultimately I hope I am wrong and the opposite is true, Keith is and will be a second pair d man. If this was to be true, then move him in a trade as soon as possible. Even if you tell the other GM he was 26-15, I don’t think we are moving him.
Great Blog as usual! Im off to the soccer field.
I found that the thing with Keith is you had to focus on him. He is so sneaky with a lot of passes and dirty in the corners it was hard to see in the grand sweep of things. He is a player you have to watch live to really appreciate what a sneaky dirty bastard he is
Keith Broberg should be the 3rd pairing. Playing Broberg with Keith for a season will be really good for Broberg’s development. Broberg has elite mobility like Heiskanen. The side he plays does not matter.
Broberg has to play this year.
Kulak Bouchard this year. And then next season, Broberg Bouchard.
I just want to pop in to note that McDavid with Keith and Bouch was 16-1 goals last season……..
I just want to pop in to note that Keith will be a year older, and Bouch will be a year more experience.
Plus, the Oilers should be preparing to meet Colorado and other speed teams. Minnesota, Calgary in the playoffs. Those teams took advantage of the agility challenged Keith-Bouchard pairing.
Keith-Bouchard got outscored 2-5 by LA. Against Calgary they were 6-5 as a pair, and 4-4 vs Colorado.
In the regular season they were 3-0 in 3 games vs. Colorado, 2-1 in games vs. Calgary (looks like only one as a pair) and they did struggle in their one game vs Minnesota going 0-3.
To add to this. Looking at the Oilers D pairs against CGY and COL only:
Nurse-Ceci —- 123min 41%shots 40%goals (8-12) 42%xGoals
Keith-Bouchard 123min 54%shots 53%goals (10-9) 55%xGoals
Kulak-Barrie — 104min 46%shots 64%goals (7-4) 45%xGoals
It’s very difficult to argue based on results that Keith-Bouchard were overmatched vs. two fast, strong teams in CGY and COL.
Keith got beat by speed a few times and lost his man in the defensive zone a few times (i.e. last goal of the season). He is prone to mistakes in the defensive zone but, overall, he has a good player for the Oilers last season.
People seem to, or want to, remember the big defensive mistakes – of course, they lead to goals against and, yes, Keith makes them. All d-men make them (I watch Hedman and Makar get beat for goals against) – Keith a bit more than we’d like.
At the same time, he played some big minutes in the playoffs against good teams and, overall, was a net positive on the season.
I don’t like $5.5M of course but he’s “more than a 3rd pairing” and, my goodness, does McDavid take off with Keith on the ice – numbers show!
As much as I’d like to see JP stay an Oiler long term, the more I think about it the harder it is to see a long term contract that both sides would be happy to sign.
It’s worth remembering that in six years as a pro hockey player Jesse has grossed just over $4.5M (by comparison DuBois has grossed $12.8M over the same period and Laine and Tkachuk $23.8M). Subtract taxes, agent fees and escrow (sky high in his two biggest earning years) and I suspect his net pay is considerably less than half of that number. He and his agent have to prioritise maximising his earnings over the next few years and will be keen to avoid any contract that risks locking him in at less than fair market value.
On the Oilers side, they will see a player who’s scoring collapsed in the second half of the season (albiet with injuries and illnes playing a role), who doesn’t kill penalties, has four forwards ahead him in PP time and whose newly signed coach reduced his TOI and dropped him to the third line at times over the second half of the season and in the playoffs. They will want any contract to reflect all this – paying for what he actually is at the moment rather than what he might (or might not) be in the future. An added complication is that the team close enough to the cap next year that any long term deal, which for a RFA tends to artificially raise the players cap hit on the front end and lower it on the back end, is particularly hard for the team to manage.
I find it really hard to see a landing zone for a contract that both sides are broadly happy with given all this.
Which will reflect on his trade value.
I do wonder what other teams see. Huge potential big body fast first line winger?
Or goofy kid with his tongue in his nose that is playing in the NHL and hasn’t figured out what a scrum is?
