Edmonton Oilers Recall Seven Players
The Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs on Friday, and as a result, the Oilers became free to call up players without fear of their absences negatively impacting their affiliate team. Today, the Oilers announced that they have called up seven players from the Condors, a group that will form the team’s “Black Aces,” or players who practice, travel, and remain ready for their NHL teams but typically do not see game action. Those seven players are:
- Stuart Skinner
- Philip Broberg
- Markus Niemelainen
- Dmitri Samorukov
- Dylan Holloway
- Seth Griffith
- Brad Malone
Perhaps the most significant name there is the goaltender, Skinner. In the unfortunate and unlikely circumstance that the Oilers’ starting goaltender, Mike Smith, gets injured or is otherwise unable to play, it’s possible that coach Jay Woodcroft could prefer to start Skinner over backup Mikko Koskinen, given their respective performances in the regular season. Koskinen played in 45 games this regular season and had a .903 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against-average. Skinner, on the other hand, posted a .913 save percentage this year, albeit in only 13 games of work at the NHL level.
The Oilers are obviously hoping that they won’t have to make such a choice, but now with Skinner and some top prospects such as Broberg, Holloway, and Samorukov in the fold, they have some more options in case this version of the Battle of Alberta proves to be especially violent.
Injury Notes: Crosby, Jarry, Draisaitl
After dropping back-to-back games against the New York Rangers to let them back into the series, there seems to be some great news on the health front for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby is practicing with the team on Saturday morning after sustaining a reported concussion during Game 5 in New York and subsequently missing Game 6.
Crosby saved his best hockey this season for the playoffs, notching nine points in five games, tied for the team lead with Jake Guentzel. It’s never good to see one of the best players of all time go down with an injury, but concussions are even scarier, especially with Crosby. He’s battled back from multiple hits to the head throughout his career to still maintain his status as one of the best of the best. The captain’s return to the lineup would be an incredible boost as they head into tomorrow’s Game 7 on the road at Madison Square Garden.
- That’s not all the good news today from Penguins practice. The Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh reports that ideal starting netminder Tristan Jarry is also practicing today, receiving the bulk of the work while fill-in Louis Domingue is primarily a spectator. Jarry, who had a .919 save percentage this season, hasn’t played since suffering a foot injury on April 15. Domingue has done as much as you’d expect a third-string netminder to do, guiding Pittsburgh to a 3-3 record with a .898 save percentage.
- Leon Draisaitl isn’t taking morning skate for the Edmonton Oilers, reports TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. While not necessarily an indication that he’ll miss tonight’s Game 7 against the Los Angeles Kings, it is surely confirmation that he isn’t playing at 100% health. He’s been dealing with an ankle injury throughout the series and, despite still managing eight points in six games, has been exposed defensively at numerous points during the series.
Philip Broberg Returned To AHL
- With Darnell Nurse now back from suspension and the Edmonton Oilers still alive, Philip Broberg has been returned to the AHL. That’s certainly an important transaction for the Bakersfield Condors, who are looking to stave off elimination themselves in their Calder Cup playoff series against the Stockton Heat. They’ll try to do just that tonight and can now insert Broberg back into the lineup, while Nurse retakes his place on the Oilers bench after serving his one-game ban.
2022 Ted Lindsay Award Finalists Announced
This week, the NHL has started to release the finalists for all the major regular season awards. After the Hart Trophy came out yesterday, the Ted Lindsay Award, given to “the most outstanding player in the NHL” as voted on by members of the NHLPA, is up.
The finalists this year are Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.
While the Lindsay very often mirrors the Hart, the notable difference is that the finalists are peer-selected. McDavid has already won the trophy three times, even taking it home in 2018 when he somehow finished fifth in Hart voting, despite leading the league in scoring. There’s no doubting his place among his fellow players, widely considered the best player in the world at the moment. After setting new career highs with 44 goals and 123 points, there’s certainly reason to believe they’ve put him on top of the mountain once again.
Matthews has more than a fighting chance though, after becoming just the third player in the salary cap era to score 60 goals in a single season. The Maple Leafs forward is the no-doubt best at putting the puck in the back of the net, and reached a new high with 106 points in just 73 games. Perhaps the front-runner for the Hart this season, it will be interesting to see if the players feel the same about the Toronto sniper.
Josi, meanwhile, is the only one of the three that didn’t end as a finalist for the Hart, as Igor Shesterkin took the third spot yesterday. It shows just how outstanding his season was and how much respect his peers have for the historic 96-point campaign he put together. That’s more than just a good year–it puts Josi among a list of the best offensive defensemen to ever play the game. Whether that was enough to draw the votes to pass the two big centers won’t be revealed until later on but it is still an impressive feat to get named a finalist in a year with so many incredible offensive performances.
