- Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg, who was scratched for today’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks, missed the game with an injury he suffered yesterday, head coach Jay Woodcroft confirmed postgame, via The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman. Given Broberg’s play in 11 games this season, a healthy scratch wouldn’t be confusing, but certainly wasn’t deserved either, so news of an injury does make sense. It also further explains the decision to recall fellow defenseman Markus Niemelainen yesterday. Woodcroft did not elaborate further on the details or severity of Broberg’s injury.
Oilers Rumors
Brad Malone Clears Waivers
Saturday: Malone has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. He has been assigned to AHL Bakersfield while Foegele has been activated off injured reserve.
Friday: The Edmonton Oilers have placed Brad Malone on waivers after being scratched for last night’s game.
Malone was replaced by James Hamblin, who ended up playing just over five minutes as the Oilers once again relied heavily on their top six. The reason for the waiving, though, is likely the imminent return of Warren Foegele, which will give the team a more reliable option.
Foegele has been out since November 26 and was averaging a little more than 12 minutes on the year. While that may not sound like a lot, the way the Oilers deploy their forwards makes it relatively significant. Last night, for instance, Hamblin, Derek Ryan, Jesse Puljujarvi, Devin Shore, Klim Kostin, and Dylan Holloway each played fewer than 11 minutes, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl approached 30.
Malone, in his ten games with the Oilers this season, hasn’t scored a point. Should he clear, the 33-year-old will return to the Bakersfield Condors, where he serves as captain. Despite more than 200 games of NHL experience, he is an unlikely claim even for clubs looking at reinforcing their bottom six.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Markus Niemelainen
The Edmonton Oilers have made a roster move, recalling defenseman Markus Niemelainen from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Niemelainen was sent to Bakersfield in late November, and now finds himself back on the Oilers’ roster after a 10-game stint in the AHL.
Niemelainen, 24, was a third-round pick of the Oilers at the 2016 draft, and has developed steadily since that point. The rangy six-foot-six Finn played two seasons in the OHL before making the jump to professional hockey in Liiga. Niemelainen crossed the Atlantic once again in 2020-21 to play for Bakersfield, and he made his NHL debut last season.
In 20 games last year Niemelainen had one assist, skating just over 13 minutes per night with over a minute on the penalty kill. So far this year, Niemelainen’s usage in 15 NHL games played has been light. He averages under ten minutes of ice time per night, and his time on the penalty kill has declined as well.
At the AHL level, though, Niemelainen’s overall role reflects what the Oilers are likely hoping he can develop into on their NHL squad. Niemelainen plays top-four minutes in Bakersfield with a heavy dosage of penalty-killing time, and that reflects the Oilers’ faith that he can potentially develop into a shutdown specialist at the NHL level.
Now back with the main roster, Niemelainen will hope to earn more ice time from coach Jay Woodcroft and continue his development at the game’s highest level.
Edmonton Oilers Looking For Defense
The Edmonton Oilers can score, everyone knew that. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl rank first and second respectively in league scoring, each well ahead of third-place Tage Thompson. Even Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman are among the league’s best, sitting tied for 13th and 20th in points. The thing they can’t do is keep the puck out of their net.
Last night was a great example. After getting out to a 3-1 lead over the St. Louis Blues halfway through the third period, the ice tilted and the Oilers defense couldn’t handle it. First Robert Thomas, then Vladimir Tarasenko – shorthanded – scored to bring the Blues back and force overtime. A shootout loss and another blown point for Edmonton, who sit fourth in the Pacific Division after 31 games with a 17-13-1 record.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, then, when Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Oilers have already been doing some due diligence on defensemen that might be available this season. LeBrun lists John Klingberg and Joel Edmundson among the names that the team has already looked into, though those two in particular offer very different skill sets.
The interesting part of any Oilers trade speculation though, is how their cap situation will be affected. The team currently has some wiggle room but that is provided by Evander Kane’s placement on long-term injured reserve. When he is ready to return, it would seriously complicate things. Adding a difference-making defenseman would be difficult in that scenario, even with salary retention from a rebuilding club.
That reality will only fuel the Jesse Puljujarvi speculation that continues to suggest this will be his last season with Edmonton. If the team is going to cut bait in the summer, they might as well do it a bit early to clear some cap room.
Either way, the Oilers can’t keep letting games slip through their fingers if they want to be a serious contender in the Western Conference. With Philip Broberg not yet ready to elevate the defense corps, they’ll have to look elsewhere for an answer on the back end.
Oilers Reportedly Interested In Joel Edmundson?
- The Montreal Canadiens have been better than expected this season, as they were the NHL’s worst team last year but have hovered around the .500 mark so far in 2022-23. Despite that, the team is still anticipated to engage other teams as a seller in next year’s trade market, and one of the players reportedly garnering interest from other teams is defenseman Joel Edmundson. On TSN’s Insider Trading segment, LeBrun reported that the Edmonton Oilers had interest in adding Edmundson, a 2019 Stanley Cup champion who has taken an important leadership role on a young Canadiens team.
