Atlantic Notes: Skinner, Lundell, Gadjovich
While Sabres fans likely have a bad taste in their mouth after last night’s 9-4 defeat at the hands of the Blue Jackets, it’s not all bad in northern New York. Star winger Jeff Skinner was a full participant in practice today for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury last Wednesday against the Avalanche and could be a game-time decision against the Maple Leafs tomorrow, head coach Don Granato told reporters (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550).
The injury has kept Skinner out of the last three games, during which the Sabres have gone 1-2-0 with a -4 goal differential. He is one of three Sabres forwards on the injured list, joining Jordan Greenway and Zemgus Girgensons. His absence hasn’t helped a Sabres team that’s slipping further out of the playoff picture every day, now sitting squarely in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a 13-17-3 record and 29 points.
It has been a trying season for the team, but Skinner has done his job for the most part. Through 30 games, he’s tied for the team lead in goals with 12 and is now on pace to score 32 this season if he stays healthy. That would be his third straight season above the 30-goal mark, the longest streak of his career. It’s been quite the revival for the 31-year-old Skinner, who’s rebounded nicely since a 2020-21 campaign in which he scored just seven goals in 53 games. His services may not be worth the $9MM cap hit he’s locked into until 2027, but he remains a bonafide top-six winger and one of the team’s highest-scoring threats.
Skinner is currently on injured reserve, although the Sabres have an open spot on their roster after assigning Brett Murray to AHL Rochester this morning.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division today:
- Panthers center Anton Lundell will be a game-time decision against the Blues on Thursday as he deals with an illness, head coach Paul Maurice said today. Lundell has missed the last three games with the ailment, which was severe enough to warrant being placed on injured reserve on Monday. The 22-year-old is still in the development stage of his career after the Panthers selected him 12th overall in the 2020 draft, but his stagnating offensive totals since his 44-point rookie season cause some concern. Through 28 games this year, Lundell has two goals and ten assists for 12 points and a +4 rating while averaging 15:38 per game.
- Sticking with Florida, Maurice also confirmed winger Jonah Gadjovich will remain out with an illness for tomorrow’s game. Since signing a one-year deal with the Panthers a few days after the season began in October, the fourth-line grinder has played in nine games, recording one assist and a whopping 43 penalty minutes while averaging 6:42 per contest. He has been unavailable for the team’s last two contests but was a healthy scratch in three preceding games, meaning he hasn’t suited up since December 8 against the Penguins.
Nolan Patrick Walks Back Reports That He’s Retired
3:00 PM: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported that Nolan Patrick has not officially retired from the NHL, despite previous reports. Friedman shared that Patrick declined to comment further.
11:00 AM: Former Flyers and Golden Knights center Nolan Patrick has officially retired from the NHL, multiple sources reported Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The 25-year-old was an unrestricted free agent and has not played since March 2022 due to a migraine disorder. The Flyers’ 2017 second-overall pick and son of former NHL winger Steve Patrick has been hired as a skills coach by The Power Play, a hockey coaching program run by former NHL forward Jayce Hawryluk.
It’s been challenging to watch Patrick’s consistent migraine issues for all hockey fans. After a 2015-16 season in which Patrick finished fifth in WHL scoring with 41 goals, 61 assists and 102 points in 71 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings, he was viewed as the slam-dunk first-overall pick in the upcoming 2017 draft.
However, Patrick’s significant injury issues began during the 2016 WHL Playoffs. He sustained a sports hernia injury late in the postseason and, despite having prompt surgery to repair the hernia, complications would arise from the surgery early in the 2016-17 season. Those complications limited him to 33 games with Brandon that year, and although he still excelled with 20 goals and 46 points, his point-production pace took a small step backward from the year before. He also missed the chance to play for Canada in that year’s World Junior Championship, leading eventual Devils captain Nico Hischier to usurp him as the first-overall selection in 2017.
Patrick signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers promptly after the draft. However, the team quickly announced Patrick would miss their offseason development activities as he was recovering from a second abdominal surgery performed just days before the draft. Thankfully, it didn’t stop him from being a full-time player at age 19 during his rookie season with the Flyers, in which he logged 13 goals and 30 points in 73 games while averaging 13:43 per game. The season didn’t result in any Calder Trophy recognition, but it did seem like his development into a future star in Philadelphia was back on track. Unfortunately, his 73 games and 13 goals would both be career-highs.
He was able to stay the course and avoid injury issues in the 2018-19 campaign, but his point production didn’t break out like most expected. Playing in 72 games, he matched last season’s goal total and added one more assist, essentially putting up the same stat line despite an increase in ice time.
