She’s going to be quick and easy today folks. I’ve got a house to get baby-fied before the new one comes. So let’s get ‘er done.
I’ve heard and now so have you that Mark Fayne is being considered as a possible buy-out for the Oilers but it is contingent upon negotiations with the New York Rangers.
The name that I was told was Dan Girardi… Yikes…
Take that for what it is but it got me thinking. If the Rangers are so chapped with their cap, would they consider trading 393 goal scorer Rick Nash?
Would Rick Nash be the kind of player that would benefit the Oilers on the RW alongside a Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? He’s a big body, can play a heavy game, can skate, and he’ll actually shoot the puck. That’s a lot more than what Yakupov and Pouliot are doing.
His contract is only for two more years at $7.8M per.
One thing that is kind of shitty is Nash is a left-hander. The team does not need anymore left-handers. But it’s not like Nash is any leftie. He’s Olympic Gold Medal winning Rick Nash. Former Rocket Richard Trophy winning Rick Nash.
This is the Rick Nash that has never played an NHL game with one of, if not the, best centre in the NHL.
Yes, he had a right terrible season last year. But From what I recall, Hall and Nuge, Yak and even Draisaitl weren’t that great either.
I assume this will be shrugged off overwhelmingly but if the Oilers traded Nail Yakupov for Nash and the Rangers ate up to half of that contract. Would that not be beneficial to Edmonton?
Tyler Pitlick was re-signed today for another year for $725k
I’ve always liked the six foot two-hundred pound Pitlick but dammit the guy is Mr.Glass.
He’s slowed down a bit recently but before he could fly and hit like a freight train.
IF he can make it into the season for Bakersfield and stay off the IR, I’d say there’s a good chance the Oilers call him up.
Matty Hendricks is getting up there in age and the way he plays, he’s going to need a night off from time to time. Having Pitlick around to step in is perfect.
A healthy Tyler Pitlick. Is this a player who could fit into Todd McLellan’s style of play? The hard and relentless forecheck.
Something that I’ve been harping on for a while is the need for teams to increase the number of right-handers on their teams. Pitlick is indeed a RHer.
There’s been a bit of banter on Yak to the Flyers recently for Travis Sanheim.
I don’t see it. The team doesn’t need another LH’d defenceman UNLESS they are looking to trade Reinhart, Nurse, or Klefbom in order to save themselves a spot on the expansion protection list.
I guess the Oilers turned down an offer from the Arizona Coyotes for the #4 pick in the draft.
Apparently the no.7 and no.20 were offered but in my opinion Arizona needs to offer a Mike Stone or Connor Murphy to that deal to make it enticing.
Or I suppose take one of Edmonton’s bad contracts back. *cough* Korpikoski
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So after doing up my year-end report card for the Edmonton Oilers, which can be foundhere, it’s time to look at some of the pieces that will possibly be heading out of town before the 2016/17 NHL season starts.
NAIL YAKUPOV
I don’t want to move him because we know he performs when he’s beside McDavid. The other thing we know is if he is moved, it’s not going to bring the Oilers back something impactful. He’s got one year left at $2.5M and IF the Edmonton Oilers want to move him, wouldn’t it be in their best interest to try to jack his stats up as high has they can to get the most value for him?
Let’s say he stays and puts up 20 goals and 20 assists before the trade deadline. Well that’s just the same as what Eberle is putting up and you know that Yakupov is effective on the forecheck, an excellent stick checker, and his one-timer if tamed is elite.
But the reality is he hasn’t performed and it’ll be sad to see him and his infectious smile play for another team.
Can the Oilers get a 3rd rounder for him? What about an effective bottom six winger like Ryan Garbutt, Antoine Roussel, or Tanner Pearson?
MARK FAYNE
I can’t really go to bat for this guy but the fact of the matter is he’s an NHL defenceman on a team that is in desperate need of NHL defencemen… Didn’t have a great start to the year but improved slightly and he’s a right shot… Even with all of that I don’t see a fit for him. In my opinion he was passed over by Brandon Davidson on the depth chart.
His contract is $3.625M for the next two seasons and I honestly don’t know who’d take that salary on at this point. He might get buried in the minors ala Nikitin which is fine by me because that team could use a mentor. It’s just not a good price point for a non-impact defender who is no.6 on the depth chart.
There were rumors earlier in the year of him going to Columbus in a deal for Scott Hartnell. I wonder if that deal or a deal similar to that gets consummated this summer.
Is Eberle on the way out of town?
