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Trade Rumors: Kane, Chychrun, Oilers/Kings

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Teams around the league could soon get more clarity on the future of Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane. On today’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun relayed a quote from Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, that a decision on whether he’ll waive his no-movement clause is coming “relatively soon.”

As LeBrun says, Kane completely controls his destiny, even if he waives his no-move clause, and he’ll be able to dictate the teams to which he’s willing to accept a trade. If Kane opts for a trade, Brisson says those teams will be notified at least “seven to 10 days” ahead of the March 3 deadline. There does exist a timeline in which Kane rejects a trade and opts to stay put, reconsidering his future in Chicago this summer. Despite just having nine goals in 45 games this season, Kane would still carry a great deal of value at the deadline, although it may not result in a first-round pick at this point.

  • The Boston Bruins could get even scarier. LeBrun also reported on Insider Trading that the team has recently inquired about Jakob Chychrun, which could give them easily the most formidable defense in the league. Even if the Bruins opt to part with Brandon Carlo in any potential Chychrun deal, as his name has begun to enter trade speculation, it would still leave Boston with a top-four defense group of Chychrun, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Matt Grzelcyk. With Chychrun locked into a dirt-cheap, sub-$5MM cap hit for multiple seasons, it could pay dividends for years to come if the Bruins can manage to stay competitive.
  • LeBrun also mentioned that the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings seem to be competing for the same trade deadline additions, mainly left-shot defensemen. The two Pacific Division rivals have both been linked to Chychrun, Joel Edmundson, and Vladislav Gavrikov. A potential bidding war for those trade targets would certainly make fans of the Coyotes, Canadiens, and Blue Jackets smile, as the playoff rivals from last season aim to upgrade their group of defensemen.

Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Edmonton Oilers.

After some early panic, the Oilers have settled into a groove of late and are making a strong push for the Pacific Division crown. Connor McDavid has reached another level of offensive greatness with 92 points through 50 games, and Leon Draisaitl is second in the league scoring race (but still trails by 16 points). Stuart Skinner has given them some stability in net, and Zach Hyman continues to outperform his contract.

Still, there are some concerns about the defense in Edmonton, and the forward group still lacks depth. The gap from the fourth-highest scoring forward (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) to the fifth (Ryan McLeod) is 45 points, showing just how much room for improvement there is at the deadline. If they can find creative ways to make the cap work, everything is set up for the Oilers to make a big splash this year to fill out the lineup card and try to go on another deep postseason run.

Record

28-18-4, 4th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$1.125MM in LTIR relief, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th
2024: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th

Trade Chips

First and foremost, it is all-in time for Edmonton with regard to their draft picks. The team only has three more playoff runs with Leon Draisaitl before his bargain contract expires and four until McDavid once again becomes the highest-paid player in the league. Their first-round pick this year and next should be in play if it can get them closer to a championship.

That’s not to say they throw it away for an insignificant rental, but there are no more building years in Edmonton. The time is now to challenge for the Cup, and if an impact player is available (even better if they come with a few years of control), Ken Holland should be willing to lose as many picks as it takes.

Beyond that, some other chips could be on the table as the deadline approaches.

Jesse Puljujarvi is the one that stands out, as his time in Edmonton appears to be dwindling one way or another. The 24-year-old can’t score this season, and sits with just four goals and ten points through 49 games. Is he getting a great opportunity? Not anymore, but that shouldn’t stop him from outscoring someone like Brett Kulak or Derek Ryan. Puljujarvi isn’t going to bring back much on his own, but moving him out would open up some cap flexibility for the Oilers to make a bigger move.

On the other hand, a young player like Dylan Holloway could also be dangled in a significant trade. The 21-year-old has shown enough in his rookie season to prove he will play many NHL games but not enough to guarantee he is a top line player. Selected 14th overall in 2020, if he isn’t ready to make an impact this year, he shouldn’t be off limits in trade talks. With just nine points in 46 games, that seems to be the case.

Something similar could be said about Evan Bouchard, who has seen his ice time slashed this season. The 10th overall pick from 2018 is still just 23 and had an encouraging 43-point rookie season last year, but is still a liability on defense and can’t be entirely trusted by the coaching staff. If the Oilers target a legitimate top-four defenseman at the deadline, there’s certainly a chance the other team targets Bouchard as a piece coming back.

