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Oilers conundrum: One does not simply replace 31% of team goal scoring

Oilers conundrum: One does not simply replace 31% of team goal scoring

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The Edmonton Oilers ' conundrum? One does not simply replace 31 per cent of the team's goal scoring prowess.
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That is what the Oilers have lost from their 2025 playoff team, 31 per cent of the goal scoring having now left town with the departures of Corey Perry, 10 playoff goals, Evander Kane, six, Connor Brown, five, Viktor Arvidsson, two, John Klingberg, one, and Jeff Skinner, one.
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You think if the Oilers had abundant cap space they'd have let go of Perry, Kane, Brown and Klingberg? I don't.
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Cap space is Edmonton's enemy like never before. That's the issue.
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Edmonton is a threat to win the Cup next year because it's thankfully got star players in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Next year, however, for the first time, all three star players will be earning massive salaries compared to the cap, $12.5 million for McDavid, $14.0 million for Draisaitl, $10.5 million for Bouchard.
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No complaints from me on the big three getting paid big time. But the fact of the matter is that every dollar a top star gets, that is one dollar less in cap space. And it doesn't help with inconsistent d-man Darnell Nurse making $9.2 million.
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The Oilers will be OK in a few years when the cap rises to more than $113 million. But these next two years are going to be tight when it comes to cap space, making it difficult for the Oilers to keep, retain and/or bring in talent.
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This is the fact. It's the reality GM Stan Bowman faces. It's no easy thing to handle, which is why Edmonton, essentially, had to say good-bye to such useful veterans as Kane, Brown, Klingberg and Perry. They could not afford them under the cap.
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The upside of the downside?
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Does this cloud of grey having any silver lining? Yes, it does.
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First off, Bowman has proven somewhat adept at managing the cap. This coming year he'll be counting on four low cost players — Ike Howard, Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and David Tomasek — to step up. Bowman doesn't need all four to be world beaters. But to compete for the Cup he needs at least one out of three of Savoie, Howard and Tomasek to step up as a Top 6 forward. He needs another one of those three to step up as a third line winger. And he needs Philp, or some other low-cost option, to step up and be a strong two-way player in a checking role.
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‘Take home a national title': Saskatoon hosts Western Canadian water skiing championship
‘Take home a national title': Saskatoon hosts Western Canadian water skiing championship

CTV News

time16 hours ago

  • CTV News

‘Take home a national title': Saskatoon hosts Western Canadian water skiing championship

The Western Canadian water-skiing championship welcomed plenty of talent to Saskatoon over the weekend. Hosted at the Saskatoon Water Ski Club, the event was an opportunity for the best in water skiing to try for a spot at the national championships in Edmonton later this summer. 'It's awesome, jumping is amazing. It's a sport like no other. There's a lot of adrenaline, and the flight time is just unreal. It's something that I'm honestly pretty addicted to now at this point,' said 22-year-old competitor Carter Lucas. Home site advantage was certainly a bonus for those who train with the Saskatoon Water Ski Club. 'I'm doing a lot of work as an official and also as a skier. And I get to see all my kids that I coach and ski with every day,' Lucas said. Fifteen-year-old Sophie Strilchuk is from Lloydminster but trains with the Saskatoon Water Ski Club. 'It was super fun, I had a great time, and I got a good score. It feels great, we have a home site advantage, and it makes it easier and more fun,' Strilchuk said. Strilchuk added that the opportunity to share the love for the sport is always an enjoyable aspect of competition. 'It's just fun being in the air. I don't know, it's just like there's no other feeling like it,' Strilchuk said. After this weekend, many water skiers will be preparing for the Canadian Nationals, all in the hopes of bringing home the title to Saskatoon. 'A lot of the people here are all going to be competing at nationals in a few weeks, and I'm really excited for that. A lot of good performances are coming up, and I'm hoping some of my kids and I can take home a national title,' Lucas said.