JORDAN EBERLE
Ebs is the man in the trade rumor spotlight these days and if the Oilers are “lucky” enough to land a top three draft pick in this year’s draft lottery, then he could be moved for help on D. It’s not even contingent on that draft pick either. What if Peter Chiarelli can bring in Loui Eriksson via FA? Free agency will play a big factor this summer as Oilers management pushes hard to get this team to the playoffs in the first year of the Oilers being in Rogers Place.
The thing with Eberle isn’t so much about his non-existent two-way game. It’s his size (or lack thereof), skating, and lack of a one-timer that irks me. He only brings one thing to the table at this point and it’s not enough. Great goals aside, what else does he offer?
We’ve heard him going to the Islanders for Travis Hamonic but I think the Islanders would want more than Eberle. I don’t mind paying more depending on the price. Fringe prospects, fine. Anything past the 3rd round in terms of draft picks, ok.
The fact of the matter is, the team needs a right-handed blue liner in return for Jordan Eberle. A veteran if possible. Would you trade him for Ryan Ellis? Straight up for Sami Vatanen or Jared Spurgeon?
RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS
Right off the bat, I hate the idea of moving Nuge. The more talented centres the Oilers have, the more versatile their top 6 is. But there’s one way I would move him and that’s for a centre of equal value that is right-handed. Nick Bjugstad comes to mind right away and Derek Stepan is another. At this point Mark Letestu plays big PP minutes because he’s right-handed and after watching Patrik Laine’s team and the way they deploy they’re forwards on the PP, it just makes sense to have two or more right-handers available.
Teams that might like to have the Nuge could be the aforementioned Islanders. If Frans Nielsen moves on they’ll have a hole at 2C. The Hurricanes need centers but the only guy I’d want out of Carolina is Justin Faulk and he’s not going anywhere. Columbus needs a no.1 center but there’s not a lot I like on that roster. Brandon Dubinsky maybe but he’s a winger. Detroit could be in line to add a pivot with Datsyuk leaving for Russia this off-season but who’d you want from the Red Wings?
Would you make a deal for Noah Hanifin that included Nuge?
TAYLOR HALL
Apart from Nugent-Hopkins on our list, Taylor Hall is the man who will get you the most for your buck. Now I’ve read the stats that he’s one of the best 5×5 wingers in the league but if he’s that good, why isn’t he scoring? Every player goes through slumps but why do his come after the team is effectively eliminated from the playoffs?…
This isn’t a shit-on-Hall piece but fancy stats aside or traditional stats for that matter, I am of the opinion the team might be better off improving the roster as a whole than relying on Hall’s production on the wing. The Edmonton Oilers NEED better defencemen, it’s that simple. Hall will bring you that without question.
Anyways, Lowetide had an interesting suggestion on his show last
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friday. What if Hall could bring you back a right-handed dman, right-handed center, and a back-up goalie? I love that idea. Another thing is, and I’m not sure if the stats can work this way but, could the team replace his (Hall’s) stats in the aggregate? Meaning could a three for one trade work if those three players equaled Taylor Hall’s output on the stat sheet?
For example, let’s say Minnesota were the trade partner. Could Hall for Charlie Coyle, Jared Spurgeon, and former Red Deer Rebel Darcy Kuemper work? Don’t think the Wild would do that because they’d have a glut of very expensive LWers on their hands. I suppose it’d depend on how long Parise is out for, right?
The Senators are looking to shake things up, would they be interested in a swap for Taylor Hall? Only problem with Ottawa is they have ZERO defenseman you’d want unless they’d be willing to move Karlsson. I do Iike Mika Zibanejad and Mark Stone though.
IN THE END
Everyone will say that the Oilers can’t move a Hall or a Nugent-Hopkins but I wouldn’t be so sure. These are foggy times and there’s a ton of pressure on Peter Chiarelli to shake this team up and get it into the playoffs. Another thing fans of this team have to understand is that the team might make a trade that looks like a loss at first. A Hall trade that doesn’t bring back a top pairing defenseman will look like a loss on paper but we don’t know how such a deal will set up the team to make future trades.
Don’t get caught up in the way a player shoots though, it’s nice and the stats guys will object but the way a player shoots isn’t necessarily the most imperative thing here, it’s having defensemen in the top four who are bonafide NHL dmen. If they shoot right, even better. So say the team picks up Cam Fowler or Hampus Lindholm from the Ducks instead of Sami Vatanen, be very happy with that. Those two players are stellar and a HUGE upgrade on what the team has now.
I really do believe if the Oilers have a real NHL defense with two top four right-handed shooters they’d be that much better but the onus is on getting four REAL NHL blue liners. If Hall, Nuge, and/or Eberle have to go to give us that, fine. I’m okay with that because I’m less concerned with having scoring superstars on the wing than a D corps. that makes the Oilers a competitive team in the NHL.
