Edmonton Oilers To Re-Sign Kris Russell
The Edmonton Oilers have found a use for some of their recently acquired cap space, signing Kris Russell to a four-year, $16MM contract extension. Russell was due to become an unrestricted free agent again this summer after playing on a one-year deal in 2016-17. The deal also includes a modified no-trade clause and will be structured as follows:
- 2017-18: $5MM
- 2018-19: $4.5MM
- 2019-20: $4MM
- 2020-21: $2.5MM
Long expected to be brought back by the Oilers, the need for Russell was furthered when Andrej Sekera was ruled out for the first part of the season. Russell will be asked to again carry some of that load, likely manning the left side along with Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse. The deal will take Russell to age-34, something that should give pause to even his most staunch defenders. 
Russell of course has been the focus of many battles between “old” and “new school” player evaluation. While he continues to devour minutes and block shots, those more analytically inclined point to his devastatingly-poor possession numbers as a reason to not trust him. That said, the coaching staff and front office in Edmonton clearly appreciated his game, giving him over 21 minutes a night and a brand new long-term contract.
Even if Russell falls somewhere in the middle of the two sides, handing out four-year contracts to 30-year old defensemen is a risky move. If his play falls off even a little bit, $4MM can be a tough pill to swallow for a bottom pair defensemen, especially with the expected astronomical contracts being handed out to Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Remember that the team also owes new deals to Nurse, Matt Benning and now Ryan Strome next summer, with Cam Talbot not far behind.
For an example of what could happen, look no further than the Oilers division rival Anaheim. They recently had to part with young defensive prospect Shea Theodore in part to protect their other defensemen from expansion but also to rid themselves of Clayton Stoner‘s contract. Stoner was signed to a four-year $13MM deal at the age of 29, and was a huge burden on the Ducks cap just a few years later. While it’s not certain Russell would decline as rapidly, there is at least that possibility.
The Oilers though will bring him back and hope that his shot-blocking skills and general defensive acumen helps them return to the playoffs once again in 2017-18. He logged over 22 minutes a night in the postseason, and will be relied upon once again to provide leadership and consistency to a fairly young defense group.
Ryan Rishaug and Pierre LeBrun of TSN first reported the deal, while Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports also heard it would be announced.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Coach’s Challenge Penalty, Russell
The NHL is looking at a rule change that would certainly add a new wrinkle to things. TSN’s Elliotte Friedman tweets that the NHL is kicking around the idea to assess two minute minor penalties to coaches who lose a challenge. Colleague Frank Saravelli tweets that it would be for challenges on offside calls, replace the loss of a timeout, and according to Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell, makes coaches “careful” about when they challenge. The Scores’s Josh Wegman writes that the league is looking for a way to cut down on the number of challenges, as it would make coaches more timid in using that challenge. However, before any rules are changed, both the board of governors and competition committee would have to agree.
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that a deal between defenseman Kris Russell and the Edmonton Oilers could be finalized as soon as tomorrow. He adds that Russell could get close to $4MM AAV for four years. This confirms what was reported earlier in the day, but now includes a duration and dollar amount. Russell played in 68 games for Edmonton and notched a goal and 13 points for them. The 30-year-old defenseman is known less for his statistical contribution and more for his shot blocking abilities.
Edmonton Oilers Will Match Any Offer Sheet For Leon Draisaitl
Though it may not have needed to be said, Edmonton Oilers GM today clarified his position in regards to a potential offer sheet targeting Leon Draisaitl. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, Chiarelli and the Oilers will match “any offer.” Whether it is a bluff or not, it’s hard to see anyone actually signing Draisaitl to an offer sheet. They are so rare these days that they almost never happen, and Chiarelli can honestly say he’ll match after moving out salary in today’s earlier Jordan Eberle deal.
If anyone were to try it, the penalties were outlined by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet some time ago. They’re as follows:
| $1,295,571 or less | No compensation |
| $1,295,571 to $1,962,968 | Third-round pick |
| $1,962,968 to $3,925,975 | Second-round pick |
| $3,925,975 to $5,888,960 | First and third-round picks |
| $5,888,960 to $7,851,948 | First, second and third-round picks |
| $7,851,948 to $9,814,935 | Two firsts, a second and third-round picks |
| Over $9,814,935 | Four first-round picks |
You can see why Chiarelli would be comfortable saying it. Unless a team is willing to sign Draisaitl for almost $10MM a year—which is still unlikely regardless of his unbelievable potential and performance this season—the compensation would be nowhere near the value he’ll bring to the franchise for the next several years. There’s no guarantee that Draisaitl stays with the Oilers long term (or even to his 26th birthday given how young he broke into the league) but two firsts a second and third pale in comparison to what he’s worth.
