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Edmonton Oilers’ Dmitri Samorukov Out Six Weeks

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Edmonton Oilers prospect Dmitri Samorukov suffered a broken jaw during last night’s development camp tilt against the Calgary Flames, the team announced Sunday afternoon. The defenseman will be out six weeks, missing the rest of training camp and the beginning of the regular season.

Samorukov, originally a third-round pick of the Oilers in 2017, is returning to North American this season after spending last season on loan with CSKA Moscow in the KHL. He’s shown solid upside at all levels of the game, scoring 45 points in 59 games with the Guelph Storm in his last OHL season in 2018-19. He continued his development with a successful rookie campaign in the AHL, getting into 47 games with the Bakersfield Condors in 2019-20. Last season’s stint in Russia saw him post eight points in 48 games while exhibiting solid two-way skill.

While it was unlikely Samorukov would crack the roster for the Oilers this season, the injury likely hurts those chances even further. However, he’ll be an important part of the defense core in Bakersfield this season as he enters his third professional campaign. Steps forward there this season could very well lead to an NHL opportunity in the future, possibly as soon as a call-up at the end of this season or next. He likely sits as the second defenseman on the depth chart in Bakersfield behind Philip Broberg, a first-round selection of the Oilers in 2019.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Kailer Yamamoto To One-Year Deal

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The Edmonton Oilers and restricted free agent forward Kailer Yamamoto have come to terms on a one-year bridge deal. The team has announced that Yamamoto has agreed to a $1.175MM contract for 2021-22. Yamamoto will be a restricted free agent again next season.

Both sides are inherently taking a risk with such a short deal. Yamamoto, 22, is betting on himself with this contract. He took a considerable step back last season after a stunning run of 26 points in 27 games in 2019-20. His numbers fell off across the board, eventually including his ice time, as his offense dried up almost entirely late in the year leading to a final tally of eight goals and 21 points in 53 games. For a player of Yamamoto’s skill and creativity, more is expected than .39 points per game, even at his young age. If the 2017 first-rounder cannot improve, he may be stuck with a multi-year contract at or close to his qualifying offer at best.

Of course, if Yamamoto greatly outplays his miniscule salary this season – which should be easy to do – then the pressure will all fall back on the Oilers. While the cap-strapped team is happy to have their young weapon under contract for cheap money this season, they may be regretting not coming to an agreement on a longer term next summer. Yamamoto has already showed that he can score with ease in the NHL, even if that was two years ago. If he can get back on track, likely slotting into one of the more talented top-six groupings in the NHL, he could put up massive numbers in 2021-22 and his price tag will skyrocket.

At the end of the day, the two sides got a deal done without negotiations dragging on into training camp and the relationship growing contentious. That was crucial, as Edmonton needs affordable young talent to buoy several big-money contracts and Yamamoto would be hard-pressed to find a better place to improve his own scoring potential and earning ability than by playing with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The two sides could continue talking into the season and come to terms on an extension well before next off-season, potentially mitigating the impact on either side somewhat. However, a one-year bridge deal always leaves open limitless possibilities for what could come next.

Oilers Offered Adam Larsson A Fifth Year In Contract Talks Before Expansion

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  • As part of their attempts to re-sign him, the Oilers offered defenseman Adam Larsson a fifth year, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. However, the veteran opted for a fresh start, ultimately inking a four-year, $16MM contract with the Kraken during the expansion draft negotiation window.  Matheson suggests Edmonton’s offer for Larsson likely exceeded the money he received from Seattle as well.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Colton Sceviour To PTO

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The Edmonton Oilers will have another experienced forward at training camp, as Colton Sceviour has been signed to a professional tryout.

Just yesterday we listed Sceviour as one of the players still available as a PTO candidate, given his 500 games of NHL experience. Last season the 32-year-old scored five goals and ten points in 46 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, while averaging fewer than ten minutes a night.

With career-highs of 11 goals and 26 points, Sceviour isn’t going to bring a ton of offensive ability to the table but can still be a relatively useful bottom-six player. He’s joining an Oilers roster that is anything but settled in that regard, with players like Devin Shore and Brendan Perlini in the mix for the fourth line.

Just today, the team announced that top forward prospect Dylan Holloway will be sidelined for the next several months after wrist surgery, which also could complicate the Oilers’ plans. Someone like Sceviour could easily fill a 13th or 14th forward role for the first few months of the season at least while the team determines where their young talent is best utilized.

