These are NHL draft-year equivalencies for Oilers prospects going back 20 years. The top names (McDavid, Gagner, Hall, Draisaitl, Bouchard) all had (or are having) long careers in the NHL. We don’t need draft day NHLEs to know those men were on a high trajectory. It’s also true that, at the time, Jordan Eberle was valued way beyond 27 NHLE.
What NHLE can do is point out players who we can project into specific roles even as teenagers. Reid Schaefer was a first-round pick, but NHLE suggested a middle-six winger was his best match for an NHL future.
Dylan Holloway’s NHLE was hampered due to lack of playing time (NCAA freshman are faded in this way, traditionally) so we didn’t get a good view of him. Xavier Bourgault didn’t work out, but he had talent, and Jesse Puljujarvi’s NHLE was accurate we just didn’t want to believe it.
What can we say about the current group of prospects? Well, Ike Howard is an above average prospect, with a draft-year NHLE of 30 points. He isn’t at the top level, though, this isn’t a guaranteed success. Matt Savoie’s draft NHLE was 34 points, so he’s in the range. Savoie’s prediction for his rookie season (using my reasonable expectaions) was .50 points-game, and he posted .45 points-game. That is an accurate prediction.
Howard’s projection is less certain because playing time is going to be fluid because new coach. Nothing downbeat about the prospect but he does have a different scenario developing than Savoie one year ago. We should acknowledge it.
Quinn Hutson, (20 NHLE), Josh Samanski (10), Tommy Lareniere (20) and the rest of the prospects are destined to either miss the NHL or make it as complementary offensive players who bring enough in the other parts of the game to warrant a roster spot.
These are the 1992-93 Cape Breton Oilers. Do you see all of the scoring numbers? Dan Currie had 223 AHL goals by 24! And Kirk Maltby played 1,072 NHL games. Maltby’s draft-day NHLE was 38, Dan Currie’s 17.
When evaluating prospects, the age they can play well at a certain level is a key element. What does that mean for Oilers fans? It means that we should pay close attention to William Nicholl in Bakersfield this winter. He is 20. He had an NHLE of 8 in his draft year, but he has emerged as a real NHL prospect after his ‘draft and follow’ selection by Edmonton in 2024. Nicholl is a player of interest.
On the Lowdown today, our feature guest is Kevin McCurdy. We’ll talk about the Oilers roster and what tweaks could be made, and about the fallout from the Leo Carlsson offer sheet. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube. See you on the radio!
Oilers’ layered approach to offseason creates options, some roster uncertainty
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7428188/2026/07/08/edmonton-oilers-roster-depth-chart-2026/
Note for tomorrow early on thread:
Set up a like/dislike poll:
All in favour of “voldemorting” clattenburg’s name until he is dressed for a NHL game “like”
If opposed “dislike”
It’s getting more than kinda hectic…who has the power???
Seravalli with interesting comments on the Ducks on OilersNow
“According to Frank Seravalli, speaking on Oilers Now, the atmosphere around the Ducks under general manager Pat Verbeek has become deeply strained.”
Excerpt From
“The real reason everything Is falling apart in Anaheim has been exposed”
Chris Gosselin
HockeyFeed
https://apple.news/ALDTOcA3JSda4Qcq9uUCXNQ
This material may be protected by copyright.
Frank Seravalli:
Re Ducks/Pavel Mintyukov: After that Leo Carlsson offer sheet came down, [Mintyukov’s] agent Dan Milstein was literally calling teams to ask them if they would be willing to put together an offer sheet .
Dan Milstein:
Busted wide open. Turns out my day job is calling GMs and begging for offer sheets on my own guy, then hiding it so well that apparently nobody noticed except some insider.
Appreciate the investigative work, really. Pulitzer season is coming
Seravalli:
Hi Dan, I wasn’t criticizing you, merely reporting a fact that you called team to team to solicit an offer sheet for your client. #YouGetAGoldStar Did I strike a nerve? By the way, I never knew that you could be considered a best selling author by self publishing. Bravo! 😉
Holy wow
I was listening to a podcast where they made a point that Carlsson will get paid handsomely no matter if Philly or Anaheim gets him. But the karma resulting from his $18M cap hit is that whichever team “wins” him will never be able to build a competitive team around him unless they get extremely lucky.
