Oiler organization petitioning league for early ending to season!

By Alec McMillan (Oilers) On Tuesday 9th November 2021 / 3:35pm

Edmonton (AP) - Rumours are swirling that the Edmonton Oiler board of directors is pressuring the league to call an early end to the season.  The Oilers and their farm team the Condors are combining for the best start to the season the organization has seen.  The red hot Oilers are off to a league leading 10-1-1 to be almost matched 10-2 start by the Condors.

"We are the best, everyone knows it, just give us the titles now!" an unnamed player was quoted as saying after the teams last win.  Parade plans are already underway.

Yes we are now prepared for a 20 game slide by both teams after posting this and putting us back in our place of fighting for a wildcard spot! :)

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Yet another new website!

By Alec McMillan (Oilers) On Wednesday 11th August 2021 / 7:57pm

Last website I bought was a pain in the ass to deal with and to update.  This one is VERY similar and comes with the sim, so I'm already paying for it yearly.  Working on functionality and getting team logos to show up.....but I think I may be sticking with this one with portal being secondary but will see.  At least all the data is here as far as I can tell so far!

View comments (4)

Ryan Dyck (Lightning) On 11th August / 8:20pm : Looks pretty good so far!

Trevor Robb (Islanders) On 11th August / 10:18pm : Hey this one allows comments and you can login! Trev

Quentin Robb (Jets) On 11th August / 11:43pm : loving this so far

Roger Storoschuk (Ducks) On 19th August / 2:12pm : Alec what is this costing you?

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Jets add more depth at deadline

By Quentin Robb (Jets) On Wednesday 26th May 2021 / 9:18pm

The Athletic - Winnipeg

By Murat Ates      May 26, 2021

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Trade Deadline has come and gone and the Jets were none too quiet as buyers this season. Being led by the dynamic trio that is Crosby-Boeser-Schenn, the Jets had somewhat of a mid-grade core outside of that first line. After a few deals that see Martin Jones and Ron Hainsey leaving for salary cap purposes and prospects like Kristian Vesalainen, Max Jones, and Jack Rathbone being used in a string of other trades, the Winnipeg Jets round out their core with key additions in Jordan Eberle, Marcus Foligno, and Ian Cole. 

Firstly, Jordan Eberle arrives carrying a 55-point season (25-30—55) through just 79 games with the Buffalo Sabres. Also attached was his pending UFA status at the age of 31, carrying a cap hit of $2,695,000. This was quickly solved upon his arrival as GM Quentin Robb, like he did with defence man Alex Pietrangelo, wasted no time in finalizing a contract extension with the newly acquired right-winger. For the next three seasons upon the conclusion of this current one, Eberle will be paid out a yearly salary of $4,313,000, just under double of his current yearly salary, with an added signing bonus in the first year. “When we made the deal to get Ebs onto our roster, both sides knew that this wasn’t going to be a short term thing”, said GM Robb this morning. “We wanted to get the contract nonsense out of the way early so the focus could continue to be on our push to the playoffs.”

Along with Eberle comes two other depth additions in Marcus Foligno and Ian Cole, who come from a middling rebuilding team in that of the New Jersey Devils. At age 29, Foligno comes in as a pending UFA with a so-so season with the Devils, having put up a half point-per-game pace with 39 points (16-23—39) in just 76 games. His current cap hit of $3,983,000 is set to expire this off-season, and as of right now, no immediate plans have been made upon a contract extension for the nearly thirty-year-old vet. 

Lastly, Ian Cole arrives as a defensive replacement for Ron Hainsey, whom is a pending UFA and is breaching the age of 40. With 29 points (5-24—29) in 81 games with the Devils, along with a whopping -25 plus/minus rating, the blueliner looks to get back into the swing of things on a contending team in a shutdown role. Unlike Eberle and Foligno, Cole already carries a longer term with a significantly higher cap hit for his services, which will see him make $5,586,000 per year for the next two years after the completion of the 2020-21 season, bringing him to the ripe age of 35. 

With these new additions brought on significant cap issues at the start, with the Jets already spending right up to the cap max of $72.4M. This inevitably resulted in the aforementioned Ron Hainsey leaving, along with Martin Jones, in a deal with the Los Angeles Kings. With an added 2021 3rd Round Pick acquired from the Vancouver Canucks just prior being sent to the Kings (with $10,000,000 in cash in exchange), the Jets were able to shed a combined $8.4M in salary to make room for their three new acquisitions. Now that all is said and done, the Jets still remain under the cap by a mere $2M in salary. 

Now, Winnipeg will look ahead to the rest of the schedule in hopes of clinching their spot into the playoffs and contending for the league’s ultimate prize.

