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Oilers Sign Roby Jarventie To Two-Way Extension

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When Oilers pending RFA winger Roby Jarventie signed a three-year deal in his native Finland early last month, that indicated he wouldn’t be back with the club for a while. Instead, it appears that his overseas contract is being torn up as he’s landed a two-way commitment from Edmonton for 2025-26, PuckPedia reports. The contract carries the league-minimum NHL salary of $775K with a $125K minors salary and a $200K guarantee.

Jarventie’s 2024-25 sample size was limited to just two games, both with AHL Bakersfield back in October, after sustaining an offseason knee injury. It was the 22-year-old’s first season in the Edmonton system after the Oilers acquired him from the Senators in exchange for 2021 first-round pick Xavier Bourgault last summer.

His NHL resume is, unsurprisingly, limited. He has one assist and a minus-five rating in seven career outings, all with Ottawa in a November 2023 call-up. He averaged just 7:31 per game, though, never getting the opportunity to showcase what he can do offensively higher up in the lineup.

Up until this season, though, Jarventie’s minor-league development in Ottawa’s system with AHL Belleville was promising. In his three seasons spent fully in North America, Jarventie increased his points per game production from 0.47 in 2021-22 to 0.75 in 2022-23 and again to 0.91 in 2023-24. The 2020 second-rounder also had two assists in his two outings with Bakersfield this year and almost certainly would have gotten a call-up to the Oilers had his health held up.

Jarventie was presumably unsure whether he’d receive a contract offer from Edmonton after his injury-plagued season, leading to his decision to land a secure role back home. Instead, he’ll look to hit the reset button this summer and compete for a roster spot in training camp in the fall.

Re-Examining The Conference Finalists’ Trade Deadline Acquisitions

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The trade deadline is always an interesting time to reflect on with the benefit of hindsight. Several massive trades were made leading up to it, including two trades involving star forward Mikko Rantanen. With the playoffs down to just two teams, and a bit of a break coming, an opportunity has presented itself to re-examine the deadline and look back at some winners and losers, some two months later.

Looking back at the biggest deal between the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes, it is interesting in retrospect, given that both teams lost in their respective Conference Finals. The deal involved Rantanen going to Dallas in return for Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick. Rantanen was later signed to an eight-year $96MM contract extension by the Stars, and now it looks like an absolute win for Dallas. Rantanen had come as advertised, posting nine goals and 13 assists in 18 games during the NHL Playoffs, with no games bigger than Game 7 of the first round when the 28-year-old had a hat trick to knock out his former team, Colorado. The trade for Rantanen solidified the Stars’ forward group. It gave them another high-impact forward to position them as a top Stanley Cup contender for the foreseeable future.

It’s hard to call Carolina a loser in the deal, given the haul that they got for Rantanen. Still, looking at their roster, they certainly lacked a gamebreaker in these playoffs and could have used Rantanen in the Conference Finals. Carolina fans will wonder what could have been had Rantanen stuck around. Still, Carolina probably did the right thing by recouping assets for Rantanen rather than letting him walk for nothing.

Dallas addressed other key areas at the Trade Deadline by acquiring forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks for a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in 2025. Granlund provided some offense, but his skating was an issue at times against some of the quicker Edmonton Oilers players, and defensive issues have also been a problem. Granlund did have five goals and five assists in 18 games during the playoffs, but that is off the offensive pace he set in the regular season, and he has benefited from good deployment and a solid PDO.

Ceci, on the other hand, hasn’t been great, as his underlying numbers are arguably the worst of any of the Stars’ regulars. Ceci’s acquisition was a bit of a headscratcher at the time, but Dallas has used him heavily (probably too much) in the playoffs, playing him over 21 minutes a night. Ceci had three assists in 18 games, but to his credit, he had some of the most challenging assignments nightly, contributing to his poor analytics.

Ceci’s former team, the Edmonton Oilers, didn’t have the capabilities of making a big splash at the deadline. Still, they did make a handful of acquisitions that have solidified key positions in their march to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers’ big moves were for forward Trent Frederic and defenseman Jake Walman.

Frederic was acquired to provide some sandpaper in the bottom six and chip in the occasional goal. It took a while for him to get going, thanks to a high ankle sprain, but he seemed to hit his stride in the second round against Vegas. Frederic hasn’t provided much offense, with just a goal and three assists in 16 playoff games, but he has been a physical threat anytime he’s on the ice, with 59 hits thus far. Frederic’s underlying numbers aren’t good, but he has been handed complex deployments and tough matchups as a member of the Oilers’ bottom six.

