Oilers prospect Kristians Pelss was confirmed dead Saturday.
The 20-year-old had been missing in his home country of Latvia. Early reports indicated that he had drowned after diving into the Daugava River and officials confirmed finding his body. "TheÿEdmonton Oilersÿare deeply saddened by the loss ofÿKristians Pelss, a young man who played in our organization," the team said in a statement. "Kristians had gone missing earlier in the week after returning home to Riga, Latvia, for the offseason. Exact details in regards to what led to this tragedy remain unclear. He was just 20 years old." Pelss was a seventh-round pick in the 2010 draft who had eight points for the Oilers' AHL affiliate.

The Edmonton Oilers have released a statement on missing prospect Kristians Pelss.
There were reports that Pelss, 20, had drowned in Latvia, but those reports are unconfirmed. "The Edmonton Oilers organization, including the Edmonton Oil Kings, Oklahoma City Barons and affiliate Stockton Thunder, is aware of the reports regarding Kristians Pelss going missing while visiting Riga, Latvia, this week," the Oilers said in their statement. "There has been contradictory information reported, at times, and we are trying to confirm the facts. Once we are able to do that, we will be able to offer further comment. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Pelss family. Kristians spent two years with the Oil Kings before beginning his pro career in the Oilers system, splitting last season between the Barons and the Thunder."

Kristians Pelss has reportedly drowned back home in Latvia.
The 20-year-old Oilers prospect, who played this past season in AHL Oklahoma City and Stockton of the ECHL, is believed to have leaped to his death Tuesday from a bridge in Riga. Latvian Hockey Federation spokesman Maris Gorbunov said he couldn't confirm or deny reports and a state police spokesman couldn't comment until the search is completed and the missing person is found. We'll keep you posted on this tragic story once more information is known.

Ever since Dallas Eakins became the Edmonton Oilers' new coach, he's run into a Twitter-related problem.
"The phone buzzes every time somebody follows me on Twitter and I don't know how to turn it off," Eakins said. That's a lot of noise given that he's increased his Twitter followers by more than 10,000 to 27,513 at the time of writing. He originally thought it was stupid, but now he loves Twitter. "It's a great way to get your message out there to fans," he said. "It's a good place to pass out some praise for a player."

Taylor Hall wants to be more of a leader next season.
With some veterans such as Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky potentially on their way out, Hall is ready to start being more of a guy who's looked up to in the locker room. "Whether they're here or not, I'm still looking forward to being more of a leader next year and maturing as a player and a person," Hall said. "I'm still pretty young and regardless of who's here, I look forward to becoming an even better player, a more rounded player and a more rounded person. I think all of us young guys relish at being better at leading teams, being better in the last five minutes and doing those things that leaders do." Just 21, Hall already has 65 goals and 80 assists in three seasons.

The status of Edmonton Oilers assistants Kelly Buchberger and Steve Smith is uncertain after the hiring of Dallas Eakins as head coach.
Buchberger has survived four coaching regimes prior to the Eakins hiring while Smith joined the team's staff in 2010. Both players are former Oilers and famed members of the "old boys club" that always seems to outlast any outsider hired by the organization. GM Craig MacTavish, a club member himself, said Eakins would get to pick his assistants but said he hoped Buchberger and Smith stay.

Sam Gagner called the Edmonton Oilers' latest coaching change a "wakeup call" for the players.
The Oilers fired Ralph Krueger and hired Dallas Eakins, who will be Gagner's fifth coach in six seasons with Edmonton. "There's been a lot of change since I've been there, and it just makes it that much more hungry to turn things around," Gagner said. "That's the exciting part, from my perspective. I've been through all of this and now we have a chance with the group we have to move forward." Gagner is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer and the Oilers are expected to try to lock him up long term. The 23-year-old center had 14 goals and 38 points in 48 games this season.

When new Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins starts training camp in the fall, prospect Teemu Hartikainen may not be on the ice.
According to Craig Custance of ESPN The Magazine, Hartikainen is headed to Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League. Hartikainen, who is slated to become a restricted free agent next month, had one goal and two assists for three points in 23 games with the Oilers this season. He was drafted by the Oilers in the sixth round (163rd overall) in 2008.

New head coach Dallas Eakins wants to see the Edmonton Oilers raise their fitness level.
"I think there may be some big adjustments for the players with me coming in here," Eakins said. "I am somebody that firmly believes that if you're talented, just being talented is not enough. I want players to be so fit that a forward, if I ask him to play 26 minutes that night, he's going to play 26 minutes at a high level. If we're in a Stanley Cup playoff game and we go to quadruple overtime, he will still be firing on all cylinders. That is something I am passionate about, so that is something that will probably be a bit of a challenge on the buy in, but it is non-negotiable and they will eventually buy in." The players Eakins will be trying to get to buy into his philosophy are primarily young players that have never been given enough time to get comfortable with a coach before management replaces them. For example, this will be Taylor Hall's third NHL coach as he goes into his fourth season. Still, Eakins is joining the team at a time when they seem poise

The Edmonton Oilers have officially selected Dallas Eakins as the team's newest head coach.
Eakins has been rumored to be the Oilers choice since they fired Ralph Krueger on Saturday. Eakins has been great at the AHL level and the Oilers hope that he will be able to help take their young core to the next level. Hopefully Eakins will last a bit longer than those that came before him, as he'll be the fifth Oilers coach in just six seasons.