Roughriders bring their season record to 6-1 after defeating Elks
Roughriders bring their season record to 6-1 after defeating Elks

CBC

timea day ago

  • CBC

Roughriders bring their season record to 6-1 after defeating Elks

The first-place Saskatchewan Roughriders are finding ways to win despite the lack of a killer instinct. The Riders, who improved to 6-1 with a 21-18 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Friday, have had the propensity this season to take an early lead but then allow their opponents to get back into the game. That's exactly what happened against the Elks as the Riders held a comfortable 21-4 lead after the third quarter only to take their foot off the gas and find themselves having to fend off a late Edmonton comeback. Quarterback Trevor Harris was visibly frustrated with the Riders failing to put the Elks away when they had the chance. "There's obviously some positive things to take away, but I'm sure you guys could probably guess that I'm not happy with the way that we finished the game offensively. You know, if you want to be a championship calibre team, you've got to put the nail in the coffin and we didn't do that," said Harris, who completed 25 of his 33 passes for 268 yards with a pair of touchdowns on the night. "But that being said, I think this is a team that can take a look in the mirror and get better. It's not like: 'We don't have the guys' or `We're screwed.' It's just one of those things. We've got to take a look in the mirror and be better toward the end of the game. And we will, you can mark my words." Riders head coach Corey Mace, while sharing some of his quarterback's frustration, also sees glimmers of hope from his players. "We can talk about it all we want, we can talk situational football, about having a killer instinct and what to expect in certain situations but ultimately, the players win games. There were a couple of plays tonight where I'm going to look back and think I should have called something better defensively. And yet they made the play look unbelievable, you know? They have that talent, man. So, if we get a call, that's awesome, and they can also be unbelievable. That's where we've got to go, we've got to continue to grow," said Mace. "We just kind of continue to work at that stuff. I don't know if it's physical or mental or if it's a lack of focus. Maybe we're not coaching it hard enough, we could look in the mirror from that standpoint. So, everybody will continue to do it." The Elks, who are now 1-5, made a change at starting quarterback this week, replacing Tre Ford with veteran Cody Fajardo. The Edmonton offence struggled to find a rhythm, especially in the third quarter when they were held to four yards of total offence in three possessions. "I think the thought that comes to mind is our defence and how they got off the field. We had the ball around midfield, and then we went two and out, and that crushed us," said Fajardo, who was dealt to the Elks in the off-season after two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes. "There was another one of those sacks where it was a run-pass option. I pulled it, I tried to pull up and make a throw, and their defensive ends are athletic and made a good play. If I hand off the ball there, who knows what happens? It was just a terrible read by me, and I've got to be better for this team." Fajardo, who played for the Riders from 2019 to 2022, was making his first start against Saskatchewan since leaving the franchise as a free agent and signing with the Alouettes in 2023. Despite the slow start, Fajardo completed 26 of 33 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns. Fajardo said the despite the loss, the mood in the Edmonton locker room is still good. "We want to win games but it's hard to take moral victories in professional sports because it's outcome driven. You look at the scoreboard and you see if you win or lose. Stats don't mean anything to me. It's winning or losing," Fajardo said. "We're still learning, but like I said, we're running out of time to learn. We've got to find ways to win football games. But I think this is a confident group that's just going to continue to improve." Two major impact points in the contest were the ability of Saskatchewan's defence to control the line of scrimmage and the undisciplined play of the Elks. While the Riders rung up eight sacks and limited the Elks to 25 yards rushing on nine carries, Edmonton hurt themselves by taking 11 penalties for 133 yards, compared with Saskatchewan's six penalties for 53 yards. The Saskatchewan defence answered the bell on Edmonton's last drive of the game. Trailing by three points with 24 seconds remaining, the Elks started their final possession on their own five-yard line. The Elks moved to the 32-yard line after a 12-yard scramble by Fajardo and a 15-yard roughing penalty against the Riders. Saskatchewan, however, sealed the victory by sacking Fajardo on the final two plays of the game. When asked how the defence was able to continually pressure Fajardo Saskatchewan defensive tackle Micah Johnson said it just the scheme. "All week we were talking about everybody just doing their job. I think it really showed that we could be a great defence. We take pride in stopping the run, that's first and foremost. That's our bread and butter so for us, it was super important to come out and stop the run. We hang our hat on that, and we think we're the best rush defence in the league." Johnson, Malik Carney and Shane Ray had two sacks each for the Riders, while A.J. Allen and C.J. Reavis added one sack apiece. Samuel Emilus, on a 15-yard reception, and KeeSean Johnson, on a six-yard catch, scored touchdowns for the Riders. 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Stony Plain Road construction straining business, shop owners says
Stony Plain Road construction straining business, shop owners says