If McDavid asks for $18 M AAV on his next extension, I think he has the individual talent to pull his team to a cup. I know Leo Carlsson is a #1C on pretty much any team but I don’t believe he has the talent to overcome the weight of his cap anchor.
I’m not sure cutting down to four preseason games will hamper the evaluation of the bubble players. Two of the 8 games last year were the split squad with Calgary, which will no doubt be gone.
Veterans of 100 NHL games are only allowed to play two games. I have seen predictions that the coaches will split the veterans into two groups and play each group in 2 games. I would guess the coach would split the veterans into 3 groups and play a third in each of the first three games. The proviso is that they still have to meet the minimum of 8 NHL players in each game, however the criteria is different than the 100 NHL games.
And of course Clattenburg has to play every game to protect the team.
I would think that most coaches, especially new coaches will want to play the fourth game with their presumed starting lineup.
In prior years few of the prospects played more than four games. so bubble prospects may play all four games if they make the presumed starting lineup.
I think, veterans like Jones, Janmark and Joseph are only allowed two games even if they are fighting for their jobs.
E&O excepted
Clattenburg will be busy!
He needs to learn how to protect himself, first.
He’s not a huge guy and plays to be hated by entire teams. Consequently gets hurt a lot. He’s got to stop challenging multiple guy st once. He needs to learn how to pick his spots, but also how to play a dependable and smart game.
Playing so that your coach can only slot you in, at best, as 3rd line winger on an AHL team is not a formula to become an everyday player in the NHL.
I ask you this and I know you’re old enough not to get offended. One day your toilet has become plugged with poop. You’ve tried everything yourself big industrial plunger-snake etc. Now the question do you call your an accountant or to do you call a golfing buddy that has a plumber in the family? Some shitty jobs are not appreciated until you need a Clattenburg.
I’m an accountant and I can fix your toilet
I put 2 and 2 together and kinda guessed that already.
I’m not sure why you can’t accept the information provided to you on Clattenburg about where his game was, and how he performed, upon re-assignment to the AHL.
You should have more respect of the kid – what you think should happen is going to get him hurt (and he has been hurt 4 times in a year in pro hockey – for term – already).
Actually, I would call on Colton Dach. He’s had 12 fights as a professional, often in defense of his teammates. According to the votes on Hockey Fights he has won most of them.
He’s bigger than your boy, not afraid to show up and wins more than he loses.
Being an eager combatant is not always enough.
I like Dach as well. There’s a reason why a 20 year-old Clattenburg was called up to begin with? Bowman got caught with his pants down hopefully that doesn’t happen again. You can’t allow a Lomberg to take over a game the way he did against us. When this happens team morale plummets. Remember when Kane went full thug mode against Calgary at the outdoor game. From what I remember I kinda think it’s related that the Flames blew it up after that game. I think Bowman thought Frederic was the man to take over for Kane and he’s not that type of player. I felt bad for Frederic in the Columbus game.
I don’t recall Lomberg every taking over a game against Edmonton.
I don’t know how you can watch the finale of the Battle of Alberta without acknowledging Lomberg takeover of the game. Without any push back on Lomberg I knew the season was lost.
At Clattenburg, we’ve got your plumbing™
It has a nice ring to it you might have a future in advertising.
I genuinely hope clatt plays nhl games this year. It will mean that someone has convinced him that he can play hockey. I think it’s a choice not a lack of ability.
Thats the only way he will play oiler games.
If he wants to be a thug go play for Florida. Or senior hockey.
Great article LT.
I grew up in Cape Breton during that CB Oilers era. That scoring run by Billy MacDougall was unlike anything I’ve seen before or since. He had 52 points in 16 games. Connors ConnSmythe was 42 in 25 so Billy was almost double him on a points per game basis.