Ralph Krueger was fired by GM Craig MacTavish during a Skype call.
Krueger was taken aback at the firing as he had two years remaining on his contract and there were no signs that he was about to be let go as Edmonton coach. "I definitely did not see it coming," said Krueger. "Craig and I spent a good part of the week together at the world championships in both Helsinki and Stockholm. There were eight or nine days on the road together with no sign of dismissal. It was Thursday, about this time in my time zone here in Switzerland when I had my Skype with Craig. I was taking a three week break after the world championships and scheduled to come back to work in Edmonton June 21. I was just setting up the schedule for the season in my office when the call came." It appears that Dallas Eakins will be named the new coach of the Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Ralph Krueger.
"I want to acknowledge a tremendous commitment Ralph had to our players and staff in his three years with this organization," GM Craig MacTavish said. "During the process of me conducting those interviews, I recognized I tried to add a coach that was more closely aligned to how I wanted to run the team than what Ralph was looking for. We're very close with a coaching candidate but at this point we haven't formalized a deal. I'm hopeful that our current staff will be retained but it will be up to the new coach." It is believed that Dallas Eakins of the AHL Toronto Marlies will be the Oilers' new bench boss. Whoever is picked will be the Oilers' fourth coach in five seasons.

The Edmonton Oilers have reportedly decided to part ways with head coach Ralph Krueger.
An announcement is expected soon to verify that move. Toronto Marlies bench boss Dallas Eakins is believed to be the frontrunner to become the Oilers' next head coach, but it sounds like nothing has been determined yet. If Krueger is done, he will have only lasted one shortened season. Eakins would be the fourth Oilers coach in just five seasons.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' recovery from shoulder surgery is "going really well so far."
Nugent-Hopkins had the procedure to correct an injury that had been bothering him for a couple years. There's a chance he won't be available for the start of the 2013-14 campaign.

The Edmonton Oilers are open to trading Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky.
GM Craig MacTavish said the "ideal scenario would be to move them on" even though he has plenty of respect for them both. It has been talked about before that the Oilers might part ways with Horcoff and Hemsky, but hearing MacTavish openly admit the possibility makes it feel like it could actually happen.

Edmonton GM Craig MacTavish said the team is ready to "go in a different direction" from Nikolai Khabibulin.
MacTavish spoke about the decision on Edmonton's 1260 The Team radio, but it was believed earlier that Khabibulin wouldn't be brought back. The 40-year-old netminder will become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Antti Tyrvainen has reportedly agreed to a deal with Jokerit in Finland.
He played three years with the Lahti Pelicans of the SM-liiga prior to joining Edmonton's AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. In 32 games with the Barons in 2012-13, he recorded five points and 65 penalty minutes. He also had six points and 28 PIMs in 16 playoff contests. He can play a physical game but he probably would've been hard pressed to earn an NHL roster spot anytime soon.

The Edmonton Oilers have interviewed Dallas Eakins for an associate coaching job.
Eakins, who served as the AHL Toronto Marlies' head coach, has also interviewed for the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks' bench boss vacancies. Eakins served as an assistant coach in the NHL before going down to the AHL to serve as a head coach, but Eakins might still be interested in the Oilers' number two coaching spot if he isn't hired as a head coach elsewhere.

Anton Belov has inked a one-year, entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were reportedly interested in his services as well. Belov had 26 points in 46 games with Avangard Omsk of the KHL this past season. He also posted four points and a plus-8 rating in eight games for Russia at the 2013 World Hockey Championships.

Magnus Paajarvi made positive strides in 2013 to get back to becoming a regular on Edmonton's roster.
In 42 games during the lockout-shortened campaign, he recorded nine goals and 16 points. Coach Ralph Krueger praised Paajarvi for consistently driving to the opponent's goal with speed. If he starts to capitalize on those chances then there's a chance that he could skate in the Oilers' top-six group. However, he is probably better suited for a third-line role. Paajarvi spent a sizable chunk of the 2011-12 season in the minors, but he appears to be getting back on track.

Linus Omark told the Swedish press that he wants to return to the NHL.
He left the door open to return to Edmonton, but it's unclear if he has a spot on their roster. Omark led Switzerland's top league in scoring this campaign with 69 points (17 goals, 52 assists) in 48 games.

Look for the Edmonton Oilers to make a big push to re-sign Sam Gagner to a long-term contract.
Gagner is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer and, if he inks a one-year deal, an unrestricted free agent in 2014. "Sam likes it here, he has been a valuable member of our team and is always trending up and he'll be a guy that we'll be looking to sign," Oilers GM Craig MacTavish said. Gagner took a step up this season with 14 goals and 38 points in 48 contests.

