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[Edmonton Oilers]

Roundtable: Which middle-six forward and ‘Ekholm Jr.’ defenceman should the Oilers target in trade?

What a Friday it was for the NHL.

You had the surprise Tristan Jarry trade early in the morning, only for it to be outdone later that night by Quinn Hughes getting dealt to the Minnesota Wild.

There were certainly some smoke screens last week about a potential Jarry trade not happening due to the Penguins’ unwillingness to retain salary, couple with the fact that reports started to surface the Oilers were looking to address other areas of their team.

Among those areas, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta’s suggested, was that the Oilers could be looking to acquire a physical, “Ekholm Jr.” type of defenceman, and another middle-six forward.

I polled some of the Oilersnation crew about who could be the best target.

Who would be the best targets?​

Tyler Yaremchuk: The first defenceman that comes to mind is Mario Ferraro from the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have been a sneaky competitive team so far this season and have taken a big step forward, so it’s far from a guarantee that they sell but if the Sharks fall out and GM Mike Grier makes Ferraro available, then the Oilers should be all over it. Ferraro does a lot of things well and his $3.25m cap hit is very attractive. He can play both sides of the blueline as well, which the Oilers value. If the Sharks don’t want to move Ferraro and the Oilers need to check down… what about a reunion with John Klingberg? It wouldn’t cost a lot.

There are way more forwards on the market then defenceman, as usual, which means the prices should be lower and the Oilers would have options. Alex Tuch is at #1 on my list. It would cost a lot but I think there’d be interest from both sides in signing a long-term extension this summer and he’s a legitimate play driving winger and would make the Oilers forward group even scarier. I also like the idea of Boone Jenner. Low cap hit, positional versatility, and the ability to kill penalties. His game translates well to the playoffs.

Baggedmilk: I’m so bad at these games because I never know who is available unless they’re right in my face. That said, the defenceman I would love to see in an Oilers uniform is the one that will never actually happen. Of course, I’m talking about Rasmus Andersson. The guy is annoying, plays with an edge, has some offensive touch, and would add a different layer to the mix on D that the Oilers don’t currently have. That would be fun if Calgary would ever do it, or even the player for that matter. Up front, it would be amazing to get a guy like Ryan O’Reilly to really reinforce the centre depth. The math is almost impossible and the guy is getting older, but that’s the exact type of forward I’d love to see get added. Gritty, skilled, and able to defend? Perfect.

Apr 6, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) checks Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (91) during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Liam Horrobin: The Seattle Kraken have began to slide back down the standings after a good start to the season. If that trend continues, could Jared McCann become available? He’s a former 40 goal scorer but a consistent 20+ goal guy, which is precisely what the Oilers need. McCann has one year left earning $5 million annually with a 10 team no trade list. There was speculation over the summer on his future in Seattle, per David Pagnotta, so the will to move him has lingered before. Brock Nelson cost the Colorado Avalanche Calum Ritchie, a first and a third round pick, so would they be willing to move Isaac Howard in the deal or maybe they can get away with moving Quinn Hutson instead.

Caprice St. Pierre:

As desirable as an Ekholm junior defencemen would be — and rightfully so — let’s be realistic here, the Oilers can’t have him. Not because he doesn’t exist, or because no one wants to come to Edmonton, but because the return isn’t manageable. Ask yourself this: what do the Oilers have to give? We’re not talking about your run of the mill, third pairing D man here. We’re talking about a two-way defenseman who can move the puck, be responsible, keep a calm composure, slot guys into place, and if we’re getting greedy here, be physical.

So when recalling Zach Hyman’s hat trick against the Red Wings and the Edmonton Oilers redemption from another loss to Buffalo, think back to 20-year-old Axel Sandin-Pelika, because that’s the guy you want, and that’s the guy — baring any miracles — you can’t have.

If you’re looking for a middle-six forward the Oilers could add, he’s out there. Perhaps Josh Doan in Buffalo? Or Ryan O’Reilly in Nashville who still has some gas left in the tank and enough accountability to force a team through a rough patch? Marco Rossi would have been nice, though he’s just been spoken for.

All three would be fine middle six centres for the Edmonton Oilers. They range in age, 23 to 34, and salary cap, $925,000 AAV all the way to $5 million. They’re legitimate players that could help this Oilers roster now. But the problem hasn’t changed.

The Oilers still have no picks, their prospects still aren’t good enough to get a defenceman and centre, their salary cap situation is too tied up. And let’s not forget, Stan Bowman just doubled the salary for his starting goaltender.

In a perfect world, the Oilers could have ASP and Josh Doan without giving up star players like Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but it’s not, and Edmonton is forced to see it through with who they’ve got.

Oct 31, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (90) skates with the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Michael Menzies: Finding a dance partner to trade with is difficult right now. There are so few defined sellers because the standings are so tight, especially in the eastern conference.

The San Jose Sharks are one point out of a wildcard as of writing, but you have to think they still want to acquire assets. They already own the Oilers first-round pick, for example.

The Oilers probably want another right-handed defenceman with only Evan Bouchard as the righty in the top-four. With that said, Mario Ferraro is a very intriguing name. He’s a 27-year-old, rugged, left-shot who wears an “A” with the Sharks. Playing in their second pair and top penalty kill, his contract of $3.25-million expires this year.

