Edmonton

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The deal has an average annual value of $3.1 million. Yamamoto and the Oilers avoided the need to have an arbitration hearing, which was scheduled for Aug. 7, as a result of the new contract. He accumulated 20 goals, 41 points, 114 shots and 114 hits in 81 games during the 2021-22 season.

Yamamoto is a restricted free agent who filed for salary arbitration. His hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7, so the two sides need to come to terms relatively quickly if they want to avoid that unpleasant process. “I’m going to talk a lot to J.P., so we’ll see,” said Holland, referring to Yamamoto’s agent, J.P. Barry. “I don’t think we’re that far apart, but you never know until you have a deal.” Yamamoto had 20 goals and 41 points in 81 contests last season. While the Red Wings signed Puljujarvi to a one-year deal, it’s believed that they’ll be attempting to lock Yamamoto up to a multi-year contract.

Puljujarvi filed for salary arbitration, so signing him avoided a hearing, but inking him to just a one-year deal does suggest that Edmonton remains uncertain about his place with the team. “I would say in Jesse’s case, I’m comfortable if he’s back,” Holland said. “We’re at the cap and anything that we do is going to be dollar-in, dollar-out, so I’m still trying to figure out if there is anything out there that is going to make us better. I’m not 100 per cent for sure, but I’m happy to get him signed.” As Holland suggested, the Oilers’ cap situation is difficult and certainly clearing Puljujarvi’s contract would help to alleviate that. Puljujarvi had 14 goals and 36 points in 65 games last season.

Stuart had 26 goals and 93 points in 673 career NHL games as a defenseman. More recently he served as an assistant coach with the University of Vermont in 2020-21 and then with Colorado College in 2021-22.

The two sides have managed to avoid an arbitration hearing, but naturally this contract doesn’t answer the question of Puljujarvi’s long-term future with the franchise. He had 14 goals and 36 points in 65 contests in 2021-22.

If the arbitrator rules that the Sharks wrongfully terminated Kane’s contract, then they would presumably still be on the hook for the final three seasons of Kane’s original contract with them at $7 million per. However, Kane recently agreed to a four-year deal with Edmonton at $5.125 million. So what happens to the Edmonton deal if the Sharks’ contract is reinstated? By sounds of things, the Sharks’ contract would take precedence and he’d once again be with San Jose. Or at least he would be temporarily. What would likely happen is that the Sharks, who clearly don’t want Kane anymore, would trade him back to Edmonton and assume the roughly $1.9 million difference in the cap hits. How complicated such a trade would be is hard to say. The Sharks could attempt to leverage the fact that the Oilers want Kane to get some kind of concession, but realistically, the Sharks don’t want to be on the hook for Kane’s contract nor is San Jose’s cap situation good enough to simply hold onto him, so they will be motivated to make a trade work even if it makes assuming part of Kane’s cap hit and receiving nothing of note in exchange. “It all comes back to Evander wants to be in Edmonton and to play for the Oilers and I’m comfortable that’s going to happen,” said Oilers GM Ken Holland.

In that regard, Holland is seeing parallels between what is happening in Edmonton now and what his former team, the Detroit Red Wings, experienced in the early 1990s. “It was very much the same,” Holland said. “I can’t tell you that in the early 90s Detroit was an attractive destination, but when we started winning and going on playoff runs, players wanted to come. You want to win. Having the core that we’ve got in Edmonton has people around the league wanting to come here and join, and the run gave the exposure to other players around the league that if they come here there is an opportunity to play in front of a passionate fan base with a tremendous nucleus of players.” It likely helped convince Evander Kane to re-sign with Edmonton at reasonable terms and was a factor for Jack Campbell.

Yamamoto notched 20 goals and 41 points in 81 games during the 2021-22 season. He was also credited with 114 shots and 114 hits. Yamamoto is coming off a one-year, $1.175 million contract.

Puljujarvi just finished a two-year, $2.35 million contract. He has been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, but he is currently still a member of the Oilers. Puljujarvi earned 14 goals, 36 points, 160 shots and 81 hits in 65 games last campaign.

Janmark produced nine goals and 25 points in 67 games for Vegas during the 2021-22 season. He was also credited with 89 shots and 28 blocks, while averaging 14:21 of ice time per contest. Janmark should make for a solid addition to the Oilers’ bottom-six forward group and he is capable of moving up the depth chart if needed.