Heart like a wheel, hands like feet.
Traded Oscar Klefbom’s contract and a 2023 second-round selection to the Arizona Coyotes.
====================
It is my understanding that Klef’s contract is not insured. Is a late 2nd rounder enough to entice the cash strapped desert dogs to take on over $4M?
It’s actually worse than that.
Klefbom’s contract was backloaded so he is due $5.169 million in cash.
I doubt Arizona would be interested.
Why was he never insured to begin with? Did it have to do wth a high rate because he was made of glass to begin with are was there some other reason?
Likely his injury history.
Right. Forgot that.
Being unable to move that contract is one of the reasons why I see 23-24 as the ‘all in’ year for Holland along with all the dead cap & Keith’s cap hit.
I know we have talked about this and you have been ready to go all in for several seasons now but there is a rhythm to taking chances in business.
You don’t sit still, you try to build and improve every day of every week – but that is different than the moment when you push all the chips in because you only get one of those if you guessed wrong.
While I generally agree, there is also a danger in waiting too long in an ultra-competitive market especially when dealing with aging assets.
The Winnipeg Jets learned this the hard way….Microsoft too.
I know we’ve spoken before about the LAK being poised to take a leap up the standings (and their 3rd place finish surprised me) but with that prospect pool and abundant cap space, they will only get much better.
Then consider the Anaheim Ducks.
They now have a very aggressive GM in Pat Verbeek, $40 million in cap space, essentially zero dead cap after this coming season and not one poor contract on the books. (maybe Gibson).
Unlike the Oilers, they have not squandered draft picks on marginal deals and actually have 17 picks in the next two drafts that they can use to further prime the pump or as trade capital.
And, then of course, they already have one of the top 5 prospect pools in the league.
https://theathletic.com/3098719/2022/02/06/wheelers-2022-nhl-prospect-pool-rankings-no-5-anaheim-ducks/
With Zegras and McTavish as their top end C’s already in place along with a pair of potentially elite modern D, Drysdale and Zellwegger, they already have the building blocks secured.
It would take a stunning amount of incompetence for Verbeek to not have the Ducks as Pacific Division contenders in the next couple of seasons.
So, while it may seem prudent to wait another season, I’m pretty sure the lay of the land is that fortune will favour the bold.
Of course it is the numerous bad trades and contracts that have the Oilers unable to be all that bold this coming season.
I think I have more faith in Skinner as our goalie of the future and present than anybody else here so going bold on a goalie this summer doesn’t really strike me as necessary. What Smith decides to do will impact that but unlike most here I see a 50-30 split with Skinner getting most of the games.
To make up for that I expect Kane back in a deal with SJ and his goal scoring – first real one shot winger this team has had for McDavid – to win some games with that average goal tending. If Skinner isn’t up to the task the 1st plus gets moved at the TD to bring somebody else in. In a cap league it is not possible to start a season with a cup winning lineup. You need to acquire the extra pieces in February and that is what I expect Holland to do.
As I said before I am happy to entertain bold as soon as I see you put dollar signs in front of the squad you are proposing. Until I can count to 82.5 it is all fantasy.
What lesson did Microsoft learn, from whom and when?
There was history already and we learnt nothing about this player. Oscar had an injury-plagued junior career. So what if it cost a bit to have it insured. Now you are really paying the price. This is bad management of a contract.
His career was almost over when he contracted a bacteria disease I think it might of been staff plus numerous other injuries. The insurance companies must of laughed when Oscar tried to get insurance.
Likewise, is the ability to accrue space through the year (allowing more ability to add salary at the deadline) worth a 2nd round pick?
The last poor contract they took on (other than the Vancouver trio for OEL) was Bryan Little.
They got Nate Smith in return.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=200252
I know LT mentioned a 2023 pick but Arizona already has 19 picks in the next 2 drafts (and 11 in 2024) so you would have to wonder how much value they would place on another one.
You’re leaving out a bunch of details though.
