Having won the draft lottery, could the Oilers make significant off-season deals? Does Carl Soderberg want to return with the Bruins? Read on for the latest.
Will the Oilers make big moves this summer?
Will the Oilers move Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle for a goalie or defenseman this summer?
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reports Oilers GM Craig MacTavish said the odds of trading the 2015 first-overall pick (and the right to select Erie Otters sensation Connor McDavid) are “less than zero”, but there’s media speculation suggesting MacTavish might move one of their current centers, move either Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle or ship out prospect center Leon Draisaitl to bring in players to address roster weaknesses. Matheson doubts that, suggesting MacTavish will likely use the Oilers extra first-round pick (received from Pittsburgh in the David Perron trade) and one of their second-round picks to land a goaltender or a defenseman, or perhaps dangle a young blueliner like Martin Marincin along with a draft pick. He feels MacTavish will target teams with no first-round draft picks (NY Rangers, NY Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks) or a cap-strapped club like the Boston Bruins for a goalie. Matheson also speculates they could pursue a veteran goalie like Dallas’ Kari Lehtonen. Someone’s number three defenseman (“like,say, the Rangers’ Marc Staal”) could be a number-two blueliner in Edmonton.
Craig Button suggests they pursue goalies like the Rangers’ Cam Talbot, the LA Kings’ Martin Jones, the Ottawa Senators’ Craig Anderson or maybe the Carolina Hurricanes’ Cam Ward. Button doesn’t feel the Oilers will move any of their centers for a year as they’ll want to evaluate them with McDavid in the mix, unless it’s a move like Draisaitl for a good young defenseman like Toronto’s Morgan Reilly. Matheson doesn’t see MacTavish trading Hall or Eberle, though recently-re-signed winger Nail Yakupov could be another story if he improves next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Obviously it depends on what’s available for the Oilers via trades or free agency. If, for argument’s sake, the Leafs were to offer Morgan Reilly for Draisaitl straight up, MacTavish will jump on that. Not saying that’s going to happen, just offering up an example of what it could take.
Overall I concur with Matheson’s assessment. There’s no reason to start peddling guys like Eberle or Hall, as that mean they’re addressing one weakness but creating another. It would also be wise to retain Draisaitl and see how he fits into the Oilers’ roster next season. I definitely see MacTavish shopping the first round pick he got from the Penguins and one of their seconds (either their own or the one they got from the Canadiens in the Jeff Petry deal) and maybe a young blueliner for a goalie or an established top-three defenseman. Obviously they won’t get Marc Staal, but that’s a good example of what the Oilers could seek.
As far as goaltenders go, they’ve got lots of trade options. They’ve also got several teams with limited cap space (Blackhawks, Bruins, Kings, Philadelphia Flyers) they can target. The Islanders landed two quality blueliners earlier this season by targeting teams in need of shedding cap space. It could work just as easily for the Oilers this summer.
Goaltending targets should exclude Ward, who has an injury history and isn’t likely to stick around beyond next summer, when he’s eligible for UFA status. I also have my doubts about Lehtonen.
Soderberg hopes to re-sign with Bruins.
CSNNE.COM: Joe Haggerty recently reported Boston Bruins pending UFA center Carl Soderberg’s first choice is to re-sign with the Bruins. Haggerty is skeptical, however, the Bruins can afford him. Despite rumors claiming he wants to return to Sweden, Soderberg insists he wants to play a couple of more seasons in the NHL. Haggerty speculates rival clubs could offer up $3-$4 million per season for Soderberg, pushing him out of the Bruins’ price range.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Soderberg, 29, had two seasons with 40-plus points in Boston and was earning just over $1 million per season. He could easily land a two-three year deal worth $3 million annually on the open market. Unless he’s willing to accept less than market value, he’s probably played his final game with the Bruins.
I don’t think Mr. MacTavish will be there to make any decisions. Bob Nicholson has likely seen enough of his ‘boldness’ to make a change, to associate McDavid with a new era of Management.
