The Edmonton Oilers' GM faces a summer that could be franchise-defining: 9 Things
They remain in a Stanley Cup window. Only this year McDavid is on the final year of his existing contract. And he, quite understandably, wants to win.
So, how does Stan Bowman make that happen?
Does he play 'small ball', and tweak the roster around the edges?
Or does he swing for the fences?
That and more in this edition of…
9. You may have noticed that I seldom report on rumors in this space. I have built a career in journalism based on facts I can back up. And I also understand that players have lives and families. They signed up to deal with the real stuff. But not the rest of it.
8. I sometimes worry about the Americanization of our game. At others, I think our game is doing just fine. 88 Canadians were drafted Friday/Saturday, the most of any nation by far. The U.S. was second at 50. Sweden finished third at 27.
7. Former Edmonton Oilers forward Marc Habscheid has returned from a short tour in Austria and has been hired as head man of the Red Deer Rebels. I have known Marc since he was in minor hockey. His Mom and Dad were some of the finest people you would ever meet. And the apple does not fall far from the tree.
6. I see Don Cherry at the age of 91 has signed off from his podcast for the final time. When just getting started in Sports broadcasting the very most common question I got was 'What is Don Cherry really like'. And I told them the truth: That he had treated this kid from Saskatchewan as well as you could possibly imagine. Happy retirement, Mr. Cherry.
5. In addition to the five young men who joined the Edmonton Oilers organization on Saturday via the NHL draft, a few other names have been added on over the past week. Matt Copponi inked a two-year AHL contract. The BU grad had two assists in three games for the Condors at the end of last season. Rhett Pitlick signed for two-years after 0-6-6 in 6 GP for Bakersfield. Rem Pitlick, a veteran of 132 NHL games, has a one-year deal. Solid organizational depth.
4. Trent Frederic will be an Edmonton Oiler for a very long time. His eight-year, $3.85m deal assures us of that. I am on record as believing Frederic can be an impact player here. I was fine with the money. I was shy of the eight-year term as his player type is more susceptible to injury. But I give Stan Bowman credit for structuring his no-move clauses the way he did toward the end of the contract. It significantly reduced the risk. The opportunity for Frederic with Evander Kane moving on is substantial…even critical.
3. If you live on the West Coast as I do the white-hot response around Vancouver to the Evander Kane trade was unavoidable. I get that Kane is not everyone's cup of tea and that is fine. But some people sure seem to want to judge the guy for way more than what he does on the ice. When healthy, Evander Kane was an impactful and productive Edmonton Oiler. I get the business reasons why the Oilers had to move him along. But Kane and his unique set of skills will not be easy to replace. And he was terrific in the Edmonton community. More on the Canucks in a minute…
2. Stan Bowman alluded on Saturday to the Oilers' coaching staff going forward. It sounds very much like an extension will be in the works for Kris Knoblauch which he richly deserves. He is 94-47-10 in the regular season since arriving, 29-18 in the post-season. I do not think it would be ideal to have an entirely new assistant coaching staff. But I hope for Glen Gulutzan's sake that he gets the Head Coaching job in Dallas. Mark Stuart is a smart guy but his PK units had a rough year. I do not know how much longer the legendary Paul Coffey wants to do this and maybe a more modern communicator would be a fresh change. And does the assessment of Edmonton's goaltending include Dustin Schwartz?
1.As Stan Bowman goes about re-shaping the roster for another run toward the Stanley Cup Finals, two names from Vancouver pop up a lot in the on-line chatter: Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko. The Canucks have not been able to get Boeser signed on a new deal and so he is soon to become a UFA. And he has since been linked to multiple teams including Edmonton. Hard not to imagine him alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. I would have no trouble with the fit or the expected $8m+ contract. But other suitors have the required cap space. And I think the Wild would go after the Minnesota boy aggressively. Maybe he is a long-shot for Edmonton.
Then there is Demko. He is in the final year of a five-year, $5m deal. The Canucks have been trying to extend him but that too has been elusive. If Vancouver cannot sign him, it seems likely they would move him. Now, I have a lot of respect for Demko. When healthy he is a Top ten NHL goalie. And he has also been linked to Edmonton. Would the American puck stopper prefer a U.S. market like Philadelphia or San Jose over a winner? How major of a concern is Demko's brittleness the past couple seasons? And just like with Boeser, there is a big cap consideration.
On one hand, the Oilers are close…really close. If one takes the emotion out of the equation, there are just a few nips and tucks away from getting over the top. Either of these players would be major facelift. And an expensive one at that. And look: I think the reality of either of them choosing Edmonton is relatively remote. But the possibilities at the very least help pose an important question:
Does Stan Bowman have the ammunition to go big game hunting in this way? And even if he does, would either one of these trophies be the one that will eventually lead to the other, 'bigger' one?
Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social. This article is not AI generated.
LEAVINS: Oilers elect Tommy Lefreneiere as first pick of 2025 NHL Draft
STAPLES: The Oilers add size and skill with a German-born prospect
LEAVINS: Edmonton Oilers draft rock-solid D-man in the third round
STAPLES: The Oilers get a new goalie…but maybe not THE goalie
LEAVINS: Oilers nab late-round prospect with NHL bloodlines
Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.
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