Edmonton Oilers NHL Draft guide: Picks, best fits and analysis
The Oilers had just three draft picks — a third-rounder from St. Louis for not matching Dylan Holloway's offer sheet, plus their own selections in the sixth and seventh rounds — before trading Evander Kane to Vancouver on Wednesday.
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For dumping Kane and the last year of his $5.125 million AAV contract, the Oilers received a fourth-round pick in return. That asset was originally shipped to the Canucks last August to acquire left winger Vasily Podkolzin.
Still, the Oilers are scheduled to make just four picks and none until No. 83. That's the cost of being perennial Stanley Cup contenders and reaching the final two years in a row. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman
Edmonton's farm system is very light, but it has some potential NHL forwards in Matt Savoie and Sam O'Reilly. The blue line is another story. Beau Akey has a chance to make it, but after him, there's not much else coming.
In recent mock drafts, Corey Pronman has projected the following picks:
83. Hayden Paupanekis, C
191. Ondrej Stebetak, G
223. Patrik Volas, D
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Swimsuit Photo Of Wimbledon's Newest Star Goes Viral
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3 hours ago
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Grades, head-scratchers and more analysis from Day 1 of free agency
NBA free agency is moving fast and furious. Tuesday's biggest move was a stunner in Milwaukee. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Getty Images Day 1 of free agency is in the books, and we don't really have the big free agent everybody is looking to grab this year. We mostly have a lot of trades happening, and teams wondering if Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to give up on being with the Milwaukee Bucks for life. Teams around the league are still trying to figure out life in the era of the crippling second apron, and we're seeing teams fully start to grasp how much they need to avoid that Trojan horse hard cap the owners worked into the collective bargaining agreement. Still, we had a lot happen through the first official day of free agency. All of that and more is covered below. 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The Atlanta Hawks' All-Star guard was always a tremendous playmaker, but his ball dominance and defensive vulnerability made building a contender around him a quagmire. It meant Young lived in trade rumors every silly season. The Hawks made the Eastern Conference Finals years ago with Young, so there had to be a solution to get there once again. Now, after a dramatic yearlong makeover, the Hawks may have a shot at returning. Following years of Young trade rumors, the Hawks have built a team optimized to fit around the recently evolved version of him. GO FURTHER Hawks' rapid rebuild around Trae Young comes full circle, so is he still Atlanta's future? Getty Images There has been a lot said about the rapid influx of money into the NBA in recent years. The league is now minting future billionaires. It will likely soon have its first player making $100 million annually. 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GO FURTHER What Jabari Smith Jr.'s extension tells us about the state of NBA player salaries Alex Slitz / Getty Images League sources say Damian Lillard is elated with the Bucks' decision to waive and stretch his contract, as it puts him in the kind of basketball-first position that few All-Star level players, if any, have experienced in league history. In short, he'll be able to join the contending team of his choosing, either sometime soon or perhaps next summer, without the financial aspect of the decision playing a significant part. With Lillard owed $54.1 million for this coming season and $58.4 million in the 2026-27 campaign, there is a salary offset for any team that acquires him during that two-year period. And while the Bucks would surely prefer that Lillard sign for a significant salary as a way to alleviate some of their financial burden, the reality is that he could sign for a minimum-salary deal and still be paid the same amount. 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If that spot is a veteran minimum deal for $2.3 million, they will just barely stay under the tax and avoid the repeater penalty this year. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn The Denver Nuggets have acquired Jonas Valančiūnas from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Dario Sarić, team sources confirmed to The Athletic. The Nuggets have had an incredible two days. Getty Images The Bucks made two moves that make sense individually but also raise an eyebrow when looked at collectively. They will pay Myles Turner an average of nearly $27 million per season and will get an above-average starting center for that contract who fits well on a Giannis Antetokounmpo team and should be a very capable replacement for Brook Lopez. They will also stretch-waive Damian Lillard, which means the Bucks will have a $22,516,574 cap charge on their books for each of the next five season. That makes sense too since he was essentially going to be an empty $54.13 million cap hit next season as he rehabbed from a torn Achilles. The last season of that contract was unlikely to be very productive either since he would be 36 and returning in his first season from that injury. The Bucks clearly want to remain competitive next season with Antetokounmpo and that makes sense too since they want to take advantage of his prime, let alone any concerns about losing him down the line. Still, they will now effectively be spending $49 million per season for the last two