Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Oilers Rumors

League Notes: NHL Awards, 2020-21, USHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the NHL has already revealed several of their end-of-the-year awards prior to recent playoff games, they will save the remaining awards for one special presentation. The league has announced today that the five remaining awards –  the Hart, Lindsay, Vezina, Norris, and Calder – will be presented virtually in a 30-minute special at 5:30pm CT on Monday, September 21. Since the event is technically being hosted from inside the Edmonton bubble, the awards will also have an “Oilers twist” to them. Wayne Gretzky is set to present the Hart and Calder trophies, with Mark Messier announcing the Lindsay, Grant Fuhr announcing the Vezina, and Paul Coffey announcing the Norris. The winners will then be made available to the media via Zoom for interviews following the awards presentations.

  • As the Stanley Cup Final gets underway in the Edmonton bubble, it is remarkable to look back at hat the NHL has been able to accomplish this postseason in Edmonton and Toronto. However, they face a much more difficult task right around the corner with trying to implement the 2020-21. While the league has held firm on their desire to begin the new season before the end of the calendar year and to play a full 82-game schedule, doubts are starting to creep in about how this can be arranged as COVID-19 continues to be prevalent in North America. Even Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly recently stated that he does not know for sure when and how the league will return to regular season play, though he did that a start date prior to December 1 is more unlikely than not. Speaking with others around the league, The Athletic’s Scott Burnside gets a growing sense of skepticism across all corners of the NHL . While most believe the season will still occur in some form or fashion, his sources believe that a likely start date is not until January at the earliest, which could rule out an 82-game season. Some believe that the league could wait until it is safe for fans to attend games before returning to play, while others believe that early-season schedules could be geographically-influenced to play a more compact schedule and to reduce travel risks. Burnside notes that continued outbreaks of Coronavirus in U.S. cities and the closed border between the U.S. and Canada will make a typical season impossible until they are resolved. In other words, there is still a lot to figure out before teams can return to play for the regular season, so a delayed start beyond what had previously been anticipated is an ever-growing possibility.
  • Two USHL teams have now decided to scrap their seasons altogether in response to the continuing COVID pandemic. The league announced today that the Cedar Rapids Roughriders and Madison Capitols will suspend operations for the 2020-21 season. On top of troubles related to Coronavirus, the Roughriders sustained damage to their arena in a recent storm and are finding it impossible to be prepared for a new season, while the Capitols, who are owned by Minnesota Wild star Ryan Suter, are so overly restricted by local health regulations that they cannot operate this year. The league stated that a dispersal draft will be held to give the teams’ players a new home for the coming season. However, the rights of those players who wish to continue in the USHL beyond this season will revert back to their teams next year.

Edmonton Oilers Loan Cooper Marody To Dornbirn Bulldogs

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The roster spots for NHL prospects overseas are getting a little more uncommon. Today the Edmonton Oilers announced that Cooper Marody has been loaned to the Dornbirn Bulldogs of the Austrian pro league. Marody is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract and will likely be recalled when NHL training camp gets underway.

Now 23, Marody signed with the Oilers in 2018 after dominating at the University of Michigan and exploded onto the professional scene in 2018-19. In 58 AHL contests with the Bakersfield Condors, the rookie put up 64 points and was rewarded with six NHL contests.

Unfortunately, after a concussion in the 2019 playoffs, Marody didn’t return the same dynamic offensive threat this season. In 30 games with Bakersfield, he scored just five goals and 17 points.

At this point, it’s no longer clear if Marody can be an impact player at the NHL level but he is certainly still planning on it. David Staples of the Edmonton Journal wrote a piece on the young forward back in July examining Marody’s future which included a quote:

I’m just so motivated more than ever to be a long time NHL player and prove myself.

For now, he’s an IceHL player that will need to continue his development overseas.

Edmonton Discussed Matt Murray With Pittsburgh

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers could have an opening in net alongside Mikko Koskinen for next season if they decide against bringing back Mike Smith, and they’re at least poking around the league to see what the price tag is on some other options. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Oilers spoke with the Pittsburgh Penguins regarding Matt Murray, who is quite publicly on the block after Tristan Jarry took over as the starter this season. According to LeBrun, the asking price was too high for Edmonton (he suggests it could have been a first-round pick) and they haven’t entirely ruled out bringing back Smith.

Murray, 26, is available after Penguins GM Jim Rutherford was clear about his need to trade one of his goalies. The two-time Stanley Cup winner’s name will likely come up connected to every franchise looking for an upgrade in net until he’s dealt, given how many boxes he ticks. Relatively young? Check. History of success? Check. Team control but not locked into a long-term contract? Check.

