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Edmonton Oilers Sign Philip Kemp

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November 30: Since Kemp would have a hard time making the NHL roster, the Oilers have found him playing time overseas. The team announced today that Kemp will play the 2020-21 season with Vasby IK of the Swedish second league.

November 25: The Edmonton Oilers have inked one of their draft picks, signing Philip Kemp to a three-year entry-level contract. Kemp has played the last three seasons at Yale University but with the Ivy League schools suspending their hockey programs for the year, he has decided to turn pro and forego his senior season.

Now 21, Kemp was a seventh-round pick in 2017, taken almost at the very end of the draft as a lottery ticket for the Oilers. He had captained the U.S. National U18 team but had very little offensive upside and needed to work on his skating stride. Even then, Kemp was committed to Yale where he was expected to play all four years, and he had earned himself the captain’s “C” for 2020-21.

Unfortunately for the young defenseman, he won’t get to play his senior season. Instead, Kemp starts his professional career with the Oilers and is likely headed for the AHL should it ever get underway. If he’s ever to make it to the NHL, it won’t be on the back of his raw talent. Though he does have size, standing 6’3″, Kemp’s future will be based on his work ethic, leadership, and determination, as it always has.

That’s not to say he can’t be a contributor for the Oilers. When he was drafted, Brian Lawton of NHL Network compared him to Ben Lovejoy, who carved out a 544-game NHL career despite going undrafted entirely. If Kemp can reach that level of success, everyone involved will be pleased.

Oilers Looking To Loan Phil Kemp Overseas, Will Likely Bring In A Veteran Defenseman For Camp

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  • The Oilers are likely to bring in a veteran defenseman on a PTO deal once camps get underway, suggests Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal. Some of their prospects overseas who would seem to have an inside track for a roster spot have had their progress derailed due to injury or virus-related postponements.  Accordingly, having a veteran in camp to serve as extra depth makes a lot of sense to hedge their bets.  It was only two seasons ago that Edmonton went that route and ultimately signed Jason Garrison so GM Ken Holland could very well opt to try that approach again.
  • Still with Edmonton, the Oilers are working towards finding a place in Europe for recently-signed defenseman Phil Kemp, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson (Twitter link). The 21-year-old inked his entry-level deal earlier this week after his senior season at Yale was shuttered.  At this point, opportunities overseas are largely limited although Matheson adds there are a couple being considered.  If more teams bring back players for training camp – Kemp is unlikely to contend for a spot on the NHL roster so he may not be invited to camp – there may be other spots to open up in the days and weeks to come.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Edmonton Oilers

Current Cap Hit: $82,529,158 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Kailer Yamamoto (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Yamamoto: $230K

Yamamoto’s first two NHL stints didn’t go too well but that changed last year.  Upon being recalled back in late December, he immediately stepped into a top-six role and was productive, hovering near a point per game along the way.  If that continues into next season, he should have enough of a track record to command a sizable raise next year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Tyson Barrie ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Alex Chiasson ($2.15MM, UFA)
F Tyler Ennis ($1MM, UFA)
F Gaetan Haas ($915K, UFA)
F Dominik Kahun ($975K, RFA)
F Jujhar Khaira ($1.2MM, RFA)
D Adam Larsson ($4.167MM, UFA)
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($6MM, UFA)
F Joakim Nygard ($875K, UFA)
G Mike Smith ($1.5MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses

Smith: $500K

Nugent-Hopkins is the most notable player on this list by far and exploratory talks on an extension have taken place.  The 27-year-old has spent most of his career down the middle but has seen a lot more time on the left wing in recent years and his production has taken off as a result.  Either as a top-scoring winger or a capable pivot, he should be able to get a small raise on his current deal as well as a long-term pact.  Chiasson’s second season didn’t go as well as his first and if he produces at a similar rate next season, he will be taking a cut in Edmonton or somewhere else.  Khaira is a fourth liner most nights and that price tag would be hard to justify in this era so he looks like a non-tender candidate at this time while Nygard and Haas are role players who could be retained or replaced with similar-priced players a year from now.

Ennis and Kahun have the potential to be two of the better bargain signings this offseason (Kahun could wind up as the best bargain depending on what else happens).  Ennis showed that he still has some production in him with Ottawa and certainly held his own after being moved to Edmonton at the deadline and it won’t take much to justify that price tag.  Kahun was a surprising non-tender by Buffalo and figures to play in their middle six.  There’s still some upside in his game and he should be counted on as a reliable secondary scorer for a team that has been lacking in that department at times.

