Western Notes: Tarasenko, Horvat, Kaprisov
Many people had high hopes that St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko would take that next step this year and become that franchise player that everyone has been waiting for. However, despite those hopes, Tarasenko had a down year. After averaging close to 39 goals per season over the past three years, the 26-year old’s goal totals dropped to 33, while his point totals went from 75 to 66.
The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that one possibility of Tarasenko’s struggles is the fact that the team traded away his three closest friends in Jori Lehtera, Ryan Reaves and Kevin Shattenkirk. Not having them around did have an effect on how Tarasenko handled himself around the team and the scribe said that both Shattenkirk and Reaves had a way of keeping the star level-headed and in check.
While the team would have little interest in bringing back Lehtera and unrealistic to bring back Shattenkirk, the team may consider bringing back Reaves, who will be an unrestricted free agent. The question there is whether the Blues could find playing time for the power forward. Reaves struggled with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has not played for the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs yet, which suggests he may not be the same player he once was. Regardless, Rutherford adds that if they do attempt to bring back Reaves, that would spell the end of Chris Thorburn, who essentially plays that same role.
- Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat is playing for Team Canada in the World Championships with one thing in mind. The Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team captain was told by the team during exit interviews at the end of the season to keep working on his two-way game. Horvat, who had a career-high in goals scored with 22, has emphasized working on his skating while in Denmark. “For me, it’s to work on my skating — you can never be too fast,” said Horvat, who also said working on his defensive awareness is another skill he’s been working on.
- The Minnesota Wild have had no luck changing the mind of prospect Kirill Kaprisov, according to The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required). The 21-year-old Russian prospect has been playing alongside long-time Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk at the IIHF World Championships and the two have been a great combination. However, despite the youngster’s success and the Wild’s desperate need for a young scorer, his agent Dan Milstein reiterated that he will not come to the U.S. until his contract in the KHL expires. He still has two years remaining with CSKA Moscow. “Kirill has two years left on his KHL contract which he intends to fulfill. Long-term plan is to play in the NHL,” Milstein wrote via e-mail.
Joel Edmundson (Groin) Cleared To Play For Canada At The Worlds
- After missing the opener at the World Championships on Friday, Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson is expected to officially be added to Canada’s roster and play on Sunday against Korea, reports TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link). He had been dealing with a groin injury.
Young Talent Fills Finland’s World Championship Roster
Finland has announced their final roster for the upcoming World Championship, and it is filled with young NHL talent. The Dallas Stars will be quite pleased with the results, as both Miro Heiskanen and Julius Honka will be present on defense. The entire group is as follows:
Affiliated NHL organization in parenthesis
Goaltenders:
Ville Husso (St. Louis Blues)
Eero Kilpelainen
Harri Sateri (Florida Panthers)
Defensemen:
Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars)
Julius Honka (Dallas Stars)
Niko Mikkola (St. Louis Blues)
Markus Nutivaara (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Tommi Kivisto
Miika Koivisto
Ville Pokka (Ottawa Senators)
Juuso Riikola
Forwards:
Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes)
Marko Anttila
Mikael Granlund (Minnesota Wild)
Pekka Jormakka
Kasperi Kapanen (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Sakari Manninen
Saku Maenalanen
Mika Niemi
Olli Palola
Janne Pesonen
Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche)
Veli-Matti Savinainen
Antti Suomela
Teuvo Teravainen (Carolina Hurricanes)
Heiskanen’s presence on the team is especially noteworthy given that he is only 18 years old still, and made it over other top young players like Olli Juolevi. The third pick in the 2017 draft, Heiskanen is an incredibly mobile two-way defender that should be an impact player in the NHL before long. The Stars will watch to see if he and Honka get any time together and can start to build chemistry, as the pair could be used together for years to come.
For Rantanen, a good performance at the Worlds would be just another feather in his cap for the 2017-18 season. After scoring 20 goals last season on a dreadful Colorado team, he and Nathan MacKinnon formed one of the league’s most dangerous duos this season and racked up the accolades. Rantanen finished with 84 points, a huge total for a 21-year old winger still learning how to best use his big frame in the NHL.
