Oilers’ GM says Plan B in place if team can’t strike deal with Nurse
Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli says he has a Plan B if contract talks remain at a stalemate with defenceman Darnell Nurse.
Chiarelli addressed that and other issues — ranging from Connor McDavid questions to the Erik Karlsson trade — as the team hit the ice for the first time Friday at training camp.
“We obviously couldn’t come to an agreement, but we hope we can get him in camp at some point here shortly,” Chiarelli said, referencing Nurse.
Chiarelli declined to go into specifics on Plan B: “We’ll cross that bridge when (we) come to it.”
The two sides are negotiating a bridge contract coming out of Nurse’s entry-level deal.
Nurse’s absence and the off-season torn Achilles tendon to Andrej Sekera — their top puck-moving defender — has left the Oilers thin on the blue line.
Chiarelli said help may be coming from farmhands Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones along with top draft pick Evan Bouchard, who is considered so close to being ready for prime time that another year of junior would almost be a waste.
Edmonton also signed free agent Jakub Jerabek after learning of Sekera’s injury.
“He moves the puck well,” Chiarelli said of Jerabek. “He’s a very cerebral player, economical player . . . . He’s going to get a shot here, too.”
The top defensive pairing is Adam Larsson and Oscar Klefbom, followed by Kris Russell and Matt Benning.
The Oilers are looking for answers as they try to rebound from a disappointing nonplayoff campaign, the second in the last three despite having two-time NHL scoring champion McDavid.
Wings’ Zetterberg says playing career is over
DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings and Henrik Zetterberg say his career is over due to a back injury.
They made the announcement Friday at the team’s training camp. Zetterberg will go on long-term injured reserve with three years left on his 12-year, $73-million contract. The 37-year-old Swede will continue to be paid and the team will get some $6 million in salary-cap relief.
Zetterberg helped the Red Wings hoist the 2008 Stanley Cup, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the top player in the post-season. He had 337 goals and 960 career points over 15 seasons and regularly was a candidate for the Selke Trophy honouring the NHL’s best defensive forward.
Hawks’ defence hurting, goaltender questionable
Chicago’s Connor Murphy will miss the start of the season with a back injury and fellow Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook is out with an abdominal injury.
Team physician Dr. Michael Terry says Murphy will be sidelined for eight weeks. Seabrook is expected to miss about one week. Chicago had already announced that defenceman Gustav Forsling will miss the start of the season with a right wrist injury.
Corey Crawford was ruled out for Chicago’s first practice of training camp, but he worked with goaltending coach Jimmy Waite before
There has been criticism of late that having McDavid, the brightest light in the game, absent from the post-season is a disservice not only to the franchise but to the sport. Chiarelli admitted there is added pressure. “You want to maximize what you can do when Connor is here and when he’s performing at the level we all expect,” he said. “We have to meet those expectations, as does the rest of the team.”
The pressure got more intense this week when division rival San Jose traded for Karlsson from Ottawa.
Chiarelli said Edmonton was not on Karlsson’s negotiation list and therefore didn’t have a chance to get him, but said the trade stings nonetheless.
“I won’t lie, when he came to our division there was a little bit of an expletive coming out of my mouth,” he said.
“That’s a heck of a (defence) over there now.”
Chiarelli has also been questioned for signing backup goalie Mikko Koskinen from the KHL for one year at US$2.5 million to pair with Cam Talbot. Chiarelli said the asking price for Koskinen was high because there were other bidders, adding that Koskinen’s backup status is not set in stone.
“We felt we wanted a competition at goaltending,” Chiarelli said. “He’s going to get a chance and we hope that he pushes Cam and vice versa.”
The first scrimmage of camp saw Ty Rattie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins skating on McDavid’s wings. That trio finished strong last season and they’re getting a shot to keep the success going this season.
“I’ve got to be a shooter. I’ve got to get in the dirty areas and get that puck back for those guys,” said Rattie. “I have a good understanding of what my role is on that line. It’s just a matter of getting it done.” the rest of the players got on the ice Friday. The Stanley Cup-winning goalie missed the final part of last season because of an upper-body injury.
The Blackhawks missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008, and the mix of green prospects and aging veterans among the defencemen was one of the issues. The injuries could open the door for 19-year-old Henri Jokiharju, Chicago’s first-round pick in last year’s draft, to make the team out of camp.
Seattle votes in favour of new arena plan
SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council committee created to review plans for the renovation of KeyArena has unanimously approved the final transaction documents, setting the stage for full council approval of the arena plan later this month.
The Select Committee on Civic Arenas voted 7-0 Friday to approve the plans for the $700-million renovation of the city-owned building. The redevelopment of the arena is a privately funded development being spearheaded by Oak View Group. The full council is expected to take a final vote on the arena redevelopment on Sept. 24.
The approval is one of the last major hurdles to Seattle’s hopes of landing an NHL expansion franchise.
Seattle Hockey Partners will present before the NHL Board of Governors Executive Committee on Oct. 2 in New York, and the full Board of Governors could take action on Seattle’s expansion bid to become the league’s 32nd team in early December.