Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Oilers Rumors

Dmitri Samorukov Nearing A Deal In The KHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Dmitri Samorukov’s first foray into professional hockey had some tough moments and it appears he’s looking for a change of scenery.  As first reported by Sport-Express’ Michael Zizlis and since confirmed by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Samorukov is closing in on a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow that would see him play there on loan from the Oilers for next season.  Edmonton GM Ken Holland is aware of the plan and has given his approval.

Samorukov’s agent Pat Morris indicated that the current playing landscape in the NHL is playing a factor in this decision:

He wants to play. He doesn’t want to lay dormant for 8-10 months in this current situation. And he, unlike some other players, has this option. We’re exploring it long and hard.

While Edmonton will be participating in the play-in round against Chicago, it would take several injuries for the 20-year-old to get a look in their lineup.  His last AHL action came back in early March before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the schedule and eventually resulted in the cancellation of the remainder of the season and playoffs.  While there’s no firm timeline on when the NHL or AHL 2020-21 seasons will begin, it’s looking like December or January could be the options.  That’s a long time for any prospect to sit.

Samorukov had two goals and eight assists in 47 games with AHL Bakersfield this season and he may have an opportunity to make an immediate impact with CSKA.  Veteran blueliner Nikita Nesterov is drawing NHL interest while Montreal prospect Alexander Romanov has already agreed on his entry-level deal; former NHL defender Alexei Marchenko has signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl so there are certainly some vacancies to be filled.  A chance to get some guaranteed action (with the KHL schedule still on track to start in September) on a quality team may very well be the best move for his development next season.

Joel Persson Returns To SHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After a season in the NHL, defenseman Joel Persson is headed back to his native Sweden. In fact, he will return to the SHL’s Vaxjo Lakers, the same team he played with for the two seasons prior to his jump to North America. The team has announced a new three-year deal with Persson that will keep him in Sweden through the 2022-23 season.

Persson, 26, actually signed his first NHL deal with the Edmonton Oilers in 2018. However, he stayed with Vaxjo on loan through the 2018-19 season before inking a one-year extension with Edmonton. He arrived in the NHL this season and recorded two points in 13 games with the Oilers, adding 16 points in 27 games with AHL Bakersfield. Persson was traded to the Anaheim Ducks at the deadline, but did make an appearance with the team and was held scoreless in the minors as well. So while a recent report noted that the Ducks had communicated with all of their pending free agents, it is no surprise that there was no mutual interest in a continued relationship between Anaheim and Persson.

While Persson’s first season in North America was not a failure, it didn’t live up to the expectations set by his meteoric rise in Sweden. Fortunately, he is still young enough to make the decision to return home without it eliminating the chance of an NHL comeback. Persson will be 29 when his new deal with Vaxjo expires. Based off his performance in his first two years in the SHL – 65 points in 101 games and league championship – his stock will likely be even higher at that time. NHL teams will likely be keeping tabs on the talented puck-moving, right-handed blue liner over the next few years. It’s quite possible that this is not the last of Persson in the league.

Snapshots: Patrick, Kalynuk, Panthers, Granlund

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers are expected to be quite healthy whenever the league begins their 24-team tournament. The team is expected to get back James van Riemsdyk (fractured right index finger) and Philippe Myers (fractured right kneecap). However, the news remains grim for young center Nolan Patrick, who has missed the entire 2019-20 season with migraine issues.

Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi notes that the second-overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft hasn’t seen much improvement and seriously doubts the team would be willing to put the 21-year-old out on the ice if he could re-injure himself during the 24-team playoffs. It’s much more likely the Flyers will allow him to heal throughout the summer and hope that he is ready to go whenever training camp gets underway for the 2020-21 season, which could be anywhere between November to January.

Even if Philadelphia believed Patrick was ready to contribute, Carchidi points out that it doesn’t make much sense to break up the team’s chemistry that led them to a first-round bye in the playoffs. Throwing a player who hasn’t played since Apr. 2, 2019 isn’t necessarily a good way to hold onto that chemistry.

