Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland was a very busy man on Wednesday.Photo by Larry Wong /Postmedia, file
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A somewhat chaotic, somewhat humorous situation developed during the latter part of Ken Holland’s media avail on Wednesday afternoon when the Edmonton Oilers GM was asked about breaking news that the Oilers had signed free agent centre Derek Ryan.
Holland’s response: “I don’t know. I was talking to his agent but then I came down here and I don’t know.”
The usual rule of thumb on hectic days like this is that a team completes all of its business, then holds its news conference, but this is the Oilers we’re talking about so all bets are off.
Seravalli later confirmed that Ryan has indeed signed with the Oil, a two-year deal at a pretty good price point: two years at $1.25 million.
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The 34-year-old Ryan took a circuitous route to the NHL that included four years as a standout player with UAlberta Golden Bears way back in 2007-11 then four more seasons overseas. After a further season in the AHL he finally made the grade at age 29 and has since compiled 345 games of NHL experience.
Having watched him play a number of games at Clare Drake Arena, I knew he was a good player more than a decade ago, but I can’t say I foresaw an NHL player. But Ryan is that 1-in-1,000 player who just kept on improving right into his 30s.
After nearly twenty years of continuous improvement as evidenced annually by either increased production or graduation to a tougher league, Ryan finally showed signs of erosion in 2021. He scored just 2-11-13 but a solid +6 in 43 games with Calgary Flames, missing 13 games with a fractured finger and seeing his ice time cut back to about 12 minutes a night. The takeaway is that he more readily projects as a 4C than 3C at this stage of his remarkable career, but still very much an NHL-calibre player.
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The 5’10 right-shot pivot is a whiz on the faceoff dot with a career success rate over 55%, a history of mid-range scoring (four seasons of double digit goals), and capacity to play both special teams, checking a lot of boxes for “bottom-six centre” in the process. He’s a modern version of Mark Letestu, who was a pretty useful depth centre for Edmonton a few years back.
Meanwhile, Holland made comments, paraphrased here, about his other moves:
On Zach Hyman: “He can play up and down the line-up, can play right wing or left wing, he can get in on the forecheck. He’s got great hockey sense. He’s played with great hockey players, and he can think the game at their level. He can also play down the line-up, a grinding game or a forechecking game, he can read off those players”.
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On Warren Foegele: “Warren Foegele comes from a really good program in Carolina. He’s a big strong guy, 6’2, 200 pounds, he can skate, he goes to the blue paint, he’s dependable. I just wanted to get a bit deeper up front.”
On the multiple changes on defence: “We negotiated with Adam Larsson for many months. Over the last few days we made the decision to get Tyson Barrie signed. Got a call yesterday from J.P. Barrie on Cody Ceci. We did a lot of checking, he had a very good year in Pittsburgh so we got the deal done. Once we had both we didn’t want four right shot defencemen again so we made the decision to trade Ethan Bear for Warren Foegele.”
On trading Ethan Bear: “Ethan’s a great young man, like you say he’s 24 years of age, but I have an obligation to make the team better.”
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On further additions ondefence: “Not finished tinkering on the blueline, maybe add one more guy. I’m going to let the dust settle for the next couple of days. With the addition of Duncan Keith behind Darnell Nurse, there’s another young guy in Evan Bouchard who is going to play on an every night basis, we’re hoping later in the season he can push for top four minutes. We’re deeper on the back end. We don’t have a lot of money left, but we do have a little so we’ll see what goes on over the next few weeks.”
On the goaltending situation: “In the last two years our goaltending has been very good. We made the decision to sign Mike Smith for two years. He’s good in goal, good handling the puck, good in the room. Smitty’s 39, Koski’s 33, I understand people are talking about the goaltending, but I’ve got a cap, I’ve got contracts, and I have to make decisions around that. Getting deeper up front and on the back end will make our goaltenders better. The only way I can get in the goalie market is if I trade a goalie.”
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Rumour has the Oilers pursuing a Mikko Koskinen for Darcy Kuemper trade with Arizona, with the Oilers having to sweeten that pot to an unknown degree.)
On the changes overall: “My priority was to put together a defence and to get deeper up front. I felt going into the offseason I needed to do a couple of things to make our team better, different… we were pretty good but not good enough. I believe the moves we’ve made so far along with the development of young players, we can move further along the path. I felt the responsibility, the obligation as GM to make us a little deeper. I really believe we’re deeper up front with the additions of Hyman and Foegele. Certainly the continued development of Yamamoto, McLeod, Puljujarvi is an important part of it.”
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First impressions
No question that the forward corps got deeper, especially at left wing with the additions of Hyman and Foegele. The situation at centre is not ideal, but the late add of Ryan certainly adds some stability to a bottom six that might see both of Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway making a push. Both youngsters have facility at left wing as well, leaving open the possibility of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins moving to the 3C role at times.