While I doubt Toronto will trade Reilly for ld I understand their idea. Edmonton could move for a guy like oleciak or a guy like that. They could also package all their picks and move up to get crouse. That’s what I would like to see
The oilers need a big tuff winger with talent to protect Mcdavid. Lucic might wave his no trade for that, or possibly the next “Lucic”. Oilers have a habit of not sticking up for their stars when they get RUN OVER, they can’t do that with Mcdavid.
Upgrading Edmonton’s goal and defence will be difficult if there are no changes in the Ouler management team. IMO quality free agents and anyone with a limited movement clause would avoid these guys. Let’s not kid ourselves, most teams’ third D would be #1 in Edmonton.
Lets not forget that Goalies like Talbot and Jones are on powerhouse teams and may struggle without the kind of defence in front of them that they are normally used to. Edmonton would be better using the assets (picks and youngsters) to package together for a true #1 defenseman, goalie or veteran forward to add some leadership and bite.
100% Agreed. I’d say Craig Anderson would be a wiser pickup for the Oilers for that reason; established.
The Oilers have already tried to have all young talent on their team – and failed miserably. They need some secure, solid players on there, even if their upside is lower.
How about both. Due to Andersons age it wouldn’t take to much to get him from Ottawa, and Pits fist and a second round pick (either the Oilers or Montreals) should be enough to get Talbot. To go along with Laurent Brossoit who is looking strong and the Oilers goaltending problems are solved.
It would hinge on if Sens were prepared to go with Hammond and Lehner going forward. In essence, trading away Anderson would be a salary dump since Sens wouldn’t want a priced player at goalie position 2 or 3 if that’s how they envision it.
Personally I’m very suspicious of all these goalies that have fantastic numbers, playing on fantastic teams – usually with only one sample season. It seems like it’s very doable to have good numbers in front of Rangers, Wild, Lightning, Red Wings, Blues and so forth. IMHO that doesn’t mean you’re top 5-10 goaltending in the league. I’m calling out goalies like Bishop, Dubnyk, Talbot, Jones and such. They’re good goalies but probably not elite. Crawford makes obscene amounts of money, but if you switched Lack and Crawford, would it not be a wash statistically? I think so. True elite goalies are very few.
It would be wise for the Oilers to not chase fools gold. If a trade for a goalie is made – don’t give up too much because success will also heavily depend on the team in front.
Excellent comment. I also believe that some of these goalies are overhyped because thay’re playing on good teams. Don’t buy the hype. Anderson would look good in Oilers. But as Oilers I’d go for Lehner instead if he was available. That guy is big and can really shut the door on some nights (which the Oilers would need) and is super focused and really hates losses. But his problem has been consistency. Maybe he is due for a breakout? You can’t teach his size and competitiveness.
Draisaitl for Morgan Reilly LOL you’ve got to be kidding me, Rielly is on the cusp of being a legit 2 D-man, Draisaitl has played 37 games and has 9 points, he looks good but let’s not get crazy here.
Also why the heck would the Oilers want a washed up keeper in Ward or Anderson? They’re planning for the future not the next two years. Why trade and give up assets for a short term fix? Jim Matheson would be a worse GM than MacT!
The Oilers would have to add something but if they miss out on Strome they might be willing to make a trade for a big young center.
Something like
Draisaitl + high 2nd or young Dman not named Nurse or Kelfbom
for
Rielly
Or how about dangle that second first rounder in a deal with gardiner and vernier
Much like Edmonton less than zero chance of trading the #1 overall, No way do I see Staal waiving his ntc to go to Edmonton. I don’t think NY would be willing to move anyone on D outside of Boyle, who is not really attractive to a young team like Edmonton, Or anyone really.
Ward may be the only goalie that may actually want to play in Edmonton. He did grow up there.
I think you are going to start seeing alot of players wanting to play in Edmonton pretty quick.
I think we’re a ways off from that happening. McDavid won’t bring the Oilers from one of the worst teams to one of the best on his own. They need a hell of a lot of other pieces (an NHL d-man, or NHL, not backup tenders).
With how things look in Carolina moving forward and the desire to cut cap space, you might be able to talk a Ward for the Penguins 1st type of swap.
I think Ward is a good start for the Oil (they still need to bring in some D to play in front of him) and would be a clear upgrade that could be had fairly cheap all things considered.