years on Turner's deal, and have another year of $22.5 million on the books after that. That could be about 12 percent (or more) of the cap in the 2027-28 season, which is more than a nontaxpayer midlevel exception would earn. We shall see if this set of moves will be worth it. Getty Images This is why I criticized the Pacers for taking Andrew Nembhard's salary from $2 million to $18 million for 2025-26 when they didn't have to in his extension last summer. It set the Pacers up to be way into the luxury tax, and you know when it came down to it that Indiana would blink rather than pay it. Keeping Myles Turner on the books for this year at $24 million would have been no sweat if Nembhard was still on his cheap rookie deal, but the Pacers turned the final year of it into a much bigger salary. That extension looked extravagant at the time — $56 million in new money for just two years — and despite Nembhard's playoff heroics, the Pacers are paying the price for it now. GO FURTHER The NBA offseason's most under-scrutinized moves, from Immanuel Quickley to Max Christie One thing you gotta hand to the Bucks: Any time it seems they need to operate with urgency to show a multi-time MVP they're trying to build a contender, they do it. Page 2
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
NHL free agency 2025 tracker, live updates: K'Andre Miller to Hurricanes in sign-and-trade, Ducks land Granlund
The NHL's free agency period is here. Follow along throughout with our live coverage as the league's teams make moves. Getty Images This one is surprising. The Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser, at the 11th hour, settled on a seven-year extension worth over $50 million ($7.25 million AAV). The Canucks had expected that Boeser would make it to unrestricted free agency, and had been planning for the likelihood of losing the reliable sharp shooting winger. Ultimately, Boeser did make it to July 1. He just didn't follow through on the logical next step of leaving Vancouver, instead settling for the only NHL franchise that he's ever played for. In talks throughout this process, Boeser's strong preference was to remain in Vancouver. He's put down roots in the city. The two sides, however, struggled to reach an accord on the term of his next contract. A five-year deal worth $40 million ahead of the trade deadline was rejected, and the club held onto Boeser beyond the deadline despite attempting to move him. Afterward, and as this offseason unfolded, there were times that the relationship appeared to bend under some strain as the on-again, off-again contract talk drama unfolded over several months. Then, with the market already open, two factors shaped a surprising outcome. The Canucks bent on term and total value, giving Boeser the thing his camp needed to decide to stay on a relatively team-friendly deal (relative to what Boeser could've earned if he'd simply opted to sign with the highest bidder). And Boeser decided to go with what the heart wants and remain in Vancouver. By Eric Stephens and Peter Baugh Vladislav Gavrikov has signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the New York Rangers on Tuesday, league sources told The Athletic's Chris Johnston and Pierre Lebrun, cashing in on an excellent 2024-25 season. Gavrikov opted to test free agency and maximize his value instead of re-signing with the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he spent the last two-plus seasons after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2023 trade deadline. The Kings and Gavrikov had discussions Monday but were not able to reach a deal. The 29-year-old Gavrikov made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets in the 2019 playoffs after coming over from KHL power St. Petersburg SKA. GO FURTHER Rangers sign prized defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to 7-year, $49 million contract The Flyers have added veteran goalie Dan Vladar on a two-year contract, with an average $3.35 million per season. It was always a given that the Flyers were going to somehow address their goaltending this offseason, which finished dead last in the league in save percentage in 2024-25. Vladar will presumably pair with Samuel Ersson on opening night, while Ivan Fedotov will likely be waived and sent to AHL Lehigh Valley, assuming he clears. Vladar, 27, has spent the past four seasons with the Calgary Flames. In 105 career games, he's 49-34-16 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. As Carolina and the New York Rangers finalize a K'Andre Miller trade, the Hurricanes are working on an extension with the RFA, per sources. The Rangers are working on a deal to send K'Andre Miller to the Hurricanes, according to a league source. The Athletic's Chris Johnston is also reporting that the Hurricanes are working on an extension with Miller, who is a restricted free agent, while finalizing the trade. Connor Brown signs a four-year deal with the New York Devils carrying a $3M AAV. Getty Images Team at end of 2024-25: Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild Position: Winger Winger Shoots: Left Left Age: 35 35 Previous contract: 2 years, $3,185,000 AAV 2 years, $3,185,000 AAV 2024-25 stats: 11 goals, 28 points, 16:51 ATOI, minus-24, 79 GP The veteran winger plummeted back to earth after a dream season in 2023-24, when he racked up 75 points for Nashville. That total fell to 28 in a campaign split between the Predators and Wild. Nyquist is a talented playmaker who remains a strong skater and seems like a plausible bet to deliver a season that falls somewhere between the extremes of his last two. The Los Angeles Kings are adding Joel Armia in addition to signing Corey Perry, per TSN. Per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic , it is a two-year deal. Nice price for Gavrikov, going for considerably less than Provorov did yesterday. Now, all eyes on what else the New York Rangers does with its blue line, and if this puts K'Andre Miller in play. Vladislav Gavrikov almost certainly could have gotten more than this after Provorov's deal yesterday. He clearly wanted to be in New York. The Rangers now will have around $6-7 million in cap space. Vladislav Gavrikov has signed a seven-year, $49 million deal with the New York Rangers. Corey Perry, who recently turned 40 but still could be a reliable source of production and physicality on a third or fourth line, signed a one-year deal contract with the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, league sources told Pierre LeBrun of the The Athletic . With bonuses, the deal could be worth $3.5 million. Perry was a longtime nemesis of the Kings when he played for the rival Anaheim Ducks from 2005-19. Perry scored 19 goals for the Edmonton Oilers in 2024-25, his 20th season in the NHL, and added 10 more in the playoffs. He also played in his fifth Stanley Cup Final in six seasons, though he was part of the losing side all six years. Perry peaked individually with the Ducks, scoring 50 goals and winning the Hart Trophy in 2010-11. He scored 27 goals or more in eight of his 14 seasons with Anaheim before entering the journeyman phase of his career. Perry has now played for six teams since 2019. Edmonton signed Perry in January 2024 after the Blackhawks waived him for what they called an 'unacceptable' incident involving a team employee. Perry apologized for what he called 'inappropriate and wrong' behavior and said he sought treatment for substance abuse. He went on to give the Oilers quality minutes over consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final, but their salary-cap situation complicated his return. Perry made $1.15 million in base salary last season and hit all his $250,000 in bonuses, which will go against Edmonton's 2025-26 cap number. Getty Images Team at end of 2024-25: Dallas Stars Dallas Stars Position: Winger Winger Shoots: Left Left Age: 36 36 Previous contract: 2 years, $2,250,000 AAV 2 years, $2,250,000 AAV 2024-25 stats: 20 goals, 40 points, 13:32 ATOI, plus-1, 80 GP Not particularly big or adept at winning puck battles, Dadonov does his damage when the puck is on his stick in the offensive zone. The veteran winger has a good shot and hit the 20-goal mark again for Dallas this season. The goals did dry up for him in the playoffs, but he's viewed as a useful complementary piece. Hearing the Minnesota Wild are closing in on bringing back free-agent center Nico Sturm, his original NHL team. 5th-best faceoff guy in the NHL last season (min. 422 draws), 2-time Cup champ, fills PK/size/forechecking role. Philadelphia Flyers sign G Dan Vladar to a two-year deal, $3.35 million AAV. My understanding is that fit and role are important to Ehlers, who is a UFA for the first time. If it was only about money and term, a decision could be made very quickly. I understand that Ehlers' plan is to speak with teams' management as well as coaches, so as to be thorough in his decision-making. Brock Boeser, one of the best goal-scoring wingers available on the free-agent market, has agreed to re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks on a seven-year, $50.75-million contract, the team announced Tuesday. The deal is worth $7.25 million in average annual value. Boeser, 28, has spent all nine seasons of his NHL career with the Canucks, who drafted him at No. 23 in 2015. Inconsistency and injuries have been issues for him at times, but he brings legitimately high-end finishing ability at even strength and on the power play. He was at his best in 2023-24, scoring 40 goals and totaling 73 points in the second season of a contract that paid him $6.65 million annually against the cap. Like many of his teammates, Boeser's performance dipped last season, but he still finished with 25 goals — a level of production that he's basically hovered around throughout his career. In eight full NHL seasons, Boeser has scored at least 20 goals six times. A Minnesota native, Boeser started free agency in a group of wingers who could be viewed as contingency plans for Mitch Marner, the unquestioned top player available in unrestricted free agency before Monday's sign-and-trade with the Golden Knights. Though his overall impact at five-on-five has been questionable, Boeser was the purest goal-scorer in the bunch. He reportedly turned down Vancouver's offer of a $40 million, five-year contract during the season. Mitch Marner said farewell to the Maple Leafs organization and fans in Toronto in a Tuesday morning Instagram post on his personal account. The post came shortly after the Leafs officially announced Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nicolas Roy. As part of the sign-and-trade deal, Marner signed an eight-year extension with an AAV of $12 million. 'Leaving isn't easy. This city is where I grew up, where I fell in love with hockey, and where I've had the incredible honour of living out my childhood dream. Wearing the Maple Leaf on my chest wasn't just about playing for a team, it was about representing my home,' the post read. 'When I was drafted, all I wanted was to help bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto. That was always the goal, and I came up short. I know how much this team means to this city, and I know the expectations that come with wearing this jersey,' the post continued. 'I gave everything I had, but in the end, it wasn't enough. That's hard to admit, because I wanted it so badly, for all of us.' GO FURTHER Mitch Marner bids farewell to Maple Leafs, fans: 'Leaving isn't easy'
