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Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference Finals?

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The Western Conference finals are set, as the defending conference champion Edmonton Oilers will take on the Dallas Stars, led by the phenomenal play of Mikko Rantanen. It’s a rematch from last season’s conference final, where the Oilers came out on top in six games.

The Oilers have been on a heater since starting round one with a 2-0 series deficit against the Los Angeles Kings. Since then, the Oilers have lost just one game, winning four in a row against the Kings before taking down the Golden Knights in five games. Unsurprisingly, the team is being led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have combined for 33 points in 11 games. The Oilers lead all teams with 43 playoff goals, averaging nearly 4 goals per game.

The Oilers have also benefited from standout play by defenseman Evan Bouchard, who leads the team with 26:24 of ice time per game in the playoffs, while contributing 12 points and a team-high 13 takeaways. This continues Bouchard’s tremendous playoff run from last season, when he recorded 32 points and a plus-14 rating, helping the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

An intriguing storyline for the Oilers heading into the Western Conference Final is the performance of their goaltenders. Despite the team cruising through two rounds, Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner have combined for just an .886 save percentage, which doesn’t inspire much confidence during a playoff run. At some point, it stands to reason that the Oilers may struggle to sustain their momentum with that level of goaltending. That said, Pickard has been perfect since stepping in as the starter, posting a 6-0 record and providing timely saves when needed.

The Stars are being carried by Rantanen, whose league-leading 19 playoff points have been nothing short of spectacular. However, offensive support from the rest of the roster has been inconsistent. Wyatt Johnston, who tallied 71 points during the regular season, has managed just eight in the playoffs and carries a troubling minus-13 rating. Veterans Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have struggled to make an impact, while 20-goal scorers Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund have failed to replicate their regular-season production. Despite Rantanen’s heroics, Dallas enters the Western Conference Final with a minus-four goal differential.

That also includes the exceptional goaltending of Jake Oettinger, who has posted a .919 save percentage through 13 playoff games. The 26-year-old has been a consistently reliable performer in the postseason, carrying a .913 save percentage over 60 career appearances. His steady presence in the net will be critical as Dallas prepares to face Edmonton’s high-powered offense.

So, what will win out: the Oilers’ explosive offense, or the Stars’ stout goaltending and the heroics of Rantanen? It’s a clash of strengths that could define the rematch. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thinking!

Oilers Expect Mattias Ekholm, Calvin Pickard Back In Round Three

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  • TSN’s Ryan Rishaug shared a note from head coach Kris Knoblauch that the Edmonton Oilers aren’t expecting defenseman Mattias Ekholm or netminder Calvin Pickard back at the start of the Western Conference Final. Still, Knoblauch left open the possibility that both could return in the playoffs’ penultimate series, which would give the Oilers a major boost to their Stanley Cup aspirations, especially Ekholm.

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Sam Gagner Confirms Retirement, Joins Senators’ Front Office

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Longtime NHL forward Sam Gagner has confirmed his retirement and will join the Senators as their director of player development, the team announced.

“Sam had an incredible career as a player and we look forward to launching his next chapter,” Ottawa general manager Steve Staios said. “A true character individual, Sam has contributed to the success of his organizations, both on and off the ice.”

Gagner, 35, last played in the league during the 2023-24 season when he appeared in 28 games for the Oilers, his third go-around with the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2007. He cracked the 1,000 game plateau a few years ago. He finished his career with 1,034 regular-season appearances but played just 11 postseason contests over 17 years in the NHL, only reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Flyers in 2016 and the Blue Jackets in 2017.

After tantalizing with 118 points in just 53 junior games with the OHL’s London Knights in his draft year, the 5’11” center never arrived as an elite scoring presence in the pros. He was still a consistent yet sometimes injury-prone 40-point scorer, especially early in his career with Edmonton. He averaged 17 goals and 50 points per 82 games over the first seven years of his career with the Oilers and averaged north of 17 minutes per game.