2022 Hart Trophy Finalists Announced
It’s time for the big one. The NHL has announced the finalists for the Hart Trophy, given annually to the “player judged most valuable to his team.” Last year’s award went to Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, his second win after taking it home in 2017 as well.
This year’s finalists are McDavid, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers.
There’s not much to be said about the Oilers captain that hasn’t already been mentioned a million times. One of the most dynamic offensive players to ever grace the NHL, he reached new highs in goals and points this year with 44 and 123. It was the fourth time he has led the league in points, and this will be the fourth time he is a Hart finalist. With 697 points in his career already, he sits fourth in points/game among those who have played at least 450. Only Wayne Gretzky (1.92), Mario Lemieux (1.88), and the late Mike Bossy (1.50) sit ahead of McDavid’s 1.43 mark, an incredible accomplishment in this era.
Matthews, meanwhile, is a finalist for the second time after being the runner-up last season. Now the two-time Rocket Richard winner, the Maple Leafs forward is the best goal scorer in the league and reached a mark very rarely seen in today’s game. His 60 goals were the most since Steven Stamkos hit the same mark in 2011-12, and he became only the third player in the salary cap era to reach the mark (Alex Ovechkin has the top spot with 65 in 2007-08). More than just his goals though, it was Matthews’ overall production that skyrocketed this season, with the big center hitting 106 points in just 73 games.
Shesterkin is a first-time finalist, but if he continues to play at the level he established this season this certainly won’t be the last time he’s up for major awards. The 26-year-old netminder posted a .935 save percentage in 53 appearances and is the front-runner for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best netminder. Moreover, the Rangers were routinely critiqued for their defensive zone breakdowns this season as a young team, breakdowns that Shesterkin regularly rescued them from with incredible saves. The Hart hasn’t been won by a goaltender since Carey Price in 2015, when he nearly swept the field, taking home the Jennings, Vezina, and Lindsay as well. Price’s save percentage that season was actually .933, just a few points below what Shesterkin did this year.
Oilers Sign Carter Savoie
After signing him to an AHL tryout deal last month to allow him to finish off the year with AHL Bakersfield, it was only a matter of time before the Oilers worked out an entry-level contract with prospect winger Carter Savoie. As CapFriendly reports (Twitter link), that has now happened as the team has agreed to a three-year deal that begins this season. The pact carries a $925K AAV and does not contain any signing bonuses.
The 20-year-old was a fourth-round pick of Edmonton back in 2020 (100th overall) and it’s safe to say that he has outperformed that selection since then. Savoie was quite productive in his sophomore season with the University of Denver, finishing second on the Pioneers in scoring with 23 goals and 22 assists in just 39 games. After they won a national title, he decided to forego his remaining college eligibility and turned pro, getting into two games during the regular season but has yet to suit up in the playoffs.
Savoie has worked his way into being one of Edmonton’s more promising prospects over the last couple of years and while the Oilers will need some low-cost players to round out their roster next season, it’s unlikely that he will be able to make the jump right away on a full-time basis although the decision to start the deal this season makes him eligible to play in the playoffs now. Savoie has played in just a total of 65 games combined over the last two years so he’ll almost certainly need some time to adjust to the rigors of a full professional campaign. But if he continues to build on his performance this season, he’ll be worth waiting for.
Darnell Nurse Suspended One Game
As expected, the Edmonton Oilers will be without star defenseman Darnell Nurse when they try to stay alive tomorrow night. The Department of Player Safety has announced a one-game suspension following last night’s head-butting incident, ruling Nurse out for game six. As the accompanying video explains:
It is important to note that this is not an accidental collision that occurs when two players are moving at speed and heads collide when attempting to throw a legal body check. This is an unacceptable head-butt delivered with the top of the helmet, delivered with the top of the helmet directly to an opponent’s face, with force.
The DoPS also handed out a $5,000 fine to his Oilers’ teammate Zack Kassian, for the cross-check he delivered on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi last night.
For Nurse, it is a brutal decision that will leave his team shorthanded in the most important game of the season. The incident occurred late in the second period with the Kings on the powerplay, and was not penalized by the on-ice officials. As the league notes, there is no significant history of this behavior from the Oilers defenseman (at least in terms of supplementary discipline) as he has just one previous suspension–a three-game ban for serving as the aggressor in a 2016 fight.
There was also no injury on the play for Phillip Danault, who would go on to score in the third period and finish the game. Those factors will at least keep Nurse available for a game seven, should the series reach that.
