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Ilya Konovalov Clears Unconditional Waivers

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June 9: Konovalov has cleared waivers according to CapFriendly and has had his contract terminated. He is now an unrestricted free agent.

June 8: The Edmonton Oilers still need to figure out their goaltending for next season but you can rule out at least one player. Ilya Konovalov has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. He had one year left on his entry-level contract.

Mark Spector of Sportsnet tweets that Konovalov is headed back to the KHL.

Originally selected 85th overall in 2019, it’s sort of a surprising move for the young netminder after just one season in North America. A contract termination will make him an unrestricted free agent, whereas had the Oilers not signed him, they would have held his draft rights indefinitely.

At just 23 years old, there’s still lots of upside for Konovalov, despite his struggles with the Bakersfield Condors this season. He posted an .893 save percentage in 17 appearances, winning just five times.

Even if he is heading back to Russia, this may not be the end of Konovalov’s story when it comes to North America. He is still young enough to continue his development overseas before attracting some attention down the road.

More On Edmonton Oilers Offseason Plans

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After the conclusion of the Edmonton Oilers’ season on Monday at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, the organization held the standard media availability and wind down, custom of teams at the conclusion of their season, where new details emerge about the current state of the organization. Today was no different, with news coming out that none of Edmonton’s injured players need surgery, and that Ken Holland will address his goaltending, but didn’t seem too enthusiastic about forward Jesse Puljujarvi’s expiring contract and arbitration eligibility. Intriguing as those storylines are, there is plenty more as it comes to the Oilers’ offseason to-do list, including the head coach position, forward Evander Kane, and free agent forward Andrei Kuzmenko.

Oilers GM Ken Holland said in his availability that he would love to have head coach Jay Woodcroft back for next season, though he still has to talk to the coach and about their respective plans (link). It’s no surprise that Edmonton would want their coach to return after the impressive stretch he lead the team on after replacing former head coach Dave Tippett in mid-February. At the time of the change, Edmonton was five points out of a playoff spot, but with Woodcroft, the team went 26-9-3, finishing second in the Pacific Division, and of course leading them to the Western Conference Finals. With the availability of a myriad of head coach options, including elite names like Barry Trotz and Bruce Cassidy, it could be tempting for Edmonton to try to upgrade at the position, but after Woodcroft’s success with a group that seemed destined to free-fall down the NHL standings, it would be hard not to try to replicate that success over a full season.

Holland also put forth the same sentiment towards Kane as he had for Woodcroft, saying he would love to have him back next season, but of course he would still need to work that out. Interestingly, the GM added that while Kane played for a $2MM cap hit this year, he doesn’t expect Kane to play for that same number again next year. Given Kane’s excellent performance for the Oilers after signing with them in January, his sensational playoff run, and his apparent chemistry with Edmonton’s stars, it’s clear why Holland would want to re-sign him, but also clear why he does not believe it will be for the same $2MM cap hit. In 43 regular season games, Kane had 22 goals and 17 assists, and followed it up with 13 goals and four assists in 15 playoff games.

Moving from one talented winger the Oilers would like to have to another, The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal tweets that free agent forward Andrei Kuzmenko arrived in Los Angeles today and will begin meeting with teams on his short list. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector adds that Edmonton is among the teams on Kuzmenko’s shortlist. Recall last week, when Thomas Drance reported on Sportsnet that Kuzmenko was going to begin the process of second interviews with teams. Interestingly, considering the circumstances, Kuzmenko shares an agent with Evander Kane in that of Dan Millstein. The similarity won’t necessarily give Edmonton any edge in signing either player since the decision is the player’s, but should give Holland and Millstein a sense of comfort and familiarity if they work on both. As Spector points out, the pitch to Kuzmenko would also be very similar to the one they gave Kane when he had his pick of teams in January: come play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and build value for the next contract.

