David Strehle is a writer for "The Fourth Period" and reports tonight that G prospect Joacim Eriksson is about to sign with an NHL team. Could that team be the Oilers?
Eriksson was a 2008 7th round pick by the Flyers (196 overall, all but the cleaning staff and scouts were gone by then) and has been mentioned several times by Jonathan Willis as a player worth following since that time.
Earlier this month, Jonathan had this to say about him:
- Willis: Joacim Eriksson. With Raanta out of the picture, the 23-year old Eriksson is likely the best European goalie still on the market. The 6’2” Swede was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008 but the team opted not to sign him, something that now appears to have been a mistake. Eriksson posted a 0.931 save percentage in Sweden’s top league this season (after a 0.935 save percentage season in 2011-12) and was even better in the post-season, managing a 0.952 save percentage over 10 games as he backstopped Skelleftea to the league title. The question is how interested he is in coming to North America – there is no doubt NHL teams are interested in him. Eriksson would be a contender for an NHL backup role but would likely start off in the number three role for a major league team.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
A lot of good things came from Sweden–and maybe this young goaltender is one of them. Edmonton has a need, a shallow free agent pool and Eriksson is the best Euro G currently available.
Sounds like a match.
This kid wasn’t signed by Philly and instead they went for Bryzgalov??? OMG!!!
I hope the Oil is the team he chose cause he has nothing but very positive facts and skills showing right now….plus being only 23 yrs old too.
Great pick up to go with Dunbnyk or take away Dubnyk’s job…
Best thing is trhis kid won’t be expensive for any team he signs with as compared to those such as Mike Smith, etc.
Wow!!!! I got to be #1 for the first time ever??? Yahoo!!! This kid is a good luck charm lol…I really hope now he did choose Edmonton.
Anyways, his record does outshine several present NHLers already and he is a very good upgrade over Khabby if he comes to the Oil.
Jon’s summary gives us a good idea about him though, and should EDM sign him I’d say that it would be a very solid bet.
Similar to the Belov signing.
I hear Joacim Eriksson will sign with the Blackhawks.
Sounds like he will sign with Vancouver
http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=http://norran.se/2013/06/skellefteaaik/eriksson-overens-med-nhl-klubb/&prev=/search%3Fq%3DEriksson%2B%25C3%25B6verens%2Bmed%2BNHL-klubb%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den
Just want the Vancouver Canucks need.. more goaltending. Granted, they’re trying to move one of their big name guys… but share the goalies with the rest of the league, will ya? 😛
Hopefully some euro fills us in that this Norran is the Swedish equivalent of Hockeybuzz. lol
I hope this is our guy, and hopefully he transitions to the NHL well. He is a young guy too, so if it works out, he could be here a long time. I am sure the Oilers are involved in one way or another, whether Eriksson chose them, or another team.
Vancouver? Interesting. Eddie Lack had hip surgery in Feb (was it Feb?), thought he’d be the backup in Vancouver.
Vancouver’s and Chicago’s goaltending situations are almost more complicated than the Oilers’ right now with their uncertainty and/or recent signings– at least in Edmonton, the guy knows that at worst, he’ll likely be an AHL starter and at best, an NHL starter. What would be his ELC length if he joined? Two years?
yeah, Vancouver. http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8474754
strange but hey.. young Swedes love the Canucks because of the Sedins.. -.-
Well that’s Luongo gone. Too bad, love for the Oilers to solve the backup goalie situation inexpensively.
Oilers need a competent NHL backup at the minimum and probably someone who can push Dubnyk for the starting spot. Not sure if bringing in a prospect, even if he’s a contender for a backup role fills our need.
MacT isn’t sold on Dubnyk. No way he brings in a wild card when we need some real stability between the pipes.
It’s too bad LA is gonna be in our division now. Unlikely that they would trade us Jonathan Bernier.
Why? Because Bernier is just THAT good? bah.
Well he did outperform Jonathan Quick by a good margin in the regular season this year.
It’s one thing to avoid trades in your division when that’s only 14% of the league. Now that it’s closer to 24% it’ll be a little harder to do.
I think the Oilers should look at Ben Scrivens.
Nice pick up for the nucks (spits).
WIth them unveiling a new AHL team, I wonder if he will take center stage in Utica at some point this year?
Any word on whether the Oil, or any other teams, put in serious offers and whether they were given a hearing?
So… the options are down to:
1) some other Euro on this list:
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/06/04/with-antti-raanta-signed-is-there-another-european-free-agent-the-edmonton-oilers-could-pursue/
2) a College guy maybe
3) an NHL UFA
4) some kind of NHL trade
I really wish we just dumped Nik last year and spent that 2nd rounder on Bishop.
BTW in other nuck news… looks like we might be one step closer to the big NYR-VAN coaching switch:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=674068
It is going to be hard to attract free agents players until the team starts winning.Justin Shultz being an exception.Players want to win.Hopefully Mac-T can put together a playoff team this summer.
Indeed,
we are going to find out just how “good” that story MacT is selling sounds to FA players.
Of course, he might get around this by limiting his exposure to the FA market and making acquisitions otherwise.
Wow…Erickson went to Vancouver…It’s too bad he didn’t try with the Oilers.
That being said…I have been believing MacT wants a more NHL type goalie ready made…and he probably has three in mind for now…Smith (likely stays with Pho), Khudobin, or Emery.
Also, I don’t know for sure…but Yann Danis has done no wrongs in order to be re-signed for the Oilers backup position.
Last, is I am a bit surprised to not yet hear in the news as to what’s up with that Starkbaum kid as well. He might not be a bad idea to sign for the Barons this yr to see what he is like.
Bernier from the Kings is available – and the Kings are actively shopping him – rumor is he will be traded by the draft.
Asd
Watch Edmo sign Luongo now… maybe he and Dub can back each other up like the Lu/Schneider tandem. Lu could probably use a coach like Eakins, and the oilers would just have to play well enough in front, which I don’t forsee being a problem a year or two from now
… although doubtful. Would rather see a Bernier situation
Would you be opposed to R.Miller of Buffalo if we had to lose Dubbie as part of the process ?
I’d do Miller for Hemsky straight across.
tough call, highly intriguing but would still need to find a solid backup