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How Would You Feel About the Oilers Adding These Two Swedes?

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

From NHLTradeRumors.com

The Columbus Blue Jackets Expansion Draft Plan?

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic:  Columbus has one of the easier expansion draft plans out there. The Blue Jackets tweaking that plan remains possible. One of the names tossed around is Gustav Nyquist. He missed all season due to shoulder surgery and could easily be dangled.

BLH’s Thoughts: Hmmm. As this player pertains to the Oilers, two more years at $5.5M is kinda heavy for the 31yr old. However, alongside either member of the Hart Foundation, a 40pt winger could potentially turn into an 60pt one in a best case scenario and then there’s the Ken Holland connection…

Perhaps there’s a world where the Oilers could get Nyquist at a reduced financial hit. 

Coyotes will explore an Ekman-Larsson trade again this offseason

Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider: The Coyotes will be exploring the trade market for defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson again this offseason according to sources. OEL appears to be more open this offseason.

Ekman-Larsson carries a $8.5 million salary cap hit for six more seasons and has $10.5 million salary for the next three years. His play has declined over the past couple of seasons.

Ownership told GM Bill Armstrong last offseason that they’d like to see Ekman-Larsson traded. OEL has a no-movement clause and only listed the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins as teams he’d accept a trade to last October.

Would the Edmonton Oilers be interested in Dave Tippett-OEL reunion?

The Coyotes could take salary back but with the less term. Retaining salary could another option.

BLH’s Thoughts: Unless the Coyotes are interested in eating 50% of that contract, and I highly doubt there are, I can’t see Edmonton being interested in a depreciating asset with six more years on his deal and some young left-shot dmen with a lot of potential coming. 

On the other hand, IF the Oilers could get him at 50% of his current contract, I could think of a worse group of defensemen to have going forward for the next five years and having OEL as a mentor to Broberg is as good as it gets. 

Nurse/Bouchard*
OEL/Larsson
Broberg/Bear*

*Obviously these two would swap from time to time.*

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