Interestingly, Oilers fans will remember the time they signed Thomas Vanek, then a young sniper for the Buffalo Sabres to an offer sheet, only to have it matched. Had the Sabres let Vanek go, they would have been owed four first-round picks, which ended up as the 12th, 10th, 1st and 1st overall selections in their respective drafts. Vanek was coming off a better season (albeit in a higher scoring environment) than Draisaitl’s 2016-17, giving just a tiny bit of pause to the idea that the Oilers should actually match any offer.
Kris Russell Expected To Re-Sign In Edmonton
After the Edmonton Oilers cleared some cap space earlier today by moving Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome, the team is close to bringing back one of their pending free agents. E.J. Hradek of NHL Network is hearing that Kris Russell will re-sign with the team.
Russell was one of the more interesting cases in free agency last summer, expected to lock down a long-term deal but eventually having to settle for just a one-year pact. Edmonton ended up giving him $3.1MM for last season, something that he’s sure to improve upon this time around. The 30-year old played over 21 minutes a night for the Oilers, registering 13 points in 68 games while blocking his regular 200+ shots.
One of the battlegrounds between “old” and “new school” player evaluation, Russell seems to be an effective defender but records extremely poor possession statistics. Despite that, coaches seem to rely heavily on him in many different situations and have put him on the ice more than 21 minutes a night for four straight seasons. Especially with the loss of Andrej Sekera to injury for the first part of the season, the Oilers needed to bring in a left-handed shot at some point this summer.
Whether Russell should be that defenseman is up for debate, as Edmonton fans are just as split as anyone when it comes to his performance. Though he once put up 34 points in a season for Calgary, he’s far from an offensive contributor and shouldn’t be expected to get back to that total going forward. The reason for moving Eberle, cap space, is also at risk should the Oilers decide to lock him up long-term. With Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid needing new contracts, locking in close to $4MM per season for a past-30 Russell is a risky proposition.
New York Islanders Acquire Jordan Eberle From Edmonton Oilers
The New York Islanders have acquired Jordan Eberle from the Edmonton Oilers. In return, the Oilers will receive Ryan Strome. The deal is just one-for-one, with no additional salary or assets changing hands. 
Eberle is coming off a terrible playoffs with the Oilers, scoring just two points (and no goals) during their entire run. Falling out of favor with the coaching staff and playing less than 13 minutes in three of the final four games (with the other going to overtime) it was easy to see why his name immediately popped up in trade speculation around the league. The 27-year old is still one of the most consistent offensive wingers in the game, recording 20 goals for the fifth time in his career and registering 51 points this season.
The biggest negative for Eberle, and perhaps a bigger reason why he’ll no longer play in Edmonton, is that he was signed for $6MM through the end of 2019. With the Oilers needing money and cap space for long-term extensions for Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, his contract was the most likely to go. The Islanders, who cleared room with a Vegas deal yesterday, needed to give John Tavares some help on the first line to try and keep him around long-term.
In theory, Eberle seems like the perfect fit. The pair were magic together at the World Juniors nearly ten years ago, and would seem to be natural compliments to each other in New York. Should Doug Weight put Eberle with Tavares and 34-goal man Anders Lee, the Islanders could have one of the most dynamic offensive lines in the league.
While the Oilers get some much needed salary relief, they also add Strome, the fifth-overall pick from 2011 and middle brother in a hockey playing family. Strome played just 69 games last season registering 30 points, but did seem to find some success after the Islanders’ mid-season coaching change. Even though he might not have the goal-scoring ability of Eberle, he is considerably younger and substantially cheaper. His ability to play center, at least part-time, is also interesting and he could easily return to the 50-point season he had as a 21-year old.
Strome, 23, costs just $2.5MM this season and will be a restricted free agent next summer. If he does break out, the Oilers could be in a similar situation without the money to pay him a long-term deal, but would rather take their chances at this point and make sure their big two are locked up.