The Walman acquisition by Edmonton was a tidy piece of business, as the 29-year-old has helped stabilize the Oilers’ bottom pairing and has chipped in some offence as well. Walman has been given a very favourable deployment, which has allowed him to use his puck-moving ability and skating to contribute to Edmonton’s playoff success. Edmonton paid San Jose a steep price to acquire Walman, and while his results have been okay, it does feel like an overpay for what he brings.

The Florida Panthers were another team that was busy around the Trade Deadline, making a massive trade for defenseman Seth Jones on March 1st. The Panthers sent goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for Jones, who also came to Florida along with a fourth-round pick in 2026. Jones was dramatically overpaid in Chicago at $9.5MM annually, but with retained salary, is at a $7MM cap hit with Florida, which is much more in line with his play. Jones has been great since coming over to Florida, eating up a ton of minutes and providing above-average play in almost every aspect of the game. Jones struggled at times with the speed of the game, but has been an overwhelmingly positive presence for the Panthers; his acquisition has given Florida a very formidable defensive core that has brought them to a second straight Stanley Cup Final.

Jones wasn’t the only splash that Panthers general manager Bill Zito made at the Trade Deadline, as he also acquired forward Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. Marchand has been everything the Panthers were hoping he could be and more, playing a pivotal role in the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with three goals and five assists in seven games. Marchand’s acquisition cost Florida a conditional second-round pick in 2027 that has now become a first-rounder. Still, given his impact, Florida would likely pay it again if given the choice.

Lastly, we look at the moves the now-eliminated Carolina Hurricanes made at the Trade Deadline. As part of the Rantanen trade, Carolina was able to acquire forward Taylor Hall, who is no longer a Hart Trophy contender but remains a good player. The 33-year-old was the first overall pick in 2010 and had a decent offensive season this year with 18 goals and 24 assists in a bounce-back year after he was injured for most of the previous season. While Hall was a good acquisition for Carolina, it wasn’t enough to move the needle, and ultimately, their lack of meaningful additions cost them, as they didn’t have the horses necessary to get by the Panthers.

Outside of the trades involving Hall and Rantanen, the Hurricanes’ acquisition of Stankoven was a tidy little move that should pay dividends long term, as the 22-year-old was a steady point producer down the stretch with five goals and four assists in 19 games with Carolina. Despite being undersized, the Kamloops, British Columbia native also had a good playoff showing, with five goals and three assists in 15 games and should be a key contributor for the Hurricanes for a long time. His presence won’t lessen the sting of not being able to keep Rantanen in Carolina, but the Hurricanes didn’t walk away empty-handed and will have some other pieces of that trade in the fold very soon.

All that being said, the lack of a game-breaker badly hurt the Hurricanes, and they may look back on the move to trade Rantanen with a bit of regret, given that they lacked that player who could take over a game in the Florida series. Carolina continues to struggle to overcome the hump that is the Eastern Conference and probably should have been more aggressive at the Deadline given the state of their roster and their position in their competitive window.

Carolina made one other move for depth center Mark Jankowski. The 30-year-old finished the regular season strong with eight goals in his final 19 games but was used sparingly in the playoffs as he dressed in just seven games and had a single point. His move offered some depth, but it just wasn’t what Carolina needed to take down the formidable Panthers.

Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

Connor Brown Will Return For Game 1

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Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm Expected To Return For Game 5

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Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm took line rushes in his usual top-pairing spot alongside Evan Bouchard at morning skate and is expected to make his 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs debut in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final tonight, Tony Brar of Oilers TV relays.

It’s huge news for the Oilers, who have a 3-1 series lead over the Stars and can lock in a Cup Final rematch against the Panthers with a win tonight. Ekholm has not played since reaggravating an undisclosed injury on April 11 against the Sharks. Due to that injury and an earlier illness, the 35-year-old blueline staple only played in five of Edmonton’s final 20 regular-season games.

After the re-injury against San Jose, the Oilers were quick to rule Ekholm out for the entirety of the first round. They made a similar announcement about his second-round status shortly after they dispatched the Kings in six games to advance. He resumed skating late in their series against the Golden Knights, though, indicating he’d likely be an option at some point during the West Final if they advanced. After they did, Ekholm was ruled out for Games 1 and 2, but his status for the remainder of the series was left open.

He’s been labeled as “close” by the team over the past few days, but never quite upgraded to game-time decision status. He may very well bypass that tonight and be declared as being in the lineup, depending on what head coach Kris Knoblauch has to say when practice concludes.

