Training Camp Cuts And Waiver Wire Placements: 10/10/16
Keeping track of all the training camp cuts and waiver placements today before tomorrow’s NHL 23-man roster deadline.
Anaheim Ducks
F Michael Sgarbossa (waivers -> San Diego Gulls, AHL)
Arizona Coyotes
D Zbynek Michalek (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)
D Klas Dahlbeck (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)
Boston Bruins
RW Tyler Randell (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
RW Seth Griffith (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
C Tim Schaller (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
D Christian Ehrhoff (released from PTO)
Buffalo Sabres
D Justin Falk (waivers -> Rochester Americans, AHL)
Calgary Flames
F Brandon Bollig (waivers -> Stockton Heat, AHL)
F Chris Higgins (released from PTO)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Alexandre Fortin (returned to Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL)
F Brandon Mashinter (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
F Mark McNeill (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
G Ivan Nalimov (returned to Vladivostok Admiral, KHL)
Colorado Avalanche
D Duncan Siemens (assigned to San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Gabriel Bourque (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Michael Sislo (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets
C Gregory Campbell (waivers -> Cleveland Monsters, AHL)
Dallas Stars
D Mattias Backman (waivers -> Texas Stars, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings
F Teemu Pulkkinen (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
F Ben Street (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers
F Anton Lander (waivers -> Bakersfield Condors, AHL)
Florida Panthers
F Paul Thompson (waivers -> Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings
D Rob Scuderi (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)
C Michael Latta (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)
Minnesota Wild
G Alex Stalock (waivers -> Iowa Wild, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Michael McCarron (assigned to St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)
G Mike Condon (waivers -> St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)
New York Islanders
F P.A. Parenteau (waivers -> Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL)
New Jersey Devils
G Scott Wedgewood (waivers -> Albany Devils, AHL)
Ottawa Senators
F Fredrik Claesson (waivers -> Binghamton Senators, AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning
RW Erik Condra (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
LW Cory Conacher (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
RW Joel Vermin (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
Washington Capitals
D Aaron Ness (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)
F Zach Sill (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets
F Andrew Copp (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Marko Dano (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Chase De Leo (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Nic Petan (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Julian Melchiori (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Brian Strait (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
G Ondrej Pavelec (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
Week In Review: 10/3/16 – 10/9/16
It’s officially the last week of the offseason with the first games of the new regular season slated for Wednesday. Obviously roster pare downs dominated the headlines this week but there were a few other transactions of note as well as a handful of injuries that might prompt teams to see what’s available on the open market. Without further ado, here is the roundup of this week’s top hockey stories.
Key Free Agent Signings:
- Kris Russell – Edmonton (one year, $3.1MM): It’s probably not the lucrative deal Russell was looking for at the outset of free agency but the veteran shot-blocker finally did secure a contract for 2016-17. Perhaps with a solid performance for the Oil, Russell will be in better position to pursue a multi-year pact next summer.
- Tobias Rieder – Arizona (two years, $4.45MM): It looks like the Coyotes got the player at the price they wanted. It had been reported that Rieder was looking for $5MM over two years while the club was offering $4.4MM. Clearly the 23-year-old forward gave more than he got, presumably because he wanted to get back on the ice.
- Jakub Nakladal – Carolina (one year, $600K): It will be interesting to see how the 28-year-old Nakladal fits with the Hurricanes current crop of talented blue liners. Not including Nakladal, Carolina has seven NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster, only one of whom is older than 24.
Added on Waivers:
- Martin Frk – Carolina: Carolina wasn’t the only team that put a claim in on Frk but the Hurricanes were awarded the young Czech RW. He potted 27 goals for Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids in 2015-16 and it was mildly surprising to see the Wings risk losing him by placing him on waivers but clearly they felt the roster spot was best committed elsewhere.
Trades:
- Edmonton trades RW Nail Yakupov to St. Louis in exchange for Zach Pochiro and a conditional draft choice (a third in 2017 can become a second in 2018 if Yakupov scores 15 or more goals).
- Montreal deals Tim Bozon to Florida for D Jonathan Racine in an exchange of minor leaguers.
Injury Report:
- Jonathan Huberdeau is expected to miss 3 – 4 months with what is being called a lower-body-injury. It will be interesting to see if Panthers management looks outside the organization in an attempt to fill the void as Huberdeau was the team’s top scorer on the LW. The team does have around $10MM in cap space if they did choose to go that route.