Of course, it is important to remember that professional tryouts are not necessarily only a showcase for the team that signs them. Sceviour will be able to train and compete against other NHL players while he looks for work around the league. For the Oilers specifically, the team is over the cap until they place Oscar Klefbom on long-term injured reserve, meaning a contract for Sceviour could also come down the line after some other transactional gymnastics take place.

Dylan Holloway Undergoes Wrist Surgery

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Edmonton Oilers prospect Dylan Holloway was one of the biggest names to watch at training camp this season after signing his entry-level contract and turning pro earlier this year. Now he’ll miss rookie and the main training camp after undergoing a second wrist surgery. The Oilers have announced that during the recovery process for his previous procedure, which was to repair a scaphoid fracture he suffered during his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin, it was determined that he required further surgery. Holloway will now face a recovery timeline of at least three months.

Still just 19, Holloway was the 14th overall pick in 2020, selected after a good-but-not-great rookie season at Wisconsin. That proved to be quite the pick as he exploded in his second year, scoring 11 goals and 35 points in just 23 games. While he did get some time playing beside college phenom Cole Caufield, it wasn’t a case of being carried by a more effective linemate; Holloway centered the Badgers second line for most of the season, while Ty Pelton-Byce benefited from the talents of the Montreal Canadiens’ sniper.

This surgery was a troubling setback for the young forward, who was set to at least make his professional debut in the minor leagues this season, if not the NHL. While there is obviously still plenty of time for him to develop and contribute for the Oilers, missing another three months right now is probably the worst thing that could have happened. Hopefully this latest procedure is the last he’ll need for a while.

Injury Notes: Matthews, Holloway, Kesler

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Only fours weeks in to a “minimum” six-week recovery period following impromptu wrist surgery, Auston Matthews is hopeful that he will be at full strength to begin the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs star tells NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that his rehab is “coming along well”, though there are still several major steps to go. Matthews remains in a splint and remains at least a couple of weeks from moving beyond that stage of his recovery to actually testing his wrist and building his strength back up. Matthews claims that the injury, which plagued him for much of last season, is not serious, but he is happy that he decided to address it this summer after the pain had returned during his early off-season workouts. Hopefully an elective surgery for a “not serious” injury doesn’t impact the start of Matthews’ season, but as of right now he does not believe that will be the case. Matthews tells Zeisberger that he plans to resume skating this week and then take his wrist rehab “day by day” as the season approaches. The Leafs open up training camp and begin preseason play within Matthews’ minimum recovery window, so that is surely to impact his preparation for the season, but if the reigning Rocket Richard winner is at least healthy by Toronto’s October 13 opener with no more lingering wrist discomfort, then the surprise surgery will have been the right choice on all accounts.

  • The Edmonton Oilers are not expecting to see much from top prospect Dylan Holloway in their upcoming rookie camp as the talented forward is still working his way back from a broken thumb. Holloway suffered the injury at the end of the collegiate regular season, but continued on with the University of Wisconsin having qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers only lasted two games, but it still delayed Holloway’s surgery into April. This was expected to still be enough time for him to be fully healed by now, but instead Holloway is still being bothered, reports The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. Holloway had x-rays done last week and is awaiting and evaluation from the Oilers’ medical staff. He is listed on the camp roster, but unlikely to partake in much if any action. Instead, he will hope to be healed up in time for NHL camp in two weeks. Holloway’s thumb injury cost him a chance to finish out last season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and gain some pro experience, so the skilled forward may be looking at a slow start to the season in the minors anyhow before getting a look in Edmonton.
  • Though it may seem obvious by now given that he has not played in two years and now is working as a volunteer coach, Ryan Kesler is officially acknowledging that he does not expect to play in the NHL again. The veteran forward spoke with NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman and stated that he does not see his body getting back into playing condition again. “And to be honest, I’m still a far way away to even coming close,” Kesler said. Suffering through injuries to both hips, Kesler was slowed even before being sidelined. He tells Kimelman that he lost his drive and love for the game for some time as he dealt with constant pain and lacking results and he tried to keep playing. Now, with one year remaining on his contract with the Anaheim Ducks, Kesler continues to rehab and work toward getting back into a place that he is happy with, but acknowledges that he cannot be an NHL player again, nevertheless live up to his own reputation. Hopefully Kesler can get to a point that he is at least comfortable skating and can continue to be on the ice as a coach.

