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Andrew Ference Not Expected To Play This Season

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Oilers defenseman Andrew Ference, who played in just six games last season due to hip problems, doesn’t anticipate he’ll be able to play again, writes Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal.  Ference underwent surgery back in March and while he has been able to ride a bicycle and swim since, he hasn’t yet skated or run since then.  While he’s not retiring (he’s still under contract for one more year with a cap hit of $3.25MM and is expected to be placed on LTIR when the season begins), he acknowledges his playing days are over:

“What is the terminology? I have a career-ending injury. That’s the way I’m looking at it.”

Ference believes that the cause of his hip ailment dates back to his time in Boston in a playoff series six years ago:

“There was a playoff series and I snapped my adductor muscle in my groin and wound up having sports hernia surgery.  There was a tear in my abdominal wall … I’m pin-pointing it because from that year on, the hip would always flare up.”

Ference has been with the Oilers for the last three seasons but is best known for his time in Boston where he spent seven seasons with the team and won a Stanley Cup back in 2010-11.  For his career, the 16 year veteran has suited up in 907 games, collecting 43 goals and 182 assists along with 753 penalty minutes.

Ference was Edmonton’s captain in his first two years with the team before becoming an alternate last season.  It’s widely anticipated that 2015 top pick Connor McDavid will get that title this season and the 37 year old believes he’s ready for the job despite the fact that McDavid is still a teenager:

“No doubt about it.  He’s so mature and who he is is who he is. He’s not faking it. I don’t care how old a guy is, if you have those qualities, you’re ready, 100 per cent.  “It’ll be a real fresh start with the culture of that room, too. That’ll help him immensely. It’s his culture.”

Ference also told Matheson that he doesn’t intend to get involved in the business/management side of the games when he formally retires following the season but would still like to be involved in Edmonton’s charitable ventures.

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Puljujarvi, Kempe, Goldobin, Tkachuk

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It’s rare for players to debut in the NHL and make a significant impact for their teams in the same year they are drafted. In 2015-16, just three players selected in the prior June’s draft – Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin – appeared in more than 18 NHL contests as rookies. However, we could see as many as five 2016 draftees all earn regular shifts with their clubs during the 2016-17 season, two of whom appear in this post.

Jesse Puljujarvi (Edmonton) – Expected to go in the top-three of the draft, Puljujarvi surprisingly dropped to #4 after Columbus elected to take C Pierre-Luc Dubois at #3 instead of the Finnish winger. Edmonton happily grabbed Puljujarvi with their choice and this stroke of good fortune may have played a role in the June 29th trade of Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson. Having Puljujarvi in the fold provided Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli the knowledge he had enough depth on the wings to cash in a player of Hall’s caliber to address their weakness on the blue line.

Puljujarvi combines NHL size at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds with excellent skating ability. He starred for the Finns helping his home country win the gold medal in the World Junior Championships. He also captured the tourney’s MVP award and finished tops among all participants in both assists (12) and points (17).

The Oilers already have one of the top young superstars in the game in MacDavid and saw 2014 first-round pick Leon Draisaitl bust out with a 51-point campaign in 2016-17. Joining that dangerous duo up front is former top overall selection Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton boasts plenty of talented high-end forwards which virtually assures Puljujarvi will have a chance to skate with some good players. Don’t be surprised if he ends up as a Calder Trophy finalist and the leading scorer among all 2016 draftees.

Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles) – After losing forwards Milan Lucic and Kris Versteeg to free agency and with Dustin Brown’s offense regressing to a level where he has no business in the top-nine, the Kings could turn to Kempe to provide additional scoring. Kempe, the team’s first-round choice in 2014, already has 55 games of pro experience in North America after suiting up this past season for the Kings AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. The Swedish winger tallied 11 goals and recorded 28 points during the regular season and another four goals and five points in 13 postseason contests.

Since Kempe doesn’t turn 20 until later this month and given he didn’t exactly dominate at the AHL level, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if the Kings sent him back to Ontario to start the 2016-17 campaign and get some more seasoning. But with Kyle Clifford (nine points in 56 games) and Brown (28 points in 82 games) currently expected to hold top-nine spots, according to Roster Resource, Los Angeles might decide they need to inject more offense into the lineup and Kempe could be the source of that offense.

Nikolay Goldobin (San Jose) – The Sharks addressed any need they may have had for a scoring line LW by signing Mikkel Boedker as a free agent this summer. With Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau also listed as LW’s on the team’s depth chart, it’s likely the highly skilled Goldobin begins the season with the San Jose Barracudas of the AHL to gain more experience. But in the event of injury, Goldobin could be among the team’s first choices for a promotion to the big club.

