Elliotte Friedman has suggested twice in the past week that the Kirill Kaprizov contract situation makes him believe that there is tampering going on. Will the NHL do anything about it? Can they? It’s been a tough month for hall of fame goalies as Bernie Parent and Ed Giacomin passed away last week. All this plus we look to the upcoming season and what we might expect with some off the wall predictions.
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Title Player Dallas Drake
Shoutout – Nathaniel from Edmonton -been listening Sending stickers
News
Kirill Kaprizov – turned down 8 x $16,000,000
Friedman: ON 32 thoughts said his take was that since it didn’t get accepted, Kaprizov’s camp must believe they have an offer higher elsewhere.
He then said on The Fan Hockey Show – “I do believe there has been tampering going on. I’ll never be able to prove it, but I believe it.”
Will this be the case where the NHL finally gets to drop the hammer on teams.
Who is it?
Oilers
McDavid – waiting for Kaprizov to sign largest deal?
Friedman says he thinks when McDavid signs, we will be very surprised at how low it will be
Zack Hyman – will be out for a month at least recovering from wrist surgery
Key Departures / Losses
| Player | Role / Impact | What the Oilers Lose |
| Evander Kane | Big, physical winger; provided playoff grit; scored some clutch goals in their run. New York Post+3ESPN.com+3NHL+3 | Loss of experience, net-front presence, and some scoring ability on the wing. Cap space freed up. Puckpedia+1 |
| John Klingberg | Veteran defenseman, could move the puck and helped on power plays. Daily Faceoff+1 | Leaves a gap in puck-moving defense; need someone to replace his skill set. Daily Faceoff |
| Corey Perry | Veteran winger, presence in locker room; some scoring and depth contributions. ESPN.com+1 | Less veteran depth up front; more need for younger players or middle-6 to step up. FlamesNation |
Major Additions & Re-Signings
| Player | What They Bring / Role | Expectations or Potential |
| Andrew Mangiapane (F) | Free agent wing; solid two-way game; brings energy and speed; adds depth to forward group. NHL | Likely to slot into middle-6; expected to provide secondary scoring and help in puck retrieval/forecheck. NHL |
| Curtis Lazar | Depth forward; solid veteran; can move between lines; helps with penalty killing or bottom-6 work. NHL+1 | Probably not a game changer offensively, but gives the Oilers more stable options in depth and more flexibility in line matchups. NHL |
| Evan Bouchard (D) | Re-signed to a long(er) deal; one of their young top-defensemen; carries big responsibility. NHL+2Puckpedia+2 | Expected to be a top pairing or heavy minutes defenseman; important part of their transition and stability at blue line. Puckpedia+1 |
| Vasily Podkolzin (F) | Signed a 3-year extension; was fairly productive; brings physicality (hits/blocked shots) as well as modest offensive contributions. Reuters+1 | Should see him keep developing; potentially more trusted in key situations; might take on bigger role if injuries or slumps hit. Reuters |
Defense & Goaltending
- Defense: Largely stable. Outside of Klingberg’s departure, many of the same names remain. There’s some competition for depth defense spots: Ty Emberson is in the mix, as is Troy Stecher. Daily Faceoff+1
- Key defensemen (like Bouchard, Ekholm, Nurse, Kulak, and Jake Walman) will need to hold up; some have had criticism but generally the group is considered good, if not perfect. Daily Faceoff
- Goaltending: The plan is to stick with Stuart Skinner as the “starter” with Calvin Pickard backing him up. The Hockey News
- They brought in a new goalie coach (Peter Aubrey) to try to improve that tandem rather than making a big signing or trade in that area. The Hockey News
Cap / Roster Space & Composition
- The Oilers are tight on cap space. They currently project very little wiggle room (just a few hundred thousand) under the cap. Puckpedia
- They added some depth cheap, and held on to core players like Bouchard, Draisaitl, McDavid, etc. Puckpedia+2NHL+2
- The forward group has been revamped a bit — more balance, more depth. Mangiapane and Lazar add to that. NHL+1
What to Watch / Weaknesses & Question Marks
- Goalie performance — with essentially the same tandem, how much improvement will come from coaching changes vs. in-net execution? If Skinner or Pickard struggle, the team may regret not pursuing a more proven backup or starter.