However, during the following offseason, the Flyers announced Patrick had been diagnosed with a migraine disorder, which the diagnosing physician believed to be genetic and not related to a hockey injury. While he would begin skating with the team months into the season, the COVID pandemic started shortly after that, and he could not participate in the league’s Return to Play protocol, keeping him out for the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign. That was the first of two seasons Patrick would be held out entirely due to migraine issues.
A restricted free agent after the expiration of his entry-level contract, Patrick signed a one-year qualifying offer to remain with the team and cleared medical protocols to begin the 2020-21 season on the active roster, playing his first NHL game in nearly two full calendar years. He was still feeling the effects of his migraine disorder, however, and it reflected in his performance. By any metric, Patrick was one of the worst players in the league that year, posting four goals and nine points in 52 games with a staggering -30 rating, the worst on a Flyers team that failed to make the playoffs but still finished above the .500 mark.
Logically, that season led both the Flyers and Patrick to want an amicable departure and a fresh start for the former high-flying prospect. In July 2021, the Flyers traded Patrick to the Golden Knights in the ill-fated three-way trade with the Predators that saw high-end defenseman Ryan Ellis end up with the Flyers. Ellis played just four games in a Philadelphia sweater before a poorly-handled injury to his psoas muscle ended his career.
After acquiring his signing rights, Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon, who had presided over Patrick’s junior tenure in Brandon, signed him to a two-year, $2.4MM contract. With his migraine disorder still ongoing, however, Patrick would play just 25 games for Vegas in 2021-22, recording two goals and seven points while averaging 11:30 per game. He was one of many Golden Knights players who missed significant time that season, leading the franchise to miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
While Patrick was under contract with Vegas last season, he remained on long-term injured reserve for the whole campaign and did not suit up in any games en route to the Golden Knights’ run to the 2023 Stanley Cup. Vegas did not tender Patrick a qualifying offer last summer, and thus, he became an unrestricted free agent. The Winnipeg-born center finishes his NHL career with 32 goals, 45 assists, 77 points, and a -36 rating across 222 games.
All of us at PHR wish Patrick health and fulfillment in his post-playing career.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Blues Assign Hugh McGing To AHL
The Blues have assigned forward Hugh McGing to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, general manager Doug Armstrong said today. McGing will get extended playing time in the minors over the holidays while the NHL roster freeze is in effect until December 28.
St. Louis recalled McGing, 25, for his first stint on the NHL roster in 2023-24 earlier this month. He’s played in all five of the Blues’ games since his recall but has struggled mightily, posting no points and a -5 rating while averaging 8:23 per game. The Western Michigan grad attempted five shots, went one for seven in the faceoff circle, and posted a 42.9% Corsi share at even strength.
McGing is in his sixth season in the Blues organization. The Blues acquired his NHL rights by making him the 138th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft after the 5-foot-8, 176-pound forward notched nine goals, 21 assists, 30 points, 40 PIMs, and a -7 rating in 36 games in his sophomore season with the Broncos.
After two more seasons at Western Michigan with similar production and serving as captain in his senior season, McGing inked a two-year entry-level contract with the Blues in March 2020. He’s now on his third NHL contract, inking a pair of one-year extensions after his initial contract expired to remain in the organization.
McGing has played primarily in the minors for the Blues’ top-level affiliates since turning pro in 2020. However, he did earn his first set of NHL recalls last season and made his major-league debut on April 12, 2023, logging 9:37 in a 5-2 loss against the Stars. His AHL production is pacing for career highs this season with four goals, 11 assists and 15 points in 21 games, a 0.71 points-per-game pace. His previous career-high pace was 0.55, set with Springfield last season.
McGing does not need to clear waivers to return to Springfield as he’s played fewer than ten games and remained on the NHL roster for fewer than 30 days since clearing waivers in October when he was cut from the Blues’ training camp roster. The Chicago-born forward will be a restricted free agent next summer and is eligible for salary arbitration. With no corresponding transaction, the Blues have one open spot on the active roster.
Minor Transactions: 12/20/23
It’s another busy day across the world of professional hockey, even though there are just three total contests on the NHL schedule. In Europe, big games are set to be played in Czechia, Finland, Slovakia, and more while in North America there are some intriguing contests not just on the NHL schedule but in the AHL as well.
Although the NHL’s annual holiday roster freeze will now stop player movement in the NHL, player transactions are still happening across the wider world of pro hockey. As always, we’ll keep track of those moves here.