Little had 2+ years left on his deal, at a higher AAV. No idea if it was insured, thought that would matter a lot.
Arizona also sent a 4th rounder away in addition to taking Smith and Little back.
You could be right that Arizona would be less interested in picks than young players (though they keep collecting the picks).
Even if that was the case, I’m pretty sure the value of 23 year old Nate Smith (less a 4th round pick sent the other way) is lower than the Oilers 2nd round pick.
Smith was a plug and play roster player.
That has far more value than a late second round pick in an indeterminate future when you already have 30 picks in the next 3 drafts.
And, while Arizona has been collecting picks at some point you have too many to even develop them.
Yeah I don’t know. Guy wasn’t even among the 17 top prospects in the Jets system ranked by Scott Wheeler in January.
He got some games with the 2nd worst team in the league, but his college numbers don’t scream NHLer.
50 points in 38 games at Mankato ain’t nothing.
Beats a late second round pick all day long.
That bodes well for Carter Savoie then, being (apparently) a sure fire NHLer, and worth more then a 2nd round pick all day long. Works for me.
Good comparison – Big year for Savoie coming up. He was absolutely out of place in his 2 AHL games at the end of last season – not even near the play. Of course, we are talking 3-4 shifts per game on the 4th line but, yikes.
Hopefully those 8 shifts showed him how big this summer is for him….
Small. Sample. Sizes.
It is to me but I don’t think Arizona is the type of team to throw money around.
(and to OP).
Fair enough. I don’t think I’d do it though.
The extra cap space/flexibility is not something you know for sure you’re going to need.
This would be an asset spent that can’t be used in another trade this summer, or at the deadline next season.
And many here lament all the picks that have already been sent out for rentals. This would be a higher pick than all of them (unless the Oilers play in next years final) sent out for cap space potentially needed for a anoher rental.
It doesn’t add up for me.
I’m not sure there is a team in this cap strapped league that would be willing to take Klef’s cap hit/salary for a draft pick in the 50+ range in any case so I think you are safe. 😉
I wasn’t worried, Holland said himself it’s highly unlikely Klef’s contract would be moved 🙂
But yeah, the deal not being insured makes it a real tough sell for anyone not already spending to the cap.
the ability to accrue cap space AND the ability to pro-rate remaining cap of acquired contracts…
I think the Oilers fans have two summer signing miscast.
We just saw the best Kane can be – on a heater, on his best behavior, positive contributor to the team, $2.2M AAV. Based on this players history all these attributes will swing away from the positive end of these attributes.
Puljajarvi is going be more like Bob Gainey than the Big M. Every team needs this type of guy
I think more like Frank Gainey or Bob Mahovlich
Puljujarvi is following the Nichushkin development path.
Lots of Swedes (Sedins, Naslund, Lindholm) take till 23 or 24. Nichushkin took longer. Puljujarvi is taking longer.
Sometimes you have a player. But you don’t have the patience to wait. Sometimes the change of scenery is necessary, but that may just be poor coaching, the inability of the coach and management to actually see the player that you have.
Look at Cogliano’s career.
Maybe the rupture from the first go around has not been completely healed.
I agree with you Godot. Dispatching JP is a big mistake that could come back to haunt them big time. Having said that, it’s a story that has happened with the Oilers many times in the past.
Maybe the rupture from the first go around has not been completely healed.
======================
That would be my guess. It was healing and then the 2nd half of the season brought it all back.
Prospectolution!
The Bourg and the Cats continue their postseason march as they get into another Dogfight with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Already the proud owner of back-to-back 1st star performances, can The Bourg author another for the hat trick (perhaps with a hat trick)? We wait.
Shawinigan will advance straight to Wednesday’s final unless they lose in regulation. Any other result will have Saint John battle Hamilton in Monday’s semi.
SJ won both their regular season meetings with SHA, though they were waaaay back in November.
In a rather amusing scheduling quirk, Shawinigan is actually the home team today, so they’ll be hosting…the hosts?!?
