The Edmonton Oilers may spend the opening day of free agency watching the market more than attacking it, and the Darnell Nurse situation is the reason why.
Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now said, “Given the uncertainty of the Darnell Nurse situation it is quite possible that today may be a very quiet day for the Edmonton Oilers on the Free Agent front. EDM will need another goalie…at some point, still need to sign RFAs C.
Dach/S. Stastney and have limited cap space.”
That’s the basic squeeze for Edmonton. If Nurse isn’t moved, the Oilers aren’t clearing much, if any, of his $9.25 million cap hit.
And if that money doesn’t come off the books, there isn’t much room to go shopping. So instead of a busy splash on day one, the expectation is a fairly quiet start.
There is, however, one name that keeps coming up: Ilya Mikheyev.
He’s been linked to Edmonton as free agency begins, and Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said it’s a “likelihood” that Mikheyev explores the free agent market. The winger, who previously played under head coach Mike Babcock in Toronto, could be a fit for the Oilers.
The fit is pretty easy to see. Edmonton is looking for speed, penalty killing help, and a player who can chip in offensively.
Mikheyev checks those boxes. The rumor is that the Oilers could be willing to go three or four years at roughly $3.5 million to $4 million per season.
It would be a swing, and there’s always some risk attached, but that’s the kind of bet Edmonton may have to make.
Mikheyev’s numbers make the case. He scored 18 goals in 77 games for the Blackhawks last season, and he had 20 goals the year before. He also logged big shorthanded minutes, finishing second on Chicago in that category and leading all forwards with 2:38 per game.
As for Nurse, there doesn’t appear to be a deal close at the moment. The Oilers are working through his short list of three teams, but nothing sounds imminent.
Elliotte Friedman reported, “Pittsburgh wanted Edmonton to take back a contract. The Oilers didn’t like whatever was presented to them.
Philadelphia’s had a challenge putting all of the different pieces together in and out. Boston’s shown interest, but that’s also about what has to go out to make it work”
There is still a possibility that Nurse widens the list. The San Jose Sharks are said to be very interested, though Nurse is believed to prefer going east. For now, though, the stalemate around Nurse is shaping the Oilers’ free-agent plans before they even get rolling.
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What makes this offseason especially interesting is that the fit has to work on both talent and timeline. Chicago still needs help on the back end and some punch up front, and the market offers a few players who could bring those elements without forcing the club into a total overhaul. The question is less about whether the Blackhawks can identify useful veterans and more about whether they are ready to spend in a way that says they expect those veterans to help right away. [Read more 🡒]
Chicago Fans Are Ripping Wrigley Crowd For Crossing A Line After Win
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What followed after the celebration, though, left plenty of Cubs fans shaking their heads. Video and reactions from inside the crowd showed some people crossing a line in the aftermath, drawing immediate pushback from other fans who saw the scene as flat-out disrespectful and not what Wrigley is supposed to be about. [Read more 🡒]