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Edmonton Oilers Linked To Hurricanes’ Julien Gauthier

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Julien Gauthier, a highly-regarded 2016 first-round pick, played two full seasons in the AHL before finally getting recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes last week. It was a long time coming for the young power forward, who many felt deserved his first NHL opportunity earlier in his pro career. Yet, the big promotion wasn’t all it was cracked up to be; Gauthier skated in the Hurricanes last two games, but saw just over eight minutes of ice time on average and failed to record a point or even a shot on goal. After last night’s defeat at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team announced that Gauthier had been reassigned to the Charlotte Checkers. It was a very limited NHL debut for the 21-year-old and again raises questions about his future role in Carolina.

The Edmonton Oilers may have a solution to the situation: a trade. The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins reports that there continues to be interest out of Edmonton in acquiring Gauthier. This is not the first time that his name has come up as an Oilers target, as it was previously noted that his name popped up as a possible swap for divorced prospect Jesse Puljujarvi. Leavins adds that not only is the team intrigued by Gauthier’s minor league production, and the size and skill to translate it to the NHL level, but also his waiver-exempt status, allowing him to be moved back and forth to the AHL as needed. Edmonton is not deep on the wing and Gauthier would likely stand a good chance of earning a regular role for the team, but that waiver flexibility provides added value just in case.

By all accounts, Gauthier alone was not enough for GM Ken Holland to part with Puljujarvi this off-season. However, the status quo has changed immensely since then. Puljujarvi signed in Finland and a recent report from Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston indicates that he is content to stay there all season if he has to. Puljujarvi is a top-ten scorer on a per-game basis thus far in the Liiga, with 11 points in 11 games for Karpat, his hometown team. He has made it clear that he does not want to play in Edmonton and is okay with the success and familiarity of playing in Finland this year if that is his only option. If Puljujarvi has not signed by December 1, he is ineligible to play in the NHL this year, so the Oilers would have to make a trade before that point. Previous comments by Holland made it seem like the team would rather play the long game with Puljujarvi, hoping he boosts his value in the Liiga this year, rather than trade him for a lesser return. However, the team has started the year 5-0-0 and may be shifting their mindset forward to adding immediate help, rather than building for the future. Gauthier would present a chance to do both – add a young, developing forward, but also one that could step in immediately. While Puljujarvi was selected third overall in 2016, 21 picks ahead of Gauthier, there is reason to believe that they could be comparable NHL players. It’s a move that Carolina would certainly be open to as well, as Puljujarvi is willing to sign once traded and would add to their core of talented young Finns.

Of course, the Oilers could also try to pry Gauthier out of Raleigh without moving Puljujarvi. Tyler Benson, Kailer Yamamoto, and Ryan McLeod are all promising young forward prospects that the team could dangle for the Hurricanes as part of the return for Gauthier. If Edmonton truly has their mindset on acquiring the up-and-coming power forward and Carolina does not share in their high regard for him, a deal is very likely to be made, one way or another.

Longtime Player, Coach Ted Green Dies At 79

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Ted Green, a longtime member of the Boston Bruins during the 1960s and a head coach for the Edmonton between 1991-94, passed away at the age of 79. The Oilers announced his death today and he was honored at Saturday’s New York Rangers game. Green was an assistant coach for the Rangers between 2000 and 2004.

Green was known as “Terrible Ted” during his playing days due to his physical style of play on the ice. In fact he had more than 100 penalty minutes in six of his first seven seasons in the league. In 11 season with the Bruins, Green picked up 254 points (48 goals and 206 assists) and 1,029 penalty minutes in 621 games. He played in the 1965 and 1969 all-star games and was named an the NHL Second Team All-Star in 1969, while finishing third in the Norris voting that year. Green was on the team that captured the 1970 Stanley Cup Championship, but he never played that year after sitting out the season after being hit in the head with a stick during the preseason that year. Regardless, his name still engraved on the cup.

The blueliner played for the Boston Bruins from 1961 to 1972 before opting to sign with the New England Whalers of the WHA where he played for three seasons and then played another four years with the Winnipeg Jets, winning three championships. He retired in 1979.

