We’re coming down to the wire folks. It sounds like there’s a defenseman out there that has come available and that is forcing Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli to re-think his protection list strategy.
We’ve gone from talking about a 7-3-1 list almost all season to most likely seeing a 4-4-1 being submitted and the reason being the race to acquire Jordan Eberle has picked up substantially.
**NHL RUMORS**
Source: Oilers have 4 offers on table for Eberle (2 more pending tmrw)#Islanders #Senators #Avs #Blues— Incarcerated Bob 🔌 (@incarceratedbob) June 16, 2017
Interest in Oilers' Eberle continues to grow. Told now that 6 teams have expressed interest in the winger.
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) June 15, 2017
McKenzie on Eberle: "I would say it's more likely than not the trade happens before the freeze on Saturday." #Oilers
— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) June 15, 2017
So if you follow Lowetide’s blog, he quotes Incarcerated Bob from time to time, and I’d like to talk about the teams that Mr.Bob has informed us with.
BROOKLYN ISLANDERS – Two names come up right away that have been in the rumor mill all year, Travis Hamonic and Ryan Strome.
Besides being in a bit of a crunch for the expansion draft, I don’t know why the Islanders would keep Calvin De Haan and move Hamonic IF they’re looking to keep Tavares around. Just because Pittsburgh won with a bare-bones defense doesn’t mean every team can do it nor will be become a trend. They had Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, and Murray/Fleury. 4/5 of those players were top 5 picks in the NHL draft.
Long-shot candidates might be Ryan Pulock AND Michael Dal Colle but I truly believe that Chiarelli wants true NHL players in return for Eberle.
COLORADO AVALANCHE – Tyson Barrie’s name has been all over Oilers talk radio this week as Ryan Rishaug and Bob Stauffer have been contemplating the right-handed offensive defenseman’s name on numerous occasions.
Any deal here with the Avs would have a minimal charge on their protection list. They are pretty set there. It looks like they could go either 7-3-1 or 4-4-1 depending on how they feel about Patrick Wiercioch and Nikita Zadorov. But maybe they would choose to protect Blake Comeau or Joe Colborne over the defensemen.
But is Tyson Barrie not the near-perfect fit for the Oilers. He’s signed for three more years at $5.5M per and he does everything you want. Despite his small stature, he’s gritty, he can skate, he can shoot, he passes well… He can play on the 2nd pairing with Sekera when he’s back and the Oilers would be set roster-wise for some time.
ST.LOUIS BLUES – The Blues need scoring. Tarasenko can’t do it all and this isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Oilers and the Blues connected in trade rumors regarding Jordan Eberle but who would be coming back the Oilers way?
Tell you what, Colton Parayko (RFA) certainly would perk the ears of Oilers brass but unless his camp is demanding a HUGE raise that the Blues can’t afford, why would they move such a talent on D. Is upcoming prospect Jake Walman that good? He’s a lefty though. But what if the Oilers tossed in an Ethan Bear or a Darnell Nurse? Or Both? Blues and Oilers have history together making deals.
Will the Blues Choose to protect 4 dmen? They’ll be leaving some good forwards available to Vegas if so. Lehtera, Berglund, Sobotka, Perron, Jaskin, etc. I’m assuming that Parayko is exempt from the expansion draft since he’s not on the list over at Capfriendly.
If the Oilers were to buy down with St.Louis to save cap room, what about Joel Edmundson or Carl Gunnarsson? Blues only have $4M about in cap room to play with though. Both teams would have to get creative.
OTTAWA SENATORS – The Senators have been sitting quietly in the reeds letting the likes of the Avs and Islanders take the spotlight in the Jordan Eberle sweepstakes. In order for this team to even think about acquiring Eberle, a big ticket would need to move, right? And why would they trade for Eberle anyhow? Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone are the Sens #1+2 RWers.
For their protection list, I believe they are down to deciding on Marc Methot or Cody Ceci… So those players could be options as well for Edmonton.
Unless they could convince the Oilers to take on Phaneuf (with a sweetener like a draft pick or a prospect like Nick Paul) and move Ryan to the LW… Wouldn’t be a popular move amongst parts of the Oilogosphere but whatever takes the focus off of Russell, right Henderson?
Personally, I’d rather see Mike Hoffman acquired and moved to the RW. Talk about volume shooting!!!
We’re bound to find out sooner or later.
