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Kyle Connor

Central Notes: Connor, Dickinson, Brodin

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While the fact that Kyle Connor received a no-move clause and significant signing bonus money ($41MM) in his eight-year, $96MM extension with the Jets may not seem like a big deal, it was for Winnipeg.  As Pierre LeBrun noted in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link), those were two elements that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff had never put in a contract before.  However, Connor’s agent, Wasserman’s Rich Evans, told LeBrun that they were looking for a ‘free agent’ deal, one that typically carries those components and the Jets eventually agreed to those.  Now that they’ve done it, it will be interesting to see if Cheveldayoff becomes more open to putting those in contracts or if they’ll be looking at this as a one-time situation.

More from the Central:

  • Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson will miss tonight’s game against Montreal due to an upper-body injury, relays WGN’s Charlie Roumeliotis (Twitter link). Head coach Jeff Blashill noted that the veteran is listed as day-to-day but could miss a week.  The injury occurred partway through Thursday’s loss to Boston.  Dickinson had a tough year last season, notching just seven goals and nine assists in 59 games after setting new career highs in goals (22) and points (35) the year before.  Now in a contract year, this minor setback isn’t a great way to start it.
  • Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin is expected to return to the lineup tonight against Columbus, notes Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 32-year-old underwent surgery to repair an upper-body injury in June and didn’t suit up at all in the preseason or the season opener while recovering from it.  Brodin has long been a key shutdown defender and penalty killing anchor for Minnesota and is expected to jump right back into that role in his return.

Jets Sign Kyle Connor To Eight-Year Extension

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Oct. 8: 8:37 a.m.: It will indeed be an eight-year, $96MM deal that pays Connor $41MM in signing bonuses over the life of the deal, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The Jets have now announced the deal.

Oct. 8, 7:00 a.m.: Connor’s deal is expected to come in around the $12MM mark per season when done for a total value of $96MM, Friedman adds Wednesday. That would be the largest contract in franchise history. He’s also set to receive a full no-move clause and significant signing bonuses – something Winnipeg has never given out, not even in their landmark extensions for Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele two years ago.

Oct. 7: The Winnipeg Jets and star forward Kyle Connor have “made progress on a long-term extension,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Tuesday night. Friedman added that both Connor’s camp and the Jets are working to secure an extension before the team’s season opener on Thursday. TSN’s Darren Dreger seconded Friedman’s report, saying both sides “are getting closer to a contract extension.” At the same time, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun added that he expects the upcoming contract extension to carry an eight-year term.

While a complete agreement on a deal has thus far proved elusive, the widespread expectation has long been that Connor would re-sign with the Jets, the only NHL franchise he has ever played for. Last month, owner Mark Chipman expressed confidence that the club would be able to re-sign its star winger, even going so far as to say that he expected that a deal would be completed “sooner rather than later.”

With today’s reports from some of the game’s most connected insiders, it appears Chipman was right. While the full terms of this expected contract extension are still unknown, signing Connor to such a deal would be a significant win for the Jets organization. Despite the Jets’ consistent on-ice success, Winnipeg has long faced an uphill battle in convincing players to commit to playing there.

The Jets are owned by a committed ownership group and are managed by a hockey operations department with a consistent track record of success. They can offer players the opportunity to play in front of a die-hard fan base that is the envy of most of the league. However, despite this, the Jets have had to contend with a perception among players that Winnipeg is not a premier free agent destination, a perception that has proved frustratingly persistent.

Back in 2019, 42% of NHL players polled by ESPN listed Winnipeg as the “road city [they] dread the most.” The team has not been a significant player at the highest levels of unrestricted free agency and is reportedly listed as a standard on players’ trade protection lists.

All of that is to say that the Jets face a different player acquisition landscape compared to other NHL teams. Teams such as the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars have a favorable climate and tax situation, while others, like the New York Rangers or Los Angeles Kings, can market themselves as unique, destination cities to prospective players. Winnipeg has not been able to employ similar tactics to recruit players, instead building its Stanley Cup-contending team through a diligent draft-and-develop model combined with savvy work on the trade market.

Their model only works, though, if they are able to convince the players they draft and/or develop to remain in Winnipeg for the best years of their career, and in many recent cases, the Jets have had remarkable success doing so.

They’ve been able to re-sign franchise pillars such as Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, as well key contributors such as Neal Pionk.

