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It is a “quiet week” in the oil country.
The Gretzky-Hlinka tournament rightly made the bigger headlines as Canada once again won gold.
But similar to the swan, which appears calm on the surface of the water, it often paddles wildly with its feet just below the water surface.
This and more in this edition of…
9 things
9. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins launched his RNH Stable brand in 2014. Since then, his career on the racetrack has resembled his brilliant run in the NHL. Last week, Infinite Patience won the BC Cup Distaff in Vancouver. The mare has now won over $600,000 over the course of her career.
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8. Oilers favorite Sam Gagner turned 35 on Saturday. Gagner still hopes to play in 2024-25 and skated at his annual Muskoka Hockey Camp. There were also rumors that Gagner would stay with the Oilers as a player development agent, but I have no confirmation of that.
7. The Edmonton Oilers will begin the 2024/25 season with an 8-game preseason, starting on September 22 with Winnipeg in Edmonton.and. Many people think that’s too much and too long. But for players fighting for a playoff spot, every game is another chance for them, so I don’t let that bother me.
6. NHL.com’s fantasy wing has some interesting projections for the 2024-25 edition of the Oilers. They have both Connor McDavid (140) and Leon Draisaitl (120) to boost their production. Evan Bouchard is credited with a 90-point season. And rookies Viktor Arvidsson (56) and Jeff Skinner (74) are also predicted to have influential seasons.
5. NHL.com has also released its rankings of young players. It’s a process we just completed at The Cult of Hockey, and the results will be announced in the next few days. NHL.com lists newly acquired Matthew Savoie at No. 1. Roby Jarventie is No. 2, and just-drafted Sam O’Reilly is No. 3. I respect their decisions. But I can tell you that The Cult’s decisions are not all the same.
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4. Gripping locker room footage posted online at Oilers Plus this week made it clear to everyone why Connor McDavid didn’t return to the ice after Game 7 to accept the Conn Smythe trophy. Leaders just don’t let their teammates down for an individual award in moments like that. If anything, it would have been fair to criticize Connor if he had. Case closed.
3. One of the few offseason moves by Jeff Jackson that I didn’t feel immediately made the club better was the departure of Vincent Desharnais from the right guard. I understand the economics. It remains to be seen if the moves made to fill the void created will be enough. Reading Desharnais’ comments last week reminds you why so many of us liked him. I wish him well in Vancouver. But in the sober light, Desharnais has also faltered in two consecutive playoff seasons.
2. This week, the retirement of Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom was officially announced. The lithe Swede has not played a game since 2019-20 due to a serious shoulder injury. It’s a shame. Klefbom was a great player. Imagine how different Edmonton’s development could have been if Ken Holland had not had to replace both Klefbom and Adam Larsson through no fault of his own. Klefbom finishes his career with 34-122-156 in 378 games for the franchise.
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1. There’s a lot of talk about the status of Leon Draisaitl’s contract negotiations. As I’ve written in the past, this will be one of the two biggest items the new Edmonton Oilers general manager will have to address here (the other being Connor McDavid). What we can report for sure is that they are officially underway. Stan Bowman confirms he’s had a conversation with Draisaitl’s player agent, Mike Liut. Here’s what Bowman had to say about the early stages of what will surely be his biggest decision of the 2024-25 season… whether it’s made or not.
“I had a good conversation and we’re getting started and the timing of that will be what it will be. I don’t have an update on where it will be or when it will be, but there’s certainly nothing negative to report..”
Bowman is no rookie. He has been an NHL general manager for 12 years. He will know full well that this will be a process. Despite some allegations to the contrary, I did not expect an immediate resolution. These negotiations will not be easy or straightforward, even if they are amicable, so I suspect they will proceed with deliberate caution.
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But that shouldn’t worry anyone. If anything, I think it’s a damn good thing Stan Bowman is going through a thorough process. Fans shouldn’t want Bowman to feel like he has to get this over with quickly in order to quickly put a positive stamp on the team he now leads. Especially considering that Bowman’s arrival didn’t come without some “discussion.”
Bowman would do the franchise a much bigger favor if he puts all the personal sites aside and just does what is right for the team in the long run.
After all, the best GMs do this.
Editor’s note: There are no “9 Things” next week. Family vacation. We’re talking in two weeks.
Now on threads @kleavins. You can also find me on Twitter at @KurtLeavins, on Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and on Mastodon at [email protected]. This article was not generated by AI.
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