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Edmonton Oilers Extend Dmitri Samorukov, Sign Two Others

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The Edmonton Oilers announced Wednesday afternoon that they’ve signed defenseman Dmitri Samorukov to a one-year contract extension. The organization also signed forward James Hamblin and defenseman Vincent Desharnais, who were both on AHL deals with their affiliate in Bakersfield, to two-year contracts beginning next season. Per CapFriendly, Hamblin’s two-way deal carries a $807,500 cap hit and Desharnais’ carries a $762,500 cap hit. Samorukov’s is a one-way deal paying him $775,000.

Samorukov’s extension and Desharnais’ contract are both standard player contracts, while Hamblin’s is an entry-level deal.

Samorukov, a third-round pick of the team in 2017, is on the right track again after some injury troubles. He made his NHL debut earlier this season and the defensive defenseman has 11 points in 36 AHL games this season, already breaking his career-high of 10 set in 2019-20. He could get a faster track to the NHL under new Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft, considering the two know each other well by this point.

The Woodcroft connection also likely has a lot to do with Desharnais and Hamblin getting their deals. Desharnais has taken the long way to his first NHL deal, signing with the Condors in 2019 after finishing his college career at Providence. Since then, he’s graduated from a stint in the ECHL with the Wichita Thunder, and now has 18 points in 42 games with Bakersfield this year. He was actually a seventh-round pick of the Oilers in 2016, but his signing rights expired years ago.

Hamblin, just 22, signed with Bakersfield after three years as captain of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. He has a solid 12 goals and 20 points in 39 AHL games this season.

Brendan Perlini, Petteri Lindbohm Clear Waivers

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Mar 1: Johnston reports that both have cleared waivers. Either one can now be assigned to the minor leagues, though Lindbohm’s placement on waivers was simply to enter the NHL after playing overseas this season.

Feb 28: Two players have hit waivers today. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Brendan Perlini of the Edmonton Oilers and Petteri Lindbohm of the Florida Panthers have both been waived and are available to the rest of the league. Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Lindbohm has signed through the end of this season, and PuckPedia reports that it is a one-year, one-way, $750K contract for the European free agent.

This is the second time that Perlini has hit waivers this season, after he cleared in December. The 12th-overall pick from 2014 has been his frustratingly inconsistent self again this season, showing flashes of brilliance too often followed by long stretches of invisibility. The 6’3″ forward has all the raw tools to be an impact power forward at the NHL level, but still has just four goals and five points in 23 games for the Oilers this season.

It’s not that the team needs Perlini to step into a top-six role, but it’s very clear that the Jay Woodcroft-led coaching staff doesn’t trust him to play regular minutes in any lineup spot. In the nine games since he took over behind the bench, Perlini has played just twice and has seen the ice for a total (not average) of 11 minutes and one second. In yesterday’s loss to Carolina, he was given just nine shifts even in a game when they had just 11 forwards dressed and logged the lowest ice time of any forward on the Oilers.

With a $750K cap hit on a one-year deal, perhaps someone else will take a chance and try to coax out the player that scored 17 goals and 30 points in 2017-18, or even the one who had 12 goals in 46 games down the stretch for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018-19. But more likely Perlini is headed back to the minor leagues, where he has played two games for the Bakersfield Condors this season.

In Lindbohm’s case, it’s a very different story. The 28-year-old defenseman must have signed a contract with the Panthers after his KHL season came to an end with Jokerit pulling out of the postseason this weekend. The former St. Louis Blues player hasn’t seen NHL action since 2016-17, and has spent the last four seasons playing overseas.

A big, mobile defenseman, Lindbohm just won gold at the Olympics with Finland and has been a strong contributor at both the Swiss and KHL levels over the last few years. He has just 40 games of NHL experience, but would provide Florida with another depth option as they trek toward the playoffs.

Brad Malone Recalled; Kris Russell Moved To LTIR

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  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Brad Malone from the AHL, after playing yesterday with just 11 forwards. To accomplish it, Kris Russell was moved to long-term injured reserve, according to CapFriendly. Malone, signed to an NHL contract partway through the year, has yet to make his season debut for the Oilers.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kailer Yamamoto Out Today Against Carolina

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AHL Shuffle: 02/27/22

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After an exciting Saturday of hockey featuring an outdoor game, a 1-0 nail-biter, and a 10-7 thriller, the NHL is back in action Sunday with an eight-game slate, featuring what should be an exciting Edmonton Oilers vs. Carolina Hurricanes matinee.  We can still expect plenty of player movement throughout the day:

