The Edmonton Oilers are going to be busy come deadline day. With injuries to both Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom, the team will have to make some moves to secure their position atop the Pacific Division. Could their buyer status shake loose a few prospects in the pipeline to some lower teams looking to offload veteran talent? I think so.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Ross D. Franklin)
The prospect pool in Edmonton has never been more crowded as the team is finally taking advantage of young talent such as Ethan Bear and Kailer Yamamoto. The emergence of some of these players may have made some other prospects in the system expendable as the Oilers look to load up for a playoff run. Who could these players be? Well, let’s take a look.
Dmitri Samorukov
The Oilers have a treasure trove of defensive prospects piling up in their system. At the very top of the pile are first-round picks in the last two drafts, Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg, who both project to be top-four NHL defensemen at the very least. Add that to impressive rookie campaigns by Bear and Caleb Jones there seems to be very little room for a guy like Dmitri Samorukov to progress into an NHL regular with the Oilers.
Samorukov found his way to the Oilers organization after being drafted 84th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. He put up a respectable 34 points with the Guelph Storm in his draft year but exploded in the 2018-19 season. After increasing his offensive totals to 45 points in the regular season he went on an absolute tear in the OHL playoffs, notching 28 points in 24 games.
Dmitri Samorukov (Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images)
His offensive production was very nice to see, but it hasn’t transferred to the pro level just yet. In 41 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors, he has produced only eight points. It may seem like a disappointing number but that is largely due to a crowded blue line and him being a rookie. Most of his time has been spent playing on the third pair with players such as Logan Day and Jake Kulevich.
@Keyantonyo on Twitter (a very good source for all things Condors) was able to give a great scouting report on Samorukov’s first professional season to date.
If there is a green light with regards to pinching, jumping up and walking on/in from the offensive blue line, Samorukov has it. He appears to rookie out in the defensive zone (leave the slot vacant/miss checks or double up) or get turned around by some of the quicker AHL forwards – typically off of positioning errors more than skating deficiency
This is pretty standard as far as young defencemen go so it shouldn’t shock anyone that Samorukov isn’t producing at the insane pace he was near the end of his junior career.
With all this being said I do believe that NHL teams would have an interest in adding a guy like Samorukov to their prospect pipeline. He demonstrates great offensive instincts and could possibly blossom into a fine NHL defender once he is able to minimize his faults in the defensive zone.
Cooper Marody
Next up is Cooper Marody, a sixth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015, who was traded to the Oilers in March 2018 in exchange for a 2019 third-round draft pick.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen celebrates with left wing Drake Caggiula and center Cooper Marody. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Jeff Chiu)
At the time of the deal, Marody was described as being an above-average skater with great playmaking ability, but lacked size and often struggled to work the puck along the boards. He had been enjoying a breakout season in the NCAA having put up 46 points in 36 games at the time.
Marody made the jump to the AHL in the 2018-19 season with the Bakersfield Condors and he showed a lot of promise. At the age of 21, Marody put an impressive 64 points in his first season of professional hockey, good enough for second on the team in points. This performance would earn him a brief six-game stint with the Oilers where he was unable to pick up any points.
Heading into the 2019-20 season many expected Marody to push hard for a spot on the Oilers roster. However, he failed to impress in training camp and found himself assigned to Bakersfield rather early on. He has since played in 30 games with the Condors this season, putting up only 17 points in the process. Injuries might play a role in why his production is down from last season but his opportunity to progress through to the NHL ranks is becoming slim.
With players like Yamamoto, Tyler Benson, Patrick Russell and Colby Cave all getting the call up to the big team before Marody, it seems like his time with the organization could soon be coming to a close. Marody still possesses some offensive talent that could be valuable to a team looking to add to their forward depth but I don’t think his value is the same as it was when the Oilers initially acquired him.
Kirill Maksimov
The last prospect that could potentially be on the move at the deadline is Kirill Maksimov. The Moscow native was taken 146th overall by the Oilers in the 2017 Draft and has looked good since.
Kirill Maksimov (#13) of the Niagara IceDogs (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
One of the most pure offensive scorers within the Oilers prospect pool right now, Maksimov might prove to be a fascinating gamble for teams looking to trade with Ken Holland. His last two junior seasons spent with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs stand out as high points in his career to date, scoring 80 points during the 2017-18 season and 79 points in the 2018-19 season.
He made the jump to the AHL this season and, while the production isn’t quite as impressive, he remains one of the more interesting players on the Condors. Maksimov has 13 points in 47 games with the Condors but, as a rookie, there is still plenty of hope that he can recapture that offensive streak as he gets more accustomed to the pro game.
While the Oilers lack pure scoring skill in their prospect pipeline, they could definitely dangle Maksimov if the return helps them acquire a more established scoring forward. Also, like Marody, the road to the NHL might be tough for Maksimov given the amount of young players currently ahead of him on the depth chart.
At the ripe young age of 20, there is still plenty of time for Maksimov to blossom into an NHL forward. He is an attractive low-risk high-reward type of prospect that a rebuilding team could value when shedding assets.
Opportunity to Contend Sooner
Every trade deadline there is always two types of deals that get made. The first of which is the traditional hockey trade where two teams swap NHL players. The second type, and most common, involves contending teams trading picks and prospects to rebuilding teams in exchange for pending UFA players or more established NHLers. I believe the Oilers will be looking to make either one of these trades but the latter is probably the more likely option.
Newfound depth at the forward and defensive position has pushed prospects like Samorukov, Marody and Maksimov down the depth chart. This could open up a variety of trade opportunities that could help Edmonton contend sooner rather than later.
Get the latest 2020 NHL Trade Deadline news, rumors and analysis
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.
Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.
New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.
Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.
Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.
He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.
Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.
The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.
The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.
As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.
Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.
The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.
“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.
“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.
With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.
The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.
But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.
Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.
Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.