Barrie spurned higher-priced offers to try to rebuild his value and he’ll certainly fit in as the anchor on the back end on the power play.  The rest of his game isn’t the strongest but he has never been known as a staunch defender; point production is what will make or break his hopes of cashing in a year from now.  Larsson is naturally best known for being the single asset coming to the Oilers from the Taylor Hall trade but while he hasn’t been able to reach the top pairing status that his draft selection would suggest, he is an effective top-four option.  He’s not looking at a big raise a year from now but something around what he’s making now is certainly doable.

Smith didn’t have a great year last season but the team opted to bring him back.  At 38, he’s going year-to-year at this point and will need to improve in his second go-round to have a shot at even a modest raise next offseason.

Two Years Remaining

F Josh Archibald ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Caleb Jones ($850K, RFA)
G Mikko Koskinen ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Darnell Nurse ($5.6MM, UFA)
F Jesse Puljujarvi ($1.175MM, RFA)
D Kris Russell ($4MM in 2020-21, $1.25MM in 2021-22, UFA)
F Kyle Turris ($1.65MM, UFA)

Turris was brought in to give the Oilers another proven option down the middle, a move that further cements Nugent-Hopkins’ short-term future on the wing.  Yes, he struggled in Nashville under the weight of his old contract but with a clearly-defined role and a reasonable price tag, he should fare much better with the Oilers.  Archibald has quietly put up a dozen goals over each of the last two seasons which earned him a bit of security but he’ll need to better those numbers if he wants a bigger contract two years from now.  Puljujarvi is going to be one of the more interesting players to follow next season.  He didn’t get his trade and while he played well in Finland, there are still plenty of question marks.  There’s an opportunity for him and if he grabs it, he could be in line for a big raise down the road.  If he doesn’t, he’s someone that could find himself without a qualifying offer as well.

Nurse opted to take a deal that brought him straight to UFA eligibility back in February.  It’s something that’s riskier now than it was back then but as we saw this offseason, impact blueliners still got paid.  Accordingly, even if the cap crunch remains in 2022, it shouldn’t hurt his fortunes too much.  Russell had to take a significant pay cut but was able to leverage next year’s expansion into an early extension, one that’s more in line with the role he plays.  Jones is now waiver-eligible so he’s a safe bet to be on the roster but will likely have a limited role next season.

Koskinen’s extension two years ago was baffling and appeared to be the final straw that pushed out former GM Peter Chiarelli.  It’s not that he has been particularly bad by any stretch but he is still rather unproven at the age of 32 and hasn’t shown that he can handle a full number one workload.  At this point, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to land a big raise on the open market but GM Ken Holland will certainly have to budget a higher amount for a more proven starter that offseason.  If Koskinen is ultimately retained at a similar rate, then more money will need to be invested into the backup position and with Nurse being the only big-ticket expiring deal (and they’ll want to retain him), freeing up more goalie money could be tricky.

Three Years Remaining

D Oscar Klefbom ($4.167MM, UFA)
F James Neal ($5.75MM, UFA)

Neal had a bit of a resurgence last season, jumping from seven goals the year before to 19 despite the pandemic cutting things short.  That’s still not a great return on that price tag by any stretch but it’s still an improvement.  Despite that, this is a contract that could be bought out by the time it’s set to expire.

Klefbom is set to miss potentially the entire season due to shoulder troubles which freed up the money to sign Barrie (as Klefbom will head to LTIR, allowing Edmonton to exceed the cap).  He has turned into a legitimate top-pairing player and assuming he’s able to come back in 2021-22 and pick up where he left off, he’s looking at a significant raise on his next deal.

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William Lagesson Signs With Edmonton Oilers

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Nov 23: Lagesson has been reassigned from HC Vita Hasten to Kristianstads IK, another team in the Swedish second league. He is still expected to return at the start of NHL training camp.

Nov 4: The Edmonton Oilers have signed William Lagesson to a new two-year contract, which will be two-way in the 2020-21 season and one-way in 2021-22. The contract carries an average annual value of $725K at the NHL level. Lagesson had been playing with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden while he waited for a new deal with the Oilers and will remain there until the start of 2020-21.

It’s been a long and winding road for Lagesson, who was a fourth-round pick of the Oilers back in 2014. Selected out of Sweden, he immediately came to North America but not to sign with Edmonton. Instead, Lagesson played a season in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, before heading to college at UMass Amherst.

