This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!
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Cult of Hockey
Bright minds of NHL agree: Edmonton Oilers are legit this year but also expect a trade or two
“… I’m still expecting a move or two from Edmonton before they get done with the trade deadline this year. And if they do that, then yes they are 100 per cent legit. Even if they don’t, I still think they’re a Top 8 team in the NHL and if you’re a Top 8 team in the NHL you have a chance to do something.” – Brian Lawton on Oilers Now (11/10/2021)
- Derek Ryan started out well at third-line centre, but has dropped off. If I were to project Edmonton’s trading needs for a playoff run, I might prioritize bringing in another centre over bringing in another goalie…
- Slater Koekkoek and Kris Russell have both had their struggles as the third-pairing left shot d-man. That’s another area where I expect the Oilers will make a deal, bringing in a veteran d-man at the deadline, just as Oilers GM Ken Holland has done two years running, acquiring Mike Green in 2020 and Dmitry Kulikov in 2021.
- I don’t really see any player in the Bake that Edmonton will be counting on in an NHL playoff run. A trade or two it will be then, with Holland maybe moving out a defensive prospect to bring in the right player.
BLH’s Thoughts: I agree with Staples heere in that Edmonton’s bottom six should be a point of improvement at the deadline. Ryan Getzlaf is the guy I’d target personally but he’s having himself a fantastic year so far and I don’t know here the Ducks are going to land come trade deadline time…
A dream trade target would be Philly’s Claude Giroux. He’ll be a UFA next summer but he’s got himself some trade protection. However, he’s always been a glorious playoff performer and considering how much intensity this team is still lacking, he’d be a really good addition from that standpoint alone.
I often wonder about Edmonton re-acquiring David Perron. He’s annoying, draws penalties and scores goals… What more would you like alongside Leon Draisaitl?
I understand that Holland is on the hunt for a goalie (*Cough* Braden Holtby *Cough*), but what good is a goalie if the team in front of him is lacking?
Oilersnation
Weekly Rumours – Potential Oilers Targets?
- Insider Chris Johnston said this week that one of the things the Oilers will look at is a goaltender. He added that Marc-Andre Fleury is on their radar.
- Fleury carries a cap hit of $7 million so unless Chicago was willing to retain or take back Mikko Koskinen, then a deal really couldn’t work.
- Chris Johnston also said that he could see the Oilers adding a defenseman… Nick Leddy would be the best target of the bunch for the Oilers but I could also see Ken Holland being interested in Marc Staal and Danny Dekeyser.
BLH’s Thoughts: Stauffer’s been talking about Red Wings targets for the last week or so. So I wonder why Yaremchuk could see Holland being interested in those players?
DeKeyser makes too much, but Staal’s $2.5M is right in Holland’s wheelhouse. Leddy looks to have lost a step and he wasn’t all that impressive the other night when Edmonton was in Detroit.
Staal checks off a lot of boxes, though…
What happens if Smith can’t go and needs to be put on LTIR? How do you think that would change Holland’s plans?
We’re in for a very interesting bout of speculation until about a month before the deadline I reckon. If Edmonton keeps on winning, the pressure to make a trade will become less and less and it might give the Oilers a bit more leverage come trade deadline day.
NHLRumors.com
- NHL Watcher: Mike Chambers (Denver Post) on Sportsnet’s The Jeff Marek Show on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard: “I believe Sam Girard was the big piece in the efforts to get Jack Eichel here and I still think Girard is going to get traded, I think the Avs want a forward for him and they want to lose his $5M long term cap hit.”
- Lisa Dillman of The Athletic: (mailbag) Thought the Kings would have been more aggressive on the Jack Eichel trade front. It may have taken Alex Iafallo (Alex Tuch comparable), Brandt Clarke (Peyton Krebs comparable), a first-round pick, and a second or third. To it would have been worth it but can see why management went conservative.
- If the Calgary Flames don’t re-sign Johnny Gaudreau, and he doesn’t sign closer to his home (Devils or Flyers), he would look good in a Kings jersey. Pending UFA Filip Forsberg would be interesting but he has an injury history. The Kings are deep down the middle but if they were able to sign Tomas Hertl maybe they could move him to the wing.
- Kevin Kurz of The Athletic: (mailbag) Think it’s 50-50 that Tomas Hertl signs a contract extension with the San Jose Sharks.
- Don’t see former Shark Joe Pavelski signing with the Sharks this offseason, even if the Sharks are able to shed Kane’s contract. He’ll be looking to sign with a contender as his career nears an end.