 

Murat Ates (@WPGMurat)

 

(Photos: NHL via Getty Images)

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Jets bolster blueline with Pietrangelo

By Quentin Robb (Jets) On Wednesday 10th February 2021 / 4:48am

The Athletic - Winnipeg

By Murat Ates      Feb 9, 2021

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If you were to go out and about in the city of Winnipeg this past week, you’d likely notice pretty positive and chipper attitudes from everyone around town. I mean, why wouldn’t Winnipeggers be? They’re a townspeople that takes immense pride in their city’s fairly rich sports history and to which they largely base their talks around the water cooler about, whether it be the Bombers, the Goldeyes, the newly inducted Valour FC, and the consistent talk of the town, the Winnipeg Jets. If you were to go about town again today and observe those same people’s moods, odds are they are through the roof even more so than last week. 

 

The Jets have had a tremendous kickstart to the season, starting the first ten games at a 7-2-1 record, hovering in the Top 5 in the entire league, largely due to the dynamic duo that has been created with Crosby and Boeser playing alongside each other. Both of them have combined for 32 points in these first 10 games, of which Crosby is playing at a near two point per game clip. Besides the two stars eating a bunch of minutes on the top line, the team’s success doesn’t come without support from off-season addition Ekman-Larsson, who has been a playmaking machine on the blue line putting up 8 assists and 9 points while averaging 25 mins per game on the ice. Additionally, a surprise breakout from Goldobin, who has been limited to a 3rd line role as of late, has been able to score at a similar rate as well, putting up 3G and 4A in these initial ten games. 

 

We’re only a couple weeks into this season and the ball is definitely rolling in Winnipeg. This is where GM Robb decided to take it up a notch, and why the fans are seemingly through the roof even more now than before. 

 

Enter: Alex Pietrangelo. 

 

In a deal with Arizona that broke over the weekend, the Jets acquired another big name and elite defender in that of Pietrangelo, who has been a staple in the Coyotes system for some time now. In what seemed to be a contract year for the top defender, Pietrangelo was already putting up solid numbers for Arizona, a market that is seeming to be heading towards rebuild territory. Averaging nearly a half hour in ice time per game, he netted a team-leading six goals and tied for the team lead in points with eleven in only nine games played before being dealt to Winnipeg. Pietrangelo did see some ice time in his first game with the new club, but was limited to a 3rd pairing role for the time being (a coach’s decision) so as to gently ease him into his new setting. He is expected to slot alongside Ekman-Larsson on the top pairing on Wednesday when the Jets host the Dallas Stars for the final game of their 3-game home stand. We shall see where his placement in the defence core stands definitively over the next couple weeks. 

 

Now, the cost for the famed defender, who was also arriving with a UFA contract status set to expire in the off-season, wasn’t exactly cheap. But GM Robb hasn’t exactly been known to back off to save a pretty penny, especially lately, when its come to getting what he wants best for the team. In exchange for Pietrangelo, the Jets traded bottom 6 defender Niklas Hjalmarsson, middling rookie Olli Juolevi, up-and-comer Sami Niku, 2019 2nd draft pick Drew Helleson, and a 2022 1st Round Pick. Quite a haul for Coyotes GM Cody Friesen, which serves to fulfill his new outlook on the franchise gearing up for a rebuild rather than a retool to continue competing in the playoffs. Some Jets fans may not take kindly to the amount of assets given up to get Alex Pietrangelo, but at the same rate, considering the team’s intentions to fully contend for the playoffs and the Stanley Cup, the move right now seems very feasible in the short term. 

 

Another issue that was at hand — key word being “was” — was Pietrangelo’s pending UFA status. His current contract pays him $2.23M in his final year, which would have left him open to the free agent market this off-season at the ripe age of 30, attractive to almost every team in the DecHL looking for a stable defender able to eat top pairing minutes and generate a solid offensive output. 

 

That issue was put to rest almost immediately upon Alex’s arrival in the province of Manitoba. Only a day had passed since the deal broke when the Jets were able to sign Pietrangelo to a two-year extension (through 2022-23) at an AAV of $6.3M per year. “Signing with this team over the next few years was definitely an easy decision to make,” said the newly acquired defenceman today. “I have great faith that this core group of guys can really make the push into the playoffs and contend for the cup, and if I’m able to help that cause in any way possible for them and for the great people of Winnipeg, I’d be more than happy to do my utmost night in, night out.” After having locked down the new contract, the Jets will assuredly have a committed defensive duo for at least another year (OEL’s contract is up for renewal after the next season). “We are very excited to have Alex join the club and the skill set that he brings to the blue line,” said Jets GM Quentin Robb earlier today. “The team has had a tremendous start to the season and I know the boys are extremely happy to welcome Alex into the locker room with open arms and to join our path towards contending for the Stanley Cup.”

