The Edmonton Oilers haven’t turned a wheel at the 2023 draft, but that will change today. A little. We will get news of some sort today on Kailer Yamamoto and possibly Klim Kostin, too. Based on Ken Holland’s verbal, after today we may not hear much until Monday. Such is the life of a team with too much month at the end of the money.
THE ATHLETIC!
- Lowetide: Realistic draft options for an Edmonton Oilers team low on picks
- DNB: What I’m hearing about the Oilers 3.0
- Lowetide: Why Connor Brown is a fit for the Edmonton Oilers in free agency
- DNB: Connor McDavid’s top-5 moments from another awards-laden season
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Jayden Grubbe and his organizational importance
- Lowetide: 4 impact QMJHL centres for Oilers to target late in 2023 NHL Draft
- DNB: 10 questions with director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright
- Lowetide: Why Oilers’ Dylan Holloway is in prime position for a major role
- DNB: Five burning Edmonton Oilers questions ahead of the NHL Draft and free agency
- Lowetide: 5 quality Edmonton Oilers trade targets for low-budget offseason
- Lowetide: The Oilers and Russian draft picks haven’t worked — yet
- DNB: How Emily Cave found that ‘joy and grief can coexist’ in writing her book about Colby
- Lowetide: Ken Holland’s Oilers roster construction missing one final piece
- DNB: What I’m hearing about the Oilers 2.0: Evan Bouchard offer sheet? Klim Kostin to KHL?
- DNB: Oilers GM Ken Holland on salary cap space, Steve Staios, 2023 NHL Draft
- Lowetide: What are Oilers’ best NHL Draft bets for 2023 second-round pick?
- DNB: Oilers’ offseason options: Comparing conservative and aggressive approaches
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers targets early and late in NHL free agency.
- Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers position-by-position depth chart entering offseason
- Lowetide: Why Edmonton Oilers’ right wing overhaul is about to hit overdrive
- DNB: Why the Oilers are preparing to hold on to Cody Ceci this offseason
- DNB: What I’m hearing about Oilers’ offseason plans: Trade candidates, Erik Karlsson interest, more
- Lowetide: Identifying a 2023 NHL Draft sleeper prospect for the Oilers
- Lowetide: Stock up or down for every Oilers prospect in the system
DAY TWO LIST
All 32 names chosen were on my list of 126, meaning there are 94 names left on the board as we enter the second and final day of the draft. I will have a new top-20 prospects up at The Athletic tomorrow, and we can talk about some of the names that are most intriguing for Edmonton that are still left on this list.
- 13. LW Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (WHL). 5’10, brilliant offense, skating a concern.
- 17. LC Riley Heidt, Prince George Cougars (WHL). Strong skater, a little undersized, productive.
- 21. RD Lukas Dragicevic, Tri-Cities Americans (WHL). Big, mobile, skilled.
- 23. RW Jayden Perron, Chicago Steel (USHL). Small and extremely talented offensive player.
- 25. RW Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George Cougars (WHL). Power forward with great numbers
- 29. LD Etienne Morin, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL). Smart puck mover, impressive outscoring.
There are six names from my first round left over. That’s not unusual, because (unlike the Bob McKenzie list) my ranking doesn’t search for consensus. A year ago, there were seven players from my first round who went later: Jagger Firkus, Jordan Dumais, David Goyette, Servac Petrovsky, Gleb Trikozov, Adam Sykora and Luca DelBelBelluz. From the seven names last year, I believe all but Petrovsky are on track as NHL players. I’m going to suggest all six of these names will be off the board by the time Edmonton’s turn arrives.
- 33. LW Danny Nelson, US Natl Development Team (USHL). PF with plus shot.
- 35. RW Ethan Gauthier, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL). Skilled, not as dynamic as names ahead of him.
- 36. C-RW Mathieu Cataford, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL). Substantial offense, range of skills.
- 37. RW Felix Unger Sorum, Leksands (J20 Swe). Exceptional passer, undersized.
- 38. LW Roman Kantserov, Magnitogorsk (MHL). Small, extremely skilled winger.
- 39. LC Kalan Lind, Red Deer Rebels (WHL). Speed is his calling card.
- 40. RW Will Whitelaw, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL). Fast, great hands, slick. Small.
- 41. LW Aydar Suniev, Penticton Vees (BCHL). Impact junior, complete skills, skating a worry.
- 42. RC Gracyn Sawchin, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Solid offensive prospect, good speed.
- 43. RW Kasper Halttunen, Helsinki (Liiga). He has skill, size and projects as a power forward.
- 44. RC Jonathan Fauchon, BB Armada (QMJHL). A quality two-way center, late arrival to the list.
- 45. G Michael Hrabal, Omaha Lancers (USHL). He’s 6.06, could go in the first round.
- 46. LD Luca Cagnoni, Portland Winterhawks (WHL). Small, very skilled blue.
- 47. LW Felix Nilsson, Rogle (J20 Swe). June 2005, quick, smart, underrated.
- 48. RD Beau Akey, Barrie Colts (OHL). Two-way D with plus speed.
- 49. LC Andrei Loshko, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL). Quick, creative, great passer.
- 50. RW Yegor Sidorov, Saskatoon Blades (WHL). Huge numbers, older prospect. Big shot.
- 52. LC Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, HV71 (SHL). Impact offense at lower levels.
- 54. RW Coulson Pitre, Flint Firebirds (OHL). PF prospect, impressive offense, good skater.
- 55. RW Jesse Kiiskinen, Pelicans (Liiga). Under the radar talent goal scorer, outscorer.
- 56. RW Ryan Conmy, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL). Huge spike during the season. October 2004.
- 57. RD Hunter Brzustewicz, Kitchener Rangers (OHL). Modern player-type, has size.
- 58. RW Connor Levis, Kamloops Blazers (WHL). Big forward, fine passer.
- 59. LW Nick Lardis, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL). Pure scorer, plus skater, spiked late.
- 60. LW Beckett Hendrickson, US Natl Development Team (USHL). June 2005, size, skill.
- 62. LC Anton Wahlberg, Malmo (SHL). Another big C who has skill and plays a responsible game.
- 63. LC Carson Rehkopf, Kitchener Rangers (OHL). Pure scorer, he’s also a fine skater.
- 64. LW Tyler Peddle, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL). Great shot, big risk-reward potential.
There’s a bunch of fine players here, and honestly very few missteps that I can see. The least impressive name on the list is Peddle and he’s number 64. There’s plenty of first-round talent in this group.
- 66. RW Gavin Brindley, Michigan (NCAA). Great skater, skilled, he’s 19 in October.
- 67. LW Jesse Nurmi, KooKoo (Fin Jr). Fast, playmaking winger is underrated.
- 68. RW Cam Squires, Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL). Throwback forward with skill.
- 69. G Carson Bjarnson, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL). Huge (6.03, 186) and young (June 30, 2023).