The Edmonton Oilers haven't made a final determination regarding their plans for Shawn Horcoff.
Horcoff had just seven goals and 12 points in 31 games this season despite the fact that he comes with a team-high $5.5 million cap hit. That's led to some speculation that the Oilers might buyout Horcoff's contract. Oilers GM Craig MacTavish feels Horcoff has "gotta get energized as well and we'll see what happens or what the summer has in store for Shawn and the Edmonton Oilers." In the meantime, MacTavish will be looking to acquire a big center.

It doesn't sound like the Edmonton Oilers will re-sign Nikolai Khabibulin.
Khabibulin will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. "The problem with Nik, from our perspective, is that he's a 40 year old body who wasn't able to stay as healthy as what you need," Oilers GM Craig MacTavish said. He added that the Oilers would be looking for a couple goaltenders. Khabibulin had a 2.54 GAA and .923 save percentage in 12 games, so there's a chance he'll be able to find a backup gig elsewhere.

Andy Sutton has decided to retire.
Sutton wasn't able to play in 2013 due to a knee injury. He had 38 goals and 150 points in 676 games with the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks, and Edmonton Oilers. "My NHL career enabled me to not only play the game I love, but to also be a part of something that so many kids dream about growing up," Sutton said. "Throughout my 15 years in the league, I have played for some exceptional hockey teams and have met quality people and friends along the way. None of what I accomplished on the ice would have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, friends, teammates and fans who made playing hockey even more enjoyable."

Detroit Red Wings forward Damien Brunner has a lot of respect for what Edmonton Oilers coach Ralph Krueger did for hockey in Switzerland.
Krueger coached the Swiss national team before becoming the Oilers' bench boss. "With Krueger we got pretty consistent making the quarterfinals, he did a great job," Brunner said. "For Switzerland he made them believe we could take the next step. Then when he left, Sean Simpson took over and he's been able to take the next step by winning a quarterfinal and winning a semifinal. But Ralph Krueger did a great job over the time he was there." Switzerland ended up falling short in the gold medal game, but it was still their best showing in the tournament since 1935.

The deadly tornado that tore through Oklahoma on Monday was only half a mile from the practice facility of the Oilers' AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City.
"All of our guys are safe and accounted for," said Barons general manager Bill Scott. "We're good. Our guys live on the north side of the city or in the downtown area. Our staff was in the office downtown. Some of them live in Moore but all are accounted for." The storm absolutely devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, leveling houses for blocks at a time. Defenseman Alex Plante is one of the players who lives in Moore. "I'd come downtown for a dentist appointment and the family I was staying with in Moore, who adopted three Downs Syndrome kids, managed to get the kids out of their school before the lockdowns," said Plante, who also noted he didn't want to see the damage caused by the storm.

Alex Hemsky will likely be dealt in the off-season according to The Edmonton Journal.
The injury-prone forward is quite the scorer when healthy but he has been anything but the last four seasons as he has missed 118 games in that span. "I don't think there's a market for him . . .I shouldn't say there's no market," said former NHL GM Craig Button, who now works for TSN. "But the salary cap is coming down to $64.3 million. He makes $5 million for one more year. Would the Oilers pick up half of that to trade him, 50-50 (with another team)? That would still free up $2.5 million in cap space for the Oilers. I don't know if they can get something tangible in return for Hemsky. Andrew Cogliano got the Oilers a second-round draft (pick). I don't know if they can get that for Hemsky." Hemsky has struggled the last two seasons with 20 points in 38 games this season and 36 points in 69 games in 2011-12 but was a point-a-game player, or close to it, before that.

The Oilers and Edmonton city council have completed the funding agreement on a new arena.
So ends the seven-year debate over the project. The team and city will now split the cost of the final $30 million needed to greenlight the project, which will be completed in time for the 2016-17 season and begin in the spring of 2014. The total cost, including the arena and surrounding infrastructure, will be $604.5 million. The Oilers will be on the hook for $161.5 million, the city $279 million and the remaining $125 million will come from a ticket tax. "The result today is a landmark agreement that enables our city to move forward in an enormously positive way," said Oilers owner Daryl Katz.

Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal speculates it's only 50-50 the Oilers will buy out captain Shawn Horcoff this summer.
Horcoff, who will be 35 before next season starts, is due to count $5.5 million against the cap the next two seasons and is coming off a 12-point, 31-game season. Young players like Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle appear ready to take over the team's leadership mantle and it's hard to see Horcoff having a big enough role next year to justify that pay day. If Horcoff does end up as a free agent, we imagine he'd have a decent group of teams interested in adding him at a reduced cost.

Martin Gernat, Travis Ewanyk and David Musil will report to Edmonton's AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City now that the Edmonton Oil Kings have been eliminated from the WHL playoffs.
The trio of Oilers prospects will try to help the Barons keep their playoff run going in the AHL. "I'm excited. It's a new experience for me, and I'll enjoy the time there," said Gernat, who was a fifth-round pick of Edmonton in 2011. "There are a lot of guys there, so I don't know if I will be able to play, but it'll be an experience to be there. New city and all new people there will be nice." They will join the team on Tuesday.

