Elliotte Friedman has suggested twice in the past week that the Kirill Kaprizov contract situation makes him believe that there is tampering going on. Will the NHL do anything about it? Can they? It's been a tough month for hall of fame goalies as Bernie Parent and Ed Giacomin passed away last week.  All this plus we look to the upcoming season and what we might expect with some off the wall predictions.   Listen Here:  Apple Podcasts   Direct MP3   iHeart Radio Title Player Dallas Drake Shoutout - Nathaniel from Edmonton -been listening Sending stickers News  Kirill Kaprizov - turned down 8 x $16,000,000  Friedman: ON 32 thoughts said his take was that since it didn’t get accepted, Kaprizov’s camp must believe they have an offer higher elsewhere.  He then said on The Fan Hockey Show - “I do believe there has been tampering going on. I’ll never be able to prove it, but I believe it.”  Will this be the case where the NHL finally gets to drop the hammer on teams.   Who is it?  Oilers McDavid - waiting for Kaprizov to sign largest deal?  Friedman says he thinks when McDavid signs, we will be very surprised at how low it will be Zack Hyman - will be out for a month at least recovering from wrist surgery    Key Departures / Losses Player Role / Impact What the Oilers Lose Evander Kane Big, physical winger; provided playoff grit; scored some clutch goals in their run. New York Post+3ESPN.com+3NHL+3 Loss of experience, net-front presence, and some scoring ability on the wing. Cap space freed up. Puckpedia+1 John Klingberg Veteran defenseman, could move the puck and helped on power plays. Daily Faceoff+1 Leaves a gap in puck-moving defense; need someone to replace his skill set. Daily Faceoff Corey Perry Veteran winger, presence in locker room; some scoring and depth contributions. ESPN.com+1 Less veteran depth up front; more need for younger players or middle-6 to step up. FlamesNation Major Additions & Re-Signings Player What They Bring / Role Expectations or Potential Andrew Mangiapane (F) Free agent wing; solid two-way game; brings energy and speed; adds depth to forward group. NHL Likely to slot into middle-6; expected to provide secondary scoring and help in puck retrieval/forecheck. NHL Curtis Lazar Depth forward; solid veteran; can move between lines; helps with penalty killing or bottom-6 work. NHL+1 Probably not a game changer offensively, but gives the Oilers more stable options in depth and more flexibility in line matchups. NHL Evan Bouchard (D) Re-signed to a long(er) deal; one of their young top-defensemen; carries big responsibility. NHL+2Puckpedia+2 Expected to be a top pairing or heavy minutes defenseman; important part of their transition and stability at blue line. Puckpedia+1 Vasily Podkolzin (F) Signed a 3-year extension; was fairly productive; brings physicality (hits/blocked shots) as well as modest offensive contributions. Reuters+1 Should see him keep developing; potentially more trusted in key situations; might take on bigger role if injuries or slumps hit. Reuters Defense & Goaltending Defense: Largely stable. Outside of Klingberg’s departure, many of the same names remain. There’s some competition for depth defense spots: Ty Emberson is in the mix, as is Troy Stecher. Daily Faceoff+1 Key defensemen (like Bouchard, Ekholm, Nurse, Kulak, and Jake Walman) will need to hold up; some have had criticism but generally the group is considered good, if not perfect. Daily Faceoff Goaltending: The plan is to stick with Stuart Skinner as the “starter” with Calvin Pickard backing him up. The Hockey News They brought in a new goalie coach (Peter Aubrey) to try to improve that tandem rather than making a big signing or trade in that area. The Hockey News   Cap / Roster Space & Composition The Oilers are tight on cap space. They currently project very little wiggle room (just a few hundred thousand) under the cap. Puckpedia They added some depth cheap, and held on to core players like Bouchard, Draisaitl, McDavid, etc. Puckpedia+2NHL+2 The forward group has been revamped a bit — more balance, more depth. Mangiapane and Lazar add to that. NHL+1   What to Watch / Weaknesses & Question Marks Goalie performance — with essentially the same tandem, how much improvement will come from coaching changes vs. in-net