- 70. RD Andrew Gibson, Soo Greyhounds (OHL). Big (6.03, 197) two-way D brings toughness, some skill.
- 71. RW Alex Ciernik, Sodertalje (Allsvenskan) Speedy skill winger.
- 72. LW Nico Myatovic, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Big winger skates well, net-front presence.
- 73. RW Lenni Hameenaho, Assat (Liiga). Throwback winger wins battles, has some skill.
- 74. LD Caden Price, Kelowna Rockets (WHL). Two-way D, average in size.
- 75. LC Carey Terrance, Erie Otters (OHL). Great skater, two-way F, 30 goals.
- 76. LD Andrew Strathmann, Tri-City (USHL). Puck mover, creative, some chaos.
- 77. LW Emil Jarventie, Ilves (Liiga). Explosive winger, high skill. Undersized.
- 78. LC Markus Vidicek (QMJHL). Smart, skilled, undersized. Second-year eligible.
- 79. RC Jaden Lipinski, Vancouver Giants (WHL). Big C, huge improvement year over year.
- 80. RD Cam Allen, Kitchener Rangers (OHL). He’s a RH defenseman who can move the puck well.
- 81. LC Noah Dower-Nilsson, Frolunda (J20 Swe) Smart player, plus shot, impressive numbers.
- 82. LD Albert Wikman, Farjestad (J20 Swe). Shutdown blue with speed and good coverage.
- 83. LD Jakub Dvorak, Liberc (Czechia). Big shutdown defender. A load.
- 84. RD Aram Minnetian, US Natl Development Team (USHL). Great skater, nice range of skills.
- 85. RD Carter Sotherin, Portland Winterhawks (WHL). Big, shutdown defender. Impressive.
- 86. RD Dylan MacKinnon, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL). Big, defensively sound prospect.
- 87. LC Jakub Stancl, Vajxo (J20 Swe). Smart two-way pivot with size and skill.
- 88. RD Matthew Mania, Sudbury Wolves (OHL). RHD, great speed, skill.
- 89. LC Luca Pinelli, Ottawa 67’s (OHL). Undersized, average speed, skilled, determined.
- 90. RW Daniil Bourish, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL). Pure skill, great shot. 19.
- 91. G Trey Augustine, US Natl Development Team (USHL). .928SP and 6.01, 179.
- 92. LD Axel Landen, HV71 (J20 Swe). Impressive defensive defender.
- 93. LD Rodwin Dionicio, Windsor Spitfires (OHL). Overager, 6.02, 205, big offense. Hire this man!
- 95. RD Maxim Strbak, Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL). Mobile two-way D with size.
- 96. LD Arvid Bergstrom, Djurgardens (J20 Swe). Mobile defender, quality in coverage.
I’m not sure how tempting it would be for Holland, Wright and Green (they were all members of Poco before heading out to more successful country-rock bands) to deal down from No. 56 to grab a couple of these names. I would go with Gavin Brindley and Andrew Nielson.
- 97. RC Matyas Melovsky, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL). Ridiculous playmaker.
- 98. G Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). A .918SP should get scouts attention.
- 99. LW Noel Nordh, Brynas (J20 Swe). Two-way W, more passer than shooter.
- 100. LD Xavier Daigle, Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL). Steady shutdown blue.
- 101. LW Antonin Verreault, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL). Playmaking winger. Great passer.
- 102. LC Rasmus Kumpulainen, Pelians (Fin Jr). Big center with skill, some range.
- 103. LD Sawyer Mynio, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Fine skater, two-way type.
- 104. LD Luke Coughlin, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL). Two-way D, solid outscoring, impressive playoff.
- 105. LW Juraj Pekarcik, Nitra MHC (Slovak). Solid offensive player, nice passer. Boots a bit of a question.
- 106. LD Tristan Bertucci, Flint Firebirds (OHL). Good size, mobile, two-way type.
- 107. RC Ty Halaburda, Vancouver Giants (WHL). Small, skilled smart.
- 108. LD Michael Hagens, Chicago Steel (USHL). Two-way D trending.
- 109. RC Timur Mukhanov, Omskie Yastreby (MHL). Small, highly skilled, Russian pivot.
- 110. LC Justin Gill, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL). Big, strong, scorer, he’s 20.
- 111. G Thomas Milic, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Average size, now 20, someone draft him!
- 112. RW Tanner Adams, Tri-City Storm (USHL). Skill winger, late spike.
- 113. LW Denver Barkey, London Knights (OHL). High skill, small, not fast. High danger pick.
- 114. LC Isac Born, Frolunda (SHL). A 2004, he’s a center who played quite a in the SHL.
- 115. LD Isaac Menard, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL). Skilled and effective, he’s 19.
- 116. LW Brady Stonehouse, Ottawa 67’s (OHL). Smaller forechecking demon with skill. 2004.
- 117. LW Arvid Sundin (J20 Swe). Undersized burner spiked in junior age 18.
- 118. LD Emil Pieniniemi, Karpat (Fin Jr). Big shutdown blue, mobile.
- 119. RW Matthew Soto, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL). Talented, Aug 2005, small.
- 120. LD Luke Middlestadt, Minnesota (NCAA). Two-way player, undersized, 20.
- 121. RW Aron Jessli, Pickering Panthers (OJHL). A big, strong winger with an edge.
- 122. LC Zeb Forsfjall, Skelleftea (SHL). Undersized, smart center whose speed is average.
- 123. LC Justin Cote, Drummondville (QMJHL). Under the radar, but he has skill. July 2004.
- 124. LC Cole Burbidge, St. John’s Sea Dogs (QMJHL). Slick center turned a corner.
- 125. RW Zach Nehring, Shattuck-St. Mary’s (USHS). Huge winger with skill.
- 126. RW Alexander Rykov, Chelmut Chelyabinsk (VHL). Undersized two-way W.
Lots of these names will fall through the draft. I’ve mentioned this before, but a smart team is going to trade for six picks at the end of the draft and just exhaust the end of their list. It’s not a terrible bet. It will happen someday. Sam Pollock would agree with me.
THE ROSTER MOVES
If the Edmonton summers were named after Bob Dylan albums, surely 2023 summer would be “Slow Train Coming” even though “Nashville Skyline” is irresistible for this weekend.
Oilers fans want thunder on the mountain, fires on the moon. What will they get? A flute that toots and a bee that stings.
Here’s the thing, and you don’t need me to tell you this because you know it’s true. The Oilers had a championship team in 2023, the wrong goalie got hot in Game 6 and Game 7. It’s hell that Ken Holland can’t run the team back, but it’s his job to cull the herd as necessary (looks like Kailer Yamamoto, Klim Kostin and I’m not sure about the other piece) and find suitable replacement parts for the drift away.
If you must have loud noises, then look back to the deadline and Mattias Ekholm. That was a massive shift in talent for one transaction.