  • In a separate article, Carchidi writes that the Philadelphia Flyers are in negotiations with their 2017 seventh-round pick, Wyatt Kalynuk, who decided to forego his senior season at Wisconsin and can become a free agent later this summer. The 23-year-old offensive defenseman was an all-Big Ten selection after scoring seven goals and 28 points.
  • NHL.com’s Jameson Olive interviewed Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, who states that along with regular players on the team’s roster, the Panthers expect to add several prospects to the playoff roster, including forwards Owen Tippett, Henrik Borgstrom and defenseman Brady Keeper. Tippett could be an interesting player, who was a first-round pick back in 2017 and appeared in seven games back in the 2017-18 season, but was returned to junior. He scored 19 goals in 46 games with Springfield this year in the AHL. Borgstrom struggled this year, mainly playing in the AHL after playing 50 games with Florida in 2018-19, but still has the potential to become a solid NHL forward, while Keeper finished out his rookie season in the AHL, faring well. “I’m sure we’ll have a few of our top prospects there,” Tallon said. “We’ll narrow it down to see how many [Joel Quenneville] wants. We still have to wait for the league [to give] an exact number.”
  • Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins reports that while forward Markus Granlund has already signed a contract with Ufa Salavat Yulaev in the KHL for next season, expect the forward to be part of the Edmonton Oilers’ “Black Aces” taxi squad when the 24-team playoffs begin later this summer. Granlund remains under contract with the Oilers until the season is over and should be able to provide veteran depth for the team in case of injuries. Granlund played in 34 games with the Oilers this season with three goals and four points, but did spend quite a bit of time in the AHL this year, something he hadn’t been forced to do in years.

Snapshots: Chiarelli, Devils, Broberg, Laaksonen

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The recent parting of ways between the Arizona Coyotes and former President and CEO Ahron Cohen leaves a big opening in Arizona for an executive. That could be a chance for former Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli to get back into an executive role.

Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that it wouldn’t be surprising if Chiarelli was a finalist for that role in Arizona. It is believed that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is not happy with Arizona’s alleged tampering of NHL draft prospects and could have enough influence over new owner Alex Merulo to suggest a reliable candidate to take that open role with the Coyotes. While his success in Edmonton as their general manager wasn’t overly successful, Chiarelli might be a better fit in a president’s role and has a good working relationship with Bettman.

  • In his most recent mailbag, The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required) writes that with a number of prospects closing in on bigger roles in the New Jersey Devils’ lineup, the team may look to unload a player or two during the offseason. The team has a lot of AHL-ready players who might get a chance to break into their lineup, including Jesper Boqvist, Janne Kuokkanen, Joey Anderson, Nicholas Merkley, Nolan Foote and the potential of a 2020 lottery pick being ready to go, that could cause a logjam if the team holds on to all their veteran players. While not all of them are expected to make the Devils’ squad, the scribe writes that it would make sense to move a player with the two most likely trade candidates to be Miles Wood and Pavel Zacha. Both would be valuable to other teams as versatile quality depth players. Of course, much will also depend on future contract negotiations between Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev, who both will be unrestricted free agents in 2021.
  • TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that the Edmonton Oilers are considering putting 2019 first-round pick Philip Broberg on their 30-man roster if/when the playoffs begin. Each team will need a group of black aces with the AHL season having been cancelled. Rather than having the 6-foot-3 blueliner sitting at home, it might be a learning experience if he was to join the team during their playoff push. It’s unlikely he would see any action, but the 18-year-old did spend his first full season playing against adults in the SHL this season. He is expected to continue honing his skills in the SHL for one more year before the Oilers bring him over.
  • NHL.com’s Jourdon LaBarber writes that Buffalo Sabres assistant general manager Randy Sexton is considering the possibility of bringing Finnish prospect Oskari Laaksonen to North America as soon as next season. The 2018 third-round pick was considered a steal shortly after the draft due to his impressive skating and passing skills. The 20-year-old has become a leading defenseman on Liiga’s Ilves Tampere squad and could prove to be a key addition for the Sabres. Of course, the question comes down to whether Buffalo could bring the blueliner over as he hasn’t signed an entry-level deal with the Sabres yet and he signed a two-year extension with Ilves Tampere back in 2018 and has only played out one of those years so far. No word on whether there was an out-clause in the contract.