Goldobin is said to have an excellent shot and release and is a creative offensive player. He can use some work on his defensive game, as do many young players, which is another reason he might find himself in the AHL to start the 2016-17 campaign. But with Marleau entering the final year of his contract, Goldobin is in line to land a job with the Sharks soon enough; perhaps as early as this year.

Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary) – The Flames already possess several skilled young players, but as mentioned in an earlier installment of this series, if they do have an opening it would be for a scoring line LW with size. Hunter Shinkaruk might get the first crack to fill that role though he doesn’t possess the size the Flames would seem to need. If Shinkaruk isn’t ready for regular NHL action, Tkachuk could be an option for Calgary up front.

Tkachuk, the son of former NHL power forward Keith Tkachuk, was drafted by the Flames with the sixth overall selection of the 2016 draft following an impressive 107-point season with the London Knights of the OHL. While his dad was noted for playing a physical game (2,219 PIM in 1,201 NHL games), as well as being a terrific goal scorer, Matthew is more of a complete, two-way player who is also a good skater with high-end offensive instincts. He helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2016 WJC U20 tournament, tallying 11 points in seven contests.

Tkachuk might be better off returning to junior to gain more experience. He will certainly have to prove to the Flames that he is truly ready to play at the NHL level but he has the talent and the skill to provide some offense if he earns a role in Calgary.

 

 

Three PTOs With Best Chances Of Signing

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Like the tide, every preseason brings in a wash of unsigned free agents, players making NHL comebacks, and veterans fighting for one last contract. And like the tide, when training camp ends few PTOs remain on the proverbial beach. This year at least 25 players have agreed to attend NHL training camps on a professional tryout basis, but only a few will secure an NHL contract. Last year over 90 players tried out for NHL teams and only 14 players ended up signing contracts.

Last season the Boston Bruins invited Lee Stempniak to training camp and he played well enough to garner a $850K contract. He drastically exceeded expectations, and now boasts a two-year, $5MM contract with the Hurricanes. Who are this year’s potential Stempniaks? We look at three players who are front-runners for contracts this season.

Kris Versteeg

Kris Versteeg is an interesting case. Earlier this summer the flashy Canadian winger eschewed NHL offers for more money in Switzerland. Yet, days before training camp started overseas, Versteeg and SC Bern parted ways over lingering hip issues which prevented Versteeg from passing physicals and obtaining medical insurance. Within days, however, Versteeg secured a PTO with the Edmonton Oilers in his home province of Alberta.

Versteeg has the most potential out of all the PTOs this year, scoring 15G and 23A in 77 games last season with both the Carolina Hurricanes and the Los Angeles Kings. He flourished with the Chicago Blackhawks in their 2010 Stanley Cup run, but hip issues have sidelined Versteeg throughout the remainder of his career. And therein lines the biggest variable: is Versteeg healthy enough to help an NHL team? It’s his health rather than his skill that leaves NHL teams wanting, and any contract is going to hinge on Versteeg passing physicals.

Brandon Prust

Superficially, Brandon Prust looks like a gritty veteran on the decline—someone who lost a step in the last few years. His numbers seem to indicate the same as he scored only 1G and 6A in 35 games with the Vancouver Canucks. But what Prust lacks in production he makes up for in hard-nosed play. That is what garnered his previous four-year, $10MM contract with Montreal, and while that may have been an overpayment for what Prust brings, Toronto thinks he still has those talents.

A contract for Prust will hinge on his work ethic and gritty play. GM Lou Lamoriello is an old-school manager, and most old-school managers like to have veterans to mentor younger players in their development. Toronto is chock full of younger players, with 1st overall pick Auston Matthews set to make his debut alongside Mitch Marner and William Nylander. Toronto already signed Matt Martin, and if the team feels that they need a similar player, Prust will get his contract.

Tom McCollum

Tom McCollum is an odd choice here because perennial AHL goalies do not usually receive NHL contracts. McCollum, however, isn’t just any AHL goalie, and the Los Angeles Kings aren’t any NHL team. McCollum, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, flourished in the AHL, posting a 2.42GAA and a .923SV%. He has been the model of consistency for the Grand Rapids Griffins over the past few years. His lack of NHL opportunity comes as no fault of his own, but rather the logjam of goalies in Detroit with Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard.

The L.A. Kings, on the other hand, suffer from a dearth of goaltending. Known for years as a goalie hotbed, little remains behind starter Jonathan Quick this season. The Kings signed Jeff Zatkoff this summer, but Zatkoff did not perform well in Pittsburgh when given the chance. Outside of Zatkoff, the Kings’ cupboard is bare. Jack Campbell and Peter Budaj remain, but neither have shown promise. If McCollum performs well this pre-season, expect the Kings to sign him to an AHL contract as an insurance policy for Jeff Zatkoff.

