Oilers flasher Kait Flynn seen as last hope in Edmonton's bid to win Stanley Cup: 'We need her!!!'
With the Edmonton Oilers on the ropes heading into Tuesday night's Game 6 matchup against the Florida Panthers, fans are calling on the team's most notorious fan to help save their season and bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada.
With The Cats one win away from winning their second Stanley Cup, Barstool Sports shared a photo of Kait Flynn to social media that showed the Albertan being lit up in the night sky like Batman's Bat-signal.
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Edmonton Journal
14 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Can new d-man keep alive Edmonton Oilers' win streak with blueline prospects?
Article content The Edmonton Oilers have had a Top 4 d-man prospect cooking in their system each year for almost 20 years now. It's a solid win streak. Article content That streak starts in 2006 when the Oilers drafted Jeff Petry in the second round, with the torch next passed to Oscar Klefbom in 2011, Justin Schultz, 2012, Darnell Nurse, 2013, John Marino, 2015, Evan Bouchard, 2017, Michael Kesselring (projected Top 4 in Buffalo this year), 2018, and Philip Broberg, 2020. If the Oilers had all those players, and they were all healthy, their roster would be: Article content Article content Article content But that streak is in danger just now, with three of Edmonton's top six d-man prospects in 2024 now gone from the organization, Max Wanner traded away and Phil Kemp and Luca Munzenberger not signed. Article content Article content To address that deficit, the Oilers signed 26-year-old Finnish scoring sensation Atro Leppanen and also traded their 2026 fifth round pick so they could draft Asher Barnett out of the U.S. hockey development program 131st overall. The Oilers have had some luck with late round draft picks in the. past decade taking Ethan Bear, 124th, and Marino 154th in 2015, Vincent Desharnais 183rd in 2016 and Michael Kesselring 164th in 2018. Article content USA draft expert Gabriel Foley said of Barnett, who was captain of the U.S. National Development Team in the USHL: 'He's as well-rounded as they come, controlling from slot-to-slot with a strong understanding of how to defend inside-out and not cede too much ground to opponents. He's not very physical, but makes up for it with strong stick-checking and fundamentals. They're all solid traits, albeit none so overwhelming that I guarantee he'll be a pro. In truth, Barnett hasn't hit the stride of all-three-zones puck management that I expected he would after a dazzling tenure with the Mission. Instead, he's a defense-first two-way guy – with the smarts, all-around skills, and positioning to adjust to most levels.' Article content Article content And Neutral Zone amateur scouting said: 'Asher Barnett is a physically mature, responsible two-way defenseman whose game is rooted in structure and reliability. He's the kind of player you trust to start in the defensive zone and close out games. With a strong base, high-end battle habits, and elite defensive stick detail, Barnett projects as a dependable bottom-pairing NHL defenseman who can log tough minutes and kill penalties. His offensive upside is limited, but his mobility, decision-making, and transition habits are pro-ready… Barnett plays a mistake-free, intelligent brand of hockey… He's consistently first to pucks, makes calculated reads on retrievals, and defends the rush with poise — tight gaps, strong stick, and lateral mobility to close at the blue line… Barnett has a strong, powerful stride that allows him to separate on puck retrievals and win races.'
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Edmonton Journal
Elephant in the room: still one massive unknown about Connor McDavid's new contract
Article content Until Connor McDavid signs a new contract with the Edmonton Oilers, nothing is certain. Article content But according to numerous credible sources, hockey insiders like Bob Stauffer, Elliotte Friedman and Frank Seravalli, we can expect McDavid to sign sometime before Edmonton's training camp starts in September, most likely on a deal ranging from three-to-five years. Article content Article content But there's an elephant in the room when it comes to the new McDavid contract, one that will have a significant impact on whether or not the Edmonton Oilers can successfully compete for a Stanley Cup in the next few years. Article content Article content Let me start out by saying McDavid is such a tremendous player, he's worth whatever pays him. But how much Edmonton pays him — and any other player — also impact the team's chance to win the Cup. This is the hard truth of the matter. Article content On a free NHL market, McDavid could command more than $50 million per year. But under the NHL's cap system, if he signs now, the maximum he can sign for is $19.1 million per year. Article content But there's a rub. Under the cap system, teams only have so much they can spend on players, between $95.5 million and $113.5 million in the next few years as the cap rises. Article content Article content McDavid will never been overpaid under this system, as some NHLers, including some of McDavid's teammates, are overpaid. He will always be grossly underpaid based on his