Sports

Oilers' Holland Conducts Free Agency Magic for Under $8 Million – The Hockey Writers

Published

4 years ago

October 11, 2020

Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland is on a roll.

Sure, there are questions about the penalty kill and there’s concern that the goaltending isn’t good enough. There’s even concern after getting a steal of a deal on an offensive-defenseman on Saturday that the blue line isn’t good enough. All that said, the Oilers did some excellent work during the first two days of NHL free agency.

Day 1: Oilers Filled Forward Holes

Early on day one of free agency, Holland made an astute signing by landing Kyle Turris on a two-year deal for $1.65 million per season. TSN’s Jeff O’Neil was hard on the signing, blasting Turris for disappearing in Nashville, but everyone else seemed to believe this was a low-risk, high-reward bet on a third-line center.

The safe bet is to go with the opinion of everyone else.

Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Up to this past season, Turris was a skilled forward who could put up pretty big points in the right environment. In Ottawa, he had multiple 55-plus point seasons including 64 points in 82 games during the 2014-15 campaign. Even in Nashville, where he was considered a train wreck, he posted 31 points in 62 games and often in a less-than conducive environment to his success. As a depth forward who can move up in the lineup should injuries affect the team, Turris is a sound bet.

Quickly after that, the Oilers re-signed Tyler Ennis on another team-friendly deal at $1 million for one year. Ennis said in his media avail after the signing that he told his agent Edmonton was where he wanted to be and to make it happen. As Oilers fans know from his brief stint, he can play up and down the lineup and in a number of roles.

Just prior to free agency opening, Jesse Puljujarvi signed to return to the team. He inked a two-year deal worth $1.175 million per season. If he’s even able to translate some of the success he’s having in Finland right now the NHL — 2-1-3 today as Karpat beat Pelicans 5-2 and 5-2-7 in 4 games played this season — he could rocket up the depth chart.

Day 2: A Perfect Fit on Defense

During his chat with the media on Friday, Holland basically said the Oilers were going to be without Oscar Klefbom, most, if not all of next season. A nagging shoulder injury doesn’t look good and Holland hinted he was proceeding in free agency as though the Oilers were losing their top-minute defenseman and power play quarterback.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Tyson Barrie (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)

With that knowledge in hand, Holland went out and made one of the better signings of the two-day free agency period.

Critics of Tyson Barrie will blast him for last season. They’ll say he’s weak defensively and was a disaster in Toronto. What’s important to note here is that after the coaching change that saw Sheldon Keefe take control of the Maple Leafs bench, Barrie started to come on. He played 47 games and had five goals and 37 points — a pace of 56 points in 82 games. So too, his 5v5 scoring equated to four goals and 21 points, which was tied for third in the NHL. He was a plus player in that time.

Even Maple Leafs fans would have to admit, $3.75 million is a steal.

Barrie will quarterback the Oilers power play in Klefbom’s absence and he’ll get every opportunity to contribute at a pace that will eclipse the value of this deal on every metric. When asked about how he thinks he can chip in, he said, “Points isn’t everything, but I think with the talent on that team 50 would be low.”

Day 2: Oilers Re-Sign Mike Smith

The final to-do on Holland’s list was find a suitable netminder. After striking out on a number of other targets, fortunately, (or unfortunately depending on how you view Smith) Holland already had one.

Choosing to leave this signing out of the “magical” category, the Oilers will go back to Mike Smith in a deal that might not impress all Oilers fans but perhaps a reminder is in order: the tandem of Smith and Mikko Koskinen led the Oilers to 2nd in the Pacific Division last season.

At $1.5 million for the year (plus performance bonuses), it’s not a bargain, but this is a low-risk one-year deal that represents one of the least-costly goaltending free agency signings over the course of two days. Options to drastically improve the goaltending position were not longer out there but the sky certainly isn’t falling.

Whether it was a lack of being able to do anything thanks to salary cap restrictions or simply Holland being smarter than the average bear, these two days have to been seen as a pretty big win thus far.

Catch up on all the latest NHL Rumors

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Source link

Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

Source link

Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link

Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link