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Anton Slepyshev Re-Signs In KHL

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The Edmonton Oilers had been trying to bring back a familiar face, sending a contract offer to KHL forward Anton Slepyshev in recent days. It looks like it wasn’t enough, as Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Slepyshev has signed a two-year extension with CSKA Moscow to remain overseas.

It’s not hard to understand why Slepyshev would want to stay in the KHL. The 25-year old forward recorded just 23 points in 102 NHL games over parts of three seasons while with the Oilers but scored 18 goals and 45 points just this year for CSKA. A third-round pick by Edmonton in 2013 he has finally reached the offensive potential he always flashed, but there’s no guarantee that kind of success would follow him back to North America.

Of course, this two-year deal also has further consequences. Since Slepyshev did sign and play with the Oilers at one point, his exclusive NHL negotiating rights will expire on his 27th birthday. He’ll be turning 26 next month, meaning Edmonton will lose his rights before this new extension is complete. With that in mind, remember Slepyshev’s name in the spring of 2022 when he could be a potential free agent signing for the entire league, should he entertain the idea of coming back to the NHL.

Ken Holland Confirms Offer To Anton Slepyshev

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There has been some recent talk about the Oilers trying to bring back winger Anton Slepyshev.  In a recent video conference with reporters (video link), GM Ken Holland confirmed that he has made an offer to Slepyshev’s camp and is waiting to hear back.  The 25-year-old is signed through the end of the month and while some KHL teams will let their players out of their deals early to sign in the NHL, most don’t so even if they’re able to reach an agreement over the coming weeks, it may take some time before a deal is made official.  Slepyshev didn’t do much offensively in his first stint with Edmonton where he scored just 10 goals in 103 but has shown more of a scoring touch back home, collecting 18 goals and 27 assists in 54 games with CSKA Moscow this season.

Colby Cave Placed In Medically-Induced Coma

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5:00pm: Cave’s wife Emily has provided an update on Instagram:

Last night and today have been the worst days of my life. Colby is currently in surgery and they are fighting to keep him alive. We need a miracle. Please pray for my husband and best friend.

Cave’s agent also told Mark Spector of Sportsnet that his client’s condition is not related to COVID-19 and Cave was not in an accident of any kind.

12:50pm: The Edmonton Oilers have announced some terrible news today. Forward Colby Cave has been placed in a medically-induced coma and was admitted to the critical care unit at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. Cave suffered a brain bleed overnight.

Cave, 25, came to Edmonton during the 2018-19 season from the Boston Bruins and has played in 67 games so far in his NHL career. He split the 2019-20 season between the Oilers and the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, where he had 23 points in 44 games.

No other details on his condition have been released at this point, but the entire staff at PHR and the rest of the hockey world send our best regards to Cave and his family.

Snapshots: Seattle, Jones, Oilers

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The NHL season may be paused, but that doesn’t stop front offices from getting work done. Some of that work for the Seattle expansion franchise revolves around its still-unannounced team name, though the group is getting closer to a reveal. That’s what Seattle GM Ron Francis recently explained to reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com, indicating that though the organization will wait for an appropriate time to announce, it should be sooner rather than later:

We’re still going through that process with the League, working hard on the trademark and the legal process. Trust me when I say it, our people are really working hard, and as soon as we’ve completed it, we’ll look at how our community is doing and when is the right time to announce that name.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) followed up on the Seattle situation today, reporting that though construction on the new rink was shut down for several days, it is now resumed and both the NHL and Seattle organization do not believe that there will be a delay in their original timeline.

  • If the regular season or playoffs do resume at some point, the Columbus Blue Jackets could be getting back their most impactful player. Seth Jones took to Twitter to let his fans know that he has returned to the ice finally as he continues to rehab his surgically repaired ankle. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet jumped into the replies to clear up some confusion, reporting that injured players like Jones have been allowed to use team facilities in their rehab programs. The team originally announced an 8-10 week timeline for Jones following surgery, which he had on February 11.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have two draft picks that will see their exclusive draft rights expire on June 1st if they are not signed, but GM Ken Holland told 630 CHED today that negotiations continue with both of them. Filip Bergland, 22, was picked 91st overall in 2016 and has played the last four full seasons in the SHL, while the 21-year old Markus Niemelainen was the 63rd overall pick that year and has played in Finland for the last three seasons. Both players would become unrestricted free agents if not signed by the deadline.