After he retirement, he took up coaching, working as an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers under former teammate Glen Sather from 1982 to 1990 before becoming co-coach for the 1990-91 season and eventually becoming head coach of the Oilers in 1991-92. The team went 65-102-21 in his two and half years at the helm in Edmonton. He was eventually fired after starting the year off at 3-18-3 in 1983. After taking a few years off from coaching he returned to the Oilers as an assistant once again in 1997 and stayed until 2000, before joining the New York Rangers in the same capacity after that.

Everyone at PHR wishes the best for the family and friends of Green at this time.

Edmonton Oilers Activate Riley Sheahan

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The Edmonton Oilers have activated center Riley Sheahan from injured reserve, giving the team another option down the middle as they try to continue their recent success. To make room, Josh Archibald has been moved to IR retroactive to his last game on October 2nd.

Sheahan has not yet played this season after signing a one-year $900K contract with the Oilers at the beginning of September, but is expected to play on the third line tonight against the New York Islanders. Interestingly, Archibald actually practiced this morning with the team and is only out with the flu, meaning there is likely another roster move coming later this week.

For now though the Oilers will attempt to extend their winning streak to three games and continue their chase of that elusive playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Sheahan doesn’t come with much offensive guarantee after recording just nine goals and 19 points in 82 games last season, but does have a history of providing at least passable numbers in the bottom-six. He also brings an excellent faceoff percentage to the table, something head coach Dave Tippett will likely rely on in the defensive zone.

Pacific Notes: Hextall, Eriksson, Yamamoto

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The Los Angeles Kings have undergone an entire front office change in the last few years, a new head coach this past summer and the team also quietly added former Philadelphia Flyers’ general manager Ron Hextall as a part-time advisor to hockey operations. The Kings believe that Hextall will be a key asset, especially with his strength as a GM with rebuilding a franchise like he did in Philadelphia.

In fact, team President Luc Robitaille feels the team’s rebuilding effort should really be helped by Hextall’s presence, especially with his experience on the East Coast, which should give the team another big advantage.

“… for me, you look at the job he’s done in Philly, he’s done a tremendous job at rebuilding a team,” said Robitaille in a Q&A with Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. “Everybody talks about all their prospects and so forth, so we know he’s had the experience of picking the right guys, and plus he knows the east coast, and I know Rob’s going to use him to do some scouting and work on several projects, so it’s a win for us. The influence he had on our staff and our players here was great, so to have the opportunity to have a guy like that and see where it goes, it’s going to help us.”

  •  The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that Vancouver Canucks veteran Loui Eriksson will be a healthy scratch tonight against the Calgary Flames for just the second time in his Canucks’ career. The much criticized Eriksson debuted against Edmonton on Wednesday and played 13:12, but finished with just one shot on goal and a stat line with a lot of zeros, not including the minus-1 plus/minus. Not a good sign for a player in the fourth year of a six-year, $36MM player. Head coach Travis Green intends to insert young center Adam Gaudette into the lineup instead, who impressed many during training camp to win a spot in the lineup despite being one of the few waiver eligible players.
  • The Edmonton Oilers need to get some production from some of their forward prospects and the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples writes that they may finally have a healthy Kailer Yamamoto who could eventually be pushing his way back into the Oilers’ lineup. The 2017 first-round pick struggled with a wrist injury last year and didn’t look like himself, but now with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL on their top line, Yamamoto looks like his old self. The 21-year-old could be at the top of the forwards battling for the first crack at the Oilers lineup after an impressive first game Friday, including a big goal.

Report Suggests Connor McDavid Intends To Give Ken Holland Two Years

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The Edmonton Oilers haven’t exactly been the model franchise since their star Connor McDavid signed his eight-year, $100MM back in July of 2017. The 22-year-old continues to do his part, having scored 224 points over the past two seasons and winning the Art Ross and Ted Lindsay awards in 2018. However, the team hasn’t built much of a winning program around him. The franchise hasn’t reached the playoffs in those two years and the teams till seems to have a questionable list of wingers to help McDavid and fellow star Leon Draisaitl. There are plenty of fans that are starting to wonder if McDavid regrets signing long-term with the Oilers.

Appearing on Sportsnet 590 radio on Friday, Elliotte Friedman said that he believes that new general manager Ken Holland will get two years to prove to McDavid that the team is heading in the right direction. However, he also believes that McDavid is getting impatient with the organization.

