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Oilers Sign Corey Perry To One-Year Deal

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Jan. 22, 10:32 a.m.: Perry has inked a one-year deal worth the league-minimum $775K plus an undisclosed amount of performance bonuses, the team announced Monday.

Jan. 21, 2:20 p.m.: It appears that Edmonton is, after all, signing Perry. Rishaug has now reported more concretely that the Oilers are signing Perry, and The Athletic’s Chris Johnston has also reported that Perry is headed to Edmonton.

Jan. 21, 1:02 p.m.: TSN’s Ryan Rishaug has reported that “all signs point to Perry heading to Oilers,” adding that an announcement on the signing could come as soon as Monday. While Seravalli’s report indicated that other teams could still end up signing Perry, Rishaug’s newest report is another indication that Edmonton is likely to be the player’s chosen team.

Jan. 21, 12:30 p.m.: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has now reported that while a decision is coming soon for Perry, there is “nothing done yet” between Edmonton and the 38-year-old veteran.

Seravalli specifically named the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers as other suitors engaged in the “exhaustive process” of courting Perry, and it seems that there still could be room for another team (such as the Rangers or Lightning) to end up with the former Hart Trophy winner.

Jan. 21, 12:07 p.m.: The Edmonton Oilers are expected to sign free agent forward Corey Perry, according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. According to Pagnotta, an official announcement of the deal is expected later today.

Just ten days ago, it was reported that Perry’s market was heating up and that “several” teams had expressed interest in adding the veteran. His availability on the open market comes as a result of the termination of his contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in November.

The Blackhawks signed Perry, 38, to a one-year, $4MM contract after acquiring his signing rights from Tampa Bay in a trade. The former Hart Trophy winner managed four goals and nine points through 16 games in Chicago before the team removed him from the lineup for an incident that the team said violated the terms of his contract and organizational standards. Perry issued a statement shortly after his termination, stating he would “discuss his struggles with alcohol” with behavioral health experts.

Perry now has a new team, the Oilers, and by signing there he’s joining arguably the hottest team in hockey. Kris Knoblauch’s men are riding a thirteen-game winning streak and, despite an atrocious start, are now just six points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division, with four games in hand.

Looking at where he might fit into the Oilers’ lineup, Perry could end up taking Derek Ryan’s spot as the third-line right winger, which would allow Ryan to shift back to the fourth-line center position. As CapFriendly notes, the Oilers don’t have the cap space at the moment to sign Perry outright, they’d need to pair his signing with a corresponding move.

He is unlikely to be able to pierce the Oilers’ top-six considering how well they’re playing, but getting a look in a net-front power play role isn’t out of the question if he can get off to a strong start overall in Alberta.

Oilers Recall Dylan Holloway, Assign James Hamblin To AHL

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The Oilers have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against Calgary.  The team announced that they’ve recalled forward Dylan Holloway from AHL Bakersfield; in a corresponding move, forward James Hamblin was assigned to the Condors.

Holloway got off to a slow start to his season with Edmonton, notching just one goal in his first 14 games of the campaign while logging only a little over 11 minutes a night.  He then suffered a lower-body injury in mid-November, one that caused him to miss nearly two months.  Upon being cleared to return, the 22-year-old was assigned to Bakersfield where the plan was to give him some reps at center.  It wound up being a short-lived stint with the Condors but a successful one as Holloway had two goals and two assists in just four games in the minors.  It will be interesting to see if he sees time down the middle and takes Hamblin’s spot directly or if they’ll shift him back to the wing.

As for Hamblin, the 24-year-old has spent the bulk of the season with Edmonton, suiting up in 31 games so far.  However, Hamblin’s role has been quite limited as he is logging less than eight minutes a night and has been limited to just two goals and one assist offensively while winning just over half of his faceoffs.  Hamblin has been more productive with Bakersfield, picking up three goals and two helpers in six games with the Condors.  He’ll get a chance to play much bigger minutes as a result of this swap.