performance. But the more money that any one player takes under the cap system, the less money there is to hire other top players to compete for a Stanley Cup. Article content In the NHL's cap era, 2006 to 2025, the Top Four players on each Stanley Cup winner have taken up 40.5 per cent of the salary cap on average. Article content The Florida Panthers were near that mark last year, with their top four players, Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky making $10 million each, Matthew Tkachuk making $9.5 million, and Ekblad $7.5 million, which had them take in a combined 42 per cent of the NHL's cap of $88 million. Article content The top four on the Oilers, McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and Mattias Ekholm took in less than that last year, just 41.2 per cent of the cap. Article content In those 20 years, just three teams have paid their Top Four more than 45 per cent of the cap and gone on to win the Stanley Cup, Anaheim in 2007 at 47.1 per cent, Detroit in 2008 at 47.3 per cent and Pittsburgh in 2016, 45.2 per cent. Article content Indeed, only six Stanley Cup winners in this 20 year period paid their Top Four more than 42 per cent of the cap, including Florida in 2023-24 at 44.3 per cent (though, of course, in recent years, it's been common for Cup-winning teams, such as Tampa, Vegas and Florida, to essentially circumvent the salary cap by bringing back injured players during the playoffs, a practice that will be outlawed after the 2026 playoffs). Article content Evidently managing the cap wisely — which includes not paying more than about 42 per cent of the cap to your Top Four players — is a best practice for team success in the playoffs. Article content In the eight years of McDavid's new $12.5 million per year deal, the Oilers been well-placed to compete for the Cup in terms of pay for their Top Four, with the those elite players taking in on average 42.1 per cent of the salary cap. Article content Article content But this year, with major new raises for Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard kicking in, that's no longer the case. This year, Edmonton's Top Four will take up 48.4 per cent of the $95.5 million cap. Article content That is a higher percentage than any team that's ever won the Cup under the cap system. And that high percentage comes before any new contract that McDavid signs kicks in. Article content Article content Article content If McDavid's new deal has a $14 million cap hit, just like Draisaitl's new contract (and that's about as low as I can see McDavid going in order to both get paid a fair amount and leave cap space for other players), Edmonton's Top Four will take in 46 per cent of the cap in 2026-27, but just 42.1 per cent the year after in 2027-28, when the NHL's cap is to rise to $113.5 million per team. Article content It's already going to be more difficult for the Oilers to compete for the Cup this year given Nurse's high pay and the raises for Draisaitl and Bouchard. But even if McDavid signs at the low end of his expected pay, it will also be hard in 2026-27. Article content Article content If he signs for $16 million per year — and this number was mentioned by Seravalli last year as a probable cap hit for McDavid — Edmonton's Top Four will be paid 47.9 per cent of the cap in 2026-27. The percentage will drop after that, as the cap goes up. Article content If he signs for $18 million per year, what I see as the high end for his pay, the cap hit of the Top four will be 49.9 per cent in 2026-27. Article content What to make of all this? Article content The hard salary cap system creates a major dilemma for top players. They are clearly worth a high percentage of the cap, but if they take that high percentage it decreases their chance of Stanley Cup glory. Article content If McDavid does take less in order to give the Oilers more cap space to win the Cup, there's one way for that bet to pay off monetarily. A Stanley Cup win would mean significantly more opportunities for lucrative advertising and sponsorship deals. But that's a risky bet, given how hard it is for any one team to win the Cup. Article content If McDavid were to sign a short-term deal for $14 million per year, that would help get the Oilers into better salary cap position to battle for the Cup in 2026-27. But if he were to take that amount, he might just want to take it for just one year, as the salary cap shoots up again in the 2027-28 season. Article content My own hunch is that he'll take a $16 million per deal for four years, which will put the Oilers close to that magic below-45 per cent mark for the cap hit of the Top Four in time for the 2028 playoffs. Article content As for this year, with the Top Four set to earn 48.4 per cent, Edmonton is going to need some luck with injuries, some success in getting great years out of young and inexpensive forwards like Matt Savoie and Ike Howard, and skill with cap management in order to have its highest odds of winning the Cup. Article content In other words, like Tampa, Vegas and Florida in recent years, it's going to need to have a player or two injured before the trade deadline, but ready to return for the playoffs, so the team can both load up on talent at the deadline, but get back its injured stars in time to compete for the Cup.