I like the idea for both teams of the Morgan Reilly for Dreisidl deal. Throw some other pieces and it could be a huge deal. How about the Pens #1, the oilers #2 and Bernier coming back to the oil as well as Reilly.
Oddly enough I am going to agree with you on this,
Rielly + Bernier
for
Draisaitl + Pens 1st
Makes even more sense if Phoenix takes Strome and Hannifan falls to the Leafs.
I don’t think there is anyway they don’t take Strome at 3, Not 100% sold that the Leafs take Hannifan maybe they do if they are planning on moving Rielly.
If the Leafs miss out on Strome they should take Hannafin to play with Reilly. Whats wrong with having two really good D? They have 5 to 6 years to fill out the top centre position, and they may have an even better chance next year at the draft.
I think the Oilers would need to offer more for Toronto to pull the trigger on that deal. EDM will have three, top 2 centres and everyone knows it, they’re not dealing from a position of strength as they’re going to try and become competitive right away. Teams like the leafs can wait, hell they’ve been waiting for 48 years!
Having 3 top 2 centers is never a problem in a league where teams are constantly trying to find a top line center. If anything Edmonton needs to add a mid level D prospect.
It will certainly be an issue in 2 – 3 years time when Draisaitl comes off his entry level deal and then McDavid comes off the year after. With Nugent-Hopkins locked up for 6 Mill till 18-19 they’ll have to make a decision. At that point Draisaitl’s trade value is diminished as he’ll be a UFA I think.
I highly doubt they wait 2-3 years to move Draisaitl. They will be using him and the Pens first to get better now.
I would say the opposite-they have 3 top centers-that is a position of strength.
Most Leaf fans and analysts agree there is only one player they would not be willing to trade and that is Reilly. Of course McTavish would jump on a straight up trade for Draisaitl. That is why you do not do it. I agree Edmonton needs to move out assets, which probably include Draisaitl but I would rather the Leafs move other players like Gardner and picks if they want him, not Reilly. As for McTavish, I think he gets the boot, or is reassigned as another top Executive in Edmonton. I predict Peter Chiarelli or Ray Shero takes over for him. its easy to draft in the top 5, but Mac T has failed at adding the necessary depth to make them a viable team. My Leafs sucked this year ( and so on…) but they had better depth players than the Oilers.
Glad we are already talking about the Leafs today and I don’t need to be the one to start it…George and Jello should already be twisted in knots by this point…Reilly has to be untouchable, whether it’s Hannafin, Strome or Marner. I would think that Arizona will try to keep the London line together, as it should help in a quick turn around and they know that the chemistry has already been established. Strome will be a Leaf, Arizona might be smart in trying to pry something out of Toronto to flip places and insure that though. Shanny should also be looking at flipping Kessel to the Devils IMO for the number 6 spot (maybe Bozak has to go as well with the Leafs taking Clowe back?) which they can use to draft what will probably be one of Provorov, Marner, Hannifin or Crouse.
Secondly I’d be looking at sending one of either Phanuef or Bernier to Edmonton for Draisaitl. Both fill a need the Oilers have and Draisaitl is now the odd man out for Edmonton. I’d suggest that both players are worth more than Draisaitl alone, but it wouldn’t be anyone big coming back to T.O.
only in dreeeeeaams lol
Unfortunately TO won’t get Strome. If the Devils want offence maybe they should look at Kessell, Bozak and Lupul? It would cost at least two firsts, a second, a young roster player or Matteau and what bad contract they have to take back? There is only a couple of scorers like Kessell and remember he would have a real defence behind him. I would hate to see Kessell go but it is for the long term. Devils get a first line as good as a lot of teams have. With the Devils pick TO will get a good prospect like Zacha, Crouse or Marner to go with Hanifin or if they get Strome then you have to consider Poporov with those guy? This could be real interesting.
if you think the devils are trading the 6th pick in a deep draft as a rebuilding team for a one dimensional kessel ( who probably wont waive to go there) your nuts
Lamarello is on record saying if he didn’t win the lottery that their first round pick is available.
that’s all good but why would he want kessel who led his team lower in the standings than the devils?