Draft Lottery Can Change Many Franchises’ Futures
A lottery it really is this year.
While the NHL draft lottery always garners quite a bit of attention, some years are just a bit different if the top pick is a game-changer, whether you’re talking about Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews or this year’s No. 1 option. With prospect Rasmus Dahlin listed as the consensus top pick this year, and described by many as having no weaknesses, he is considered to be one of the top defensive prospects to enter the league in possible decades. The 18-year-old defenseman out of Sweden should immediately change the state of any franchise that wins tonight.
With the lottery just hours away, how will each club look if they were to get lucky and win it?
Buffalo Sabres (18.5%) — The Sabres franchise would get a huge boost with the addition of Dahlin plus some badly needed luck that they seem to never have. Already boasting one of the worst defenses in the league and sudden talk that the team shouldn’t consider Rasmus Ristolainen a No. 1 defenseman, the team and general manager Jason Botterrill’s job would get much easier if they can win the lottery.
Ottawa Senators (13.5%) — Winning the lottery should make their tough decision easier as they traded away their top pick in the Matt Duchene trade, which is, fortunately for them, top-three protected. Winning the lottery is a no-brainer as they would take Dahlin who could either join star defenseman Erik Karlsson or allow the team to trade the veteran, knowing they already have his replacement. However, the real issue is they end up in the top three, do they keep the pick or send it to Colorado to avoid giving Colorado an unprotected first-rounder in 2019.
Arizona Coyotes (11.5%) — Despite having the third-worst record in the league this year, the Coyotes seem to be heading in the right direction as they went 19-12-4 in their final 35 games of the season as many of the team’s young players had started to figure things out. What better way to improve on that then to add Dahlin, who could convince fellow countryman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to stay on with the team for many years to come.
Montreal Canadiens (9.5%) — With the injury struggles of aging defenseman Shea Weber and little else defensive help nearby, the team could use the infusion of a franchise-changing defenseman joining the team. With Weber and goaltender Carey Price on huge contracts, a cheap franchise player could move the team in the right direction.
Detroit Red Wings (8.5%) — What better way to finally start the rebuild, then by adding a young, talented defender to join the team. With few defensive prospects on the horizon, the team’s suspect defense could get a huge boost with Dahlin. With the return of Mike Green unknown, and a group of aging veterans, the team needs someone to take over as the face of the franchise.
Vancouver Canucks (7.5%) — The Canucks rebuild is looking better and better with players like Adam Gaudette, Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen and defenseman Olli Juolevi about to arrive. Throw in Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and a number of other prospects on the way, Dahlin would only quicken this team’s rise of young players. On top of that, the team is loaded with defensive-minded blueliners and could use an offensive power-play quarterback.
Chicago Blackhawks (6.5%) — While a lottery victory by the Blackhawks might infuriate the rest of the league, the Blackhawks do need to bolster their defensive depth and Dahlin could easily vault a struggling team back into the playoffs as he could take a lot of pressure off veterans Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
New York Rangers (6%) — Just started a rebuild and they walk away with a generational talent? While many people believe the Rangers intend to have a quick rebuild and compete for a playoff spot within the next year or two, having Dahlin on the roster would only jettison the team to that goal quicker and putting him alongside Brady Skjei and Neal Pionk along with veteran Kevin Shattenkirk would help stabilize their blueline.
New York Islanders (6% total with 3.5% from their pick and Calgary’s 2.5%) — Perhaps winning the lottery would be enough to convince John Tavares to stay. Regardless, adding Dahlin to their defensive woes would only stabilize a team that has the offense to reach the playoffs. He could be a cornerstone the franchise hasn’t had there since Denis Potvin. Add in the fact that the Islanders also have the Calgary Flames’ pick, the team has a better chance to winning the lottery than quite a few teams.
Edmonton Oilers (5%) — Angry fans might protest Edmonton walking away as another lottery winner, but adding Dahlin to, again, a failing defense would allow a team that already has McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should bounce back to where they left off one year ago. Dahlin would provide the team with the No. 1 defenseman that they currently lack
Carolina Hurricanes (3%) — As the percentage begin to really drop, Carolina would only get richer as the team is already loaded in quality young defensemen and would allow the team to move other defenseman like Justin Faulk and acquire more scoring, which the team badly needs.