Curtis Hamilton injured his knee during practice and will undergo surgery Tuesday.
Hamilton was the Oilers' second-round pick in 2010 and was playing with Edmonton's AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City at the time of the injury. Next season is the final season of his entry-level deal and it remains to be seen if the Oilers will sign him to another contract.

Nail Yakupov was surprisingly not among the finalists for the Calder Trophy.
Most teams will cry foul at their prized rookies not being nominated for the Calder, but the Oilers may have the strongest case. Yakupov led all rookies with 17 goals and he tied Jonathan Huberdeau, who was named a finalist on Monday, for the most points with 31 in 48 games. 11 of his goals came in the month of April, so that might have played a part in his name being left off the final ballot.

Jordan Eberle collected an assist, but it wasn't enough as Switzerland defeated Canada 3-2 (SO) in the 2013 World Hockey Championships.
Familiar name Martin Gerber helped the Swiss take that win. Normally it's Jonas Hiller making the Swiss a tougher out that expected, but he's going strong in the NHL playoffs this summer.

Niko Hovinen, claimed by the Edmonton Oilers on waivers off the Philadelphia Flyers shortly after the NHL lockout season started when their farm team the Oklahoma City Barons were looking for help in net, has signed a one-year deal in the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk.
The Metallurg team plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. For a point of reference, this is where Sergei Bobrovsky was born and where he played for four years before making his way to the NHL, in Philly, before he was traded to Columbus, before he became a Vezina trophy candidate. The 6'7″ Hovinen, 25, played 10 games in OKCity this past season, as Yann Danis's backup.

Nail Yakupov's 2012-13 campaign was certainly a long and winding one.
"It was a pretty tough year, possibly the toughest year of my life," said Yakupov. "After finishing in Sarnia, then I had the combine before the draft, then the draft, dealt with a lot of media, then rookie camp, half a season in KHL, the lockout and then the World Juniors were I didn't feel that comfortable. Then coming here after a few months I started to feel pretty good. I feel like a million bucks now." Yakupov had 11 goals and 15 points in 14 April games. He had solid numbers this season, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him take another step forward in 2013-14.

Ladislav Smid will play for the Czech Republic in the upcoming world championships.
Smid had just one goal and four points in 48 games this season but is a solid all-around defenseman who led the Oilers in hits (151) and blocked shots (119) this season.

The Edmonton Oilers will not pick first overall for the first time in four years after losing the draft lottery Monday night.
If only they had Steve Tambellini's lucky tie, the Oilers might be dreaming about Seth Jones instead of picking seventh in what's widely considered a deep draft with four elite players at the top. That's not to say Edmonton is staying put, with new GM Craig MacTavish admitting the Oilers would look into moving back. "We're definitely going to look at doing something with that pick. I think we'd be very receptive to moving back and picking up another pick potentially," said MacTavish, who previously noted the Oilers could have as many as eight new players next season.

Ryan Smyth said he feels "great" physically and "absolutely" plans to return for the final year of his contract.
Smyth had just two goals and 13 points in 47 games this season after turning 37 in February. If he wants to keep playing, it'll like be for the Oil since we can't imagine another team taking on his $4.5 million salary next year. However, that doesn't mean he'll be playing in games. It's entirely possible Smyth could spend more time in the press box next season than on the ice.

Nail Yakupov registered six goals in four games to earn the third star of the week honor.
The first-round pick in the 2012 draft netted 17 markers to lead all rookies in goals this campaign. It was also announced on Monday that Yakupov earned the Rookie of the Month honor for April.

Nail Yakupov received the distinction as the NHL's Rookie of the Month for April.
He led all first-year players with 11 goals and 15 points in 14 games to close out the regular season. Yakupov finished tied with Florida's Jonathan Huberdeau for the rookie scoring lead with 31 points in 48 games, but he finished first in goals with 17. His late-season surge should garner him plenty of attention for the Calder Trophy.

Ryan Whitney will become an unrestricted free agent in July.
Whitney will get a fresh start somewhere else as his final two seasons in Edmonton were not good ones. He had only four goals and 13 points this season after a 20 point season in 2011-12. At age 30, he still could turn things around in a new environment as he was a good scoring defenseman before his last two seasons.

Ryan Whitney will become an unrestricted free agent in July.
Whitney will get a fresh start somewhere else as his final two seasons in Edmonton were not good ones. He had only four goals and 13 points this season after a 20 point season in 2011-12. At age 30, he still could turn things around in a new environment as he was a good scoring defenseman before his last two seasons.

With five goals over his final two games, Nail Yakupov has placed himself in the race for the Calder Trophy.
Yakupov finished his rookie campaign with 31 points, which tied him with Florida's Jonathan Huberdeau for the league lead in rookie scoring. While he may not be the favorite to win the award, we think he's likely to have to have the most productive career of any of this year's rookie class.

Nail Yakupov scored his first NHL hat trick Saturday night as the Oilers trounced the Canucks 7-2 in their regular season finale.
Yakupov finished his rookie campaign with 17 goals and 31 points after playing in all 48 games this year.

