As Edmonton Oilers general manager works the phone looking for options to fill holes across the roster, a report surfaced Friday C Brian Boyle is one Oilers brass has reached out to.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun broke the news, tweeting “Boyle camp I believe has heard from 5-6 teams and Edmonton is indeed one of them.”
Boyle camp I believe has heard from 5-6 teams and Edmonton is indeed one of them https://t.co/LlunbM2Cdi
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 28, 2019
The Oilers showing interest in reaching out to Boyle’s camp intrigues me. Boyle isn’t a perfect player by any means, and at 34-years-old he isn’t getting younger.
Despite that, he scored 18 goals last season splitting time with New Jersey and Nashville; he was only three goals off from his career high of 21 goals he scored in 2010-2011. Seven of his 18 goals this season came on the power-play, too.
He brings a much different dynamic to his game that the Oilers have seen in recent years.
He’s big, standing at six-foot-six and 245 lbs. and is a strong faceoff player. Not only that, but Boyle is considered to be a great locker room guy and has been very well respected everywhere he’s gone.
His last five seasons have seen him play most of his time against middle-six and bottom-six players
So where could he fit in?
Boyle makes the most sense as a third-line centre for the Oilers. His underlying numbers aren’t spectacular and are rather average with his number slightly lower than that of his teammates.
He’s consistently put up over a point per hour of ice time in the last few years — something some bottom-six experiments the Oilers have tried out haven’t been able to do.
Over the course of his career, he’s never made more than $2.5-million in a season which makes me think it could be had for at least that much on a short-term contract.
If the Oilers are truly interested in Boyle, and that feeling is reciprocated, then I think he would make a lot of sense for a one deal paying him $2-2.5-million a year.
These next few days will be interesting, but I think Boyle would be a very safe bet on a short-term, veteran bet.
On Twitter: @zjlaing
I can see him playing really well with Nuge. I’d bet on Boyle.
Boyle is also a center so not playing with Nuge and not a chance Boyle is a top 6 player.
We need to get faster. Strong pass on Boyle.
if he was on a cheap one year deal, it might be worth exploring, but I would be hesitant to go beyond that just due to his age, we dont need another Brodziak or Lucic aged guys who start that spiral downward in their play
Yeah, I would pass. Boyle is past his best before date.
Younger, faster, stronger. One out of three does not cut it.
Ya, you could have a fourth line of Boyle, Brodziak and Lucic. What could possibly go wrong?
It’s like the reverse muder’s row.
*Murderers’ Row
The FTP line….Follow the Play.
Boyle is a great character/teammate , can play PK as well. His skating isn’t great.
Personally I would pass.
A 29 year old Brian Boyle I can entertain, not a 34 year old Brian Boyle. Why don’t they just offer Guy Lafleur a contract while they’re at it.
So witty!
1 one year deal. Cheap player. Veteran presence. Secondary scoring pushing close to 20 goals last year. Bottom six forward. Good locker room guy.
Nahhhhhh the oilers don’t need any of those! Waste of time.
Common guys
OK I’ll play.
1 one year deal….The team is hurting for cap space . The money would be better spent elsewhere.
Cheap player….There is a reason for that.
Veteran presence… They already wayyyyyyy overpay Lucic for that.
Secondary scoring pushing close to 20 goals last year…..You got me there; he should outscore Reider.
Bottom six forward…. Sure but there are better bottom six forwards to spend the cap space on.
Good locker room guy…..Don’t they have Brodziak for that? Oh right, he most likely will be hidden in the AHL .
It would be like marrying a photogragh of Marilin Monroe, and telling your buddies she’s sexiest woman not alive.
Remember when we had Matt Hendricks….ah… good times!! Paralyzer forever!!
Hendricks was awesome! Even chuck Norris wouldnt stop a 90 mph slap shot with his dink.
Ugh! LOL, Speechless..
I had rebuttals in mind. But I made it to hagar’s comment. Now my sides hurt and my brain is mush. I legit lol’d at that! Thanks for the laugh.
Boyle may be a good 3C option. Like any FA it comes down to $ and term. With Boyle I think less is more.