The veteran is a significant boost to an Edmonton blue line that’s overperformed expectations in his absence. While the trade deadline acquisition of Jake Walman from the Sharks has paid its expected dividends, it’s been an unheralded depth piece, Brett Kulak, getting the lion’s share of minutes alongside Bouchard at even strength in Ekholm’s absence. He’s stepped up to the task and then some. The Kulak-Bouchard pairing has controlled a staggering 65.1% of expected goals in 127 minutes of ice time together, per MoneyPuck, outscoring opponents 7-1. That plus-six goal differential is second among defense pairs at 5-on-5 this postseason behind the Panthers’ Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones, who are outscoring opponents 12-5 for a plus-seven differential.

After finishing 12th in Norris Trophy voting last season, Ekholm scored 33 points in 65 games this year with a +11 rating. He and Bouchard were similarly dominant together in last year’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, outscoring opponents 22-12 at 5-on-5 while controlling 61.3% of expected goals.

Kulak will get bumped down to second-pairing duties with Darnell Nurse while Troy Stecher heads to the press box, according to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. The Oilers’ third pairing of Walman and John Klingberg, also one of the best duos of the playoffs thus far, will remain unscathed.

Connor Brown To Miss Game 5 For Oilers

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  • Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters today, including Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press, that forward Connor Brown will be unavailable for Game 5 against the Stars. Brown was injured during Game 3 and was unable to suit up in Game 4. Knoblauch added that Brown is getting better and should be able to return soon. Brown’s return will be key for the Oilers’ forward depth, especially after news that Zach Hyman will miss the remainder of the playoffs due to a wrist injury.

Oilers’ Zach Hyman Undergoing Wrist Surgery, Likely Out For Season

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10:21 a.m.: Hyman’s surgery will be on his wrist, not shoulder, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK relays.

10:04 a.m.: Not only is Hyman’s series over, but he likely won’t be back for Edmonton in a potential Stanley Cup Final matchup either. Head coach Kris Knoblauch tells reporters, including Ryan Rishaug of TSN, that Hyman will undergo surgery today to address the upper-body injury and is expected not to return this season.

9:05 a.m.: Oilers top-six winger Zach Hyman will not play in tomorrow’s Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Stars and isn’t expected to return if Dallas manages to extend the series with a win, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 reports.

Hyman left yesterday’s Game 4 win midway through the first period with an apparent upper-body injury and did not return. He left the ice while favoring his right shoulder/upper arm area after an awkward neutral zone collision with Stars winger Mason Marchment. He went to the locker room shortly thereafter (video link).

Now in his fourth playoff run with Edmonton, Hyman has again been a first or second-line constant, although his linemates have remained in flux. He’s recently settled in on the top line alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, which has been the most dominant line of the West Final so far. At 5-on-5, the trio has outscored Dallas 3-0 while outshooting the Stars 20-8 and outchancing them 19-9.

After an underwhelming regular season, Hyman has rediscovered his game in the playoffs. He’s not quite at last year’s level of postseason dominance (16-6–22 in 25 GP), but he’s still tied for fourth on the Oilers with five goals, ranks fifth with 11 points, and sits third with a +10 rating. He’s also logged 111 hits – 41 more than any other Oiler and first in the league by a significant margin.

He’s a significant loss as Edmonton looks to close out the series and secure a second straight Stanley Cup Final appearance in Game 5, and an even more significant one if he’s unavailable for any SCF action. Since signing with the Oilers in free agency in 2021, Hyman has 35 goals, 25 assists, and 60 points in 68 playoff games – eighth in the league over the past four seasons.

Without Hyman, Edmonton will need to continue receiving solid secondary scoring from names like Evander Kane and Corey Perry and strong goaltending from the resurgent Stuart Skinner, who’s up to a .939 SV% in the series. If the Panthers advance with a Game 5 win over the Hurricanes tonight and the Oilers win tomorrow, the Stanley Cup Final could presumably start as early as Saturday night – and it’s almost a certainty they’ll be without Hyman for that potential Game 1 if he wouldn’t be available for a potential WCF Game 6 that night either.

Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

Oilers Notes: Bowman, Ekholm, Hyman

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In an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Edmonton Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman, spoke highly of the Oilers’ two defensive additions throughout the regular season, John Klingberg and Jake Walman. Bowman had always believed that the Oilers’ defense was the most glaring issue, saying, “That was something that struck me early in the season.”

The relationship between the Oilers and Klingberg began in November. Bowman articulated that Edmonton needed a capable puck-moving defenseman to play behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and that was the reason the team went after Klingberg. Bowman said, “We started talking to him in November, knowing he wouldn’t be back (from injury) for a while. But that was the style of player that I thought would really complement our group. Of course, you think of the defensive side, but I thought we defended well as a team.”

