So thefourthperiod.com has pulled a couple of pretty prominent names out of the Oilers hat and tossed them into their trade rumors. Those names being:
Oscar Klefbom
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
This is what they had to say about those players:
As we reported earlier this afternoon, the Edmonton Oilers are willing to take calls on defenceman Oscar Klefbom, but only if it means bringing in a top-winger that can play alongside Connor McDavid.
The Oilers want to add speed to their lineup and lack a few wingers who can keep up with the likes of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Klefbom isn’t actively being shopped, but Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli isn’t hanging up the phone. According to multiple well-placed league sources, discussions have already taken place, though nothing is imminent.
I assume by keeping up with Connor and Leon that they’re talking about hockey IQ because I’m not 100% sure if it’s absolutely necessary the wingers who play with either need to be barn burners.
Now if the discussions have already taken place, that could mean anything. That could mean that Chiarelli talked to a GM about Oscar two years ago.
In addition to Klefbom, injured centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ name is popping up again. He’s expected to be out until the end of the month, or early March, but word on the street suggests he may be ahead of schedule.
Nugent-Hopkins has generated plenty of interest from a number of teams, including the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets, but he’s not going anywhere unless the Oilers can swap him out for a top-line winger or a top mobile defenceman.
So this isn’t really new news either. RNH has been on the block since the summer Hall was traded. If you think Hall was the first guy being offered out for Larsson or any other dman that summer, you’re sadly mistaken. Add to that the rumors that had Nuge connected to Tyson Barrie and Matt Dumba and you shouldn’t be surprised that his name is creeping up into the trade rumors as the deadline approaches.
I do agree, however, with the author here though. Unless it’s a top pairing (not Adam Larsson top pairing) dman or a LWer, with youth or term cheaper than RNH, the Oilers aren’t moving him. The GM and coach love having him on the team and rely on him a lot.
With the Ottawa Senators dangling sniper Mike Hoffman, could a Klefbom swap work for both clubs? Edmonton’s been disappointed in Klefbom’s play this season, so it’s entirely possible – unless they’re trying to aim higher.
I also wonder if the Oilers kick the tires on Arizona Coyotes star blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson, though Arizona may wait until the off-season to know if they’re drafting first-overall or not before deciding what route to take with OEL.
Hoffman is a guy I’ve wanted on the Oilers for quite some time now and a Klefbom for Hoffman deal could be one that I could get on board with but is it one that fits for the Senators right now? They’ve got Phaneuf they’re trying to trade (good luck!), Ceci is up for contract renewal, the Erik Karlsson drama is still unfolding, and Thomas Chabot is rounding into a solid NHLer.
I did toss out there the idea of trading both Ryan Nugent-Hopkins AND Oscar Klefbom for Oliver Ekman-Larsson recently though. I mean is there a team that could offer the Coyotes something better than a 1st line center and a top pairing defenseman?
What are your thoughts on the topic? Let us know in the comments below!
Bob Stauffer, the host of Oilers Now, woke up the Oilogosphere with an interesting tweet this morning…
Here are three needs for the Oilers moving forward: #1. shooting left wing to play in top 6 #2. PP right shot D #3. 3rd line right shot C, who PK's, and is 55% + in face-off circle
I don’t think that any of these things are a surprise to anybody, especially if you saw the line combos that Todd McLellan had together during practice on the first day of 2018… GAWD they are ugly… But I am SO looking forward to seeing them in action! I really want to see Auvitu as a forward. That said, when the coach starts doing things like this, there’s trouble in the hen house Frank…
If you’re the type that really reads into things you might come to the following conclusions based on Stauffer’s tweet:
A Shooting Left Wing = Maroon is gone and Lucic is being transitioned into a middle-6 player AKA they’re looking for Connor’s and or Leon’s winger.
A Powerplay Right-Shot D = The Matt Benning experiment on the power play is over. (I’m not sure why it was even started…)
A 3rd Line Centre Who Takes Faceoffs and Kills Penalties = Nuge is on the market and Letestu probably is too.
I’ll start off by saying that I’m not sure we’ll ever see a complete 1st line ever. The door to McDavid’s LW may be ever-swinging for the duration of his time in Edmonton but with the way that McLellan has been switching between Lucic and Maroon on that line tells me his “big man on 97’s wing” theory is a failure and maybe it’s time to toss some skill up there with the greatest player in the game.
I do question why that player has to be a shooter though. The Oilers have ZERO problems shooting the puck which is evident in the numbers. In fact, Pat Maroon is 8th in shots for LWs in the NHL. Lucic is 40th mind you but that’s still more than Filip Forsberg.
Their problem is getting the puck into the net on the PP. I’d argue that they need a trigger man for said powerplay though. Someone who doesn’t hesitate to fire the puck on the net with the man advantage.