He’s been a lifer so far in northern California and doesn’t profile as a guy the Sharks would be in a hurry to part from, but they do need to make room eventually for Sam Dickinson and Shakir Mukhamadullin. I’ll add this, Vincent Desharnais is on LTIR right now, but since he’s big and a righty, I wouldn’t rule out a reunion, but he doesn’t have any top-4 upside.

Another name: Brandon Carlo. The Maple Leafs sunk a huge acquisition cost in getting him and he’s underwhelmed. Maybe a change of scenario would help for a guy, who with the Bruins averaged 4.66 hits a game. What about Nick Perbix on the Predators blueline? His underlying metrics are alright on a bad Preds team and he’s just 27-year-old.

If I could just wish-cast a middle-six forward, I can’t be talked off Ryan O’Reilly. His impact on the Oilers roster as a hard two-way center, who also won the freakin’ Conn Smythe, would be transformational. However, the asking price would be simply too much. So with nothing original to add, I’ll cast my vote into the Alex Tuch ballot.

Zach Laing: Mario Ferraro is a guy I’ve kept coming back to. There’s the San Jose connection there, with Stan Bowman picking up Jake Walman from Mike Greir last year, so it makes sense they could circle back for another deal. The Walman acquisition seemingly came out of nowhere. His name was never on any of the big boards, and that, too, makes me think the Oilers could try and target players whose names aren’t out there in a big way.

One team worth keeping an eye on is the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have bigger names like Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, who each have two years remaining at $5.13-million and $5-million cap hits, which could be very interesting options, but the money would be tough to make work. But other guys like Kevin Hayes (UFA, $3.5-million cap hit) and Anthony Mantha (UFA, $2.5-million cap hit) could be options that make a bit more sense.

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Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/round...nceman-should-edmonton-oilers-target-in-trade

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Leon Draisaitl’s 1000th point has to wait, Calvin Pickard, and the Oilers lost on special teams

The Edmonton Oilers kicked off their five-game road trip with a decisive win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday, and they were looking to keep the good times rolling in their rematch with the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs were rattled by how things went when these teams matched up back in October, and I was fascinated to see how Sunday’s game would shake out. Would it be spicy? Would both teams look tired since they were each on the second half of a back-to-back weekend? Unfortunately, it was the Habs who had all kinds of jump on Sunday, and used those wheels to lock in a lopsided 4-1 victory.

1000 POINTS FOR LEON DRAISAITL HAS TO WAIT​

Do you remember when the Oilers had the third overall pick at the 2014 NHL Draft, and everyone was talking about how the Oilers should take Sam Bennett? That was, of course, until he couldn’t do a pull-up. It’s wild to think about now, but there were a lot of people who believed Edmonton should avoid Draisaitl because he was too slow and likely wouldn’t score a ton. More of a passer than a finisher, they said. Well, here we are 11 years later, and Leon Draisaitl has developed into one of the best players on earth. No disrespect to Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett, all of those guys are doing very well with the Panthers, but there’s no way that Drai wouldn’t go first overall in that group if we did a re-draft with the benefit of hindsight.

And on Sunday night in Montreal, most of us were waiting for Leon Draisaitl to register his 1000th point and cement himself in history as one of the 100 players in the league to reach the feat. Unfortunately, Drai did not get the point he needed. And the reason I’m writing about this is because I actually thought the rest of the team tried to hard to get him there. There were moments on the power play when clear shots were being passed up to set Draisaitl up with a cross-ice one-timer, when a shot from wherever the puck was would probably have been the better choice. As much as I get why everyone wants to get him to 1000 points, I also think he’s so damned good that it’s going to come naturally without having to force it. Maybe it’s just me, but as someone who bet on Drai to get a point against the Habs, I legitimately thought Oilers were trying too hard to make fetch happen. Big Sexy 2.0 is going to get his point, but I just don’t think everyone around him has to try so hard to make it happen.

THE FUTURE FOR CALVIN PICKARD​

Calvin Pickard got his ninth start of the season on Sunday in Montreal, and in the hours leading up to the game, all I could think about was what the last couple of days must have been like for him. There’s a zero percent chance he didn’t know about or hear the noise about the team’s goaltending, and for a lot of people, finding a way to upgrade on Pickard was more critical than upgrading on Skinner. But now that Stan Bowman pulled the trigger to bring Tristan Jarry to town, I can’t help but wonder what the future looks like for our pal Cal. We know the guys in the room love him — they’ve defended him as recently as this season — but the NHL is a results-based business, and Pickard’s haven’t been nearly good enough. But when the team loves the guy and goes to bat for him with the GM, it’s fair to wonder how much the power of friendship comes into play with what happens to Pickard next.

Will Bowman still look to upgrade on the backup position, knowing full well how much our current guy matters to the players in the room? Does he care? Only time will reveal what happens between the crease, but for the time being, we have to hope Pickard can start to round back into form. Against Montreal, I thought Pickard was the best Oiler on the ice. And even though I know I’ll take heat in the comments for giving him love after allowing four goals on 27 shots, it’s hard to ignore that he was faced with multiple breakaways, odd-man rushes, and clean shots from in tight that he mostly handled with care. The guy was on an island for most of the night. Put another way, the Oilers probably would have lost that game regardless of who was in net, and I think it would be deeply unfair to hang this one on Pickard.