On the day Ken Holland arrived, the problems were many and the answers few. If you look at the roster, he has built around Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
He signed or traded for Ekholm, Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak, Jack Campbell, Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, Klim Kostin and others.
He gave every opportunity to Jesse Puljuajarvi and Kailer Yamamoto to join the group and stay.
He kept the best kids from the farm (Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod, Stuart Skinner, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Vincent Desharnais) and is apparently clearing some space for an emerging Raphael Lavoie this fall.
I think you should enter today feeling good about this team. Since Brad Holland arrived the pro scouting is better. Trades for Klim Kostin and Mattias Ekholm, even Nick Bjugstad were solid. I don’t think Tyler Wright has had a clanger draft pick (closest is Luca Munzenberger but he toils in obscurity until we see him in Bakersfield) and there’s no money to overspend on anything.
You’re in the window to win. I wish the team had an analytics department. I wish they woud do a thorough investigation before hiring Steve Staios as the next general manager.
I hope your concerns don’t ruin what could be a season with Stanley. I know this beautiful team could romp through 11 McDavids and still not win the big prize.
Friend, that’s the beauty and the pain of sports. We don’t know the story until the end.
A STORY
When I was four years old, we owned a car the entire family adored. I say this because I don’t think people love cars like they did back then, but it was a big deal in 1965.
The car we loved was a 1953 Flathead Ford. If was blue with a white top, and my Dad spent hours on that motor making sure it would hum. We’d go for Sunday drives (Dairy Qeen for ice cream!) and sometimes we’d all wash the car together. If you came to our house, it would be the first thing you’d see when turning down the driveway.
There was rust here and there, and at some point a hole appeared in the back seat floor on the right side. That’s where I would sit. The hole was at first scary, then distracting, then I became curious. I started putting my foot over top of the hole, then resting my foot on it. It never got far because my brother would tell Mom (he wasn’t a tattle tale, really) and she would yell at me, and then Dad for not fixing the hole.
One day, driving along the Dewdney Trunk road, I did the deed. Thrust my foot clean through the floor boards. It was fantastic! Music! Freedom! I waited a minute to enjoy the moment, my foot just inches from the highway and certain death.
I began to pull my foot back, and it got stuck! My brother told Mom! Mom yelled at me and punched Dad in the arm as he was driving down the road! I started crying!! HOW did my Dad not know I would do the stupidest thing imaginable! He knew me, after all! Oh, to die so young. SO cruel!
Dad, pulled the car over, grabbed my foot, pulled it through and I rode in the front seat all the way home. Dad put a piece of board over the hole, fixed it so I couldn’t move it, and we used that Ford for several more rusty summers.
I don’t really have a moral of the story, but did want to write something that ended “enjoy this Oilers team, rust and holes and tattle tales and yelling included” because when these men are gone to other NHL cities, it’s going to be a sad damn day. Enjoy the draft!
New for The Athletic: Oilers Top 20 prospects, summer 2023
https://theathletic.com/4647879/2023/06/30/edmonton-oilers-top-20-prospects-summer-2023/
Matt Copponi:
I found this on YouTube, some video and interesting information, I won’t add any spoilers. He is mentioned at 12:11 in this video.
https://youtu.be/yLoRNLUvpqY
Thanks for this, a pretty heartening report on our latest pick!
What are next years Oilers going to look like? Well we already know most of the team obviously.
I posted earlier (and DNB has an article up about where they’re at) that they have about $8.15M for their last 5 players (that’s assuming Lavoie at league min).
The last 5 include Bouchard, McLeod, plus 3 more forwards. As I’d guessed earlier, DNB seems to think Bouchard + McLeod will come in at about $5M (that would be really nice).
So that would leave about $3.1M for the final 3 forwards.
-Connor Brown has been heavily speculated on.
-It’s been reported multiple times that there’s mutual interest in Janmark returning.
-The team has also been linked to Jonathan Toews, though it’s not clear whether he’s going to continue playing.
-And Friedman mentioned today that the Oilers have been ‘kicking around’ on Teddy Blueger. That might be your 4C.
Could the 23-24 Oilers look like this?
Kane-McDavid-Brown
Nuge-Draisaitl-Hyman
Holloway-McLeod-Foegele
Janmark-Blueger-Ryan
Lavoie
//
Nurse-Ceci
Ekholm-Bouchard
Kulak-Broberg
Desharnais
//
Skinner-Campbell
That’s basically just $1M for each of Brown, Janmark and Blueger (Brown with $2M in bonuses as my guess). Maybe there’s even room for Toews once he figures things out.
A number of things have to break right for this to happen, but I’d be pretty happy if the Oilers roster looked like this on Monday. We’ll have to wait and see.
The DNB article for reference: https://theathletic.com/4653980/2023/06/29/edmonton-oilers-roster-nhl-2023-needs/
Toews ran the room for over 15 years in Chi-Town. My worry is will he mesh with a much younger McDavid?
Good question.
I guess you’d assume if he decides to sign with the Oilers for something in the $1M range then he’s doing it to win and nothing else. Check your ego at the door and all that.
Keith could also be a guide here (likely already has). Keith was in the room with both of them, and his transition on becoming an Oiler would be similar to Toews (were Toews to join the team).
@JonathanWillis
I wonder if there isn’t another salary cap shoe to drop for the Oilers.
If you figure ~$6MM for Bouchard/McLeod, Holloway, Nemo and a league minimum Lavoie promoted, they’ve got a 20-man roster and just $1.4MM to get up to their target of 22.
Yeah, there definitely could be another salary cap shoe to drop.
I’d think DNB has a better read on the inner workings than Jon Willis does though.
And I have no idea why Willis would be including Niemalainen and trying to run a 12F/8D roster.
That’s probably pretty close.
I’d flip the top 6 wingers though as I think Hyman/McDavid is the best paid (other than 29/97) and, to be honest, would’t be adverse to Kane/Drai/Foegele with Brown starting at 3RW.
Yeah for sure, sprinkle different lines in there. In this case I left McDavid-Brown as a pair because of the junior connection, though I feel like I remember hearing they didn’t actually play together (5v5) in Erie.
Also because Draisaitl-Hyman actually had pretty solid numbers together (I’d remembered them as poor). But they played lots together and were 53-54% in all of SF, GF, xGF, so I see no reason they aren’t a legitimate option to play together.
Like this past year, I think the Oilers should have lots of good options that will work in the top 9 this coming season.
Klim Kostin was a good gord darn human being. If we are more than just an ‘ends justifies the means’ team, losing Klim is a very very tough pill to swallow.
https://twitter.com/dhockey13/status/1603468002871357440?s=46
Harvest Moon AND Top 20 prospects at the Athletic tomorrow? It must be my birthday.
Happy birthday!
Ha! It’s not but just feels like it.