Signed with Tampa and didn’t make it somehow…
Looks like he didn’t stay in Edmonton because he wanted more guaranteed money than Sather was willing to give him and Tampa coach Terry Crisp didn’t like him much so he left for more money in Europe.
https://nitzyshockeyden.blogspot.com/2008/10/bill-mcdougall.html#:~:text=As%20an%20avid%20hockey%20fan%2C,for%20an%20incredible%2052%20points.
https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/bill-mcdougall.2226597/
Howard’s NHL edge top speed was 85th percentile last year.
He will be a plus skater on this roster, which could use an infusion of speed. It is possible he is faster this year after an off season of training.
Howard will get his chance and the team will be better for it.
They are a fast team now, he adds .Even Frederic has plus NHL skating stats
Losing Nurse for Shea is worse for team speed, although I am hopeful Shea will “play faster.”
Presumably spend less time processing his own response to standard, rote plays or scenarios. Nurse seemed never to file away ready answers to common circumstances.
Shoulder surgery for Bédard – sidelined for 4 months.
I believe this injury is his other shoulder than preciously hurt – not sure if that is good or bad.
Shouldn’t he be an Oiler?
“Virtual” Oiler
“I believe this injury is his other shoulder than preciously hurt”
That is what Friedman reported on Monday…. yes.
They should have protected Bedard and not allow every scrub in the league to have the green light on him. Everyone thinks Grier is a moron for getting Marchment-Trouba-Nurse at the price he payed as some sort of protection around Celebrini. It’s hard to find players that can keep the scrubs in line without getting suspended themselves. Bowman needs to wise up Zito has constructed today’s water down version of the Board Street Bullies. Can you imagine anyone taking a run at any of the Panther players it’ll be like kicking a hornet nest. This is why other organizations would have interest in Mr.Clattenburg as I believe his name has come up. The trade winds have shifted in the league very few players have all the talents that a Mr.Clattenburg hold
Didn’t Bedard get this injury from falling down on his own in training camp or something?
Could it be possible he was training to bulk up because he was tired of being used as a pin cushion. I never heard the greatest hockey player Gretzky name in the same sentence with running marathons or pumping weights. Ooh I forgot doing roids supplied to you by your Captain Ekbland. Brady Tkachuk is going to be a near unstoppable tank this year with Florida.
Barkov is their captain.
Gretzky famously won a 60M dash in 7.24 seconds.
Connor Bedard is 20 and would be bulking up like any young player.
Taylor Hall got his face cut open, was it because Ebs didn’t supply him roids? Accidents happen.
What about that one time Dave Semenko fought Muhammad Ali I sure remember that. Do you not correlate the number of chances run at with the lesser number of injuries? Bedard has been flanked by marginal NHL players more worried about their point totals than protection of the Hawks forward. NHL players are tough doesn’t matter the size they come in. Bedard is not a whiner see how the gate receipts for the first half of the season go.
It could also be possible that if he didn’t work on his strength and conditioning more and fell the same way, that the damage could have been worse.
Bedard also took under one hit per game at 5 on 5 last season.
Did the fractured jaw count as a full hit.
I’m sure it did – a solid and clean hit – Bedard likely learned to keep his head up coming through the middle.
You think Smith would have not make that hit if the Hawks had Connor Clatternburg in the lineup?
He literally caught an edge and fell down while practicing on the ice. Your version is really over the top compared to what really happened. Video of it is here – https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/connor-bedard-exits-practice-after-falling-into-boards/
Given that Florida had zero players play every game this year and only 2 players miss less than five games, I don’t think that your “toughness means nobody gets hurt” strategy actually works. Tkachuk 1 and Tkachuk 2 both missed significant time last year and the year before so I don’t think I’d call either a tank.
I’m talking the complete photo. Why did Florida beat us was it because they had more talent-coaching-goaltending? A young point stud comes into the league as a boy at 18 do you believe in throwing him to the wolves to toughen him up? It’s like a domino effect injury after injury for Bedard will this toughen him up? I’m glad Sather never took that view it wasn’t just Gretzky very free people took runs clean or dirty what’s the difference at Coffey-Kurri. If we would have kept going down that road while McDavid-Leon-Bouchard aged who’s to say we don’t threepeat? Zito is going to have another 3-4 excellent runs in the next 5 years. Will see who wins in a series between analytics vs skilled brawn?