Tyler Ennis Announces Retirement

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Longtime NHL forward Tyler Ennis announced his retirement today, per an announcement from his first and most tenured team, the Sabres. The 34-year-old was playing with Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) but has terminated his contract and stepped away from the game after sustaining a neck injury during Champions Hockey League play last November.

Ennis gave the following statement on his retirement, translated from German:

After working hard to get healthy with our great team, I ultimately decided to quit hockey. I would like to thank [Mannheim general manager Daniel] Hopp, my teammates, the coaches, our medical staff and of course our great fans for their support. I will continue to cheer on the Adler Mannheim vigorously in the future.

The diminutive, versatile forward was a true top-six threat in his early days with the Sabres, but multiple serious injuries in his prime forced him into a depth scoring role as he remained effective later into his 30s. An unrestricted free agent since the end of the 2021-22 campaign, Ennis has spent the last 18 months playing overseas with Mannheim and SC Bern in the Swiss National League. Before sustaining the career-ending neck injury, Ennis had five assists through seven games with Mannheim and posted 13-20–33 in 37 games with Bern last season.

The Sabres selected Ennis with the 26th overall pick of the 2008 draft, their second selection of the first round, selecting hulking defenseman Tyler Myers 14 picks earlier. Ennis spent one season in junior hockey after his draft, lighting up the Western Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers and recording seven points in six games for Canada at the 2009 World Juniors as the John Tavares-led squad captured gold. He made the transition to the pro game the following year, spending most of the season with AHL Portland, with whom he finished second in scoring with 23-42–65 in 69 games.

His strong minor-league showing earned him a full-time gig in Buffalo the following season. His rookie campaign wasn’t strong enough to get him Calder Trophy recognition, but it wasn’t bad by any means. His 20 goals and 49 points both finished fourth on the Sabres that year, part of a ninth-place offense that led Buffalo to its most recent playoff berth.

Ennis’ production increased the following season, producing at a 58-point pace. There was one key issue: a left ankle injury limited him to 48 games on the year. He would play 80 games in a season just once more throughout his career, in 2013-14. That Sabres team was one of the least memorable of the modern era, finishing with only 21 wins and 52 points. Ennis led that squad in goals with 21, earning himself a five-year, $23MM extension that summer as a result.

He again led the Sabres in scoring in 2014-15, posting 20 goals and 46 points on a team designed to tank for Connor McDavid in the 2015 draft. The lottery balls gave them the second-overall pick, though, giving them Jack Eichel as a consolation prize.

Unfortunately for Ennis, that season was his last near the top of a team’s depth chart. Upper-body and groin injuries limited him to a combined 74 games over the following two seasons, during which time his production tanked – just eight goals and 24 points – while seeing his ice time dip below 15 minutes per game. That was the end of Ennis’ tenure in Buffalo, as they dealt him and Marcus Foligno to the Wild in June 2017 in exchange for Jason Pominville and Marco Scandella.

In Minnesota, Ennis regained his health but not his production. His lone season with the Wild saw him post 8-14–22 in 73 games, averaging fourth-line minutes on the season. The Wild bought out the final season of his $4.6MM cap hit contract that summer, making him a UFA.

He didn’t last long on the open market. Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas signed Ennis to a one-year, $650K contract to continue his career in Toronto one week after Minnesota bought him out. While he saw even more limited usage than he did with the Wild, Ennis’ 12 goals for Toronto were his first time reaching double digits in four years.

Ennis stayed in Canada but made an intra-provincial move the following summer, signing a one-year deal for a more increased role with the Senators. He responded well, posting 16-21–37 in 70 total games in 2019-10, including a deadline move to the Oilers shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the regular season. His 14:43 average that season was the most he’d averaged since leaving Buffalo.

He continued to bounce between Edmonton and Ottawa over the following two seasons, returning for second stints in each city. Between 2020 and 2022, Ennis recorded 27-43–70 in 157 games while seeing third-line minutes. Still a capable point producer, it was puzzling not to see him field any offers in the summer of 2022 and head overseas to continue his pro career.