“I think the answer is no, he’s not patient,” Friedman said. “But he’s also willing to be convinced. I think they’ve got two years to show him they’re going in the right direction. This year and next year.”

Friedman added the he believes the team might be better off getting one more lottery pick after this season in hopes of striking it rich in a deep 2020 draft year and then take that next step, although that doesn’t necessarily mean the team isn’t intent on making the playoffs this season. Holland was active during the summer despite little cap space to work with. He traded veteran Milan Lucic to Calgary for winger James Neal in hopes the veteran might bounce back to his 20-goal scoring ways this year. He also dipped into the international market, signing Joakim Nygard and Gaetan Haas, who both made the team out of training camp. The GM also brought in veteran goaltender Mike Smith to help balance out the goaltending situation.

The team does have a lot of young prospects that are on the brink and much of it is on the defensive end. The team has 2018 first-round pick Evan Bouchard in the AHL, but he could come up at any time and become a regular. They also have prospects Dmitri Samorukov and Philip Broberg, who may only be a year away. They also have a number of young forward, including Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan McLeod and Tyler Benson, who could contribute in the near future as well and help the team take that next step. Other than Broberg, who is playing in the SHL this season as an 18-year-old, the majority of the team’s top prospects are with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, which should be a loaded team this season.

The team also is right up against the cap, which has a lot to do with McDavid and Draisaitl’s deals, but the team also has quite a few contracts on the book that aren’t helping. The Oilers must also deal with the eventual contract of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who will be a unrestricted free-agent after the 2021 season. Edmont has to hope that McDavid is patient enough to wait around while they rebuild the team and try and get it to a point where the team is challenging for a Stanley Cup on a regular basis while McDavid remains in his prime or he could eventually demand a trade.

Oilers Activate Joel Persson, Return William Lagesson To Bakersfield

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  • The Oilers announced (Twitter link) that they have activated Joel Persson off IR and he will make his NHL debut tonight. The 25-year-old spent the last two seasons as one of the better point producers from the back end in the SHL and should give Edmonton some more firepower from their blueline.  In a corresponding roster move, the team has returned defenseman William Lagesson to AHL Bakersfield.

Injury Notes: Larsson, Prout, Raanta

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The Edmonton Oilers have internal options to replace top defender Adam Larsson, who unfortunately suffered a major injury – a fractured fibula – in the very first game of the year. The team has recalled promising prospect Evan Bouchard and could also turn to another prospect in Caleb Jones or veteran Brandon Manning, who both remain with AHL Bakersfield. However, none of those three will be a seamless fit as Larsson’s stand-in and Edmonton will feel his absence even if the rest of their defense corps steps up. Facing a six-to-eight week prognosis, the Oilers may need to look elsewhere if they want to avoid a rocky start through the first two months of the season. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the team is not necessarily looking for a trade already, but is not opposed to going outside the organization to try to replace Larsson. McKenzie opines that a similar defender, one who can log major minutes and play a shutdown role, is not exactly available though. The one name McKenzie mentions as an affordable acquisition is recently-waived veteran Thomas Hickey of the New York Islanders, but McKenzie doubts that Hickey could adequately fill the role left by Larsson and feels his three-year contract is not worth the gamble. It seems the team is most likely going to work with their current group for the time being, with Kris Russell the most likely candidate to move up to the first pair, and will wait to see if an addition is truly needed. Of course, if the Oilers decide to truly try to replace a player of Larsson’s ability via trade, Jesse Puljujarvi remains the organization’s biggest trade chip.

