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Oscar Klefbom

Oilers Planning As If Oscar Klefbom Will Miss Entire 2020-21 Season

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It has been known for a while that Edmonton will be without Oscar Klefbom when the puck drops on the 2020-21 season but the thought had been that he’d be able to return at some point.  That may not be the case, however.  GM Ken Holland told Postmedia’s Jim Matheson that the current assumption is that the defenseman will not be able to play at all next year:

I’m planning for 2020-21 that Oscar is not playing and anything other than that will be a surprise. A pleasant surprise.

Klefbom is currently rehabbing a lingering shoulder issue that some anticipate will eventually require surgery although clearly, the hope is to avoid it altogether considering how much time has passed.  He has gone under the knife multiple times before so they’re hoping a different approach will provide a better result this time around.  His anticipated absence created a hole that was filled by Tyson Barrie but while he will certainly be able to cover Klefbom’s offensive contributions (34 points in 62 games last season), he won’t be as reliable on the defensive side of the puck.  Although there could be some cap room added by placing Klefbom on LTIR, Holland indicated that he’s not doing that yet nor does he plan to add another defender.

Instead, the Oilers will count on youngsters like Ethan Bear (still a restricted free agent), Evan Bouchard, and the recently re-signed William Lagesson to step up into bigger roles next season.  One prospect that won’t be in the mix at the start will be Philip Broberg as Holland stated that he will remain with SHL Skelleftea until their season comes to an end.  At that point, he’ll then return to North America where the NHL and AHL campaigns will still be ongoing.

Missing Klefbom for a significant portion of next season was already a big blow for Edmonton but Holland’s belief that the 27-year-old will miss the whole year certainly hurts.  But for now, they’ll go with that they’ve got instead of dipping back into free agency to add another veteran.

Oscar Klefbom, Tyler Seguin May Need Surgery

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The Edmonton Oilers were one of the more disappointing return to play stories, ousted by the Chicago Blackhawks in four games despite having the Hart, Lindsay and Art Ross winner and Connor McDavid on the roster. Oscar Klefbom led all Oilers defensemen in minutes during that four-game stretch but may not see the ice again for some time.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Klefbom is “weighing options” regarding injuries he suffered this season and could be out long-term if he chooses surgery. Those decisions are likely complicated by the fact that no one knows for certain when the next NHL season will begin, but as Friedman points out Klefbom’s absence from the Oilers lineup “would need to be addressed.” The 27-year-old is one of Edmonton’s best defensemen and is under contract for three more years at a $4.17MM cap hit.

If you watched Tyler Seguin in the Stanley Cup playoffs it seemed obvious that he was struggling with an injury of some sort, but teams were not revealing any of those specifics while the series was still on the line. It turns out, it wasn’t just one injury. David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period tweets that Seguin was dealing with wrist, hip, groin, and knee injuries in the playoffs. Those ailments will be evaluated this week to see if surgery is necessary. Seguin had just two goals in 26  postseason games and both came in the second round against the Colorado Avalanche. Despite his lack of scoring, he still averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time during the finals.

Seguin still did manage to supply five assists during the six-game series, but it’s a disappointing finish for a player who carries a $9.85MM cap hit and is expected to lead the offense in Dallas. Because of salaries like his, the Stars head into next season without a ton of cap room to maneuver. Radek Faksa, Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov are all restricted free agents that need new contracts and Anton Khudobin has likely priced himself out of a return with a strong postseason.

Today, Friedman wrote that the Stars “will try to move one big salary” though doesn’t clarify which one and only says that trade protection is an issue. That doesn’t clear it up much, as Seguin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Alexander Radulov, and Ben Bishop—the team’s biggest cap hits save Esa Lindell—all have trade protection of some sort.

Edmonton Oilers Linked To Theodor Lennstrom

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Veteran Swedish defenseman Theodor Lennstrom has informed Frolunda HC that he will not honor the final year of his contract and will not play in the SHL next season. The question now is where exactly he will play. Swedish source Kvalls Posten seems confident that the answer is the NHL, as they report that Lennstrom is choosing between a number of offers, but seems most likely to land with the Edmonton Oilers.