Puljujarvi Trade Likely, Will Take Time; Oilers Confirmed to Host Flames In Heritage Classic
Earlier this week, an interview with Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi in a Finnish newspaper came out, with Puljujarvi saying in sum that he wants to be a productive first line forward, but isn’t sure if he can do that in the NHL. His frustration and lack of confidence is a bit understandable, the former fourth-overall pick struggling to just six points in 28 games to start the season. Last night on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman gave an update on the winger and where things stand with Edmonton. According to Friedman, the Oilers and Puljujarvi’s representatives agreed before the season that if things did not go well for Puljujarvi, that Edmonton would try to move him.
- Also from Hockey Night In Canada’s 32 Thoughts last night, the NHL has confirmed that the Heritage Classic will be returning to Edmonton next season. The game is expected to be played at Commonwealth Stadium sometime in October and will feature a Battle of Alberta between the Oilers and the Calgary Flames.
Five Players Clear Waivers
Dec 9: All five players have cleared, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Rooney, Benson, Kaut, and Carpenter can now be assigned to the minor leagues, while Berglund’s contract will be terminated.
Dec 8: It’s a busy Thursday on the waiver wire, as Kevin Rooney of the Calgary Flames, Tyler Benson of the Edmonton Oilers, Martin Kaut of the Colorado Avalanche, and Ryan Carpenter of the New York Rangers are all available for claim, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Boston Bruins defenseman Victor Berglund has also been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
Rooney, 29, has not worked out quite as well as the Flames had hoped when they signed him to a two-year, $2.6MM contract in July. After scoring six goals and 12 points in 61 games last season for the New York Rangers, the depth forward has just a single assist in 17 matches for Calgary.
With today’s recall of Matthew Phillips, it appears as though the Flames will go in a different direction for their bottom six. Rooney’s contract will likely keep him from being claimed, though, meaning he can stay with the organization and try to get his game back on track. By moving him to the minor leagues, $1.125MM of his $1.3MM cap hit would come off the books.
For Benson, it’s not quite so rosy. The 24-year-old has played two games with the Oilers this season, barely seen the ice during them, and has no contract security past this year. The 32nd overall pick from 2016 has never been able to stick in the NHL despite strong numbers in the minor leagues, and appears to be a potential non-tender candidate next summer as an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.
Kaut, 23, already cleared waivers at the beginning of this season, but had landed a regular spot in the Colorado lineup since and needed them again to go back to the minor leagues. The 2018 first-round pick has three points in 18 games this year, and was on the ice for multiple goals against in last night’s 4-0 loss to the Bruins.
The Avalanche haven’t been able to find any mix of depth forwards they are happy with, and continue to make changes on a near-daily basis. Kaut’s waiver placement doesn’t necessarily mean he’s headed back down, given all of the injuries they have. He also could be claimed, given his relatively young age and draft pedigree.
Carpenter, like Rooney, hasn’t been able to find the same level of play he had last season with his new team. The Rangers forward has just three points in 21 games and has become a fringe option, moving in and out of the lineup. Even with his familiarity with head coach Gerrard Galant, the Rangers can’t keep putting Carpenter out there without some more consistent play.
Berglund, 23, was picked 195th overall in 2017 and signed his entry-level deal in 2020. It is set to expire at the end of the year and he has barely played this season, meaning the two sides are just splitting a little early so he can chase a job somewhere else. The Swedish defenseman will be an unrestricted free agent and is likely headed back to Europe.
Jesse Puljujärvi Frustrated With Play
- After scoring just one goal in 26 games this season, offensive struggles are beginning to weigh on Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi. Puljujärvi told a Finnish news agency today (translated) that “of course, I’d like to be a productive top-line player, but right now, it looks like I can’t do that in NHL. Maybe some other league.” The Finn had a career year last season with 36 points in 65 games and even received some Selke votes, but his play on both sides of the puck has dipped this year. Hopefully, the Oilers can help Puljujärvi figure out a way to regain his confidence.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Kailer Yamamoto
The Edmonton Oilers activated winger Kailer Yamamoto off injured reserve Monday, per CapFriendly, and he’ll return to the lineup tonight against the Washington Capitals.
Tonight, he essentially replaces Zach Hyman in the lineup. He’s not dressed due to an injury suffered on a Joel Edmundson cross-check to the face against Montreal on Saturday.
Yamamoto returns after missing nearly a month with an undisclosed injury. He hasn’t been healthy all season after sustaining near the end of the preseason, and it explains his poor production with just three assists in 13 games.
With Evander Kane out of the lineup, the Oilers need more help from Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujärvi to get points on the board. The team hopes a healthy and refreshed Yamamoto can slide back into a top-six role and provide much-needed depth scoring.
Longtime Scout Barry Fraser Passes Away At 82
- A sad bit of news, as the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that longtime scout Barry Fraser passed away this morning at the age of 82. Professionally, Fraser was best known for being an instrumental piece in building the Edmonton Oilers. The entire staff of PHR sends their condolences to Fraser’s family and friends.