It’s hockey Christmas
Harvest Moon should resemble a Greek tragedy.
https://theathletic.com/4652553/2023/06/29/nhl-draft-2023-grades-analysis/?source=user_shared_article
As a huge fan it may be my least favourite of his classic works, and it’s far from gems like Tonight’s the Night or On the Beach, but that seems a bit harsh.
Hah! Greek tragedy sounds a little dramatic. And yes, I read the article.
C Minus ain’t a great score.
It’s the kind of score you get when you have already pushed most of your chips in and you are being graded on what you got rather than what you had to work with.
If only none of the first 55 guys to pick hadn’t taken Bedard I’m sure the score would have been higher. 😎
Pretty sure all the chips have been exhausted.
Teams who are this bereft of prospects and draft picks generally have a cup or final appearance for their trouble.
Both Vegas and Colorado graded out as Bs in Pronman’s rankings.
Which is code for none of them having drafted any grade A prospect this year – pretty much what you would expect.
And, no, there are more than a few teams in the same position. Toronto comes to mind but there are others.
No shit, but it’s also not a Greek tragedy.
Holland pranced into a organization that was one of the deepest in the league on the backend when it came to prospects at least a legit N.H.L 6-pack. Now all we have is Broberg and everytime they mention him it gets more and more depressing that he’s a bust. They never pump his tires. Why is that?
I’ve never seen Holland prance. Where did you see that?
Deepest in the league on the backend?!?
Subtract Kesselring, Samurokov, Jones, Bear…. who else? Two haven’t been offered contracts from their respected teams and two are bound to bounce between the NHL and AHL.
As far as Broberg being a bust, LT and many others have shown the correlation between his and Klefboms progression since the draft.
Marino and Lagesson.
Marino was never signing here, Lagesson…. meh
I think all of Samorukov, Jones, Bear and Lagesson are going to be unrestricted free agents as of tomorrow.
The Oilers have Mattias Ekholm on the roster and Jayden Grubbe headed to Bakersfield along with the three selections.
I don’t quarrel with the rating, it’s generous if anything. However, one can understand why the Oilers made that trade and the others too.
Harvest Moon will chronicle the day reasonably. I promise.
While acquiring Ekholm was a necessary addition spending two first rounds picks and a 4th is an admission that the previous approach has at least been flawed and perhaps a failure…both things can be true at the same time.
Winning a cup would of course wash away all these sins but a failure to do so might be very painful.
Sorry HH I always thought both Keith and then Ekholm are in response to losing Klefbom to injury not an indictment on the approach. You simply can’t predict career ending injuries. As an aside I am thrilled with how that loss was handled.
The Ekholm trade was overdue but players of his quality rarely come available. The Oilers aren’t guaranteed a Stanley, no team is and it’s damned difficult. I’d say the Holland years have been fruitful, and the build is real. If the club stays this course, Stanley will eventually arrive.
I summarized Holland on Oilers Now earlier but now have had a chance to listen to his short media avail.
A couple of things:
1) Definitely hoping for Holloway to fill part of the void left by Yamo.
2) Gregor mentioned the potential of Broberg in the AHL and it didn’t sound like that was anywhere near Holland’s plan. Referenced him being able to play both sides and also that you need 7, not going with six. He’ll make that decision at the end of camp.
I can’t see him going to the AHL – I also think it would be a terrible decision (at least as of now).
3) Without saying it, it did sound like he would like to get Bouch/McLeod both done before free agency but deals aren’t done.
4) Spoke to Janmark’s agent again today.
Kostin and Yamamoto are on a plane that travels at 500 mph.
If Detroit is 2000 miles away, how long does it take for Oilers fans to get over the trade?
That’s difficult to say…I don’t think we have all of the information.
For example, do we even know if the plane is travelling to Detroit? I mean they could be going 500 mph in any direction.
Also, are they flying commercial or on a charter, because if they’re flying commercial you know darn well their baggage could end up anywhere. Metaphorically speaking, it could even stay in Edmonton for some time.
We may NEVER know the answer to your question.
What would of been the Value of Kostin at 2 milllion for 3 years?
$6 Million?
haha, that was halfwise!
That might be Kostin’ too much!
Day and Copponi represent the first picks the Oilers have ever made from Flint and Merrimack. (If you wanted to get really picky, when the Flint franchise was in Detroit in the 90’s, the Oilers selected Kevin Paden from there in ’93.)
Akey was only the second player ever chosen from Barrie. The first was Michael Henrich, a first-rounder 25 years ago.
Without looking, from which junior program have the Oilers drafted the most players in their history?
Without looking, my guess goes to the Red Deer Rebels.
A good guess but incorrect.
Hint: A current Oiler was drafted from this program.
Damn it, man. Just give me the answer 🙂
My guess would have been London Knights.
London is the correct answer with 11 players including Bouchard.
Tied for second with 6 are Regina, Portland and Sault Ste. Marie.
Wooohooo did I win anything?
Self-esteem!
If there was no way Holland could get Kostin to sign a number that works for the team, then this was a pretty good deal today for the Oilers.
They’re not a better team because of it. There’s two roster holes created, but they now have some flexibility for how they deal with it.
I’m going to miss both players, very different players in their own ways, but both brought a little something extra to a game. That is, they both played the game with hearts three times bigger than their chests. And both had a little crazy in ’em they could draw on too.
Unless there’s another trade coming, this is probably going to be a real quiet first couple of days of free agency for Team Oil, on the NHL side. I think Brown and that’s it. IIRC, Stauffer started talking about Brown around about last Christmas, so I think this thinking has been in the works for awhile and really the other Brown rumors are about setting the market price. We’ll see how accurate they’ve all been come this weekend. I’d expect something like 2+2 bonus, but maybe it can be kept a little lower. That’d sure be nice. 🙂
Trying to re-sign Janmark came as a comfort to me. He’s my hands of stone, but I love the player, he’s defensively astute and a play-read marvel in both directions.
Bjugstad makes me more nervous. It depends on him really wanting to stay, because he’d make more on the open market. I mean I don’t think I could trade either of Foggy or Kools simply to sign the Bigstud. Philp retiring really puts the Oil in a tough spot though. They need someone who can TCB in this slot to beat deep teams like Vegas.
Defense looks handled to me. Maybe there’s a move if Holland sees a path to improvement like getting Pesce on the cheap, but I don’t think he is feeling pressure to make any change at all on D. If it comes to cap, I think he’d trade Foegele before any of the 7 Dmen with the possible exception of Vinny.
Goalie… well, what are you going to do? One good thing is that Skinner’s success should take the pressure off Soupy, make it easier to deal to overcome his confidence issues. Plenty of guys have rebounded in their second season after a big move. Hopefully that’s the case here. I don’t think it would shock anyone if it wasn’t though.
For the first time in forever, I completely ignored the draft, just other things y’know. But regardless… Happy Draft, everyone!