One season into a three-year, $14.4MM contract he signed with the Oilers as an RFA, Gagner was flipped to the Coyotes via the Lightning in the summer of 2014 after underwhelming with 37 points and a -29 rating in 67 games the year prior. So began the journeyman stage of Gagner’s career as his offensive production fluctuated wildly from year to year, even resulting in some time in the minors. Between 2014 and 2020, Gagner would suit up for the Flyers, Blue Jackets, Canucks, the Oilers for a second time, and the Red Wings in addition to his year in Arizona. During that run, he scored a career-high 50 points in 81 games with Columbus in the 2016-17 campaign.

Gagner got a modicum of stability to end his career, spending two full seasons with Detroit after they acquired him from Edmonton at the 2020 trade deadline. He spent the 2022-23 season with the Jets before signing his final NHL deal with the Oilers nearly two years ago. The versatile right-shot pivot finishes his career with 197 goals, 332 assists, 529 points, and a -139 rating, averaging 15:37 per game and a 45.6 FO%. He earned approximately $38.1MM in salary throughout his career, per PuckPedia.

While Gagner didn’t play in the NHL last season, he was still active on an AHL deal with the Senators’ affiliate in Belleville, giving some context for his joining the front office of a team he never suited up for in the majors. He recorded 10 assists in 19 games for the B-Sens, appearing in his last game on March 5.

Ottawa also announced they’ve hired Matt Turek to serve as Belleville’s GM while taking a player personnel role with the parent club. He arrives in Ottawa after spending the last decade with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL as a scout and, later, their GM. Senators majority owner Michael Andlauer also owns that club, and Turek also worked under Staios as a scout when the latter was Hamilton’s GM before succeeding him upon his departure.

Turek will take on most of the responsibilities vacated by former assistant GM Ryan Bowness, who the Senators told clubs earlier this month won’t be back with the team next season.

Image courtesy of Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.

Mattias Ekholm Could Return For Oilers In Conference Finals

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Edmonton Oilers defender Mattias Ekholm remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday that the veteran could be available for the conference finals if the Oilers advance, reports NHL.com staff writer Derek Van Diest.

Ekholm has played just once since late March, returning for a single game on April 11 after a seven-game absence, only to aggravate his injury again. The 34-year-old has missed all 10 of the team’s playoff games, but Knoblauch mentioned he’s back skating and could return soon.

As Knoblauch stated: “Mattias has been on the ice for light skates,” Knoblauch said. “He will not be joining us this series. We’re hopeful that he can join us next series if we can get to that.”

The Oilers have performed impressively despite missing one of their top defenders and are now just one win away from another trip to the conference finals. But getting Ekholm back in the lineup would undoubtedly bolster the team’s Stanley Cup hopes. Ekholm posted nine goals and 33 points in 65 regular-season games and is just one season removed from posting a career-high 11 goals. However, Elholm’s playoff experience is where his value is felt most. He has appeared in 112 playoff games over his 14-year career and was a key contributor during the Oilers’ deep playoff run last season, recording five goals, 10 points, and a plus-nine rating in 25 games.

In his absence, the Oilers have used a variety of combinations on the back end, which includes the likes of Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher. Emberson has appeared in nine playoff games but has averaged just 9:29 of ice time per game. Stecher replaced Emberson in the Game 4 lineup, logging 16:46 of ice time in the shutout win.

Ekholm Resumes Skating But Still Not Close To Returning

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Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm has resumed skating as he works his way back from an undisclosed injury, relays YEG Sports Talk’s Tom Gazzola (Twitter link).  However, it’s still believed that he’s still weeks away from returning.  Already ruled out for this round, it appears that the 34-year-old might be in tough to suit up in the Western Conference Final if Edmonton were to make it there.  Ekholm is a critical cog on their back end, playing a key shutdown role while also being a solid secondary contributor after notching 33 points in 65 games this season.  However, it looks like he’s still not particularly close to returning.