Kailer Yamamoto Unlikely To Sign Long-Term Deal

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This weekend continues to be a slow one for the hockey news cycle. With less than two weeks until the start of preseason, teams and players remain in limbo alike on remaining negotiations. One of the more prominent restricted free agents remaining is Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto, who needs a new deal after scoring eight goals and 21 points in 52 games last season. It’s a step back in production after he broke onto the scene in 2019-20, scoring 26 points in just 27 games. But as names like Joel Farabee and Drake Batherson, both decent comparables to Yamamoto, have signed larger, longer-term contracts recently, The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson surmises that this likely won’t be the case for Yamamoto. As the addition of Zach Hyman and Warren Foegele into the picture puts Yamamoto’s top-six role in a small amount of jeopardy, combined with a tight salary cap picture for the Oilers, Matheson suggests Tyson Jost’s two-year, $2MM cap hit deal as a closer comparable for the former first-round pick. As of now, that deal would still push Edmonton over the maximum $4.17MM that they’ll be able to exceed the cap by due to Oscar Klefbom being placed on long-term injured reserve. Edmonton is listed as having a full 23-man roster on CapFriendly, though, and could send players like William Lagesson and Brendan Perlini to the minors to become cap-compliant.

Oilers Re-Sign Cooper Marody

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The Oilers have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents, announcing the re-signing of winger Cooper Marody to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal pays the league minimum of $750K at the NHL level, meaning he accepted less than what his qualifying offer was for.  630 CHED’s Bob Stauffer reports (Twitter link) the AHL portion of the contract is worth $150K.  Marody was eligible for salary arbitration earlier this summer but opted not to file.

The 24-year-old tied for the team lead in scoring last season with AHL Bakersfield, recording 21 goals and 15 assists in 39 games.  Over parts of four seasons, Marody has produced at close to a point per game clip, recording 120 points in 130 contests.  Despite that, his NHL opportunities have been limited to just six games with Edmonton back in the 2018-19 season.

Marody will be waiver-eligible for the first time in training camp and that type of production at the minor league level could get him on the radar of teams if he was to be placed on the wire to send back to Bakersfield.  Before it comes to that, however, he’ll have a chance to battle for an end-of-roster spot with the Oilers in training camp.

Edmonton GM Ken Holland still has some work to do on the RFA front as winger Kailer Yamamoto remains unsigned with the start of camps less than two weeks away.  With limited cap space, the expectation is that he will ultimately have to take a short-term contract in order to keep the cap hit down.

Edmonton Considering Adding A Defenseman On PTO; Holland Updates Yamamoto Talks

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It has been speculated over the past few weeks that the Oilers are likely to bring a right-shot defenseman on a tryout basis for training camp.  It appears they have a couple of targets in mind as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson pegs veterans Michael Stone and Jason Demers as the likeliest candidates to sign one of those deals with Edmonton.  Stone is no stranger to the PTO route having been on one with Calgary last year before ultimately signing a two-way deal where he got into 21 games with the Flames and four more with AHL Stockton.  Demers hasn’t been in that situation before but after a tough year with Arizona that saw him dropped to a third pairing and reserve role, he may have to settle for a tryout at this stage of free agency.

  • In an interview with 630CHED (audio link), Oilers GM Ken Holland provided a small update on negotiations for RFA winger Kailer Yamamoto. He indicated that both sides took a break from discussions for most of August but recently resumed discussions with more scheduled for early next week.  With Edmonton’s cap space being limited, a short-term bridge deal is likely all they’ll be able to afford barring a trade that opens up some extra room.

Tyler Tullio Signs Entry-Level Contract

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  • The Edmonton Oilers announced this morning that they’ve signed forward Tyler Tullio to his entry-level contract. Tullio, a fifth-round selection of the team in 2020, was one of many players affected by the OHL’s shutdown last season due to COVID-19. He’ll be returning to the Oshawa Generals this season in all likelihood, looking to build on his 66 points in 62 games that he scored during his draft year. He did show immense promise on loan overseas this season, scoring 13 points in 19 games with HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas in the Slovakian Extraliga. Per PuckPedia, the three-year entry-level deal has a cap hit of $843,000.

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