Kuzmenko, who has spent his entire professional career in the KHL, doesn’t appear to have the allure that other point-producers on this year’s free agent market seem to have, which could be due in some part to several factors, including but not limited to the political situation in Russia, the fact that the KHL plays at times generally inaccessible to most North American fans, and the up and down results from other KHL free agents who have made the jump to the NHL. These factors aside, the 26-year-old winger is not wanting for production. After a slow start to his career, Kuzmenko has slowly but steadily improved his play year after year, culminating in a dominant 2021-22 for St. Petersburg, where he scored 20 goals to go with 33 assists in 45 games, adding another seven goals and seven assists in 16 playoff games. If Edmonton can secure his services, he should factor as another strong top-six option the organization can give McDavid and Draisaitl to utilize, and should give Kuzmenko an easy opportunity to show off his skillset as well.

Oilers Notes: Nurse, Goaltending, Puljujarvi

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The Edmonton Oilers were obviously dealing with several key injuries by the time they were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche, including limiting issues for Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl. When speaking with the media today in his end-of-year press conference, general manager Ken Holland announced that none of the injured players are expected to need surgery at this point.

That’s huge news for a team that obviously has its sights set on contending for the Stanley Cup again next season. As we’ve seen around the league, playoff injuries can cause absences at the beginning of the following season that drastically hurt a team’s chances–or at least their seeding. Draisaitl, who Holland confirmed was dealing with a high ankle sprain, still had 32 points in 16 playoff games. Nurse was dealing with a torn hip flexor for all three rounds.

  • Holland also admitted that the Oilers didn’t have a true number one goalie this season but explained just how few of those actually exist. He explained that he still needs to talk to Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen but the team is hoping that Stuart Skinner can take a step into a regular NHL role next season, even if that obviously isn’t going to be at that number one level. Koskinen is an unrestricted free agent and not expected to be back with the Oilers, while Smith still has one year left on his contract at a $2.2MM cap hit.
  • One of the more interesting moments in the press conference was when the manager was pressed about Jesse Puljujarvi, who found himself in the bottom six more often than not at the end of the year and is a restricted free agent this summer. When asked if Puljujarvi was part of the solution for the Oilers moving forward, Holland simply said “that’s what I have to sort out.” The 24-year-old forward is due a $1.41MM qualifying offer and is eligible for arbitration.

Smith: "Too Early To Tell" If He'll Play Next Season

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  • Oilers goaltender Mike Smith met with reporters today (video link) and indicated that it’s “too early to tell” if he’s going to return next season. The 40-year-old had an up-and-down season and acknowledged that he played through injuries for most of the year but still managed to post a .915 SV% in 28 games during the regular season, a number that he came close to maintaining in the playoffs (.913).  Smith is signed for next season already with a $2.2MM cap hit but he is not subject to the 35-plus rule that many veterans are.  In the last CBA, a provision was put in that says the rule does not apply if the compensation in each year is uniform or if the salary increases each year.  The latter applies to Smith so Edmonton wouldn’t face a cap penalty if he opted to retire.

Dylan Holloway To Make NHL Debut

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With their backs against the wall, the Edmonton Oilers are trying something new. Dylan Holloway will make his NHL debut according to several reports including Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Oilers are also expected to dress Brad Malone in the do-or-die game four, with Kailer Yamamoto unavailable due to injury and Evander Kane suspended.

Holloway, 20, was the 14th overall pick in 2020 and made his professional debut this season with the Bakersfield Condors. The former University of Winsconsin winger had eight goals and 22 points in 33 regular season games, before adding four points in five postseason contests. He figures to challenge for a full-time role with the Oilers next season, given players like Kane, Josh Archibald, Derick Brassard, Colton Sceviour, and Kyle Turris are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Making your NHL debut in the playoffs is something not a ton of players get to experience, though there is a shining example on the other side of the ice. Cale Makar jumped right into the 2019 postseason with the Colorado Avalanche and made an impact immediately, scoring what ended up being the winning goal.

Currently, Holloway is the third highest pick from the 2020 draft to have yet to suit up for an NHL game, following just Jake Sanderson and Yaroslav Askarov. That will change tonight, when he tries to help keep the Oilers alive in the Western Conference Finals.