Lennstrom, 25, was undrafted out of Sweden and has never played anywhere else but his native country, but finally seems ready to take the next step in his career and sign an entry-level contract in the NHL. Lennstrom is an offensive defenseman, excelling in the skating and possession aspects of the game. His defensive game is likely not quite ready for the NHL though and he may need to start in the AHL upon arriving to North America or else play in a sheltered, power play-dependent role at first.

If he is to succeed at the top level, Edmonton seems like a strong choice. Kvalls Posten notes that team has two fellow Swedish defensemen in Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson, as well as a former teammate of Lennstrom’s in Joakim Nygard. On the other hand, the Oilers do have a decent amount of depth on the blue line and that position battle would become even more crowded if another Swede defender, top prospect Philip Broberg, also decided to jump to North America this off-season. There remain a number of other teams interested in Lennstrom as well, specifically the New Jersey Devils as a top suitor for his services, so his decision is far from made.

Pacific Notes: Turcotte, Grabner, Klefbom

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The Los Angeles Kings could have some talent headed their way later this season. The Kings top draft pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Alex Turcotte, who is currently playing for the University of Wisconsin is expected to join the Kings once his season ends, according to an article about the Badgers by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler (subscription required).

Taken fifth overall by Los Angeles, Turcotte has had a solid freshman campaign at Wisconsin after coming out of the U.S. National Team Development Program. The 19-year-old center has nine goals and 26 points in 28 games at Wisconsin and Wheeler writes that Turcotte would prefer to go pro as soon as possible, making it likely that he will leave the Badgers when their season ends.

Turcotte has been dealing with a knee injury of late, having missed five straight games, but the forward is close to returning for the team’s stretch run.

  • Back in July of 2018, the Arizona Coyotes were thrilled when they signed forward Michael Grabner in free agency to a three-year, $10.05MM contract. However, with the team continually adding talent over the last season and a half, Grabner has become a casualty of the team’s depth. The 32-year-old has been scratched for 16 straight games and seems to have found himself outside the team’s starting lineup. “I think it’s more a function of Taylor Hall coming in — a piece that I didn’t necessarily foresee us adding — and Barrett (Hayton) has come in and done a nice job,” general manager John Chayka said (via The Athletic’s Craig Morgan). “We’ve got a lot of depth. We’ve got a lot of good players. Look, we’re not built off the backs of one or two stars. We have depth and that’s a big part of our strategy in what we’re doing here, and Michael is a part of that depth.” Grabner has appeared in just 45 games this season with just eight goals. He scored nine goals last season in 45 games, although he was injured last season. That’s a far cry from the 27 goals he potted in the two previous years before signing with Arizona.
  • The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) wonders what role Edmonton Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom will have next season. The scribe notes that Klefbom has spent much of the season being paired with young defensemen, including Joel Persson, Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear and wonders if that may continue next year with Evan Bouchard, who most expect will join Edmonton full-time next season. However, Mitchell also notes that he has played his best hockey next to Bear, but how head coach Dave Tippett uses Klefbom will have a big impact to the success of Edmonton’s defense.

Minor Transactions: 3/7/20

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As usual, Saturday is a busy day on the schedule with 20 teams in action including the Panthers who will be retiring Roberto Luongo’s number in advance of their game against Montreal.  There should be plenty of roster movement throughout the day which we’ll keep track of here.

