NHL Rumor Mill – November 8, 2023
What next for the Oilers after placing Jack Campbell on waivers? Are the Canucks planning any big moves? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE OILERS AFTER DEMOTING CAMPBELL?
TSN: Chris Johnston believes the Oilers hope that Jack Campbell will regain his form playing for their AHL affiliate and return at some point to help them at the NHL level. In the meantime, they’re recalling Calvin Pickard, who makes considerably less than Campbell’s $5 million cap hit, allowing them to accrue more cap space for potential wheeling and dealing later in the season.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell (NHL Images).
Pierre LeBrun points out the difficulty the Oilers face in finding a goalie upgrade via the trade market. General manager Ken Holland isn’t dealing from a position of strength here. Any attempt at an upgrade would mean overpaying for a replacement for Campbell, who would also have to be traded in a separate deal.
As for a coaching change, LeBrun and Darren Dreger agree that Holland likely doesn’t want to replace head coach Jay Woodcroft just yet. If things continue to go sideways they could consider promoting assistant coach Glen Gulutzan.
Dreger also noted that owner Daryl Katz and his advisors are very involved in seeking solutions for what currently ails the Oilers. Among the questions being asked is whether it’s time to start peddling draft picks and prospects and try to shake up the current roster core right now.
Following the news yesterday of Campbell going on waivers before assignment to the AHL, TSN’s Oilers reporter Ryan Rishaug expressed his belief that there was no trade imminent to bring in a replacement.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers’ limited salary cap space and that of most teams around the league leaves them with few options to improve their goaltending. The fact they’re demoting Campbell in the hope that he’ll regain his confidence and improve his performance speaks volumes to the difficulties they’re facing in addressing that glaring issue.
Replacing Woodcroft as head coach won’t make the goaltending any better. If anyone on the Oilers coaching staff should be feeling the heat it is Dustin Schwartz, who’s been their goalie whisperer since 2014.
THE ATHLETIC: LeBrun also pondered what missing the playoffs could mean for the Oilers’ hopes of signing Leon Draisaitl to a contract extension after this season. He’s got one year remaining on his current deal.
Emptying the cupboard to save the season could help the Oilers keep Draisaitl in the fold. However, it might be best to retain those assets in case he decides to move on.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Draisaitl goes when his contract expires in 2025, does Connor McDavid follow suit in 2026?
Yes, the Oilers hired McDavid’s former agent Jeff Jackson as their CEO of hockey operations this summer. However, that might not be enough to deter the Oilers captain from moving on if this club is still spinning its wheels by 2026 and Draisaitl is no longer on the roster.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Gerry Moddejonge noted that there are just as many alarm bells ringing over the Oilers’ struggling offense and defense as there have been over their goaltending. He wonders who else on the current roster could be next to get moved.
Moddejonge believes that the only real option to shake things up is a trade and not a one-for-one deal. It would have to be someone (other than Connor McDavid) agreeing to waive their no-trade clause to bring in two or three pieces in return.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moddejonge suggested everyone except McDavid should be on the table. Those with no-trade/no-movement clauses include Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse and Campbell.
Good luck convincing any of them to waive their clauses or find a suitable trade partner this early in a season with a flattened salary cap. It’s not impossible but it’s still damn difficult to pull off.
Moves of that magnitude tend to occur in the offseason when teams have more cap space and willingness to swing major trades.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wondered what would happen if the Oilers contacted the Bruins about Linus Ullmark.
ESPN host John Buccigross recently suggested the Oilers offer up Draisaitl and Warren Foegele in exchange for Ullmark, winger Jake DeBrusk, rookie Matthew Poitras, prospect Fabian Lysell and the Oilers’ 2026 first-round pick. However, Murphy doesn’t see that deal happening, in part because the Oilers are likely on Ullmark’s 16-team no-trade list.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Off to another strong start, the Bruins are under no pressure to make that kind of move at this stage in the season. Not that they wouldn’t be interested in Draisaitl but the cost of his contract and what they’d have to give up to get him right now doesn’t suit their immediate needs. Besides, it’s a moot point if the Oilers are on Ullmark’s no-trade list.
COULD THE CANUCKS MAKE A BIG MOVE?
THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston recently addressed a question from one of his readers regarding speculation that the Vancouver Canucks could be planning to add “a big piece” to their roster.
Johnston cited sources claiming that the Canucks would like to add another forward. However, it won’t be an easy swap to make. They’d also love to add another defenseman to their blueline.