SPECIAL TEAMS WERE NOT SO SPECIAL​

It’s not often that we take shots at the Oilers‘ special teams, but I felt like last night’s performance deserved a few words. We all know how dangerous Edmonton’s power play can be, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way they handled their five power play opportunities. While scoring once on five chances with the man advantage isn’t horrible by any stretch, it’s hard not to feel like there were a few more opportunities that could have cashed with a few adjustments. And the first thing that pops to mind was the two-minute 5-on-3 that the boys got in the first period. Even though the Oilers were actually pretty damned good in those two minutes, they ultimately couldn’t score. It doesn’t matter how many looks you get if you can’t get any of them past the goalie. It’s hard not to imagine how different things might have gone had they been able to score there.

On the PK, the Oilers gave up a pair of goals in four shorthanded situations, and it doesn’t take a data scientist to figure out that running a 50% penalty kill is probably going to be a problem. On the first one, Ivan Demidov ripped the puck past Pickard with a perfectly placed shot. Honestly, I’d tend to tip my cap to the shooter on this one, but even if you do respect the finish, the Oilers actually had a chance to clear the puck only moments before. On Nick Suzuki’s goal, Alec Regula lost his position and allowed the Montreal captain to gain the inside ice. Once Suzuki was the first guy to get to the post, the tap-in he scored will likely go down as one of the easiest he’ll ever score at the NHL level. The point being that even if you give the Habs credit for the way they scored their two PP goals, both featured mistakes by Edmonton that should have been avoided. And when you lose the PP and the PK battle in the same game, it’s not hard to understand why the Oilers ended up losing the game.

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[Edmonton Oilers]

What do the Oilers have in their newest prospect Samuel Poulin?

Last Friday, the Edmonton Oilers sent out Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick in exchange for Tristan Jarry and former 2019 first-rounder Samuel Poulin.

While all eyes were on Jarry in his debut win in Edmonton colours Saturday night, Samuel Poulin also had a strong debut with the Bakersfield Condors that night, finishing with two points on the second line with Finnish forwards in Roby Jarventie and Viljami Marjala.

Who is Samuel Poulin?

Samuel Poulin was a first-round selection in 2019 by Pittsburgh after having a great draft year, scoring 29 goals and 76 points in 67 games for the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix. The next season, Poulin stepped up his game, putting up 32 goals and 77 points in only 46 games played. So far, Samuel has put up some solid numbers in his AHL career with 137 points in 208 total games played. The main issue is that the Blainville, Quebec native has only 15 NHL games played on a Pittsburgh team that has been going through a transition period and playing a fair amount of young guys.

One of Poulin’s strengths in his game is the ability to put the puck in the net. Right now, the six-foot-two winger is on pace for 28 goals, and his ability to find the soft areas of the ice was on display in his debut, as you’ll see below in the first clip.

It was his first game as a Condor, but the former Penguin and Roby Jarventie were linking up early on plays. Poulin also showed the ability to find open space with Wilkes-Barre. In the next clip the left-shot forward scores off a broken play, but he makes a beautiful cut to the middle to be an open option as the F3. Poulin is rewarded by being the only player around the puck and finishing.

The next and final clip detailing his scoring ability shows off the pure velocity of Poulin’s shot. The 227-lb. winger opens up his hips before accepting the pass and ripping a shot knocking off the goalies helmet.

When I was first watching film of Stan Bowman’s newest acquisition I came into the process expecting a lot of shooting from any angle, but I was fairly surprised to see how well Poulin can hold the puck and move it around to his teammates at times. Having the six-foot-two, 227-lb. frame definitely helps with protecting the puck, but Poulin showcased a ton of trust and strength in his edges. In the clip below he is able to get the defenceman on his backside and even though he is falling down Poulin manages to make an excellent play to get the puck to his teammate in the middle.

In the next clip it is a bit more boring/simple than the past one, but I think it matters. Poulin shows the ability to do a smooth outside edge turn at almost 230 lbs. and he also shows the patience to not touch the puck till the opposition is blocked by his backside and his legs are protecting his stick. Great tendencies.

The final area of Poulin’s game I would like to highlight is his playmaking ability and more so the ability to get the puck from the boards to the middle of the ice even if it is a bit risky. This was even on display in his first game as a Condor as you’ll see below. Samuel Poulin is on the wall and threads a beautiful pass to Rem Pitlick in the slot who gets a shot on net.

Good things happen when you can get the puck off the boards and I came away impressed a few times with Poulin’s confidence to get the puck to the middle. The next clip is another example of the former Penguins prospect showcasing this ability. Poulin is on the wall with his back to the opponent (he loves to do this) under extreme pressure as another two defenders come into his bubble, but he finds a lane to a streaking Scranton player who makes a nice play to give Poulin the secondary assist.

Such a beautiful pass. Speaking of beautiful passes, in our next clip Poulin shows us he has a bit of deception to his game. The former Sherbrooke captain is on a two-on-two rush when his linemate starts pulling away from his defender Poulin recognizes this and drags the puck into his shooting form only to get the defender to open up a lane for him to put the puck through. Another excellent play.

Being 24 and turning 25 in February, Poulin is done developing physically and most players don’t see a ton of change in their play past this point. It would be a miracle if Poulin ever put up the numbers he had in juniors, but being on pace for 68 points in 71 games is another step up in his game.

I see a world where Poulin can give you some helpful minutes as a fourth-liner. He kills penalties, his work ethic on the forecheck and backcheck is consistent, and he can sometimes take a puck from the wall to the middle to advance possession. In reality this is more of a throw in for a Condors team who has been in need of a forward that is willing to play on the defensive side of the game.