Evander Kane Suspended One Game For Boarding

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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane has been suspended one game for his hit on Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri early in the first period on Saturday night. The hit happened as Kadri and Kane skated towards the end boards to battle for a loose puck, Kane giving Kadri a shove several feet before the boards, causing Kadri to lose his balance and hit the boards awkwardly. Kadri would stay down on the ice for several minutes before being helped off. The Avalanche forward did not return and according to Head Coach Jared Bednar, has been ruled out for the remainder of the series, and perhaps longer.

In rationalizing the suspension, the Department of Player Safety said the following:

“It is important to note that this is not a scenario in which Kadri puts himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to the hit in a way that turns a legal check into an illegal one. While we acknowledge that Kadri positions himself in front of Kane in order to shield the puck, this action is not a sudden or sharp movement that changes the nature of Kane’s hit in a way that he cannot control.  And while we acknowledge Kane’s argument that Kadri loses his footing as he approaches the boards, we believe that this is a direct result of the shove and is not an unavoidable occurrence that causes an unfortunate accident. This shove is deliberate at a dangerous distance from the boards while the two players are traveling at speed and causes an injury.”

Kane has been suspended several times in the past, including two separate three games suspensions, once for elbowing and once for abuse of on-ice officials. Losing Kane, even for just one game, is a difficult blow for Edmonton, as the winger had one of the best seasons of his career to date in 2021-22 after being released by the San Jose Sharks and later signing with Edmonton in late January. Kane had 22 goals and 16 assists in 43 regular season games followed up by 17 points, including a playoff-leading 13 goals, in 15 postseason games for Edmonton thus far.

Evander Kane To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Edmonton Oilers already need to reverse-sweep the Colorado Avalanche in order to keep their season alive, and they now might have to accomplish that feat without one of their best wingers. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced today that Evander Kane, the mid-season signing who has fit so well in Edmonton since his arrival, will have a hearing regarding his hit on Nazem Kadri, a boarding penalty that has knocked out Kadri for the rest of the Western Conference Final and perhaps even longer.

The hit in question happened only a minute into last night’s game. Kadri was chasing a loose puck into the Edmonton corner, and Kane was pursuing him. As Kadri began to stop to retrieve the puck which had bounced to his left, Kane shoved Kadri and Kadri went tumbling into the boards. A nearby official immediately called for a penalty, and Kane was assessed a five-minute major for boarding.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar referred to the play as “the most dangerous play in hockey,” and Kadri’s agent, Darren Ferris, took his comments a step further, calling on the league to “address the targeted hit” on his client, one that he deemed “serious and dangerously callous.” ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski highlighted a different line of thinking regarding the hit, relaying a sentiment from league sources that the hit was “reckless and unfortunate but not intentional.”

Kane has a prior disciplinary history, racking up fines for elbowing and kneeing in the past as well as suspensions for things such as elbowing, cross-checking, and abuse of officials. Kane has also previously criticized the Department of Player Safety for its decisions, and it remains to be seen the effect Kane’s prior actions will have on this upcoming decision.

If Kane is suspended, the Oilers will find the prospect of scoring goals on Colorado to be even harder than it has been for the past two games. The typically lethal Oilers offense has been limited to just two goals in that time frame. Without Kane, who has been nearly goal-per-game in these playoffs with 13 in 15 games, getting back on track should be even harder.

Should the Oilers lose on Monday, this hit and likely suspension could cast a shadow on Kane’s upcoming unrestricted free agency. As mentioned, Kane has been extremely productive in these playoffs and was nearly a point-per-game player in the regular season. Interested teams will have to balance Kane’s undeniable offensive talent with his controversial off-ice reputation when considering pursuing him as a free agent. This hit and a potential upcoming suspension could end Kane’s season on a decidedly sour note before a very important summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Oilers Expected To Terminate Ilya Konovalov’s Contract

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Oilers prospect Ilya Konovalov hasn’t had a great first season in North America and it appears he won’t be getting a second one as Dynamo Moscow’s GM Alexei Sopin told Championat’s Sergei Yemelanov that an agreement is in place to bring the netminder back to the KHL next season.  The move is pending a contract termination from Edmonton which is expected to come once their playoff run comes to an end.

