Back in the olden days, the Edmonton Oilers could find a great hockey player at midnight in a snow storm. The victim was often the Toronto Maple Leafs, and often the player was named Smith (Geoff, Jason) and there’d be hell to pay in the Globe & Mail when the fleecing came true.
Peter Chiarelli found some players, notably Matt Benning and Drake Caggiula. Ken Holland found a few too, I’ll mention Calvin Pickard as a player who exceeded initial expectations.
Stan Bowman had real success in this area while general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Oilers organization needs Bowman to uncover significant talents on value deals.
David Tomasek is 29, Atro Leppänen is 26, Alex Regula is 24, Quinn Hutson is 23, Josh Samanski is 23, Damien Carfagna is 22. Samuel Jonsson is 21, and the only Oilers draft pick I’ll mention here. We don’t know if any of these names will make an impact for the Oilers, and it’s unlikely any of them will emerge as a Jason Smith, but at the very tip of the story (we’ll know in training camp) the individual bona fides look more impressive than recent bets. Hey, maybe one of these cats will be Jan Hejda this time next year.
The Bruce McCurdy celebration of Life goes today, all information is here. I hope to see you! Have a great day, love your people.
New for The Athletic: Five Edmonton Oilers trade targets ahead of 2025 NHL Draft
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6440738/2025/06/22/edmonton-oilers-trade-targets-2025-nhl-draft/
Agree with Demko and have been mentioning him for a week or so.
Not sure the Nucks would trade him to Edmonton but he is clearly on the market (or should be).
The risk is clear – he could just be injured most of the time but that risk is only one more season and only $5MM and the back-up plan is that we have the same starting tender that we’ve had the last few years in Stuart Skinner – a goalie we know can play 55-58 games and have this team firmly in the playoffs (and can play most of the playoff games on a run to the SCF).
The upside is, well, top 5-10 starting goaltender.
Me too – he’ll be motivated in a contract season. I’ve seen Demko play the Oilers a bunch of times in Vancouver. He’s a clearly better goalie than Skinner, injury concerns and all.
On the note of past Bowman draft picks, I wonder if Jokiharju might be someone Bowman looks at as a UFA. His skillset has similarities to Stecher’s (smaller, good skater, good passer, no shot threat) but he’s younger and not quite as small. Might be a better partner for Nurse. He’s not ideal as a 2RD, but he’s played the role to varying levels of effectiveness throughout his career. Further, my version of the D pairings would have the 2nd and 3rd pairings playing similar mins anyway.
He was a favourite of mine during his draft year and, coming off a down year, maybe he’d take at a cheaper deal to try playing with a good team for a change!
Thinking of Bruce’s family and friends and all who are part of his celebration of life today.
Based on the rumors so far, it looks like we have 4.25M in cap for upgrades.
https://puckgm.puckpedia.com/rosters/693723
Just enough for the Hofer-sheet. Let’s go!
Excellent.
Work like this is why you got promoted to East Coast bureau chief.
thats a good enough lineup to get to the second season with plenty of cap space for a top 6 winger
Just noticed, almost out entire LD are UFA at the end of next season. Ekholm, Walman, and Kulak. Whatever your thoughts on Nurse at least we will have one LD under contract at the end of the season.
The closest player in the system that could possibly emerge as a bonified regular on a value deal is Emberson, possibly Savoie.
These salaries speculated for Freddy and Brown are a bit much.
I keep reminding myself that the cap will be rising significantly over the next few years, so maybe $3 to $4 mil will be standard for 3rd line players?
Trying to stay optimistic. Overpaying is an Oilers specialty.
If Two Mutts is right and Bouchard is looking for $10MM on an 8 year term, that is wonderful – I’ve been expecting the $10.75MM if no $11MM for full term – take that value deal and run!
Sign the man now – if that’s the number, then I imagine all that’s left to negotiate on is contract/bonus structure and NMC.
I’m excited about Regula.
If he is healthy and able to hockey train this summer (as opposed to rehab), from what I’ve heard, read and seen (admittedly haven’t seen much), there is an NHL player there.
I presume he’ll slide through waivers with the masses in October and may be a real in-season option.
Here is hoping.
Agree on all fronts except just concerned that the Bruins may simply choose to take back their guy on waivers.
I sure hope he pans out, including for the inevitable Gene/Tarkus puns that would arise. “He is a Regula whiz back there on D,” and so on.