Because it would only cost him an unknown gamble. 6th overall on a deep draft is probably a quality player, but no guarantee of an all star. Yes Kessel’s +/- is awful, and I question his attitude and work ethic, but is it the person, or the environment than is ruining Phil Kessel? Jersey needs to put pucks in the net, they aren’t awful defensively and they have cap space. Kessel has the potential to thrive in a market where hockey isn’t really a big ticket draw.
ya but what did he have 25 goals? don’t you think they can get someone that scores that much that also helps in his own end the isn’t making 8million? there are a lot better options out there for bang for your buck
You flatter yourself. No longer give a rat’s patootie what you toss out there – or when – involving the Leafs, as I now realize it’s a terminal condition brought on by years and years of utter futility.
Soderberg days in Boston are done. Bergeron, krejci and spooner will occupy the first three centers and Chris Kelly will be our 4th line center unless the bruins can trade him then it will be Kholkhlachev. Soderbeg would be a nice third line center for a team with cup aspirations and a strong top 2 centers.
I wish the bruins traded Krejci, free up that money and just let the team roll with the top 2 lines as they were. To me he is not worth the over 7 mill cap hit. I am not sure who he plays with unless they replace Pasternak with Connelly on the spooner / lucic line.
Although not a Mactavish fan the majority of the blame for the mess in Edmonton belongs to Kevin Lowe. He has been in place the entire 9 years of futility, moving from GM to President. How does Edmonton reward mediocrity? They promote you. He has input into everything. MacT was hired as the senior vice president of hockey ops at the start of the 2012-13 season & took over the position of GM on April 15th 2013.So has only had 3 seasons of input into this mess.
Not everything MacT has done has been bad, although he’s made some very odd decisions. The entire old boys network in Edmonton needs to go starting with Lowe.
Edmonton needs to start developing players properly. That means time in the minors, at least for some period of time. It’s going to take several years to solve the defensive problem in Edmonton. The reality is that trading for a legitimate top 2 Dman is virtually impossible so the only solution is to develop your own. Talking about moving Draisaitl for Rielly is a waste of time. It may be fun but it’s a pipe dream. Never going to happen. It’s easier to find a Draisaitl than a Rielly. Draisaitl & the Penguins 1st doesn’t get you Rielly. To get this type of asset your offer needs to be so lopsided the other team just can’t say no.
Draisaitl needs to go to the minors next season for at least 1/2 the season maybe slightly less. Before you start scoffing this is what good teams do with young assets. Think Drouin in TB. Look at how Detroit develops players. They spend years honing their skills in the minors & when he finally comes up it’s as an injury replacement initially earning his opportunities by playing his way up the line up.
That would give Edmonton RNH & McD as their top 2 C’s, Lander as #3 & Gordon as #4.Leaving a roster that would like something like this next season.
Pouliot, RNH, Eberle.
Hall, McD, Yakupov.
Fraser/UFA, Lander, Purcell.
Klinkhammer/Gazdic, Gordon, Hendricks/Pitlick.
Their are trade scenario’s that could help but none solve the problem in 1 or 2 deals as that asset simply can’t be had. A true #1 Dman. The D is such a mess there is no short term solution. It will take 2 to 3 years of solid development from Klefbom, Nurse, Maricin & Musil. Schultz is a solid offensive Dman but he appears clueless when it comes to actually playing defense although he is still young & may eventually figure it out. It takes Dman about 400 games to become the player they will be & Schultz has played 203 games to date in his career.
Until the D situation is resolved & the core group of forwards, Hall, RNH, Yakupov & Eberle start taking their defensive responsibilities more seriously, Edmonton’s goalie is going to get shelled. Edmonton could have had Cory Schneider in net this season or the 2nd coming of Roy, Brodeur, etc & they would be hard pressed to post a save % above .900. No team hangs their goalie out to dry more often than the Oilers & that is a commitment to team defense which Edmonton’s core of studs has yet to commit to to be successful.
No point giving up Pittsburgh’s 1st for a goalie now. Use the pick. Get a UFA goalie to help relieve the load on Scrivens & draft & develop a goalie or trade for a goalie that has no future with their current team. Like a Subban in Boston possibly. That idea. Have him ready in 2 to 3 years when Edmonton will finally hopefully have been able to address their D.