That was largely the same reasoning he used for pursuing Walman at the trade deadline. LeBrun quoted Bowman saying, “Walman is along the same lines, because I believed in the group we had on the defensive side. I felt if we could add to it, this was sort of the look that I was hoping would come to be.” The two have been instrumental in the Oilers’ run to the Western Conference Finals, combining for seven points in 27 games with a +19 rating, averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time per game.

More notes from the Oilers:

  • Staying on Edmonton’s blue line, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic recognized the strong play of defenseman Troy Stecher and the harsh reality eventually coming his way. In five games this postseason, Stecher has averaged an exceptional 100.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength, allowing Edmonton to play him without hesitation. Unfortunately, given the other pieces on the blue, Stecher will be the one removed from the blue line once Mattias Ekholm returns. Still, thanks to his play over the last several games, the Oilers won’t hesitate to put him back in the lineup should there be another defensive injury.
  • As noted in a new article from Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, one player who’s stepped up his game in the postseason after a difficult regular season is Zach Hyman. In the article, which our readers are encouraged to read in its entirety, he blamed concussion issues and the fact that he wasn’t considered for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off as the reason he scored half as many goals as he did during the 2023-24 campaign. Still, he’s been phenomenal in the postseason, scoring five goals and 11 points in 14 games with 109 hits.

Connor Brown Out For Game 4, Calvin Pickard Questionable

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The Edmonton Oilers are confirmed to be without one forward as they look to take a commanding lead in the Western Conference Final in Game 4. According to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared that Connor Brown won’t be in the lineup tomorrow, but netminder Calvin Pickard may return in a backup role.

Brown left the Oilers’ Game 3 victory on Saturday after being hit by Dallas Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic in the second period. Edmonton listed Brown as having an upper-body injury, but it was clear from the hit that the injury could be isolated to the head. The 10-year veteran had been enjoying the best playoff run of his career, scoring five goals and eight points through the Oilers’ first 14 games of the postseason.

Luckily, Edmonton has a few effective options to replace Brown in the lineup. One of Viktor Arvidsson or Jeff Skinner could get the call, with the former being the likeliest option. Arvidsson has already appeared in nine games for the Oilers this postseason, scoring one goal and four points while averaging 11:06 of ice time per night.

Meanwhile, Pickard could get his first opportunity since Game 2 of Edmonton’s Round Two matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Although he wasn’t great, Pickard was exactly what the Oilers needed when starting netminder Stuart Skinner began to falter, managing a 6-0-0 record in seven games with a .888 SV%.

Still, it’s unlikely the Oilers will need Pickard to hurry back from injury if Skinner’s recent play continues. He’s been exceptional since reprising his role as the team’s starter in Game 3 against the Golden Knights, posting a 4-2-0 record in six games with a .936 SV%, including three shutouts.

Brown Exits Game 3 After Hit To The Head

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Oilers winger Connor Brown left today’s victory over Dallas with an upper-body injury.  He was injured late in the second period on a hit from Alex Petrovic.  Speaking with reporters postgame (video link), head coach Kris Knoblauch indicated that there was no immediate update on Brown’s status.  The 31-year-old has been a quality secondary scorer in the playoffs with five goals and three assists in 14 games despite being questionable for a few games with another injury.  If Brown isn’t available for Tuesday’s matchup, one of Viktor Arvidsson or Jeff Skinner would likely take his place in the lineup.

Mattias Ekholm Remains Out For Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers will continue to wait for the return of their top defender, as veteran Mattias Ekholm remains out of the lineup. Before the game, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed there would be no changes to the lineup, indirectly indicating that Ekholm would remain out.

Despite fully participating in practice, Ekholm remains out after sustaining an injury that has limited him to just one game since late March. He returned for a single game on April 11 after a seven-game absence, only to aggravate his injury again. The Oilers announced before the start of the Western Conference Final that Ekholm would miss the first two games of the series, with a possible return afterward. However, the team will now assess his availability beyond Game 3.

The 34-year-old played in 65 regular-season games, recording nine goals and 33 points while averaging 22:12 of ice time per game. While the Oilers have continued to find success without Ekholm in the fold, his return would undoubtedly support the team’s efforts. While he has posted 360 career regular-season points in 884 games on the blueline, he has elevated his game even more in the playoffs. His postseason points-per-game average (0.46) currently exceeds his career regular-season mark, and his solid performance in last year’s playoffs (10 points and a plus-nine rating), played a key role in the club’s run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

That said, rust is still likely to be a factor, even for a player with over 1,000 career games between the regular season and postseason. In his absence, the Oilers have used a variety of combinations on the back end, which includes the likes of Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher.

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