- Nick Bjugstad will be out for four weeks due to a broken hand. The Panthers third-line pivot tallied 34 points in 67 games last season.
- Michael Del Zotto is set to miss the next 4 – 5 weeks with the dreaded lower-body-injury.
- Again with the lower-body-injury, the Flyers will also be without C Scott Laughton for three to our weeks.
- Devils defenseman Jon Merrill is out four weeks with a broken index finger.
- Penalty-killing specialist Matt Hendricks will miss significant time, once more due to a lower-body-injury. Oilers head coach Todd McLellan indicated it would be “weeks” before Hendricks would be able to return.
Retirements:
- Defenseman Barret Jackman called it quits after a solid, 14-year NHL career. Jackman was originally chosen in the first-round by St. Louis back in 1999 and played all but one season with the Blues before finishing up in Nashville. He wraps up his career with 186 points more than 1,100 penalty minutes in 876 regular season contests.
- Dan Boyle announced his retirement following 17 seasons in the NHL. Boyle, one of the league’s top offensive blue liners throughout much of his career, recorded at least 39 points eight out of nine seasons from 2002-03 through 2011-12. He would score more than 600 regular season points in nearly 1,100 NHL games. Boyle was a member of the 2003-04 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Lightning and also spent time with Florida and San Jose before wrapping up his career playing two seasons with the New York Rangers.
Pacific Division Notes: Rodin, Gryba, Bennett, Coyotes Prospects
In need of additional scoring punch up front, the Vancouver Canucks were hopeful Swedish winger Anton Rodin would earn a big league job and contribute some secondary scoring to the lineup. He has impressed during camp but now it looks as if his NHL debut will be postponed as the 25-year-old winger is experiencing soreness and swelling in his surgically repaired knee. Rodin suffered a severed tendon last year while playing in the Swedish Elite League and as Iain MacIntyre of the Province writes, it’s believed that Rodin has simply aggravated the knee by playing too much hockey in a relatively short period of time this preseason.
GM Jim Benning indicated Rodin will be held out of the lineup for up to a week to allow for rest and rehab.
“The injury got aggravated and so he’s going to have to take a step back. We’re going to give him a few days or week off here to get the swelling down, and from there just rehab so he’s a 100 per cent for us. We’re going to need him at 100 per cent.”
MacIntyre notes that Rodin is averaging a point-per-game through five preseason contests and has demonstrated an ability to protect the puck and to play in traffic against bigger opponents during exhibition games. The 2009 second-round pick has some experience in North America, skating in 111 games with Chicago in the AHL, scoring 14 goals and 41 points. He returned to Sweden in time for the 2014-15 season and would go on to win the Swedish League’s MVP in 2015-16.
Fortunately for Vancouver, the injury doesn’t appear serious and it looks as if Rodin will only be out a short time. It could threaten his availability to play in the season opener and as such, his absence could come into play as the Canucks look to finalize their roster.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- After signing Kris Russell to a one-year contract, the Edmonton Oilers have given fellow blue liner Eric Gryba permission to speak with other clubs in an attempt to land a job, tweets Jason Gregor of the Edmonton Journal. This would seem to suggest Gryba, who is in camp with the Oilers on a PTO, will not make the Edmonton roster. If Gryba fails to find a spot in another organization, Gregor believes he could continue to skate with the team, though of course he would be doing so without a contract. Gryba spent the first three years of his NHL career with Ottawa before a 2015 trade sent the defenseman to Edmonton. He appeared in 53 games in 2015-16 with the Oilers and tallied one goal and six points.
- It’s looking more and more likely the Arizona Coyotes will break camp with a few rookies among their ranks, writes Sarah McLellan of AZ Central. Dylan Strome was expected to make the team and fill a scoring line pivot role and has done nothing in camp to change that line of thinking. Recently he’s been skating with Lawson Crouse and Anthony Duclair on the team’s second line. Speaking of Crouse, the Coyotes value his grit and toughness though it’s still likely he doesn’t start the season with Arizona. Laurent Dauphin could force his way into a 4th line role and has evidently earned the trust of his teammates with his hard work. McLellan also notes the team is still giving looks to forwards Christian Dvorak and Christian Fischer along with blue liners Jakob Chychrun and Anthony DeAngelo. Whatever happens it seems quite possible that several rookies will be suiting up for the Coyotes in 2016-17.
- Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett appears poised for a breakout campaign as a sophomore in the NHL, writes Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald. Bennett, who scored 18 goals and 36 points in 77 games as a rookie, is already well on his way to earning the trust of new head coach Glen Gulutzan due to his responsible two-way play this preseason. The 20-year-old pivot has also made an impression on veteran winger Troy Brouwer, with whom he has skated with this preseason: “He’s a good player. He sees the ice well and he reads the game well, which is a tough thing and a unique thing to have, especially at 20 years old. I think he’s the type of player, under this coach, who is going to have a lot of responsibility and it’s really going to elevate his game.” Gilbertson notes that with Johnny Gaudreau still unsigned and not playing, Calgary has struggled putting the puck in the net scoring just nine times in seven games. If Gaudreau is out for any extended period of the regular season, Bennett could help fill the scoring void created by his absence.
Yakupov Trade Reactions
For the second time in a few months Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli has traded away a former #1 overall draft pick, sending RW Nail Yakupov to St. Louis in exchange for a minor league prospect and a conditional draft choice. At least when the team moved Taylor Hall, they did it to fill a dire need by acquiring right-shooting defenseman Adam Larsson. With yesterday’s trade of Yakupov, the Oilers simply appear to have made the best deal possible in order to satisfy both the player’s and team’s desire to move on from one another.
While Yakupov has failed to live up to his superstar billing, the trade is still notable on a number of fronts and there has been no shortage of opinions of the deal. Here’s a roundup of some of those reactions.
- David Staples of the Edmonton Journal feels the two sides failed each other: Yakupov for his lackluster practice habits and for failing to work on his two-way game and the Oilers for too frequently playing the skilled winger with weak teammates. Ultimately Staples feels it was time to move on as it was made evident head coach Todd McLellan didn’t see Yakupov as “part of a winning equation.”
- Considering the relatively low price paid to acquire Yakupov – Zach Pochiro and a conditional pick – the deal is a classic low risk investment for the Blues, as Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Hochman compares the trade to that which sent another former #1 pick, Erik Johnson from St. Louis to Colorado. At the time of that trade, Johnson also had yet to live up to his lofty status as the top pick in his draft year, but since moving on to the Avalanche, he has developed into a pretty good defenseman. It should be noted that unlike the Oilers, the Blues received a sizable package in return that included Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart. Hochman also calculates that if Yakupov follows the same sort of career trajectory as Johnson, the Blues will be pleasantly surprised. He points out that even if the worst case scenario plays out – an output of 8 – 10 goals – then Yakupov will have sufficiently replaced the expected production of Vladimir Sobotka, who was expected to return to the NHL but now appears stuck in the KHL.
- Even though the Oilers received very little in return aside from cap savings, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Sun believes the trade is an instance of addition by subtraction. Matheson points out that the Oilers coaches simply did not trust Yakupov to play a responsible two-way game and that his offense simply wasn’t enough to offset his poor defensive play. The lack of consistent linemates also played a role in Yakupov’s struggles, according to Matheson, and although he found good chemistry with Connor McDavid for a brief time last season, McLellan was of the belief a former #1 overall pick should have been able to make the players around him better.
- The Oilers may have sold low on Yakupov and in return did not acquire any assets likely to help the team today, but The Score’s Sean O’Leary says the team still has a brighter future today after the trade. O’Leary also argues that Oilers fans will soon forget Yakupov, even if the talented winger does realize his vast potential in St. Louis. Lastly, O’Leary reasons that with McDavid now leading the way and after trading away the likes of Taylor Hall and Yakupov, the Oilers have changed their culture for the better.
Oilers Close To Signing Russell
Update (8:52am): The Oilers, via their team Twitter account, announced the agreement with Russell late last night.
On the heels of trading former #1 overall draft choice Nail Yakupov to St. Louis, the Edmonton Oilers are said to be on the verge of inking veteran, shot-blocking defenseman Kris Russell to a one-year deal, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Friedman hears the pact will be worth $3.1MM for 2016-17 and believes an official announcement likely will be made tomorrow.
How Russell will fit in with the Oilers remains to be seen. While the team certainly can use additional blue line help, Russell is a left-handed defenseman who is poised to join a roster that already boasts Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse and Brandon Davidson, all of whom are left-handed as well. On the right side, the Oilers list Adam Larsson and Mark Fayne on their depth chart. Obviously, at least one port-side shooter will have to cross the ice and play his off side.
The lucrative, multi-year deal Russell and his representation expected this summer never materialized despite his reputation as a mobile blue liner willing to block shots. Of course his shot-blocking acumen is also one of the reasons some teams may have steered clear of Russell, as that quality has also been accompanied by poor puck possession metrics.