However, I think he can have a bigger impact than we give him credit for. Building off my last point about Bakersfield needing help with a two-way presence on the forward group, Poulin’s game is the ultimate compliment at the AHL level. He is a jack-of-all-trades and can do the dirty work for a line if they need. I think his game will allow a lot of the other Oiler prospects play to their strengths whenever they are paired with Poulin.

Time will tell us how the trade pans out, but so far I like the addition and theory behind adding a Samuel Poulin.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/what-do-edmonton-oilers-have-in-newest-prospect-samuel-poulin

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Pagnotta talks Jarry trade, the Oilers’ backup goaltender, and a GM change in Buffalo

NHL insider David Pagnotta believes the Edmonton Oilers got to the point where they were willing to “suck it up” and include Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak in the move to acquire Tristan Jarry, despite wanting to keep both of them.

Pagnotta joined Oilersnation Everyday with Tyler Yaremchuk and Liam Horrobin on Monday to discuss the Oilers and other league-wide moves.

He said that suggested trade targets like Juuse Saros and Jordan Binnington would be too expensive, either due to contract or in a trade package.

Pagnotta added that general manager Stan Bowman has been having these goalie conversations since the draft.

“They didn’t want to lose them. They wanted to make the money work, but they [Skinner, Kulak] were really the only way to do it,” said Pagnotta. “That’s what I mean by them having to accept the fact that, okay, we have to change our little internal philosophy a little bit and move forward with this.

“This isn’t something that just came to them on a whim. This wasn’t Minnesota and Quinn Hughes, where it took only a week and they got things going. This is something that they were kicking tires on going back to the draft.

“This is a guy [Jarry] that they zeroed in on, and they wanted. With two more years left in his contract and a palatable cap hit for a starting goalie, you kind of check that box.”

Pickard’s status​

Questions still loom about whether the Oilers will improve on their backup goaltending. Bowman said Calvin Pickard, “will remain with the team” following the Jarry deal. The Oilers could look to call up Connor Ingram, too, despite subpar stats with the Bakersfield Condors.

For example, Laurent Brossoit was placed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, and there isn’t room to add him to their NHL roster.

The 33-year-old former Edmonton Oiler carries a $3.3 million cap hit in the final year of his contract. Liam suggested he could be a name to acquire.

“There are still creative ways to make money work here,” said Pagnotta. “If you send Pickard on waivers, and you clear out that million dollars, and then you have Tomášek, and other guys that you could possibly go that route, or other guys that don’t need to go through waivers.

“I just don’t know definitively if that’s the route that the Oilers want to take.”

Pickard started Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens, saving 23 of 27 shots, but didn’t get much support from the skaters in front of him in a 4-1 loss. The plan is to give Jarry the majority of starts.

“That’s probably an area that would at some point be addressed. But I still think there are other areas of this team, other holes on this team that they’d like to work on.”

Sabre-rattling?​

The Buffalo Sabres were carrying three goalies on their active roster until Colten Ellis was injured against the Oilers last Tuesday.

With general manager Kevyn Adams fired on Monday, and former Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen promoted into the role, is there an appetite to move either Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Alex Lyon?

Elliotte Friedman believes the Oilers have been interested in Lyon before.

“I still think that one in particular is probably summer-related,” said Pagnotta. “But now with Jarmo Kekäläinen, and the aggressive nature that they want him to have, maybe those types of discussions pick up.

“The other one is Alex Tuch. What do they do there? What do they do with some of their other players? Is there enough now in your messaging that’s going to convince Alex Tuch to be confident enough that they can start to get through a competitive season. And that over the tenure of his contract, he’ll be comfortable in the notion that this is going to be a playoff-type team?”

Oilersnation Everyday with Tyler and Liam airs at noon from Monday to Friday.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/david...oilers-backup-goaltender-gm-change-in-buffalo

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers’ Curtis Lazar helped off the ice with apparent injury in Tuesday game against Penguins

The Edmonton Oilers are down a man against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the second period Tuesday night, forward Curtis Lazar got tied up with Penguins defenceman Jack St. Ivany and fell into the boards, colliding with former teammate Brett Kulak in the process. Lazar then needed assistance getting off the ice, and did not return to the game.

Here’s a look at that play:

An unfortunate incident, Curtis Lazar falls into the boards after getting tangled with Jack St. Ivany.

Lazar would need help getting off the ice.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/gNR8aqpC3U

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 17, 2025

Lazar joined the Oilers on a one-year contract this summer as a free agent coming from the New Jersey Devils. So far this season, he has two goals in 17 appearances with Edmonton, averaging under 10 minutes a night.

The 30-year-old’s exit from the game is especially concerning considering his injury history. Last season, he played just 48 games with the Devils after suffering a knee injury that required surgery. Upon his return to the lineup, by his own admission, he wasn’t performing to the standard he expected of himself, finishing the year with five points. Edmonton took a chance on him this year, and after a goal against the Winnipeg Jets earlier this month, he spoke about getting another opportunity and finding his place with the Oilers.

“It’s the NHL, you can’t take a single day for granted,” he said. “Especially, you said you’re able to line up whatever, whatever happens, happens. But when you get the call, you want to be able to do a job. I know what I can offer and how I can help a team win. And I was glad to just kind of take that next step tonight. Doesn’t matter, you know, if you’re limited or your minutes are limited or whatnot, you still want to make the most of your opportunities. And a lot of that for me, it’s face off, defending, penalty kill.”