You mean, acquired for peanuts, only to watch him get walked by the org, and go on to a solid and reasonably productive career elsewhere?
Yep, still bitter.
I think we can agree the Oilers wouldn’t walk a Hejda in this part of the window of opportunity.
There certainly are signs the organization is handling prospects — and trades — much better, and that gives me hope.
Not sure how Bowman plans to improve the forwards and goaltending if he insists on overpaying middle/bottom six forwards like Brown and Frederic
2 Mutts Hockey Podcast
@2MuttsHockeyPod
Connor Brown & the @EdmontonOilers
are in talks about an 4 year deal that could come in around $1.9M or $2.3M on an AAV.
These talks are very early, the back & fourth has begun but we believe this is a starting point. Brown is more interested in term over $.
sounds positive
2 Mutts Hockey Podcast
@2MuttsHockeyPod
·
2h
It sounds like Evan Bouchard has told the @EdmontonOilers
his ask is 8 years with an AAV of $10M
#LetsGoOiler
know that an arbitrator will give Bouchard $10M this summer so they would like to get a deal done ASAP as Bouchard only wants to play in Edmonton.
Sign the man
I like that Bob has a place to shamelessly leak intel.
Sounds incredibly reasonable
Too good to be true but I can still hope.
Hupka mentioned this to me yesterday:
Bowman drafted Lukas Reichel 17th overall in 2020. He turned 23 in May.
He has never gained much traction in CHI and he’s not Davidson’s pick.
Looks shy offensively and might not be a fit, but he could probably be acquired on the cheap.
He’s entering the last year of a 1.2MM contract and is RFA after.
In terms of the fancies I value he had a decent year in 22/23, poor in 23/24 and meh to ok in 24/25.
I have no idea about what he’s good at and not good at or if he fits what Bowman is looking for.
I’d imagine Bowman is looking for quick puck hounds with hands.
Reichel’s Draft +2 and +3 seasons in the AHL were very strong (108 p in 111 gp).
Its not hard to see why a young offensive talent would falter playing for the Chicago Blackhawks the past two szns.
Great target.
A personal favourite of mine in his draft year! He hasn’t panned out at the highest level yet, but during his draft year he was known not for high-end offensive skills but being a high-motor, effective forechecker that’s disproportionately effective at winning board battles against men in the DEL and thinking the game at a high level. I don’t remember which scouting group said it but I remember a quote along the lines of “he just always ends up being where the puck is at the right time to keep the play alive”.
He doesn’t appear to have put on much weight/strength since his draft year so this could be what’s holding him back in the NHL. Reports from Hawks fans seem to suggest he’s sticking to the perimeter more which would align with his draft year skillset. I’d love for the Oilers to add him and give him a fresh start with a GM that believes in him!
That sounds like he’s a reasonable target.
Thanks for that.
Another positive, he would be a German speaking addition for Leon to pal-up with.
I know its a pipe dream but moving nurse with 2 mil retention would really fix a lot of problems
But only if youre not spending it on the Frederic’ overpayments
Who’s his replacement?
Or does that mean we’re keeping the other LHD already here? I’ve got nothing against a trio of Ekholm/Walman/Kulak other than age.
Once Nurse is traded we’ll need a minute munching defeneseman who can skate.
You don’t need a minute munching LHD. Ekholm Walkman Kulak are a very good leftorium. Use the money savings to fix the 2 RD hole.
I’ve got time for a left side with that look + a bonafide top-4 RHD who can skate and move the puck. In the near term.
Unill we need to replace any of Ekholm, Walman, and Kulak, then we’re back to looking for Nurse. They’re all UFA after the upcoming season.
The problem with Nurse is that he stops skating when the game speed intensifies to a level that he can’t process. That results in icings and rimming the puck blindly around the boards. It doesn’t matter how good the tools are if the toolbox isn’t there.
I agree that Nurse would be getting the short straw of this group, if the opportunity presents itself and presents a massive opportunity for cap savings. If it was even possible, my focus as GM would lean towards a deal with NYI for Pageau. Of course the GM does not hold the cards here and Long Island is probably on Darnell’s “Bottom 10 List.”
Kane, Skinner and Arvidsson are the most likely trade candidates, it is shaping up to be another compelling Draft as I am convinced that Bowman will be working to trade players for picks (and prospects/youth).