However, if the Oilers are simply interested in Russell as a capable, third-pair defender and someone who can chip in on the power play, they could do far worse than the 29-year-old former Flame, Blue Jacket, Blue and Star. Over the last three seasons, Russell has tallied seven goals and 43 points on the man advantage. Overall, Russell has recorded campaigns of 29, 34 and 19 points during the period from 2013-14 through 2015-16. In a somewhat sheltered role with limited responsibilities, Russell can certainly be a valuable addition for the Oilers.
Depending on how the 2016-17 season transpires for Edmonton, the club could always look to flip the nine-year veteran defender and hope for a package similar to that which Calgary received at this year’s trade deadline. The Flames sent Russell to Dallas and acquired a second-round pick and two prospects in exchange.
That this signing, presuming it in fact does become official, only came after the trade of Yakupov suggests the Oilers needed to move salary before adding Russell. Prior to the trade, Edmonton had plenty of available cap space – roughly $9.5MM – but it’s likely the team has its own internal budget and signing Russell may have meant exceeding that figure.
Barring a mid-season contract extension, Russell will hit the free agent market again next year in the hopes he can secure the multi-year deal he failed to find this summer.
Yakupov Traded to St. Louis Blues
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos and John Shannon confirm that Nail Yakupov has been traded to the St. Louis Blues for prospect Zach Pochiro and a conditional 2017 3rd round pick. Both Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson and Blues beatwriter Jeremy Rutherford reported earlier this evening that the St. Louis Blues were the front-runners for Edmonton Oilers’ much-maligned prospect.
The former first overall pick has not lived up to expectations in Edmonton, scoring only 50G and 61A in 252 career games. Last season was his worst statistically as he scored only 8G and 15A in 60 games. Yakupov is a RFA next summer as he plays out the final year of his $2.5MM a year contract. The move gives Edmonton over $11MM in cap space. Conversely, the Blues will only have just under $1.5MM in cap space after this trade.
The conditional 3rd rounder will become a 2nd in 2018 if Yakupov scored at least 15 goals, reports John Shannon. Forward Zach Pochiro, the prospect acquired by Edmonton, spent most of last season in the ECHL. He scored 9G and 17A in 44 games for the Quad City Mallards.
Yakupov was linked to the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday, and TSN’s Bob MacKenzie reported that Yakupov requested a trade. The Blues were not publically tied to Yakupov trade talks this offseason.
Training Camp Cuts: 10.07.16
It’s the final week of training camp, and teams are close to naming their opening night rosters. In order to do that, there are still a handful of cuts to be made.
Here are the cuts made on Friday, October 7, 2016:
Anaheim Ducks (via team release):
C Kalle Kossila (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Brandon Montour (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Shea Theodore (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
Boston Bruins (via Chris Johnston):
C Zac Rinaldo (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via Bill Hoppe):
D Tyson Strachan (to Rochester, AHL)
C Cal O’Reilly (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via Chris Johnston):
C Linden Vey (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via Mike Morreale):
G Anton Forsberg (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Markus Hännikäinen (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Sonny Milano (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (via Frank Seravalli):
D Griffin Reinhart (assigned to Bakersfield, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via Chris Johnston):
LW Austin Watson (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Milwaukee, AHL)
New York Rangers (via Steve Zipay):
C Gabriel Fontaine (assigned to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
LW Nathan Gerbe (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
LW Tanner Glass (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
C Cristoval “Boo” Nieves (assigned to Hartford, AHL)
G Magnus Hellberg (assigned to Hartford, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team Twitter):
C Jake Guentzel (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
RW Carter Rowney (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release):
F Kenny Agostino (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ivan Barbashev (to Chicago, AHL)
F Samuel Blais (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jordan Schmaltz (to Chicago, AHL)
G Jordan Binnington (to Chicago, AHL)
D Mike Weber (released)
More to come…
Training Camp Battles: Jets, Blue Jackets, Caggiula, Chabot
Jets coach Paul Maurice isn’t ruling out carrying three goalies (Ondrej Pavelec, Michael Hutchinson, and Connor Hellebuyck) to start the season, writes Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun. Hellebuyck is viewed as Winnipeg’s goalie of the future but is the only waiver exempt goalie of the three. It’s uncommon but not rare for teams to carry three (the Islanders did for the bulk of last year) as not only does it mean that one is in the press box every night, it also prevents the team from carrying another extra skater which is often more desirable.