Ales Hemsky Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Veteran NHL forward Ales Hemsky announced his retirement on Thursday at the age of 36. This may come as a surprise to many, who likely assumed that Hemsky had retired years ago as he has not played since 2017-18. However, often a player’s final season of play and the point in which he gives up the pursuit of getting back to the pro game come at two different times. Such is the case with Hemsky; after more than two years of trying to work back from a concussion suffered early in the 2017-18 season, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro relayed that Hemsky officially called it a career today.

Hemsky quietly did very well for himself in his career. A first-round pick of the Oilers in 2001, Hemsky played 15 NHL seasons, including 11 in Edmonton. In over 800 career games, Hemsky recorded nearly 600 points and established himself as a slick and creative play-maker. He had an unforgettable 2005-06 season, recording a career-high 77 points despite just modest ice time and adding an additional 17 points in the playoffs during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.

However, Hemsky could never quite shake the injury bug and it is worth wondering what kind of player he might have been if he could have stayed healthy. Hemsky started strong, playing in 70+ games in four of his first five full NHL season, but only did so three more times over the rest of his career. He missed all but 22 games due to a shoulder injury in 2009-10 and struggled to stay on the ice the following season to the tune of just 47 games. Then, later in his career, back-to-back injuries effectively ended his playing days. Coming off a strong season with the Dallas Stars in 2015-16, Hemsky suffered a major hip injury early the next season and missed all but 15 games. He then signed with the Montreal Canadiens in the off-season and suffered the aforementioned concussion just seven games into the year.

In a recent piece by The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman, he writes that Hemsky battled depression following his injuries, but held out hope that he could return to the NHL. Back in Dallas, he was working out and participating in alumni activities, but could never quite make it back to game shape. A career of physical damage was simply too much to overcome. He tells Nugent-Bowman that he has made peace with his career and happy to be focused on his family and his health.

Edmonton’s Markus Granlund Expected To Sign In KHL

at CDT | by 3 Comments

After spending a significant amount of time with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL this past season, many people in Edmonton knew that Markus Granlund’s time with the team was short. Now a Russian website, al.hockey.ru reports (translation required) that Granlund has reached an agreement to head overseas and sign with Ufa Salavat Yuleaev of the KHL. No terms have been reported.

Granlund signed a one-year deal on July 1 last season for $1.3MM. The Oilers, desperately in need of inexpensive depth due to their salary cap, signed a number of NHL veteran forwards to low-cost deals, including Josh Archibald, Riley Sheahan, Gaetan Haas, Joakim Nygard, Tomas Jurco and Granlund. While some of those players were successes last season, Granlund was not. Archibald, Sheahan and Nygard won permanent jobs, while Granlund was eventually sent to Bakersfield, the first time he’s played in the AHL since the 2015-16 season.

The 27-year-old appeared in just 34 games for the Oilers, posting three goals and four points while averaging a career-low 10:50 of ATOI. He rarely played on the penalty kill and was eventually made expendable. He played 20 games for the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL, scoring six goals and 15 points in that time.

Granlund will likely will take a much bigger role on his KHL team and might be able to take his game to a new level there and earn a chance to return to an NHL team. He has appeared in 335 NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and the Oilers.

