Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Oilers Rumors

Philip Broberg Remains A Trade Candidate

at CDT | by 5 Comments

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.

Latest On Edmonton Oilers Trade Needs

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers suffered a deflating loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers last night, their second-consecutive loss by at least a three-goal margin. Their turnaround under new head coach Kris Knoblauch has been strong regardless, but these past two losses have made clear that there are still underlying issues with the Oilers’ roster construction.

It’s not just a goaltending issue, either. The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman wrote late last night that the Oilers are currently receiving “nothing” from their middle-six forwards, and the team will likely need to look for external additions to strengthen that weak area. (subscription link)

Nugent-Bowman specifically singled out two players as “the biggest disappointments” in the middle-six relative to the offense they were expected to produce: Ryan McLeod and Connor Brown.

McLeod, an energetic pivot who helps keep play flowing in a positive direction, has just seven points in 28 games and is no longer receiving power-play ice time. Brown, 29, lost all of last season to a knee injury but as recently as 2021-22 had scored 39 points.

Brown has two 20-goal seasons on his resume but has yet to score his first goal as an Oiler, despite playing in 22 games for the club so far. Brown is owed a $3.225MM bonus, and with the Oilers up against the salary cap the team will be tagged with that number on next year’s cap sheet.

With just one point in his time in Edmonton, it’s looking less and less likely that Brown will be able to produce like the difference-making middle-six winger he was signed to be.

This leaves the Oilers in a difficult spot: their eight-game winning streak demonstrated that they are a team capable of making the playoffs, but their horrific start to the year makes that task more challenging than it is for other teams.

Without an abundance of trade assets to draw from in order to make deals, one wonders if the Oilers are better off using those scarce resources in the often price-inflated in-season trade market, or waiting until the offseason to make more meaningful roster surgery.

Beyond just an issue of assets available, the Oilers’ lack of cap space also threatens their ability to add external help over the course of the season.

With netminder Jack Campbell in the minors and taking up $3.85MM against the cap, the Oilers may not be able to add anyone impactful, such as the Montreal Canadiens’ Sean Monahan, for example, without money going the other way in the deal. As a result, the challenge of finding a suitable trade is made all the more difficult.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pacific Notes: Holloway, Tanev, Markstrom

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

TSN’s Ryan Rishaug is reporting that Edmonton Oilers forward Dylan Holloway won’t be back in the lineup until after Christmas at the earliest. The 22-year-old suffered a knee injury a little over a month ago and was placed on the injured reserve on November 14th. His injury was considered month-to-month at the time and given the timeline today’s update isn’t all that surprising.

Holloway was the Oilers’ 14th overall selection in the 2020 NHL entry draft and has spent most of the last two seasons in Edmonton. This year with the Oilers the Calgary, Alberta native has just a single goal in 14 games which happened in the game prior to him being knocked out of the lineup with this injury.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald is reporting that Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev is nearing a return from injury. Gilbertson said that when speaking with the media Flames head coach Ryan Huska referred to Tanev as being very close to a return. The 33-year-old has missed the last three games for Calgary with an upper-body injury and is sure to be eager to rejoin the team as he tries to continue boosting his free-agent stock for next summer. Tanev hasn’t produced much offensively this year with a goal and six assists in 28 games but he continues to offer a strong defensive impact and will surely be in demand at the trade deadline as well as next summer.
  • Gilbertson also reported that Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom is close to a return. The 33-year-old netminder has missed the last seven games with a fractured finger and skated in the club’s morning skate today. Markstrom has not had the start to the season he was hoping for as he has gone 6-8-2 with a 2.94 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage. Markstrom’s return will likely lead the Flames to an interesting decision with their goaltending as prospect Dustin Wolf has been dynamite in the AHL but has struggled in his short time in the NHL. The Flames also have Daniel Vladar as an option, but he’s struggled the most of the Flames’ three goaltending options and could be moved in a trade or exposed to waivers and assigned to the AHL.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by 4 Comments

As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Edmonton Oilers.

Who are the Oilers thankful for?