Thoughts from the bench.
Nice post striker.
Well said on all points and I believe you have laid out a solid strategy. I mentioned in the comments above on how they could try to get Ward for the 16th overall, but your point of grabbing a UFA is just as relevant.
What I appreciated though is that you believe that the offense is good enough, but this team will live and die on how solid the defense is. My opinion of the Oil has been that they could draft all the McDavid’s they want, but if they can’t break out of their zone or get possession in their own zone, he’s useless.
Something to think about that I was musing while reading your last paragraph – We all have seen how Tristan Jarry has played with the hometown Oil Kings. As a Pens fan I would think of “Heck no!” as a response to this, but from the Oil’s perspective, would it make sense to trade an asset to the Pens for him with an expectation of him being your goalie of the future who still needs a few seasons of development?
Well laid out post. Even looking at their potential lineup with McDavid, it is pretty weak. The 3rd and 4th lines look particularly horrible. And as mentioned, without any improvement in their D and in goal, they are still going to lose more games than they win. Having McDavid on the team also doesn’t suddenly make Edmonton an attractive place for players to play. It’s not just playing for a rebuilding team and knowing you aren’t going to be competitive, it’s the thought of living in Edmonton. If I were looking at playing on a sub .500 team, I’d be looking at places that are nicer to live. They will have to significantly over pay to get players to go there, such as the did with Pouliot and Nikitin, as I can’t see any players waiving their NTC clauses to go there.
Have you been to Edmonton lately? Alot has changed since the Pronger nonsense. The Oil boom has done wonders in this province, and the thought of winning a cup which motivates 80% of hockey players is something that will drive people there. McDavid is there for at least 7 years and you have the other 3 forwards locked up for a while too.
They are 2 solid defense-men away from being a playoff threat, as someone mentioned somewhere the goal-tending might just improve with better defense.
Everyone likes to pile on the small market Canadian team but trust me there is a reason why Gretzky cried when he was traded and Smyth wanted nothing but to go back. Edmonton is a great place to play hockey.
** I am in know way defending Kevin Lowe or MacT.
*No instead of know … SMH
“I am in no way defending Kevin Lowe or MacT.” Good. Because their record is indefensible. The Frick & Frack of the hockey world.
I have to second that George there are no holes in that logic at all.
Hi Dino,
I lived in st. Albert for 6 years and my mom now lives in sherwood park.
was in edmonton this February.
It is still my assessment that Edmonton is the worst city i have ever been.
i am not hating on the place because I really do wish I could love the place but i don’t.
i lived in winnipeg for three years and spent a bunch of time in saskatoon. Although I have never really been to Regina.
Edmonton as a destination will never compete with any other city in the NHL.
they need a winning team and a strong organization.
detroit as a city is turning into a scene from Mad Max from what i have read but players seemingly still want to go there because of the organization.
my personal opinion is the same as everyone else. Get rid of the lowe/macT show and get a culture that will make players want to be there for the hockey.
A new arena is coming which should be world class, connor mcdavid and a host of other blue chips.
If they can get the right people to guide the good ship oilers there should be a Stanley Cup appearance in the next 7 years, hopefully sooner.
and just to say it, Saskatoon is the nicest prarie city in canada.
I live in Calgary and also have lived in Winnipeg on and off over the years. Also been to Saskatoon as my sister lives out there. Been to Edmonton a lot and see a lot of similarities between Winnipeg and Edmonton. Calgary is the nicest prairie city IMO. Otherwise totally hear your argument about the winning team and so on.The new arena will also go along way to bringing in new talent. After McDavids first year we should see a big change with more free agents wanting a chance to play with that core.
MacT stated even before they won the lottery that Draisaitl and Nurse are likely headed to the AHL for a year. The Exec don’t have a great track record but they do seem to be coming around.
Can’t see the Oilers entertaining a trade for Reily because they already have too many young D. They are better to get a couple of veteran D and goalie to get them through the next two years while they learn to win. D like Oduya, Matt Greene, etc should be paired with Schultz and Klefbom. Fayne can play with Marancin. Ward or Anderson buys them time until Broissant or another option (o’Connor?) is available in goal.