execution? If Skinner or Pickard struggle, the team may regret not pursuing a more proven backup or starter. Defensive consistency — the blue line has high expectations, especially with departures and aging players. How well do the depth defenders perform? Will the pairings hold up under playoff pressure? Secondary scoring / depth contributions — losing Evander Kane is a noticeable hit in terms of grit and clutch goals. The burden will shift more onto middle lines and depth forwards to chip in. McDavid contract / future — McDavid enters 2025-26 in the final year of his current contract. There is active discussion / confidence from management that he’ll sign an extension, but the uncertainty looms. Reuters Special teams — penalty kill was mediocre last season; power play always under the microscope with McDavid/Draisaitl. How much the coaching tweaks help will be critical. Daily Faceoff LEAFS Major Departures Player Role / Impact What They Leave Behind Mitch Marner Top-6 forward, key playmaker. Trailed Auston Matthews on many scoring charts. Big offensive void, particularly in assists and secondary scoring. Reuters+1 Ryan Reaves Enforcer / physical presence, veteran depth forward. NHL+1 Less physical grit, fewer intimidation matchups. Need others to pick up that edge. Pontus Holmberg Depth forward, role player. NHL+1 Loss of depth, especially useful in centre / bottom-6 roles. Max Pacioretty Veteran winger, scoring ability though recent decline. NHL+1 Leaves space for younger wingers or new signings to step up. Others also left / not re-signed: some depth forwards, fringe roster spots. hockeypatrol.com+1     Key Additions & Signings Player What They Bring Role / Expectations Nicolas Roy Acquired in the Marner trade. Good two-way forward, can chip in scoring from bottom 6. Reuters+1   Matias Maccelli Younger forward, decent upside. Could slide into top-6 if needed. NHL   Dakota Joshua Physical forward, heavy hitter, adds depth. Reuters+1   Henry Thrun Defenseman acquired from San Jose. Adds youth / depth on the blue line. NHL   Michael Pezzetta Signed to a two-year deal. Depth forward, physicality. NHL   Re-Signings & Extensions John Tavares agreed to a 4-year extension. Provides veteran leadership and scoring. Reuters Matthew Knies signed a 6-year, $46.5M deal, becoming more of a foundational piece. The Times of India Goaltending: Anthony Stolarz is in contract extension talks after a strong season. The Times of India   Roster & Cap Implications The team loses a high-impact forward (Marner), which both frees up some cap & puts pressure on finding or developing scoring elsewhere. The Hockey News+2hockeypatrol.com+2 Expect more responsibility for existing players (e.g. Knies) and for new arrivals like Maccelli or Roy to fill the offensive gaps. Depth players and prospects are in line to get more opportunity. Names like Easton Cowan, William Villeneuve, etc., are under watch. NHL   What to Watch / Question Marks Who steps into top-6 scoring alongside Matthews and Nylander. That line is going to be more scrutinized this season. How the Leafs adjust defensively with the incoming younger D-corps (Thrun etc.), and whether the blue line depth is improved. Goaltending consistency: Stolarz’s extension talks suggest they want stability there. Joseph Woll’s role likely stays important. The Hockey News Whether the loss of Marner and Pacioretty will hurt in the playoffs more than during the regular season, especially in tight matchups. Goalie deaths - Bernie Parent, Ed Giacomin passed away - 3 legendary goalies in a short span  Guess the 5th  Off the Wall predictions - provide 3 - we can go back and forth alternating our predictions. Discuss each and the likelihood of happening.  ChatGPT’s  Goalie hits 10 points 100 point Defenceman - Makar, Hughes, Fox? NHL Game gets retro-outdoor twist - wooden sticks, old padding,  Cannections: Last week Ken Dryden, Vladislav Tretiak, Eric Lindros, Jarome Iginla - none of them played for the team that drafted them This week - William Nylander, David Pastrnak, Patrick Kane, Andrei Vasilevskii Crazy Stat - There are more coaches entering their first game with current team than there are coaches who have been with their team for 2 or more years. 

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