  • The Blackhawks have assigned defenseman Dennis Gilbert to AHL Rockford, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. The 23-year-old played for them on Friday while being up on emergency recall and logged 13:36 of ice time.  He has suited up 21 times for Chicago this season, picking up a goal and two assists.
  • With Lawrence Pilut dealing with the flu, the Sabres announced the recall of defenseman John Gilmour from AHL Rochester. The 26-year-old blueliner has played in four games with Buffalo this season but has spent most of the year in the minors.  After putting up 54 points at the AHL level a year ago, Gilmour has just 13 with Rochester so far this season.
  • The Oilers announced (Twitter link) that they have assigned defenseman William Lagesson to AHL Bakersfield.  With Oscar Klefbom being activated off injured reserve, the odds of Lagesson getting any NHL ice time go down considerably as he already was a regular healthy scratch but he’ll log plenty of minutes for the Condors.  Meanwhile, getting Klefbom back after missing three weeks due to a shoulder issue will certainly help Edmonton’s push for first place in the Pacific Division.
  • The Sharks announced the recall of defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.  The 21-year-old signed as an undrafted free agent back in July and has played in 33 AHL games this season, picking up a goal and four assists. The San Jose Sharks later announced they have recalled defenseman Nick DeSimone from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. The 25-year-old DeSimone has yet to make his NHL debut. He has five goals and 19 points in 48 games.
  • After being recalled earlier in the week on an emergency basis, the Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Guillaume Brisebois to AHL Utica.  The 22-year-old has been up three times with Vancouver this season but has yet to see any action with them in 2019-20.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled forward Janne Kuokkanen from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The Devils picked up Kuokkanen from the Carolina Hurricanes at the traded deadline for Sami Vatanen. Kuokkanen has fared quite well with Binghamton since acquired, scoring three goals and six points in four games. He has 15 goals and 48 points in 56 AHL games. The 21-year-old Kuokkanen has 11 NHL games under his belt, having played seven games with the Hurricanes last season with no points.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they assigned forward Karson Kuhlman to the Providence Bruins of the AHL after the team activated defenseman Connor Clifton from injured reserve. The 24-year-old Kuhlman played in 25 games for Boston, posting one goals and six points. Clifton, has been out since Dec. 29, with an upper-body injury. While offense was never a strong point for the 24-year-old with two goals and two points in 30 games, Clifton did provide some physicality with 85 hits.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Morgan Geekie from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 21-year-old center became one of the top forward options on the Checkers squad after the team traded away a number of prospects recently, including Kuokkanen, Julien Gauthier (to the New York Rangers) and Eetu Luostarinen (to the Florida Panthers). With the increased playing time, Geekie captured AHL Player of the Week honors for his performance last week, which included four goals and seven points in four games.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Evan Bouchard

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The Edmonton Oilers have recalled top prospect Evan Bouchard from the AHL, as they deal with the injury to Oscar Klefbom. Markus Granlund has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, while Klefbom moves to injured reserve.

In 50 games this season with Bakersfield, Bouchard has recorded seven goals and 33 points, easily leading all defenders and trailing only Josh Currie and Tyler Benson for the team scoring lead. The 20-year old defenseman was selected 10th overall by the Oilers in 2018 and played seven NHL contests with them last season before returning to the London Knights of the OHL.

A two-way horse that regularly logged more than 30 minutes in a single game while in junior, the 6’3″ Bouchard’s real upside is in his offensive ability. Though he doesn’t have the same skating ability or puck skills of some other top rookie defensemen like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, his quick decision making and precision passing (even at great distances) can create countless chances for his teammates. His shot has also always been a weapon, including getting him to a 25-goal season in his draft year.

Klefbom is dealing with an injury that will keep him out a few weeks, meaning Bouchard may get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. The question is how many games will he get, as his contract is still slide-eligible. That means if Bouchard plays in fewer than ten games with the Oilers down the stretch his entry-level contract would still not kick in until next season, giving Edmonton another cheap year. Of course, many teams look much more closely at the 40-game threshold that would move a player one year closer to unrestricted free agency, something that Bouchard can no longer hit this season.

Injury Notes: Bouwmeester, Klefbom, Aston-Reese

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After suffering a cardiac episode and being revived on the bench earlier this month, St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has released a statement thanking all the medical professionals for their hard work in his recovery:

I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11.

Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern.

On Sunday evening, I returned to St. Louis and I am on the road to recovery. My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone’s support and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future.

It is great news to hear that Bouwmeester has returned to St. Louis and will continue his recovery at home. The entire hockey community wishes him well as he gets better.