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Calgary Herald
SIMMONS: Trader Cliff Fletcher turns 90: Flames great still going strong
Article content He drafted Hall of Fame players Al MacInnis, Joe Nieuwednyk, Mike Vernon, Hull and Sergei Makarov with the Flames, while also bringing borderline Hall players such as Gary Roberts, Gary Suter, Theo Fleury, Kent Nilsson and Paul Reinhart to the NHL. Article content The resume has just one Stanley Cup — the 1989 victory by the Flames — and that seems wrong. It should have more. At least one more from Calgary. And who knows what might have happened had the refereeing turned out differently in the 1993 Leafs playoff series against Los Angeles. Article content Article content But when Fletcher looks back now at so many exceptional deals, he does so with a certain pride and reverence. Article content 'For 2 1/2 years, Gilmour was the best player in the NHL … I thought we brought instant credibility back to the franchise at that time,' Fletcher said in a lengthy telephone interview. Article content 'Lanny gave our franchise credibility (in Calgary) when we had this all-time juggernaut just 180 miles down the road in Edmonton and had to establish something to compete. Article content Article content 'Quebec had Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg as its top two centres. Mats was the third centre on that team and they had just lost a playoff series to Montreal getting outmuscled pretty badly. They needed toughness. They needed someone like Wendel. I always thought the best way to make a trade sometimes was to figure out what your opponent needed to make their roster better and, if worked for both of you, terrific. Article content 'That happened with the Brett Hull trade. I said when we dealt him, that he would score 150 goals the next three seasons. Turned out I was wrong, I think he scored 160. But we wound up winning the Stanley Cup (with Rob Ramage). You never want to trade a player like that away, but that's my only championship and I'll take that deal any day of the week to get a Stanley Cup. Article content 'You know, I was able to trade Brett because we had Joey Mullen, a 50-goal scorer at right wing. We had Hakan Loob, a 50-goal scorer and we had Lanny, all on right wing.' Article content Article content Of all the famous deals made, the one that rarely gets mentioned is a deal close to Fletcher's heart. Article content 'I won't call it my biggest trade, but it might be the most significant,' Fletcher said. Article content In August of 1987, Fletcher acquired defenceman Brad McCrimmon from Philadelphia in exchange for a first- and third-round draft pick. That was before his famous 'Draft Shmaft' line in Toronto became famous. But the importance of the deal remains with Trader Cliff. Article content 'We gave up a lot for Brad McCrimmon, but he did so much for us. He was our leader in the dressing room. He was our leader on the ice and a very physical presence. He ran the room. In a way he ran our team. You can't underestimate what he meant to us. Article content 'The Flames team that won the Cup in '89 had six Hall of Fame players on it, but we were almost eliminated in the first round to Vancouver, who finished 40 points behind us. If Vernon doesn't make two career-like stops in overtime, we're gone — there is no Stanley Cup. After that, we go on to beat L.A. in four, Chicago in five before beating Montreal in six. That's how close it can be between winning and losing. Article content 'In 1986, things were different then. They didn't schedule days off between playoff series. We played St. Louis in the conference finals and went seven games with them, even though we shouldn't have. The final started right after Game 7. We ran out of gas by about Game 3. The way they schedule things today, with more time off, we might have won that year.' Article content That was the year they knocked out the dynastic Edmonton Oilers, interrupting what could have been a run of five straight Stanley Cups. Those were the Oilers of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Fuhr and Paul Coffey. The Oilers they sometimes played 18 times a season. Article content 'You have to understand, we move from Atlanta, we're the nobodies trying to establish ourselves and there's this all-time juggernaut building just down the highway. It was an incredible challenge to build a team that could compete with them, let alone win. Article content Article content 'I'm proud of what we accomplished in Calgary.' Article content The hockey in Alberta in the 80s may have been the greatest NHL hockey ever played. Article content When Fletcher decided to leave the Flames, where he had begun as expansion general manager in Atlanta, after the 1991 season, he thought he would take a year off and enjoy Florida life. Article content Instead, he immediately was sought after by the two wealthiest teams in the NHL. Both the New York Rangers and Leafs offered him front-office control of their hockey operations. He listened to both pitches and he chose Toronto. Article content At the beginning of his second season with the Leafs, his first with full-time Gilmour, his first with Pat Burns coaching, the Blue Jays scored their first of two consecutive World Series victories. Article content 'Toronto was electric back then, sporting wise' said Fletcher, whose two children grew into adults in Toronto. (His daughter Kristy is the COO of the Juno Awards). 'What the Blue Jays did — we respected their operation so much — was incredible. Their excitement became part of our excitement.' Article content Article content As Fletcher gets ready to celebrate his 90th birthday, he knows that Pat Gillick, the architect of those Blue Jays teams, has a birthday coming up in just a few days: 'He's just a few years behind me. I think he's turning 88.' Article content Article content When Fletcher came to Toronto, he got to know one of the board members of the Leafs — including a guy named Ted Rogers. Article content All these years later, Ted has long since passed and the Leafs are corporately owned by Ted's, son Edward. The board Ted was part of was tossed aside when Steve Stavro took ownership control of the Leafs. Article content And Fletcher, who had two different stints as GM, with Stavro and with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, has remained with the team through the past five general managers and, while he doesn't travel much anymore, he doesn't miss a game on television. Article content 'I know how seriously he takes this,' Chuck said. 'I've sat with him for a lot of those Leafs playoff games. And he's a diehard, He's all-in. And that Florida series last year, with all the highs and lows of that series, that was a tough one to get through.'
