Anyone see the Ek rumor about Philly interested in Grieg and Boucher?

I'll bite:
Greig, Boucher, MacEwan for Bonk and Forrester

Anyone see the Ek rumor about Philly interested in Grieg and Boucher?

I'll bite:
Greig, Boucher, MacEwan for Bonk and Forrester
- GrimmdaGoalie

can see OTT trading Boucher, absolutely zero reason, that we know of, for OTT to trade Greig, they don't have the cap space for a established player + they need his ELC.

Anyone see the Ek rumor about Philly interested in Grieg and Boucher?

I'll bite:
Greig, Boucher, MacEwan for Bonk and Forrester
- GrimmdaGoalie

Why would you ever bother to read anything posted by EK?

Why would you ever bother to read anything posted by EK?
- HoweHatrick

Comedic relief, bad spelling and punctuation ?

Its always fun to read how in any rumour that Philly, Toronto, and the Rangers are in on everything. And yet ........... none of them have won a Cup since 1994.

Anyone see the Ek rumor about Philly interested in Grieg and Boucher?

I'll bite:
Greig, Boucher, MacEwan for Bonk and Forrester
- GrimmdaGoalie

Perfect example of a nonsense bit of "news". Every team in the NHL would benefit from adding a player like Greig while still on his ELC... and most would roll the dice on Boucher if Ottawa were just giving up on him. Unfortunately, both PHI/OTT are under pretty tight cap limitations and nothing really makes sense in the context of making OTT a better team next season - which has been the main driver of virtually all of their off-season decisions.

Quite a bold move by STL to offer sheet both Broberg ($4.6M, 2nd round pick compensation) and Holloway ($2.3M, 3rd round pick compensation) from EDM... not sure how they'll resolve that given their cap limitations. It's also quite interesting that two young players on the same team would even agree to sign offer sheets. It's speculative, but seems plausible that negotiations weren't going well vs. the imminent need for Draisaitl/Bouchard contract extensions.

Quite a bold move by STL to offer sheet both Broberg ($4.6M, 2nd round pick compensation) and Holloway ($2.3M, 3rd round pick compensation) from EDM... not sure how they'll resolve that given their cap limitations. It's also quite interesting that two young players on the same team would even agree to sign offer sheets. It's speculative, but seems plausible that negotiations weren't going well vs. the imminent need for Draisaitl/Bouchard contract extensions.
- khawk

I could see Kane on LTIR until at least Christmas. That frees up $5.5 million. Then you trade or buyout Kulak and or Ceci. Frees up 5million as well.
It would be enough to sign Broberg and Holloway. I s Holloway with 18 points over 89 games and 2 seasons worth $2.5 million? Maybe if you think he could crack the 3rd line.
Broberg is not worth the $4.5 million per season at this point. He played 12 games for the Oil last year and is more of an offensive minded d-man, and not known for his defensive skills. I would probably just let him go and pick up St. Louis's 2nd and 3rd round picks. But if you put Kane on LTIR and trade Kulak then you can keep both for now.

I'm surprised Ceci isn't on Columbus. They have 4 defenders and an old Jack Johnson. Could force Edmonton to fork over a 3rd or something for helping them out? I dunno. Just a random thought.

What Dorion utterly failed to recognize was the extent to which they lost virtually all of their two-way forward support in the 2021/22 season. Go back and look at that roster as the team was just starting to realize its potential, and you'll see guys like Brown, Paul, Formenton, Sanford, and Tierney. Not only did they provide solid two-way support, but they also had a combined 54G-124Pts. Who were they replaced by? Downgraded replacements like Joseph, Kelly, Brassard, Motte, and Gambrell, who combined for just 24G-64Pts and had nowhere near the defensive presence. It was a whole dimension of the team's forward structure that Dorion just ignored in favour of chasing shiny toys like DeBrincat... whose 2022/23 production didn't even fully account for the net loss of scoring from the ineffective replacement of that group of 5 two-way forwards.

This is why so much of Staios' time has been spent bolstering their two-way depth, and upgrading the Bottom-6F with players like Perron, Amadio, and Gregor - in addition to signing the likes of Highmore, Rees, and Gaudette to their AHL ranks, and trading Sokolov/Jarventie for less one-dimensional prospects like Jenik/Bourgault. Factor in their trio of drafted forwards with size/200ft games in Moore, Ellinas, and Montgomery, and it becomes clear that Staios has effectively now brought in a whole multi-level system of two-way forward support.
- khawk

Some rose coloured glasses happening here. Sanford was an utter bust in Ottawa and did not want to be here .... pouted after being traded from St. Louis. Forementon ... just drop him from any conversation of a future in Ottawa. He just adds "potential" filler for your story. Tierney just got worse and worse with Ottawa and fans were looking to punt his a$$ out of Ottawa. He was a liability. Now , Paul and Brown ..... sure. But the others are duds.
With Brown and Paul being traded, Ottawa was looking to fully bottom out. I highly doubt that Brown or Paul would have re-signed in Ottawa anyways. remember, they had upcoming contracts to negotiate and the rumblings were that Brown was going to leave as a UFA when he could. Now, am I happy with any trades that Dorion did .... no. He was a feeble GM at most trades. Other GM's must have rubbed their hands together when Dorion called. Yes, some trades did work out like the Karlsson trade ..... but that was just sheer luck because San Jose sucked bad enough for Ottawa to draft Stutzle. Getting Timmy then allowed us the luxury of grabbing Sanderson at #5. But otherwise , Dorion kind of sucked at trading.