A restricted free agent this offseason, Murray could potentially opt for arbitration and force his way to UFA status in 2021, but there is obviously also an opportunity to work out a multi-year deal for any acquiring team.  The 6’4″ netminder posted a dreadful .899 save percentage during the regular season but has been much better in years past, plus has a sparkling .921 in 51 postseason appearances. There are goalies who go their whole career without getting into 50 playoff games, but Murray won his second Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins just a few days after his 23rd birthday.

With so many goaltenders set to move around the league this fall, it could benefit a team like Edmonton to wait and see who is left out in the cold. The team doesn’t have a lot of cap space to spend and are already paying Koskinen $4.5MM in each of the next two years. With excellent tandem names like Anton Khudobin, Thomas Greiss, or even Corey Crawford on the market, paying up for Murray at this point—especially if it costs a first-round pick—would likely be a mistake.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Adam Cracknell

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers have added some depth to the forward group, signing Adam Cracknell to a one-year two-way contract. The deal will be for 2020-21 and brings Cracknell back to North America after his stint in the KHL.

Now 35, Cracknell is the epitome of a hockey journeyman. Since being drafted in the ninth round of the 2004 draft by the Calgary Flames, he’s suited up for the: Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, Las Vegas Wranglers, Quad City Flames, Peoria Rivermen, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Wolves, Columbus Blue Jackets, Springfield Falcons, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, Hartford Wolf Pack, Laval Rocket, Toronto Marlies, San Diego Gulls, Anaheim Ducks, and Kunlun Red Star. 210 of those appearances came at the NHL level, including a season in which he scored 10 goals for the Stars.

It’s unlikely that he’ll see much action for the Oilers next season, but he did record 24 points in the KHL last season and could be an injury replacement should they run into any trouble next season. More likely he’ll be playing for the Bakersfield Condors where his experience and leadership will come in handy. Though the contract details were not released, you can bet that Cracknell will earn the league minimum at the NHL level.

Edmonton Oilers Loan Gaetan Haas, Evan Bouchard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers continue to send their young players all over the world, loaning them out to European leagues to get them back on the ice while we wait for the start of the 2020-21 season in North America. Today, they announced that Gaetan Haas and Evan Bouchard will be heading overseas to play for the next few months. Both players are expected to return for training camp.

Haas, 28, will return to SC Bern in the Swiss NLA for the time being, the same club he played two seasons for before coming to Edmonton. A star in the Swiss league, he recorded 38 points in 50 games during the 2018-19 season and won the league championship. In his first taste of North American hockey, Haas didn’t have quite the same offensive impact but still represented a solid depth forward for the Oilers. In 58 games he recorded ten points and in April re-signed for the 2020-21 season. He’ll earn $915K on a one-way deal, whenever the next NHL season gets underway.

Bouchard of course doesn’t come with quite as much NHL experience, given he was only drafted in 2018. The tenth-overall pick played seven games with the Oilers that first season, but has spent the rest of his professional hockey in the minor leagues with the Bakersfield Condors. Bouchard did continue his excellent play in the AHL this season, recording 36 points in 54 games, but it’s not exactly clear when he’ll take that next step and become a full-time member of the Oilers defense. Still just 20, there is plenty of time for Bouchard to develop, which is exactly why it was so imperative that he find a place to play for the next few months. Bouchard will head to Sweden and suit up for Sodertalje SK of the second league.

Oilers Have Inquired About Matt Murray

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The Oilers are among the teams that have kicked the tires on Penguins goalie Matt Murray, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson.  They have a vacancy to fill between the pipes with Mike Smith slated to become an unrestricted free agent.  However, with the limited cap space they have and several RFAs in need of new deals including winger Andreas Athanasiou and defensemen Matt Benning and Ethan Bear, they probably won’t be able to afford the salary that Murray, an RFA himself, will likely command in the coming months.  Instead, they will probably have to shop at the cheaper end of the goalie market to find Mikko Koskinen’s partner for next season.

Oilers Loan Ryan McLeod To EV Zug In Switzerland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Oilers have found a place to play for one of their more intriguing prospects to stay in playing shape.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve loaned center Ryan McLeod to EV Zug of the NLA in Switzerland for the start of their upcoming season.

McLeod was ranked by some publications as a potential first-round pick in 2018 but he wound up sliding to the second round where he was scooped up by Edmonton at 40th overall.  He wrapped up his junior career the following season and saw some AHL playoff action with Bakersfield in 2019 which gave him a bit of momentum heading into his first full professional season in 2019-20.

The results weren’t quite as strong as McLeod or the Oilers would have hoped, however.  He managed just five goals along with 18 assists in 56 games with the Condors before the pandemic hit, a level of production that was a little low for one of their better prospects coming out of the junior ranks.  He was, however, part of their postseason roster.  Now, McLeod will have an opportunity to see game action in the near future which should help give him a leg up whenever the 2020-21 AHL season gets underway.