After two seasons at the NCAA level and a pair of appearances at the World Junior Championship, Lagesson signed with the Oilers but still didn’t enter their development system. Instead, he went back to Sweden and played a season on loan with Djurgardens of the SHL. It was only 2018 when he finally came back to North America to play for the Oilers organization, suiting up for an entire season with the Bakersfield Condors. Last year, he was back with the Condors but also made his NHL debut, playing eight games with the Oilers.

Currently dominating the competition in Sweden’s second-tier—with nine points in eleven games—Lagesson seems poised and ready to compete for a full-time NHL roster spot when things resume for the upcoming season. Remember, the Oilers could be without Oscar Klefbom for a good chunk of, if not the whole season and don’t have a ton of experienced depth at the minor league level. In fact, with this move Lagesson becomes just the 13th defenseman in the entire organization signed to an NHL deal, and that includes several still on their entry-level contracts.

That number should increase by at least one in the coming week, as the Oilers still have Ethan Bear to sign. He is the final restricted free agent that needs a contract before the season starts and is coming off a breakout year in which he proved himself to be a top-four option for the team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

West Notes: Saad, Schmidt, Turris

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The Colorado Avalanche bolstered their offense during the offseason by trading for veteran winger Brandon Saad. The 28-year-old has done nothing but score goals over the last seven years, having scored 169 goals over his career and he should be a perfect fit with the Avalanche. Of course, Saad has just one year remaining on his contract, but has expressed interest in signing a long-term extension in Colorado.

However, what are the chances that the Avalanche bring him back?

NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz writes that there are quite a few factors that determine whether Saad comes back. However, while his numbers are solid, they don’t stand out either. However, Saad brings other aspects to his game, which Colorado might appreciate. He is a possession driver and really excels when around better players, which the Avalanche has a lot of.

However, while the Avalanche have done quite well with managing their cap space over the years, those days will soon be past. The team has already inked Mikko Rantanen to a six-year, $55.5MM deal (with five years still on it). Colorado also will have forward Gabriel Landeskog hitting free agency next season, while defenseman Cale Makar will be a restricted free agent. Those two deals are likely going to cost Colorado quite a bit.

Of course, how he performs in his one year in Colorado will have a huge impact, but unless he takes less to stay in Colorado, the team will likely have too many other contracts to deal with in the next season to bring Saad back.

  • Much credit has been given to Vancouver for being able to acquire defenseman Nate Schmidt from the cap-strapped Vegas Golden Knights for just a third-round pick. The team had just lost Chris Tanev, so bringing in Schmidt is a solid if not significant upgrade to the defense. However, The Athletic’s Harman Dayal (subscription required) writes that the real question is will it be an upgrade defensively. Schmidt is mostly known for his puck-moving skills and his ability to move the puck up the ice quickly, not necessarily for his defensive prowess, while Tanev was basically the opposite — a ruthless defensive player. Dayal looks at Schmidt’s underrated defensive game, although he also notes that Schmidt’s defensive numbers took a significant decline this past season. Was it just a down season or is his game slipping in his late 20s. While it looks like Schmidt is a solid top-four acquisition, the scribe wonders if the team needs to acquire a defensive-first blueliner to fill in the unit’s current deficiencies.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have emphasized the need for a solid third-line center for a number of years and feel good about the recent acquisition of Kyle Turris, who should fill that role. Of course, Turris, who has struggled for the past two years with the Nashville Predators and was bought out, could still struggle. If Turris can’t handle the Oilers’ No. 3 center position, the Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes the team would then only have one option for that spot, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a player they really want in their top-six. The lack of depth centers could end up being a significant issue if Turris fails.

Poll: Who Would Win An All-Canadian Division?

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Earlier today, the Toronto Raptors announced that they will begin the upcoming NBA season in Tampa after their request to play at their home arena was denied by the Canadian government. Because of the travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada, it always seemed impossible for the Raptors—the league’s lone Canadian franchise—to be hosting American-based teams in Toronto. A long quarantine is still required when you enter the country, meaning the logistics of holding NBA games was going to be incredibly difficult.

In the NHL, however, there may be a way around those difficulties. The league includes seven Canadian-based teams, meaning they could play each other in a realigned divisional structure to start the regular season. The seven teams are based all across the country, but would theoretically not need to quarantine between cities—though this is certainly not a guarantee, especially given Toronto’s increased restrictions today.

The idea of an All-Canadian division has been speculated about since the beginning of the offseason, with the general consensus being it would be necessary to get through the 2020-21 season. Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver would be battling it out to be “King in the North.”

If that division does happen this season, who does it benefit? Which team would be the ultimate winner, and who would face an even more difficult task?