Tippett: Mike Green And Joakim Nygard Ready To Return Whenever Play Resumes

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  • If play resumes, the Oilers should have a pair of players back in their lineup. Head coach Dave Tippett told reporters, including Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link) that defenseman Mike Green (knee) and winger Joakim Nygard (upper body) have both recovered from their respective injuries and will be ready to go whenever the puck drops.  Green was one of Edmonton’s trade deadline additions but played in just two games before getting hurt while the speedy Nygard has nine points in 33 games in his rookie campaign.

Edmonton Oilers Tell Philip Broberg To Remain In Sweden Next Year

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The Edmonton Oilers have informed prospect Philip Broberg that they would prefer him to remain in Sweden for another year, rather than have him come to North America and play in the AHL, according to Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. Broberg, the team’s eighth-overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, did play a full season with the SHL last season as an 18-year-old, but did not show the offense the Oilers were hoping for in his first pro season.

The Oilers were quite enamored by Broberg’s 6-foot-3, 203-pound frame as well as his fast and impressive skating, when they shocked a few by taking him with the eighth-overall pick, but general manager Ken Holland has preached speed when drafting and signing players since he took over last year. Broberg is an example of that. He has averaged 14 minutes a game in his first season in the SHL, but has received little to no power play minutes. He finished his season with one goal and eight points in 45 games for Skelleftea. The hope is that soon-to-be 19-year-old will accrue more minutes in the SHL and have a chance to develop his offensive skills. He did score one goal at the World Juniors in December, but also was asked to take a lesser role and focus on defense for Sweden.

The Oilers have several defensive prospects, so the team likely could hold on for another year without Broberg in the immediate system. The team is likely going to give every chance first to their No. 1 prospect, Evan Bouchard, who has fared quite well in Bakersfield of the AHL this past year, and likely will be given a shot at winning an job with the Oilers next season. The team also has Dmitri Samorukov, who played a secondary role with Bakersfield this year and might now get a chance to take on a bigger role next season.

Prospect Notes: Rasanen, Niemelainen, Berglund, Farrance, Harris

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There have been many international prospects over the years that have turned to the NCAA to try to help get ready for the NHL or bolster their chances of getting drafted.  There aren’t as many that have gone the other way but it appears that’s the case with Oilers prospect Aapeli Rasanen.  The 21-year-old recently wrapped up his junior year at Boston College but Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal reports (Twitter link) that the forward has informed the team that he’s leaving and is returning to Finland to play professionally.  Rasanen grew up playing in the Tappara so it’s likely that he would rejoin that program.

  • Still with the Oilers, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector notes that Edmonton is hoping to sign defensemen Markus Niemelainen and Filip Berglund. Both players were draft picks in 2016 and have until June 1st to sign their entry-level deals.  Niemelainen played in 55 games with Assat Pori of the Finnish SM-liiga this season while Berglund suited up in 52 contests with SHL Skelleftea, his fourth straight year of being a regular in that league.  They’re also both under contract for next season already (Berglund for two more years) but both countries have a transfer agreement with the NHL so those deals shouldn’t get in the way.
  • Predators prospect David Farrance is coming off a very strong junior year with Boston University that saw him collect 14 goals and 29 assists in just 34 games. While it certainly seems as if he’s ready to turn pro, AHL reporter Mark Divver mentions (Twitter link) that the 20-year-old hasn’t yet decided whether or not to return for his senior season.  With Nashville’s back end being filled with low salary players, it’s quite possible that Farrance could immediately make the jump to the NHL like Dante Fabbro (a Boston University alum) recently did.
  • Canadiens prospect Jordan Harris has given a verbal commitment to return to Northeastern for his junior year, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels (Twitter link). Last month, GM Marc Bergevin mentioned the possibility that Harris could forego the rest of his college eligibility and turn pro but that doesn’t appear to be the plan.  Harris had 21 points in 33 games this season while chipping in with a goal in five games for Team USA at the World Juniors.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Raphael Lavoie To Entry-Level Deal

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have signed forward Raphael Lavoie to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old, who was the team’s second-round pick in 2019, should give the Oilers another solid prospect for the future. The deal with a $70K AHL salary breaks down as follows:

2020-21: $700K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $133K GP bonus
2021-22: $800K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $33K GP bonus
2022-23: $833K salary, $92.5K signing bonus

There were scouts who thought that Lavoie could easily go late in the first round before last year’s draft. The 6-foot-4 winger had shown flashes of brilliance in his draft year playing for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL, but inconsistent play is what held him back to the second round even though Lavoie dominated in last year’s playoffs where he scored 20 goals and 32 points in 23 games.