- 2018 New York Islanders second-round pick Bode Wilde has transferred from Slovakia’s HC Banska Bystrica to the EIHL’s Cardiff Devils. Wilde has made the decision to leave his Slovak club after just 21 games there, ending a tenure that began when he signed there in the offseason. Signing with Banska Bystrica marked Wilde’s return to European pro hockey (he spent 2020-21 with HockeyAllsvenskan’s Västerviks IK) and he finishes his time there with nine points in 21 games. The six-foot-three former U.S. National Team Development Program defenseman now heads to Cardiff to join one of the EIHL’s top teams this season.
- Atro Leppänen, one of the fastest-rising players in Finnish pro hockey, has had an option in his contract exercised by his club Vaasan Sport, meaning he will remain with the club for an additional season. The 25-year-old defenseman was playing in Finland’s fourth tier of hockey as recently as 2018-19, before eventually becoming the second-tier Mestis’ top-scoring defenseman last season. That earned him a shot in Liiga with Sport, and he has excelled so far in his rookie year. His eight goals and 15 points rank inside the top-15 in league defensive scoring and his 23:07 average time-on-ice per game is currently tied for the fourth-highest in the entire Liiga. He’s undoubtedly been a revelation for Sport and the decision to retain his services for another season was likely an easy one for the club.
- Veteran forward Jonas Berglund, a veteran of nearly 400 SHL games, has signed a two-year contract extension with his current club Luleå Hockey. Berglund, 33, is now in his seventh consecutive campaign at Luleå, the club he developed at starting as a youth player. Although he’s never been a major offensive contributor, the defensive forward has been a consistent presence in the team’s lineup through a highly successful period in club history. While championship glory has eluded Berglund and Luleå, in Berglund’s most recent stretch the club has reached both the SHL and Champions Hockey League finals as well as an additional SHL and CHL semifinal. The hope will be that within this season and the additional two covered by this extension Berglund and Luleå will be able to finally take home some hardware after getting so close over the past few years.
- Veteran forward Jonathan Hazen has signed a two-year contract extension with an option for a third year with Swiss National League side HC Ajoie, a club he has represented since 2015-16. Although the former Val d’Or Foreurs and Cincinnati Cyclones star never quite made it past the ECHL in North America, he has become one of the best and most important players in Ajoie’s club history. A member of the Swiss second division when he joined, Ajoie has now been part of the first-tier National League and is in its third season with that status. Hazen, who ranks fourth in all-time scoring for the club, scored a whopping 81 points in 46 games en route to the club’s promotion, and his 33 points in 38 games helped save the club from relegation last season. With 12 goals and 21 points in 23 games this year, Hazen remains Ajoie’s most important offensive player and a key piece in Ajoie’s efforts to avoid relegation once again this season.
- The ECHL’s Florida Everblades have acquired former Vegas Golden Knights fourth-round pick Slava Demin from the Allen Americans in exchange for future considerations. Demin, 23, is in his rookie professional campaign, having concluded a five-year NCAA career last spring. He suited up for three college hockey programs in that span: Denver, UMass, and Merrimack College. Although he never quite put together an overwhelming offensive season Demin’s size allowed him to be an imposing physical presence at times. He’s scored five points with a -15 rating for the Americans and will now join the blueline group with the Everblades, a team that has surrendered the second-fewest goals in the ECHL. He replaces forward Jake Bricknell on the Everblades’ roster, who was released after just one game.
- 2018-19 Hobey Baker Award finalist Patrick Newell appears on his way out from his ECHL club the Orlando Solar Bears, potentially ending his comeback to North American hockey after just 14 games played. The 27-year-old former St. Cloud State University star signed his entry-level contract with the New York Rangers after as stellar 47-point senior season. He only managed 13 points in his rookie AHL campaign, though, and by the end of 2020-21 he had played his way out of the AHL. He left for Norway, where he starred for Stjernen Hockey, and then split last season between the ICEHL’s Fehérvár AV19 in Hungary and HockeyAllsvenskan’s Södertälje SK in Sweden, helping the latter club reach the postseason.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Toronto Maple Leafs Reassign Maxime Lajoie
The Toronto Maple Leafs have reassigned defenseman Maxime Lajoie to their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. The move reduces Toronto’s active roster from a full 23-man unit to 22.
Lajoie, 26, heads back to the AHL after a stint in the NHL that included three games played and was mostly spent as a healthy scratch. His three games of action came during the team’s winning streak against the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, and New York Rangers, and saw him average a shade under 10 minutes of ice time per game.