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have recalled forward Jonas Rondbjerg from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, Vegas assigned forward Jake Leschyshyn to Henderson. Leschyshyn has just one goal and three assists in 20 games this season for Vegas, but has put up a strong 12 goals and 12 assists in 31 games for Henderson this season. Rondbjerg, on the other hand, has had a remarkably similar season, tallying two goals and two assists in 16 games for Vegas, while putting up 11 goals and 12 assists in 31 games for Henderson this season. The team has also reassigned goaltender Logan Thompson to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have shifted veteran defenseman Kris Russell to long-term injured reserve, the team announced. Russell has been on IR since February  7 with an undisclosed injury, but with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto now sidelined, the team needed additional cap space to field a full roster, necessitating Russell’s transition. Brad Malone has received the call to fill that newfound space; the 32-year-old forward is in his fifth season with the Oilers organization, but hasn’t played in an NHL game since 2018-19.
  • With starter John Gibson likely to miss some time with an illness, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled young netminder Lukas Dostal from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Dostal, 21, has been very impressive in three appearances with the Ducks this season and certainly appears to have the makings of an NHL regular in the near future.
  • Rudolfs Balcers has been placed on injured reserve by the San Jose Sharks. Replacing him on the roster is Scott Reedy, the team announced. Reedy, 22, has played in five NHL games in his first pro season but has yet to record a point. However, the big center has 18 goals and 27 points in 38 games with the AHL Barracuda in an impressive rookie campaign.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Upper-Body Injury To Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

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  • Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins left today’s game with an upper-body injury with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector suggesting (via Twitter) that it looks like a shoulder issue. He took a hit from Florida’s Ryan Lomberg in the first period.  Nugent-Hopkins only has seven goals in 45 games this season but still sits third on Edmonton in points thanks to his 30 assists.

Josh Archibald Given Clean Bill Of Health

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  • Oilers winger Josh Archibald has been given a clean bill of health from doctors after his bout with myocarditis, reports Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. However, it’s still believed that his COVID vaccination status would limit his usefulness to Edmonton as he’d basically be restricted to Canadian-based games only.  Accordingly, the pending UFA – who carries a $1.5MM cap hit – may be more useful on a team based out of the United States although his trade value would certainly be limited.  Archibald is currently quarantining and will need some time to get into playing condition so he can remain on LTIR for the time being.

Snapshots: Niemelainen, Goloubef, Debunked Rumors

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The wallet of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Markus Niemelainen is a little lighter today. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced today that Niemelainen has been fined $2043.75 for cross-checking, the maximum fine allowed under the terms of the CBA. The incident in question occurred during the Oilers’ match-up with the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Niemelainen cross-checked Jets forward and fellow Finn Kristian Vesalainen in the third period as he cut toward the net on a scoring chance. Despite what in retrospect was an obvious and vicious cross-check to Vesalainen’s face, no penalty was called on the play. Niemelainen is somewhat fortunate to have escaped with only a fine in this situation.

  • Following multiple PTO’s with the AHL’s Belleville Senators this season, including suiting up for 11 games, veteran defenseman Cody Goloubef finally has a contract – except it isn’t with Belleville nor with Ottawa. Instead, the 32-year-old has signed a contract with SC Bern of the Swiss National League for the remainder of the season. Goloubef undoubtedly had his sights set on a return to Ottawa, having played in 29 games with the club over the last three seasons, but for whatever reason that did not come to fruition. An alternate captain for Belleville last season, Goloubef clearly still has strong ties to the Senators organization but it is unknown if he was offered a contract with the AHL Sens and opted to go to Switzerland instead. Bern gains a two-way defender with 160 NHL games to his credit as they fight to earn a playoff berth.
  • The nearer to the trade deadline, the more rumors begin to emerge and, of course, not all rumors are grounded in truth. Two such whispers that were put to rest this weekend revolved around Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub and Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel. While both the Sens and the Hawks are struggling again this season expect to be sellers at the deadline, they aren’t eager to move cost-controlled assets that are actually contributing on a regular basis. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports rather definitively that Zub will not be moved this season, which makes perfect sense. The 26-year-old is signed through next season at $2.5MM and while he will be an unrestricted free agent at that time, possibly making him a deadline target next season, the Senators don’t want to move on too quickly from a blue liner playing top pair minutes while also leading the team in plus/minus. In Chicago, the Blackhawks have even less reason to trade young winger Hagel, signed on for just $1.5MM AAV for two more years and still a restricted free agent after that. The 23-year-old is fourth on the team in scoring and second in goals, shooting percentage, and Corsi. While Chicago is understandably receiving interest in Hagel, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that they have zero interest in moving him.

Dave Tippett Reportedly Plans To Retire From Coaching Career

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PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan tweeted Saturday night that former NHL head coach Dave Tippett, who was let go by the Edmonton Oilers earlier in the season, plans to retire from his coaching career.

If true, that would conclude a 17-year NHL head coaching career for the now 60-year-old Tippett. He was fired by the Oilers after a 23-18-3 start to the season.

Tippett, a longtime NHL player as well, got his first crack as a head coach in the 2002-03 season with the Dallas Stars. After six seasons in Dallas, Tippett joined the Coyotes organization for the next eight years, serving as their head coach from 2009-2017. There, he guided the team to the 2012 Western Conference Finals and was the Jack Adams Award winner in 2010, his first year in Phoenix/Arizona. That year remains the only 50-win, 100-point season in franchise history.

Through 1,285 games as a head coach in the NHL, Tippett finishes with a 648-475-162 record. It’s an all-time points percentage of .567. In 82 playoff games, Tippett went 34-48.

 

Oilers Recall Colton Sceviour

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  • The Oilers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Colton Sceviour from Bakersfield of the AHL.  The veteran had actually been handed a two-game suspension for a hit on Canucks prospect Jack Rathbone earlier this week but has yet to serve either of those games.  Sceviour has two goals and three assists in 30 games with Edmonton this season plus a pair of helpers in four AHL contests.

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