Dallas Stars (2%) — The addition of Dahlin along with last year’s third overall pick in Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen would make for a deadly combo and that’s not including John Klingberg.
Philadelphia Flyers (1.5% from St. Louis Blues) — Adding Dahlin could put Philadelphia at the same level with Pittsburgh, Washington and Tampa Bay.
Florida Panthers (1%) — The hottest team that didn’t make the playoffs would get a much needed boost if they could hit that 1/100 chance.
Snapshots: Brind’Amour, Provorov, Brodziak
With the departure of head coach Bill Peters who exercised his opt-out clause and left the team, the Carolina Hurricanes will have to start looking for a head coach along with a new general manager. However, former captain and now assistant coach Rod Brind’Amour has said that he would like the job, according to Chip Alexander of The News & Observer.
Alexander says that Brind’Amour is not publically campaigning for the job, but believes after eight years as an assistant coach, he’s ready to become an NHL head coach.
“If you never try, you’ll never know,” Brind’Amour said Saturday. “The reason for saying ‘why not?’ is I’ve been doing it for eight years and I really believe I can help out one way or the other and see if I can put us over the hump. I don’t think as an assistant I’m going to get any better or learn any more. So now’s the time. … They’re going to find the best guy to do it and if it’s me, that’s great, and if not I understand. But I felt like I could at least step up and see if it could happen.”
Alexander says that Hurricanes’ new owner Tom Dundon likes Brind’Amour, including his work ethic, hockey sense and his ability to relate both to players and management.
- Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall would not give a medical update on defenseman Ivan Provorov, who was injured Friday when he collided with Pittsburgh’s Brian Dumoulin and crashed into thte boards late in the game. It looked as if he injured his shoulder, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. Provorov’s availability for Game 6 is essential if the Flyers want to force a Game 7. He was critical in shutting down Sidney Crosby by playing a career high 30:07 of playing time Friday and was a key member of the penalty kill. The scribe writes the good news is that Provorov was not wearing a sling on his way to the team bus after the game, but Hextall, who is very secretive likely won’t reveal his status until right before the game.
- Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that veteran forward Kyle Brodziak‘s time with the St. Louis Blues could likely be over. With the influx of multiple prospects and with a likely shakeup of the current roster, the 34-year-old veteran could easily find himself on the open market. With the potential additions of some of their top prospects such as Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Samuel Blais and the possible return of Robby Fabbri, the team is likely to move on from some of their veterans, including Brodziak and veteran Scottie Upshall, who was in the same boat a year ago, but was brought back when injuries mounted.
Coaching Notes: Peters, Quinn, Stars
As soon as former Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters resigned from his position with Carolina this morning, hockey pundits around the continent proclaimed him the leading candidate for the open Calgary Flames job. While no one has yet made any sort of concrete connection between Peters and the Flames, there is nearly universal agreement that he is the top option. The Athletic’s Rick Carpinello has taken it one step further. The New York Rangers beat writer states that Peters was never an option for the Rangers, as his deal with Calgary is “done”. It seems a deal could be imminent between the two sides. While on it’s face, Peters’ hire in Calgary could be a good fit, as he is a widely-respected coach who has always carried high expectations, the parallels between the underachieving Flames and underachieving Hurricanes is cause for some alarm.
- If Peters won’t be the next head coach in New York, who will be? For a while, the top candidate has seemed to be Boston University head coach David Quinn. Quinn’s Terriers have been have made the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, most recently winning the Hockey East Tournament this season to sneak in and make it to the Northeast Regional final. During this time, Quinn has coached more top NHL prospects than any other bench boss in college hockey. The rebuilding Rangers could greatly use Quinn’s talent for working with young players. USA Hockey has recognized that ability as well, today naming Quinn the head coach of the 2019 U.S. World Junior team. Some Rangers fans have worried that this appointment could remove Quinn from the running for New York’s new head coach, but the New York Post’s Larry Brooks says not so fast. Per Brooks, Quinn’s role as Team USA coach won’t hurt what Brooks calls his “strong candidacy”. In fact, Brooks calls Quinn the exact “developmental coach” that owner James Dolan is seeking and ensures that everything would work out if Quinn was offered the job.