- Defensive consistency — the blue line has high expectations, especially with departures and aging players. How well do the depth defenders perform? Will the pairings hold up under playoff pressure?
- Secondary scoring / depth contributions — losing Evander Kane is a noticeable hit in terms of grit and clutch goals. The burden will shift more onto middle lines and depth forwards to chip in.
- McDavid contract / future — McDavid enters 2025-26 in the final year of his current contract. There is active discussion / confidence from management that he’ll sign an extension, but the uncertainty looms. Reuters
- Special teams — penalty kill was mediocre last season; power play always under the microscope with McDavid/Draisaitl. How much the coaching tweaks help will be critical. Daily Faceoff
LEAFS
Major Departures
| Player | Role / Impact | What They Leave Behind |
| Mitch Marner | Top-6 forward, key playmaker. Trailed Auston Matthews on many scoring charts. | Big offensive void, particularly in assists and secondary scoring. Reuters+1 |
| Ryan Reaves | Enforcer / physical presence, veteran depth forward. NHL+1 | Less physical grit, fewer intimidation matchups. Need others to pick up that edge. |
| Pontus Holmberg | Depth forward, role player. NHL+1 | Loss of depth, especially useful in centre / bottom-6 roles. |
| Max Pacioretty | Veteran winger, scoring ability though recent decline. NHL+1 | Leaves space for younger wingers or new signings to step up. |
| Others also left / not re-signed: some depth forwards, fringe roster spots. hockeypatrol.com+1 |
Key Additions & Signings
| Player | What They Bring | Role / Expectations |
| Nicolas Roy | Acquired in the Marner trade. Good two-way forward, can chip in scoring from bottom 6. Reuters+1 | |
| Matias Maccelli | Younger forward, decent upside. Could slide into top-6 if needed. NHL | |
| Dakota Joshua | Physical forward, heavy hitter, adds depth. Reuters+1 | |
| Henry Thrun | Defenseman acquired from San Jose. Adds youth / depth on the blue line. NHL | |
| Michael Pezzetta | Signed to a two-year deal. Depth forward, physicality. NHL |
Re-Signings & Extensions
- John Tavares agreed to a 4-year extension. Provides veteran leadership and scoring. Reuters
- Matthew Knies signed a 6-year, $46.5M deal, becoming more of a foundational piece. The Times of India
- Goaltending: Anthony Stolarz is in contract extension talks after a strong season. The Times of India
Roster & Cap Implications
- The team loses a high-impact forward (Marner), which both frees up some cap & puts pressure on finding or developing scoring elsewhere. The Hockey News+2hockeypatrol.com+2
- Expect more responsibility for existing players (e.g. Knies) and for new arrivals like Maccelli or Roy to fill the offensive gaps.
- Depth players and prospects are in line to get more opportunity. Names like Easton Cowan, William Villeneuve, etc., are under watch. NHL
What to Watch / Question Marks
- Who steps into top-6 scoring alongside Matthews and Nylander. That line is going to be more scrutinized this season.
- How the Leafs adjust defensively with the incoming younger D-corps (Thrun etc.), and whether the blue line depth is improved.
- Goaltending consistency: Stolarz’s extension talks suggest they want stability there. Joseph Woll’s role likely stays important. The Hockey News
- Whether the loss of Marner and Pacioretty will hurt in the playoffs more than during the regular season, especially in tight matchups.
Goalie deaths – Bernie Parent, Ed Giacomin passed away – 3 legendary goalies in a short span
Guess the 5th
Off the Wall predictions – provide 3 – we can go back and forth alternating our predictions. Discuss each and the likelihood of happening.
ChatGPT’s
- Goalie hits 10 points
- 100 point Defenceman – Makar, Hughes, Fox?
- NHL Game gets retro-outdoor twist – wooden sticks, old padding,
Cannections:
Last week Ken Dryden, Vladislav Tretiak, Eric Lindros, Jarome Iginla – none of them played for the team that drafted them
This week – William Nylander, David Pastrnak, Patrick Kane, Andrei Vasilevskii
Crazy Stat – There are more coaches entering their first game with current team than there are coaches who have been with their team for 2 or more years.
scuttlepuck.com 