Darren Dreger of TSN was first to report the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
NHL Awards Preview
Caught up in the excitement of the Expansion Draft, it’s easy to forget that there is also an awards show tonight. Yes, the best trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup, has already been presented to the Pittsburgh Penguins, as has the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP to their captain, Sidney Crosby. Crosby also already locked up the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for the most regular season goals. Edmonton Oilers wunderkind Connor McDavid captured the Art Ross Trophy for the most regular season points as well. Braden Holtby locked up the William M. Jennings Trophy already too, as the Washington Capitals allowed the least amount of goals against in the regular season. Yet, all three of these players and many more still have a lot on the line tonight. Here are the nominees for tonight’s NHL Awards:
Hart Trophy – Most Valuable Player
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Star goalie helped to lead the Blue Jackets to their best record in franchise history, all while topping the league in save percentage (.931) and goals against average (2.06)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
- The NHL’s leading goal-scorer and back-to-back winner of the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
- 20-year-old phenom led the league in points and assists and took his team from the draft lottery to the second round of the playoffs
Norris Trophy – Best Defenseman
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
- Not only led all defenseman in scoring with 76 points, but finished ninth overall among some of the league’s most dynamic forwards. Can check with the best of them as well.
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
- A down year for the Bolts was a career year for Hedman, who finished just four points behind Burns with 72, and led all blue liners with 56 assists
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
- If this award had been voted on after the playoffs, it might have been a different result. The NHL’s best puck-mover may still pull it off behind a 71-point campaign and an improved defensive game
Rumored Vegas Golden Knights Expansion Selections
The Vegas Golden Knights will reveal their expansion selections at tonight’s NHL Awards show, but details have started to come in on who each team will lose. There are many rumors floating around, but these are the most reputable. As with anything, nothing is final until the actual selections are announced tonight. This page will be updated with new information as it comes in.
Here are the latest rumored selections along with their source:
Anaheim Ducks: Clayton Stoner — Bob McKenzie of TSN
Arizona Coyotes:
Boston Bruins: Colin Miller — Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet
Buffalo Sabres: William Carrier — Frank Seravalli of TSN
Calgary Flames: Deryk Engelland — John Shannon of Sportsnet
Carolina Hurricanes:
Chicago Blackhawks: Trevor van Riemsdyk — Frank Seravalli of TSN
Colorado Avalanche:
Columbus Blue Jackets: William Karlsson — Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch
Dallas Stars: Cody Eakin — Jim Toth of TSN
Detroit Red Wings: Tomas Nosek — Craig Custance of The Athletic.
Edmonton Oilers: Griffin Reinhart — John Shannon of Sportsnet
Florida Panthers: Jon Marchessault — Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet
Los Angeles Kings: Brayden McNabb — John Shannon of Sportsnet
Minnesota Wild: Erik Haula — Michael Russo of the Star Tribune
Montreal Canadiens: Alexei Emelin — Eric Engels of Sportsnet
Nashville Predators: James Neal — Bob McKenzie of TSN
New Jersey Devils: Jon Merrill — Frank Seravalli of TSN
New York Islanders: Jean-Francois Berube — Bob McKenzie of TSN
New York Rangers: Oscar Lindberg — Larry Brooks of the New York Post and Frank Seravalli of TSN.
Ottawa Senators: Marc Methot — Pierre LeBrun of TSN
Philadelphia Flyers: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — Craig Custance of The Athletic
Pittsburgh Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury – Bob McKenzie of TSN
San Jose Sharks: David Schlemko — Pierre LeBrun of TSN
St. Louis Blues: David Perron — James Mirtle of The Athletic
Tampa Bay Lightning:
Toronto Maple Leafs: Brendan Leipsic — Darren Dreger of TSN
Vancouver Canucks:
Washington Capitals: Nate Schmidt — Pierre LeBrun of TSN
Winnipeg Jets:
Snapshots: Pokka, Wichita, Kostin
The Chicago Blackhawks are in negotiations with Ville Pokka on a new contract, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. The young defenseman has still yet to make his NHL debut, but with the Blackhawks facing cap problems once again and Trevor van Riemsdyk likely headed for the Vegas Golden Knights, it might be time for Pokka to make an impact this season.
The 23-year old was selected 34th overall in the 2012 draft by the New York Islanders and is a restricted free agent this summer. It’s not often you see high draft picks make it all the way through their entry-level contract without a sniff of the NHL, but because of it Pokka should be relatively inexpensive on his next deal. That said, he’s a candidate for Group VI free agency should the Blackhawks not get him into 80 games by the summer after his 25th birthday, meaning he’s probably unwilling to sign anything longer than two years without any guarantees at playing time. After three up-and-down seasons in the AHL that showed both his potential and deficiencies, it will be tough to put him right into the NHL to start next year.