Holland’s claim about greater depth on defence is a little sketchier. The club added Keith and Ceci and renewed Barrie, but the losses are also significant. Larsson, Bear and Caleb Jones are definitively gone to other NHL squads, while Slater Koekkoek and Dmitry Kulikov are in limbo. At this point in time, the d-corps is seven players deep in NHL-experienced players, with two of those rearguards — Bouchard and William Lagesson — have fewer than 50 games between them.
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The situation in net remains unchanged, for now, but rumours continue to fly.
Whatever else one might say about Ken Holland, nobody can accuse him of sitting on his hands. We’ll take a deeper dive into his Brave New Oilers in a future post.
The Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register sent the photo to one of their experts ‘who said that it was “compelling evidence” ‘ of the creature
Author of the article:
The Canadian Press
Published Apr 24, 2024 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 3 minute read
Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman have gotten attention from British media for their photo of what has been called “compelling evidence” the famed Loch Ness monster in Scotland.Photo by Handout/The Canadian Press
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LONDON — Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman weren’t expecting a “pivotal moment” in their sons’ lives when they visited Scotland’s Loch Ness earlier this month, but that’s exactly what happened.
“Our youngest is turning three next week,” said Wiseman from the family’s home in London, England. “And he tells everyone there have been two pivotal moments in his life: Seeing the world’s largest dinosaur, which he did at the Natural History Museum in January, and seeing Nessie.
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“He tells everyone he encounters. He tells the postman, he tells the guys in the shops and the cafes.”
Malm and Wiseman have been thrust into the limelight after a photo they took during their family vacation showed a shadowy figure poking above the waterline, something that the couple’s children _ and others — firmly believe is the latest sighting of the famed Loch Ness monster.
Malm and Wiseman, who are from Coquitlam B.C., and Calgary respectively, moved to England in 2006.
The couple said the original plan for the spring vacation was to take a boat ride in Loch Ness because their children were “completely captivated by the concept of Nessie.”
“We’d even packed shortbread cookies, which we were told from these books was Nessie’s favourite treat,” Wiseman quipped. “Turned out shortbread cookies were not necessary.”
That’s because the family spotted something sticking out of the water while visiting a lookout at nearby Urquhart Castle.
“We just started watching it more and more, and we could see its head craning above water,” Malm said. “And then it was swimming against the current towards the castle, slowly but surely, like very fastidiously going over the waves (and) coming closer and closer. And then it submerged and disappeared.”
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Malm said the family took a photo of what they saw and decided “for a bit of a laugh” to send the picture to the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, which he stumbled upon while surfing the internet.
“They got in touch within 24 hours,” Malm recalled. “They were super excited. They sent it to one of their Loch Ness experts who said that it was ‘compelling evidence,’ I believe was the exact phrase.
“And just one thing led to another. I mean, it’s been incredible.”
Since the photo submission, Malm and Wiseman have been featured in British tabloids such as The Sun and the Daily Mirror and digital publication LADbible.
On the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, the encounter has been recorded as the first Nessie sighting of 2024.
“We’ve both got texts from people who we haven’t heard from in quite some time going, ‘Guess who I just saw on TV?”‘ Malm said.
“I’m just glad that we hit the national media in Canada for spotting the Loch Ness monster and not being on Crime Stoppers.”
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Both Malm and Wiseman said they are happy their experience is bringing some positivity to the daily news cycle, and at least one person they have spoken with thanked them for the picture.
“Our son’s school’s headmaster is Scottish,” Malm said. “And he pulls me aside at pick up one day and he goes, ‘You know what, Perry? You’ve done more for Scottish tourism than anybody else in my lifetime.’
“So, hopefully some people will be inspired to come visit Scotland.”
What isn’t certain, however, is what they actually encountered on that cold April morning on the shore of Loch Ness.
“We don’t know what we saw,” Wiseman said. “Our children believe we saw Nessie, and I believe it for them.
“I believe that we saw something that could be Nessie, and that is a very broad possibility.”
Malm said the wonder that the sighting has inspired in his children, and others resonating with the photo, is more important than the question of what they encountered.
“It’s really charming,” he said of the outpouring of reactions. “Because in a world where the news is about a war here and an atrocity there, it’s just nice that people are interested in something that’s just lighthearted, a little bit silly and a little bit unbelievable.”
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The British Columbia government is putting its proposed online harms legislation on hold after reaching an agreement with some of the largest social media platforms to increase safety online.
Premier David Eby says in a joint statement with representatives of the firms Meta, TikTok, X and Snapchat that they will form an online safety action table, where they’ll discuss “tangible steps” toward protecting people from online harms.
Eby added the proposed legislation remains, and the province will reactivate it into law if necessary.
“The agreement that we’ve struck with these companies is that we’re going to move quickly and effectively, and that we need meaningful results before the end of the term of this government, so that if it’s necessary for us to bring the bill back then we will,” Eby said Tuesday.
The province says the social media companies have agreed to work collaboratively with the province on preventing harm, while Meta will also commit to working with B.C.’s emergency management officials to help amplify official information during natural disasters and other events.
The announcement to put the Bill 12, also known as the Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act, on hold is a sharp turn for the government, after Eby announced in March that social media companies were among the “wrongdoers” that would pay for health-related costs linked to their platforms.