Edmonton is going to be a much better team next season. Just sticking with a coach would be a great start. I think Krueger got screwed. He actually started getting Edmonton playing hockey properly but what’s done is done. He was a very smart hockey mind & player development coach.
Even with out McD Edmonton was going to be better next season, significantly better but still not a playoff team in the west, think 10, 11 in the conference. Adding McD to that team helps immensely. It’s mind boggling to think Edmonton got McD. They didn’t deserve the good karma just the opposite in fact. Ineptitude shouldn’t be rewarded by the hockey Gods.
Edmonton already has solid group of young offensive forwards in Hall, Eberle, RNH & Yukopov. Pouliot & Purcells are decent supporting assets on offense. Puck possession is a great defensive strategy. The other team can’t score if you have puck possession in their zone & McD is going to drive this offense moving forward which is fabulous if your an Edmonton fan.
With Nurse, Klefbom & Mirincin the D is going to improve, that improvement will be slow but it’s coming. Their young & are going to make mistakes but if Edmonton stays the course, shows them patience they will be rewarded down the road.
If Edmonton really wanted to accelerate the push for a playoff spot I would do so cheaply & by that I mean going & get some stop gaps to help buy time for a year or 2 possibly 3. I like Grubauer in Washington as the goalie to target. Holtby is their starter for years to come. They have Copley, Pasquale & Vanecek coming so Grubauer is expendable & I have to think a late 2nd or 3rd would get that done.
The other player I would like to see them target is Brian Campbell in Florida. He has 1 year left in Florida at a significant cap hit 7.14 but Edmonton has tons of cap space. 47.225 committed to 16 players next season so far & only 1 significant RFA in Schultz to sign. I think Florida could afford to move him & he is a legitimate #1 Dman. Soft /1 granted but a /1 none the less. He logs huge minutes in Florida in all situations. He sits 31st in the NHL this season for TOI, last season he was 3rd, the season before that 3rd as well. He can play in all situations, is very reliable & would help mentor this younger group. He would buy them time & if they could find away to resign him for 2 or 3 more years that would make for a great solution to allow the younger D to develop.
You can’t get Nikitin & Ference off this team fast enough & both were terrible additions. I wasn’t all that found of the Fayne signing either but no UFA Dman in his right mind is going to Edmonton unless the money is so good you just can’t say no so I except the Fayne signing as a necessary evil. Edmonton’s D is brutal but really there is no short term solution & if you could squeeze Campbell out of Florida that is a great solution. I see no other player comparable to Campbell that could potentially be had at a reasonable cost. By reasonable I`m thinking a high 2nd, conditional 1st; Pittsburgh`s if Campbell resigns in Edmonton.
Thoughts from the bench.
Oilers should really try to pry 23y old Lehner from Senators. If somehow Sens deem him expendable. I believe this would benefit Oilers tremendously since most of Lehners growing pains are behind him. Lehner is definately worth a shot if he can be had for a reasonable price.
The Leafs would be out of their minds to trade Reilly. This guy has skills you cannot teach and is showing signs of becoming not only a very good defenceman, but possibly great. Forget about trading Reilly as he is one of the things the Leafs actually have going for them. Leafs management should suck it up and do their best to move out any players not in the long term plan (Phaneuf, Kessel, Lupul,etc…) and commit to building this thing the right way and for long term success. They would also be advised to pay close attention to Mark Hunter advice on prospects. Finally, stop with the chronic circus style front office antics of trading away good young picks and players.
If i was Mac T -I would go after someone who can play with and at the same time protect C McD….Milan Lucic comes to mind!!! At what cost, i have no idea….
Towards the end Lucic was a shadow of his former self and certainly wasn’t doing much to “protect” anyone on the Bruins. Which is one reason why his name now pops up in the trade rumors.
Drasaitl is better than Strome. If I were the Oilers I would package him for a bigger fish. Reilly isn’t going to change anything in Edmonton.
Drasaitl, Marincin, Pens 1st and/or next year’s 1st for Seth Jones.
That is a crazy high price to pay for Seth Jones. Thats basically 3 first round picks for him, If thats the case add another one try and grab Weber.