There had been rumblings of a PTO for Ennis during last year’s training camp cycle, but none came to fruition. The 5-foot-9 forward wraps up his NHL career with 144-202–346 in 700 games, including 13 game-winning goals and a 15:10 time-on-ice average per game.

PHR wishes Ennis well in his recovery from his neck injury and congratulates him on a spectacular career.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oilers Recall Phil Kemp

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The Oilers have promoted defenseman Phil Kemp from AHL Bakersfield, per a team release issued late last night. Edmonton sat with two open roster spots before the recall and had enough cap space to execute the transaction after assigning top center prospect Dylan Holloway to the minors last week, so no corresponding transaction was necessary.

Edmonton selected Kemp, 24, in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. After three seasons at Yale, he made his pro debut on loan to Väsby IK in the Swedish second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan in the 2020-21 campaign while AHL and NHL action was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of Väsby’s season, the Oilers brought Kemp back to North America to make his AHL debut for Bakersfield, where he’s remained ever since. He’s far from being a major point-producing threat in the pros, with nine goals and 27 assists in 164 games with Bakersfield. Still, he’s steadily taken on more responsibility over his four seasons there and has proven himself an adept defensive player at that level. Playing in all 26 Condors games this season, Kemp has five assists, 13 PIMs and a +5 rating.

He’s best defined as a low-ceiling, low-certainty prospect, as expected for someone selected with ten picks remaining in his draft. Still, it’s a great story to see Kemp potentially get a shot at playing his first NHL game. Whether the 6-foot-3, 212-pound defender will draw in tonight against the Blackhawks or sit as a healthy scratch is unclear.

Technically, this is not Kemp’s first NHL recall, although it is his first during the regular season. After the Condors’ brief Calder Cup playoff appearance ended in a 2-0 first-round sweep at the hands of the Abbotsford Canucks last year, the Oilers recalled Kemp to serve as a Black Ace during their second-round loss to the Golden Knights. He became waiver-eligible for the first time this year and passed through unclaimed on his way to Bakersfield at the end of the 2023 preseason.

Kemp can remain on the Oilers’ roster for up to 10 games played or 30 days, whichever comes sooner before he requires waivers to return to Bakersfield. He is in the first season of a two-year, two-way extension signed last May that carries a $775K cap hit, making him an RFA with arbitration rights in the summer of 2025.

Evening Notes: Campbell, Okposo, Beck, Donovan

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The Edmonton Oilers are planning to shop around goaltender Jack Campbell as the trade deadline approaches, general manager Ken Holland tells The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. But LeBrun doesn’t think there will be many suitors for Campbell’s $5MM cap hit ahead of the deadline, speculating that the team will instead have to wait until the summer to decide what to do with the netminder – whether that’s a buyout or trade.

Campbell’s time in Edmonton has certainly not gone as expected. The 31-year-old is in his second team with the club, after signing a five-year, $25MM contract with the club. He lost the starter job to Calder Trophy finalist Stuart Skinner last season, setting a 21-9-4 record and .888 save percentage through 36 games with the team. But he was only allowed five games with the Oilers this year, putting up a meager .873 save percentage before being placed on waivers and sent to the minor leagues. He’s since made 11 appearances with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, setting a 5-6-0 record and .893 save percentage.

Campbell was a productive goaltender in the two years he spent playing significant time for the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier in his career but hasn’t looked the same since moving across Canada. His status will be one of the Oilers’ biggest questions to answer this summer.