The Canucks have tried to move Tyler Myers’ contract but they may be stuck with it until it expires at the end of this season. They’ve also looked into moving forwards Conor Garland and Anthony Beauvillier but both are struggling to score which hurts their value in the trade market. Unlike Myers, they lack no-trade protection which could help efforts to move them later in the season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks’ hot start to the season alleviates pressure to make a big early-season move. Nevertheless, they’ll likely continue to monitor the trade market and gauge interest in Myers, Garland and Beauvillier as the season continues.
Not sure if MAF would be avilable but he’d be a breath of fresh air for the Oilers. He would help reduce the pressure on Skinner and let him develop on the job. Obviously he would help the locker room and he can still win games. No brainer if they can make it happen
Best solutions are Logan Thompson (good luck Vegas trading him to EDM) and Luukkonen. Both are less than 1< per year, backups who have some history of playing well.
“Replacing Woodcroft as head coach won’t make the goaltending any better.”
What replacing Woodcroft could do is bring a coach in that knows how to coach.
Two of the top teams in the league goals against are Boston and Vegas. Both teams use a system designed by Bruce Cassidy.
Woodcroft has not develop any system that helps his goaltenders. How many odd man rushes do you expect to give up in one game?
Building confidences is making the saves easier for the goaltenders not always on man rushes.
if all parties agreed to the trade would you trade ullmark and debrusk for bouchard and nugent hopkins
My God, yes!
*Don Sweeney
That should be a solid no by the Bruins. RNG is far too easy to play against, and he posts big points due to McDavid and Draisaitl as well as Edmonton going with a scheme that stresses offense. Put RNG on the Bruins with a team defense priority and he would be lucky to get 50 to 60 points, and would all likelihood be frequently be in the coaches doghouse for poor defensive play. Bouchard is still to be decided as he shows promise but he is not nearly a complete defenseman as the press likes to claim. If you notice, he is often on the wrong end of highlight reel goals by the other teams.
Woodcroft was behind the bench when the Oilers gave Vegas their hardest series last year in the conference semis, and when the Oilers won two playoff rounds in 2022.
Not sure what coach could overcome bad goaltending and the two top players shooting blanks.
Nice selective memory there bud.
How do Canucks pluck Dillon Dube and Tanev from Calgary?
Surely Myers doesnt have Flames as 1 of 10 teams he wont go to and Conroy could also then flip Myers at the deadline
Conroy would be far better off flipping a much better player in Tanev at the deadline than Myers.
Dillon Dube and Tanev
For…
Tyler Myers and what?????
If suggesting a trade you might want to consider listing all the moving parts as Tyler Myers wouldn’t even get you Dube or Tanev individually.
And Garland is not a desirable piece at $4.9M
Why list all the parts of a hypothetical trade? What are you, the fake trade police?
Bruins are doing fine with what they have don’t need to make a deal yet. I did say two years ago I would move Ullmark and run with Swayman but a one for one trade. Never would I trade Poitras and Lysell or Mason unless getting another young player back. Sign an UFA or beg Bergeron to come back healthy for a run.
RNH for Reimer, Chiarot and a 2nd
Hyman for Reimer, Chiarot and a 3rd
Holland should be fired immediately if he made those trades
McDavid should just wait out his contract and walk.
Sign in NY with the Rangers when Panarin and Troubadour are up.
Plenty of space then to pay hi and Shesty is a top 4 goalie. Team will still be good in 3 yrs.
Congrats to jacket fans. If things don’t turn around by playoff time you should be able to smoke your cares away!
Not us Pennsylvanians though. Bummer.
Campbell has had one good season in his career (Toronto) . Unrealistic expectations were placed upon him
I would not fire Woodchuk . Has not even been two years.- Feb
Do not run with Gulikin or however you spell his name Not very good when the head coach in Calgary .
I guess the coach got dumb over the summer.
Oil options are none of the core but Holloway Broberg
If the AHL teams play with soccer balls then Campbell will have a 73% chance. The quick fix is to change the coach but long term Holland should go. Just some bad contracts to remember him for!!
Best goalie option IMO for Edmonton would be Gibson in Anaheim. I’m sure Anaheim would move him with Dostal playing so well.
If there were a trade between the Oilers and B’s the money would have to be exact since both are close to cap limit …watching how the Bruins goalies preform in the AHL will say a lot on if they try to move Ullmark who I think will be traded next offseason ..
Holland is retired after this season. Not sure how to take that under current conditions. He may even be a lame duck GM .