Devan Dubnyk completed his impressive season my earning a 7-2 win over the rival Canucks in which he made 28 saves.
Whether GM Craig McTavish decides to reinforce his crease this offseason or not, the fact is Dubnyk was the best Oiler on the ice fairly often this season and kept the team in games despite a colossal workload.

Edmonton goalie Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 38 shots for the Oilers in a remarkable 6-1 upset of the Wild in Minnesota Friday night, but his teammates were disappointed about the one goal Minnesota scored.
"I don't know if it's Khabby's last game here or of his career, but it would have been nice to get him a shutout," Edmonton forward Taylor Hall said. "He played a great game. It's always nice to see Khabby do well. He's worked so hard to rehab his hip after surgery. He's really been a rock for us and I hope he's proud of his effort, because we are." Khabibulin is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is uncertain about his future. Devan Dubnyk is scheduled to start in the season finale Saturday at home against the Vancouver Canucks.

Taylor Hall potted a goal and also registered two assists in the Oilers' 6-1 win over the Wild Friday night.
The number one overall pick in the 2010 Entry Draft has taken a huge step forward in this 48-game shortened season as he has 16 goals and 48 points in 44 games. He deserves to be a high pick in next season's pools.

Nikolai Khabibulin allowed only one goal on 39 shots in the Oilers' 6-1 win over the Wild on Friday night.
Khabibulin has actually been decent when called upon in this 48-game shortened season. Devan Dubnyk is scheduled to start tomorrow against the Canucks, meaning this could be The Bulin Wall's last game with Edmonton. He's made it a good one, especially if you started the Russian netminder in your pool tonight.

Justin Schultz tied for 828th in the NHL with a minus-19 rating.
That's only plus-three higher than the NHL's worst rating. "It's been a tough season for a lot of us," said Schultz. "It's not like the AHL or college, where you can afford to make a mistake and guys won't capitalize. Here, you make a mistake and they're going to put it in the back of your net." Schultz has still performed well offensively with seven goals and 23 points in 46 games. Schultz still has a lot of upside and we wouldn't read too much into his plus/minus rating, especially given that he's a rookie on a bad team. Depending on the changes the Oilers make over the summer, Schultz could do much better in 2013-14.

Teemu Hartikainen has been assigned to the minors by the Oilers.
Hartikainen has contributed three points in 23 contests this season with Edmonton.

Teemu Hartikainen has been assigned to the minors by the Oilers.
Hartikainen has contributed three points in 23 contests this season with Edmonton.

Edmonton has signed Frans Tuohimaa to a two-year, entry-level contract.
In 13 games with Jokerit of the SM-liiga this season, he posted a 2.29 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. Edmonton selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 draft.

Shawn Horcoff had an assist in Edmonton's 4-1 loss Wednesday.
Horcoff has seven goals and 12 points in 29 games this season. He's signed through the 2014-15 campaign and comes with an annual cap hit of $5.5 million. His contract started with the 2009-10 season and unfortunately for the Oilers, that signing worked out for them.

The Edmonton Oilers might try to shop their top pick.
Oilers GM Craig MacTavish promised to make bold moves as the Oilers miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season. "If you're going to be bold, that's certainly a bold move," TSN's Bob MacKenzie said on the possibility of the Oilers' trading their pick. "What the Edmonton Oilers really don't need is another 18-year-old blue chipper. They need some help right now and using that first round pick as currency could get them that help right now." It would allow them to address some of their needs and add a veteran presence without trading a member of their existing core. If they do keep the pick, there's a good chance that they'll select a defenseman.

Edmonton Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk has now lost six of his last seven games.
He suffered a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The odd thing is that Dubnyk has actually been excellent on his own, posting a .920 save percentage and 2.59 GAA. Take advantage of his misleading 13-16-6 record in drafts next season if the team improves around him.

Nail Yakupov scored the 12th goal of his rookie campaign, the Edmonton Oilers' only tally in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Yakupov has collected 26 points in 46 games in his first campaign at the NHL level. He's shown signs of brilliance even if his initial work has been a bit of a disappointment. One thing owners would likely to see from the sniper is more shots; he only has 71 SOG in 46 GP, less than two per contest.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had successful surgery on his ailing shoulder Tuesday.
"It's something that's been nagging at me for a couple years," said Nugent-Hopkins. "It got a little bit worse and it's something that has to be taken care of eventually. We all decided it was time." The procedure repaired a torn labrum. Nugent-Hopkins didn't live up to expectations this season with just four goals and 24 points in 40 games. Look for him to be better next year.

Magnus Paajarvi will get back into Edmonton's lineup Wednesday after missing Monday's match with a bruised foot.
He is projected to play alongside Shawn Horcoff and Nail Yakupov.

Ryan Whitney will not suit up Wednesday because of a leg injury.
It isn't clear if he'll be available to play in either of Edmonton's final two regular-season contests following Wednesday night's contest. Mark Fistric will draw back into the lineup in his place.

Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Devan Dubnyk have committed to play for Team Canada at the world championship next month.
"I'm excited that they at least have that and that they can understand what it takes to play games after the season." coach Ralph Krueger said Wednesday. "I'm certain all those experiences make you a wiser player and widen your horizons and you come back with a stronger resume to take on the challenges of the NHL." It's been another disappointing year for the Oilers, as they will finish the bottom of the standings again.

The Edmonton Oilers have discussed their losing culture among themselves, forward Jordan Eberle says.
Should fans be concerned that the elite young talent on Edmonton's roster, most of which came from winning environments - Taylor Hall won back to back Memorial Cups, Eberle was a hero for Team Canada, Sam Gagner went 50-14-4 in his final year with the London Knights - are being ruined by the culture of failure in Edmonton? "We've definitely addressed that in the lockerroom," said Eberle, admitting the last few years have been a shock to their system. "It's something that at the start of the year, and throughout the year, we've talked about. You can't have an 'it's acceptable to lose' mentality. But I don't think anyone in there really has it. As professional athletes, most of us in there are really competitive people. We want to win. I don't think that's really creeping into the room. And I know, as a leader of the team, it never will, we'll never let it. That's when things go south. I can't see it happening, we're just too competitive in here, we want to win."

Magnus Paajarvi (foot) could play Wednesday night, according to coach Ralph Krueger.
Paajarvi missed Monday's game as a result of the injury. He's taken a big step forward this season but still remains on the periphery for fantasy consideration. Paajarvi has nine goals and 14 points in 39 games this season.

Sam Gagner is hoping to get invited to play with Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships.
A lot of Oilers, including Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Devan Dubnyk are in the mix for the Worlds, but Gagner would be a nice acquisition for the Canadian side as he now has 14 goals and 35 points, second best on the Oilers. "If I got invited, I wouldn't think twice about. I'm going," Gagner said. "The Spengler was a great experience and I hope I can be in the mix (for a Canadian spot). I think I showed there that I could play different positions and you need guys who can play center, right or left, penalty kill. I think I'm pretty versatile." The Worlds start May 3.

Nail Yakupov could be in consideration for the Calder Trophy.
This is a wide open race for the best rookie race as no one has been great. His competition will be Jonathan Huberdeau, Cory Conacher, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Galchenyuk, Brandon Saad and teammate Justin Schultz. "He's got an unbelievable shot," Oilers defenceman Ladislav Smid said of Yakupov. "I don't know what it is with the Russians, what they feed them. But he's got a release similar to (Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and the New Jersey Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk). So we all know he's going to be fine offensively. It's just a learning process for forwards. It's hard to learn the defensive side of the game, but he's been fine. And his work ethic is unbelievable on and off the ice. He's always the last guy out there and he works out all the time. Thatƒ?Ts good to see. There are not too many young guys like that ... it took me a few years to learn that." Look for big things from Yakupov next season and the rest of his career.

Taylor Hall is showing why he deserved to be the number one pick overall in the 2010 Draft.
Hall was selected over Tyler Seguin and this season he has finally been injury-free and has taken a huge step forward as he has 15 goals and 45 points in 42 games, good for a tie for 14th place in NHL scoring. He is worth looking at early in pools next season.

The Edmonton Oilers' Nikolai Khabibulin didn't allow four goals for the first time in his past four games but the veteran goaltender still came out on the losing end Wednesday night.
The Oilers, who aren't going to the playoffs, were shut out 3-0 by the visiting Anaheim Ducks, who clinched the Pacific Division title for the first time in six seasons. Khabibulin stopped three of the 28 shots on net taken by the Ducks. In 11 games this season, Khabibulin is 3-6-1.

Eric Belanger (groin) will return to the Edmonton Oilers' lineup on Monday.
Belanger hasn't played since March 25. "I'm not going to lie, there's a little bit of worry about it but I'm feeling pretty good," Belanger said. "I've been skating for over a week and it's been feeling okay. I'm crossing my fingers but if I can go through a game, hopefully I can finish the year strong."

Magnus Paajarvi is dealing with a foot injury.
Paajarvi won't be available on Monday as a result. He has nine goals and 14 points in 39 games this season.

Nikolai Khabibulin will get the nod against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.
Khabibulin will try to bounce back after allowing four goals in each of his last three starts. He has a 2.66 GAA and .919 save percentage in 10 games this season.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will see Dr. Tony Miniaci Monday and could have shoulder surgery as early as Tuesday.
Nugent-Hopkins said that the injury originally happened in his second year in junior hockey with Red Deer of the WHL and is not related to the shoulder injury suffered last season. "It has gotten a little worse, so it had to be taken care of eventually. It's time," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I don't want to have to deal with the discomfort and pain every year." Look for a season in 2013-14 like his rookie one in which he had 52 points in 62 games and not a bad one like this season where he had only four goals and 24 points in 40 games. It may take six months for Nugent-Hopkins to heal so he may start next season on the injured reserve list.