  • In other injury news, the Edmonton Oilers have lost another key player for several weeks. Oscar Klefbom will miss two-to-three weeks with a shoulder injury, weakening the Oilers’ already shaky defensive group. It’s hard to overstate how important Klefbom has been this season, logging more than 25 minutes a night and leading all Oilers’ defensemen in scoring with 33 points in 59 games.
  • Speaking of teams that have been injury-riddled, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost another forward. Zach Aston-Reese has been listed as week-to-week by head coach Mike Sullivan, taking him out of the lineup for the time being. The 25-year old Aston-Reese has been a staple in the Penguins lineup all year, recording 13 points in 57 games while logging significant time on the penalty kill. Though he obviously isn’t as impactful as some of the other Pittsburgh stars who have missed time, his absence will be noticed.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Edmonton Oilers

Current Cap Hit: $79,066,999 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Joakim Nygard (one year, $925K)
F Cooper Marody (two years, $925K)
F Kailer Yamamoto (two years, $894K)
D Evan Bouchard (three years, $894K)
F Tyler Benson (two years, $808K)
D Caleb Jones (one year, $720K)
D Ethan Bear (one year, $720K)

Potential Bonuses

Bouchard: $850K
Yamamoto: $230K
Marody: $75K
Jones: $70K
Bear: $20K

The team have a number of young players on entry-level deals, but so far while there is a ton of potential here, not one player has stepped up and established themselves as a full-time player on the Oilers roster. Yamamoto, the team’s 2017 first-rounder, was expected to provide the speed that the team needed to develop a fast-paced offense, but after 26 NHL games, he’s provided just one goal and four assists. Marody has appeared in six games with no points, while Benson, despite quite a bit of success in the AHL, hasn’t gotten a chance at the NHL level, although that’s likely to change this season. The team also has high hopes in Nygard, who is a speedy winger, who is coming off a 21-goal campaign in the SHL, but remains a mystery.

On defense, the team might get their 2018 first-round pick, Evan Bouchard, to make the team and contribute quickly, but he also must prove to the team that he’s ready for that opportunity. However, Bouchard already has seven games of experience with the Oilers (scoring one goal), while posting three goals and eight points for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL in eight playoff games. Other defenseman might also be ready, including Bear and Jones. Bear has played two seasons now in the AHL, while Jones got 17 games with the Oilers last season and might be the most NHL-ready.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Darnell Nurse ($3.2MM, RFA)
F Sam Gagner ($3.15MM, UFA)
D Brandon Manning ($2.25MM, UFA)
G Mike Smith ($1MM, UFA)
F Zack Kassian ($1.95MM, UFA)
D Matt Benning (1.9MM, RFA)
F Markus Granlund ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Kyle Brodziak ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Josh Archibald ($1MM, UFA)
D Joel Persson ($1MM, RFA)
F Tomas Jurco ($750K, UFA)
F Colby Cave ($675K, RFA)

The bulk of the Oilers contracts seem to be one-year deals, which means that many players will have to prove to the Edmonton front office that they deserve a new contract. The team will likely unload the contracts of both Gagner and Manning after this season, which should free up $5.4MM of cap space. The Oilers traded for the veteran Gagner near the trade deadline and he contributed five goals and 10 points in 25 games for Edmonton, but he likely will take a bottom-line role with Oilers this season, while Manning has never been a good fit after being acquired from the Blackhawks in December last season. Smith is another veteran the Oilers have high hopes for, but the team will reassess its goaltending situation at the end of the year and whether to bring the then 38-year-old back for another season. The same can be said for players like Archibald, Granlund and Jurco.

The team will have pay up next season for Nurse, a restricted free agent, who put up career-high numbers last season with the Oilers. The 24-year-old put up 10 goals and 41 points and averaged 23:49 of time on the ice. He also blocked 146 shots, while adding 162 hits as well, making him a solid all-around player despite seeing his plus-minus drop from a plus-15 in 2017-18 to a minus-five last year. The team must decide whether to keep Benning, who will also be a restricted free agent. Benning saw his playing time drop by almost three minutes since the previous year and might lose his job to some of the team’s young defensive prospects.