With today’s reports, it seems Connor’s name will soon be added to that list of key Jets players to commit to a long-term extension with the franchise. In re-signing Connor, they’ll manage to keep their most lethal scorer, and arguably their most important forward, on their roster for eight years after this one.

Since the Jets returned to Winnipeg, just two forwards have scored more points than Connor, and just one has scored more goals. His 0.95 career points-per-game ranks first in modern Jets franchise history. Connor also owns the two highest-scoring seasons in the modern history of the Jets, including his fantastic 2024-25 when he scored a franchise-record 97 points in 82 games.

He’s one of the game’s elite play-driving wingers, and he’s a threat to score whenever he steps on the ice. He’s a consistent playoff performer as well, and is coming off of the best postseason run of his career – he scored 17 points in 13 games during the Jets’ most recent playoff run.

All of that means Connor is unlikely to come cheap. It’s difficult to project long-term contracts at the top of the market at this point, as two of the most recent big signings were impacted by unique circumstances that are not applicable to other players and situations. Minnesota Wild superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov is in some ways comparable to Connor (both are play-driving true number-one wingers) but Kaprizov was widely seen as far more of a threat to test unrestricted free agency – making the Wild all the more willing to pay whatever it took to get his signature on an extension. That resulted in a $17MM AAV, something Connor, or any other player, for that matter, appears likely to match anytime soon.

And then there is the recent re-signing of Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid is the game’s unquestioned best player, but his extension carries a two-year term and just a $12.5MM AAV. Under normal circumstances, it’d be hard for Connor to argue that he deserves to make as much – let alone more – than McDavid, but again, it was a unique circumstance. It was widely reported that McDavid opted to be paid a notable amount less than his market value in order to maximize the Oilers’ ability to field an elite team to support him.

For what it’s worth, AFP Analytics projected Connor’s next contract to be worth just north of $12MM annually, and that would seem to be an appropriate price for Connor given his abilities, the market environment, and the rising salary cap. But at this stage, the only reports are that there is serious momentum to complete a deal on both sides of the negotiation, not that there is a completed deal at this point. So until there is further reporting, all we can do is speculate on what the terms of Connor’s extension will ultimately be.

Photos courtesy of Terrence Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Snapshots: Connor Extension, Knoblauch, Huska, Leskovar

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With so many headlines devoted to the looming unrestricted free agency of Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, it can be easy to forget that another one of the game’s most lethal scoring wingers is also set to hit free agency next summer: Kyle Connor. Connor’s $7.14MM AAV deal expires at the end of the season, and Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman commented on the player’s contract status in an interview with RG Media’s James Murphy. While he acknowledged that he’s not directly involved in the negotiations, Chipman said that he does not envision Connor leaving Winnipeg. He added that he expects a contract to be agreed upon “sooner rather than later.”

AFP Analytics currently projects Connor’s next deal to be worth nearly $12MM annually, which would make him the highest-paid player in Winnipeg. Given how well he’s played thus far in his NHL career, it’d be hard to argue Connor isn’t worth $12MM annually (or more), especially since reports indicate Kaprizov could make as much as $16MM AAV on his next contract, if not more. Kaprizov is a superior player to Connor, of course, but Connor isn’t extraordinarily far behind. Connor led the Jets in scoring with 97 points last season, and he added 17 points in just 13 playoff games. He’s the offensive engine behind one of the league’s top regular-season juggernauts, and it’s crucial for the Jets’ competitive hopes that they find a way to retain his services beyond 2025-26.

Some other notes from around the NHL:

  • Insider Darren Dreger reported on TSN’s Insider Trading segment that Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch and Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska are both entering the final season of their current contracts, and while neither coach has a firm extension offer on the table, both coaches are names to watch entering 2025-26. Knoblauch has been nothing but a success in Edmonton, and although a Stanley Cup championship remains elusive, he’s still widely respected for guiding the team to back-to-back Western Conference titles. Huska hasn’t had the same level of success as Knoblauch, though he also doesn’t get to dress Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in his lineup on a nightly basis. While the third-year coach didn’t reach the playoffs in either of his first two seasons on the job, he oversaw a stellar rookie campaign from netminder Dustin Wolf and improved the team’s performance in 2024-25 compared to where it was in 2023-24.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith reported today that Minnesota Wild defenseman Stevie Leskovar injured his wrist during a training camp scrimmage, and as a result the start to his season with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, will be delayed as he recovers. The 21-year-old 2024 sixth-round pick signed an entry-level contract in March of this year and is set to begin his first professional campaign whenever he’s healthy once again. The 6’3, 216-pound blueliner was an alternate captain for the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads last season and got a taste of pro action late in the year, playing in Iowa’s April 19th loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Central Notes: Connor, Evangelista, Zuccarello, Neighbours, Molendyk, Reid

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As expected from reports a few weeks ago, the Winnipeg Jets have begun extension negotiations with All-Star winger Kyle Connor. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much substantial progress made before the start of training camp.