Connor McDavid

The more things change, the more they stay the same, and that’s held true for the Oilers’ generational talent. McDavid is currently carrying 34 points through 22 games, tied with Cale Makar for eighth in the league in scoring. He’s reached that mark despite a slow start, scoring just four points in the first eight games of November. But things are clicking for the 26-year-old once more, as McDavid has scored an unbelievable 21 points in his last eight games. That’s an 82-game pace of 215.25 points – and while there’s a very slim chance that he ever breaks the 200-point ceiling, the fact that McDavid has held onto that scoring pace over more than a handful of games is incredible. He’s scored in every game over the eight-game stretch, recording multiple points in six of them, and is sticking to  Wayne Gretzky’s tactic of leaning into assists – with 16 of his recent 21 points coming in the form of helpers. The Oilers have faced a lot of adversity this season but McDavid has made it clear that he won’t let it get him down as he looks to top the 153 points he scored last year.

What are the Oilers thankful for?

A stretch of home games.

The Oilers have struggled to get things going on the road this season, with a dismal 4-8-0 record when playing in another team’s barn. That fact hasn’t gelled well with their early schedule, which had them on the road for 11 of their first 19 games. Their longest stretch of home games in November was a four-game stretch early in the month when the team was facing an injury to McDavid and swirling questions about then-head coach Jay Woodcroft. Both factors weighed heavily on Edmonton and they fell 1-3-0 before having to get back on the road.

The cycle seemed to be continuing as they lost their first three games of their most recent road trip – a four-game-long trip around the eastern-US. But with a 5-0 win over the Washington Capitals to cap it off, the Oilers found their momentum just in time for their recent stretch of four home games, and one away game at the neighboring Winnipeg Jets. Edmonton has been on fire now that they’re back at Rogers Place, currently on a six-game winning streak that’s seen them outscore their opponents 31-to-11. They’ve been getting everything they could want in their recent outings, scoring an average of roughly five goals each game and seeing their goaltenders post a collective .947 save percentage.

After a dismal start to the season, the Oilers are now truly looking like a team that can challenge the best in the West. They have four more games at home before they embark on a six-game road trip in late-December. New head coach Kris Knoblauch will hope a strong stretch at home will be enough of a boost to amend the Oilers’ current luck on the road.

What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?

Consistent Goaltending.

The story of Edmonton’s early season has been one of underwhelming goaltending. The team has iced three different goalies this season, with all three recording a save percentage below .900. Starting goalie Stuart Skinner has managed a .888 through 19 games, en route to a 10-7-1 record. This is despite the Oilers facing a league-average xGA/60 (expected goals-against per-60) of 2.54, tied with Winnipeg for the 12th-best mark in the league, per Evolving Hockey. And while the former Calder Trophy runner-up Skinner has improved as of late – recording a .911 save percentage and 9-2-0 record in his last 11 games – there’s still reason to be uncertain in Edmonton’s crease. The Oilers are 3-12-1 when they allow three-or-more goals this season, emphasizing that the team is only as good as the goaltending that they receive. If they want to be true Stanley Cup-contenders, they’ll need to make sure their netminders are just as efficient as their scorers.

What should be on the Oilers holiday wish list?

A lucky trade offer.

The Oilers are clearly not far off from being a very scary team. Their top scorers – McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – are mostly performing as expected; the blueline has seen added help through the continued breakout of Evan Bouchard and the addition of Mattias Ekholm; and it seems Skinner is bringing some reliability back into the crease. But there still seems to be something holding back Edmonton from reaching their full potential. The team has six members of their forward group with fewer than eight points through their first 24 games and their defense seems to strike in waves.

But Edmonton has recently made former eighth-overall pick Philip Broberg available for a trade, something that could prove lucrative as many teams around the league look for a spark on defense. While Broberg’s professional career in North America is off to a choppy start, there are still teams around the league with high hopes for the 22-year-old defenseman. It helps that Broberg is on a cost-controlled deal, recording an $863K cap hit this season and set to become a restricted free agent next year. The right trade could be enough to patch one of the Oilers’ holes, whether it’s bringing in another depth-forward, providing more competition on defense, or adding support between the pipes. The NHL is gearing up for an exciting Trade Deadline and the Oilers could emerge from it with the plenty of hope for the future.