The team also have a number of veteran players, who will hit unrestricted free agency, including Kassian, who saw career highs in ATOI (14:48) and goals (15) and also put up 191 hits as a bottom-line forward for the team. At 28, he could be considered an important keeper for the Oilers. Unfortunately, Brodziak’s success in Edmonton wasn’t as impressive as the veteran center averaged just 11:42 of ATOI, while scoring career low six goals and nine points.

Two Years Remaining

F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($6MM, UFA)
D Adam Larsson ($4.17MM, UFA)
D Kris Russell ($4MM, UFA)
F Alex Chiasson ($2.15MM, UFA)
F Jujhar Khaira ($1.2MM, RFA)

This could be an interesting year for Nugent-Hopkins, who has always been an excellent defensive player, but now has established himself as a solid offensive player as well with a career-high 28 goals and 69 points. However with his contract coming up in two years, the Oilers might want to decide whether he is worth handing a long-term, expensive deal to. If they aren’t ready to lock him up, the Oilers might get the most value for Nugent-Hopkins at the trade deadlines. After all, top-six centers rarely come available and considering that any team that trades for him automatically gets another full season out of him, he might become quite a valuable trade chip.

The Oilers must also decide what they want to do with two of their highly-paid defensemen in Larsson and Russell. Both blueliners receive more than 20 minutes a night, but neither provides much offensive talent and haven’t been that helpful lately on defense either and between the two of them, the Oilers are giving them $8.17MM. Larsson put up comparable offensive numbers last year, but saw his defensive numbers drop as his minus-28 plus-minus was his lowest in his career by far. Russell also had comparable numbers from the last couple of years and kept his plus-minus in the positive, but the team may look to find a taker for either of them at the trade deadline.

Chiasson earned his two-year deal after posting a career-high 22 goals last season after winning a job in training camp on a PTO. The team hopes that the 28-year-old can duplicate that season. Khaira scored just three goals last season and will have to prove that he belongs on the roster next season.

Three Years Remaining

G Mikko Koskinen ($4.5MM, UFA)

Edmonton surprised many when former general manager Peter Chiarelli signed Koskinen to a three-year, $13.5MM extension last season despite a small sample size as an NHL goaltender. Koskinen didn’t fare that well in the second half of the season after signing the extension, putting up a 3.07 GAA and a .902 save percentage, which could make this a rocky relationship if Koskinen can’t prove to Edmonton that he is a No. 1 goaltender. The 31-year-old goaltender has spent most of his career in the KHL and may not be the answer that the Oilers were hoping for.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Connor McDavid ($12.5MM through 2025-26)
F Leon Draisaitl ($8.5MM through 2024-25)
F James Neal ($5.75MM through 2022-23)
D Oscar Klefbom ($4.17MM through 2022-23)

The team has a couple of stud players in McDavid and Draisaitl and most would suggest that they are worth their contracts and they might even be bargains considering how well they were playing. Both have proven to be top-line players and they both broke the 100-point barrier last season and combining for 91 goals. The fact that both are locked up for at least another six years (seven for McDavid) shows that Edmonton already has a base of two franchise players and just need to fill out the rest of their roster with solid players who can fill out the rest of the team.

Neal is an interesting gamble by new general manager Ken Holland. The team was looking for a way to unload the untradeable contract of Milan Lucic, but managed to get the long-term deal of Neal, who is coming off 10 straight seasons of 20 goals or more, before his seven-goal performance last year in Calgary. The team hopes that the 31-year-old can prove that last year’s egg was just a fluke and the veteran can bounce back and provide some scoring on the wing for a team that really needs it.

Klefbom is another interesting defenseman, who the team hopes can improve, especially offensively. The 26-year-old managed 38 points back in the 2016-17 season, but has hasn’t been able to break 30 points since then. While his minutes are impressive, Edmonton needs to get more from one of their defensemen, who they signed assuming he would develop into a top-line defender.

