Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid is speaking out in regards to how his club feels about Pride Night celebrations around the NHL, which have become a contentious topic for some players over the last few months.

The Edmonton Oilers will celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Saturday's Pride Night game against the Vegas Golden Knights, and team captain McDavid made it clear Friday that the organization fully supports the initiative.

McDavid told reporters:

"Certainly can't comment on other players and their beliefs and other organizations and what they're up to. I know here in Edmonton we strongly believe hockey is for everyone and strongly support Pride Night. Looking forward to it.

"I think we were the first team to use the pride tape in warmups. We're firm believers in the celebration that is the pride night and looking forward to it."

Oilers forward Zach Hyman echoed McDavid's comments during his media session on Friday:

"Everybody has their own personal opinion. To me, it's an obvious no-brainer. If I was in that position I'd wear one. It doesn't go against any of my beliefs. On the contrary, I think it's extremely important to be open and welcoming to that greater community just because they're a minority and they face a lot of persecution over the years and to show that we care, and that we're willing and ready to include them in our game, in out sport is extremely important to me. It's a hard question just because people have their own personal beliefs. I just don't agree with them."

Pride Nights around the NHL have become a hot-button topic since Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov opted against wearing the team's rainbow-colored pride jersey during warm-ups ahead of a Jan. 17 matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

Since then, San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer and Florida Panthers teammates and brothers Eric and Marc Staal have chosen not to participate in their teams' Pride Night celebrations, which include wearing pride jerseys during warm-ups.

Provorov, Reimer and the Staal brothers all said that wearing the jersey and taking part in the festivities would go against their religious beliefs. Provorov is Russian Orthodox, while Reimer and the Staal brothers are Christian.

The New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks have also pulled the plug entirely on having their players wear pride jerseys during warm-ups this season.

The Blackhawks and Wild reportedly cited concern for the safety of Russian players as the reason for opting against wearing the jerseys. Chicago's Pride Night is scheduled for Sunday, and the team still has various initiatives scheduled.

Russia expanded its ban on "gay propaganda" in December, making it "illegal to promote or 'praise' LGBTQ relationships, publicly express non-heterosexual orientations or suggest that they are 'normal,'" according to CNN's Ivana Kottasova and Anna Chernova.

The Blackhawks and Wild have several players who are from Russia or are of Russian descent on their rosters, including Philipp Kurashev, Anton Khudobin, Nikita Zaitsev—all of Chicago—and Kirill Kaprizov, who plays for Minnesota.

However, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic's Scott Powers on Friday that the league has "no information that would suggest there is any material threat that would exist (in Russia or otherwise) related to a Russian player participating in a club's Pride activities."

The Blackhawks sent Powers a response to Daly's statement:

"We are unaware of any direct, material threat on an individual currently. That being said, we understand that there is a more general threat toward certain players and believe we need to respond accordingly. We will not have any further comment on this matter at this time. We wish to reiterate that our overall Pride night will go on as planned, and we are excited for all of the activities and LGBTQIA+ community members who will be in the spotlight."

While the Rangers have several prominent Russian players on their roster—Igor Shesterkin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Artemi Panarin—the club cited "everyone's individual right to respectfully express their beliefs" as the reason for not having players wear pride jerseys during warm-ups on Jan. 27.

The Islanders, meanwhile, noted an organizational policy as the reason players didn't wear pride jerseys during warm-ups on Feb. 9.

Several teams still have Pride Night celebrations scheduled ahead of the end of the regular season in April. It's unclear if any other teams or players are considering not wearing pride jerseys.

The Nashville Predators are trading defenseman Mattias Ekholm and a sixth-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

In exchange, Nashville will receive Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick.

The Predators are also retaining four percent of Ekholm's remaining salary, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

The Oilers had been in the trade market for a defenseman for quite some time, and TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that, in addition to Ekholm, Edmonton had shown interest in the Arizona Coyotes' Jakob Chychrun and Columbus Blue Jackets' Vladislav Gavrikov.

LeBrun added that the Predators told teams last week that the price for Ekholm "started with two first-round picks."

Ekholm is in the first season of a four-year, $25 million deal he signed with the Predators in October 2021. He has an annual cap hit worth $6.25 million through the 2025-26 season, according to CapFriendly.

The 32-year-old Swede had spent his entire 12-year career in Nashville, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. Through 57 games this season, he has notched five goals and 13 assists for 18 points.