LEFT-WING CANDIDATES:
Evander Kane (BUF)
Mike Hoffman (OTT)
Max Pacioretty (MTL)
These three players are the target of every team in the league, as they should be. Their teams are struggling and looking to shake things up. They would be priced at a premium rate though.
Tyler Ennis (MIN)
Max Domi (ARI)
Carl Hagelin (PIT)
Alex Galchenyuk (MTL)
Thomas Vanek (VAN)
Michael Grabner (NYR)
I feel that these players would be a bit easier to acquire as nearly all of them, apart from Vanek, are slumping. Max Domi has one 5×5 goal this year according to naturalstattrick.com. Tyler Ennis has been a healthy scratch in Minnesota. Galchenyuk can’t escape the ongoing media scrutiny in Montreal and Hagelin can’t seem to find his game this year.
I like Hagelin a lot here because he’d be very handy on the PK I feel with his speed and forechecking ability. For those same reasons PLUS he can score, I like Grabner but I’m not sure the Rangers would be willing to trade him as they’re in the hunt for the post-season.
Funny thing about the Oilers left wing is that both Maroon and Lucic are having good seasons from an even strenght POV. Maroon has more EV goals (9) than Taylor Hall, Brad Marchand, and Artemi Panarin. Milan Lucic has the same amount of even-strength goals (6) as Filip Forsberg and more than Mike Hoffman, Matthew Tkachuk, and Max Pacioretty. Funnier yet, Jujhar Khaira has the same amount of 5×5 goals as Lucic.
Twenty-one 5×5 goals between Maroon, Lucic, and Khaira is great I feel. CGY’s top three LW’s have EV 24 goals, NJ has nearly 30, NYI has 25, Vegas has 21, and WAS has 24.
I will caveat this by saying naturalstattrick doesn’t seem to have everybody’s positions 100% correct. For example, I don’t think that the San Jose Sharks have only played with two left-wingers this year.
One last player I’d like to mention is Sonny Milano (CLB). He has 7 EV goals in 268 min TOI for the Blue Jackets. I don’t watch a lot of Columbus games but I do see his name in the transactions list a lot due to being called up and sent down to the AHL. This kid is a skiller but his 200ft game isn’t quite there but that’s something I care very little about. His problem might be he doesn’t shoot enough with only 24 EV shots this year to date.
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A RIGHT-SHOT POWER PLAY POINT MAN
I do think that the Oilers would be better offer picking up this sort of player sooner rather than later and perhaps using a Matt Benning or an Oscar Klefbom to do it.
The candidates:
Mike Green (DET)
Kris Letang (PIT)
Erik Karlsson (OTT)
It seems I’ve put these players in order of most attainable to least. The Oilers would have to sell the farm to bring in a player like Karlsson, meaning Leon possibly going the other way and I’m not subscribing to that. If the Penguins were looking to go younger on defense, it’s weird that they’re not given it’s an area of concern for them, than Letang would be a more realistic target. As for Mike Green, Matt Benning and a prospect/pick, or maybe Anton Slepyshev or Drake Caggiula ++ may be able to bring him to the City of Champions.
But as these guys are the premium targets on this year’s market, you have to ask yourself if the Oilers have the assets to acquire one of them without crippling the future of the team.
Colin Miller (VGK)
Justin Faulk (CAR)
Brandon Montour (ANH)
These are your straight up PP specialists. Lotta chaos here. I believe that these players could be had for less than the Karlsson cluster above.
Shane Gostisbehere
The reason I bring up Ghost Bear is because not only is he one of the NHL’s premier PP specialists but the Flyers LW depth is atrocious and I do wonder if something could be done with Pat Maroon there. Not straight across of course but maybe a larger deal as I know the Flyers want to rid themselves of Jori Lehtera and his chunky contract.
A PENALTY KILLING/FACEOFF SPECIALIST
I’ve been saying for years that the Oilers lack two things,
vets who can take the draw
agitators to draw penalties
I really feel that the Oilers, whoever is running them at the time, are always trying to re-create the boys on the bus from the early 80s and I wish they’d stop. You cannot had a team over to a nucleus that isn’t old enough to buy a beer in the US. You need to have capable veterans to surround them and to take the weight off of their shoulders from time to time in order to give the kids room to breath. Take a look at Toronto now and go back and look at the Penguins rosters that Crosby played on in his early days.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (OTT)
Matt Duchene (OTT)
Derek Ryan (CAR)
I want to focus on these three players at the moment. I’m sure there are more out there but I don’t think they’re available and between Ryan, Pageau, and Duchene, there are three guys who can score a goal, take a draw and kill penalties.
I feel that with Pageau you get a player who is annoying as fack! He’s speedy, fearless, he draws penalties, and has a dusting of offense to his game (remember the playoff hatty not too long ago?).