The 23-year-old was a third-round pick of Edmonton back in 2019, going 85th overall.  He remained with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL for two seasons after being picked before opting to come to North America for this season.  However, Konovalov was limited to just 17 games with AHL Bakersfield this season, posting a 2.73 GAA with a save percentage of just .893.  He was briefly up with Edmonton on their taxi squad but didn’t get into any NHL action.

This move has been in the works for a while as last month, Dynamo Moscow traded for Konovalov’s rights at the beginning of the KHL’s transactions window.  Assuming the termination goes through as planned which should come sometime later this month, Edmonton will lose Konovalov’s NHL rights but free up a contract slot.  They’d also clear out the logjam in the AHL crease with both Olivier Rodrigue and recent college signing Ryan Fanti already under contract for next season.

Zack Kassian Earns Fine For Unsportsmanlike Conduct

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The Department of Player Safety has handed out a $2,500 fine to Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian for unsportsmanlike conduct, following his actions in last night’s game. Notably, this is not the “maximum allowable under the CBA,” words hockey fans have come to know (and hate) in recent years.

With the Oilers down 3-0 in game two of their third-round series, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram took a hit and ended up partially on his opponent’s bench. Kassian, on the bench, decided to not let Byram leave intact and pulled the helmet off the Colorado defender. When Byram retaliated by shoving the Oilers forward, they both ended up with minor penalties.

Kassian will earn a little bit more on review, as the league hands him a fine today. The Oilers are down 2-0 in the series as they head back to Edmonton, and this incident will cause the league to keep a bit of a closer watch over Kassian the rest of the way. While it isn’t a suspension, the fine can be taken into account in any future disciplinary decisions.

In fact, it’s already the second fine that Kassian has received in these playoffs, following the cross-check he delivered to Sean Durzi earlier on. It’s not exactly a “three strikes” rule in the NHL but the league likely will escalate the penalties at some point if the Oilers forward continues to be involved in supplementary discipline decisions.

Darcy Kuemper Out; Pavel Francouz Likely Starter

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Darcy Kuemper wasn’t on the ice for the Colorado Avalanche at morning skate according to Gene Principe of Sportsnet, as Pavel Francouz and Justus Annunen occupied the nets instead. The veteran netminder was pulled from game one with an upper-body injury, and head coach Jared Bednar wouldn’t comment on the specifics yesterday, other than to say “we’ll see” if he would be ready for game two. Bednar confirmed following the skate that Kuemper is indeed out for tonight’s match.

Kuemper, 32, has dealt with injury issues his entire career and already had a bad-luck incident in the playoffs that took him out for a few games. Against the Nashville Predators in the first round, a stick came through Kuemper’s mask and hit him in the eye, forcing Francouz into the net for a game and a half. While the Avalanche had no trouble finishing that series, they’re in tough against an Edmonton Oilers team that has had no trouble scoring goals.

If it is Francouz, it’s another chance for him to prove not only that he can handle an NHL playoff game, but that he can be part of a tandem for next season. Kuemper is a pending unrestricted free agent, while the 31-year-old Francouz is signed through 2023-24. To this point in his short NHL career, and despite strong regular season numbers, the Czech netminder has been completely unreliable in the postseason, recording an .891 save percentage in nine appearances. Six of those came in the 2020 bubble playoffs when the team ultimately went with Michael Hutchinson in the deciding game seven against the Dallas Stars.

The Oilers meanwhile had their own goaltending issues in game one, which saw Mike Smith pulled from the net after allowing six goals on 25 shots. Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that there is a “strong indication” that the team will go back to Smith for game two, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise given how much faith they have shown in the veteran netminder thus far.

Through 13 games this postseason, Smith has a solid .917 save percentage and even leads the playoffs with two shutouts. While he can be a bit of an adventure at times, there’s little doubt at this point that he gives them the best chance to win.

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