Ugh
The only team that has a chance of getting the first pick is Buffalo. That only works if they offer up Jack E and fill a couple holes on D for the Oil.
No one else stands a chance.
Only an idiot would trade Morgan Reilly for Drasaitl. Reilly has 2 years NHL experience as a defenceman and is showing signs he may be a future star at the most difficult position to play in hockey. Drasaitl has not even shown he can play in the NHL. In his 37 games played last year Drasaitl looked lost most of the time.
Ridiculous.
And why would Edmonton want someone else’s cast off goalie like Can Ward or Kari Letonin?
Button is losing his mind.
These kind of trade ideas shows why he didn’t last as Calgary’s GM.
Stamkos was -11 with 13 points in his first 37 games. I guess you wouldn’t have wanted him either.
if oilers want something out of TO they should look at one of the goalies probably bernier and gardner for driasitl and the pens first. gardner has done his growing and is set to breakout.he actually has the best possession numbers on the leafs. scrivens is as good as most of the named goalies so why get someone else? I am a TO fan and would love the trade mentioned but I think they would be smart to go after a decent ufa defenseman like franson or oduya then sign a guy like brewer to be the veteran mentor. if the young oiler dmen get another year of experience they will be ok.
Gardiner has too many warts in his play for the NHL. He gets exposed far too easy by NHL caliber players. It’s hard for an NHL coach to utilize him and play him minutes since he can’t be fully trusted in many situations. His problem will linger. Sorry to say, because he seems like a quality guy otherwise. But maybe some team is stupid enough to throw him another bone. Gardiner is what you see. He’s a tease.
Franson seems to be hit and miss. Sometimes he’s thriving, sometimes he’s totally ineffective. A surer bet would be Oduya, who I believe can perform everywhere. Brewer is done. That would be money wasted.
With all the needs for EDM to progress why would they not look at possibly grabbing a D man from Boston who is very cap strapped. The ol’ adage “if Gretzkey could get traded…”
So why not offer Ference and Pitt’s # 1 for Chara.
The difference gives BOS almost 3.5 cap relief for the next 3 yrs. After that his contract is up.
Edmonton in turn loses a bad contract and picks up a true #1 D man STILL who, although much slower, can teach EDM how to be physical and play smart.
Chara can stick up for the young blood and help develop the young D core therefor a good set of years.
To me a Win/Win….what say you all?
Chara is in the wrong age bracket. Edmonton would need an experienced number 1-4 D who is preferably at or below 30 y/o. Edmonton is willing to pay to get that. As for the Bruins, they need to get younger too. But Chara is their captain and has value on the ice still. I would think he’d retire there. Is somewhat a Doan situation – in which a trade should have been made 2 years ago if all parties wanted to get the most from it. Now it makes less sense for everyone.
Edmonton should look to Nashville for D. It’s improbable NSH can keep all their top-4 defensemen in the long run. It will be too expensive for them. Maybe Philadelphia is stupid enough to give up on Sean Couturier? Edmonton should be in that sweepstakes if that was the case.
Everybody on this board is talking about Draisaitl yet nobody can spell his name. How many really knows about this player and his worth yet everyone is proposing trades?
The Oilers need a proven NHL goalie. I would go after Elliot from St Louis. He seems to have lost the net to Jake Allen. Ward and Anderson are too old and their best days are behind them. As an Oiler fan, I’m sick of seeing goalies with little to no tread left on them or goalies that have played under 50 NHL games being tagged as the answer to the teams problem. We need a starter not someone’s back up or cast off. The Oilers need not one but two NHL D-men that have really NHL experience. Let’s stop picking up players that might be the answer. Target teams that have cap trouble and… I can’t believe I’m saying this… Do what the Islanders did last year. Pick up D-men that can play but the team could not afford to keep. One thing I would like to get the is more Stanley Cup rings in the room. We have one on the finger of Ference. The Oilers have cap space, draft picks and lots of very young defensemen to use as trade. Trading a big name will only create a hole elsewhere in the line up. There are a few teams that need draft picks and prospects because they traded all theirs away attempting to win it all. Why offer our best players if we don’t have to?