The former Ottawa Senator has 74 career NHL games on his resume, although he’s better-known for his exploits in the AHL. The 2021-22 Calder Cup champion scored 11 goals and 45 points for the Chicago Wolves last season, ranking as one of the more productive blueliners in the AHL.
He was signed to bolster the Marlies’ defensive unit, acting as a key veteran piece for a squad hoping to contend for a Calder Cup. He’s been that experienced veteran addition so far this year, though his offensive production has not yet come in full force since he has just five points in 14 games. With this reassignment, Lajoie will have a shot to resume his AHL role as a crucial, productive two-way defenseman.
Detroit Red Wings Place Ville Husso On Injured Reserve
Ville Husso, who left the Detroit Red Wings’ game early two days ago with an apparent knee injury has been placed on injured reserve by the franchise. This news comes after it was revealed yesterday by head coach Derek Lalonde that Husso would be out of commission on a week-to-week basis.
This IR placement clears a spot on Detroit’s 23-man roster, perhaps for the team to use to recall veteran netminder Michael Hutchinson, who they signed to an NHL deal yesterday. With Alex Lyon out “until at least after Christmas,” according to Lalonde, Husso’s injury leaves the Red Wings with just one healthy goalie on their active roster.
Seeing as the Red Wings have a game against the Winnipeg Jets tonight, a move to add a backup to the roster behind James Reimer should be expected. With Husso’s IR placement, room for that move has been created.
Husso, 28, is in the midst of a second season as Detroit’s number-one goalie. He signed a $4.75MM AAV contract in the summer of 2022 in order to take that role for Detroit, and he was only okay last year. He had his moments, but his .896 save percentage reflected a need to play with more consistency. He did play in 56 games last season, though, and has already played in 18 this year.
So far this season, Husso has gone 9-5-2 with a 3.53 goals-against-average and .893 save percentage. In his absence, the Red Wings will turn to Reimer, who has a .908 save percentage this season.
Arizona Coyotes Reassign Milos Kelemen
Late last night, the Arizona Coyotes reassigned forward Milos Kelemen to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.
The move ends Kelemen’s more than month-long stay on the NHL roster, a stay that included the chance for him to play in 10 NHL games. He averaged 7:40 time-on-ice in this stretch of NHL games, time spent entirely at even strength. He registered one assist, 14 hits, and three blocked shots.
The 24-year-old Slovak winger signed with the Coyotes in 2022 out of BK Mladá Boleslav of the Czech Extraliga. Although he had only scored 18 points in 44 games for the club that season, his nine goals and 12 points in just 14 playoff games helped lead Mladá Boleslav to the Exttraliga semifinals. He was also named the rookie of the year of the Extraliga.
Kelemen had also featured on the Slovak national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics, a team that famously took home a bronze medal and featured 2022 number-one overall pick Juraj Slafkovský.
So far in North America, Kelemen has found a nice home as a depth forward for the Coyotes. He scored 14 goals and 30 points in his 59-game rookie AHL campaign, helping Tucson reach the AHL playoffs. He also got into a total of 14 NHL games and managed to score his first NHL goal.
Moving forward, Kelemen is likely to resume a top-six role with the Roadrunners, where he’ll look to put together a solid stretch of production that might earn him another call-up opportunity with the Coyotes down the road.
Buffalo Sabres Reassign Brett Murray
In the aftermath of the Buffalo Sabres’ 9-4 dismantling at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team has reassigned forward Brett Murray to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
The reassignment is generally seen as an indication that Jordan Greenway is ready to return to the ice for the team. Greenway, who has scored seven points in 21 games this season, has been out since December 2nd.
Murray did not skate in the team’s loss last night, his spot in the lineup going to a newly returned Jack Quinn, who played 14:35 time-on-ice in yesterday’s game. Murray returns to the AHL having skated in two NHL contests, the first two such games of his season. His first game was the team’s victory over the Arizona Coyotes on December 11th, and then his second was five days ago against the Vegas Golden Knights.
A 25-year-old forward standing six-foot-five, 228 pounds, Murray has become a useful call-up option for the Sabres. He brings scoring ability in the AHL (he potted 23 goals and 49 points last season) alongside grit and physicality in his limited NHL roles.
A pending restricted free agent playing on a league-minimum contract, Murray will head back to Rochester with the hope of resuming his scoring role there so he can eventually earn another NHL call-up.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens
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 Montreal Canadiens.
Who are the Canadiens thankful for?
Mike Matheson has had a tale of two careers.
He was good in his first few seasons in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, showcasing his terrific skating and his ability to carry the puck out of the defensive zone. But shortly after signing an eight-year extension the warts in his game began to show and he became a lightning rod for criticism in the Sunshine State.