The Bourg is not the only Oilers connection in this game, as the Dogs of the Sea feature one-time Oilers camp invitee Brady Burns, who has an assist in two games thus far.
Puck drop @ 2 p.m. Hay Lakes time.
Not sure Ottawa would be willing to trade a 2RD on a sweetheart contract for two RW with a potential cap hit of near $6 million when thet are already fully stocked at RW.
You would have to think they would need to value Jesse immensely for that to occur.
Batherson
White
Brown
Watson
I called Zub a top 4 as well, and Bruce shot that down calling him a 3RD. My position was (and is) that he’s a second pair that could move up in a pinch.
He’s my ideal RHD target: a younger Gudas.
Even if a 2RD/3RD tweener, I can see no reason Ottawa would move him for two players that they really don’t need along with an extra $3-4 million in cap space.
Ottawa does have some RD coming but they’re still marinating.
It wouldn’t be cheap, but I’d be willing to sustain some pain in a Zub acquisition.
Bourgault might interest them.
They are light on centres and they always play to the fans in Hull.
He played 2nd pair minutes last season and 1st pair minutes this season for Ottawa (both 5v5 and overall). Probably fair to call him top 4 at least.
Randel’s’ Abstract Thought O’ The Day:
Physicists say given the Bumble Bee’s body mass in relation to it’s tiny wings, that scientifically speaking, the Bumble Bee can’t actually fly.
My two word response: Alejandro Kirk
#BattingCleanupInAStackedRoster
He’s unreal!! Was chatting with a few buddies who have followed the Jays our whole lives, and we can’t think of a better hitting catcher in franchise history.
In a poilce lineup he would be the last player you would think is a MLB player.
I don’t have many concerns with Campbell’s ability. My concern is him staying healthy and his durability. It seems he tires and or gets hurt if he plays for long stretches. Can he play 50 games is the question. Skinner as a backup I have no problem at all with. Woodcroft clearly knows what he has there.
Is Zub better and or cheaper than Kulak?
If by better you mean RHD then yes, yes he is.
If by cheaper you mean costs less assets, then no, no he isn’t.
If both players can be acquired at a reasonable cap hit, that is a win on the team’s defensive side.
Kulak at 1.8 – 2.2 x 2yrs. Zub resigned at 3.4 x 4.
1) Nurse – Ceci
2/3) Kulak – Zub
3/2) Keith – Bouchard
Broberg
Niemelianen?
Zub is under contract for another year at a $2.5MM cap hit (but bigger cash outlay) and I think that’s low for Kulak – he’s arguably the 4th-5th best UFA d-man….
One Oilers Insider has said that Ken Holland is going to be “creative” in exploring avenues to maximize cap space.
Here’s the pretzel I’m hoping we see:
1) Use Picks to move Klefbom’s contract
2) Use picks or Tyson Barrie to move the Kassian contract.
3) Move Foegele if need be
4) Move picks and prospects to buy cap space
5) Promise Kane and his Agent the moon if they’ll do a Kevin LeBlanc deal with us.
6) Sign Kulak for sure and JP if possible
and
7)
All of that on a gallon of gas.
Hell, I spent my entire youth filling up $5 at a time.
When $5 didn’t just get you to the next pump lol
That sounds expensive. We hunted for quarters to gas up my ’66 bug.
VERY true Dinger. Some days it was $1.54 (or whatever the under the seats, in the ashtray, coin total was)
And I like that you said “we”. In those days we were very “communal”; We all pitched in for Gas, Booze and……gee….what was that third thing…..
Firstly, I’ve generally been “against” Jack Campbell oh the premise that he’s not in the tier that I’d be willing to commit the term and cap space too without knowing what he have in Skinner. I am starting to warm up a bit more to the idea as his stats are better than what I had in my mind, and have been consistently for a few years now.
I’m still not 100% sold on 4-5 years at $5MM but he’s a better goal than I thought.
I do like Zub based on his showings against the Oilers, mainly in the 2021 seasons.