- While Carolina, Calgary, and New York make waves in the coaching pool, the vacancy in Dallas has received little attention. That hasn’t surprised SportsDay’s Mike Heika, who says that GM Jim Nill will be patient with his decision on Ken Hitchcock‘s replacement. Heika states that Nill has a long list of candidates, including many former Stars coaches. That could be a benefit for Dallas, an organization with ties to Glen Gulutzan, Dave Tippett, and Willie Desjardins, or could be a hindrance if the team doesn’t want to recycle a former coach again as they did with Hitchcock. Alternatives include hiring displaced Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, offering a promotion to several AHL head coaches, or even poaching Craig Berube from the division rival St. Louis Blues, according to Heika. Nill will take his time in sorting out the candidates, only setting a deadline of the NHL Draft in late June for the hire.
Jordan Kyrou Assigned To Chicago Wolves For AHL Playoffs
Jordan Kyrou has turned into one of the most intriguing prospects in the league, and now his season will continue after the St. Louis Blues assigned him to the Chicago Wolves for the remainder of the season. Kyrou’s Sarnia Sting were eliminated from the OHL playoffs on Sunday, but he’ll get a chance to keep playing as the Wolves are headed to the AHL playoffs. He should feel right at home after playing one game for the Wolves last spring.
Kyrou had another outstanding season, recording 109 points in just 56 games while taking home a gold medal with the Canadian World Junior team. He led the Canadians with 10 points in the tournament, something he’s getting used to recently. The 19-year old is an outstanding offensive player, capable of creating consistent opportunities off the rush for himself and teammates. His skating ability is near unparalleled in the junior ranks, and will likely allow him to find immediate success at the professional level.
Chicago isn’t technically the Blues’ affiliate, instead partnered with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, but still has a strong relationship with St. Louis. Kyrou will be playing under Golden Knights’ coaching staffs, and will be heading to a different AHL organization next season. That is of course if he doesn’t make the NHL out of training camp, something that isn’t entirely out of the question.
Snapshots: Panik, Kaspick, Islanders
Arizona Coyotes forward Richard Panik was arrested for trespassing on April 8th, reports ABC15 in Arizona. Panik reportedly refused to leave the entrance of a nightclub called Bevvy in Scottsdale, and was booked for criminal trespass. He was later released with a criminal citation.
Panik, acquired by the Coyotes during the season from the Chicago Blackhawks, is under contract for one more season at $2.8MM. He seemed to fit in well with the Coyotes system, recording 19 points in 35 games. The 27-year old’s future in Arizona will likely not be affected by the incident, though it is something to keep an eye on.
- Tanner Kaspick has been assigned to the Manitoba Moose for the remainder of the season, allowing the St. Louis Blues prospect to keep playing despite his CHL team’s recent elimination. The Blues don’t have a primary AHL affiliate this season, meaning Kaspick had to be loaned to the Moose and will be under the purview of their coaching staff. The Moose are headed into the playoffs as one of the better teams in the AHL, but could use another talented player like Kaspick. The former Brandon Wheat Kings captain had 64 points in 60 games split between two teams this season.
- According to a report from Chris Botta of SportsNet New York, the New York Islanders are looking to add a “top executive” to the hockey operations department that could work as a general manager under current President Garth Snow. While Botta lists Julian BriseBois (Tampa Bay Lightning), Paul Fenton (Nashville Predators) and Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey Devils) as possible candidates, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that they have not yet contacted the Devils to speak with the latter.
AHL Calder Cup Playoff Matchups
Yesterday, the AHL season came to a close and 16 teams advanced to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Though it’s not exactly like a Stanley Cup pursuit, the AHL playoffs are a battleground created specifically to test the mettle of young players, while providing a chance for glory to veterans who may not get another opportunity in the NHL.