Oilers Have Interest In Re-Signing Riley Sheahan

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Oilers clearly like what they’ve seen from some of their depth players this season and have already handed out extensions to center Gaetan Haas and winger Joakim Nygard.  They may not be done there yet either.  Postmedia’s Jim Matheson reports that the team has interest in re-signing center Riley Sheahan although he’d have to take an amount close to his current $900K price tag even though he has spent a fair bit of time on the third line this season.  While his production has tailed off in recent years, he still takes a lot of key faceoffs and can help on the penalty kill.  Matheson also suggests that there’s interest in re-signing Tyler Ennis, who didn’t look out of place after being acquired at the trade deadline.  However, after putting up 37 points between Ottawa and Edmonton and no longer being paid by Minnesota on his buyout, he may be seeking a fair bit more than his $800K salary.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Filip Berglund

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers have locked up another one of their draft picks, signing Filip Berglund to a two-year entry-level contract. Berlund recently completed his fourth full season in the SHL, playing for Skelleftea AIK. Just over a month ago, Berglund joined Linkoping HC on a two-year contract. It’s not clear if that’s where he’ll spend next season now that he’s under contract with the Oilers or if he’ll join the organization here in North America. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports that he is expected to stay in Sweden until the 2021-22 season.

Berglund, 22, has been a steady two-way presence for years now in Sweden, showing flashes of an offensive ceiling that could help him reach the NHL one day. Though he’s not at all the small, skilled puck-mover that the NHL has been trending towards—Berglund stands 6’3″ and is not an elite skater—there is still enough promise in his game to believe that he could one day be suiting up for the Oilers.

The question now becomes how the Edmonton blueline shakes out over the next several years. Ken Holland has been hoarding defensemen ever since taking over the GM role, but very few of them are signed long-term. It’s obvious that he is trying to build a young core on the back end, but who rises to the top is still to be determined.

Markus Niemelainen Signs With Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers have finally convinced one of their 2016 draft picks to come back to North America, signing Markus Niemelainen to a two-year entry-level contract. The hulking defenseman has spent the last three seasons in Finland’s top league after playing two years of junior hockey in the OHL. Had the Oilers not been able to get him under contract, Niemelainen would have become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

There’s a lot to like about the 6’6″ Niemelainen, who is actually an incredibly good skater for his size. While there still isn’t a ton of offensive upside in his game, the Oilers would likely be happy with a rock-solid stay-at-home option after taking him in the third round.

Whether he can translate that strong defensive play to the NHL level is another question entirely, but Niemelainen has all the tools to be an effective bottom-pairing presence that logs heavy minutes on the penalty kill.

Brad Malone Signs AHL Deal To Remain With Bakersfield

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Journeyman forward Brad Malone may not be playing on an NHL contract for the next two years, but he will be content to stay in the same place for a while longer. The 30-year-old forward will remain in the Edmonton Oilers organization by signing a two-year AHL deal with the Bakersfield Condors, the affiliate announced. After playing with four different organizations over five year span, Malone has now spent three years with the Oilers and has two more years with their farm team to look forward to.

Malone, a standout college player at the University of North Dakota, has always been a productive AHL player. A fourth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2007, he recorded 36 points in 67 AHL games as a first-year pro in 2011-12. The mark still stands as a career-best, but eight years later Malone was poised to break that mark this season with 31 points through 49 games prior to the suspension of the season. Over his career, Malone has also been a valuable NHL depth piece, contributing 85 points in 161 games with Colorado, Edmonton, and Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he scored a career-high 15 points in 2014-15.

However, Malone did not see any NHL action this season (so far) for just the second time in his pro career. He will be on the wrong side of 30 as of next month and it is clear that he is not going to become an NHL regular at this point in his career nor do the Oilers see him as worthy of a contract slot as a depth piece either. He remains a valued veteran presence in Bakersfield and can still produce and perhaps he can earn another NHL contract if he keeps his play up. For now though, he will settle for a familiar place to play and will have to work to prove that he can still be an Oiler in addition to a Condor.

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