Murat Ates of The Athletic shared a quote from General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, saying, “We’ve had great dialogue with KC’s representatives and we continue to have that. He’s obviously a big part.” A few moments later, Cheveldayoff added, “Every conversation, you’re hopeful that this is the one that closes it. But it’s not… I don’t know that it’s a timeframe sort of thing. You just keep on working at it.”

Regardless, Connor is poised for a major payday, from the Jets or elsewhere, on the heels of a career year and with the salary cap continuing to rise. Although he didn’t match his career-high in goals, he did in points, scoring 41 goals and 97 points in 82 games, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • Despite being the only member of the team without a new contract heading into training camp, there’s little chance forward Luke Evangelista is moving on from the Nashville Predators. Speaking with Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean, General Manager Barry Trotz said that trading Evangelista is “not even a thought.” Over the last two years, playing full-time in Nashville, Evangelista scored 26 goals and 71 points in 148 contests.
  • In a vague report from Michael Russo of The Athletic, it doesn’t appear that veteran forward Mats Zuccarello will start the Minnesota Wild’s training camp on time. Without specifying the nature of the injury, there’s some concern in Minnesota that Zuccarello will miss some of the regular season due to the injury.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced that forward Jake Neighbours would miss the first three days of the team’s training camp due to a family matter. As expected, the team didn’t share any insights into the matter, though it doesn’t appear they expect Neighbours to miss much more time. The former first-round pick has become a quality secondary scorer for the Blues over the past few years, recording 49 goals and 84 points in 159 games.
  • Moving back to the injury train, Daugherty reported that Nashville prospects Tanner Molendyk and Cameron Reid are both out with lower-body injuries. Molendyk’s injury likely stems from being on the receiving end of a large hit during the team’s rookie camp, while Reid’s injury (likely longer term) was also suffered during rookie camp.

Extension Notes: Connor, McDavid, Kempe

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Unlike what transpired between the Winnipeg Jets and his former teammate, Nikolaj Ehlers, there’s more optimism in Manitoba that winger Kyle Connor will eventually sign a long-term extension to remain with the Jets. Unfortunately, extension negotiations between Connor and Winnipeg have been quiet this summer, as Frank Seravalli reported a few weeks ago.

Still, that’s expected to change, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported today that extension talks could begin as early as this week, and a baseline salary has already been set. Pagnotta believes that Connor will earn at least $10MM a year on his next contract, and it will likely be on a longer-term deal.

That salary would quickly become the highest on the Jets, beating out the $8.5MM AAVs for Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck. Regardless, it should be a more than palatable price for Winnipeg, given that Connor has been a higher-than-a-point-per-game player for the last five years, while crossing the 90-point plateau twice. Meanwhile, even at a record-setting salary for the team, Connor would only be the fifth-highest-paid winger in the league.

Other extension notes:

  • Although some noise was made at Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp regarding Connor McDavid’s extension talks with the Edmonton Oilers, not much was made about the potential length of a new contract. McDavid signed a max-term eight-year contract with the Oilers back in 2017, but Pagnotta doesn’t believe that’ll be the case this time around. He asserts that the industry belief is that McDavid will prioritize a three-to-five-year deal, with the idea that a five-year deal would cost the Oilers approximately $17MM a year. Should McDavid’s camp push the term lower, his salary could reach the $20MM per season mark.
  • Playing out the final year of one of the team-friendliest contracts in the league, Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings is eligible for an extension. Given that the Kings could be in the final year with franchise legend Anže Kopitar, Los Angeles should be prioritizing Kempe’s extension. In a minor update on the negotiations, Pagnotta notes that Kempe is seeking an eight-year, $80MM extension, while the Kings have countered with an eight-year, $72MM offer. Given that the two sides are only $1MM apart on AAV, it should be a bridgeable gap, meaning an agreement shouldn’t be too far away.