Taylor Hall was the only Edmonton goal scorer in a 3-1 loss to the Ducks on Sunday.
A late-season surge by the former number one overall pick has turned what started out as a disappointing season into a very good one, although his ability to remain healthy will remain a question mark until he proves it's a non-issue. Jordan Eberle and Jeff Petry drew assists on Hall's goal.

Oilers goaltender Devan Dubnyk allowed three goals on 30 shots Sunday as Edmonton was defeated by the Ducks by a score of 3-1.
Lost in the OIlers' struggles as a team this season has been the solid play of Dubnyk, whose 13-15-6 record doesn't do justice to his impressive peripheral stats. He will likely be a solid undervalued commodity in fantasy leagues next season.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' season is over because of a labral tear in his shoulder.
Surgery appears highly likely for the budding young star. All indications are that his issue is similar to the one that prematurely ended Taylor Hall's rookie season. The bright side is that he'll have plentiful time to recover from this issue.

Martin Gernat has inked a three-year, entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers.
He had three goals and 13 points in 23 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings this season. He also has four goals and eight assists in 12 playoff contests. He was selected by the Oilers in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Due to the injury suffered by Lennart Petrell forward Ryan Jones will likely be in the lineup for every game down the stretch for the Oilers.
Jones is set to become a free agent this summer and though he would like to remain with the Oilers, the team has not yet decided on their interest in him going forward. "It's really important for us to take a really good look at Ryan Jones here and give him the opportunity to be the player he can be for the Edmonton Oilers," said head coach Ralph Krueger. He's not worthy of a roster spot in most fantasy leagues.

Devan Dubnyk was superb in the Oilers' win over Colorado Friday night, stopping 33 of 34 shots in the win.
This was Dubnyk's first win in four tries, and although his stats aren't horrible (.921 save percentage), you don't really know what you're going to get when you start him.

Jordan Eberle scored his 13th goal of the season and picked up two assists in Edmonton's 4-1 win over Colorado Friday night.
Eberle snapped an ugly six game pointless streak where he went -8 and had 10 PIMs. His follow up to his breakout 76 point season hasn't been rosy this year with just 31 points in 43 games.

Ales Hemsky (foot) might not return before the end of the season.
Hemsky has nine goals and 20 points in 38 games this season. The Oilers will be looking to shake things up this summer and might trade Hemsky as a result. It would be surprising if there's a lot of demand for him though given that he comes with a $5 million cap hit in 2013-14 and hasn't lived up to that kind of contract over the last two seasons.

Mark Fistric was in contract negotiations with the Edmonton Oilers prior to the trade deadline.
"They made a quick back and forth, but it died off," Fistric said. "There was an offer, but over two or three days we couldn't find the middle ground." He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Andrew Miller has signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
The deal was announced Wednesday night. As many as 15 teams were reportedly in the mix for the Ivy League Player of the Year. Miller potted 18 goals and amassed 41 points in 37 games with Yale University this past season. He also earned 2013's Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Frozen Four Tournament after he led the men's hockey team to their first NCAA National title.

It remains to be seen if the Edmonton Oilers will have a role for Ryan Smyth next season.
Smyth, who turned 37 in February, is signed through the 2013-14 campaign. However, he's recorded just two goals and 10 points in 42 games this season. "I'm not making excuses ... I know I haven't played as well as I can," Smyth said. "Throughout games this year, it's been inconsistent. Obviously, my offensive production hasn't been as good as it should be. For sure, internally, I'm thinking, `two goals? I'm better than that.' I'm not trying to sugar-coat this. It's not good when you can remember the games you scored in. One was my birthday (Feb. 21 against Minnesota, his last goal). The other was short-handed (against Vancouver Feb. 4)." At this stage in his career, it seems unlikely that he'll bounce back offensively and the real question is if the Oilers will want to consistently use him as a bottom-six forward next season. He could end up spending a lot of time in the press box as they lean more towards younger options.

Lennart Petrell is projected to miss at least a week with a high ankle sprain.
He totaled nine points and 63 hits in 35 matches, so even if he doesn't play again this campaign his absence likely won't impact your fantasy roster.

Justin Schultz has been named the recipient of the Eddie Shore Award for the 2012-13 season, which goes to the AHL's outstanding defenseman.
He is the first rookie to win the award during its 55-year history. Schultz played in just 34 games for the Oklahoma City Barons, while the NHL lockout was happening. During that time, he generated 18 goals and 30 assists for 48 points. In the NHL, he has accounted for 21 points in 42 contests.

The Edmonton Oilers will begin a brutal finish to the season on Friday.
Edmonton will play six games in just nine days to close out the season. That's not exactly ideal, but after losing six contests in a row and towards the end of a disappointing season, maybe the constant competition will keep them focused.

Taylor Hall had two assists on Tuesday.
Hall snapped a five-game pointless slump. The Oilers recent struggles have brought down almost the entire team, but Edmonton should be able to end its recent six-game losing streak soon.

Nail Yakupov had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 loss Tuesday.
Magnus Paajarvi and Shawn Horcoff each scored a goal for the Oilers. Taylor Hall had two assists, giving him 43 points in 39 games this season.

