Sports

Matheson: What’s next for Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland?

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2024

Holland, 68, hasn’t talked about his Oilers future since the season started. It appears the team wants to go in another direction

SUNRISE, FLORIDA – JUNE 07: General Manager Ken Holland of the Edmonton Oilers speaks to the media during Media Day prior to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 07, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty Images

What now?

The Edmonton Oilers fell short of their sixth Stanley Cup—first in 34 years—and now some of the people who got them close to top of the mountain might not be back next year.

We’ll assume this was GM Ken Holland’s last kick at the can here, with his five-year $25 million contract running out June 30 and no outward signs that either owner Daryl Katz or CEO Jeff Jackson wants the Hall of Fame manager back. There was no extension, even for one year as a good faith gesture, when Jackson was brought in last summer.

It appears the team wants to go in another direction.“Not sure what’s going on there. I mean, Kenny still has the fire. What more could he do since he’s been there?” said an outside NHL executive.

Holland, 68, hasn’t talked about his Oilers future since the season started, and certainly he stepped aside since the playoffs started two months ago. He didn’t want his situation to become a distraction. Maybe he doesn’t want to be back after joining the Oilers in 2019 as general manager after Keith Gretzky assumed the interim tag when Peter Chiarelli was fired by then team president Bob Nicholson.

Maybe this is Holland’s call to look for something else. But, if not, the organization has left a guy with three Cup rings as a GM, and one very close call, hanging. Maybe the organization rethinks the manager’s job with the Oilers getting so close after nine playoff rounds over the last three years.

If not, and they want to go with a younger guy, so be it.

Between now and Holland’s contract running out, who is doing the negotiating with agents on Oilers players whose contracts run out? Or with Leon Draisaitl, starting July 1, on an extension?

Jackson, most likely, with Holland in limbo.

Jackson was Connor McDavid’s agent. He negotiated his eight-year $100 million deal in 2017.

While Holland may be leaving—is there any chance he would resurface in Detroit to take Jimmy Devellano’s job as a senior advisor to GM Steve Yzerman?—some of the players might be going too.

Oilers list of free agents

The Oilers have $10-million in cap space going into the next season. Here’s the list of unrestricted free-agents with the doors opening July 1:

• Centre Adam Henrique, acquired at the trade deadline from Anaheim.

• Winger Warren Foegele, acquired from Carolina for Ethan Bear, and finishing his three years here on left-wing with Draisaitl on the second line.

Oilers Panthers Foegele Holloway — Edmonton Oilers Warren Foegele (37) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with teammate Dylan Holloway (55) during first period game 6 action of the NHL Stanley Cup final on Friday, June 21, 2024 in Edmonton. Photo by Greg Southam /Postmedia

• Defenceman Vincent Desharnais, who was a regular right-shot contributor all season and for much of the playoffs until Philip Broberg took his spot.

• Winger Connor Brown. He didn’t score a regular-season goal until 50-plus games in but he was very good in the playoffs, with his legs and his hands back.

• Right-shot centre Sam Carrick, who came from the Ducks for his toughness and face-off ability, played 10 post-season games, rotating with Derek Ryan. Ryan, the second oldest Oiler to Corey Perry, played 18.

• Winger Mattias Janmark. He was signed for $1.25 million on a one-year deal as a free-agent two years ago, then took a team friendly $1 million this season, a bargain considering his playoff showing. At 31, he might re-sign in Edmonton for the same money but he would want a two-year deal.• Backup goalie Calvin Pickard, who was outstanding in his 23 games with a 2.45 average and .909 save percentage. He was on the league minimum but he’s a $1.5 million back-up at the very least.

• Perry is 39 and he’s been working on low-money deals for years now. But, unless he wants to take $775,000 and be a 50-game player next year, would they do that?

• Blueliner Troy Stecher, a trade deadline pick-up from Arizona, who was the No. 7 guy going into the playoffs but he got a cyst on his ankle and he had surgery to remove it.

SUNRISE, FLORIDA – JUNE 24: Mattias Janmark #13 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers during the first period of Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. Photo by Carmen Mandato /Getty Images

Foegele, 27, made $2.75 million but after a career regular-season (20 goals, 41 points) some team is probably going to give him $3.5 million or higher for three or four years. There have been no real negotiations on a new deal. Oilers have restricted free-agent Dylan Holloway, who had a cap hit of $925,000 this season, to likely take his LW spot in the $1.25 million range. Term to be determined.

Henrique fit in perfectly with Janmark and Brown as a third line in the final series after being moved around and being hurt (leg issue) in the last game of the Los Angeles Kings first-round match-up, then missing all but one game in round 2. He was on a $5.825 million cap hit with the Ducks. His age (34) makes him a risky free-agent buy for big money, but he might get $4 million a year for three years from another team if they see him as a 2LW, not as a 3C.Desharnais is a key keeper with his 6’7” size, long reach and ability to kill penalties. He was beaten out by Broberg who can play right side or left so that doesn’t mean the Oilers wouldn’t trade fellow right-shot D Cody Ceci ($3.25 million) this summer to open a spot for Desharnais. He had a $762.500 cap hit this year. Could they re-sign him for $1.5 million cap hit for two or three years? Or will somebody else step up and offer $2 million or more? He’s 27, and hasn’t had a big payday yet as an NHLer.

The Oilers are on the hook for Brown’s $3.25 million on next season’s cap as a games played bonus for this past season. They’re responsible for it; the bonus doesn’t travel if he signs somewhere else. Some team’s going to give him $2 million based off his playoff. Can the Oilers afford that, plus his bonus? Not a chance.

The Oilers also have the Jack Campbell goalie situation looming large. He is two years into his five-year, $25 million deal. He was beaten out by Stuart Skinner in his first year as the season wore on and spent all but the first month of this season in Bakersfield. They can buy him out at two-thirds of the $15 million left, which is $1.5 million on the cap for the next six seasons.

Source link

Sports

Red Wings sign Raymond to 8-year, $64.6 million contract

Published

8 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.

Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.

The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.

Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.

Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.

—

AP NHL:

Source link

Sports

Cousins caps winning drive with TD pass to London as Falcons rally past Eagles 22-21

Published

8 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.

The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.

Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.

Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.

The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.

And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.

Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.

Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.

Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.

Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.

Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.

With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.

Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.

Questionable call

Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.

Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.

Running wild

Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.

Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.

Foles honored

Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”

Injuries

The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).

Up next

Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.

The Eagles play at New Orleans on Sunday.

___

AP NFL:

Source link

Sports

Fernandez and Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Published

20 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.

The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.

Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.

Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.

“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”

Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.

Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.

Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.

Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.

Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.

Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

Source link