The Canucks, Oilers, and Flames all already play each other in the normal Pacific Division, but none of them were able to top the Vegas Golden Knights this year for the first seed. Perhaps if they get away from the expansion powerhouse, they would be even more successful.

The Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens are in the same boat, battling in a tough Atlantic Division that also included two of the league’s best teams. The Boston Bruins had the best record in the NHL when the season was put on pause, while the Tampa Bay Lightning won it all in the bubble. Getting away from the Bruins especially might be a blessing for the Maple Leafs as they try to finally get over the first-round hump.

Or perhaps it’s the lone Central Division team in Winnipeg who would get the biggest boost. The Jets have been an excellent squad for the last several years, but are in a powerhouse of a division with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars all finishing ahead of them in the standings this year. Sure, the other Canadian teams may not be pushovers, but all seven Central teams were included in the 24-team postseason bubble, with the last-place Blackhawks even upsetting the Oilers in the qualification round.

Perhaps who gets the biggest boost is too tough to answer, given the changing rosters all around the league. But if an All-Canadian division does happen, who will come out on top? Make your prediction below and jump into the comment section to explain your thoughts!

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Dominik Kahun's Talks With Edmonton Originally Were For A Multi-Year Deal

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Quite a few players set their sights high in free agency and have had to settle for less than they were expected.  Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins reports that Dominik Kahun was one of them as he turned down bigger offers early on than the $975K for one year that he ultimately received from the Oilers.  However, he notes that the short-term arrangement wasn’t the only option Kahun and Edmonton discussed as talks initially were for a multi-year deal.  Clearly, that didn’t come to fruition but Kahun will be eligible to sign an extension in-season if he so desires.  That window typically opens up on January 1st but it seems quite likely that it will be pushed back depending on when the 2020-21 season actually gets underway.

Oilers Planning As If Oscar Klefbom Will Miss Entire 2020-21 Season

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It has been known for a while that Edmonton will be without Oscar Klefbom when the puck drops on the 2020-21 season but the thought had been that he’d be able to return at some point.  That may not be the case, however.  GM Ken Holland told Postmedia’s Jim Matheson that the current assumption is that the defenseman will not be able to play at all next year:

I’m planning for 2020-21 that Oscar is not playing and anything other than that will be a surprise. A pleasant surprise.

Klefbom is currently rehabbing a lingering shoulder issue that some anticipate will eventually require surgery although clearly, the hope is to avoid it altogether considering how much time has passed.  He has gone under the knife multiple times before so they’re hoping a different approach will provide a better result this time around.  His anticipated absence created a hole that was filled by Tyson Barrie but while he will certainly be able to cover Klefbom’s offensive contributions (34 points in 62 games last season), he won’t be as reliable on the defensive side of the puck.  Although there could be some cap room added by placing Klefbom on LTIR, Holland indicated that he’s not doing that yet nor does he plan to add another defender.

Instead, the Oilers will count on youngsters like Ethan Bear (still a restricted free agent), Evan Bouchard, and the recently re-signed William Lagesson to step up into bigger roles next season.  One prospect that won’t be in the mix at the start will be Philip Broberg as Holland stated that he will remain with SHL Skelleftea until their season comes to an end.  At that point, he’ll then return to North America where the NHL and AHL campaigns will still be ongoing.

Missing Klefbom for a significant portion of next season was already a big blow for Edmonton but Holland’s belief that the 27-year-old will miss the whole year certainly hurts.  But for now, they’ll go with that they’ve got instead of dipping back into free agency to add another veteran.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Dominik Kahun

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Nov 5: The Oilers have officially announced the contract for Kahun, which will be for one year and worth $975K, as Friedman reported. With that deal in the books, Kahun has now been loaned to the DEL until the start of the NHL season. The Czech-born forward group up and developed in Germany, winning the DEL Championship three times before originally signing with the Blackhawks.

Nov 1: It has been a busy offseason for Edmonton with the additions of Tyson Barrie and Kyle Turris plus the return of Jesse Puljujarvi but it appears they’re not done yet.  Jiri Poner, the agent for forward Dominik Kahun, told Michael Bauer of Eishockey News in Germany, that his client has signed a one-year deal with the Oilers.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the deal will be worth $975K.

Kahun was surprisingly non-tendered by Buffalo last month as the Sabres were looking to avoid salary arbitration with him but that shouldn’t be mistaken for them not wanting to keep him. Poner indicated that Buffalo was the other team showing considerable interest in Kahun’s services but that they’ve opted to go in a different direction.