Buyouts

D Andrej Sekera ($2.5MM in 2019-20 & 2020-21; $1.5MM in 2021-22 and 2022-23)
F Benoit Pouliot ($1.33MM per year through 2020-21)
D Eric Gryba ($300K in 2019-20)

Retained Salary Transactions

F Milan Lucic ($750K per year through 2022-23)

Still To Sign

F Jesse Puljujarvi

Much has already been written about the impasse between the Oilers and Puljujarvi, who has demanded to be traded because he believes he can’t become a top forward in Edmonton. Holland has received no viable offers from other NHL teams and it looks likely that Puljujarvi might have to stay overseas for a season and hope that he can develop his game overseas with Karpat of the Finnish League and come back in a year with a new sense of purpose. However, nothing has happened yet and there’s always a possibility that he opts to come back to Edmonton and tries it again. The only problem: he’s not waiver exempt anymore, meaning he must stay on Edmonton’s roster or be placed on waivers and undoubtedly would be claimed by another team.

Best Value: Draisaitl
Worst Value: Koskinen

Looking Ahead

The team has its franchise players and with plenty of cap space freeing up next season, the team might have a way to add even more talent. However, what Edmonton needs more than anything is to see some of their young talent take that next step and begin making some major improvements. The Oilers have a dearth of talent on defense that should slowly be trickling in over the next few years, but more than anything Edmonton needs scoring. While McDavid and Draisaitl cost the franchise a great deal, the team must find the wingers that can get the team back into the playoffs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oilers Waiting On Ken Holland To Make Decision On GM Opening

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Sunday, 9:14 a.m.: TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that Holland is expected to give his answer today and all indications suggest that he is interested in the job.

Sunday, 8:11 a.m.: Late last night, Friedman signed off, reporting that Holland’s decision on whether to take Edmonton’s five-year, $25MM offer will come in either Sunday or Monday. If Holland does accept the position, Dave Tippett would become the lead candidate for the team’s head coaching job.

Saturday, 8:37 p.m.: Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported (via Sportsnet’s Mark Spector) on Hockey Night in Canada that the Edmonton Oilers have offered Holland a five-year contract at $5MM per year to be the Oilers General Manager.

Saturday, 3:33 p.m.: No decision is expected to be made until next week, but the Edmonton Oilers could be close to choosing their future general manager. In fact, with the franchise having recently narrowed their search to three candidates in Detroit Red Wings Senior Vice President Ken Holland, interim general manager Keith Gretzky and former Toronto Maple Leafs’ assistant general manager Mark Hunter as their top candidates, The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that it already looks like Holland has the inside track on the job.

Holland is expected to return from a trip overseas Saturday night, suggesting that negotiations might heat up soon. While just a few days ago the GM race was considered to be a “two-horse race” between Gretzky and Hunter, Sportsnet’s Marc Spector revealed one day later that the Oilers were going “all-in” on Holland. The question was whether Holland was interested in waiting for a potential general manager job opening in Seattle or would be willing to take over in Edmonton.

Holland is completing his 36th season in Detroit and his 22nd as general manager, but with Steve Yzerman taking over those duties, Holland could be looking for another GM position already. He certainly has a impressive resume, including three Stanley Cup Championships, four Presidents’ Trophies, and has seen his team reach 100-season points 13 times. Unfortunately, his recent resume hasn’t been as exemplary as he has continued to try to keep his franchise-winning teams in contention with questionable free-agent signings and only recently committed to rebuilding their salary-capped franchise. In fact, the Red Wings have finished with a worse record than the struggling Oilers franchise for several years now. Now 63 years old, many people wonder what Holland has done in the NHL lately and whether running a franchise has past him by.