Can’t Miss Games Of The 2016-17 Season: January and February

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The start of the NHL regular season may be a month away with the World Cup of Hockey and preseason still to come, but it’s never too early to get excited for the best slate of games the NHL has to offer this season. Here are the can’t miss-games for the start of the new year:

January 1st – Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

An Original Six battle AND it’s outdoors. That’s what the NHL is bringing fans with the Centennial Classic, kicking off the 100th season of the league. The Atlantic Division foes will take the ice at BMO Field on New Year’s Day, as Mike Babcock takes on his former team, who will be marching towards their 26th straight playoff appearance.

January 2nd – Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

The Winter Classic gets bumped to the next day, as the St. Louis Blues will host an outdoor game against the rival Chicago Blackhawks. While tight playoff races will still be months away, the first battle between Central Division contenders in the new year could have a lasting affect on their postseason chances. This is one you don’t want to miss.

January 12th – New Jersey Devils vs. Edmonton Oilers

In one of this summer’s biggest moves, the Oilers traded franchise cornerstone Taylor Hall to the Devils in exchange for defenseman Adam Larsson. What will happen when the former face of the franchise returns to Edmonton? If the teams’ performances to this point haven’t pointed to a winner in the deal, then this game should give everyone a good idea.

February 25th – Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Yet another outdoor contest, the Penguins and Flyers, perhaps the best rivalry in hockey right now, square off at Heinz Field in an epic showdown. With more than just a win on the line, prepare for a big-time battle between two talented teams. An added bonus: the trade deadline will be just days away, adding more pressure to the result of the game if one (or both) of these teams find themselves on the buyer-seller line this season.

Can’t-Miss Games Of The 2016-17 NHL Season: October

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The start of the NHL regular season may be a month away with the World Cup of Hockey and preseason still to come, but it’s never too early to get excited for the best slate of games the NHL has to offer this season. Here are the can’t miss-games of October:

Oct. 12th – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators

The puck drops on a new NHL season at 7pm ET in the Canadian capital, as the Sens host the Leafs in a rivalry match-up. With #1 overall pick Auston Matthews and newly acquired keeper Frederik Andersen expected to be among many new faces in the Toronto lineup, the Leafs will have a clean slate as they start the year off against old friend Dion Phaneuf and an Ottawa team looking to get back to the playoffs.

Oct. 12th – Calgary Flames  vs. Edmonton Oilers

Later that night, the Oilers will open the brand new Rogers Place for it’s first NHL regular-season game, as they welcome their Alberta rivals. Edmonton will definitely be curious to see if the newly-acquired Adam Larsson can help to slow down the Flames’ dynamic duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Leaving behind Rexall Place and the many memories (though few good ones in recent years) they had there, the Oilers will look to start the season off on the right foot in a new building, while Calgary hopes to play spoiler.

October 13th – Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

The home opener for the 2015-16 Stanley Cup champs comes against none other than the 2015-16 President’s Trophy winners, as fans are treated to a battle of talent and intensity between two fierce rivals on just Day 2 of the NHL season. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin will each look to start off strong and lead their teams to victory, as the Penguins begin a title defense and the Capitals begin another long march toward that elusive Stanley Cup championship.

October 20th – San Jose Sharks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins have another big game a week later, this time against their Stanley Cup competitors, the Sharks. The 2016 Stanley Cup final was one of the best in recent memory, with immense speed and talent on both sides and young goalies Martin Jones and Matt Murray standing on their heads. Though nothing can make up for falling short when it mattered most, you can bet that captain Joe Pavelski and the Sharks will be fired up for some revenge in this game.

October 23rd – Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets

The Jets will get their first taste of outdoor hockey, as they square off against the Oilers in the Heritage Classic. Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, will host the game as these two Canadian teams look to battle it out, and at least put on a better show than the much talked-about Alumni Game.

 

 

 

Kris Versteeg Joining Oilers On PTO

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After returning from Switzerland due to apparent insurance issues, the Edmonton Oilers announced that they have inked veteran winger Kris Versteeg to a professional try-out deal.  TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report that Versteeg was heading to Edmonton.

Versteeg scored 15 goals and 38 points in 77 games split between Carolina and Los Angeles. He plays a gritty game, despite being on the small side for the current NHL at 5’11, 176 lbs.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion (both with Chicago) slots in behind only Jordan Eberle on the Oilers’ right wing depth chart, and would give fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujärvi a challenge to make the team out of camp. The Oilers are often criticized for rushing young players to fill gaping holes in their roster, like Justin Schultz and Leon Draisaitl. While Draisaitl turned it around with 51 points in his sophomore year, Schultz is now a bottom-pairing or depth defenseman after entering the league with much higher expectations. Starting Puljujärvi in the AHL would help him get acquainted with the North American game.