Official word on the extent of Lazar’s ailment is still to come. The Oilers currently have a number of players out with injuries, including Connor Clattenburg, Jake Walman, Jack Roslovic, Kasperi Kapanen, and Noah Philp.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmon...lped-off-ice-apparent-injury-against-penguins

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Leon Draisaitl’s 1000th point, a goodbye to Stuart Skinner, and Connor McDavid is on fire for the Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers landed in Pittsburgh for the third game of their five-game road trip, only four days after making the trade that sent Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to the Penguins in exchange for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin. And with both goalies still wearing helmets from their former organizations, all eyes were on the crease for the second-career head-to-head between Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner. Unfortunately, it was bad news for the latter as his former friends lit the lamp five times before wrapping things up with an empty-netter to close out a 6-4 win.

LEON DRAISAITL’S 1000th POINT​

Outside the strange goalie-wife-swap situation with Jarry and Skinner still wearing helmets for their old teams while starting for their new teams, the other big story was Leon Draisaitl’s pursuit of 1000 points. Sitting at 999 career points through 823 games, it was a matter of when and not if Draisaitl would become the 103rd player in NHL history to reach the milestone, but to hit the mark against his former teammate only four days after the trade is a twist no one would have predicted back in the summer. Did I mention Brett Kulak was in the penalty box for delay of game? Yeah, that happened too. It’s one of those wild stats that will end up as a future trivia question in bars around this city for decades to come. An unbelievable achievement by a world-class player, with the added bonus of a fun little side quest tacked on as the accoutrement.

It’s been such a pleasure to watch Leon Draisaitl go from being a third overall pick (!!!) to being one of the best hockey players on the planet. I remember the talk around Drai’s draft year being that he was too slow and didn’t score enough, which seems almost insane with the benefit of 11 years of hindsight. The guy is one of the premiere goal scorers in the NHL and has been for a while, and he’s collected almost every piece of individual hardware that you can for regular season success. It’s such a blessing that the Oilers were able to pick up such a stud in the year before the grabbing Connor McDavid with the golden ticket. We’ve been so blessed to have these two guys leading the charge over the last decade, and it was no surprise to see them connect on Draisaitl’s big moment. Draisaitl to McDavid to Hyman and in? Sounds about right for the occasion. Just like it was when Leon set Connor up for his 1000th point last season. These are the good old days, my friends.

GOODBYE, STU​

It was weird seeing Stuart Skinner in a Penguins jersey. After being drafted by the Oilers in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Skinner spent the last eight years in his hometown organization, and it was a story that was almost too perfect. Hometown kid develops into the team’s starting goalie? How can you not love that? The problem, of course, is that Skinner ended up as the start in the most Oilers way possible. Ken Holland went and signed Jack Campbell to a five-by-five, and it blew up in face almost immediately. Instead of having years to develop slowly behind a capable 1A, Stu was thrust into the starter’s role years earlier than he should have been. Even so, the guy was able to backstop the Oilers (most of the time) to the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row. And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bum me out to see the story end the way it did. He was one win away from being a legend in this city. Damn.

But with Stu playing for the other side and the Oilers in need of points, it didn’t matter what could have or should have happened. Our former friend was now the enemy, and while it felt weird to see him in another jersey, I was also hoping the Oilers would use what they know about him to collect the win. As hoped, they did just that. Edmonton torched the Penguins for three goals on the power play, and it could just be me, but it seemed like the boys were especially aware of where they wanted to put the puck. Mix in Matt Savoie’s softy that slipped through the wickets and Vasily Podkolzin’s ninth of the year, and you’ve got the makings of a rough night for our moustachiod ex. But if I’m being honest, I felt bad for him. It was sad to watch. To get shelled in his first game with the Penguins like that had to be rough, and I feel for him. In the end, Skinner allowed five goals, stopped 17 of 22 shots, and finished with a .773 save percentage. At the other end, Jarry finished with 26 saves and a .867 save percentage.

CONNOR McDAVID MAY LITERALLY LIGHT ON FIRE​

Remember NBA Jam? Back in the day, my buddies and I used to play NBA Jam on the SEGA Genesis for hours and even days at a time. If you’re not old enough to know what I’m talking about, it was a two-on-two basketball game where the players would literally be set on fire if they got hot enough. Go on a heater, and Penny Hardaway would graze the roof on his dunks with a trail of fire following behind as he did it. It was awesome, and that’s what this Connor McDavid run reminds me of right now. Our man is a cheat code set to max power, and there is nothing anyone has been able to do about it lately. With the two goals and pair of helpers he picked up against the Penguins, No. 97 has put up a ridiculous 26 points (11G, 15A) in his last 13 games. Not only is that two-point-per-night pace almost alien in nature, but this heater actually pushed him past Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL lead in points. Remember, Nate was up like 10 points not that long ago.

When McDavid is running on full cylinders like this, the best thing any of his teammates can do is get him the puck and keep their stick on the ice. The turnaround has been incredible after a “slow” start to the season had him with “only” 14 points in his first 12 games, and it won’t be long before everyone else is in the rearview mirror if he keeps this run going for any length of time. But right now, it’s just such a blessing to be watching McDavid do his thing at such a high level. The guy has supernova, and I’m using this as yet another reminder to us all that nights like these aren’t normal. What Connor McDavid does on a nightly basis is worth cherishing. Case in point: Tuesday’s four-point night was the 44th of McDavid’s career, putting him one ahead of Sidney Crosby in only his 746th NHL game compared to 1384 games for Sid. And to do it on a night when he’s playing Crosby? How can you not be romantic about hockey?

