Russell’s Roundup: Game Seven; Goodbye Anders Lee?

The Stanley Cup Final is going to Game 7. This is a series in which the Oilers trailed 3 games to 0. The Oilers outscored Florida 20-5 since the Cats led Game 3 4-1. Edmonton has fought all the way back against all the odds. Elsewhere, the Devils made a minor-league trade while much of the rumors and gossip around the league took the day off for Game 6 to take center stage.

The story of Game 4 was an Edmonton rout. The story of Game 5 was Connor McDavid taking over. But tonight was different. Tonight, the Oilers’ goal-scorers were Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique, Zach Hyman, Ryan McLeod, and Darnell Nurse. McDavid didn’t even register a point, nor did Evan Bouchard. Leon Draisaitl had one assist. Edmonton’s depth won the day.

Florida tried to make pushes but failed. The Cats tried to get interior shots and failed. The Oilers completely beat them. The story of this postseason for Florida had been imposing their will upon teams, and as the first three series would go on, the Panthers would have decimated their opponents and moved on with little resistance. Not this time.

New York Islanders:

This off-season is going to be uncomfortable for the New York Islanders. Tough decisions must be made for the team to succeed next year. I asked perhaps the most uncomfortable question within any of that. What is the future of Anders Lee?

NHL News, Trade Talk, & National Hockey Now

Florida Hockey Now: On Monday, Florida will face elimination for the first time this postseason. They’re absolutely free-falling, showing no signs of stopping. Here’s the game story from George Richards for Game 6.

More FHN: Edmonton has been the desperate team and they are hungrier to win. It’s impossible to say they deserve any other fate than what’s occurred. Florida better be desperate on Monday, writes Colby Guy.

Sportsnet: The Ottawa Senators will have an active next week or so. They might already have a deal in place with Philadelphia, but nobody’s confirmed that yet. The biggest key to their offseason may be the future of Jakob Chychrun.

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils and Minnesota Wild struck a deal to send two prospects seemingly stuck in their situations for one another, just hoping to light a spark in a change of scenery deal.

Colorado Hockey Now: 2022 Trade Deadline Acquisition and longtime NHL Veteran Andrew Cogliano announced his retirement after nearly 1300 NHL games played. However, this isn’t your average goodbye. Cogliano is officially joining the Avalanche’s front office.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: One of the Islanders’ favorite punching bags over the years has been Tristan Jarry. Not that Jarry’s a bad goalie. He’s just inconsistent, and the Islanders’ have had his number more often than not. Now, after Alex Nedeljkovic’s re-signing, Dan Kingerski has gone over what Jarry’s trade value might be.

Boston Hockey Now: Jake DeBrusk has been a polarizing figure since he entered the scene in Boston. He’s constantly teased a greater potential than what he’s shown and has left the Boston faithful wanting more year over year. Now, he’s set to become a free agent. Could DeBrusk go the Tyler Bertuzzi route and sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs? It’s not as farfetched as one might think.