In 719 games with the Predators, Ekholm has tallied 62 goals and 206 assists for 268 points. He also boasts a career plus/minus of plus-104 and has averaged 21:48 of time on ice over 12 seasons.

Adding Ekholm helps solidify the Oilers as one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Edmonton already boasts the NHL's best offense, averaging 3.80 goals per game thanks to the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. However, it desperately needed some help on the blue line as it was also allowing 3.28 goals per game.

For comparison, the Boston Bruins, which lead the league with 97 points, have scored 3.73 goals per game and are allowing just 2.08 goals per game, proving they have the perfect combination of scoring and defense needed to win a title.

Ekholm will now anchor a defensive unit that also includes Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak, Philip Broberg and Evan Bouchard.

It's unclear if the Oilers, which sit third in the Pacific Division with a 32-21-8 record and 72 points, will make any more moves ahead of the NHL's Friday trade deadline.

Nashville, meanwhile, is in selling mode as it sits fifth in the Central Division with a 29-22-6 record and 64 points.

The NHL's March 3 trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the Edmonton Oilers (32-20-8) are far more likely to be buyers than sellers.

On Saturday, Edmonton fell 5-6 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but there's a chance that the Oilers can still net a win from the Blue Jackets. Columbus has yet to offload defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, and one recent development could put the 27-year-old in a comfortable price range for Edmonton.

There had been some buzz about a Gavrikov deal involving the Boston Bruins, and according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, the Blue Jackets believed they had "a deal in place."

On Thursday, however, Boston executed a trade for defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway that sent forwards Craig Smith and Andrei Svetlakov along with four draft picks to the Washington Capitals.

According to Portzline, the Bruins' deal was a "gut punch" to Columbus, which has been sitting Gavrikov in anticipation of a trade.

"Multiple team and league sources confirmed to The Athletic that the Blue Jackets firmly felt they had a deal in place with Boston for more than a week that would have sent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the Bruins for multiple picks and/or players."

With Boston pulling out of the deal—if it was ever as close to making it as Columbus reportedly believed—Edmonton may have a chance to swoop in and land Gavrikov at a reduced price.

The Oilers' back line hasn't been a major liability, but Edmonton could use a left-side defender and has shown some interest in Gavrikov. According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, however, Gavrikov's price point has been problematic.

"The Oilers have had a number of conversations with them on him over the past month, but the price was always too high," LeBrun wrote. "Maybe it comes down now. My sense is Edmonton was interested in getting back into the Gavrikov conversation Friday."

While it's unclear what Columbus believed it could get from Boston, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff speculated on Friday that the Blue Jackets have been targeting a package of draft selection that includes a first-rounder:

"I've been saying since the trade deadline period opened that I knew they would be targeting the David Savard return, which was a first a third and a fourth-round pick."

If Oilers general manager Ken Holland pushes for a Gavrikov trade now, he might be able to get something done for significantly less. Columbus is still looking to trade Gavrikov, as evidenced by the fact that he didn't face Edmonton:

And it seems that Jarmo Kekäläinen was so sure that he would strike a deal with Boston that Columbus simply doesn't have an alternative deal lined up. According to David Ganotta of The Fourth Period, there's nothing resembling an imminent deal in place.

Holland may be able to essentially swoop in with a lesser offer and get Kekäläinen to bite. Columbus had planned to move Gavrikov, and they still plan to move him, but the proverbial clock is ticking.

Even if Edmonton's offer isn't what Columbus wanted, it's better than nothing. Considering Gavrikov will be a free agent in the summer, that could be enough of a selling point for the Blue Jackets.

However, Holland and the Oilers need to act quickly if they're going to use the Boston situation to their advantage. If they wait until closer to the deadline, another suitor could emerge—and with Orlov off the market, it's probably likely.

Any sort of bidding war would put Gavrikov's trade value back on the upswing. That would be good for Columbus, but not for an Oilers team hoping to land the talented lefty at a relative bargain.

If Columbus won't budge on its asking price? So be it. Holland doesn't have to overpay and can spend the final few days of the trade period eying other options. However, Edmonton's best chance to hold leverage in trade talks for Gavrikov is to negotiate while no other teams are interested.

The San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers have reengaged in trade discussions involving defenseman Erik Karlsson, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.