Especially you, LT. I know how much it means to you. Cheers, all.
With the Oilers current cap space, there is no way they can sign Brown for $2 million base this year without trading another player. They currently have ~$8.9 million in cap space (assuming Niemelainen isn’t on the team) with 16 players signed. If Bouchard plus McLeod take up $5.5 million (Bob’s guess on Oilers Now today) and Lavoie gets $800k (again Bob’s number) then that leaves $2.6 million for 2-3 players to get to a 21-22 man roster. They may have no choice but to run a 21 man roster. If they did that they probably want to get 2 guys in for around $2 million total to be able to leave some cap space for deadline moves. Brown at $2 million base means a 20 man roster and I’m not sure I see that happening.
For the record I am beyond stoked on the Akey pick. He was at the very top of my list for players remaining at that point although Heidt falling that far was close. I am even more excited about Akey’s potential than I was about Tullio when he was pick, and that is saying something haha
Well I guess they aren’t Coke machines. The skaters are a little undersized for my liking. Sounds like Akey at least plays a defensive style that matches his strengths. Unless he fills out a lot I don’t see him boxing out a lot of NHL forwards as he could in the O, though
I will keep this short, letting Kostin go is a mistake.
Overall I agree but Im reserving judgement until we see what he signs for, as well as if it is in the KHL. I wonder if the Flames hilarious Sharangovich contract made a new comp for Kostins agent and he was asking for 3M+, im which case I understand why they let him go.
No matter what I will miss Klimdros.
overpaying kostin for a 20% shooting % would be a mistake.
He is not just his shot and you know it. How many players have a good shot, physical as hell, leads the team in pim but still draws more penalties than he takes, fights for his team mates and has already shown he can be a clutch player when stakes are high. IMO he was the one who should have gotten the try out at 2rw.
Yes I liked him, the issue being it is far from clear that he will ever sort his game out enough to warrant what he wants. Not a lot of fighting shooters out there, but you still have to be reliable, or it’s not worth the cap for a contender. Especially like the Oilers who need more reliable players
When it mattered he was sorted. Without Kostin we may not have even gotten the chance to play the Knights.
In addition to this, the coach did not trust him (evidence = ice time in the playoffs). If he wasn’t going to be given a longer leash, there was not point in bringing him back at anything much higher than he was making last year.
The coach might have been thinking more about hope instead of trust by overplaying McDrai and Nurse. Besides coaches make wrong choices all the time and the good ones reassess and don’t dig in for no good reason.
not sure I trust the coach or gm
By proxy then was trading for ekholm a mistake?
Kostin costin’ more than 1 million is a luxury oil can’t afford with present roster.
Not a mistake no. Ekholm was only brought in to replace Klefbom in reality. 2 different issues. Here is the thing we had 3 guys making 3 million and doing less on a per 60 basis. Also none of the 3 provided do all the things kostin does. Now ask me if Foegle is money better spent than kostin.
Beau Akey – Defense – Barrie Colts
Early on in the season, I would have never envisioned having Akey ranked 9th. I thought, this is a guy who I’m going to end up touting as a possible first round selection. But I felt like his development over the course of the season was a bit disappointing. After Brandt Clarke joined the Barrie lineup and his role diminished, his game kind of flatlined for me. I wanted to see more positive development in his skill/confidence with the puck and in his defensive zone decision making. Instead, he reverted into a bit of a shell with the puck and some sloppy habits crept into his game. All that said, I still like Akey and I do believe that he can possibly turn things around, I’m just not quite as confident as I was early on. That’s why I see him more as a solid second round option and not earlier. Let’s start with some positives. The skating is high end. His four way mobility is effortless. He generates power quickly with explosive strides. Akey flashes high end transporting ability, in addition to high end skill to hold the offensive blueline and create chances in the OZ. Defensively, his mobility gives him an advantage as he can be quick to retrievals and difficult to beat off the rush. His physical intensity did increase over the course of the year, which obviously improves his future projection as a two-way defender. However, for a player with such strong mobility, he seems hesitant to use it to his advantage. He can be tentative in using it to push deep into the offensive zone. His routes to retrievals aren’t great and it causes him to get pinned in the defensive end. If he were to take better routes, he would be a breakout machine because his feet would help him easily get clearance to make a pass or clear the zone. His scanning habits are inconsistent and he can turn the puck over because of poor passing or clearing decisions. He can get caught flat footed when defending because he lacks assertiveness and allows the opposition to dictate pace and direction. All of these things are extremely fixable. In a lot of ways, Akey’s raw two-way approach and lack of refinement in utilizing his mobility reminds me of TJ Brodie in his draft year. I think he represents sort of a best case scenario for Akey at the NHL level. The worst case is that he falls into that Roland McKeown category that I’ve mentioned for other guys this year; good at lots, but a master of none.
Prior to Brandt Clarke’s return from LA and the WJC, Beau Akey posted 28 points (6G, 22A) and 66 SOG in 31 games.
It will be interesting to track Akey’s development with Clarke moving on from the Colts. The results you posted are encouraging and he’ll be stepping into a good opportunity with a higher role on the team.
His team will also likely get notably worse with Vierling and Cardwell graduating from the junior ranks, but the expanded role will certainly give us a clearer picture of how he rises to challenges!
Is that the same Brandt Clarke that makes every RD on the LA Kings redundant going into next season?
You bet.
23G 61P +40! In only 31 GP.
That’s a 123 point pace and he’s a defenseman.
How do you spell hyperbole? Why, with two H’s of course.
Remember the old draft days when LT would put up a new post with a quick bio every time the Oil made another pick? Peeps would be merrily posting away in the old thread not realizing the conversation had already moved onto the next pick/post.
Then at night the Harvest Moon post with an appropriately beautiful moonshot to sum it all up. Only LT’s prose could get me excited about some tweener that Tambellini drafted in the 7th round.
Good times.
I ‘member. Good times.
Except they were very bad times.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. Tale of Two Cities!
The best of and the worst of 😂
I would’ve traded up for Molgaard.
With what asset/enticement?
2-way centre, great skater ,high iQ. Dominates when he plays with his age age group.
Also I would’ve taken Angus MacDonell he played for Canada U18’s. The goalie seems like a stretch
Angus at #184 instead of the goalie
No, you said you would have traded up to get Molgaard. So, I’m asking with what asset(s) would you trade up? Broberg, Lavoie, Bourgault, Savoie, a draft pick, two draft picks, all of the above?
Also draft picks after the “blue chip consensus stars at least (thought that is not a guarantee) are all really just highly informed guesses. You may or may not be correct but equally Holland et al may also be correct.
Draft pick, he went 52
How we lament the lost bottom of the roster players. Kinda like pining for the backup QB.
Sorry but they are Replaceable, especially in this cap world where the top end get paid.
