Welcome to another set of NHL Rumours! The league’s finally back and it has been a festive week. Unfortunately, the win streak the Edmonton Oilers put together has come to an end. It was a fun ride but that team has entered the playoff picture and isn’t going away anytime soon. Speaking of, the Rumours for today concern the Edmonton Oilers and the league itself.
NHL Rumours
Edmonton Oilers
Rumour: Pierre Lebrun on Insider Trading discusses the Oilers making big additions
The Edmonton Oilers are here to stay and will more than likely be a playoff team. They are getting stable goaltending from Stuart Skinner and have been better defensively as a team. This is a team with tremendous firepower but could look to add more of it. Lebrun mentions that the Oilers are looking to add a top two line scoring winger.
The Oilers have scored 159 goals this season, which is good for 13th in the league overall. However, they are averaging 3.46 goals per game, which is fourth best in the league. Ken Holland has rounded out the depth recently by adding Corey Perry but the team is looking for extra scoring.
There are a few names out there and some that Lebrun mentions. One of the big names is Jake Guentzel, who is over a point per game player for the Penguins this season. He had a nose for the net and has scored 22 goals this season. A familiar face in Jordan Eberle has surfaced among the front office according to Lebrun. The Seattle Kraken remain in the thick of things for the wild card spot but if they fall out of the picture, making a decision like that could fetch a nice return.
The newest addition on the block is Vladimir Tarasenko. He recently changed agents and even though he has a full no trade clause, the appeal for him to waive for Edmonton is enticing. Tarasenko has 13 goals and 33 points this season and will thrive in a higher octane Oilers offence. A team that has found their stride is looking to beef up and that’s a problem for the rest of the west.
NHL Rule Changes
Rumour: Darren Dreger on Insider Trading discusses the latest of the Sergachev injury
The next set of nhl rumours focus on the league itself. It was tough to see Lightning defenceman Mikhail Sergachev go down with an injury against the Rangers the other night. He successfully had surgery and his time table to return is uncertain. The talk now concerns about how the injury came about, which Dreger believes will spark a conversation at the GM meetings.
A reverse hit helped cause the injury. According to Dreger, this is a type of hit that GM’s are not a fan of. We have seen in recent memory that the league has cracked down on slashing penalties and cross checking. Even icing has been no touch so that players avoid taking bad hits as players come in full speed trying to get to the loose puck. Is there a chance that they discuss these types of hits too?
The next GM meeting will take place in March and in Florida. This will be a chance to air it out and find a resolution so something like this does not happen again. The game of hockey is fast and physical and you never want to see players get hurt. Given the stance on being safe, this could be the next step.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