- The Edmonton Oilers have announced their partnership with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL as a new minor-league affiliate. The Bakersfield Condors, Edmonton’s AHL affiliate will work closely with the Thunder to develop their prospects. Though Bakersfield and Wichita are still quite a distance from each other, the Oilers had been affiliated with the Norfolk Admirals last season on the east coast. That team is now working with the Nashville Predators while the Thunder will indeed be much closer geographically.
- Klim Kostin is clear that he wants to play in North America next season, and he will likely get a mutual termination with his KHL club in order to do so. In a recent translated article with Sovsport, Kostin—a top prospect for the 2017 entry draft, expected to go sometime in the first round—says that even though he has two years remaining on his current deal, their is a good chance the team will “understand me and let me go.” Kostin has previously said he doesn’t want to play in the WHL where the Kootenay Ice hold his junior rights. He instead could go directly to the NHL or AHL if he were to sign an entry-level contract right away.
Pacific Expansion Options Offer Weak Value To Vegas
When looking at the massive lists that were released today, the Pacific Division might have produced one of the weaker set of options for the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Again, while many of these names may be intriguing to hockey fans, that doesn’t mean that Las Vegas will take all of them. The team has been active on the trade market and continues to work hard to acquire as many draft picks that can build the franchise’s future over the next five years. So, there are many side deals that will dissuade the Golden Knights from taking certain people. On top of that, the team may also look to draft several players with the hopes of flipping them to another pick for even more picks.
The Anaheim Ducks list stands out the most. They have two obvious names that stand out in defensemen Josh Manson and Sami Vatanen. Manson had a breakout year with his physical play and Vatanen is a top defenseman despite an off year. While both would be perfect pieces to a brand-new franchise as they are both high-quality and young defenders, most people believe that there is a side deal already in place that will prevent the Golden Knights from taking either one. The Edmonton Oilers, on the other hand, has little of value as the Oilers were able to protect most of what they needed to keep their core intact as well as several key players were exempt from the expansion draft.
The San Jose Sharks also didn’t have expose too much, although defenseman David Schlemko might be a solid veteran who has three years left at a reasonably priced $2.1MM per year. However, Las Vegas may attempt to kick the tires on star free agents Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau instead. The Calgary Flames have a few options available that could intrigue Las Vegas. The team could go after veteran forward Troy Brouwer, but he still has three years remaining at $4.5MM. Another option would be 23-year-old blueliner Brett Kulak, who is an emerging young defenseman. Again, Las Vegas might be better off going after one of their unrestricted free agents instead, either defenseman Michael Stone or veteran winger Kris Versteeg.
The Los Angeles Kings also are a team that didn’t have to expose too much. Perhaps their most interesting option is defenseman Brayden McNabb, who is an excellent physical defenseman. However, a collarbone injury derailed much of his season this past year and he wasn’t the same upon his return. The Arizona Coyotes are another team that didn’t have to protect too much. Forwards Jamie McGinn and Brad Richardson might be the best two options unless Las Vegas can convince veteran forward Radim Vrbata to sign with them. The Vancouver Canucks exposed center Brendan Gaunce, who has a lot of promise, but has never been able to put up numbers at the NHL level. Gaunce, a former first-round pick in 2012, had just five assists in 57 games.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Jujhar Khaira
The Edmonton Oilers have inked forward Jujhar Khaira to a two-year extension. Khaira was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, but will now be under contract until the summer of 2019. The deal will pay him $675K per season. 
Just ten days ago we looked at the expansion situation for Edmonton, in which our own Brett Barrett (in what would unfortunately be his last post for us here at PHR; he’s off to bigger and better things at Global News in Edmonton, give him a follow here) discussed the possibility of protection slot being used on the young forward. Khaira was selected in the third round of the 2012 draft and has shown the potential to develop into a checking center in the NHL. While the decision between him and Mark Letestu is still a difficult one, getting him under contract for such a low number for a couple of years may make him even more attractive.
The 6’4″ 220-lbs center played just 10 games for the Oilers this season, scoring his first NHL goal but nothing else. He was more effective in the AHL with 20 points in 27 games, but it was an injury that dominated the headlines of his 2016-17 season. He’ll try to get back on track next year and fight for an NHL role, should he make it through the expansion process unscathed. Even though he hasn’t done much in the NHL as of yet, at just 22 he could grow with the Golden Knights and give them some depth down the middle, a position that will be extremely difficult to fill.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported the financials of the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images