The Edmonton Sun’s Terry Jones writes that CEO Bob Nicholson is likely banking on the team hiring Holland, as the scribe believes that Nicholson isn’t enamored with the two other candidates. After two interviews already with Hunter, the fact that they haven’t hired him suggests that Nicholson isn’t comfortable hiring him, while Jones also adds that he doesn’t think Nicholson believes that Gretzky is an “A-list” hire. The belief is that if Holland takes the job, he would have full control of the franchise and that he would never have even begun talking to Nicholson if he wasn’t interested in being a general manager again.

Mitchell adds that if Holland does take over, he will likely bring in his own people into the front office. And while, he believes that there will be a place for Gretzky no matter what, Holland has stated that your need four or five key people in place to run a franchise. One interesting option if Holland does take over is who might become the team’s next head coach, suggesting that Holland has close connections to current Dallas Stars assistant coach Todd Nelson. Changes could also come quickly depending on Holland’s assessment of the Oilers’ core.  That core of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson and Darnell Nurse could be altered, considering he wasn’t the man to bring them in.

Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue to examine the Pacific Division, here is a look at the Edmonton Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers have to be buyers, right? While it’s true that the team rostering Connor McDavid missing the playoffs any year, nevertheless two years in a row, is unacceptable, the reality is that much of the trade deadline pressure on the Oilers fell squarely on GM Peter Chiarelli and his job security. Ever since Chiarelli was relieved of his duties, it’s been awfully quiet on the rumor mill out of to Edmonton. It’s not clear how much authority interim GM Keith Gretzky has, but Gretzky is a draft guru anyway who is likely more comfortable adding picks and prospects at the deadline than acquiring rental help.

The fact of the matter is that – even with the front office turnover – Edmonton remains in the thick of the Western Conference wild card race, tied with the Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks with 51 points and just three points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the final playoff spot. As currently constituted, McDavid and the Oilers may not be favorites to make the postseason, but have a chance. There are many holes in the lineup and not much cap space with which to fill them at the deadline, but the Oilers could certainly push for a wild card spot if the team was able to add some pieces. But after that, they stand little chance of advancing past the first round. The team thus faces a decision of whether they should make trades, for rentals or long-term additions, without a new GM to guide them, to simply make an appearance in the postseason or instead make use of several pending free agents and add some draft capital and prospects to build with – or trade with – once the team has a more clear picture of their roster building plans, even if it hurts their playoff odds.

If the Oilers miss the playoffs again, it will hurt. However, this is a team that simply cannot afford to make any more trade mistakes. Expect Edmonton to play it safe and sell off their expiring contracts. Perhaps they’ll even make a minor hockey trade or two. The risks simply outweigh the benefits when it comes to being a buyer at the deadline this season. McDavid and company will be back in the postseason soon enough, but selling out to do so this year would be a mistake. It seems Gretzky and the interim regime understand that, but you never quite know in Edmonton.

Record

23-25-5, sixth in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$4.27MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, NYI 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th
2020: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th

Trade Chips

The whole point of Edmonton being a seller and not a buyer at the deadline is to play it safe until a new GM is at the helm. As such, don’t expect the team to trade established contributors like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Darnell Nurse. It also seems unlikely, despite the hype, that draft-minded Gretzky will move 2016 fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi unless he is blown away by an offer. The Oilers have plenty of impending free agents or short-term players that could be of interest to buyers that they don’t need to think big right now.

The one notable name who the Oilers will surely shop is goaltender Cam Talbot. Talbot, 29, had been supplanted as the starter this season by Mikko Koskinen, who Chiarelli signed to an extension on his way out the door. With Koskinen locked up, a handful of promising prospects in the pipeline, and an intriguing free agent market for goalies this summer, Talbot’s time in Edmonton is all but over, despite whispers they could re-sign him. Talbot could wind up being the top keeper on the trade market in the days leading up to the deadline, if Sergei Bobrovsky, Jimmy Howard, and Semyon Varlamov are not moved by their respective teams. Talbot should command a nice return for the Oilers, even in a down year. Third-string journeyman Al Montoya could also be up for grabs.