  • Ahead of the San Jose Sharks’ season opener, it seemed that the final blue line spot was a decision between rookie Mario Ferraro and veteran Dalton Prout. However, both defenders ended up playing as Erik Karlsson missed the game for the birth of his child. The decision won’t be very difficult moving forward though. After missing the team’s morning skate, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz has confirmed that Prout is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury suffered in the opener. There is no timeline for his return, meaning Ferraro could have plenty of time to assert himself as a regular member on the San Jose blue line. Additionally, the team has recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton to add some more depth on the back end.
  • It looked like Antti Raanta would be healthy to begin the season for the Arizona Coyotes, but the team opted not to rush him back, likely in light of how Darcy Kuemper played in his stead last season. Raanta began the season on a conditioning stint with AHL Tuscon, but it was unclear if he would actually see action or simply treat the experience like an extended training camp. Wonder no more, as beat writer Alexander Kinkopf reports that Raanta will actually get the call for the Roadrunners in their season opener tonight. Kinkopf relays word from Arizona head coach Rick Tocchet, who says that Raanta wanted to “sharpen his game” with live action before returning to regular NHL duty and he will get that opportunity tonight. It remains unclear how long the Coyotes expect to be without Raanta as he’s on a conditioning stint, but with the recently-extended Kuemper and recently-claimed Eric Comrie in the mix, with a serviceable third-string in Adin Hill around as well, the team may be looking to make a trade from their goalie depth upon Raanta’s return.

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-First Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)

Officially the biggest jump of this exercise so far, Bonino moves up over 150 spots into the first round. Originally selected by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round, the Pittsburgh Penguins are a fitting landing spot for the two-way center. In 2007 Bonino was fresh off a high school season in which he scored 66 points in 26 games and was already committed to Boston University. A “serial winner” to steal a phrase from Mike Babcock, the young forward has found success at basically every level. A state champion as a high school player, Bonino then the BU Terriers to an NCAA National Championship game in 2009 only to set up one goal and score another in the final minute to force overtime. His squad would take home the title, and Bonino would turn pro a year later.

Though his professional career started in the Anaheim Ducks organization, the Penguins are the team likely most associated with Bonino, given his success there. In both seasons he spent in Pittsburgh, the team would take home the Stanley Cup. The first run in 2016 made a star out of the checking center when he was part of the famed “HBK Line” with Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel. Bonino would record 18 points in 24 postseason games for the Penguins that year.

Now in Nashville, Bonino is still a reliable middle-six option that can contribute offensively while being responsible in his own end. He sits 18th among all players from the 2007 draft in scoring with 248 points in 560 games, and certainly deserves a spot in the first round.

After Pittsburgh selected, the Edmonton Oilers were up for the third time in the first round. They had already picked Sam Gagner and Alex Plante, two players that haven’t yet made it onto our list. Instead of taking the American power forward Max Pacioretty that Montreal would snap up next, Edmonton decided to go with one from a little closer to home. Alberta-born Riley Nash would be their third pick of the first round, selected 21st overall. The BCHL forward was ranked 64th among North American skaters by by NHL Central Scouting, but had just dominated his junior league to the tune of 84 points in 55 games. Unfortunately, Nash would never play for the Oilers.

Despite trading up to get him at No. 21, the Oilers and Nash never saw eye-to-eye on the next step in his development and after three years at Cornell University, the team finally decided to move on. Edmonton traded his rights to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round pick (which turned into Martin Marincin), only to see him leave college and sign an entry-level deal a month later. In Carolina he turned into a relatively underrated depth forward, and broke out in 2017-18 with the Boston Bruins to the tune of 15 goals and 41 points.

Though Nash never did turn into a top-end player, getting basically nothing for the pick is an unfortunate outcome for Edmonton. If they had another shot at it they would clearly pick someone else, but with the amount of talent off our redraft board who would go instead? With the twenty-first pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Edmonton Oilers select?  Cast your vote below!

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.

Prospect Notes: Brown, McKeown, Bear

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Logan Brown’s agent isn’t happy with how his client has been treated by the Ottawa Senators since being drafted. Andy Scott joined TSN radio in Ottawa recently and gave his thoughts on how Brown’s career has gone so far.

I’ve really never seen another player met with such resistance by the team that ends up drafting the player early in the first round. From day one I’ve seen Logan have to grind and claw and work his tail off for every morsel of opportunity that he’s been provided. Whereas with some of these other guys, some of these elite players like Logan, it’s been a little bit easier. They get paired with top lines, top players, put into positions to excel. You look at last season, he shows up to training camp and he’s on the eighth line. He’s the eighth-line center. This is your 11th-overall pick from the 2016 draft. You know he’s played no more than two games in all the years he’s been here, playing with NHL wingers.

Brown, 21, has played six games in the NHL so far in his young career and has a single assist, but did record 42 points in 56 games for the Belleville Senators last season. The 6’6″ center has a ton of upside, but finds himself in the minors once again to start the year.