Quite a bold move by STL to offer sheet both Broberg ($4.6M, 2nd round pick compensation) and Holloway ($2.3M, 3rd round pick compensation) from EDM... not sure how they'll resolve that given their cap limitations. It's also quite interesting that two young players on the same team would even agree to sign offer sheets. It's speculative, but seems plausible that negotiations weren't going well vs. the imminent need for Draisaitl/Bouchard contract extensions.
- khawk

Ya. Going that far = $$$$.

Darnell Nurse waiving NMC would be ideal but very unlikely

Read somewhere that based on comparables, Holloway would get a 1 year 1.1 million and Boberg would get somewhere around $850,000-$1,000,000. But also read where Edmonton had offered Broberg in the range around $1.8 million. So, ya, I see them passing on Broberg at $4.5 million. Good luck to St. Louis on that overpay.

Basically with both players, you are looking at 2 players who could not play well enough or consistently enough to crack the everyday lineup. Neither are cogs in the Edmonton lineup for a run at a Cup in 2024-25. Although looking at the analyst/sportscaster headlines you'd think this was a gut punch to Edmonton ..... it isn't even close ..... maybe an ego bruising at best. But, analysts are looking to manipulate and create headlines to cover.

Given Holloways improvement in the latter half of the season, and his playoff performance, I could see Edmonton matching at $2.4ish million per season for 2 seasons. Not a huge gamble if he continues to struggle for consistency.

I love how analysts speculate on how this could affect other unsigned RFA's .... Swayman, etc.
It won't affect them at all. This was unique in that if St Louis gets Broberg, they only lose a 2nd rounder. However, any team going after Swayman will have to pony up $8 million or so. That would require 1rst, 2nd and 3rd round picks. The consequences of an offer sheet for better players is much too significant for teams to to pay. Its all just click bate to the analyst stories.

Unrelated question. Watching the oilers offersheets.

Do players have to sign the offer sheet or is that up to them to say yes or no?

Unrelated question. Watching the oilers offersheets.

Do players have to sign the offer sheet or is that up to them to say yes or no?
- spazzbot

Players who are RFA's have the right/ability to talk/negotiate with other teams. A team may put up an offer sheet but the player has the right to determine if they will sign it or not.

Would the sens be interested in kulak? Oilers would throw in a 2nd and take Macewen off our hands?

Players who are RFA's have the right/ability to talk/negotiate with other teams. A team may put up an offer sheet but the player has the right to determine if they will sign it or not.
- OttawaB

Exactly - it's quite possible that there have been many instances of offer sheets being made to other players where the player just hasn't signed. But it's truly unprecedented for 2 players from the same team to sign offer sheets at the same time. That's why I'd speculated that this may quietly be a negative statement about how some of the players are feeling right now in the Oilers organization. You would think that having a chance to play on a team that just made the Stanley Cup Finals with 2 of the best players in the world would be quite enticing for a young player, but it doesn't seem to be the case for everyone.

Now this is interesting ...........

Cody Ceci traded to the Sharks along with a 2025 3rd round pick for d-man Ty Emberson. Emberson played around 30 games for the Sharks last season with 10 points. He is a right d-man and is only 24 and makes $900,000 per season.

Edmonton also traded with Vancouver for Podkolzin (2 years left at $1 million), and sent a 4rth round pick back to Vancouver.

These are odd because if they match Broberg and Holloway they would now have 14 forwards and 8 d-men (+ 2 goalies).

Assuming Kane goes to LTIR, they would be down to the allowable 23 man roster. But they would be $5,925,000 over the salary cap. Then you subtract Kane at $5,125,000 leaving them $800,000 over the cap. That would require them sending someone down to the minors like Derek Ryan or Josh Brown. Or someone gets hurt in training camp and gets put on LTIR.

But the Podkolzin and Emberson moves are kind of odd in taking on the extra (albeit lower) contracts. I guess we will probably find out sometime on Monday (or early Tuesday) what they plan on doing with Holloway and Broberg. But I would think the Ceci trade clears the deck to match Broberg at the very least.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, just crickets on the Ottawa front. Is this the team we are going into the season with or is there an extra move somewhere.