Up front, Edmonton has gotten little production outside of McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Leon Draisaitl this season, but could find takers for several role players. Alex Chiasson could draw the most interest; the 28-year-old continues to be one of the more underrated players in the NHL and is on pace for a career-high 42 points while playing on a minimum contract. However, Chiasson has been a nice fit for the Oilers this season and it would not be a surprise if the team held on to him through the deadline, both as an “own rental” and in hopes of re-signing him. They likely aren’t as attached to a free agent addition that hasn’t worked out: Tobias Rieder. The impending restricted free agent is a talented and versatile forward, but hasn’t shown it in Edmonton. He has yet to score a goal this season and has just nine assists to show for 39 games. The Oilers surely won’t be qualifying Rieder anyway and will look to move him for the best offer. Another skilled player who hasn’t played well in Edmonton is Ryan Spooner, who recently cleared waivers and has been buried in the minors. If a team is willing to take on Spooner’s $3.1MM salary next season, the Oilers will likely give him away. Honestly, most of Edmonton’s forwards have fallen short of expectations to the point that the team would gladly move them for a reasonable price. RFA Ty Rattie, UFA Brad Malone, and even Zack Kassian and Kyle Brodziak, who have another year remaining on their contracts, could be trade bait. Of course, if anyone is willing to take the albatross that is Milan Lucic’s contract, the Oilers would jump at that chance. That obviously remains a long shot, though.

On the back end, there are fewer options for Edmonton to move, but value exists. Despite the fifth-worst goals against per game and second-worst penalty kill in the NHL, the Oilers have a defense corps that they like, led by Nurse, Oscar Klefbom, and Adam Larsson. Kris Russell and newly-acquired Brandon Manning are also signed beyond this season and are unlikely to move. Instead, UFA’s Alexander Petrovic – who the Oilers only traded for last month – and Kevin Gravel could be nice depth additions for contenders and Edmonton would be willing to give up. They could also entertain offers for Matt Benning, who has one year remaining on an affordable deal. Ethan Bear is a name that keeps showing up in trade rumors; it could be that the Oilers don’t see a fit for the young puck-mover and try to move him in a hockey trade for another young piece.

Five Players To Watch For: G Cam Talbot, F Tobias Rieder, D Kevin Gravel, F Zack Kassian, D Ethan Bear

Team Needs

1) Young Forwards: When the majority of a team’s forwards can be listed as trade possibilities, it’s time for an overhaul. Outside of McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and for their sake Puljujarvi, there are no other forwards currently on the Oilers roster who should compete for top-nine roles next season. Standout AHLers Kailer Yamamoto, Tyler Benson, and Cooper Marody will be given the opportunity to win full-time roles next year, but Edmonton could stand to add some competition. In trading away a valuable piece like Talbot or Spooner or swapping out another young player like Bear, the Oilers should target some young forwards who could challenge for NHL roles next season.

2) Draft Picks: The Oilers don’t want to be in a rebuild any more and, with arguably the best player on the planet on their roster, who can blame them. However, if Edmonton wants to trade for veteran difference-makers this off-season, it helps to have some trade capital. The pipeline is currently shallow and the NHL roster is largely devoid of upside outside of untouchables. Whether they flip the picks they obtain from these small rental deals to make a bigger trade or simply use them to draft replacements for the current prospects they deal away, the Oilers could use some more picks. They currently have just six selections in the upcoming draft and only two in the top 75.

3) Top Pair Defenseman: Again, the smart thing for the Oilers to do at the deadline is play it safe. They have far greater needs than just young forwards and draft picks, including a reliable goaltender, top-six wingers, and – their greatest need – another elite puck-moving defenseman, but they can be handled in the off-season by the new GM. However, if a reasonable offer comes their way that fills one of these needs, particularly the defender, it makes sense to entertain it. Edmonton may have seven veteran defenseman signed through next season, not including some promising prospects, but a top-pair defenseman remains one of their biggest needs. The Oilers get little production from the blue line outside of Nurse and Klefbom, neither of whom are racking up impressive points either. With names like Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, and Alec Martinez floating around, the Oilers just need to keep their options open.

 

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