More notes from around the league:

  • Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo returned to the team’s practices on Monday, working his way back from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of the team’s last two games. Okposo is still designated as day-to-day but is nearing a return. He’s managed 14 points in 38 games this season – his 17th NHL season.
  • Polarizing Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck has had his rights traded in the OHL, moving from the Peterborough Petes to the Saginaw Spirit. Saginaw sent Aiden Young and three draft picks the other way. Beck has managed 30 points in 25 points with Peterborough this season, adding one goal in five games at the World Juniors. He went 33rd overall to the Canadiens in the 2022 NHL Draft.
  • The Ottawa Senators also had a prospect moved to Saginaw, as the Spirit acquired defenseman Jorian Donovan from the Brantford Bulldogs. Saginaw sent eight draft picks the other way, including two second-round picks and four third-round picks. Donovan has 28 points in 34 OHL games this season and also attended the World Juniors, though he went scoreless in all five Team Canada games. He was a fifth-round selection in 2022.

Oilers Activate Dylan Holloway, Assign Him To AHL

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Oilers forward Dylan Holloway has been cleared to return but he won’t be suiting up in Edmonton for the time being.  The team announced that Holloway has been activated off LTIR but he has been assigned to AHL Bakersfield.

The 22-year-old has been limited to just 14 games this season after suffering a knee injury in mid-November.  Holloway has also dealt with wrist and shoulder injuries in the past which have certainly slowed down his development.

While in Edmonton’s lineup this season, Holloway struggled offensively as he tallied just one goal while averaging a little over 11 minutes a night.  That ATOI is actually an improvement on a year ago when he averaged just 9:35 per contest while notching just nine points in 51 games.  For someone who was a first-round pick back in 2020 (14th overall) and was an impactful scorer at Wisconsin, the lack of production has to be some cause for concern.

With that in mind, a stint with the Condors certainly makes some sense.  It would allow Holloway to get his skating legs back under him while also playing much higher up the lineup than he would have had he remained with Edmonton.  It could also give him an opportunity to play his natural center position after primarily playing on the wing with the Oilers.  From a long-term development standpoint, Holloway contributing as a middleman would be a nice outcome for Edmonton but one that they’ll need to be patient for with how much time he has missed already.

Worth noting from a salary cap perspective is that this transaction takes Edmonton out of using LTIR altogether.  Accordingly, they’re now in a position to try to bank at least a little bit of cap space between now and the trade deadline, barring further injuries throwing a wrinkle into those plans.  If that cap space isn’t used, it would reduce the amount of the carryover penalty from Connor Brown’s games played bonus.

Dylan Holloway, Sam Gagner To Return This Weekend

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  • With forward Dylan Holloway ready to return from his knee injury suffered in mid-November, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic expects both he and forward Sam Gagner to be in the lineup this weekend for the Edmonton Oilers. Although Edmonton has recovered fairly well since the organization’s horrid start to the regular season, the bottom half of their forward core has still been a significant issue across the board. Gagner has been a solid addition in that department in now his third stint with the Oilers, and the reintroduction of Holloway’s physical play will certainly make Edmonton harder to play against each night.

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Oilers Recall Raphael Lavoie, Assign Ben Gleason To AHL

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The Oilers have opted to make a pair of moves before tonight’s game versus Los Angeles.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled forward Raphael Lavoie from AHL Bakersfield while sending blueliner Ben Gleason to the Condors.

Lavoie opted to accept his qualifying offer this summer worth just over $874K over signing a lower-cost one-way deal or two-way pact with more guaranteed money.  He hoped that he’d land the final roster spot in training camp which would ultimately get him more in the long run.

But that didn’t quite work as planned as Edmonton waived the 23-year-old in training camp and after he cleared, assigned him to Bakersfield.  He has been quite productive with the Condors so far, notching 10 goals in just 19 games, picking up where left off on that front last year.  Lavoie also got into six games with Edmonton last month on a pair of recalls; he was held off the scoresheet in those contests while averaging 7:36 per game.  If he plays in four more games with the Oilers, he will need to pass through waivers once again.

As for Gleason, he cleared waivers in training camp and spent the first two months of the years with the Condors where he did well, picking up nine points in 14 games, earning him a recall three weeks ago.  However, the 25-year-old has been a healthy scratch in every game since then so this assignment will at least give him a chance to get some games in.  Gleason is in the first season of a two-year deal after coming over in free agency from Dallas with his contract converting to a one-way agreement next season.