There are "considerable financial hurdles" for both teams to make a deal work, Johnston added. However, this is the second time this season the two sides have explored a trade for the veteran.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman initially reported in January that the Oilers and Sharks "had legit conversations" involving Karlsson.

Karlsson is in the midst of a resurgent season following back-to-back disappointing campaigns in San Jose. He ranks first in the NHL among defensemen with 17 goals and 53 assists for 70 points in 53 games.

This is the first time since the 2017-18 campaign, when he was still with the Ottawa Senators, that Karlsson has eclipsed the 60-point mark. The most points he had scored in a season with the Sharks entering this season was the 45 points he tallied during the 2018-19 campaign.

But while Karlsson is producing at an elite level that almost surely will see him capture his third Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, the Sharks sit seventh in the Pacific Division with a 16-26-11 record.

San Jose's struggles have led to questions about how much longer Karlsson will want to remain in Silicon Valley and compete for a team that has little chance to make the postseason.

The problem is, the 32-year-old has an $11.5 million per year cap hit through the 2026-27 campaign after signing an eight-year, $92 million deal in June 2019. His cap hit, coupled with the no-movement clause on his contract, makes him a difficult asset to be traded.

Still, the opportunity to add a revitalized Karlsson to their blue line would be a game-changer for the Oilers, who lack that kind of elite talent in their defensive unit. Veteran Tyson Barrie leads Edmonton's defensemen with seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points in 53 games.

After reaching the Western Conference Final last season, the Oilers are on the cusp of becoming a true title contender.

Edmonton sits second in the Pacific Division with a 30-18-5 record and are just a few pieces away from being a championship-caliber team. Could Karlsson be one of the pieces to help get the Oilers there?

The Edmonton Oilers announced Evander Kane is expected to miss 3-4 months after he was cut on the wrist by a skate blade in a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Kane addressed the situation Wednesday morning and said he was "on the mend," thanking the medical personnel who acted quickly to treat his injury:

The 31-year-old got knocked to the ice by Lightning defenseman Philippe Myers in the second period. Lightning forward Pat Maroon skated past and inadvertently caught his wrist.

Kane got to his feet and immediately skated toward his bench.

"It's scary, certainly scary," Oilers teammate Connor McDavid told reporters. "I think you could feel the energy in the entire rink kind of just get sucked out. We're thinking about him. We're hearing he's doing OK, but that's obviously initial."

Kane has made 14 appearances for Edmonton this year. With five goals and eight assists, he's fifth on the team in points (13). His absence will force somebody to step up alongside Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman on the Oilers' second line.

To account for Kane's shift to long-term injured reserve, Edmonton called up Mattias Janmark and Klim Kostin from the Bakersfield Condors, its AHL affiliate.

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane was transported to the hospital and will undergo a procedure after suffering a "deep cut" to his wrist during Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena, per NHL on TNT.

Kane suffered the injury during the second period when Patrick Maroon's skate caught his wrist while trying to get up following a hit along the boards.

On Wednesday morning, Kane posted an update, saying he would be back on the ice in the near future:

Entering Tuesday's game, he had tallied five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 13 games this season.

The 31-year-old is in his second season with the Oilers and agreed to a four-year, $20.5 million deal with the franchise in July. He's under contract through the 2025-26 season.

Kane began his NHL career with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization in 2009 when he was selected fourth overall in the NHL draft. He spent six seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres, where he spent two-and-a-half seasons before being dealt to the San Jose Sharks.

The Vancouver native put together some of the best seasons of his career in San Jose, tallying 87 goals and 79 points for 166 points in 212 games across three-and-a-half seasons.

However, Kane's tenure with the Sharks came to an ugly end when he was suspended for 21 games in October 2021 for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. After he finished his suspension, the team sent him to the American Hockey League, and the remainder of his seven-year, $49 million contract was terminated in January for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols.

Kane was in the fourth year of that deal and was due $19 million for the last three years of the contract. In September, he and the Sharks reached a settlement on the grievance the NHL Players' Association filed last season on his behalf in regards to his contract termination.

After his tenure with the Sharks came to an end, Kane signed a one-year deal with the Oilers for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign. In 43 games last season, he tallied 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points.

Kane has been mostly durable over his 14-year career, appearing in at least 63 games in nine seasons. The Oilers will hope his latest injury doesn't sideline him for too long as they need his offensive production alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.