Other potential trade chips: F Raphael Lavoie, F Xavier Bourgault, F Reid Schaefer

Team Needs

1) Third-line center: Defense doesn’t always mean defensemen. Acquiring a true two-way pivot that can fill the third-line role, allowing Nugent-Hopkins to move up into the top-six full-time, would solve several of the Oilers’ problems. Sometimes, the term two-way is used to describe defense-only players – that’s not what Edmonton would be targeting here. This is a true impact player who can drive play in the right direction while keeping the puck out of his own net. He doesn’t need to be McDavid on offense or Patrice Bergeron on defense, but a true difference-maker in this spot would help take some of the pressure off the top players while also elevating the Oilers whenever they are off the ice.

2) Top-four defenseman: The need for a defenseman might eventually disappear with the play of Philip Broberg, but it’s hard to bet on him ascending into a big role this postseason. Getting a minute-munching defender who can play in all situations is a must for the Oilers at the deadline. The caveat here is that it shouldn’t be the kind of bruising, physical addition several other contenders will look for. Edmonton desperately needs another player who can defend hard but also move the puck quickly to their talented forwards. Someone who could theoretically take over the powerplay duties from Tyson Barrie would be ideal, though it would be hard to mess with a unit that is clipping along at 32%.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Korchinski, Walsh

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After a slow start, things haven’t gotten any better for Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi this season. As his ice time continues to dwindle, currently being utilized in a fourth-line role, so does his trade value. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has just 10 points in 49 games this season after a 35-point campaign last year.

With Edmonton expected to go all-in at this year’s trade deadline, Puljujarvi will likely see his Oilers tenure end by March 3 to make room on the roster. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli outlined some potential destinations for the Finnish winger, also reporting that general manager Ken Holland sent a note to all 31 other NHL teams two weeks ago that Puljujarvi was available for trade.

That trade could come sooner rather than later, as the Oilers need to clear salary to activate Kailer Yamamoto from long-term injured reserve. They have at least another few days, as he’s not eligible to return until February 12. Seravalli lists the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning as potential fits for Puljujarvi in a hockey trade but also says to keep the possibility of a pure cap-dump move to a salary cap floor-hugging team in mind.

  • In a mailbag piece released Wednesday, Scott Powers of The Athletic noted that 2022 first-round selection Kevin Korchinski could crack the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL lineup out of training camp to start the 2023-24 season. Powers said the Blackhawks organization was impressed with his training camp before this season opened, and that “all signs” point to Korchinski being NHL-ready. Still 18, the left-shot defenseman has 40 points in 30 games with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds this season.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that current United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the current front-runner to replace Donald Fehr as the NHLPA’s Executive Director. Dreger says an NHLPA board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, which could yield a vote on whether to instate Walsh as the league’s top player representative. The former mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, has a strong labor union background and is certainly an interesting selection.

Devin Shore Recalled From Conditioning Stint

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  • Late Sunday, the Oilers announced (Twitter link) that they recalled forward Devin Shore from his conditioning stint with AHL Bakersfield. The 28-year-old last played with Edmonton nearly a month ago and has just three assists in 29 games so far this season.  After a slow start with the Condors, Shore picked up five points in his final three games with them so it will be interesting to see if the Oilers find a way to get him into the lineup.  The team also confirmed the release of emergency goaltender Matt Berlin.  Berlin briefly played late in Saturday’s victory over Chicago.

Oilers Reportedly Interested In Nick Bjugstad

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  • Veteran Arizona Coyotes forward Nick Bjugstad has had a bit of a career resurgence in the desert, as his 21 points in 49 games this season are the most he’s scored in several years. His strong performance comes at a cheap price, as he’s playing on just a $900k cap hit for the rest of the season. The combination of Bjugstad’s improved play, cheap price tag, and veteran experience has apparently attracted more competitive clubs seeking to reinforce their forward group. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on tonight’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, the Edmonton Oilers are one of the teams with interest in Bjugstad. The Oilers have recently been running seven defensemen in their lineup, so the addition of Bjugstad could slot him in nicely as their fourth-line center providing coach Jay Woodcroft with a more traditional lineup.

