We can now fairly confidently state that the Edmonton Oilers training camp will begin on January 3rd meaning we are just under two weeks away. As of the time of writing this, we are still waiting on a new contract for Ethan Bear and it appears as though talks to sign pending UFA Ryan Nugent Hopkins have also stopped for now.
Let's break it down.
Ethan Bear had a breakout season last year, logging 21 points in 71 games while being one of the top 10 players in the league for ice-time. Both he and Darnell Nurse logged massive minutes for the Oilers last season and with Oscar Klefbom out the duo will be called upon once more.
Reports have suggested that the Oilers have offered Bear options between one and three year deals and while no specific numbers are out I am sure the one year deal would range close to 1 million while the three year deals are likely in the 2-2.5 range.
Nothing so far suggests that the two sides are miles apart or that there is any animosity between the player, agent, and manager. I am willing to bet we will see Ethan Bear in Oilers silks one the first day of training camp, with a new deal signed before January 1st.
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In more recent news, talks have apparently stalled between Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the team for figuring out a new deal. RNH is set to be an UFA after this season. The centre turned winger had a brilliant second half to last season alongside Draisaitl and Yamamoto and was among the top in the league for production over that time. At only 27 years old, even another 6 or 7 year deal should give great return over the full deal.
Talks have stalled due in large part to the current untested waters that the league finds itself in. There are so many uncertainties with COVID and a flat cap and we have already seen how that effected so many teams and players in Free Agency this off-season.
Both Ken Holland and Ryan have been quoted on their desire to have a deal made and to stay with the Edmonton Oilers so no one should be panicking yet. Talks will continue as the season progresses. This could work for or against the Oilers favour as if RNH produces at the same pace he was in the second half of last season, his value may skyrocket on the free market.
In a perfect world I hope that the two sides come together on a six year deal where the first number after the dollar sign is a 6. A 6.8 or 6.9 million dollar deal would be easy to swallow and should help to ensure that the Nuge stays an Oiler for his entire career.
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Today I'm going to wish you all an early Merry Christmas as I will likely be away from my computer over the next couple days, celebrating to the best of my ability with the current (but needed) restrictions in place. If any big news drops over the next couple days I will do my best to make a quick post.
Happy Holidays to you all, stay safe, watch some World Juniors while recovering from your food comas and I will see you all back here soon!