  • Captains have been announced all across the AHL today, but one of the more interesting selections is Carolina Hurricanes prospect Roland McKeown. The 23-year old defenseman was picked 50th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 but has already logged more than 200 games for the Charlotte Checkers after a trade brought him east. The young McKeown re-signed with the Hurricanes just last month and is in a tough spot behind the huge amount of depth the Hurricanes have amassed on the blueline. For now, he’ll take over the leadership duties in Charlotte and try to help the Checkers back to the Calder Cup.
  • Ethan Bear was officially sent to the minor leagues yesterday in a cap move by the Edmonton Oilers, but he never left the club and is expected to play in the team’s next game. Not only will the 22-year old defenseman get a chance to be a full-time player for the Oilers this season, but with Adam Larsson out for six to eight weeks he very well could be pushed into a leading role. Bear made his NHL debut in 2017-18 and got into 18 games with the Oilers, already showing that he’s much more than just a fifth-round pick. Ryan Rishaug of TSN believes he’ll either suit up with Darnell Nurse or Oscar Klefbom in the team’s next game, a huge opportunity to show he can be a reliable top-four option.

Pacific Notes: Seattle, Canucks, Puljujarvi, Palmu

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The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft is still two full seasons away, but the Seattle expansion team is not messing around in the meantime. If early indications hold true, Seattle will make their presence felt in the NHL long before they actually become an official club. On Thursday night, the second night of the new campaign, Seattle is already out scouting the competition – or more likely the 2021 free agent class and possible Expansion Draft offerings. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that, presumably for the first time, a Seattle scout is at a game in an official capacity. Former NHLer Stu Barnes is set to watch the Boston Bruins and Dallas Stars square off, two talent-laden teams who will likely have tough decisions to make come expansion time. However, this is likely just the beginning. Expect Barnes and company to be a fixture at games for the next two years.

  • With the Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal and Maple Leafs’ John Tavares recently joining the elite group that is NHL captains, the number of teams without a captain has shrunk even further. The Vegas Golden Knights have yet to name the first captain in franchise history, while the New York Rangers have also been without a captain since 2017-18. Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, and Vancouver Canucks have holdover vacancies from last season. However, this group is about lose yet another member. Canucks head coach Travis Green has stated that the team will formally announce their new captain ahead of their home opener on October 9. Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini confirmed as much today, stating that he, Green, and GM Jim Benning saw leadership begin to develop last season and feel they are ready to name a captain. Vancouver has already named four alternates – Alexander Edler, Bo Horvat, Brandon Sutter, and Chris Tanev – and the odds are that the new “C” will be one of the current “A”’s. If the team wants to reward loyalty and establish a veteran leader, Edler is the likely choice. If they want to anoint a young core player as the man to take the team into the future, Horvat will be the selection. Those two have a better chance than Sutter or Tanev, both of whom have seen their roles on the team questioned over the last year or so, but anything is possible.
  • Speaking with Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes in his latest “31 Thoughts” column that it is his impression that the team is simply waiting and hoping for a better return on disgruntled prospect Jesse Puljujarvi. Puljujarvi followed through on his threat and signed in Europe this off-season when the Oilers wouldn’t trade him. Since then, Edmonton has shifted their focus solely to moving out the young winger, but only at a fair price. Friedman writes that Holland can only hope that Puljujarvi’s trade stock gets a boost from his performance in Finland. Thus far, Puljujarvi has seven points in eight games for the Liiga’s Karpat, which puts him in the top-20 scorers early on, but not exactly at the top. Friedman does mention some actual names – for the first time – that came up in trade talks this summer but were seemingly dismissed by Edmonton: a trio of forwards including the Carolina Hurricanes’ Julien Gauthier, the St. Louis Blues’ Klim Kostin, and the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Alexander Volkov.
  • Another NHL prospect staying in Europe for a while longer is the Canucks’ Petrus Palmu. After news emerged on Wednesday that he was likely to be officially loaned to JYP of the Liiga, the Finnish club confirmed the transfer today. Palmu, a 2017 sixth-round pick who signed his entry-level contract in 2018 and played briefly in the AHL to begin last season, will continue to develop overseas for another year at least. Now officially signed with JYP, Palmu is set to make his season debut this weekend.

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