Latest On Derek Ryan

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  • The Edmonton Oilers are considering signing depth forward Derek Ryan to a contract extension, writes The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman. (subscription link) The 36-year-old is playing on a $1.25MM cap hit this season, and Nugent-Bowman makes it clear that the Oilers will communicate to Ryan that any contract offer would come at a pay cut, “with the understanding that Ryan would be battling for no more than an 11th forward position and could be scratched more often on his new deal.” A veteran of nearly 500 NHL games, Ryan has scored eleven points in 45 games for the Oilers this season.

Devin Shore Sent On Conditioning Assignment

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The Edmonton Oilers have sent Devin Shore to the AHL on a conditioning loan, giving him the chance to get some game action. The veteran forward hasn’t played yet in 2023, last suiting up on New Year’s Eve and playing just over eight minutes.

Shore, 28, can stay for up to two weeks in the minor leagues on this loan, which doesn’t take him off the roster or remove his cap hit. To assign him for longer, the Oilers would have to expose him to waivers. Signed to a two-year contract in 2021 which carries an $850K cap hit, Shore hasn’t quite worked out for Edmonton as a bottom-six option.

Where he once was a 30-point man for the Dallas Stars, he now has just 23 in 116 total games for the Oilers. That includes just three assists this year, as Shore has failed to find the back of the net on any of his 17 shots. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for the team to expose him when they don’t need to but at some point, it seems like Shore is destined for waivers. When Kailer Yamamoto returns or they make a trade, cap space will be at a premium. His entire $850K deal can be buried in the minor leagues, should he clear, and the team isn’t receiving much value from him at the moment.

Puljujarvi Drawing Interest

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The Edmonton Oilers are getting Evander Kane back tonight, and while that is a good thing for most of the lineup, it’s not for everyone. There are rumblings that Jesse Puljujarvi could be a healthy scratch tonight, and Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the team recently had discussions with other teams about the big Finn.

Puljujarvi, 24, continues to be a strong defensive presence for the Oilers but just can’t seem to score, with just four goals and ten points this season. The fourth-overall pick from 2016 has 50 total goals in his 304-game NHL career, and carries a $3MM cap hit this season on a one-year deal.

Evander Kane Activated From Long-Term Injured Reserve

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As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have activated Evander Kane, allowing him to return just over two months after his scary wrist injury. To make room, the team has moved Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan Murray to long-term injured reserve. Today, the team announced that Yamamoto’s injury would keep him out weeks, while Murray – who has already been out for a while – is still dealing with a long-term absence.

Kane’s return comes at a key time for the Oilers, who are finally playing some consistent hockey and find themselves within striking distance of a divisional playoff spot. The club has won three in a row, including a statement win over the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

One of the biggest critiques of the Oilers this season has been a lack of emotion when things go wrong or players on the other team take liberties with Connor McDavid. While Kane isn’t an enforcer by any means, he does seem to light a fire under his teammates, and never shies away from physical battles. He also has done nothing but score since joining Edmonton, racking up 27 goals and 52 points in 57 regular season games.

It will be interesting to see how much ice time Kane receives in his return, but expect him to approach 20 minutes a night before long. With him in the lineup, the Oilers forward group looks much more imposing, even if it did come at the cost of Yamamoto.

With him and Murray on LTIR, the team actually has enough space to make another recall when necessary. That won’t be the case once he’s eligible to return, at which point some hard decisions will need to be made.

Evander Kane Could Return Tuesday

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While Oilers winger Evander Kane was believed to be well ahead of schedule, it was still expected that he’d be out a little while longer.  However, as team reporter Jamie Umbach relays, the veteran was a full participant in practice today and is hoping to be cleared to return to the lineup on Tuesday against Seattle.  Kane has missed the last 31 games after having his wrist sliced by a skate and would be a huge addition to their top six forward group.

However, the Oilers will have to make several roster moves in order to get cap-compliant to be able to activate Kane and his $5.125MM AAV from LTIR including the demotion of several players and the expected transfer of defenseman Ryan Murray to LTIR.  Postmedia’s David Staples examines the list of possible candidates to be waived in order to help free up that money and suggests that veteran center Derek Ryan might be the likeliest to hit the waiver wire, a move that would free up $1.125MM on the cap.

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