It was actually Kassian’s cross-check that put the Oilers on the penalty kill in the first place, as he delivered a hard shot to the back of Durzi after the Kings’ defenseman was hit by Evander Kane. As Kane and Blake Lizotte engaged and received matching roughing penalties, Kassian cross-checked Durzi and took his own two-minute minor. Luckily, at least for the Oilers, it will only cost Kassian some money and not a chance to play in game six when they will need all hands on deck to avoid a disappointing series result.
In a related move, Edmonton recalled Philip Broberg from Bakersfield of the AHL. He played in 23 games with the Oilers during the regular season and could be an option to take Nurse’s place in the lineup.
Darnell Nurse To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The Edmonton Oilers are on the brink of elimination and they may now be without their best defenseman. Darnell Nurse will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety today, after head-butting Los Angeles Kings forward Phillip Danault last night.
The incident in question happened on the penalty kill, as the Oilers tried to shoulder a barrage from the Kings, and Nurse was tangled with Danault in front of the net. As Mike Smith covered up a shot, Nurse extended up and through Danault, connecting helmet with chin. The play was not penalized by the on-ice officials, in what was a very physical contest.
If Nurse is suspended, which seems likely at this point, the Oilers will be heading to Los Angeles with some questions to answer on defense. The team is carrying seven defensemen at the moment with Kris Russell serving as the extra, and also have Philip Broberg that they could insert into the lineup with a recall. Either way, it will be a tough task for the team given Nurse’s importance.
Even while he deals with an injury, the 27-year-old is still averaging nearly 22 minutes a night and has two points in five games.
Snapshots: Scheifele, Sharks, Kuzmenko
Despite some ominous comments earlier in the week, it turns out that Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele did not request a trade in his exit interview with GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Schiefele had expressed concern over the direction of the team after the Jets missed the playoffs this season, which raised some eyebrows in the media and across the league. Scheifele is signed through the next two seasons, so if he was unhappy enough with the situation, he would have had to request a trade, which likely would have occurred during his exit interview this week. Instead, the situation remains status quo in Winnipeg, at least for now. If the Jets, who have a lot of money tied up in long-term contracts, cannot find a way to improve the roster within their salary cap restrictions early this offseason, Scheifele’s position could change. The 29-year-old center has the ability and the contract to draw immense interest if he does hit the trade block this summer.
- Friedman notes that another team who could be in the star trading business this offseason are the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks reportedly held preliminary trade discussions with multiple teams this season regarding Erik Karlsson, and those talks could continue over the summer. The Sharks need to first name a new general manager, for which a search is ongoing, but the expectation is that whoever the team hires will be directed to retool rather than rebuild. In order to get more competitive sooner rather than later, the Sharks need to add more high-end depth to their lineup and need more cap space to do so. Moving all or even part of Karlsson’s five remaining years at $11.5MM would help immensely and the trade return wouldn’t hurt either. However, is it realistic to expect the Sharks to find a team both willing and able to add Karlsson? Friedman suggests that Brent Burns, who has three years remaining at $8MM, might be easier to move and would still accomplish the task of redistributing a mass amount of cap space from the right side of the blue line to be used elsewhere in the lineup. The Sharks are also expected to evaluate their options with Marc-Edouard Vlasic this offseason, whose remaining four years at $7MM could prove impossible to move but could be bought out instead.
- While the Jets and the Sharks will be looking for outside-the-box ways to improve this summer, neither team appears to be in the race for KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko. Friedman lists the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights as the finalists for the Russian winger’s services. Kuzmenko, 26, initially drew interest from at least 20 NHL teams, but now that his KHL contract has expired as of May 1 and he has begun actual negotiations, the list has been trimmed considerably. Kuzmenko is coming off of a career year in the KHL, recording 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games for SKA St. Petersburg, plus another 14 points in 16 playoff games. While he would be brand new to the NHL and his international experience is somewhat limited as well, Kuzmenko could be an affordable impact forward right away next season.
Oilers Assign Tyler Tullio And Jake Chiasson To Bakersfield
- The Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield announced a pair of roster moves today. They’ve added winger Tyler Tullio from OHL Oshawa and forward Jake Chiasson from WHL Brandon with their junior playoffs coming to an end. Tullio was a fifth-round pick in 2020 (126th overall) and led the Generals in scoring with 42 goals and 44 assists in 65 games, a 25-point gap for that scoring title. Meanwhile, Chiasson, a 2021 fourth-rounder (116th overall), was limited to just 20 games for the Wheat Kings this season due to injury but still contributed with six goals and a dozen assists.