It wasn’t long after that Matheson was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Colton Sceviour for Patric Hornqvist. Matheson was able to rehabilitate his game and looked like a good fit with the Penguins long-term. However, Penguins general manager Ron Hextall inexplicably wanted to change up the Penguins’ defense and in one day bulldozed his defense core by trading John Marino to New Jersey and Matheson to the Canadiens. Both trades have been a disaster for the Penguins, but the Matheson one stings for several reasons.
Since coming over to Montreal, the 29-year-old Matheson has dressed in 79 games, during that time he has 13 goals and 42 assists and has averaged almost 25 minutes a night in ice-time. He has been a catalyst for the Canadiens offense, and a mentor to many of Montreal’s young defensemen.
Although he has dealt with some injury issues, Matheson has been a driving force for the Canadiens and one that should continue to be an important piece for them in the coming seasons.
What are the Canadiens thankful for?
The Jeff Petry trades.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens made a trade back in July 2022 that sent defenseman Matheson to Pittsburgh in exchange for veteran defenseman Petry and Ryan Poehling. It was a questionable trade at the time for the Penguins as they were giving up a much younger defenseman for a 36-year-old defender with an inflated cap hit. A year after the deal, it’s safe to say that the trade was an absolute heist by the Canadiens. Jeff Petry has been traded twice since the original trade and Poehling was non-tendered and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Petry was traded by the Penguins to the Canadiens this past August in a move that Pittsburgh had to make to facilitate the Erik Karlsson trade. The Penguins traded Petry, goalie Casey DeSmith, forward Nathan Legare and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick. Hoffman was then moved to the Sharks and Pitlick has toiled in the AHL.
The trade was a great move for Montreal to acquire two futures while unloading two bad contracts. But they weren’t done yet. The Canadiens then traded Petry to the Detroit Red Wings for little-used defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2025. Finally, Montreal was able to complete the trade tree by shipping DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks for Tanner Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick.
When all was said and done, the Canadiens were able to turn Pitlick, Hoffman, and a retained salary on Petry into Legare, Pearson, Lindstrom, and three 2025 draft picks. It was a creative move by Montreal, that will help them continue to build up their farm system or allow them to acquire additional players should they be more of a contending team in 2025.
What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?
A Josh Anderson resurgence.
Many critics panned the Canadiens’ trade for Anderson back in October 2020 and for good reason, the trade was followed by the announcement of a seven-year $38.5MM extension that seemed like a massive overpay. In hindsight, it probably was, given that Anderson is carrying a $5.5MM cap hit and hasn’t come close to the 47 points he put up during the 2018-19 season. Since joining Montreal, Anderson has topped out at 32 points (twice), but he did have 40 goals over the two seasons before the start of the 2023-24 season.
This year has seen Anderson struggle more than he has in previous seasons. Through 31 games, the 29-year-old has just four goals and five assists and has been a drag on almost everyone he has played with this season. It’s been a frustrating season for the Burlington, Ontario native, one that he has acknowledged publicly. Just two nights ago, Anderson had an incredible game against the New York Islanders in which he scored two goals and was named the first star of the game. Afterwards, during a post-game interview, Anderson was serenaded by the Canadiens faithful and seemed genuinely humbled by the applause. With any luck, Anderson can use the game to catapult himself back to the heights he experienced when he put up 27 goals with the Columbus Blue Jackets five years ago.
If he can get back to his game, it could go a long way to the Canadiens making an unlikely push for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.
What should be on the Canadiens holiday wish list?
A goal-scoring forward.
The Canadiens forwards need to score more as they rank near the bottom of the NHL in goals and are currently on pace to not have a single 25-goal scorer. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki both registered 26 goals last year but have just eight each thus far through 31 games, while Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher are far removed from the back-to-back 30-goal seasons, they each enjoyed from 2017-2019.
The Canadiens need a game-breaker, which is much easier said than done. Most teams are looking for this type of scorer and they are almost impossible to acquire in today’s NHL. The Canadiens do have a surplus of young defensemen they could choose to trade from, but they would need to find a trading partner that is interested in trading away one of the most coveted pieces in today’s NHL.
The Canadiens have been patient with their rebuild and have made some savvy moves to acquire good young prospects and defensive depth. At some point in the near future, they are going to have to take a risk on an offensively gifted forward. Whether that happens via trade or free agency remains to be seen but they will need to acquire a forward that can put the puck in the net.
Evening Notes: Blackwell, Kurashev, Broberg
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.