Your point wass that nobody runs Florida’s players (they do) and that tough players offer protection that would have prevented Bedard’s injury (it would not have).
Bill McCreary absolutely demolished a young Wayne Gretzky even with all of those protections you say he had. https://www.facebook.com/61567191274796/videos/the-day-bill-mccreary-destroyed-wayne-gretzky-with-a-powerful-hit-nhl-nhlhockey-/2980801792087796/
Guys are gonna get run. Florida’s toughness didn’t even make the playoffs last year.
Of course I remember that hit. Not a wise move by Bill as the hit ended his NHL career.
I think he fell during a skate that they all do in summer
Clatt isn’t a deterrent he’s a distraction, he’s not big enough. More like a Matt T without as much ability. Bowman seems to be choosing tenacity and speed with some skill right now. There aren’t many meatheads that are good NHL players. Murphy also has no trouble going. Nurse is tough but he hadn’t used it often in a while
Other than Greer florida didn’t play their goons much 5v5. Just have to not get run over when they do play
That is why Clattenburg so valuable because he’s a middleweight that can skate-skill. Connor is not knuckle a dragger he did not look out of place in Edmonton like many people apparently thought he would. I hope he gets called up at some point during the long season.
It seems he needs to work on his puck skills, I hope he does hard this summer. He’s in a fortunate spot, has a jump on a lot of fellas to get to the bigs
He needs to work on those skills during AHL games – something he refused to do last season. How does a rookie pro not listen to the direction of the organization and his head coach.
If Clattenburg had been skating with Bedard, that never would have happened!
Or, if it did, those boards would have paid a heavy price.
Remember that time in Junior when McDavid punched the dasher and broke his hand?
Yeah boards, it would go way worse for you than that. ~
Clattenburg acted exactly like a knuckle-dragger upon reassignment last season – all he did was hunt for hits and fights, ignored the puck, didn’t play hockey – he had 4 points last season in the AHL, four – to go along with 131 penalty minutes and his -6.
Your pretty much a one issue kind of hockey fan I am guessing. Fight, hit, intimidate, goon. Gets a touch tiresome to hear the same things over and over though to be honest.
We get it, you like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em – wait, are you Don Cherry here incognito?
What are you talking about about? He fell in to the boards during an early summer skate.
How does getting Nurse help when, for the past years he was on the Oilers and you keep talking about players taking runs at McDavid and Drai.
Clattenburg has the skills to play in the NHL – if he puts in the necessary work in the AHL, what the org asked him to do post re-assignment, what he refused to do and what got him demoted down the lineup playing on the 4th line below ECHL call-ups and then hurt.
I hope he has a different mind-set come September- I’d love to cheer him on as an Oiler and not a Condor but he’s not close right now – he was also in a huge walking boot at Development Camp.
Pretty much this. Chara was the biggest guy in the league and still got into like 85 fights in his career. Lots of big guys aren’t afraid to take runs at skilled players because someone might punch them. They’re looking to run a guy and then fight someone after.
Is Mehta smart/ruthless enough to be playing the LOOONG game with Hayton?
If this is actually what is happening, that is diabolical!
I don’t believe teams are allowed to negotiate with RFAs on other teams so there would be problems if such a conversation ever happened. They can send an offer and the player choses to sign it or not to sign it, but they don’t come to the offer sheet amount through any sort of discussion between player (agent) and team.
Now, a pay increase is likely in the cards anyway as this deal takes him to unrestricted free agency guaranteed since even Utah can’t extend him before July 1 next year
Teams can talk to pending RFAs on June 30 – one day before free agency.
This does not apply to UFAs.
Utah can extend him on January 1, not July.
Likelihood we see an offence optional third line of:
Joseph – Dickinson – Janmark / Kap
If that’s the third line it’s a fourth line.
I’m hoping a different system and better organization helps the lessers. The chaos in the team game didn’t only hurt the goalies. The way they were playing and constant blendering made it hard for a lot of guys to produce, most need more structure and support
Did K.K ever designate what he wanted-expected out of players. Players like Frederic looked like a deer in the headlights all year. I do think him and other players will play more unified hockey under Babcock.
