Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Oilers Rumors

International Notes: Koskinen, Yakovlev, Lyubushkin, Yelesin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In the always enlightening 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he touches on several international players that are on the radar for NHL teams. Starting with goaltender Mikko Koskinen, who he reports recently agreed to a deal with Edmonton, Friedman has also heard—but can’t confirm one way or the other—the $2.5MM/year rumor that has been floating around.

Though nothing has been announced by the team, a deal of that magnitude for the 29-year old goaltender would likely mean the team has plans for him at the NHL level, perhaps as part of a tandem with Cam Talbot next season.

  • The Vancouver Canucks could sign Par Lindholm according to Friedman, or at least have the best shot at this point. The 26-year old Swedish center competed at the Olympics this year and was one of the SHL’s most dangerous offensive weapons. With 47 points in 49 games he ranked fourth in league scoring.
  • Friedman reports that Yegor Yakovlev is expected to sign with the New Jersey Devils, after another good season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The 26-year old defenseman played at the Olympics as well, and is heading to the World Championships for Russia.
  • Ilya Lyubushkin (24) and Alexander Yelesin (22), two young Russian defensemen are also expected to sign, though Friedman only sources overseas reports that say the former is headed to Arizona. We’ll have to wait to see where exactly they end up.
  • Bogdan Kiselevich is also still on NHL radar, with Friedman reporting that “several teams continue to chase” him. Kiselevich, 28, has been playing in the KHL for years and was even selected in the CHL import draft way back in 2008. He was an alternate captain for CSKA Moscow this season, but becomes a free agent in a few days.

Koskinen's Contract Likely To Be Pricey For A Backup

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the Oilers believed to be the frontrunners to sign goaltender Mikko Koskinen, Postmedia’s Jim Matheson speculates that the deal could be one of the richer ones for a backup, suggesting that it could be in the range of $2MM per season.  While on the surface, that may seem pricey for someone with next to no track record in the NHL (just four underwhelming appearances with the Islanders in 2010-11), it’s still somewhat understandable as he has been one of the top KHL netminders in recent years and would undoubtedly command a sizable contract if he were to remain there.  However, if the final deal winds up being around that cap hit, that will further whittle away at Edmonton’s somewhat limited cap room heading into 2018-19.

Oilers Winger Iiro Pakarinen Signs In KHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Oilers winger Iiro Pakarinen is heading back overseas.  A report from Sasha Huttunen and Markku Saarinen of Iltalehti in Finland states that Pakarinen has signed with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL for next season, ending a four-year stint in North America.  The term of the contract is not yet known.

The 26-year-old played in 40 games with Edmonton this past season, posting two goals and an assist while logging just over 10 minutes per night in ice time.  He was more productive at the minor league level after clearing waivers back in December, recording 13 points (9-4-13) in 18 games with their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

While he wound up back with the big club down the stretch, the writing was on the wall that Pakarinen was likely to be a player on the fringes in training camp.  As a result, he’s chosen to go where he’ll have a bigger role which could help his chances of landing another NHL look down the road.  While Edmonton can retain his rights for one more year by qualifying him in June (his required offer is a little over $760K), he will become an unrestricted free agent in July of 2019.

As Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal notes, Pakarinen was one of the more effective penalty killers for the Oilers and with Mark Letestu, who led all Edmonton forwards in shorthanded ice time per game, dealt to Columbus near the trade deadline, GM Peter Chiarelli will likely be on the lookout for some checking help up front in the months to come.

Edmonton Oilers Frontrunners To Sign KHL’s Mikko Koskinen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED each have linked the Edmonton Oilers with being the frontrunners to sign KHL goaltender Mikko Koskinen as the team’s backup to starter Cam Talbot. Koskinen, who has been playing with the KHL for the past six seasons, made his intentions known a couple of weeks ago that he’d like to take his talents back to the NHL.