The 25-year-old only has two NHL seasons under his belt but both have been productive.  He had 37 points in 82 games in his rookie season with Chicago before being moved to Pittsburgh as part of the Olli Maatta trade last summer.  He was producing at a better pace with the Penguins but they opted to move him to pick up Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues at the trade deadline and Kahun fared well with his new team, picking up two goals and two assists in six games before the pandemic hit.  Between the two spots, he had 12 goals and 19 helpers in 56 games and as a result of not being qualified, he was one of the more productive players to hit the open market.

Assuming the deal occurs, Kahun will be reunited with fellow countryman Leon Draisaitl.  The two played together in Mannheim’s junior system before coming to North America to play in the CHL; Draisaitl played in Prince Albert (WHL) while Kahun went to Sudbury (OHL).

Notably, while they added him on the open market, Edmonton will be able to retain Kahun’s rights as a restricted free agent next offseason if they so desire although he will be arbitration-eligible once again.  The minimum age for outright UFA eligibility is 27 and Kahun won’t be able to get there or have the required seven years of experience to become unrestricted in 2021.

The Oilers have just over $730K in cap space, per CapFriendly, though that number would go up a bit as Kahun’s presence would force someone else off the roster so they’ll still be in compliance after completing the signing.  They do have to re-sign RFA defenseman Ethan Bear as well but they will eventually have some extra flexibility on the cap with Oscar Klefbom expected to start next season on LTIR and they’ll need to dip into that to get his deal done.

RFA Notes: Hintz, Dunn, Lagesson

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With new contracts done for fellow restricted free agent forwards Radek Faksa and Denis Gurianov, the Dallas Stars have just one more name to check off the list. Roope Hintz is the lone remaining RFA for the Stars and after two straight solid seasons to begin his NHL career, the young forward is due a sizeable raise from his entry-level contract. However, Dallas is running low on salary cap space. CapFriendly currently projects the club to have just $3.4MM in space for a 22-man roster. While that currently includes nine defenseman, which is not realistic, swapping a blue liner for another forward from the AHL roster will essentially cancel out. This means the Stars have approximately $3.4MM to offer Hintz in terms of AAV, and that is if they don’t plan to make any other additions to a forward corps that lost Mattias Janmark and has not re-signed Corey Perry. However, GM Jim Nill is not worried. He tells The Dallas News’ Matthew DeFranks that the team expects to get Hintz under contract “in the next week or two.” Nill claims that the two sides have had “great discussions” and are close to an extension. If Hintz signs a short-term deal similar to the two-year, $5.1MM pact signed by Gurianov, the Stars will remain under the cap ceiling and may even have room for another addition. If the two sides instead decide that a long-term deal is the better route, the AAV could climb above that of Faksa’s $3.25MM on his five-year deal, which would put Dallas right up against or over the cap. Nill seems confident that a deal will be made one way or another and that the team can sort out the rest.

  • One team that would have to go over the salary cap to sign a key RFA are the St. Louis Blues. In fact, the Blues are already over the cap’s upper limit and are more accurately dealing with the off-season limit on spending over the cap. Yet, defenseman Vince Dunn needs a new contract and right now that seems like an impossibility for St. Louis. However, GM Doug Armstrong believes that it will all work out. Speaking with Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Armstrong stated that two sides are content to wait until closer to the start of the season to finalize and extension. The team may even need to wait until after the season officially starts, when they can place Vladimir Tarasenko and/or Alex Steen on Long-Term Injured Reserve. Once those players’ cap hits are removed from the calculation, St. Louis will have plenty of room to re-sign Dunn and more. The young rearguard has developed into a reliable top-four option for the Blues and will be due a major pay increase, but that will pale in comparison to the potential $13.25MM vacancy created by Tarasenko and Steen hitting LTIR.
  • There may not be much in the hockey news cycle right now, but the Edmonton Oilers made an odd choice to fill the gap by pumping the tires of a player they have yet to re-sign. The Oilers recently released a piece touting the overseas accomplishments of defenseman William Lagesson, who is still seeking a new contract for next season. Lagesson has seven points through nine games with HC Vita Hasten of Sweden’s Allsvenskan and is already looking forward to competing for a regular NHL role this season. Lagesson played in eight games with Edmonton last year, but failed to record a point. He still has a history of solid two-way play in the NCAA and AHL and if Edmonton is agreeing that he is NHL-ready, that could come in handy in contract negotiations. Of course, “NHL-ready” and NHL opportunity are not the same and Lagesson has an uphill battle to crack the Oilers’ roster that already includes five one-way defensemen (not including the injured Oscar Klefbom), a more established RFA in Ethan Bear in need of a new deal, and younger, more elite prospects like Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg clamoring for a chance.

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