Big Names Stay Patient As Extension Talks Loom

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As the extension market heats up, several big-name forwards are staying patient while the landscape continues to reset, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast.

Several key players have one year remaining on their deals, making now an opportunity for extensions to be handed out. But with the new season quickly approaching, players like Jack Eichel, Alex Tuch, and Kyle Connor are expected to wait and see how the market develops.

In Eichel’s case, Friedman said he would be “shocked” if the forward doesn’t remain with the Vegas Golden Knights long-term. However, that isn’t stopping the 28-year-old from trying to maximize the value of his next extension. Coming off a career-high 94-point season, Eichel is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $10 million AAV — a number that’s likely to rise with any future extension.

Friedman believes players like Tuch and Connor are in similar situations. Both are coming off what could be considered the best seasons of their careers, and both have one year remaining on their current contracts. Tuch matched a career high with 36 goals last season for the Sabres, while Connor finished just three points shy of 100 with the Jets.

“I think this whole group of players, they’re all feeling it out,” Friedman said. “Everyone is feeling it out to see how the market resets.”

Friedman feels the extension market will start to pick up after a relatively slow summer and believes Frank Nazar’s recent seven-year extension with the Blackhawks will help speed things along. While Nazar’s situation differs from that of established veterans — the 21-year-old has played just 56 career NHL games — his lengthy extension still offers a useful benchmark for veterans during negotiations.

“And that Nazar one, one of the reasons we found out about that one before the Blackhawks announced it was because there was some talk here about how this was a big deal. This is a precedent-setting deal,” Friedman said.

Extension Talks Slow Between Jets, Kyle Connor

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Reporting out of Winnipeg early in the offseason indicated the Jets would make an extension for top winger Kyle Connor their No. 1 priority as he hurtles toward unrestricted free agency in 2026. Talks could have started at any point before he became eligible to sign a new deal on July 1.

Yet six weeks into his eligibility period to sign an extension, there hasn’t been much reporting on the status of talks. That could change quickly as parties reconvene for training camp next month, but as of now, there hasn’t been anything beyond preliminary negotiations, independent insider Frank Seravalli told Bleacher Report earlier in the week.

The lack of negotiation stems from a lack of urgency from Connor’s camp as they “evaluate their options,” Seravalli said. It’s a sensible approach from the 28-year-old as he enters both the most pivotal in-season and offseason of his career for his earning potential.

In 613 games for the club, the 6’1″ lefty has 284 goals and 582 points. That puts him third and fourth in Jets/Thrashers franchise history, respectively, and 12th in the league in goals since he debuted in the 2016-17 season. That’s more than names like Brad Marchand, Artemi Panarin, and Steven Stamkos – all of whom have legitimate Hall-of-Fame cases – over the same period.

He’s been especially impactful coming out of the pandemic as he enters his prime. He scored 41 goals last season with a career-high 97 points to lead Winnipeg in scoring, averaging 20:24 of ice time per game and earning MVP votes for the first time. He’s now scored at or over that 41-goal pace in three of the last four seasons, notching 34 tallies in 65 games in 2023-24 for a 43-goal pace.

Needless to say, he’s a must-retain for a Jets team that relies heavily on its first line for offense, particularly after losing Nikolaj Ehlers to the Hurricanes in free agency this summer. Their depth scoring, headlined by a still-developing Cole Perfetti and a giant question mark in Jonathan Toews as he returns to the NHL, already leaves something to be desired entering the season as they look to remain atop the Central Division.

Keeping him in Winnipeg is especially important for a club that understandably struggles to position itself as a prime destination for external UFAs. While there’s still a potentially stacked 2026 class for the Jets to try to grab replacements from, landing any of the few names that actually reach the market isn’t a proven strategy general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff can rely on to replace Connor’s lost offense.

Connor’s extension projection from AFP Analytics at the beginning of the offseason checked in at eight years at $12MM per season, accounting for the projected salary cap jump to $104MM for 2026-27. If testing the market has a legitimate appeal to him, though, that offer might need to increase to the $13MM or $14MM range to dissuade him from considering other offers.