Patrick Russell Re-Signs With Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers will bring back Patrick Russell for another season, signing the pending free agent Patrick Russell to a one-year contract. The team has not released financial specifics, but Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports that Russell will earn just $750K next season (Elliotte Friedman has it at $700K).

Now 27, Russell is an example of hard work and determination. The undrafted forward out of Denmark played a season in the USHL, two in the NCAA and three in the AHL before really getting a chance at the NHL level, where he spent 45 games this season in Edmonton. A strong goal-scorer at every level, that ability disappeared on Russell when he joined the Oilers. In 45 games he recorded just five assists, failing to score a single time.

Still, bringing him back on an inexpensive deal made sense for the Oilers as they look to retool for next season. Russell can play a depth role for the team, moving in and out of the lineup whenever necessary. Though it’s hard to imagine him providing a ton of offense in the NHL, he has improved tremendously in the second year at every level and could potentially take another step forward with some more experience, even in his late-twenties.

Pacific Notes: Fleury, Myers, Smith

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights goaltending controversy could get more interesting in the coming hours. After netting his team a 3-0 shutout last night against Vancouver, Robin Lehner would seem like a solid candidate to start again tonight for Game 4 of their series. However, Lehner is 1-7-1 in his career on second nights when he plays both ends of a back-to-back series. That could allow the opportunity for veteran Marc-Andre Fleury to get the start tonight.

In fact, NHL.com’s John Shannon reports that there is an internal belief that Fleury will get the nod against Vancouver in Game 4. However, Vegas coach Pete DeBoer refused to confirm that belief:

“I’m not going to confirm any lineup decisions we’ve made,” said DeBoer (via Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen). “You’ll see tonight. We’ve got a plan, and we’re going to continue on the path that we know is the right one for our group.”

However, considering that DeBoer and Vegas management has continued to claim that it is a 1 and 1a situation, a Lehner start would likely negate that stand. Fleury, on the other hand, has appeared in just two appearances so far in the playoffs. If he does start tonight, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger notes it will be his first appearance in 14 days, his second game in 23 days and his third game in 174 days.

An official word isn’t likely until just before gametime.

  • Speaking about unknowns, TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers was skating today, although there is no word on whether the blueliner is available for Game 4 tonight against the Golden Knights. Myers, out with a shoulder injury since Aug. 14, wasn’t expected to be ready until later this week, according to The Province’s Patrick Johnston, who added that the two-day break after this game could benefit him. However, Dhaliwal suggests there is a possibility that he could be ready tonight depending on how he responds to treatment. Again, he will be a game-time decision.
  • In an interview with The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman (subscription required), Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland admitted the Oilers will keep with a tandem goaltending situation. However, he also added that while he was pleased with the team’s goaltending for much of the season, he still needs time to assess whether they will make any changes, especially since veteran Mike Smith is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins adds that Smith is likely to be re-signed by the Oilers if Holland can find a way to upgrade Mikko Koskinen and his $4.5MM contract. If the team can unload Koskinen, that could improve Smith’s chances of staying in Edmonton. Otherwise, the team would likely look to let Smith walk and hope to find an upgrade in net after that.

Jesse Puljujarvi, Edmonton Oilers Nearing A Resolution

at CDT | by 14 Comments

Could the longest-running standoff in the NHL be reaching a conclusion? Last month, Jesse Puljujarvi spoke about his desire to return to North America and that his representation had been speaking with the Edmonton Oilers, the team who Puljujarvi refused to sign with last off-season and who he once stated he would never play for again. It was an encouraging note on what has been a frustrating situation for all involved. Yet, just a week later Puljujarvi re-signed with Karpat in the Finnish Liga and once again it seemed a reunion between the Oilers and their 2016 No. 4 overall pick may never happen.

Not so fast, says Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. Spector heard whispers that the sides were still talking and decided to do some digging. After speaking with both Edmonton and Puljujarvi’s agent, Spector believes that Puljujarvi will be back with the Oilers for the 2020-21 season. He believes the contract with Karpat, which has an NHL out clause, was to safeguard against a delayed start or worse for the NHL season, but that the two sides should come together for a new contract prior to the start of training camp, allowing Puljujarvi to simply use his deal with Karpat to get a head start on the season by playing in the Liiga.

Why the change? Spector believes that in addition to Puljujarvi’s desire to return to the NHL, he is also an ideal option for the cap-strapped Oilers to bolster their forward corps. Puljujarvi’s NHL production has not impressed thus far in his young career, but his numbers in Europe both before and after his first stint with the Oilers imply otherwise. With size and speed to go with his offensive upside, perhaps Puljujarvi can make a greater impact this time around and at a bargain rate. Spector expects that Edmonton will try to re-sign their former top prospect at a salary close to $1MM, which would likely mean just a one-year deal, but could make him an incredible value if he plays up to his potential.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top