Oilers News & Rumours: Tomasek, Regula, McDavid, Kaprizov, Reichel

Matthew Savoie is the Oilers’ top prospect who is widely rumoured to be starting the season in a top-six role. Isaac Howard, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason, is expected to get a look in the bottom six to start the season, but his lacklustre play has some fans wondering if he should start the season in the American Hockey League (AHL).

According to Stauffer, forwards David Tomasek and Noah Philp, as well as defender Alec Regula, could start the season on the roster as well, which could come as a bit of a surprise, but with Zach Hyman out with an injury, the team has to find some other options, and they have some flexibility. Regula has impressed in a big way, Philp has proven to be worthy of a long look up the middle, and Tomasek has been one of the most impressive forwards in training camp.

He did mention that Vasily Podkolzin and Ty Emberson would need to elevate as well, but they have both looked solid in the practices and games they’ve skated, and time will tell what the team actually looks like come opening night.

Kaprizov’s Monster Extension Could Complicate McDavid Contract

On Tuesday (Sept. 30), the Minnesota Wild announced that they had signed forward Kirill Kaprizov to a monster eight-year extension with a $17 million annual cap hit, making it the richest contract in NHL history. With that deal being signed, things could get a little complicated for the Oilers and Connor McDavid.

There have been rumours that McDavid and the Oilers have been considering a short-term deal around $16 million annually, but nothing has been set in stone. With Kaprizov, who is a top-10 player in the NHL but hasn’t been able to produce at the level McDavid has, could shake things up.

McDavid will likely be the highest-paid player in the league on his next deal, as was expected to begin with, but with that being said, the new deal for Kaprizov will change things. McDavid could still take a “team-friendly” deal on his next contract, but there is no doubt that this deal will change the way the two sides move forward with a potential extension.

They could look to have a contract with deferred money, but the deadline to complete one before it is banned by the NHL in the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is October 6th, so the two sides would have to get something done quickly if that is the route they choose to go. Either way, this complicates things.

Oilers Linked to Lukas Reichel?

In recent days, the Oilers have been linked to Blackhawks’ forward Lukas Reichel, who has needed a fresh start for a while.

There is no deal imminent by any means, but it seems like the Oilers have checked in on what it would cost to acquire Reichel. With a fresh start, he could prove to be a valuable asset.

In 169 games, Reichel has scored 20 goals and added 34 assists for 54 points. Last season, he scored eight goals and added 14 assists for 22 points through 70 games.

He is German, just like superstar forward Leon Draisaitl, which could create some comfort for Reichel. As well, he could get a look in the top six with Hyman out until November, but time will tell if a deal gets done.

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