Devan Dubnyk saved 25 of 30 shots in a 5-3 loss Tuesday.
Dubnyk allowed two goals in each of the second and third periods. The Oilers have been in free fall mode lately and that's been killing Dubnyk's fantasy value.

Anton Lander was called up from the minors on Tuesday April 16.

It looks like Devan Dubnyk will get the start in goal Tuesday night.
While Dubnyk's record is fairly mediocre, his play has been anything but that. Dubnyk owns a .922 save percentage and 2.51 GAA and has been a solid netminder for the Oilers. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the poor team in front of him likely means his sub-par record won't change anytime soon.

Jordan Eberle didn't attend Tuesday's morning skate but will be in the lineup for tonight's game.
Eberle missed the skate to attend his grandfather's funeral. He should be in the lineup alongside linemates Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopins on Tuesday night.

New GM Craig MacTavish played a vital role in Justin Schultz signing with the Oilers.
"He was very good at telling me what was going on here and telling me what was going on with the organization," Schultz said. "He was a huge part of persuading me to come here and I'm excited that he's going the GM of this team.He was the one who talked to my agents and told them they were interested. When we decided to meet with them, he came, Kevin Lowe came, (head coach) Ralph Krueger and Hallsy (Taylor Hall), they all came to meet me. He told me about the young core and the direction they were heading was a positive one. He felt that I would be a good addition with this young team, and it was really good." Looks like MacTavish has a big fan in Schultz.

New Edmonton General Manager Craig MacTavish has promised bold roster moves.
Former GM Steve Tambellini tweaked the lineup at the trade deadline less than two weeks ago by acquiring only Jerred Smithson, claiming the Oilers were close enough to a playoff spot not to change the roster but they have been in a tailspin ever since and are on the outside looking in on the playoffs. "That's obviously on us," Sam Gagner said of the management change. "We had an opportunity to turn things around here. We were rolling towards the deadline and the team was kept intact because they had faith in us and we didn't get the job done. It's a message to us that we have to get something done. It's completely understandable. We've been going through a rebuild for a while here and at some point you have to expect results. I think, as a group, we're being told about the future and how good it's going to be and it just doesn't happen that way."

The Edmonton Oilers have fired GM Steve Tambellini.
As we commented earlier, Tambellini's biggest failing was his inability to build around the impressive core of skilled forwards the Oilers have accumulated via the draft. Former Oilers player and coach Craig MacTavish will reportedly take over as the team's general manager and he'll be tasked with solidifying the team's bottom-six forwards and bolstering their defense. Edmonton hasn't made the playoffs since 2005-06, but if MacTavish plays his cards right, he could oversee the next great Oilers' dynasty.

Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun thinks that GM Steve Tambellini should be fired at the end of the season.
Jones states that while the Oilers have a lot of front end talent, their bottom-six forwards and lack of strength on the blueline fall on the shoulders of their GM who has not addressed the problems. The Oilers are in line to miss the playoffs once again as they have not been in the playoffs since their Stanley Cup final run of 2006.

The Edmonton Oilers top line of Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have not had a point in their last five games.
It is a bad time to go into a slump and with the Oilers now eight points out of a playoff spot and in 12th place, it looks like Edmonton will get another lottery pick in the Draft this season. Eberle is really struggling this season (as is Nugent-Hopkins) with only 12 goals and 28 points in 41 games after a 76 point performance that was good for 15th in the NHL last season, rather than being stuck in 65th this season.

Taylor Hall got a warning from disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan regarding his slash to Zbynek Michalek on Wednesday.
"He said he wasn't happy with the play. That's about it," said Hall. He didn't receive a suspension or fine for his actions. He also managed to escape the incident without drawing a penalty. Hall has 41 points and 29 PIM in 38 games this season.

Don Cherry feels the Edmonton Oilers are losing because they're not being aggressive enough physically.
"Last in the league in fights," Cherry said before adding sarcastically, "Oh yeah, fights don't win don't games." Cherry also argued that Mike Brown, who the Oilers added to make their team tougher, isn't a heavyweight. Edmonton has recorded 907 hits this season, which puts them in the bottom half of the league, but then again, Chicago is dead last with 686 hits and things seem to be working out for them. Chicago is also near the bottom of the league in fights while the Blue Jackets and Flyers rank second and third in that category. So obviously, fighting and toughness is not a prerequisite for success and a lack of it is not a guarantee of failure. That being said, the Oilers already have more than enough skilled forwards and their focus when acquiring players will probably be on adding toughness to compliment guys like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle.

Nikolai Khabibulin allowed four goals on 38 shots in the Oilers' 4-1 loss to Calgary on Saturday night.
It was the third straight appearance where the veteran has allowed four goals, although you can't blame him alone for this loss as his team didn't give him much help.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was held pointless for a fifth straight game in the Oilers' 4-1 loss to Flames Saturday night.
After racking up four points in Edmonton's blowout victory over Calgary at the beginning of the month, Nugent-Hopkins hasn't found the net since and the Oilers playoffs hopes are fading fast.