 

After having played a game together already, the Jets team captain seems to have clicked with Pietrangelo’s play style. “He’s got a very fluid way with the puck,” said Sidney Crosby this morning. “He’s easily settling into his role already and is able to create space for himself and make solid plays that we’re able to pick up on off-the-rush.” 

 

The Jets end their 3-game home stand with one more matchup playing host to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night, where we will get to see how the potential dynamic duo of Pietrangelo and Ekman-Larsson fare on the Jets hockey club throughout this season. 

 

Murat Ates (@WPGMurat)

(Photo: Alex Pietrangelo / NHL via Getty Images)

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Here We Go Again, Islanders Set Roster in Hopes of Cup Glory

By Trevor Robb (Islanders) On Tuesday 5th January 2021 / 6:46pm

Arthur Staple (NY Post) - With a global pandemic affecting the globe, a new portal site being implemented for the league, a prolonged draft to get through, a delayed UFA signing period, and the holiday season now completed, the New York Islanders 2021 season will begin this week with a 14 game meaningless preseason playing games against teams specifically in their own division.

After being upset in the first round of last year's playoffs in five games by their division rival Pittsburgh Penguins, angered Islanders fans went into the offseason wondering what changes the Islanders would make to live up to their potential. After failing to make the playoffs six years in a row, the Islanders have qualified for the playoffs the last three years. However, they have grown to become labeled a regular-season powerhouse team that can compete with the league's best, but when the playoffs come around they always seem to get bit by the underdog bug—failing to meet expectations in being a true Stanley Cup contender.

So what's changed? Immediately after the upset loss to the Penguins the Islanders fired longtime head coach Mike Babcock and spent most of the offseason interviewing candidates before settling in and hiring Dan Bylsma to take this team in a new direction. With some insight from his new head coach, general manager Trevor Robb began his offseason changes and it all began with the departure of longtime franchise player John Tavares in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Once all the dust settled the Islanders really only made a few adjustments to their overall lineup. In addition to the departure of John Tavares, the Islanders also traded Jakob Silfverberg (Toronto), Justin Braun (Toronto), Jordan Staal (Chicago), and Sabastian Aho (San Jose). However, those departures yielded the additions of Mathew Barzal, Brad Marchand, William Nylander, Jean Gabriel Pageau, Connor Brown, and Scott Mayfield.

The Islanders' top line will most likely remain unchanged from last year with Larkin centering the line with Ovechkin and Point on the wings. The second line will look completely different as we assume Barzal will center the line with Marchand and Nylander supporting the wing. Barzal is supremely quick with outstanding hockey sense, he will be expected to produce loads of offense on a nightly basis and is a natural with the puck, and oozes great patience when he has it. Marchand possesses great scoring instincts and hockey sense, and is a world-class agitator, and will complement the Islanders' special teams specifically the power-play unit. Nylander brings with him excellent playmaking skills and is a goalscorer. This line will bring the Islanders another one-two punch this season with two offensively driven lines each team in the league will have to contend with. The Islanders also bring in some more experience with the addition of Marchand who won a Stanley Cup a few years back with San Jose.

The third and fourth lines will be more defensively orientated but will still be able to provide offense giving the Islanders great depth. J.P. Pageau will likely center the third line with Blake Coleman and newly acquired Connor Brown. Pageau is a great two-way center who has tremendous speed and offensive upside while Brown is capable of putting up very good numbers, thanks largely to good offensive instincts. This line will be looked upon to provide great defense while also filling in on offense when the top two lines are being suffocated offensively. The fourth line is expected to remain unchanged lead by Glendening at the center position with Sissons and Sundqvist manning the wings.

The defense remains almost untouched with the only change being the addition of Scott Mayfield for Justin Braun. While both players possess great size and are true stay-at-home defensemen, Mayfield brings plenty of feistiness and shutdown acumen, something that was lacking in the playoffs last year against the Penguins.

Nothing changes in goal with Lehner and Saros manning the pipes. It's a contract year for Lehner so it will be interesting to see how he performs this season. We know he can perform well in the regular season, however, improving on his mediocre performance in last year's playoffs will only benefit securing an extension with the Islanders or finding that lucrative long term contract with another team next year. The Islanders have four players in contract years this season, Luke Glendening, Scott Mayfield, J.G. Pageau, and Robin Lehner. Under the current CBA, the Islanders can sign a maximum of two UFAs to an extension during the final year of the player's current contract. GM Robb has been very quiet on who he will try to sign stating that that decision will be made as the season progresses. 

I don't think there is any disagreement that the Islanders are a playoff team. However, last year the team waltzed into the playoffs thinking they we going to get a free ride right to the finals and that wasn't the case. Coach Bylsma will attempt to get this team prepared for a long battle in the playoffs. The Islanders are contenders, can they learn from their mistakes last year and go deep into the playoffs? Time will tell.

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