Related: Edmonton Oilers’ depth chart at Roster Resource

Looking at the players Versteeg will be competing with on the starboard side: Eberle and Puljujärvi are likely the top two guys on the depth chart for the better part of the next decade. Both have three years left on their contracts. Other than them, Nail Yakupov, Zack Kassian, and Iiro Pakarinen each are entering contract years, but none scored more than Yakupov’s 8 goals and 23 points in 2015-16. Versteeg also is comfortable on the left side, which would give the Oilers some flexibility to move lines around throughout the year.

The Oilers will also have Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl away at the World Cup for the beginning of training camp, so Versteeg will help fill out the pre-season roster veteran quota.

Snapshots: Gaudreau, Benson, McGrattan

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Time is running short for the Flames to ink star forward Johnny Gaudreau prior to the start of the 2016-17 campaign and it appears as if the two sides are still quite far apart in talks, according to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. Francis reports that Gaudreau’s camp is seeking $8MM annually while the Flames are countering with a figure somewhere in between what Sean Monahan’s recent extension pays out ($6.375MM) and what captain Mark Giordano earns on an annual basis ($6.75MM).

An unnamed source Francis spoke with stated: “He wants unrestricted money but he’s restricted.” The source would go on to point out that other players with track records similar in both length and production have signed for less, including Filip Forsberg ($6MM) and Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3MM). He also questions whether Gaudreau, while a terrific young talent, is better than than the two players he mentioned.

For his part, Gaudreau is leaving the heavy lifting to his agent, Lewis Gross, at least until after the World Cup has concluded at which point he has said he would become more involved.

Gauedreau is certainly a talented young player and one the Flames want to build around but the reality is he only has two seasons of NHL experience and almost no leverage to exercise in these negotiations. He could choose to sit out until he gets a deal to his liking or sign in the KHL but it’s unlikely he’d receive a comparable salary overseas to what the Flames are offering him today. The smart money is the deal gets wrapped up soon after he returns from the World Cup and that the AAV is closer to what Monahan received than what Gaudreau is said to be asking for at the moment.

  • According to the Elite Prospects website (via tweet) tough guy forward Brian McGrattan has left North America and accepted a deal to play for the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL in England. The nine-year veteran who turned 35 just last week, did not see any action at the NHL level and instead suited up for 58 games for the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate in San Diego. McGrattan tallied nine goals and 17 points along with his usually high number of penalty minutes (144) for the Gulls. Anaheim loaded up yesterday on organizational depth, agreeing to deals with seven players to minor league deals. That McGrattan was not among them suggested a move elsewhere might be in the offing. McGrattan leaves North America (for now at least) having scored just 27 career points in 317 games and 609 minutes in penalties.
  • Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal wonders if 2016 second-round pick, Tyler Benson, can beat the odds and become an important contributor for the Oilers. McCurdy lists the 10 players the club has selected in the second round since 2007 and only two, Justin Schultz (266) and Anton Lander (193) has appeared in more than 27 NHL games to date. Second-round picks are still considered valuable choices and teams generally expect to land one quality NHL talent for every three players chosen in the round. It’s hard to say the Oilers have even developed one quality NHL player from their group as Schultz wasn’t even drafted by the Oilers and was dealt away to Pittsburgh at the 2016 trade deadline after failing to live up to expectations in Edmonton. Lander has yet to land a full-time role and it’s been suggested current management is not particularly high on the Swedish pivot.
  • Former Devils forward Stephen Gionta might be under consideration from the Islanders for a PTO, according to Arthur Staple of Newday (via tweet). Gionta doesn’t bring much offense to the table – just one goal last season and a career-best of five in 2014-15 – but would add energy to the team’s fourth line. He can also contribute on the penalty kill. The Islanders have boasted one of the game’s best fourth lines but they will undoubtedly have someone new skating with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck after Matt Martin departed New York as a free agent. Gionta could provide another option for head coach Jack Capuano.

Connor McDavid Named Team North America Captain

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McDavid19 year-old Edmonton Oiler forward Connor McDavid was named Captain of Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey. Philadelphia Flyers’ Sean Couturier and Florida Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad were named Alternates.