The Edmonton Oilers are, I believe at least, in a position where they should be looking for the right organizational fit with regards to their trade targets. They need to identify the weaknesses on the team and address them accordingly. The team has a glut of skilled wingers. Move them along for help on defense THEN fill the gaps left on the flanks with centres or cheaper (possibly older) wingers who can skate and play a solid two-way game. No more lazy back checkers.
What do you think about my list. Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to check out G Money’s latest on the importance of Todd McLellan’s “Place and Chase” game plan here.
Take a look at this list of defensemen in the Edmonton Oilers system and let me know if you see a problem. And just as a preface for the rest of this post, it’s a tad jumpy. So bear with me and I think you’ll get the point at the end.
LEFT HANDED SHOOTERS
RIGHT HANDED SHOOTERS
Andrej Sekera
Justin Schultz (RFA)
Oscar Klefbom
Mark Fayne
Darnell Nurse
Eric Gryba (UFA)
Brandon Davidson (RFA)
Adam Clendenning (RFA)
Andrew Ference (IR)
Ethan Bear (Junior)
Griffin Reinhart
John Marino (NCAA)
Nikita Nikitin (UFA)
David Musil (RFA)
Jordan Oesterle (RFA)
Brad Hunt
Joey LaLeggia
Dillon Simpson
Ben Betker
Martin Gernat (RFA)
William Lagesson (unsigned)
Caleb Jones (unsigned)
Ziyat Paigin (unsigned)
Feel free to let me know if I’ve missed someone in that list but it looks like Peter Chiarelli definitely has his hands full here. He needs to thin this pack out, upgrade it and try to create some balance.
Surely Jultz will be gone by the end of next week and if someone is desperate enough, they just might make a deal for Gryba but I can’t see it. I see him getting re-signed. From what I’m hearing, Gryba is part of the glue of the room. The players look up to him and he looks out for them. Just as Matt Hendricks does for the forwards. I’m in favour of keeping these kinds of players and he’s had a brilliant season to date. Unlucky to have been injured this late in the season but if there’s a team out there that wants that reliable muscle for the playoff run, he’s a pretty good candidate and the Oilers could always re-visit him this summer and see what he’s looking for.
I’m skeptical that Clendenning gets another deal and is allowed to walk and if someone is willing to take a flyer on Nikitin next week. It’s been a blast Nikki. Not really. Mark Fayne could be a rightie that gets moved if there’s a team out there that has cap room and wants the insurance on the back-end.
So that would put the right side at Fayne or Gryba, Fayne and Gryba or neither of them, leaving Mr.Chiarelli a hole or holes to fill. Maybe.
As for the left side, I think that is locked down for the foreseeable future with Sekera, Klefbom, Nurse, Davidson, and Reinhart sitting pretty there. But therein lies another problem. Too many lefties. PC has to move some bodies here. Of course Sekera can move to the right side but then where do you have room to upgrade? You don’t unless you’re willing to move someone.
I wonder if PC will cut bait on Griffin Reinhart. He was supposed to be a full-time NHLer this year and hasn’t been able to hold down a place. That being said, he’s had as many good games as Justin Schultz this year. But would it be so bad if it took him a season more in the minors before he made the switch to pro? With all the lefties competing for a spot, one would have to think that there’s definitely room to have him marinate in Bakersfield for another year. Maybe send him to the gentleman that helped Leon Draisaitl’s skating last summer.
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Do you think Chiarelli would move Klefbom in a deal for Hamonic? Or in a deal where the odds are a million to one, could Nurse be sent to Montreal for Subban? What about St.Louis? Would the Blues want a defender back in a deal for Shattenkirk?
Brandon Davidson has been a revelation for the Oilers this season and is one of the only players on the team that was gifted the time in the minors to develop properly. Funny how things work out when you don’t take shortcuts, isn’t it? I’d like to keep him as he looks to be the kind of guy that calms things down for his partner. He’s still a young guy though, so I wouldn’t exactly start pairing him with Nurse or any other rookies just yet. So hopefully PC gets this guy locked up right quick!
I think ideally you could see the defense going into the 2016-17 season tlooking something like this:
Klefbom – New Guy
Nurse – Sekera
Davidson – Fayne
Gryba
So you’ve moved out Klefbom and Fayne and added Hamonic/Shattenkirk/Vatanen/Demers. Is this a defensive grouping that gets you closer to the playoffs? Closer than the previous group above? I’d have to say yes. Now, I’m not saying the Oilers would deal Fayne for Vatanen. That’s mad. Work out the deals yourself. I’m just throwing names out there that we’ve discussed previously.