I have wanted Boyle since he was with the Rangers. He may have scored 18 goals last year, but he is closer to a 11-14 goal scorer. Not sure if he has the speed for a 3C but his leadership and locker room presence would be a great addition. He is coming of a $2.5 mill contract but if the Oilers can get him for less than $1.5 then it would be a great addition.
Same. Wanted him for years. He is like a Perron in the sense that he is a journeyman player that always brings worth to those that sign him. He is also big and tough which is a nice bonus.
He has that scary toughness.. he is pretty chill until he isnt, then he gets scary mad. Love it.
He doesn’t scare me! Drop the gloves! He’s not scary tough. Scary tough is somebody isn’t afraid to lose.
My ex girlfriend wants me once awhile too, but I also it’s a bad idea.
You drinking beer, beer? Lol
excuse me? I dont understand
Why?
Because we have no money and need players? Lol
He would be a 3/4 center. Is he an upgrade on Brodziak/Cave. Maybe but the price and term have to be very modest.
The perfect type of player for a stop gap for a year or two at 3rd line center as the article states. If a prospect takes his place then great if not then they are still ok with a veteran presence. Brodziak is finished so a player like Boyle would be perfect he can at least win a faceoff and outscore Reider.
Overpay on money not term with a 34 year old. Ken Holland has never been scared of vets so I can see him chasing Boyle but I doubt he ends up here with 4 other teams chasing him with more cap to play with.
“Boyle isn’t a perfect player by any means, and at 34-years-old he isn’t getting younger.” Now that’s just lazy writing.
Let’s save our buyouts for next season, if needed, when we get Taylor Hall back. Having Connor in his ear, and knowing he never got closure here, he could come back. The cap should be going up in the next couple years by a somewhat significant margin. And if Hall doesn’t necessarily express any interest in coming here, then perhaps Hall is flattered that the Oilers express lots of interest in bringing him back. All 31 teams should be interested in him next summer as a UFA, so why not us? I’m not shy in stating I was angry the moment I heard about the trade, so I’m slightly biased, lol. But seriously, why not start shaping this team now, to fit a new Hall contract, and with all the best pieces around him and the team. The brilliant GM that traded Hall along with lots of his staff, have since been fired. If he comes back, it’s not for the management team, it’s for the fans and the city, and the guys in the locker room. So yes, bring in Boyle, he was a great storyline in 2018 when Hall won MVP, as he came back from a serious health scare and imprinted Devils fans with an offensive season, and lots of great goal celebrations.
Fantasy land? Honestly, probably. But it would be fun, and I think 99% of Oilers fans would be over the moon with getting the dynamic, line driving, high scoring, game changing winger back.
We have to stop living in the past. There are better ways to spend whatever cap space we have than signing a very expensive winger who doesn’t really want to be here. With Subban and a couple #1 draft picks the Devils make it interesting enough to convince Hall to stay.
You remind me of the little brat at the end of ‘Shane’. Standing on the Beverly Bridge, wistfully looking eastward… “Hallsie, come back”.
Hall is not coming back. Why would he? most people here and the management accused him of being the problem in the dressing room, He was whipped for not being able to take us to the playoffs and apparently such a problem to management we dumped him for a plug like Larson that would struggle to be a top 4 D on any other team let alone a #2 here. Hes probably happy as hell we cut him loose and he even looks happier as a whole. No chance he comes back here to kill his career.
Holland is looking to fill out the bottom 6 with guys who can possibly pot 10 goals in a season.
I’m not sure about signing Boyle, but at least he’s had between 13-18 goals the last five seasons. He might fit the bill and seems like a real decent guy from all I’ve heard.
I think they should take a run at brassard but Boyle would be a nice consolation prize. We can use the face offs and this guys character is among the best in the league. He beat cancer.
Don’t we pay guys like this 6×6 though?
Bringing in Boyle is too reminiscent of bringing in Brodziak a year ago, we know how that turned out. Imo, not what we’re looking for. As mentioned by someone in an earlier post, a 29 year old Boyle, sure. Not a 34 year old one. If prefer seeing that money spent on a younger veteran.
Ugh really? Look I don’t mind Brian Boyle, BUT HE ISNT WHAT WE NEED! But hey, leave it to Ken Holland to screw this up somehow!
If you could get him for a season for less than 1.5 sure. But otherwise NO