At the time, Eby compared social media harms to those caused by tobacco and opioids, saying the legislation was similar to previous laws that allowed the province to sue companies selling those products.
Premier David Eby is pictured with Ryan Cleland and Nicola Smith, parents of Carson Cleland, during a news conference announcing Bill 12. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Eby said one of the key drivers for legislation targeting online harm was the death of Carson Cleland, the 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide last October after falling victim to online sextortion.
“In the real world we would never allow a company to set up a space for kids where grown adults could be invited in to contact them, encourage them to share photographs and then threaten to distribute those photographs to their family and friends,” Eby said when announcing the legislation.
The premier said previously that companies would be shut down and their owners would face jail terms if their products were connected to harms to young people.
In announcing the pause, the province says that bringing social media companies to the table for discussion achieves the same purpose of protecting youth from online harm.
“Our commitment to every parent is that we will do everything we can to keep their families safe online and in our communities,” said Eby.
Ryan Cleland, Carson’s father, said in a statement on Tuesday that he “has faith” in Eby and the decision to suspend the legislation.
“I don’t think he is looking at it from a political standpoint as much as he is looking at it as a dad,” he said of Eby. “I think getting the social media giants together to come up with a solution is a step in the right direction.”
Business groups were opposed
On Monday, the opposition B.C. United called for a pause to Bill 12, citing potential “serious legal and economic consequences for local businesses.”
Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon said in a statement that his party pushed Eby’s government to change course, noting the legislation’s vague language on who the province can sue “would have had severe unintended consequences” for local businesses and the economy.
“The government’s latest retreat is not only a win for the business community but for every British Columbian who values fairness and clarity in the law,” Falcon said.
B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon says that Bill 12 could have had unintended consequences. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade said they are pleased to see the legislation put on hold, given the “potential ramifications” of the proposal’s “expansive interpretation.”
“We hope that the government chooses not to pursue Bill 12 in the future,” said board president and CEO Bridgitte Anderson in a statement. “Instead, we would welcome the opportunity to work with the government to develop measures that are well-targeted and effective, ensuring they protect British Columbians without causing unintended consequences.”
Donald Trump is set to secure on Tuesday a stock bonus worth US$1.3-billion from the company that operates his social media app Truth Social (DJT-Q), equivalent to about half the majority stake he already owns in it, thanks to the wild rally in its shares.
The award will take the former U.S. president’s overall stake in the company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), to US$4.1-billion.
While Mr. Trump has agreed not to sell any of his TMTG shares before September, the windfall represents a significant boost to his wealth, which Forbes pegs at US$4.7-billion.
Unlike much of his real estate empire, shares are easy to divest in the stock market and could come in handy as Mr. Trump’s legal fees and fines pile up, including a US$454.2-million judgment in his New York civil fraud case he is appealing.
The bonus also reflects the exuberant trading in TMTG’s shares, which have been on a roller coaster ride since the company listed on Nasdaq last month through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) and was snapped up by Trump supporters and speculators.
Mr. Trump will be entitled to the stock bonus under the terms of the SPAC deal once TMTG’s shares stay above US$17.50 for 20 trading days after the company’s March 26 listing. They ended trading on Monday at US$35.50, and they would have to lose more than half their value on Tuesday for Mr. Trump to miss out.
TMTG’s current valuation of approximately US$5-billion is equivalent to about 1,220 times the loss-making company’s revenue in 2023 of US$4.1-million.
No other U.S. company of similar market capitalization has such a high valuation multiple, LSEG data shows. This is despite TMTG warning investors in regulatory filings that its operational losses raise “substantial doubt” about its ability to remain in business.
A TMTG spokesperson declined to comment on the stock award to Mr. Trump. “With more than $200 million in the bank and zero debt, Trump Media is fulfilling all its obligations related to the merger and rapidly moving forward with its business plan,” the spokesperson said.
While Mr. Trump’s windfall is rich for a small, loss-making company like TMTG, the earnout structure that allows it is common. According to a report from law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, stock earnouts for management were seen in more than half the SPAC mergers completed in 2022.
However, few executives clinch these earnout bonuses because many SPAC deals end up performing poorly in the stock market, said Freshfields securities lawyer Michael Levitt. TMTG’s case is rare because its shares are trading decoupled from its business prospects.
“Many earnouts in SPACs are never satisfied because many SPAC prices fall significantly after the merger is completed,” Mr. Levitt said.
To be sure, TMTG made it easier for Mr. Trump to meet the earnout threshold. When TMTG agreed to merge with the SPAC in October, 2021, the deal envisioned that TMTG shares had to trade above US$30 for Mr. Trump to get the full earnout bonus. The two sides amended the deal in August, 2023 to lower that threshold to US$17.50, regulatory filings show.
Had that not happened, Mr. Trump would not have yet earned the full bonus because TMTG’s shares traded below US$30 last week. The terms of the deal, however, give Mr. Trump three years from the listing to win the full earnout, so he could have still earned it if the shares traded above the threshold for 20 days in any 30-day period during this time.
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