$8.9 million. Yes I’d love the get Bouchard long term (starts with a $6, maybe a $7. Can’t afford it). Love to go long on McLeod (long starts higher then $3. Too pricey)
So Bouchard on a one year $3.9
McLeod on a 2 year $1.6 per
Leaving $3.4 for 3 players.
Brown on $1.4 plus $1.5 in bonuses
Janmark $1.0 1 year
And now have $1.0 m to add last spot
It works. It’s all about internal growth of Holloway, Lavoie and Broberg along with a big push by Brown on a show me deal.
I’m good with this. I wish Holland would be a bit more creative with trying to offload Campbell’s contract and upgrading the right-side D, but given the recent market prices I don’t think it’s a realistic option.
Dobson signed for 3 x $4 million. The cap has hardly gone up. One year for Bouchard should be under $3.5. Two between $3.5 and $4.0
After the Oil dealt him, Kirk Maltby had a pretty nice little career as a bottom 6er with the Wings. Any chance that Yamamoto succeeds in a similar reinvention?
Don’t be surprised if he scores 40,50,60 points. He got almost no PP time in Edmonton (12 of his 118 points from the PP). If Detroit plays him there, he’ll score well for them.
He did miss his fair share of open nets though playing a bit with Drai a “pretty good” set up man. So he very well could put up some points but I’m not confident that he is a shoe in for points and PP minutes.
Despite a pinch of grit, KY proves too small to fill the hole in the roster.
The Dutchman now considering slick skating FA Astro Glide as a stopgap solution.
I’ll show myself out. 😜
I’m going to miss Kostin in his short stint I became a huge fan. The style he plays I can see why he wants a better contract then cap strapped Holland can provide. As for Yamamoto don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out of Edmonton.
I find how personal you make all your criticism of Yamamoto to be really lame.
What did he do to you besides bust his ass every shift for the team you cheer for?
Was he busting his ass against Vilardi? Busts his ass on offense where he can pick his spots, but not so much defending, where one does not have the option to pick ones spots.
When he was drafted he boldly predicted that the G.M’s that passed on him would regret it. If you want to be Cocky before you even play a game in the best league in the world you have to back it up. ( Messier, Roy etc . Here we are having to give Kostin away who looks ready to bust out just so Yzerman takes Yamamoto. On another note I find the piling on of Campbell hurts my feelings and when this happens I must go to my safe space.
He would go higher than 22nd in a re-draft so, yes, there are GMs that would regret it, for sure.
No body wanted Yamamoto so Holland’s prodigy Mr.Yzerman stepped up to the plate. Multiple CCCP have played and became Rock Stars in the Motor City. I’m only going say this once we are going to regret not signing Kostin just like we did with Mr. Curtis Glencross. Boook it…..
I also would have liked to have kept Kostin but he wouldn’t sign a reasonable deal with the Oilers and was digging in for the $2MM per (apx).
Yamamoto’s contract cratered his value and he was moved for no return – one of the most likely options – wasn’t bought out like some presented as fact.
You could well end up being right.
But signing Kostin to $2M x 3 like you spitballed elsewhere means that the Oilers would have to trade ANOTHER player to fit him in.
Who is it you’d want to see go so that Kostin could have stayed? Foegele? Kulak? Ceci? McLeod? Bouchard? Someone with a NMC?
That’s the reality. You’d have to pick one in order to give Kostin what he was asking.
THIS is exactly the issue. I loved Kostin, really hoped he would have wanted to stay to play with the TWO BEST players on Earth! I think he would have done much better taking a 1 year deal in Edmonton at less money then parlaying that resume into a larger longer contract. But here we are.
Detroit has a sneaky speedy team just like when Yzerman entered the league. Kostin May end up on their PP as a net presence. I would of traded Foegele who I obviously like to keep Kostin. Kostin has figured it out you could see the lightbulb go on, why Fuk around when I can bully my way to the net and cause chaos and as the old saying goes Chaos is Cash.
If it really is about the money, waiting one year likely earns Kostin his best case scenario career contract. Multiple years at a rate higher than he’ll be offered this summer (or ever again).
LT
Thank you for the draft updates, analysis and just everything in general. Loved the foot through the floor story!!
A tip o’ the hat to everyone else for the info and updates on the draft and prospects. Much appreciated.
Be interesting to see how the roster fleshes out. Now it’s time to track down a Yamamoto sized Snickers bar for a few of my fellow fans who are distraught at the trade earlier.
Holland on Oilers Now:
1) How long did he work on the Yamo/Kostin deal: For the last couple of weeks basically but not with Detroit but talking to lots of teams about moving cap out.
2) Kostin – I was negotiating against the KHL. Felt his arb would be at a certain number.
3) Spoke with Yzerman over the last few days.
4) Was there interest in Kostin? Ya, some teams had some interest. Some more than others.
5) Bob asked about Ceci and Foegele and if there was interest from teams in them? It’s a unique market because the cap has moved $2MM in 5 years. We are making decisions we would normally not be making. Making decisions on the fly with no history or blueprint. Trying to put the best team we can on the ice.
6) Yamo went to arb and we did a 2-year deal. He’s played in our top six. He’s a good player but I had decisions to make.
7) Bob references that Kenny mentioned he isn’t trading Broberg and Holland says the biggest piece is internal growth – lists off Skinner, Bouch, McLeod and continuation is a big piece – Holloway and Broberg but also seeing where Bourgault and Lavoie are.
8) RFA deals – Lots of talks with both Bouch and McLeod camps. Hard to provide details or how long and referencing finding a solution that works for the player and the club.
9) Holland says they need to add some depth to Bakersfield. We need to sign 3-4 players that will be good depth players and can come up in case of injuries.
10) Do you see signing a pure NHL d-man? We’ve got 7 d-men. I do think we’ll sign a d-man or two but we’ll see what happens. When you tell a d-man he may end up in the AHL he usually signs elsewhere.
Well, i for one am glad that the draft is over.
now every man and his dog who has never watched these 18 yr olds can quit posturing and making wild assumptions about them.
now we can get back to discussing home grown players and budget free agent targets.
Holland will be on with Stauffer at 1:05 today.
And on Kostin:
————-
Mark Spector @SportsnetSpec·29m
Kostin was very close to signing with KHL Avangard Omsk – until DET deal today. Now, his agent will talk with GM Yzerman, who should have no problem out-bidding Omsk, where Kostin likely would not make >$900K US. Taxes better in Russia, but if DET wants Kostin they’ll get him.
————-
Ryan Rishaug@TSNRyanRishaug·18m
Holland says he was negotiating against the KHL on Kostin.
————-
Will definitely be interesting to see what he signs for in Detroit (and I guess if he signs there at all).
thanks jp
oilers could not match 900,000 ?
cant be right
Spector mentions ‘taxes better in Russia’ so that may account for some difference.