The 29-year-old, who was a second-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2009, came overseas and played two games in the ECHL, 41 games in the AHL and four games with the Islanders, but struggled and eventually opted to return to Finland. In 31 games for SKA St. Petersburg, the goaltender posted a 1.89 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

Koskinen could be a good fit with Edmonton, assuming Talbot can rebound after a tough season. The starter went from a 2.39 GAA in 2016-17 and dropped to a 3.02 GAA this year. One key factor is the amount of games the veteran has played. Talbot has appeared in 153 games in two years if you include the 2017 playoffs. If Talbot can return to form, Koskinen could be a solid backup option where the team struggled last year. Laurent Brossoit started the year as the backup, but lost his job when he posted a 3.24 GAA. The team then traded for veteran Al Montoya, who didn’t fare much better with a 2.94 GAA in nine appearances. Montoya is the only backup who is under contract for next year at $1.06MM.

The Edmonton Journal’s David Staples writes that a backup goalie is essential to a team’s success and compares the potential signing to that of Anders Nilsson, who also struggled after being drafted by the Islanders and went overseas before signing with Edmonton. However, Nilsson struggled as a backup as well and was traded away later that same season. However, Koskinen has six years in the KHL under his belt and would be a far more likely option to be successful as a backup with the Oilers.

Friedman reported the news on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Ty Rattie

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s easy to forget that non-playoff teams are still hard at work behind the scenes, but the Edmonton Oilers have thrown their name into the postseason news cycle this evening. The team announced that they have re-signed forward Ty Rattie to a one-year contract extension worth $800K. Rattie was an impending unrestricted free agent, having signed a one-year deal with Edmonton last off-season.

Rattie must be relieved to have his contract situation wrapped up and to be returning to Edmonton next season. The 2016-17 experience was not an easy one for Rattie; the swift-skating right winger played in four games with the St. Louis Blues early in the season, was waived and claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes in January, was waived again a month later after just five games in Raleigh, and claimed back by the Blues who buried him in the AHL for the remainder of the season. Rattie was then not given a qualifying offer last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Rattie settled for a one-year, two-way deal with the Oilers, but made the most of it, scoring a career-high nine points in 14 games while also earning an AHL All-Star nod, finishing with 43 points in 53 games.

This extension will represent a substantial raise over his last deal with the Oilers. After an impressive campaign at both levels, the 25-year-old looks primed to fight for a full-time role in Edmonton next season. While he is likely happy to be back with the team that gave him the best chance to succeed thus far in his young pro career, Rattie – and the Oilers – must have known that he could have drawn some interest on the open market as well. Instead, there was clearly mutual interest in maintaining the status quo.

Blues Notes: Allen, Edmundson, Trade Targets, Fabbri

at CDT | by 3 Comments

While fans would like to see the St. Louis Blues move on from starting goaltender Jake Allen, that’s not likely to happen, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon in a reader chat. The main reason Allen isn’t going anywhere is that there are no better goaltenders available in free agency and via trade this offseason. The team’s best bet is to make sure they lock up backup Carter Hutton and use that combination for one more season.

Allen’s play has declined after a strong start. In fact, his numbers have steadily declined over the last four years, putting up a 2.28 GAA in 2014-15, followed with a 2.35 GAA in 2015-16, a 2.42 GAA in 2016-17 and a 2.75 GAA this season. Gordon also points out that the answer to the team’s goalie issues is more likely to arrive in 2019-20 when Ville Husso arrives as he is most likely going to stay in the AHL for one more season developing his skills and serving as a third-string goaltender for the Blues. Husso had a 2.42 GAA and a .922 save percentage in 38 games with the San Antonio Rampage.

