Cap-strapped Edmonton adds Podkolzin via trade
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
With the collective futures of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway in question, the Edmonton Oilers used Sunday to find some potential solutions.
It started when they received forward Vasili Podkolzin in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks that saw a 2025 fourth-round pick from the Ottawa Senators go in the other direction. Hours later, they traded defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for prospect defenseman Ty Emberson.
Everything the Oilers front office did Sunday comes days after the St. Louis Blues were aggressive by signing Broberg and Holloway to offer sheets. Broberg and Holloway, who are both restricted free agents, needed new deals for an Oilers team that was already more than $350,000 over the cap.
With the Blues signing Broberg and Holloway last Tuesday, the Oilers had until this upcoming Tuesday to clear the necessary space to retain the duo or risk losing them while receiving draft picks in the form of compensation.
Broberg, a defenseman, received a two-year contract worth $4.58 million annually while Holloway, a forward, was given a two-year deal worth $2.29 million annually. Should the Oilers decline their right of first refusal, the Blues must give the Oilers a second-round pick for Broberg and a third-round pick for Holloway.
Trading for Podkolzin, the No. 10 pick in 2019, gave the Oilers a 23-year-old forward who is under contract for two years at a team-friendly price of $1 million annually. It would also hypothetically present the Oilers with a Holloway replacement if necessary.
Whereas trading Ceci allowed the Oilers to move on from the veteran defenseman, who has one year left on his contract at $3.25 million while adding Emberson, who has a year remaining at $950,000.
It’s a move that allowed the Oilers to save $2.3 million in cap space but are still projected to be $5.925 million over the cap once even if they were to match the Blues’ offer sheets to Broberg and Holloway, according to PuckPedia.
Maneuvering their financial situation became an instant priority for the Oilers after they lose Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. Less than two weeks after their season ended, the Oilers added forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner while signing defenseman Josh Brown. They also brought back forwards Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark and Corey Perry in addition to defenseman Troy Stecher.
But with the Blues’ offer sheets, it left the Oilers trying to figure out how they would be able to afford at least one, if not, both players whereas the Blues have more than $7 million in cap space by comparison.
Although Podkolzin hasn’t quite hit the heights expected of the No. 10 pick, he would provide the Oilers with another bottom-six forward option on a team-friendly deal at $1 million annually over the next two years. He had two points in 19 games with the Canucks last season while scoring 15 goals and 28 points in 44 games with their AHL affiliate. For his career, Podkolzin has 18 goals and 35 points in 137 games.
Moving on from Ceci means the Oilers still have seven defensemen under contract with Emberson, who had 10 points in 30 games for the Sharks, earning $950,000 as he enters the final year of his contract.
As for the Sharks, acquiring Ceci gives them another veteran in an offseason that has already seen them add Carl Grundstrom, Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Toffoli, Jake Walman and Alexander Wennberg to a roster that just added the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft in former Boston University center Macklin Celebrini along with the No. 4 pick of the 2023 draft in former Boston College center Will Smith.
The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set to deliver yet another exhilarating race to the finish. From the field to the favorite, here is everything to know about the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
When is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
The 2025 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
What time does the 2025 Kentucky Derby begin?
The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET.
How can fans watch?
Coverage of the 2025 Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Peacock will stream early coverage beginning at noon ET.
How many horses run in the Kentucky Derby?
Twenty horses have the chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
How do horses qualify for the Kentucky Derby?
To earn a spot in the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby, a horse must compete in a series of designated races from September through mid-April. Points are awarded to the top five finishers in each race. The 20 horses with the most points, or the horses who win their international series, earn a spot in the starting gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
Who is the favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, opened as the 3-1 favorite.
What are the post positions for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Post 1: Citizen Bull (20-1 morning line odds)
Post 2: Neoequos (30-1)
Post 3: Final Gambit (30-1)
Post 4: Rodriguez (12-1)
Post 5: American Promise (30-1)
Post 6: Admire Daytona (30-1)
Post 7: Luxor Cafe (15-1)
Post 8: Journalism (3-1)
Post 9: Burnham Square (12-1)
Post 10: Grande (20-1)
Post 11: Flying Mohawk (30-1)
Post 12: East Avenue (20-1)
Post 13: Publisher (20-1)
Post 14: Tiztastic (20-1)
Post 15: Render Judgment (30-1)
Post 16: Coal Battle (30-1)
Post 17: Sandman (6-1)
Post 18: Sovereignty (5-1)
Post 19: Chunk of Gold (30-1)
Post 20: Owen Almighty (30-1)
Alternate: Baeza
Which post has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners?
Post 5 has produced the most winners, with 10.
What three races make up horse racing’s Triple Crown?
The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are the three races needed to accomplish the Triple Crown.
Who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby?
Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, won last year’s Kentucky Derby at 18-1 odds.
What is the purse for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Since 2024, $5 million in prize money has been guaranteed for the Kentucky Derby.
Check out the ESPN horse racing hub page for the latest news and notes ahead of the big race.
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Ryan S. Clark
Add Rick Tocchet to the list of available coaching options on the open market with the Vancouver Canucks announcing Tuesday that Tocchet left the team.
There had been a belief that Tocchet’s time with the Canucks could be coming to an end. Last week saw the discussion of Tocchet’s future with the franchise come under greater focus, with Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford saying they weren’t exercising their option on Tocchet’s contract before adding that they offered him a new, more lucrative deal to remain in Vancouver.
But now? Tocchet joins the list of sought-after coaching candidates and the Canucks become the eighth NHL team that will use this offseason to go through a coaching search.
“After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks,” Rutherford said in a statement. “This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick’s decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career. We did everything in our power to keep him but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change.”
In the same news conference in which Rutherford said the team offered Tocchet a new deal, he also said that Tocchet “may have his mind somewhere else” before adding that he felt Tocchet and his staff did “a good job coaching this team this year” as they did in their first full campaign.
Tocchet was a midseason hire during the 2022-23 season. His first full year in charge saw the Canucks win 50 games, finish with 109 points and win the Pacific Division. He led the Canucks to their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season and was a win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Entering this season, the Canucks had most of their players from their playoff team. They started strong with a 15-8-5 record but encountered numerous on-ice and off-ice problems that would prove too large.
Among them was the friction between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The tension between Miller and Pettersson reached a stage in which Canucks captain Quinn Hughes publicly acknowledged there was an issue with Miller and Pettersson denying such issues.
Miller would be traded to the New York Rangers before the trade deadline, and the Canucks struggled to find someone who could replace his production. They would finish six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Still, Tocchet had the support of Hughes, along with others within the organization who wanted him to stay.
As for what it all means going forward for both parties? Tocchet is among those who will join Mike Sullivan, who parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after winning two Stanley Cups in 10 seasons, as one of the most attractive names for teams seeking a new bench boss.
Then there are the teams that need a coach. It’s a list that includes the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, plus the Penguins and now the Canucks.
“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes an opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities around hockey.”
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