NHL Notebook: Oilers break top-10 in power rankings, Jordan Eberle could be a trade target, and more
3 months ago
It’s all good vibes for the Edmonton Oilers. Saturday’s victory over the Calgary Flames was the team’s 13th win in a row and the Oilers are rocketing up the standings.
They’re also rocketing up power rankings, as Edmonton has improved to No. 8 on Daily Faceoff’s list. Flames and Leafs fans praising the team? That’s a first!
Mike: As someone based in Calgary, my only counter to the run that these Oilers are currently on is … maybe they’re peaking too early? But, c’mon, let’s be real. This truly is something to behold: 13 consecutive wins! The Corey Perry signing is an interesting bet, though. First of all, it seems kinda weird that he’s coming back so soon after what went down in Chicago — but also, if you’re the Oilers, do you really want to tinker with things during a streak like this?Scott: It’s kind of nuts that there’s a decent chance that the Oilers become the first team in the two years I’ve done this to climb from almost last in the rankings to first. They aren’t there yet, but that seems to be the projection, and if not for the five-point rule, I would have had them there. They’re legit now.
Edmonton doing “due diligence” on forwards:
Insider Chris Johnston mentioned on his show that the Oilers are looking for an impact forward and threw out the names Jake Guentzel, David Perron, and Jordan Eberle.
Guentzel has played with stars throughout his career, as he’s only played for the Pittsburgh Penguins. This season, he has 20 goals and 47 points in 47 games and is just two seasons removed from a 40-goal season with 84 points. The Penguins are five points out of the final Wild Card spot with four games in hand but will have to jump over five teams. However, Guentzel is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
David Perron is in the same boat as Guentzel, as he’ll also be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The former Oiler has bounced around the league but is in his second season with the Detroit Red Wings and has 9 goals and 21 points in 40 games, just a season removed from a 24-goal and 56-point performance. However, it seems that Detroit will not be a seller this season, as they occupy the first Wild Card spot and truly look like a playoff team this season.
Another former Oiler in Jordan Eberle was speculated on as well. Eberle started the year off cold, but the 33-year-old right-winger has seven goals and 23 points in 42 games with the Seattle Kraken. With Eberle, you’re going to get a 20-goal scorer when healthy, and he actually had 63 points in 2022-23. Eberle is in the final season of his deal and has a $5.5 million cap hit, while the Kraken are just four games out of a playoff spot.
Oliver Kylington practices with the Flames:
Do we hate the Flames? Sure. However, it’s always good news when a player returns from a long layoff. Particularly Kylington, who missed all of last season and more than half of this season due to taking time off to tend to his mental health. It doesn’t matter what team someone is on, this is great to see.
Kylington broke out during the 2021-22 season where he scored a career-high nine goals and 31 points in 73 games to help lead the Flames to the Pacific Division crown. In the playoffs, he had one goal and three points in 12 games.
Sean Monahan may cost a first-round pick:
To connect the Canadiens and the Flames, the latter sent Sean Monahan to the Canadiens and had to give up a first-round pick in 2025 to do so. Well, Monahan may very well command another first-round pick as the 29-year-old has 11 goals and 31 points in 46 games on an incredibly awful Canadiens team.
Moreover, his cap hit of $1.985 is extremely good for a contender and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. In fact, he’d slot in nicely as Edmonton’s third-line centre, not just because he’s a good player, but because it’d send Flames fans for a loop.
Vincent Trocheck, Kyle Connor added to 2024 All-Star game:
The All-Star game is just around the corner, and with the season already being midway complete, injuries are going to rack up. Jack Eichel and Connor Bedard were both picked to represent their teams at the game, but both sustained injuries that will keep them from participating.
In their place, the National Hockey League Public Relations account announced on Monday that New York Rangers’ Vincent Trochek and Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor will take the place of the two injured players. Was Zach Hyman robbed? Absolutely.
Kyle Connor has 18 goals and 29 points in 28 games this season but has spent a lot of time on the injured reserve. Still, the Jets are having a fantastic season, and the five-time 30-goal scorer is definitely deserving of an All-Star game.
Vincent Trocheck on the other hand, should absolutely not be going over Hyman. This season, Trocheck has 15 goals and 44 points in 45 games. Comparatively, Hyman has 28 goals and 45 points in 45 games. So yeah, that’s a little bit of a robbery.
Arber Xhekaj returns to Montréal:
You can count on two hands how many tough guys are remaining in the league, but Arber Xhekaj is one of those guys. The left-shot defenceman has played 17 games with the Montréal Canadiens and has a goal and three points. His career-best season was his rookie campaign, where he had five goals and 13 points in 51 games.
Earlier this season, the 22-year-old was sent down to Montréal’s American Hockey League team but was back up to the Canadiens on Monday.
If you enjoy my content, you can follow me on Twitter @Brennan_L_D.
Recent articles from Ryley Delaney