Cost KK his gig. And yes to me some more traditional play will help guys get something done
I think Janmark is best suited for the third line on the Condors.
100% DZone starts, soon as they get the puck out immediate line change until next time.
11mins a night, 20 dzone draws, 0 shots for.
Be extreme.
Samanski 100% neutral zone draws.
McDavid/Draisaitl 100% offensive zone draws.
Woof
Remanda talking about how much he loves Shakir and what a great person he is. Every time he saw Drew, he’d run his hands through his hair.
Long player with great reach, a good stick and great mobility – can skate the puck out of danger. Needs to work on his consistency in front of the net and in one on one situations in the corner but he’s 24 and has only played one season. Will the puck on net. Will be a 4/5 – he’s a good one.
I want to believe but that scouting report is Marincin 2.0.
Maybe, but he broke the points record for an 18 YO D in the KHL previously held by Orlov. Probably more upside
Marty was damn good at a time when they had no clue about how to bring a player along. It cost them.
Drew Remenda doesn’t have hair. Shakir ran his hands through his own hair? Lil bit of forbidden love? Off Campus 2, Sharky Boogaloo.
Yes, through his own hair – as a light joke towards Remanda’s baldness.
Shows personality.
Utah matches the Hayton offer sheet.
More of an FU sheet than a serious sheet. Hayton can walk in a year. Big risk on if his value maintains but i like players betting on themselves. He was probably hoping for a fresh start after a tough last season.
David Pagnotta
@TheFourthPeriod
Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong: “Barrett is a key piece of our team and important to what we are building here in Utah. He’s strong in the face-off circle, plays both sides of the puck and can play with anyone in our forward group. We are grateful to be able to count on Barrett in our lineup next season.”
Man…Utah looks primed to take a big step forward.
Roster Adds:
3C Vincent Trocheck
2 LW Anders Lee
4C Kevin Stenlund
3RD Andrew Peeke
2G Sebastian Cossa
Warming up in the bullpen:
C Caleb Desnoyers – 4th overall 2025
LW Tij Iginla – 6th overall 2024
LW Daniil But – 12th overall 2023
9 – 2027 draft picks
2 – 2028 1st round draft picks.
Full 23 man roster with $4.6 million in cap space with the only blemish being $650K for the OEL retention.
Honestly, do you actually think 32 year old Trochek and 36 year old Lee will help them take a step forward?
Stenlund is not a roster add considering he played for Utah the last two seasons.
He does not honestly believe this. He just doesn’t have any better hobbies.
Folks, when you are preparing for retirement, try to have some meaningful and fulfilling hobbies ready.
Trocheck can be relied on to score 25+ goals.
Anders Lee is a 6’3” 236 lb two way beast.
36 year old Anders Lee 6’3″ 234lb two way BEAST!
30 year old Leon Draisaitl 6’2 209lb – too old, bad contract, never projected to be an elite C, the next Joe Colborne.
This is an up to date look at how FibonaHHi has framed these players on this blog.
Man, every day there’s another team primed to take a big step forward.
Its like yesterday’s team took their step forward and fell into a pit of corpses of all the other teams that took the step before them.
Hard to keep up.
But what are their heights and weights?
Just a ridiculous comment. One – you say this about EVERYBODY EXCEPT THE OILERS. And two – WE DON’T CARE.
Hard not to cheer for the desert dogs to kick some ass in conference. Definitely i am a closet to “2nd team in conference i’m cheering for fan”.
A lot of blood sacrifices were paid laying track between phoenix and salt lake.
Forwards:
A. Don’t love for their forseeable cap logistics the 3rd year on ander’s deal with full no trade clause…like i would be fine with 1st 2 full no move and a very limited partial if giving 3rd year…especially with mcbain contract and what is coming up pipe but they coukd use that size knows how to use it addition, in top 9 mix, so i get it.
B. Trocheck i have more time for past 2nd year but great only has 10 team limited trade clause. Like this isn’t a problem if it doesn’t need to be at end.
