Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

(3/12/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors Lunch Time Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Taylor Hall (BUF), Jake DeBrusk (BOS), Max Domi (CBJ), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

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NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Bob Stauffer (630CHED) says he believes that we’re probably looking at a situation where the Edmonton Oilers make a move between Apr.9th and Apr.12th. He thinks at that time the teams that are sellers, their price point may come down a bit.
    • Stauffer also mentioned the Oilers targeting players in the $3.5m to $4.5M range. “A LWer and a little bit pricier C that would change the dynamic of the team.”
    • Near the end of the first segment of his show yesterday morning, Stauffer adds that maybe the Oilers need a good LHD to go on the 2nd pair for a couple of years as the Oilers wait on Philip Broberg or Dmitri Samorukov.

BLH’s Thoughts: So, which players are in the price range that Stauffer is talking about? Almost everybody that’s been mentioned in the rumor mill connected to the Oilers recently. Jake DeBrusk (BOS), Eric Staal (BUF), Rickard Rakell (ANA) and, Brandon Sutter (VAN) all fit into that description. For DeBrusk and Rakell, you’d have to think that a pretty good young defenseman would be heading out as well as futures. I imagine that the team wants to get Zack Kassian into the lineup ASAP to see what’s going on there because his contract could help with the money in, money out end of making a deal.

As for another LHD, I don’t know about that. They’ve got some good players coming in and if they really want one who could come in an hold the fort until Broberg is good to go, I would think that’s a piece you could add in free agency relatively cheap.  Plus, we don’t know what’s going on with Oscar Klefbom. By the time he’s done rehabbing from shoulder surgery, the 2021-22 season will be about to start or have just started. 

  • Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet) says EDM/CGY/WPG/MTL would be more comfortable adding a player from OTT/VAN than trading with a US team and losing a player and waiting for the new player’s quarantine. Leafs feel ok about it given their spot in the standings.

BLH’s Thoughts: I can’t see anybody on the Senators that could be of use to the Oilers aside from depth options and Holland has already said he likes the depth of the team… Vancouver, the same. Aside from Tanner Pearson, I don’t envision Jim Benning moving any of their actual good players.

Here’s one for you though, the Calgary Flames. If they’re out of it, could Holland ring them up and see what’s available?

  • Oilers GM Ken Holland made mention of what he might be looking for before the NHL trade deadline expires a month from today.
    • “When you get into the playoffs you need size and depth. You either wear somebody down or they’re going to wear you down,” he said. “You’re always looking at the trade deadline for some size, or experience. Guys who have been there before.”
    • “If there is a player out there who we think can go into our lineup and have an impact more than (just) depth, probably that is something I would look at.”

BLH’s Thoughts: If you combine the two comments, you might come away with the notion that Ken Holland is looking for someone like Rickard Rakell (ANA), Jake DeBrusk (BOS), Tanner Pearson (VAN), or Eric Staal (BUF).

The Fourth Period: “With Columbus already willing to take trade calls on defenceman David Savard, it is believed Domi is also up for grabs, if the right deal presented itself, a source close to the team told TFP on Wednesday”.

BLH’s Thoughts: It’s been one helluva fall from grace for Tie’s boy. He can’t catch any breaks, can he? He’s far too young to be done as a top-six NHL forward and if Columbus falls out of the playoff race as they look to be doing, surely there’s a team out there with the assets to make a deal for him. I’ve always been kind of curious how he’d look beside McDavid in Edmonton… 

Sportsnet’s Luke Fox reckons the Toronto Maple Leafs could make a play for Buffalo Sabres winger Taylor Hall and an offer of Alex Kerfoot, a draft pick, and a prospect, in addition to Buffalo eating 50% of Hall’s contract, might be a high price but should be explored.

BLH’s Thoughts: So are we thinking a 3rd liner, a late first round pick, and a prospect like Nick Robertson or Rodion Amirov will work? I also feel like that is a bit much. In that article, Fox goes on to comment on a couple of other players who, to me, make more sense for Toronto, Nick Foligno (CBJ) and Kyle Palmieri (NJ).

Hall is an elite talent, no doubt, but is he the kind of player who excels with superstars on his line with him where he has to share the puck or is he better when he’s running the show? As fun as it would be to see a line of Hall/Tavares/Nylander, who gets the puck on that line?

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