McDavid leapfrogs older players on the roster such as Ryan Murray, Morgan Rielly, and Mark Scheifele, which speaks volumes about the faith GM Peter Chiarelli has with the young phenom. It is worth nothing that McDavid plays for Chiarelli’s Oilers in the NHL, and the Oilers are currently captain-less. If McDavid handles the captaincy well, there should be no doubt that he’ll be handed the ’C’ when he returns to Edmonton.

Team North America features the best American and Canadian players under 24 on the same team in the World Cup of Hockey. Alongside McDavid is 2016 1st overall pick Auston Matthews, as well as still-unsigned RFAs Jacob Trouba and Johnny Gaudreau.

Jets Notes: Setoguchi, Trouba, Heritage Classic

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In a heartbreaking (but wonderful) piece by David Pollak of The Hockey News yesterday, Devin Setoguchi comes clean about his history with alcoholism and how it almost destroyed his career. The former 8th overall pick was a thirty goal scorer in the NHL once upon a time, but yesterday signed a professional tryout with the Los Angeles Kings after spending last season in Switzerland.

It’s been six years since he last scored 20 goals in an NHL season, but is still only 29 years old and feels he has enough left to help a team on the ice – even if it’s at the AHL level or in Europe.

Today, on the Hustler and Lawless show on TSN 1290, Setoguchi related a story about how Evander Kane came to his house once while they were teammates on the Winnipeg Jets, and poured out all his alcohol in an attempt to help him break his addiction. Ironically, some may say, because of Kane’s own troubled history, it may have been a turning point in his battle and he now is working towards helping younger players understand the risks involved.

  • Also on TSN 1290, former NHL executive Bill Watters opined that the Jacob Trouba camp “wants out of Winnipeg”. While Watters isn’t close enough to either side to have any particular insight past what his hockey sense tells him, it does continue the narrative that has been going on. Both Matt Larkin of The Hockey News and Darren Dreger of TSN spoke recently on the station about a possible Trouba deal, with Larkin going so far as saying “I’m seeing a trade in Trouba’s future, because the two camps seem to be so far apart in terms of how they value what Trouba has done in the NHL so far.”  Indeed, Trouba is currently playing at the World Cup without a deal, and both sides seem just as far apart as ever on the future of the young defenseman.
  • The final rosters for the legends game at the Heritage Classic were announced today, after having their first group presented last month.  Among the final few additions were Curtis Joseph for the Edmonton Oilers, and Eddie Olczyk for the Winnipeg Jets.  The game will take place on October 22nd, with Dale Hawerchuk leading the hometown Jets against a star-studded Oilers squad captained by Wayne Gretzky.

Oilers Notes: McDavid, Klefbom, Expansion

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Will Connor McDavid be named captain twice in the next month? That’s entirely possible, with both Team North America and the Edmonton Oilers needing a captain.

With his GM and coach from Edmonton being among those in charge of the team, and the support of his teammates, it’d be a surprise if anyone else was named captain.

So far, McDavid has been lining up alongside Jonathan Drouin and Mark Scheifele on the North American first line in practice, as well as headlining the first unit powerplay.

Meanwhile, Oilers veteran forward Matt Hendricks was on Edmonton radio on Tuesday. According to Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot, Hendricks told Oilers insider Bob Staufffer that McDavid would make an excellent captain, as “it’s going to be Connor’s team and we want him to be the leader, because … he’s the best player definitely here in Edmonton, if not the best player in the game right now.”

  • Hendricks also talked about skating with Oilers new top pairing, Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson, saying they both looked good. Klefbom missed 52 games last season with a broken hand and multiple Staph Infections, and was being fitted with a custom skate this summer, but according to Hendricks “Klef is feeling good and has that big smile on his face, so that was nice to see for sure.”
  • Over at OilersNation, TSN host Jason Gregor went through all 30 teams to examine who could be exposed in next summer’s expansion draft. He doesn’t believe the Oilers have many tough decisions, with McDavid and Nurse not needing protection. Gregor has the Oilers protecting Milan Lucic, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, Andrej Sekera, Klefbom, Larsson, Brandon Davidson and Cam Talbot. That would leave Benoit Pouliot, Patrick Maroon, Nail Yakupov, and Griffin Reinhart exposed. Unless Maroon plays like he did at the end of last season with McDavid, or Yakupov finally breaks out, then the Oilers won’t be too fussed about the expansion draft. Pouliot is a solid NHLer, and scores at a much higher rate than you would expect (equal with Jonathan Toews and higher than Johnny Gaudreau), but Gregor believes it’s likely Vegas will look to add defense over forwards. A young, former 4th overall pick like Reinhart could be a serious consideration for Vegas. Reinhart was added at great cost at the 2015 draft, but hasn’t managed to crack the Oilers full time yet.

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