Kane Given Warning From DoPS

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • After his hit last night on Jonas Brodin of the Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers’ forward Evander Kane was given a warning by the Department of Player Safety (X Link). It as an interesting decision by the league, as replay evidence shows that Kane finished his check on Brodin even with Brodin’s back turned to him.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Oilers Recall Ben Gleason, Loan Philip Broberg To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers have swapped defensemen, recalling Ben Gleason and sending Philip Broberg to the AHL. Broberg has been the talk of many trade rumors recently, with the Oilers granting the former eighth-overall pick permission to seek a trade on December 5th.

Broberg has seen inconsistent ice time throughout his 10 games with the Oilers this season, playing fewer than eight minutes in three of his last five games. These short-lived outings have brought his average ice time down to just 10:32, a decrease from the 12:36 he averaged last season. The 22-year-old defenseman has already appeared in four AHL games this season, netting two points. Broberg has played in 79 games throughout his NHL career, scoring 11 points. He is one of two players from the 2019 NHL Draft’s top 10 to not play in at least 100 NHL games yet, alongside Los Angeles’ Alex Turcotte.

This swap gives Gleason a chance to play in his first NHL games since the 2018-19 season when the defender appeared in four games with the Dallas Stars. Outside of that small NHL sample, Gleason has spent much of his career with the AHL’s Texas Stars, totaling 290 games with the team over the last five seasons. This year is Gleason’s first with a new club, signing a two-year, two-way, $1.6MM contract with the Oilers this summer. He’s started the contract with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, leading the team’s defensemen in scoring with nine points through 14 games. Gleason will look to score his first NHL goal if he’s able to slot into the lineup on this recall.

Edmonton Grants Philip Broberg Permission To Seek A Trade

at CDT | by 10 Comments

Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff is reporting that the Edmonton Oilers have granted defenseman Philip Broberg permission to seek a trade. Broberg was the eighth overall selection of the Oilers back in the 2019 NHL Draft and has yet to crack a full-time spot in the lineup.

Since coming over to the Oilers organization back in the 2021-22 season, he had been previously playing for Skelleftea AIK of the SHL. Broberg would go on to play 89 games in Sweden’s top professional league, scoring four goals and 21 points overall, becoming one of Edmonton’s top prospects on the blue line.

Unfortunately, and mainly due to injuries, Broberg has been unable to find any staying power at the NHL level. Between both the Oilers and their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, Broberg has been unable to separate himself from the rest of the pack, averaging mild production at both levels.

Over three seasons, at the NHL level, Broberg has played in a total of 79 games for Edmonton, only scoring two goals and 11 points, without producing much in the way of defensive contributions, either. In Bakersfield, he has done better on the offensive side of the puck, scoring six goals and 29 points in 42 games.

On the left side of the blue line, especially after acquiring Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators last season, it was always going to be incredibly difficult for Broberg to move up the depth chart in any meaningful way. With that in mind, the team will now allow Broberg to speak to interested teams to facilitate a trade. At 22 years old, and with a $863K salary for the rest of the season, there are plenty of teams that may be interested in taking a flyer on Broberg.

Since Edmonton is looking to compete this season, and as Seravalli alluded to in his initial report, the Oilers have no interest in receiving a draft pick back and are primarily looking for a player in return for Broberg. However, given their salary cap situation, Edmonton and Broberg’s camp are going to have to find a player in a similar situation with a very similar salary situation to make a trade work.

Ultimately, the Oilers have a few options when it comes to trading Broberg, as most speculation will likely revolve around Broberg being attached to Jack Campbell’s contract for Edmonton to upgrade their goaltending situation. Nevertheless, with needs in other areas of the game as well, it certainly expands on the possibilities for the Oilers.

It would be reasonable to assume that if any team is interested in acquiring Broberg for their defensive core, they are unlikely to trade from an area of need, meaning the Oilers will likely be able to use this trade to upgrade their offensive depth. One team and player that immediately comes to mind given their team needs at the moment is the Tampa Bay Lightning and forward Alex Barre-Boulet.