Trade Market Heating Up For Jake Allen

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Speaking last night on NHL Network, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the trade market is heating up considerably around Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Jake Allen. With plenty of competitive teams dealing with poor play and injuries between the pipes, Allen has been an oft-rumored trade candidate throughout much of the year.

In the report, Pagnotta indicates that before the roster freeze went into effect on December 19th, the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils had all made contact with Canadiens’ brass to gauge the price tag on Allen. With another year left on his contract after this season, Allen’s salary is set at $3.85MM, meaning any acquiring team will likely need to move around funds to acquire him.

At any rate, all signs indicate that Allen’s career in Montreal is coming to an end, as the organization appears comfortable moving forward with Sam Montembeault as the start, and Cayden Primeau serving as the primary backup. In 12 games this season, Allen has produced a very modest 4-6-2 record, carrying a .907 SV% and a 3.43 GAA.

Even though Allen had seen his name pop up in rumors dating back to last summer, the Canadiens handed a three-year, $9.45MM contract extension to Montembeault, effectively ending any chance that Allen would stay in Montreal beyond this season. Even aside from both Montembeault and Primeau already on the NHL roster, the team is still prepared to introduce 2023 draft pick, Jacob Fowler, within the next several years.

It is more than reasonable for all three teams mentioned to be interested as Carolina, Edmonton, and New Jersey are tied for last place in the NHL in SV% as a team, sitting a .879. Currently, Carolina is the only one of the three currently in a playoff position, sitting in the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, while both Edmonton and New Jersey are on the outside looking in.

Regardless of interest, it will be more difficult to ascertain the price point for Allen, given his current contract and his status as a backup goaltender. With teams having less financial ability during the season, the last time a similar goaltender was traded was on September 19th, with the Canadiens shipping Casey DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks for Tanner Pearson and a third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.

If Allen does ultimately end up with one of the three teams listed by Pagnotta, all three of them will likely need to move salary the other way, as currently, none would be able to assume the contract of Allen outright.

Philip Broberg Remains A Trade Candidate

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The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they’ve activated forward Colin Blackwell from non-roster status, and he will make his season debut this evening against the Colorado Avalanche. Blackwell has been sidelined since February 27th as he has been dealing with a sports hernia. Blackwell suffered multiple setbacks through the summer, his rehab process, as well as during training camp and talked at length about his frustration, but it appears that he has overcome the struggles and is set to get back on the ice.

The 30-year-old posted two goals and eight assists last season with Chicago as he dressed in 53 games in his first year with the club. Blackwell has played with five different teams during his five-year NHL career and should have plenty of incentive as he gets back into the lineup. He is set to hit unrestricted free agency next July when his two-year $2.4MM contract will be set to expire.

In other evening notes:

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev will miss tonight’s game due to an illness. Kurashev is hardly the only player suffering from sickness this time of year as a lot of players have missed games due to illness recently. The 24-year-old is on pace to shatter his career high in points as he has six goals and 11 assists in 24 games this season. The native of Munsingen, Switzerland has never topped 25 points in any NHL season but should do so this year barring any unforeseen slump or injury. No word yet on a timeline for return, but the Blackhawks play twice more before the holiday break.
  • TSN Insider Darren Dreger is reporting that Philip Broberg is still expected to be a trade candidate for the Edmonton Oilers, but perhaps not in the way many expected him to be. Dreger believes that Broberg could still be a central piece for the Oilers to add an impact player, but he also thinks that Broberg could become the sweetener in a deal to offload the contract of struggling goaltender Jack Campbell. Broberg has been relegated to AHL duties with the Bakersfield Condors but has been averaging over 25 minutes a night of ice time for the Oilers affiliate. Edmonton would do well to move on from Campbell, and it may cost them Broberg if they wish to do so.

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