Pavelec is entering the final year of his contract which carries a cap hit of $3.9MM. However, he struggled last year with a save percentage of just .904 with a GAA of 2.78 which would make it very difficult to trade him.
Hutchinson, meanwhile, signed a two year deal this offseason with a more manageable cap charge of $1.15MM. While his numbers weren’t much better than Pavelec’s last year (a slightly worse GAA while being three points higher in save percentage), he likely slots in as the backup moving forward and doesn’t appear to be a candidate to be traded.
If they do keep all three up to start, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Winnipeg shuffle Hellebuyck back and forth between their AHL affiliate, who plays out of the same area as the Jets.
Other training camp battles to follow:
- Still with goaltenders, there is a battle brewing for the number two job with Columbus, notes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Sergei Bobrovsky is the surefire starter but incumbent Curtis McElhinney plus youngsters Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo are both in the mix as well. Of the three, only the 33 year old McElhinney would have to clear waivers. Forsberg has had the best preseason but if the team decides that it’s best for their young players to play more in the AHL than dress as the backup with the big club, they may opt to keep the veteran around to start the season and see if one of the youngsters forces his way into the role midseason or as a spot starter.
- Edmonton rookie center Drake Caggiula has turned heads at camp, writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. The Oilers signed the small but highly coveted college UFA late last season and he has made a run at a roster spot. Tychkowski opines that his strong play could allow the team to bump Leon Draisaitl up to the wing to further strengthen their second line.
- 19 year old defenseman Thomas Chabot has made the opening Ottawa roster, according to a tweet from his junior team in Saint John. Chabot was Ottawa’s top pick in 2015 (18th overall) and had 45 points in 47 games at the QMJHL level last season. He’s eligible to play in nine NHL games before burning the first year of his entry-level contract.
Blackhawks Interested In Nail Yakupov
TSN’s Bob McKenzie notes (Twitter links) that Chicago has shown some interest in trading for Edmonton Oilers right winger Yakupov but that no deal is imminent. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal recently wondered if Yakupov would find himself in the press box to start the season after a not-so-strong training camp.
Yakupov was the first overall pick of the Oilers back in 2012 but has failed to live up to the hype. His best season came in his rookie year – the lockout-shortened campaign, where he had 31 points in 48 games. Since then, he hasn’t to come close to the half a point per game mark. Last season, he had just eight goals and 15 assists in 60 games while playing a career low 14:13 per game.
The 23 year old is entering the second and final year of a two year bridge deal that carries a cap hit of $2.5MM. That makes it intriguing that the Blackhawks are showing interest as they have been perpetually cap-strapped as of late and this year will likely be no exception once they fill out the rest of their roster. (Cap Friendly has them with roughly $4.4MM in space but only 19 players on the roster.) However, Chicago is lacking in experienced forward depth and would likely be able to use Yakupov inside their top nine and there’s no denying that Yakupov has some offensive upside in him.
[Related: Blackhawks Depth Chart]
Sportsnet’s Mark Spector adds that Chicago would likely be sending AHL player(s) to the Oilers in return and would also require Edmonton to retain some of his cap charge if they can reach an agreement on a deal. Spector also notes that the belief is that GM Peter Chiarelli would like to get something done before start of the regular season next week.
Oilers Name McDavid Team Captain
As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have announced that Connor McDavid will be the team’s captain for the 2016-17 season and likely well beyond. At just 19-years-old, McDavid becomes the youngest team captain in NHL history, as the team tweeted, edging out Vincent Lecavalier for the honor by about six weeks.
The top overall selection in the 2015 draft, McDavid has the potential to be a generational talent. McDavid was one of only five players last season to average better than a point-per-game, tallying 48 in 45 contests as a rookie. It’s likely had he not missed nearly half the season due to injury that he would have been an easy choice for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
Despite his youth, McDavid appears perfectly suited for the role of captain. He served in the same capacity for both his junior club, the Erie Otters, and for Team North America at the World Cup.
In addition to giving McDavid the “C,” the Oilers also appointed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic as alternates.
While it’s a near-certainty McDavid will soon be one of, if not the best hockey player on the planet, it remains to be seen whether he can finally lead the long-suffering Oilers back to the postseason in 2016-17. The Oilers have long boasted tremendous talent and skill but have failed to reach the playoffs in a decade. After several high-profile offseason acquisitions and with their best player now leading the way, Edmonton looks poised to make a jump in the standings.