Barre-Boulet is four years older than Broberg and is making $88K less, meaning Edmonton would be ultimately saving money on this trade. Typically a high-scoring player at the AHL level, Barre-Boulet has scored four goals and seven points in 19 games for the Lightning this season, which would immediately make him the seventh-highest-scoring forward on the Oilers.

At the end of the day, now that the trade request and permission are public knowledge, Broberg will more than likely be apart of a different organization at the end of the season. Given his age and relatively low salary, there are a multitude of paths that both he and Edmonton could take to get him a fresh start.

Zach Hyman Will Not Play Tonight

at CDT | by 4 Comments

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that there remains a lot of interest in Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Among the teams interested are the Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and fresh off their cap-clearing trade, the Vancouver Canucks.

Zadorov requested a trade a few weeks ago and at the time his agent Dan Milstein had hoped for a quick resolution although one has yet to be reached. Trades have proven difficult this season due to so many teams being within a million dollars of the NHL salary cap ceiling. The Flames have reportedly told Zadorov that they are willing to move him but will be patient in the process as they wait for the right deal to come along.

Zadorov has a goal and five assists in 21 games so far this season while averaging over 18 minutes a night in ice time.

In other evening notes:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that defenseman Mark Giordano will not return to tonight’s game due to an upper-body injury. It is unclear when Giordano sustained the injury as he had a shot on goal during his final shift and then remained on the ice until the Florida Panthers scored their first goal. The Maple Leafs’ defense core has been decimated by injuries which has forced Giordano to play in an elevated role after starting the season on the third pairing. The 40-year-old has a goal and four assists in 20 games this season and has an average 18:28 of ice time per game.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have announced that forward Zach Hyman won’t dress for tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an undisclosed illness. Hyman was a full participant in the team’s morning skate today taking his usual spot on the team’s top line but was not well enough to play this evening. Mattias Janmark was elevated into Hyman’s role alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins which also opened a spot for Sam Gagner to be reinserted into the lineup. Hyman has been one of the Oilers’ most consistent players with 12 goals and 10 assists in 20 games this season.

Dave Gagner Not Interested In GM Job If It Was To Become Available

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With this being Ken Holland’s final year under contract as GM of the Oilers, some have started to wonder who his replacement might be if the 68-year-old decides to move into an advisory role or if the team decides to make a change.  One speculative candidate has been player agent Dave Gagner who worked with Jeff Jackson, now the president of hockey operations for Edmonton.  Meanwhile, his son Sam is in his third stint with the franchise.  However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that the former NHL player has indicated that he isn’t interested in the job and wouldn’t pursue it if it became available.  Edmonton had an in-house candidate to eventually take Holland’s spot in Steve Staios but he is now with Ottawa.

Snapshots: Oilers, Corey Perry, Penguins Injuries

at CDT | by 7 Comments

TSN’s Ryan Rishaug recently provided an inside look at the Edmonton Oilers’ trade market, reporting that the team is willing to move any prospects, roster players, or draft picks – the only untouchables are their first-round pick, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid. Rishaug adds that other teams are undoubtedly aware of Edmonton’s dire situation, giving them a disadvantage in trade negotiations.

It’s no surprise to hear that Edmonton is open to dealing anything if it means an improvement to what they have right now. The Oilers are currently on a three-game losing streak, most recently falling 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes. They are 2-3-0 under new head coach Kris Knoblauch, who took over on November 12th after Jay Woodcroft led the team to a 3-9-1 start.

This is despite the team boasting six different players with 14 or more points through their first 18 games, including three players scoring at a point-per-game pace or better. But they’re also icing four forwards with three or fewer points, including Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark, who have both failed to appear on the scoresheet. The scoring inconsistency is coupled with abysmal goaltending. All three goaltenders that Edmonton has iced this year carry a save percentage below .900, with current starter Stuart Skinner boasting a .865 through 13 games.

Goaltending and depth scoring will be new major pieces to address as Edmonton gears up for trades.

Other notes from around the league:

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top