Is that enough? Well, that offence is lit – we know that.
The additions are (1) legit 50 game starter and (2) internal development from a bunch of 25 and younger players.
Find a way to move out Kass and add Kulak and, yes that could be enough.
A slightly better team with more reliable tending – isn’t that the ask?
Oh, I didn’t realize that Jesse was out (in the Zub deal) and Bourgualt is in the opening night lineup.
No, I’m not as confident in this lineup – depth is an issue now.
I like it LT, well done.
The first of many comments like this today, I’m sure. Thanks!
Well I mean who doesn’t like free pretzels!
Sometimes coated in chocolate! 🙂
The pretzel store is 26.8km away; I get 100km per 15litres. NO PROBLEM! right?
#GallonOfGasAndALongWalkHome
We are an agreeable bunch for sure. 😉
When it comes to probable outcomes, LT (armed with all his secret information sources) is in the range of reasonable. My hope (damn that word!) is that Holland doesn’t invest heavily in an oft-injured tender. This will put the team in a tenuous spot without reliable goaltending options.
The result would be a scramble for a 3rd option which could end up costing the moon.
Liked your Athletic piece, LT.
As a casual baseball fan, I’ve always been fascinated by versatile position players who have a wide range of skills. In hockey, that has translated to players who have the capacity to “pitch up” and “pitch down” depending on the situation and roster availability. The prototypical example of this from the 2010s is Ben Zobrist. I’m a Jays fan, and have greatly admired the development of Cavan Biggio, who is following a similar developmental trajectory.
There are a few Oiler forwards in this mold — RNH, Hyman. One man on your list who I also believe fits this profile is Evander Kane. He brings so many dimensions — EV scoring, PP scoring, volume shooting, physicality, toughness — that in paying for him it is almost as though you are paying for 2, 3, or even 4 different players. 7 million is a lot of dough and cap %, but perhaps thinking of him in this light makes that hit much smaller.
On the D side, the man who fits this profile on your list is Kulak. I did not know much about him prior to his arrival. I don’t think I’ve been as surprised by an Edmonton D since the time Staios arrived.
Kulak is a wonderful skater and passer. Good hockey IQ. Physical in an intelligent way. What’s more, is he is a bit of a Zobrist himself. We saw him excel in pinch duty on the first pair, and also on the third pair.
I’m optimistic by nature but also mindful that bad things may happen. Getting players who can fulfill multiple roles is insurance.
Holloway or Bourgeault taking off doesn’t preclude bringing back Kane, because Kane is low maintenance in the sense that he can succeed on lines 1-3. A similar line of thought holds for Broberg and Kulak.
I know you tried to show a range of players in terms of who could be acquired. My take (on forwards and D) is pay a good price for a great talent, not pennies for a maybe.
Goalies: initially I favoured Husso over Campbell, but your piece has changed my mind. I feel now that Campbell is the better bet, given the longer record of success and achievement in a high pressure environment (TO and EDM are different beasts than STL).
That is one HOT Salty Pretzel! MMM mmm MMM mmm mmmm.
Loves me some pretzel crackers with my soup.
( I know that in your heart Zub is Bear and Foegele is JP) 😉
I would trade for Bear and keep JP, this is true.
THAT is an interesting Sophie’s Choice.
You can have one of Bear or JP but not both; Who do you choose?
I go with Puljujarvi because he does more to help win games. They both have good value though.
Any particular reason for targeting that goalie out of Seattle? 19 year old 6th round pick and I can’t seem to find stats for him anywhere. Is this saying Barrie has no trade value or is there something about Vyazovoi?
No, it’s saying the Oilers can only do these things if nothing is coming back. The goalie has had two good seasons in a row, but the idea is no cap returning.
Not much but you can find them here.
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/semyon-vyazovoi
Record high revenues for the NHL.
https://theathletic.com/3382650/2022/06/25/nhl-revenues-reach-record-high-thanks-to-jump-in-sponsorship-licensing-deals/?source=user_shared_article
sp: McLeod.