In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, there is talk about the likelihood of Jonathan Toews being part of the Oilers’ 2023-24 plans. Meanwhile, the same journalist who broke the news about Toews’ likely future talks about the odds that the team considers moving defenseman Brett Kulak to make cap space for the team. Evander Kane has been playing men’s league hockey under an interesting name, and finally, Connor McDavid and Paul Bissonnette made a sizeable donation to the Ben Stelter Fund in a way that will be memorable.
Jonathan Toews Likely to Retire
There have been links connecting the Oilers to veteran forward Jonathan Toews in recent weeks. Mark Spector writes: “This is what we know: Through former Chicago teammate Duncan Keith, who is a member of Holland’s staff, the Oilers had been keeping track of Toews, as he decides if he’s ready for life after the Blackhawks.” Unfortunately, Spector also recently reported the fact that Toews’ name was not on a list of available free agents recently submitted to the NHL by CAA, the agency that represents him is not a good sign when talking about his future in the NHL.
Spector noted, “Word is Toews won’t play next season. When his agency sent out its list of pending free agents, we are told his name was not even on the list.” This doesn’t mean plans won’t eventually change and that Toews might consider a return, but right now, it sounds like the Oilers are operating under the assumption he’s not going to be a player worth waiting for.
Oilers Unlikely to Trade Brett Kulak to Make Cap Space
As the Oilers try to navigate the salary cap and get deals finalized for Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod, there is talk in Edmonton about what happens if the team needs to free up money. Could a player like Brett Kulak be moved to clear cap space? The answer is likely no, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector.
Related: K’Andre Miller, Bowen Byram Bridge Deals Affect Evan Bouchard
He notes in his recent mailbag article, that it may not be wise to replace a legitimate NHL defenseman like Kulak with an unproven player. While the team may benefit from additional cap space, Kulak’s presence on the third pairing is suitable.
As for Bouchard and McLeod, the belief is Bouchard’s rate is set by the deals for Bowen Byram and K’Andre Miller. In McLeod’s case, his arbitration filing could go the distance with the team potentially looking at around $1.8 to $2.2 million on a two-year deal. Jason Gregor noted there’s not a huge list of comparable contracts out there, with Isac Lundestrom of the Anaheim Ducks ($1.8m/2yr) and Cody Glass of the Nashville Predators ($2.5m/2yr) being the closest.
McDavid and Bissonnette Donate $20K
The charity honoring Ben Stelter, a devoted Edmonton Oilers fan who passed away at the age of six, received a significant donation on Tuesday. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, along with McDavid and “NHL on TNT” analyst Paul Bissonnette, donated an additional $20K to the fund.
The donation came out of a conversation with Bissonnette at the NHL Awards where Ben’s parents, Mike and Lea Stelter, surprised McDavid on stage and presented him with the Hart Trophy. McDavid and Bissonnette made a deal that if McDavid mentioned his hot tub in his acceptance speech, they would both donate.
Evander Kane Playing in an Edmonton’s Men League
In a bit of funny news, Oilers’ forward Evander Kane joined an Edmonton men’s league team under a very interesting fake name… F.A. A.F.O. For those that don’t know what the name means, it comes from an interview he did last season where he was asked about pounding on Keegan Kolesar with a series of body blows last season. During the interview he warned Kolesar if you want to f– around, you’re going to find out. That’s what the abbreviation stands for.
It’s also good to see that Kane has stuck around Edmonton this off-season.