Regardless, he returned to Halifax this season after going in the second round, scoring 18 goals and 44 points in 30 games before joining Team Canada for the World Junior Championships in December where he had two assists in seven games in a limited role, but helping his team capture a gold medal. Halifax then traded him to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens where he has tallied 20 goals and 38 points in 25 games with them.

Considering that Lavoie will be turning 20 in September, it’s likely that Lavoie will turn pro and join the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL next season in hopes of taking his career to the next level. The Oilers hope that Lavoie can fast track to the NHL sooner than later as Edmonton is always on the lookout for top-six wingers with speed who can help complement Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If Lavoie can put it all together in the AHL in the next couple of years, he could be a key part to their future.

A Case For Edmonton To Re-Sign Mike Smith

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When Mike Smith signed with Edmonton in free agency, the move raised some eyebrows.  He was coming off a season that saw him post the lowest save percentage of his career and with Mikko Koskinen having several question marks, some were expecting the Oilers to add a more proven goaltending option.  Instead, he has rebounded quite nicely and has posted the second-highest point total among NHL netminders since January while helping Edmonton get into second place in the Pacific Division.  As a result, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector suggests that the soon-to-be 38-year-old has done enough to warrant another one-year deal for next season.  Despite the strong record since the turn of the calendar to 2020, his overall numbers on the season (2.95 GAA, .902 SV%) aren’t the best so the Oilers may be able to get him cheaper than his current price tag of a $2MM base salary plus another $1.75MM in performance bonuses ($500K of which have been reached so far).

NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne Pursuing NHL Free Agent Targets

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The Swiss season is over, as the NLA has decided to cancel the remainder of its season. However, that will give perennial contender EHC Biel-Bienne even more time to plan ahead for what they hope is an impact off-season. According to Swedish news source Hockey Sverige, the club plans to go after some impending NHL free agent defensemen. The trio specifically named are all Swedes and include the Anaheim Ducks’ Christian Djoos and Joel Persson and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Gustav Forsling.

Djoos, 25, was just recently traded to the Ducks by the Washington Capitals and is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. A former AHL standout, Djoos grew into a regular contributor for the Caps in the previous two seasons, but roster and salary cap pressure forced him back to the minors this year. However, since the trade to Anaheim he has played exclusively in the NHL, recording three points in nine games which is technically a career-high clip albeit in a small sample size. Given Djoos’ history and RFA status, he seems the least likely of the listed names to jump to Switzerland this summer.

Persson, 26, is an entirely different case, other than the fact that he too will be an RFA. Persson has no NHL history other than his 13 games this season with the Edmonton Oilers. An undrafted prospect who turned heads in the SHL, Persson signed with the Oilers back in 2018 but was loaned back to Sweden last season. He was extended and came over to suit up for the Oilers this year, but failed to impress and has spent the bulk of the season in the AHL. Persson was dealt to Anaheim for next to nothing – ECHL goaltender Angus Redmond and a 2022 conditional seventh-round pick – at the deadline and has not played for the Ducks yet. He could very well depart North America after a disappointing year, but may choose to head elsewhere rather than go back to Sweden. Biel could be an attractive option in this case.

Forsling, 23, is the youngest of the players named and is also the hardest to speculate on. After beginning his pro career with considerable NHL action in each of his first three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, the young defender has played exclusively in the AHL this season following an off-season trade to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are exceptionally deep on the blue line and that isn’t about to change. Heading into next season, Forsling will be eighth or ninth at best on the organization’s depth chart. As such, if the team opts to make him a qualifying offer, he could choose instead to depart North America and play a top role somewhere else. However, it’s fair to argue that remaining in the AHL may still be the better decision for his career. Of the players named, Forsling would be the least likely to stay with Biel long-term, but could produce the greatest immediate impact.

At this point, it is difficult to project that any of these three names will end up jumping to the NLA to play for Biel, especially given that all three are restricted free agents and that Djoos and Forsling have considerable NHL experience for their ages. However, if the top Swiss club pushes hard, potentially using this extended off-season to their advantage, they may be able to convince one of these three or another NHL free agent that a move to Biel to play a top pair role is the right call.

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