THE NATION VACATION TO LAS VEGAS​

We’re heading back to Las Vegas for the next Nation Vacation, March 24–27, and you’re invited to join the ultimate hockey fan getaway. Trip packages start at $2,400, with the option to secure your spot for just 20% down. Enjoy roundtrip flights, a premium three-night stay at Circa Resort & Casino, access to Stadium Swim, exclusive watch parties, a Nation Citizens pool party, a party bus to T-Mobile Arena, and food and drinks included at the Edmonton vs. Vegas game. Multiple travel options mean you can book the trip your way—so lock in your spot now at nationgear.ca and come be part of the chaos in Vegas!

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-...kinner-connor-mcdavid-on-fire-edmonton-oilers

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

WWYDW: Would you elevate Quinn Hutson in the Oilers’ lineup?

Many in Oilersnation were excited to see Quinn Hutson earn a call-up to the Edmonton Oilers after his stellar showing so far this season with the Bakersfield Condors.

What’s not to like about Hutson?

He was third in the AHL in goals and points after receiving the nod to join the big club in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, thanks in part to a seven-game heater.

In Hutson’s last seven AHL games dating back to Nov. 29, Hutson accumulated eight goals, 4 assists, and 12 points. He’s done his most damage this season on the power play, with eight goals this year on the man advantage.

However, some in Oilers social media were annoyed with Hutson’s placement on the depth chart, and subsequent usage in the game, as head coach Kris Knoblauch put him on the 4th line with Curtis Lazar and Trent Frederic.

There’s a lot of excitement about Hutson considering his strong NCAA career, his AHL tear, and because he’s an older prospect who turns 24-years-old in a couple weeks. That’s prime age for an NHLer.

In this week’s What Would You Do Wednesday, would you keep Hutson on the 4th line, or elevate him in the top-6?

The Penguins game​

Hutson played 6:59 of TOI over the course of 12 shifts against the Penguins, finishing with one shot on goal and -1.

That was the second fewest minutes amongst Oilers skaters, as Curtis Lazar’s suspected 2nd period injury forced him out for a stretch.

At 5-on-5, Hutson primarily lined up with Lazar and Frederic, according to Natural Stat Trick, but there was 1:04 of time with Andrew Mangiapane and Frederic, which resulted in a goal against with 14 seconds left in regulation. Frederic’s lackadaisical effort seems to be a primary culprit on the goal against.

The game was plagued with specialty teams, as the Oilers had four powerplays and the Pens had six, disrupting minutes for Hutson. There were a couple occasions when McDavid was out with Hutson and Frederic, as Lazar only played one shift in the 3rd period.

Knoblauch receives flak at times for his patience, or depending on your view, in giving inexperienced NHL players ice time.

We saw it take Matt Savoie over a month to crack into the top-6, but now seems stapled to Draisaitl’s wing. Knoblauch also was criticized with Noah Philp being scratched after scoring a goal against Vancouver on Oct. 26.

My take​

I don’t mind Hutson starting on the fourth line in this callup to begin games. The top-6 is cooking right now and I don’t think he wants to break that up.

The bottom-6 overall is a black hole of offence, with wingers Frederic, Mangiapane, and Janmark unable to produce, and Adam Henrique tied to at least two of them to make things happen.

It ain’t pretty.

However, I could see Hutson being better playing beside Adam Henrique, or if the lines remain the same, the minutes being similar between each line.

I don’t think starting Hutson in the top-6 in a guy is a great move, because if it isn’t going well, there’s nowhere for him to go than down in the lineup. That could be more of a confidence killer than starting on the 4th line.

Instead, Hutson could work his way up in-game, getting a shift or two with either McDavid or Draisaitl.

I’m guessing Knoblauch doesn’t want to put any expectations on Hutson yet, which is not a bad strategy, and this is a dip-the-toes-in-the-water type of callup with the Oilers injuries. If Hutson played beside McDavid, I’d suspect the sacrificial lamb to be Nugent-Hopkins to drop and play 3rd line center.

My call would be to give Hutson a shot with Henrique and Mangiapane, and let Frederic-Lazar-Janmark figure it out.

But what would you do?

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/wwydw-would-you-elevate-quinn-hutson-in-edmonton-oilers-lineup

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Should the Oilers be interested in trading for Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon?

Stan Bowman was active in the goaltending market last week, acquiring Tristan Jarry, but the Edmonton Oilers’ general manager may not be done yet. Bowman is still looking to improve his backup situation, and that addition could be Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon.

Jeff Marek speculated on Oilersnation Everyday Wednesday that Edmonton should show interest in the 33-year-old goaltender, who signed with Buffalo this past summer for $1.5 million.

The Sabres have operated with a three-goalie rotation for most of the season, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (26) and Colten Ellis (25) also manning the crease. Additionally, they have Devon Levi (23) in the minors, who they acquired in the Sam Reinhart trade in 2021.

“I really do wonder about Alex Lyon and the Edmonton Oilers,” Marek said on Oilersnation Everyday. “This has shades of Colorado last year written all over it.

“That one — Lyon to Edmonton — feels like it would make sense for both sides. A) Buffalo wants to solve its problem. B) Edmonton is still looking for another netminder.”

Jarmo Kekäläinen is now in charge in Buffalo after the team fired Kevyn Adams earlier this week, and the crowded crease isn’t something he’ll want to carry forward. Lindy Ruff also commented on the situation after the Sabres were forced to send down rookie forward Noah Östlund due to roster limitations.