Reports had the Oilers cool with $1.1-$1.5 didn’t they? And Kostin asking $1.75-$2.0? But yeah, presumably they offered him more than $900k.
We’ll see what the number is if/when he signs in Detroit.
It’s a pretty sad commentary when a country fighting a war has lower taxes than we do.
Taxes are basically non-existent for players in Russia.
There is nothing sad about it – Russian society so completely corrupt that it’s everybody for themselves.
I’d be curious as to which country is eliminating its middle class quicker. The Russian Bear is obviously running lean these days but the housing affordability issues in places like the GTA and the lower mainland are no picnic for the next generation of Canadians who are seriously questioning the viability of home ownership. In terms of productivity metrics, Canada is seriously struggling as a nation as well. I wouldn’t move to Russia on a dare. That said, Canadian prosperity may be more of a house of cards than we realize as well.
For people who can’t afford to live in Lower Mainland BC or GTA, there are lots of great places to live in Canada that are much more affordable.
Well, that’s because they have massive oil & gas res… oh wait, never mind.
Somebody has to pay for it. Follow the Money which trickles down to your front door.
I’m pretty sure KHL players pay literally 0 income tax. If Klim is making $900,000 in Russia, Oilers need to be paying ~$2m to compete.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman
@DNBsports
·
11m
Ken Holland said Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod still need to take a bridge contract. He said Philip Broberg won’t be traded this summer.
Ryan Rishaug
@TSNRyanRishaug
·
16m
It’s gonna have to be a bridge – they know it and we know it “.
Holland on Bouchard.
——————
No doubt that trading Broberg this off-season was never really a reasonable option – I like to see the pin put right in it though.
Per Nugent Bowman
https://theathletic.com/4649398/2023/06/29/oilers-trade-cap-yamamoto-kostin/
———–
I would presume that is McDavis as I think they are somewhat close and train together back in Ontario on the off-season.
As of right now, Foegele is the 2RW/6F – on merit (and showed best there last season, in small samples).
I think it could be a season long battle among Fegele, Holloway and, perhaps, Brown. Would love to throw Lavoie in that competition and its not unreasonable to think he could put himself in that conversation but surely not expected at this point.
I think Kulak is the man to move, unfortunately.
They need to accrue cap space AND give Broberg an opportunity.
Just give Kulak a right handed stick and tell him he’s got 4 months to figure it out. Easy Peasy.
Just play Broberg with Nurse, and thank me later.
Nobody on this?
——–
Oiler Alert@OilerAlert·1h
“It’s natural for us to connect the dots here with Connor Brown…I think you’ll see a likely signing, a low dollar deal, perhaps with some performance bonuses…I would say the #LetsGoOiler
are in the driver’s seat to get that contract done.”
@reporterchris on TSN
This is coming from way out in left field!
Ha! I meant on these newest quotes.
I think those are more direct on Brown signing a low dollar deal, and with the Oilers, then intel we had previously.
Three picks for the Oil: a d-man, a goalie and a forward.
So the NA amateur prospecting septet for the new season looks like this:
Shane Lachance (Boston U.)
Matt Copponi (Merrimack)
Tomas Mazura (St. Lawrence)
Luca Munzenberger (Vermont)
Joel Maatta (Vermont)
Beau Akey (Barrie)
Nathaniel Day (Flint)
Of course, there’s the CHL import draft coming up, but it’s unlikely any of the Euro prospects will come over (even if they’re picked).
why not go for a home run pick at this point than a 20 year NCAA center
I was hoping for Tyler Peddle at that point.
Then Columbus trades for the final pick of the draft and selects him.
Because there is a decent chance this is a home run pick who is closer to playing in the NHL than an 18 year old. He didn’t play in 2020-21, barely played in 2021-22, and then breaks out in 2022-23 plus he’s a “smart RHC”. He’s a good risk to take in the 7th round because he might actually play
meh
Oilers pick Matt Copponi at 216. Center from Merrimack (NCAA).
Already 20 years old.
20-year old with some production (14g, 29p, in 37 games).
A 167lbs 20 year old? ..I guess our Yamamoto slot is vacant.
I mean, he’s listed at 174 on EP.
Listed as 6′.00″, 179lbs on his school team site.
https://merrimackathletics.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/roster/matt-copponi/11989
I was just looking at hockeyDB. 179lbs not huge, but that’s a lot more beef than 167lbs. Thanks, Big Mac / Benign Bone.
I’m guessing Copponi is interested in leaving College and jumping to the AHL this Fall. My gut was telling me that the Oilers would look for an older player who could fill in the AHL roster.
The plan is for Copponi to return to college next season:
https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/all-2023-nhl-draft-content/c-345052480
This selection is basically a repeat of Määttä’s last year.
Will it be an OHL trifecta?
Missed it by that much.
Holloway, Lavoie and Bourgault need to step up and grab a job this fall especially Lavoie who’s waiver eligible.I myself would have given Lavoie some games last year to see what they have as well as giving Lavoie a taste of the bigs
Lavoie will get a ton of ice at camp. Holland said himself that he’s going to play a ton of exhibition games.
It will be interesting to see if Woody gives him some ice with legit NHL talent or the standard tweeners. I hope he gets some ice with, at least, McLeod, if not some ice with legit top 6 forwards.
I’m sure they are hoping Bourgault shows well but, unless there are multiple injuries, he’s highly unlikely to break camp with the team.
I figured Kostin was worth a 2nd round pick. A power forward with a good shot Holland sure likes feeding Yzerman which is expected he’s already gifted a couple of 2nd for AA a 4th for Mikey Green. Yzerman is building a Cup winner in the next 5-7 years.
Kostin may have been worth taking on the extra cap space that you would ideally have Yamamoto signed for under the flat cap. I think that’s essentially the way it worked out.
Kostin wasn’t worth anything close to a 2nd round pick.
I could easily get a 2nd rounder in under 5 phone calls. The league just watched a team of bullies win the cup Kostin fits the description to a T.
lol. Holland bought cap room, a second-round pick wasn’t the goal. $3.1M is the number he was looking for and he got it.
Over my morning coffee I was wondering if we could see a Yamo + no. 56 to Detroit for one of their no. 41, 42 or 47. I was partially right.
I like what Kostin brought to the Oilers. It’s unfortunate that his apparent ask is too rich for the Oil.
7th round now. The LTBPA’s:
Do teams scout the Q?
Nathaniel Day – Goaltender – Flint Firebirds
The Firebirds brought veteran Will Cranley in this year to be the starter and Day ended up stealing the job away by the time the OHL playoffs rolled around. Day is only 6’3, but he actually looks even bigger than that in the crease because of his upright posture. He’s an imposing presence in the crease. Day is really tough to beat in tight. He’s got quick pads and a good glove hand and his body control is actually quite good for a young netminder. Composed is a word that I would use. Where Day can struggle is on outside shots because his positioning and angles are inconsistent. He is obviously a lot more comfortable playing deeper in his crease. Additionally, his agility needs work. He’s OK post to post, but he gets himself in trouble when he goes down too early and is forced to scramble. Improving his quickness up/down and his quickness moving North/South would really help Day with his consistency and his coverage of perimeter shots.
https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/all-in-a-days-work/#:~:text=Day%2C%20who%20is%20ranked%2014th,the%20draft%20at%20this%20point.