C. Like the other ufa 1 yrs fill gap adds at prices set in dangerous tile overpay-> well done.
D. Huge fan of goalie solution at that low of a cap hit. Like if cossa good enough he can lighten load from saros like levels on 1A:
E Defense is decent bet this point but a lot of it will need new contracts quick. And this is weak spot in prospect pool as well. This is a team i think if i were GM i might debate either prime package or nasty offer shit a top 1-4 RHD rfa high end dman or at least salt rock scatter shot offersheet any team with multiple younger but NHL developed dman to steal something next offseason. At present this seems like mid to longer range achilles heel incoming.
IF things break right on preseason addition & subtraction bets and/or top prospects force way into lineup and impact to high degree:
With right deadline tweaks made -> this team might be for real dangerous.
Things start likely getting harder 2 years from now for sure. A lot of rent coming due for major increases next 2 years i hope the younger core have a blast with it at least.
This team definitely my #1 with a bullet hopeful roadblock that sees mackinnon’s career come to end falling short of another trip to the final!
Oh and given additions unless they decide to deal trocheck dirty move on Hayton very likely might cost them their 1st early exit of a piece they regret wasn’t secured for much cheaper in advance.
And just like that, Utah’s season is over.
Better luck next year, Mammoths.
lol, we’ve heard this same line umpteen times this offseason with a different team name each time.
I think keller was a rookie when i seriously made comments like “i can’t wait until you get to point you are suddenly the biggest coyote fan”
How do we think only 4 exhibition games affect the potential for a tweener to make it? Do we think the games need to be “getting ready for the season” more than tryouts?
Not that I think the likes of Hutson or the Latvian or Carfagna had any shot of making the team out of camp but this structure has the door closed on it, in my opinion.
The days of weeks and month long auditions need to be over. We need to get the team rolling asap. The guys in the minors get a chance if there is an injury, somebody isn’t getting it done or they are killing it so bad they force a recall.
OP, I personally think the condensed training schedule will be better for tweeners because teams will be forced to make decisions.
The decision to promote should not be based on the ultra small sample size of training camp. It should be based on the player’s body of work, with particular attention paid to prior season performance, splits, and both qualitative and quantitative metrics. I would also weigh off ice metrics at training camp, such as VO2 max.
To me, Howard gets a shot in a good lineup spot based on those factors and deservedly so. I would argue the same for Samanski.
I really like Hutson. He has a mojo to his game. He has a real desire to make plays at the NHL level. I would love for him to get a shot, even as 13th forward.
I think Hutson has zero chance to make this team out of camp.I believe he is a tweener for sure.
He is a very good AHL player but he’s a clear tier, two tiers, below an Issac Howard and he may not even be able to break camp with the team.
Yes, Hutson has a skill set that could work in the bottom six while Howard doesn’t fit well outside the top six (despite his development) but is Hutson even beating out a Joseph? A an elite PK guy and defensive player that brings energy, is super fast and has twice put up over 30 points in the league.
Let’s not forget, when Samanski was called up, HE was leading the Condors in 5 on 5 points, not Hutson.
Good points, I didn’t watch him at all in the AHL. Loved his moxy in the limited NHL look.
Babcock will have zero time to make any kind of assessment on the kids, but injuries could impact things. I think it’s completely reasonable to fade all of the kids save Levi, Howard, Samanski and maybe Owen Michaels due to handedness.
I know they’re looking for other alternatives at 4c but I believe Samanski is the best choice unless they trade for somebody who will knock it out of the park. Levi is part of the three amigos in goal. Owen Micheals we’ll see next year and Ike Howard we’re supposed to see this year, i’m worried though he might not like it in Edmonton.
I think Howard would very much enjoy McDavid or Drai’s wing.
Yes, Howard NEEDS a real chance. I hope he gets it. Have to see what he is and not play around with it. Then it will set up what the team will need.