Lyon is the oldest of the group, but he currently leads the way statistically. He’s played the most games this season with 17 and holds a .905 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average. Lyon’s NHL career began in 2017, and he has appeared in 130 games since. However, it wasn’t until the 2022–23 season with the Florida Panthers that he truly established himself.

A miracle run at the end of that season helped push Florida into the postseason, and Lyon appeared in four playoff games on the way to the Stanley Cup Final. He moved on from the Panthers that summer and has since averaged a 2.96 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage across 91 games split between Detroit and Buffalo.

This wouldn’t be a difficult trade for Edmonton to pull off. Colorado made a similar move last season, acquiring Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators. Wedgewood, who also carried a $1.5 million cap hit, was acquired for backup goaltender Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick.

“Mattias Janmark would have some trade protection — maybe David Tomášek or Kasperi Kapanen,” Marek continued on Oilersnation Everyday. “If you want to trade for him, you can make the money work. The question is whether you want to let go of any of those players.”

I don’t foresee Buffalo having much interest in Calvin Pickard, but Bowman could potentially increase the pick value to get a deal over the line. The cap mechanics are fairly straightforward as well. Edmonton would need to find Pickard a new home — potentially Bakersfield — and send down a recent call-up to make it work.

It’s become clear that Bowman and the Oilers have had enough of the goaltending uncertainty. They explored sending Pickard down before the Tampa Bay game, then moved on from Skinner, and now have interest in Lyon. They’ve fully embraced the Colorado Avalanche model — and in this case, it’s the right approach.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/shoul...ading-for-buffalo-sabres-goaltender-alex-lyon

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilers’ Tristan Jarry leaves game against Bruins with lower-body injury

A concerning sight in Beantown.

During the second period of Thursday night’s game against the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry exited the game after suffering a lower-body injury.

Calvin Pickard has taken over the crease after Tristan Jarry left due to a lower-body injury, per the broadcast.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/n3KA9ByTYl

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 19, 2025

Jarry appeared to have been hurt when attempting to make a save while sliding to his right. It resulted in Calvin Pickard entering the game in relief with the Oilers leading by a score of 2-1. Jarry stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced in over 36 minutes of action.

The 30-year-old goaltender was acquired by Edmonton last week in a blockbuster deal that, among assets, sent Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a notable move as it was the first big change in the Oilers goaltending since the departure of Mike Smith.

Early returns for Jarry were solid. In his debut with his new team against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday, the Surrey, B.C. native made 28 saves in a 6-3 victory. Then, just a few nights later, against his former team, Jarry posted 30 stops in a 6-4 win over the Penguins.

Oilers fans are certainly hoping that Jarry’s injury isn’t severe, as they hope he can be the piece that further bolsters the team’s chances of being a championship contender.

In his first 16 appearances this season, 14 of which were with the Penguins, Jarry has a record of 11-3-1 with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage and a shutout. He’s helped his team earn points in five of his previous six starts as well.

Jarry is in the third year of his five-year contract that he signed with Pittsburgh in July 2023. The deal has a cap hit of $5.375 million through the 2027-28 campaign.

In 309 career regular-season games in the NHL, Jarry has a record of 163-100-32, a 2.75 GAA, a .909 SV% and 22 shutouts. He also has a record of 2-6 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting a 3.00 GAA and a .891 SV%.

The Oilers (16-12-6) came into Thursday night sitting third in the Pacific Division, four points out of first place.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmon...-game-against-boston-bruins-lower-body-injury

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

The Day After 35.0: Oilers shut down Bruins for second consecutive win

The Oilers appear to be rounding into form.

After a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this week, Edmonton rolled into Boston and took down the Bruins by a score of 3-1.

The two teams exchanged power play tallies in the first period, recent American Hockey League call-up Quinn Hutson buried his first NHL goal in the second frame, and Connor McDavid scored a shorthanded insurance goal early in the third.

It wasn’t all good news for the visiting team on Thursday night, as starting goaltender Tristan Jarry left the game with a lower-body injury late in the second period. Backup Calvin Pickard stopped all 12 shots he faced in relief to help the Oilers to victory.

The question now for Edmonton is whether they can turn these back-to-back wins into their first winning streak of the season. Through over two months of play this year, the Oilers have yet to win more than two games in a row.

They’ll face a tall task with the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, who have been dominant since bolstering their blueline with the addition of Norris Trophy-winning defenceman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks.

What they said…​

Former Boston University forward Quinn Huston on scoring his first NHL goal…

“I’ve just been playing hard, moving my feet and playing a simple game. It’s been going well for me.

“I’ve had some cool goals in this rink, but that was definitely the coolest, so that was great. Just hard on the forecheck, it bounced out, and I went to the net. I thought he got a stick on it, and I watched it barely go in, so it was nice to see it go.”

Zach Hyman on the Oilers winning consecutive games…

“When things are going well, you want to make sure they continue to go well. Obviously, we have a lot of different looks we can go to, and it’s nice when we’re getting the opportunities too. We gotta be able to draw penalties, and I thought we did a good job of that tonight.”

Head coach Kris Knoblauch on Edmonton’s defensive game…

“I thought we were pretty air-tight defensively. I didn’t think we gave up very much early in the game, and then as soon as he went in, that’s when the chances started rolling in and he had to make some big saves. Three big-time saves late in the second and a couple more in the third, especially on the penalty kill.