Would the latter group be too heavy on the cap? S-kirk is definitely going to be looking for north of $6M per, Vatanen I would think might be looking for Klefbom numbers and Hamonic is already on a pretty sexy deal ($3.8M for the next five years). Demers is a tough call. He’s getting $3.4M now, so let’s say he seeks upwards of $5M per.
Would you be happy with a loading up of higher priced dmen at the sacrifice of skill up front? It’d probably cost an Eberle, Nuge, and/or Hall to get it done. Go the Nashville route?
What do you think the Oilers should do with their glut of lefties on the back-end? Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
Are you as equally perplexed as I am when it comes to Nail Yakupov? I mean at this rate he’s going to be known as the Russian Alexandre Daigle. Don’t believe me? Go check out Daigle’s stats. Yak is literally a couple of injury ravaged seasons, a trade or two, and a celebrity girlfriend away from it. And the thing is you can’t even accuse him of being the enigmatic Russian because he works his ass off every shift but can’t seem to get the bounces.
Speaking of bounces, last night versus the Ducks… Poor guy, he couldn’t get the puck to settle down on his stick. On that first shift with McDavid and Eberle he had a chance to clear the puck out and the puck rolled up on him and he couldn’t get it out which resulted in a goal against. Now everyone will say that he didn’t back check on that play but watch it again. He WAS moving his legs a mile-a-minute trying to catch Silfverberg but was just a stride behind him before the shot went off. And another moment when he picked the puck up at center ice and broke into the Ducks’ zone, as he attempted to make a move to fool the defender the puck bounced up again and a fumbled it into the corner.
Now something I didn’t hear a lot about was the hit Yak smoked Kevin Bieksa with or his hustle in the corners on the evening. Oilers Nerd Alert had his DFF% at 4th best on the team. A shame it is, a crying shame.
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Todd Mclellan made it clear that he wasn’t happy that Yak couldn’t take advantage of Benoit Pouliot’s benching in the post gamer here.
He (Yak) gets to take the ice-time I took away from Pou and not a lot of success there either. – Todd McLellan
Seems like some of the Edmonton media have thrown their hands in the air now as they’ve got now clue either.
So we’re at a fork in the road with young Nail. Have we seen what this former no.1 overall pick can do? I have to think there’s still a player in there that can excel at the NHL level. He’s shifty and unpredictable and he’s got a world-class shot to boot. Another thing is, is Jordan Eberle any better a player defensively or along the boards? What about Yak’s contract? Is this of value more to Edmonton in-house or as a trade asset?
Would it be foolish to trade him before the draft? I mean it’s nearly a foregone conclusion that Teddy Purcell will be dealt and that will open up a spot on the right side for Yak, right? Or will he be passed over like many times before by the likes of Matt Hendricks, Rob Klinkhammer, and Iiro Pakarinen?
If the team was looking at dealing him, what kind of return would he garner? And before you say he’s worth nothing on the trade market, Justin Schultz has value… So if a bumbling defenseman with his own verb in the hockey lexicon can have value, there’s very little doubt that Yak has too.
A team looking for secondary scoring that is willing to part with picks and/or prospects seemingly would be a good fit, no?
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So what about the Carolina Hurricanes? They’ve got a young right-handed puck moving defensemen in Ryan Murphy who can’t seem to break into the lineup and is popping up in trade rumors. They’re in the thick of the wildcard race and are -11 in goal differential. They wouldn’t be losing anything apart from a prospect off of their AHL roster and the Oilers could use a right-hander in their system.
With Ryan Murphy (12th overall in 2011) you’re looking at a smaller offensive blueliner (5’11” 185lb) with a bit of an injury history already. He’s racked up 60 points in 76 AHL games and 29 points in 108 NHL games. With the likes of Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown ready to turn pro, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be much room for Murphy in the Carolina system soon.
Perhaps the deal could be expanded due to the amount of contracts the Oilers sit at 49 and the Hurricanes at 45.
So what if the Oilers sent Yakupov and Mark Fayne to the Hurricanes for Ryan Murphy, the ‘Canes 2nd and 3rd round picks?
This way the Oilers shed a bit of salary and get back some desperately needed draft picks, that 2nd rounder being vital as they’re going to lose one to Boston in one of the next two years due to the hiring of Chiarelli. Carolina has a ton of room to fit a veteran dman and a skilled winger under their cap as well.
Now I’m not in any way, shape or form wanting to deal Yakupov out of town. I would love to see him get a good run of games beside two linemates who could allow him to play his game the way he knows how and who knows? We could very well see him reunited with Pou and McDavid if Eberle is traded but at this point that is looking unlikely unless the Oilers get a deal they can’t afford to turn down or Eberle gets injured.