Below are the eight matchups, with some interesting storylines to watch in each one:
All times CST
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) vs Providence Bruins (Boston)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 3 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
While the Flyers and Bruins do battle in their respective NHL playoff series, their AHL affiliates will take each other on in the first round. Phil Varone, fresh off winning league MVP, will try to lead the Phantoms all the way to the Calder Cup finals. He’ll have to go through the previous MVP to do it, as Kenny Agostino heads a diverse Bruins attack.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 5:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 2:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Daniel Sprong was the top scorer for the WBS Penguins this season, recording 65 points in 65 games. That kind of production is excellent from anyone, but Sprong is in just his first full season of professional hockey and looks poised to make the jump to the NHL before long. Charlotte has their own talented offensive piece though in Lucas Wallmark, who had 55 points in just 45 AHL contests between NHL call-ups.
Toronto Marlies (Toronto) vs Utica Comets (Vancouver)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Toronto had the best goaltending in the league en route to a historically dominant season, but if there was a team that could match them in net it would be Utica. Thatcher Demko put up a .922 save percentage as the absolute MVP of a relatively average Comets team, and could end up stealing a series if the Marlies aren’t careful.
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Though the Buffalo Sabres didn’t have much fun this season, but their affiliate is headed back to the playoffs for the first time in four years. If the Sabres want to build a different culture for their organization and expose their young players to the idea of winning, having Rochester go deep in the playoffs is the first start. They’ll have to topple one of the league’s best teams to do it, as Syracuse is still loaded with future NHL talent.
Chicago Wolves (Vegas) vs Rockford IceHogs (Chicago)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 4 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
You could call this this All-Chicago series, as Blackhawks prospects will take on the Wolves in a series that spans only about 75 miles. Though technically the Vegas Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Wolves still house several players from the St. Louis Blues including Beau Bennett, who put up 57 points in 60 games this year.
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit) vs Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 4 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
If you think the Winnipeg Jets are good, just wait until the next wave of talent comes up from Manitoba. Sami Niku was named the league’s top defenseman, while Mason Appleton earned Rookie of the Year honors. Both will be on full display when they take on the reigning Calder Cup Champion Griffins.
Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona) vs San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Like the Americans, the Roadrunners will try to make up for their NHL parent team’s failures this season. The Coyotes minor league team got a huge boost when Dylan Strome was returned, perhaps for the last time in his professional career. Strome is expected to make the jump to the NHL next season, and could put a stamp on what has been a solid year with a long playoff run.
Texas Stars (Dallas) vs Ontario Reign (Los Angeles)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 2 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 3 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 2:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 4 – Tue. Apr 24, 2018 – 6:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
If the Los Angeles Kings bow out quickly enough we could see the Reign get a boost for their playoff chances, as Michael Amadio, Paul Ladue, Jonny Brodzinski and Oscar Fantenberg are all eligible for the AHL playoffs. The Kings could be eliminated as soon as tomorrow night, meaning the Reign could welcome back several key names for Game 1.
Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Ty Rattie
It’s easy to forget that non-playoff teams are still hard at work behind the scenes, but the Edmonton Oilers have thrown their name into the postseason news cycle this evening. The team announced that they have re-signed forward Ty Rattie to a one-year contract extension worth $800K. Rattie was an impending unrestricted free agent, having signed a one-year deal with Edmonton last off-season.
Rattie must be relieved to have his contract situation wrapped up and to be returning to Edmonton next season. The 2016-17 experience was not an easy one for Rattie; the swift-skating right winger played in four games with the St. Louis Blues early in the season, was waived and claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes in January, was waived again a month later after just five games in Raleigh, and claimed back by the Blues who buried him in the AHL for the remainder of the season. Rattie was then not given a qualifying offer last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Rattie settled for a one-year, two-way deal with the Oilers, but made the most of it, scoring a career-high nine points in 14 games while also earning an AHL All-Star nod, finishing with 43 points in 53 games.
This extension will represent a substantial raise over his last deal with the Oilers. After an impressive campaign at both levels, the 25-year-old looks primed to fight for a full-time role in Edmonton next season. While he is likely happy to be back with the team that gave him the best chance to succeed thus far in his young pro career, Rattie – and the Oilers – must have known that he could have drawn some interest on the open market as well. Instead, there was clearly mutual interest in maintaining the status quo.