“Obviously, we gave up the first one, but then after that, we made some nice kills, especially late in the game. We’ve seen that a lot lately, where we’ve needed a big kill in the third period, and they were able to deliver.”

Boston head coach Marco Sturm on losing to the Oilers…

“That little bit of pop, little bit of energy was missing. It was a good game. But little mistakes cost us.”

Up next…​

The Oilers will wrap up their five-game road trip on Saturday with an afternoon match against the Minnesota Wild, who are one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now. The Wild are riding a six-game winning streak and they’ve outscored opponents 16-to-4 in three games since trading for Quinn Hughes.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-shut-down-boston-bruins-second-consecutive-win

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Oilersnation Radio: Tristan Jarry on the IR, Connor Ingram recalled, and Quinn Hutson’s first NHL goal

It’s Friday afternoon, which means a fresh episode of Oilersnation Radio is ready to massage your eardrums with an hour of off-season Oilers talk. On today’s podcast, the fellas discussed the Tristan Jarry injury, Quinn Hutson’s first NHL goal, additional injury updates, line combos, and much more.

We kicked off the Friday episode of ONR with a delicious debate about the Tristan Jarry injury and whether a goaltending tandem of Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram will be good enough to carry the load for the next few weeks. While we still don’t know what Jarry’s injury actually is or how long he’ll be out of the lineup, the reality is that the Oilers have another goaltending issue that they’ll need to navigate in the short term.

Shifting gears, the guys looked at the Oilers’ upcoming schedule and took guesses on when they think Tristan Jarry will be able to return. Obviously, no one knows how badly Jarry is injured, but that didn’t stop the boys from trying to pinpoint which game will mark his return. Will he be out for a week? Will he be out longer than that? Either way, the Oilers are going to have a different look between the pipes for the foreseeable future, and it will be up to the team to find a way to make it work.

Finally, we wrapped up the Friday episode of ONR with another round of Ask the Idiots, betting talk for our friends at bet365, and Hot and Cold Performers to look back on the week that was. With the 2025-26 season well underway and trades happening, the guys spent the bulk of the Friday episode moving through a range of topics, some related to the Oilers and others not, but that’s the way things go on the Friday before the Christmas break.

Listen to the Friday episode of Oilersnation Radio below:

Subscribe to Oilersnation Radio for FREE on Soundcloud here, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts from!

Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/oiler...ram-recalled-and-quinn-hutsons-first-nhl-goal

 

[Edmonton Oilers]

Flashback Friday: Looking at the trade with the Wild that netted the Oilers Dwayne Roloson in 2005-06

Goaltending has been an obvious sore spot for the Edmonton Oilers in 2025-26.

So much so that they did something that’s not often done, trading their starter mid-season for a different season. Similarly, the Colorado Avalanche addressed their goaltending situation early into the 2024-25 season, trading for both Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a recent trade involving a starting goalie, much less one that has worked out. In December 1995, the Montréal Canadiens (foolishly) traded Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche, formerly the Québec Nordiques. It took just one season for the Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup, with Roy being a big part of that.

The last time a starter was traded mid-season who even got their team to the Stanley Cup Final happens to be a former Oiler and Minnesota Wild player, Dwayne Roloson. On Mar. 8, 2006, the Oilers traded a 2006 first-round pick and a 2007 third-round pick to the Wild for the netminder.

Roloson didn’t just come out of nowhere. While he wasn’t drafted and made his National Hockey League debut at the age of 27, Roloson had plenty of experience in the league prior to the trade. With the Wild from 2001-02 until 2003-04, Roloson played 45 or more games in each of the three seasons. In 2003-04, he had a league-best .933 save percentage as well as a 1.88 goals against average, finishing ninth in Vezina voting (finishing sixth just the year before).

The Simcoe, Ontario product was having a solid season with the Wild before the trade, posting a .910 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average in 24 games. His play with the Oilers, at least in the regular season, declined a bit, as he finished the 2005-06 season with a .905 save percentage and 2.43 goals against average in 19 games with the Oilers.

But as you know, Roloson’s strong play carried the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals as the eighth-seed, the first time that had ever happened. They upset the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings in the first round, with Roloson posting a .929 save percentage in the six games.

In the second round against the San Jose Sharks, the Oilers fell two games behind (not because of Roloson), but they won the next four games, with Roloson posting a .931 save percentage in the six games. Then, in the Conference Finals against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Roloson finished with a .934 save percentage in five games.

Unfortunately, Roloson was injured in the late stages of Game 1 and didn’t return in the series, as the Oilers lost in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes. Roloson spent another three seasons with the Oilers, posting a .909 save percentage and 2.83 goals against average in 174 games, with a 70-75-20 record.

Roloson then signed with the New York Islanders for the 2009-10 season and was traded the following season to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Traded mid-season once again, Roloson almost led a team to the Stanley Cup Final again, but the Lightning lost in seven games to the Boston Bruins. The netminder retired after the 2011-12 season, becoming the last player born in the 1960s to play an NHL game.

There’s a massive difference between the 2005-06 and 2025-26 Oilers, namely that the current day Oilers are expected to win it all. After two consecutive Stanley Cup Final defeats something had to change in the crease, with the Oilers acquiring Tristan Jarry. Like Roloson, Jarry has had strong seasons before joining the Oilers, and hopefully, he can help lead the Oilers to the Stanley Cup.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/flash...innesota-wild-edmonton-dwayne-roloson-2005-06