  • Gordon also says that general manager Doug Armstrong said that defenseman Joel Edmundson shouldn’t expect a big payday this offseason. The 24-year-old will be a restricted free agent this year, but the team is unlikely to give Edmudson a long-term offer at this point and might have to fight for a quality contract through arbitration this year. Edmundson, who made $1.05MM this season should get a raise, but the team has already handed out sizeable deals to Alex Pietrangelo (two years remaining at $6.5MM) and Colton Parayko (four years left at $5.5MM) and still must pay veteran Jay Bouwmeester one more year at $5.4MM. One year from now, however, the team could lock Edmundson up. He keeps improving, putting up a career high seven goals this year.
  • Gordon writes that Armstrong has said he wants to add a top-six forward, preferably a center to the team this offseason. With the free-agent market heavy in wingers, the Blues might have to consider a trade, suggesting the team should attempt to pry Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from Edmonton or Ryan O’Reilly from Buffalo. While the Oilers have stated they will not move Nugent-Hopkins, O’Reilly might be a different story in Buffalo.
  • While Gordon writes that there is no news on prospect Robby Fabbri, who missed the season after tearing his ACL twice in the same knee, there is plenty of concern. Because of his injuries, there is plenty of concern of whether he will ever turn out to be the prospect they hoped he would be.

Pacific Notes: Thornton, Edmonton Defense, Nugent-Hopkins

at CDT | by 2 Comments

After a double-overtime thriller in which the Vegas Golden Knights took a 2-0 lead in their first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings, the San Jose Sharks will attempt to take a 2-0 lead of their own tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks, who picked up a 3-0 victory Thursday on the road, got a surprise during pre-game warmups when injured veteran center Joe Thornton participated in the pre-game skate before Thursday’s game. According to Paul Gackle of the Mercury News, Thornton is close to returning to the team, but isn’t yet ready.

Thornton, who went down in January with a torn MCL injury, has been rehabbing for the past 11 weeks, but has said that unlike last year when he returned from a knee injury after just two weeks for the playoff run, he intends to make sure he isn’t a distraction to the team before returning. However, the more wins that the Sharks can pick up in the meantime can buy time until Thornton believes he is fully healthy and ready to return to the lineup.

  • Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal writes that the Edmonton Oilers are desperate to repair their defense and wants to trade for a top-line defenseman. While he suggests the team could offer up its lottery pick in a deal to get Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson or work out some type of deal to get Colorado’s Tyson Barrie, neither is realistic. The team’s best chance at solving their defensive issues is right-handed shot Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes. The 26-year-old is falling down the Hurricanes’ depth charts with the emergence of younger defensemen like Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. Faulk would also fix their logjam of left-handed defenseman as several defenseman such as Andrej Sekera and Kris Russell are left-handed, but playing on the right side. The problem is that Carolina wants a forward back. So who are they going to send?
  • Matheson, in the same article, adds that the Oilers have no intention of trading Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who might be their best trade chip. The center was rumored to be a trade candidate with his high salary ($6MM AAV) over the next three years. However, the team believes he might be the perfect linemate for Connor McDavid as a wing, which would move youngster Ryan Strome to the third-line center position. Nugent-Hopkins is coming off a season where he tied his career-high in goals with 24 (and he missed 20 games this season).

Peter Chiarelli Will Return As GM Of Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Edmonton Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson met with the media today, and immediately confirmed that GM Peter Chiarelli would be back next season. Chiarelli will retain the position as President of Hockey Operations, and “has a plan to get [Edmonton] in the playoffs next season.” Nicholson did not, however, lend a vote of confidence to the coaching staff, instead saying that Chiarelli would evaluate all of them and make a decision.

Chiarelli’s tenure as a GM in the NHL has been checkered at best, with many fans pointing out the long list of star players he has traded away in the past. After the impressive MVP-worthy performance from Taylor Hall this season, that list—which also includes Phil Kessel, Blake Wheeler, Tyler Seguin, Jordan Eberle, Dougie Hamilton and others—was waved around as a reason to fire the veteran executive at the end of a disappointing year. The Oilers were expected to compete for the Stanley Cup, and instead found themselves missing the playoffs entirely despite an 108-point season from Connor McDavid.

Whatever plan Chiarelli has in place will be a difficult one to pull off. With McDavid’s $100MM contract extension kicking in, the Oilers have almost $62MM in cap space tied up in just 14 players for the 2018-19 season. That’s before they deal with restricted free agents like Ryan Strome, Anton Slepyshev, Darnell Nurse and Matt Benning, or any UFA signings they decide to make.