CBC

timea day ago

  • CBC

Stony Plain Road construction straining business, shop owners says

Construction along Stony Plain Road for the Valley Line West LRT is causing major challenges for shops in west Edmonton, business owners say. Many shop owners say the years-long project has led to a significant drop in foot traffic, leaving them struggling to stay open. Marigold Infrastructure Partners initiated several closures in the area, including some the area around Stony Plain Road and 156 Street, as part of the accelerated roadwork for Valley Line West Petra Sekhon owns Vacuum Central, which has been on Stony Plain Road for 36 years. She said her business has lost a third of its revenue this month alone. "We've been told it's going to be another three years," said Sekhon. "Ninety-nine per cent of the customers when they come in say it's hard to get in … they're telling us that we should move." She said decisions are also being made without input from business owners. "They're going to put one tree right in front of my door, which I did not ask for. But I was not given the opportunity to have any kind of input," said Sekhon. "The plan was in place and they weren't making any changes, even though we've asked." Bijoy Sasmel, owner of Spirit of India Express, took over his restaurant in January. He said construction around 156th Street has made it almost impossible for customers to reach him. "I've had a very bad experience here," said Sasmel. Sasmel said he hasn't taken a salary in six months, as even delivery drivers cancel orders because they can't find the entrance to the plaza where his restaurant is located. "Some days my sale is not even $100," he said. "If I don't move from here, maybe I'll be bankrupt. I have to feed my family, I have to feed my kids." Despite asking for support from the city and Marigold Infrastructure, Sasmel said he got no positive response. Construction for the Edmonton Valley Line West LRT has been going on for 50 months and is anticipated to be complete in 2028. Justin Keats from the Stony Plain Road Business Association said businesses are losing 50 per cent or more of their traffic. "There are no programs that are compensating or trying to rectify the unequal playing field these businesses have been placed in," said the association's members' relations and communications coordinator. Keats said there was some talk about financial support with city council that has gone through several times, led by Ward Nakota Isga Cioun. Andrew Knack, but council was unable to reach a decision. The association hopes that with Edmonton's municipal election coming up in October, they might be able to start the conversation anew. "Businesses need some form of compensation that addresses them individually as the business owner versus having those funds go directly to the property owner," said Keats. "The area in itself would also need some significant reinvestment, whether that's in marketing or additional placemaking initiatives to make this place more viable and lively." In a statement to CBC News, Po Sun, general supervisor for the Valley Line West, said the city is aware of the challenges and is grateful for the continued patience of residents, commuters and businesses. "The city doesn't offer financial compensation to businesses due to construction," the statement said, but added that the city is offering "business outreach, signage, and stakeholder support." Construction at the 156th Street intersection reopened on July 10, but work will continue throughout the area until the LRT is finished, said the city. "The plan will reduce the overall duration of traffic restrictions by more than half, and take many of the roads along the Valley Line West alignment to their final configuration by the end of 2025." "If I ran my business the way they run this construction project, I would've been bankrupt years ago," said Sekhon of Vacuum Central.

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