We truly are coming to the breaking point with YakCity and as sad as that is, we may have to be happy for him as he plays for another team.
What do you think? Should the Oilers trade him or show him more patience? Let me know in the comments below!
As we are now less than a month away from the deadline, it’s time to take a look at some Oilers trade options for the upcoming month.
After listening to a radio hit provided by Elliotte Friedman Friday on 630 CHED, it seems that the Oilers and Schultz could be going seperate ways sometime within the next month.
Schutlz time in Edmonton has been one that has been surrounded by disappointment. After he came out of the NCAA ranks and signed with the Oilers, I was hopeful that the team had really hit on a solid player. At the time, he was being courted by nearly every team in the league.
26 NHL teams have expressed interest in UFA dman Justin Schultz, a shortlist of 5, give or take a team or two, likely by this afternoon.
Now, after a four year stint, Schultz and his large contract could be out the door. Simply put, Schultz has not transitioned into the “Norris trophy potential” DMan the Oilers so desperately have needed.
None the less with rumours surrounding the Oilers making a move for a top end defenceman, I have to wonder if Justin Schultz could be a part of a package deal.
I wrote about the building buzz surrounding Schultz after Darren Dreger reported there could be some interest in the RFA defenceman here.
Would Schultz, Yakupov and our 2nd round draft pick this year be enough for a defenceman like Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm or Travis Hamonic? Maybe. Would Jordan Eberle be able to get a deal done like that? I would think so.
If Eberle was the one involved, I really think that both the Islanders and the Ducks would certainly be interested as he would fit right in on either of their top lines.
There would have to be a little bit of tweaking done on both sides I think, but both teams could use a high-end scoring winger. I think that could be a strong basis for a deal.
Nobody forgets the magic that Jordan Eberle and John Tavares had during their time at the World Juniors. Like Tavares, Jordan Eberle is a very smart player on the ice, often seeing things others don’t.
Who could it be?
Personally, I think Purcell would be the Edm player that most interests teams at the deadline. UFA winger who can put up pts with skill guys
Teddy Purcell is one Oiler who I could see the team moving on from within the next month. Like the Arizona Coyotes did with Antoine Vermette last year, the Oilers could trade Purcell for assets at the deadline and then re-sign him in the offseason.
His season has been a strong one. With his play being inflated by the likes of Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl, he could be a play that could garner some interest from a team in position to make a push in the playoffs.
His UFA status is something that often attracts teams at the deadline, and the Oilers have the ability to eat some of the remaining dollars on his last year of the deal. This might make Purcell more attractive to other organizations.
Mark Fayne is another Oiler who could very well be out the door by the end of the next month. With two years left at a cap hit of $3.625 million after this season, the Oilers will have a bit more difficulty moving him. Like with Justin Schultz or Teddy Purcell, the team could opt to eat some of his remaining salary.
If the Oilers elect to do that, the team will be able to eat a maximum 50% of his salary, bringing his hit down to $1.8125 million – which is much more attractive to a team that’s strapped to the cap.
Mark Fayne’s 2015 – 2016 stats in all situations, prior to being sent to Bakersfield.Mark Fayne’s 2015 – 2016 stats in all situations, prior to being recalled from Bakersfield.
Fayne’s time in Edmonton has been a disappointment but after being sent down to the Bakersfield Condors and returning, his stats say his play has not improved. Just from watching him play, he does seem to be a calmer player out on the ice and is making better decisions.
Is that enough for a team to take a chance on him for the next two years?
I would hope so.
None the less, the Edmonton Oilers are in a position to do some wheeling and dealing for the next month. The waiver claim of Adam Clendening was a move that made it clear to the players that management isn’t happy with the product on the ice. How could they? They are still at the bottom of the league, but the team does seem to be a better team on the ice. While it doesn’t show in the standings, the Oilers are a better team.
Clendening is an offensive defenseman with good puck-moving ability and a solid shot from the point. While he is known for his offensive and ability to transition the puck up ice, Clendening is solid defensively. He doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game and plays with a good deal of intensity. However, Clendening could stand to utilize his intensity and grit more to the benefit of his team. He also needs to keep his feet moving and improve his overall speed.
Clendening however, is a player that really intrigues me. Does he have the skills to do what Justin Schultz hasn’t been able to? Yes. They are similar players, with similar skill sets.
The Oilers have lacked defenseman that can move the puck, and if there is one thing Clendening is good at it’s getting the puck up the ice. I would not be surprised in the least to see the Peter Chiarelli and company being active in the trade market for the upcoming month, and into the offseason.