Oilers Recall Collin Delia

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With Calvin Pickard remaining unavailable for the Oilers due to an undisclosed injury, they’ve opted to bring up some extra depth.  Per the AHL’s transactions log, they’ve recalled netminder Collin Delia from AHL Bakersfield.

The 30-year-old spent the season with the Condors after signing a one-year, two-way deal last summer, not getting any recalls to Edmonton.  Delia played in 25 games with Bakersfield, putting up a 2.81 GAA and a .905 SV%, a significant improvement on the 3.55 and .872 marks he had with AHL Manitoba last season.

Delia also has 52 career NHL appearances under his belt over parts of five seasons.  The first four of those came with Chicago but his most significant opportunity at the top level came back in 2022-23 with Vancouver when he got into 20 games, posting a 3.28 GAA and a .882 SV%.

Delia is now the fourth goalie up with the Oilers, joining Pickard, Stuart Skinner, and Olivier Rodrigue, who was Delia’s netminding partner with Bakersfield this season.  Delia will likely serve as the emergency third goalie in case of injury until Pickard is cleared to return.

Calvin Pickard Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury

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Sunday: Pickard has been ruled out for Monday, relays Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link).  Skinner will get the nod between the pipes for the second straight game.

Saturday: The Oilers will be making a lineup change heading into tonight’s third game versus Vegas.  However, it’s not one they’d prefer to make as goaltender Calvin Pickard did not take part in the morning skate today.  Following the skate, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Pickard is listed as day-to-day and that Stuart Skinner will get the nod tonight.  Olivier Rodrigue will serve as the backup.

Skinner returns between the pipes after two very rocky starts to start the playoffs against Los Angeles.  In those outings, he allowed 11 goals on just 57 shots in 108 minutes of playing time for a .810 SV% to go along with a 6.10 GAA.  Edmonton lost both of those games, leading them to turn to Pickard for the third game of that series.

Since then, Pickard has played well, winning all six of his starts despite a below-average save percentage of his own, checking in at .888 but he hasn’t allowed more than four goals in any of his outings, allowing Edmonton’s high-octane offense to help lead them on this winning streak.  However, Tomas Hertl fell into him late in Thursday’s second game and it’s possible that’s where this injury came about.

Skinner is no stranger to playing in high-pressure games as he was Edmonton’s starter for the bulk of their run to the Stanley Cup Final last year but got off to a slow start in that run as well.  Overall, he had a 2.45 GAA and .901 SV% in that postseason.  He also made 50 starts for the Oilers this season, posting a 2.81 GAA and a .896 SV%.  He now has a second chance to try to reclaim his number one spot while trying to lead Edmonton to a commanding three-game lead in the series.

Golden Knights’ Nicolas Roy Receives Fine

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8:00 PM: The Department of Player Safety made its ruling and it’s a fine of $7,812.50 for Roy, the maximum allowable under the CBA,

12:44 PM: The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced today they’re reviewing Golden Knights’ forward Nicolas Roy’s cross-checking penalty in overtime of last night’s Game 2 loss for a potential suspension. Roy will have his hearing tonight after being assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for the initial infraction.

Vegas killed off the five-minute penalty, which Roy committed just over five minutes into the extra frame. After engaging in a board battle with Oilers winger Trent Frederic, Roy lifted his stick for a cross-check and hit Frederic directly in the mouth/jaw area (video via Sportsnet). Frederic left the game for repairs but did return for a shift before Leon Draisaitl secured a 2-0 series lead for Edmonton.

Roy being unavailable is a significant blow to Vegas’ depth forward group. He’s averaged 13:55 per game in the postseason and has a goal and two assists through eight games. The 28-year-old has been the Knights’ best regular faceoff man with a 59.7% win rate. Despite his minus-four rating, Roy’s 57.3% shot-attempt share at even strength ranks fourth on the team.