Hyman talking to Bob was pretty informative about what MB did in Toronto with a bunch of young players, and specifically him. He said people didn’t think he was an NHL player his first year, but MB did. Clear role based on working hard, the rest would come
So for Howard, he needs to show up very fit, and do what he’s told. Unlike times gone by with the Oilers where if a young forward didn’t pop right away they lost interest, it seems MB has the ability to set the foundation and wait. Hyman credits him with doing that for a lot of those young Leaf players
In large part, the door is almost always closed anyways. While there is some competition for spots, the lineup generally reflects who they can/can’t waive and who they are/aren’t afraid of losing. Beau Akey would have to be an absolute monster in camp for them to consider keeping him. The fight for the pressbox opening night depends a lot more on injury than it does performance. Don’t be surprised when Samanski and Howard are sent down on the last possible day, only to be recalled 5 games in.
Beau Akey is all but a distant bell unless/until he has a strong pop season this year in the AHL (and stays healthy) but, based on last season, Carfagna (and, to a lesser extent, Leappenen) could have put his name in the conversation with a strong camp and exhibition season but may not even get a game now.
I think Gregor wrote yesterday that their contracts are more cap friendly if both start the season on the opening night roster, and get sent down after season starts.
If Gregor said that I don’t think it makes any sense. The Oilers will have oodles of cap room too start the season. This isn’t a situation of where they need to have certain contracts on the roster to (a) get as close to the cap as possible to maximize LTIR reserves and (b) set bonus reserves for LTIR.
They can truly choose the best skaters available (of course, waivers could factor on to the decisions).
I think the way it went, if Samanski and Howard start in AHL and get called up later, it’s more expensive capwise than listing them on opening night roster and then demoting them for potential recall later. It was maybe $600,000-$750,000 difference, but with accrual it would be a difference of around $2M-$3M at the deadline. It’s not insignificant.
I might be misremembering altogether, and I can’t find the article.
Imo now more then ever all of the rookie/prospects camps are more important then they have ever been for tweeners. Need to grab attention early and often to make enough noise to be a factor in training camp.
Stauff again in Josh Brown being a feasible option as 7D, scoring toughness and the loss of Nurse. He did caveat it with “if a dman or two are moved out”.
He did pull back a bit his forward acquisition and thinks they “will accrue” – maybe a dman out doe another depth type forward.
With the underwhelming UFA pool remaining, I’d say the next opportunity to add (barring a trade) will come during training camp through LT’s absolute favourite process: Waivers.
Babcock can love Josh Brown, but the results won’t be there. Unless the coach is willing to look the other way on things like goals against, this isn’t going to work. It’s fun for summer conversation. I think Carfagna has a better chance.
I agree that Carfgana is the “better option” but who is more likely to get a game in the 4-game exhibition season, Josh Brown and Riley Stilman or Damian Carfagna and Atro Leppanen?
I think it’s Stauffers way of saying the team isn’t tough enough. I would suggest the second coming of Marty McSorely, who spent some time as a fourth line RWer and worked his tail off.
Maybe they need a forward that nobody wants to mess with. But not Josh Brown.
I agree, Brown should not be on this team. Who is the forward nobody wants to mess with? Evander Kane but his time is past and his penalties/rep hurts the team. Truly not many in the league that nobody wants to mess with that could actually put up points but he was that. Who else?
Frederic
welllll … 🙂
I dont know? Maybe a guy like Nicholas Deslaurier
Bowman “swapped” Vinny Desharnais for Josh Brown.
For someone who literally yesterday called OP out for not naming the right GM to sign a contract it’s ironic you missed that Josh Brown was signed by Jeff Jackson.
I don’t think it was missed.
Not to mention it’s just a made up nothing statement not based in any objectivity or facts. If anything its Vinny for Emberson.
Bowman swapped Vinny Deharnais for Ty Emberson and I take Ty straight up over Vinny, not to mention $3MM cheaper. Not to mention Ty is many years younger.
Emberson was swapped for Ceci.
Jackson/Bowman let Desharnais walk and signed Josh Brown.
Desharnais has played in the NHL since then, and Brown in the AHL.
Deharnais played 3RD and, since he’s been gone, Emberson has played 3RD.
By your logic, the last off-season, the Oilers replaced Connor Brown and Corey Perry with Marjala and Hutson given timing of signing.