Snapshots: Janmark, Puistola, Kotkaniemi

With the Oilers adding some extra depth up front this summer, there should be some good battles at training camp next month.  To that end, Allan Mitchell of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that winger Mattias Janmark’s roster spot could be in some jeopardy.  The 32-year-old had a 25-point campaign just a couple of years ago but since then, he has only managed six goals and 24 assists combined, including only two goals in 80 games last season.  While his speed and defensive game are assets, they could free up $1.15MM in cap space by waiving and demoting him to the minors, lowering his cap charge to $300K.  That would certainly give them some extra breathing room on the salary cap with PuckPedia currently projecting them to open the season at barely $225K under the Upper Limit.  Carrying one less roster player would help in that regard and Janmark being that casualty would maximize their flexibility.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

• Still with the Oilers, it appears as if they at least thought about bringing in another forward from Europe to add to their depth as they did with David Tomasek. Forward Patrik Puistola acknowledged to Nerikes Allehanda’s David Hellsing that he was aware of some speculation that Edmonton was readying a contract offer for him although a formal offer never ultimately materialized.  Puistola was drafted in the third round by Carolina back in 2019 with his rights being moved to the Oilers in 2023 although those rights have since lapsed, making him an unrestricted free agent.  After a strong season with SHL Orebro last year and four goals at the Worlds for Finland, Puistola could be someone to keep an eye on to come to North America next year.
• The Maple Leafs have hired Mikael Kotkaniemi as a European Scout, Kotkaniemi announced on LinkedIn. He has been a coach in Finland for the better part of the last two decades including at the Liiga level and most recently coached Finland’s Under-18 program.  This will be Kotkaniemi’s first scouting role and the first time working for an NHL franchise.