Obviously, the Oilers could bounce back and be one of the league’s best teams next season. With McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the offense, and improvement from the blue line and in net could easily push them back into the playoffs. Still, betting on a turnaround from those two positions isn’t exactly a plan, meaning there is something else coming for Edmonton in the next few months. If your mind immediately goes to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and a potential trade, Chiarelli implied that he will not trade the young forward in yesterday’s press conference.

Milan Lucic, Kris Russell, Andrej Sekera and Cam Talbot all hold no-movement clauses at the moment, and though Talbot’s turns into a limited clause in the summer he is probably the least likely of the group to be moved. The other three don’t carry much value in trade because of their high price tags and diminishing returns, meaning Edmonton would likely have to eat some salary in any potential move.

Nicholson praised Chiarelli’s relationships with other GMs as a positive during the presser, indicating that it will help him turn things around through trade if he decides to. Though that may be true, it’s not like other teams will be lining up to fix the problems with the Oilers roster. With a high draft pick and some interesting young talent, Chiarelli will be must-watch TV at the upcoming draft and free agency period.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Awards, Holland, Leiweke

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The NHL will hold their annual awards ceremony on June 20th, a few days before the 2018 Entry Draft. The event will be held in Las Vegas once again, an exciting proposition for the Golden Knights who could be coming off a historic Stanley Cup victory in their first season.

Finalists will start to be announced in just a few days on April 17th, with the Vezina Trophy kicking things off. This awards season has been even more debated than usual, with almost a dozen legitimate candidates for the Hart Trophy and no consensus on other top awards like the Norris or Selke.

  • Ken Holland is back in the Detroit Red Wings front office, but he is willing to bring in some more voices to help strengthen the club’s decision making. That’s what Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) examines in his latest piece, digging into who could be potential additions. An interesting name that comes up is Kyle Raftis, GM of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and successor to Toronto whiz-kid Kyle Dubas.
  • Tod Leiweke has officially been announced as CEO and President of the prospective Seattle expansion team, joining his brother Tim Leiweke who is already part of the Oak View Group that placed the bid and will be minority owner. The pair have tons of experience running professional sports teams, including Tod’s stint as CEO of the Seattle Seahawks in the past.

Minor League Notes: Niku, Elie, Oilers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Sami Niku’s season is just getting better, as today the AHL announced that he has been named the league’s top defenseman for the 2017-18 season. Niku had already been named to the All-Rookie and First All-Star Team, after recording 53 points in 73 games. His first year of professional hockey in North America couldn’t have gone any better—unless of course the Manitoba Moose win the Calder Cup—as he even scored his first NHL goal in the one game he played for the Winnipeg Jets.

Niku was selected in the seventh round three years ago, and is now the youngest player to ever take home top defenseman honors in the AHL. After playing well at every level so far, you can pencil him into a roster spot with the Jets in the coming years. That’s another hit for their draft and development systems, that have started to churn out NHL talent at a ridiculous rate.

  • Remi Elie has been sent back to the AHL for the Texas Stars playoff run, after a successful rookie campaign with the Dallas Stars. Elie recorded 14 points in 72 games, and will now get a chance to show off in the minor leagues. Never an elite scoring talent, Elie will nevertheless be an offensive weapon for Texas, who are currently staring at a first round series with the Tucson Roadrunners. The second-round pick from 2013 won’t be waiver exempt again next season, meaning this might be his last chance to really contribute in the minor leagues for the Dallas organization.
  • Similarly, the Edmonton Oilers have sent both Ethan Bear and Keegan Lowe back to the AHL to help the Bakersfield Condors in their last few matchups. Bear got into 18 games with the Oilers down the stretch, and could be a potential option for the team next season when they are looking for puck-moving right-handed defensmen. For now, both will focus on improving their play in the last few games of the AHL season and putting in an offseason of training.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top