NHL Announces 2024-25 All-Star Teams

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Shortly after announcing this year’s All-Rookie Team, the NHL shared this year’s First and Second All-Star Teams. There are few surprises, with several of the recipients receiving votes for major awards around the league. The teams are as follows:

First Team

LW Kyle Connor (Jets) – Connor arguably completed the best season of his career, scoring 41 goals and 97 points, barely eclipsing his 93-point campaign in 2021-22 (although he did score 46 goals). Being the offensive leader for the Presidents Trophy-winning team made him a lock for All-Star Team honors, and he beat out Hagel by 100 votes.

C Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche) – In the closest vote, MacKinnon nearly beat out Draisaitl as the league’s top center from the 2024-25 season, with Draisaitl receiving more First Team votes than MacKinnon. Still, the 2023-24 Most Valuable Player scored 10 more points than Draisaitl this year, while arguably being a larger part of his team’s success without having Connor McDavid as a teammate.

RW Nikita Kucherov (Lightning) – The reigning Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner was a near-unanimous selection for First Team honors, with only two voters assessing he wasn’t worthy. Although he couldn’t match his 100-assist output from last year, Kucherov was again dominant for the Bolts, scoring 37 goals and 121 points in 78 games.

D Cale Makar (Avalanche) – This year’s James Norris Trophy winner received the most First Team votes of any player on the 2024-25 All-Star Teams with 189. Makar has been on one of the best offensive runs from a defenseman in recent memory, scoring 51 goals and 182 points in his last 157 games, with another six goals and 20 points in 18 postseason contests.

D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets) – As one of the more unheralded members of the All-Star Team, Werenski came into his own during the 2024-25 campaign. He scored 23 goals and 82 points in 81 games, averaged 26:45 of ice time per game, and finished with 131 blocked shots. Being one of the prime reasons that the Columbus Blue Jackets nearly qualified for the postseason, it’s unsurprising Werenski received so many Norris votes and was named one of the league’s top defensemen.

G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) – Despite tying with Kucherov with the second-most First Team votes, there was no clearer choice for the league’s top netminder than Hellebuyck. The American netminder secured the Vezina Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy this season, leading the league in wins (47), GAA (2.00), shutouts(8), Goals Saved Above Average (41.6), and Adjusted Goals Against Average (2.13).

Second Team

LW Brandon Hagel (Lightning) – Hagel narrowly beat out Alex Ovechkin for Second Team honors despite the latter receiving more First Team votes. Regardless of Ovechkin’s impressive season, there’s no question the right decision was made with Hagel. The six-year veteran scored 35 goals and 90 points in 82 games for Tampa Bay this season, besting his career-high last season by 15 points. Additionally, unlike Ovechkin, Hagel finished ninth in Selke Trophy voting as one of the league’s top defensive forwards.

C Leon Draisaitl (Oilers) – As previously mentioned, the vote between Draisaitl and MacKinnon came down to the wire. Draisaitl finished with an equally impressive season, scoring 52 goals and 106 points in 71 games, securing the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal-scorer. Furthermore, in a solid argument for Draisaitl, he finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting, far higher than MacKinnon, who placed 29th.

RW David Pastrňák (Bruins) – In another close vote, Pastrňák narrowly bested Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner for the second-best right winger from the 2024-25 campaign. Despite a lackluster year from the Boston Bruins, who finished with the 28th-ranked offense, Pastrňák didn’t notice. The Czech winger scored 43 goals and 106 points in 82 games, and brought up his production over the last three years to 151 goals and 329 points in 246 games.

D Victor Hedman (Lightning) – The captain of the Lightning was also in a close vote, beating Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey by a few votes. There are arguments for both sides, but Hedman finished the year with more goals (15), assists (51), points (66), blocked shots (133), and CorsiFor% at even strength (53.5%) compared to Morrissey.

D Quinn Hughes (Canucks) – Hughes rightfully received the most Second Team votes of his counterparts. As the primary reason the Vancouver Canucks had any sense of competitiveness this year, Hughes scored 16 goals and 76 points in 68 games, averaging 25:44 of ice time a game. Had Hughes remained healthy for the entire 2024-25 campaign, he likely would have presented a bigger challenge to Makar and Werenski as the league’s top blueliner.

G Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning) – After a down 2023-24 campaign (comparatively to his career), Vasilevskiy returned to form in 2024-25. The former Vezina Trophy winner finished with a 38-20-5 record in 63 starts, with a .921 SV% and 2.18 GAA. It wasn’t enough to beat out Hellebuyck, but Vasilevskiy easily would have been named the league’s top netminder in any other year.