Lobsinger, a former Niagara IceDogs netminder who operates Lucas Lobsinger Goaltending, feels Day is the complete package.
“Nate has an outstanding work ethic and off-the-charts athleticism, especially in his lower half,” Lobsinger said. “He has certainly put himself in the mix in terms of the draft. He has the prototypical frame at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds that they are looking for at the next level but any conversations I’ve had with scouts have centred on his lateral mobility and the explosiveness in his legs.”
Day, who is ranked 14th overall by NHL Central Scouting for North American goalies, is focused more on the remainder of the OHL season than the draft at this point.
Kind of underwhelming day so far. I have no idea on the 2nd rounder, but not a big fan of the trade.
I do understand the logic, and am happy to give Yamamoto away. Just not thrilled about having to include Kostin to get it done. Posters are second guessing Kostin for not taking a 1 year show me contract to build up his value. I think Woodcroft needs to take some of the blame here. If you are Kostin, it’s pretty tough to see yourself building value playing 7 or 8 minutes on the 4th line.
Oilers pick Nathaniel Day at 184. Goalie for Flint in OHL.
An .874 save percentage…
WHAT?!?!?
Do the Oilers have a scout in the OHL?
FWIW Flint really isn’t a good defensive team.
Yes, but I do believe science has verified that goaltenders are pure voodoo. We may not even remember that he exists until he is a Calder candidate in the NHL.
Huh. Before the pick, if you asked me what position I think the pick would play, I would have needed 6 guesses to arrive at goaltender.
It only cost the Isles a 2nd rounder in 2026 to send Josh Bailey’s $5M contract to the Blackhawks?
Can we send 4 x 2nd rounders to the Hawks to take on Jack Campbell?
Angus M still there
Oh well Oilers pass him for a goalie
As the 6th round begins, these are the LTBPA’s:
I appreciate these updates. Thanks.
LT – you liked Conmy didn’t you or have I got that wrong? How about Levis or Melovsky?
And there it is…
Marcel Marcel is off the board.
Is that name super original or super unoriginal?
Is it just a misunderstanding when the parents were having a conversation about names?
Mother: Do you like the name Marcel?
Father: [That’s our last name, why wouldn’t I like it.] Yeah, of course I like it.
Or did they just mess up the forms when they were talking with the nurse and didnt feel like correcting it?
Nurse: Name?
Father: Marcel
Nurse: Marcel…?
Father: Yes, Marcel.
Nurse: ..Okay.
Same question can be asked for flames pick Yegor Yegorov.
I went to high school with a kid named Ben Ben
I’s here wit my main man, Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali
After a run of goalies in the 2nd round, it’s been relatively quiet since then. I wouldn’t mind grabbing Milic or Ratzlaff with our next pick, if available.
Ratzlaff goes 141st to Buffalo.
Milic 151 to Winnipeg.
What’s the Oilers next pick?
6th round, 184th overall. Almost sixty picks away.
I think we can enter Max Comtois some time in the next 4-5 days…….
Maybe Connor Brown but I’m not certain he doesn’t end up going for the longer term money/security.
A 4C will be another need.
Speak for yourself OP.
I don’t know what you mean.
I wasn’t even opining on if Comtois would be a “good” acquisition but just that I think he may be a target
I also said “I think” and, in the next line “I’m not certain” – I was speaking for myself.
With respect, weird post.
Just attempting some 7th grad humor OP.
I agree Comtois would be of some interest to the Oilers.
comtois would be a logical replacement, although lavoie is another very similar player.
big, fearless, shoot first mentality, a nasty edge, and has defensive warts.
Same could be used to describe evander kane and klim kostin ?
I can’t say to know Comtois well enough to opine on that comparison but I do know one thing, Comtois, even with a regression season, is an established NHL player who is not far removed from essentially 20 goals (56 game season he had like 16).
Lavoie, who I’ve watched a ton of, very well may be a similar player but, of course, as of right now, he’s a full prospect with zero NHL experience and far from a lock to help a contending team.
Now, signing Comtois for $950K and having Lavoie “beat him out” for ice time or a roster spot – that is what I’d like to see.
sometimes i swear ken holland trolls the haters.
oh, every man and his dog is up in arms about us not having an OHL scout????
lets use our initial draft pick on a good old OHL boy.
its pathetic the knots people on the internet will go into to hate on holland and co
I do agree with this. Steve Staios was their OHL scout this year, well that’s a helluva scout since he knows the league backwards.
Yup, not many know the OHL better than Steve.
Also, from accounts, they had various personnel viewing OHL games.
I like the trade.
Trading Yamo >>> buyout.
I like Kostin plenty but he was also a fourth liner on a heater. I hope he has a great career in Detroit.
It’s disappointing to have to “add Kostin” to move Yamo for nothing but the “add” really isn’t anything of value.
Don’t get me wrong, I value Kostin as a player on the ice and wish he was on next year’s team, however, from accounts he was digging in for close to $2MM and, well, that’s not an option and, well, even if they had the money for it, it likely wouldn’t be a smart use.
Hence, Kostin was not going to be an Oiler and, given the situation, likely had but no trade value (as he was not going to get qualified due to the arb risk).
Indeed.
My point was that the guy averaged like 10 minutes a game and no special teams. He is replaceable.
After the Yamamoto/Kostin trade the Oilers have $8.15M in cap space to fill out their last 5 roster spots. (I included a re-signed Lavoie in that calculation)
So that’s $8M and change to sign/re-sign Bouchard, McLeod plus 3 additional forwards.
If Bouchard and McLeod’s deals total $5M that’s essentially $1M for each of the remaining 3 forwards.
Connor Brown at $1M + bonuses would be a god send.
Yeah. Bouchard + McLeod for 5 even on short term deals seems optimistic.
I hope Holland bought batteries for his calculator.
Maybe Foegele gets moved too. Janmark brought back for ~1 million.
I posted a few hours ago a quip from DNB that one of the core was adamant Foegele not be moved. Likely McDavid given they train together in the summer.
If they can’t get Brown on the cheap, Foegele is the 2RW for now.
Yup, moving Yamo was a must-do just to re-sign the RFAs and it wasn’t even certain to be enough. Removing Kostin from the equation doesn’t really change much as he was going to be in the $1.2MM range if he signed. I guess “replacing him” with the likes of Lavoie likely does save about $400K from expected. Is that enough to get Bouch/McLeod done?