In the overwhelmingly likely scenario Roy misses at least Game 3, head coach Bruce Cassidy will presumably shift Brett Howden to center and hope winger Pavel Dorofeyev can return after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury. If not, Cole Schwindt is the only extra forward on the roster who can play center and would presumably enter the lineup in Roy’s place.

Connor Carrick Signs Two-Year Deal In Switzerland

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Veteran depth defenseman Connor Carrick is heading overseas for the first time in his professional career. The 31-year-old signed a two-year contract with Swiss National League club HC Lugano earlier this week, the team announced.

Carrick spent 2024-25 on a two-way deal with the Oilers, although he didn’t see NHL ice for the second season in a row. His last big-league appearance came in April 2023 when he was with the Bruins. The 5’11”, 192-lb righty remains a high-end minor-league option, although he’s bounced around a bunch in the last few years. That offers some insight into why the Illinois native has opted for a later-career switch to the high-level European pros for some more financial and personal stability.

This year saw Carrick slot into the lineup 63 times for AHL Bakersfield, finishing second on the team in scoring among defensemen with 18-23–41 in 63 games. His 101 PIMs led the team, and his 18 goals were his highest in a single season at any level since his U14 days.

The Oilers were Carrick’s seventh NHL franchise in his 12-year professional career. A fifth-round pick by the Capitals in 2012, he’s also spent time with the Maple Leafs, Stars, Devils, Kraken, and Bruins organizations. Most of his NHL action came in Toronto, playing 130 of his 242 career games there from 2016 to 2018. The 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns were his only ones without a minor-league assignment, including a career-high 4-8–12 scoring line in 47 games for Toronto in the latter year in bottom-pairing minutes.

An unrestricted free agent this summer, Carrick joins a Lugano roster that’s already locked in former NHLers Carl Dahlström, Mirco Müller, Jiří Sekáč, and Calvin Thurkauf for the 2025-26 season.

Oilers’ Roby Järventie Signs In Finland

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Oilers pending restricted free agent winger Roby Järventie has signed a three-year contract with Finland’s Tappara, the team announced.

An early second-round pick by the Senators in 2020 (No. 33), Edmonton acquired Järventie last summer in a swap sending 2021 first-rounder Xavier Bourgault the other way. Bourgault had failed to pop offensively in the minors in the Oilers’ system, while Järventie had injury troubles and hadn’t landed an NHL role despite some promising offensive trends in the minors.

Unfortunately for Järventie and the Oilers, he barely got a chance to play this season. He sustained an offseason knee injury that kept him out of training camp. Upon returning to health in late October, he reported to AHL Bakersfield but played just two games before sustaining another injury and remaining out for the season.

The offensive potential is still there with the 6’3″, 209-lb 22-year-old. He posted a pair of assists in his two games with Bakersfield and had 50 points in 62 AHL games in the Sens’ system over the prior two seasons. Still, he only has seven games of NHL experience – all with Ottawa, all in the 2023-24 season – recording an assist and a minus-five rating.

While Järventie won’t be signing in the Oilers organization next season, Edmonton can still retain his signing rights through the 2029-30 season if they issue him a qualifying offer. It’s clear he doesn’t factor into Edmonton’s immediate future, but it would be surprising to see them non-tender him because they’ll still hold his NHL signing rights when his contract with Tappara expires in 2028. If his pre-injury trajectory holds, he could very well be an NHL-caliber player at that time and could walk into a richer one-way deal with Edmonton down the road.

Järventie played 53 games across two seasons in Finland’s top-level Liiga, just not with Tappara. He suited up with Ilves in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns before touching down with the Sens in North America, scoring 15 goals and 26 points. The two-time World Juniors medalist will now reunite with his younger brother, Penguins prospect Emil Järventie, as well as former NHLers Daniel Brickley and Jyrki Jokipakka on Tappara’s roster next year.

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