Winnipeg Jets Notes: Connor, Morrissey, Schenn, Fleury

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Although the Winnipeg Jets extended a few of their pending unrestricted free agents shortly before the end of the regular season, they still have a few to iron out. One of which is winger Kyle Connor, who’s eligible for an extension on July 1st.

According to Murat Ates of The Athletic, he’s fully expecting the Jets to make Connor’s extension a priority this summer. It would be the second contract extension that the University of Michigan alum has signed in Winnipeg, following the seven-year, $50 million deal that was signed in 2019.

Connor’s next deal is sure to include a substantial raise, considering his impressive average of over a point per game for the last seven years, along with multiple 30- and 40-goal seasons, and two campaigns with over 90 points. With the salary cap continually increasing, the Jets should face no financial issues. The only hiccup could be Connor’s desire to stay in Manitoba.

Other Jets notes:

  • In a report from TSN’s John Lu, defenseman Josh Morrissey won’t require surgery on his injured knee from Game 6 of Winnipeg’s Round Two series against the Dallas Stars. Still, it wouldn’t have mattered to the Jets’ Stanley Cup aspirations, as Morrissey shared he would have been done for the postseason regardless. He’ll be ready in time for training camp in September, at any rate.
  • Morrissey wasn’t the only injured player on Winnipeg’s blue line. According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, trade deadline acquisition Luke Schenn had been playing through the playoffs with a fractured rib. Schenn didn’t let the injury affect his physicality, as the veteran blue liner collected 47 hits in nine games after purportedly suffering the fracture.
  • Staying on the Jets’ blue line, team color analyst Mitchell Clinton shared that depth defender Haydn Fleury would love to stay in Winnipeg for the foreseeable future. Fleury, the pending unrestricted free agent, appeared in 37 games for Winnipeg this year, tallying seven assists while averaging 15:56 of ice time per game.

Snapshots: Oilers, Trikozov, Connor, Montgomery

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Heading into Sunday’s action, the Oilers find themselves around the middle of the pack in terms of goals allowed.  They’re struggling considerably on the penalty kill, checking in with a success rate of just 62.5% while starting goaltender Stuart Skinner is off to a slow start.  Accordingly, some are wondering if the time is right for Edmonton to start shopping around for blueline help as teams by now are starting to get a better feel of what they have and what they need.

However, Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal posits that the time isn’t right for the Oilers to be making a move like that.  While it’s clear their need is to upgrade on the back end, he suggests that they’d be best served by waiting until later in the year when they ideally would have more cap space to play with.  At the same time, more teams should be established as sellers which should give them more options to choose from compared to if they tried to make a trade now.

Other quick notes around the league:

  • Top Carolina Hurricanes prospect Gleb Trikozov had his KHL rights traded from Omsk to Spartak on Saturday, per Spartak’s Instagram page. Forward Matvei Zaseda was dealt the other way. This move means little as things stand, with Trikozov currently a member of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. But he’s gone without any scoring through his first six AHL games – potentially enough of a spark to return him to a tremendously productive career in Russia. Trikozov recorded 31 points in 64 games in the VHL, Russia’s second-tier pro league, over the last two seasons – and arguably earned a hardier chance at KHL minutes. Spartak could stand to offer that increased role as they look to add the gut punch needed to get over SKA and Lokomotiv in the KHL’s Western Conference. For their part, the underachieving Omsk receives a seasoned pro in Zaseda – who’s totaled 36 points in 105 KHL games and 75 points in 120 VHL games at the age of 25.
  • Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel shared that star winger Kyle Connor is OK after getting pulled from Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay by concussion spotters, per Murat Ates of The Athletic. Connor took a hit from behind by Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov that pushed his head directly into Erik Cernak. He labored briefly but didn’t seem severely injured. That’s been confirmed now, and Connor will get to continue his role as the leading scorer (18 points in 11 games) on one of the NHL’s hottest teams.
  • Senators prospect Blake Montgomery has left USHL Lincoln and will instead join OHL London, Jeff Marek reports. Montgomery was a fourth-round pick back in June, going 117th overall.  He was off to a good start with Lincoln with ten points in his first ten games after putting up 43 points in 58 games last season.

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