In Duchene, you’d get a higher contract but with shorter term. That’s not where the rub lies though, it’s in his faceoff abilities. He’s one of the best in the game hands down. Over the last three seasons he’s nearly 60% on the dot AND he has shown that he can produce points in the past (116pts in his last 190 games). Another reason I include him is because I do wonder if Sens ownership is putting pressure on their GM to get rid of him. Duchene only has 6 pts in 23 games this season with Ottawa.
Derek Ryan is the player that I believe Stauffer is hinting at within his tweet. He’s a former U of A guy that has caught on in Carolina and stuck there. Not a big guy and not really much of a producer points-wise (Just a shade of 50pts in his last three years) but he’d probably be better on the kill than say Drake Caggiula plus I believe he’s a righty and very good on the draw. Not sure if Stauff would be able to strap down his U of A alumni boner if the Oilers brought Ryan in though. Careful around Rogers Place if that does happen.
Lastly, I’m getting the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach these days with each growing loss. The feeling that something is going to drop soon be that a trade or a firing. Who could be leaving Edmonton? That I’m not 100% sure on but I’ve heard rumblings that the brass above Chiarelli is getting very impatient and action is being requested.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! Happy 2018 everyone!
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It’s been a while since I was left that emotionally frustrated by the Oilers but last night’s game versus the Winnipeg Jets had me near irate and I try my best not to let the team’s results control my emotions because it’s only entertainment, right?
I mean if we’re being honest, that was the first game in quite a while where Todd’s boys laid an egg. December was going oh so well until this latest skid and while I pride myself on being optimistic in the face of the ever-lingering pessimism that clouds this fanbase, I feel like I might be writing more draft dedicated articles soon.
THE COACHES’ FUTURE
There’s been a faction of the Oilers “supporters” that have been calling for McLellan’s head since the end of October and with every subsequent loss the Oilers are handed, I can relate with their angst. The usual response online is something to the effect of, “Haven’t the Oilers hired and fired enough coaches in the last ten years?”
The answer to that question is yes.
If we go back 10 years from today, the Oilers have had 7 separate head coaches.
Craig MacTavish
Pat Quinn
Tom Renney
Ralph Krueger
Dallas Eakins
Todd Nelson
Todd McLellan
From 1998 to 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks also had 7 different head coaches before finally settling on Joel Quenneville.
Dirk Graham
Lorne Molleken
Bob Pulford
Alpo Suhonen
Brian Sutter
Trent Yawney
Denis Savard
As a fan, you should be thankful, the Real Madrid football team went through 9 managers from 2003 to 2009. And that’s one of the most successful football (soccer) teams in history who’ve had some of the best players in the history of the beautiful game.
There’s a real possibility that the playing personnel and it’s coaches aren’t compatible. Maybe Todd McLellan and his staff are more appropriate for a team that isn’t driven by players so young. When he took over in San Jose, he had Thornton and Marleau right in their primes and a defense led by Rob Blake and Dan Boyle, an all-star goalie in Evgeni Nabakov, and the Sharks even added old cagey vets like Claude Lemieux and Jeremy Roenick to boot.
He does not have that in Edmonton at the moment.
The GM has basically two moves left to save his ass and that’s to make another trade in hopes that’ll jump start the team or to fire the coach and his staff but if he does fire the coach, his neck will be on the chopping block next. Usually, that’s the last card to be played before a GM is dismissed.
Now with that being said, the Oilers’ league-mandated week off is coming up and if a coaching change is going to be made in-season, that’s more likely when it’ll be. A pricey one might I add given that McLellan is one of the top paid coaches in the league.
My last thought on the coaches is that if they don’t have the answers to the special teams problems, something they’ve stated publicly, then who does? It is their job to come up with the solutions to the team’s problems and to inform the players, who then take that information and apply it on the ice. If the players aren’t doing that, then the coaches need to react appropriately. If the coaches reactions aren’t being taken seriously, then the GM has to take action be it by making a trade or by letting a coach go. If the GM is unwilling to do that, then… I think you get the point.
Are the players concerned enough about being traded to improve their play though? Are the coaches concerned enough about being fired to make wholesale changes?
SPECIAL TEAMS AKA THE PENALTY KILL
I’ve been taking a look at some of the goals scored vs. the Oilers PK in the last couple of weeks or so and I can’t find a constant error in their formation or tactics being used. What I do find are little brainfarts like over-committing, getting hung up on a teammate, dropping a stick, bad bounces, or not reading the ice properly that are costing the Oilers.
I was curious about the tactic the Oilers have been using on the kill, so I looked into it a bit more.
The Oilers, utilize something called the “Czech Press” on the PK. This tactic a more aggressive version of the “Triangle +1” or a “Wedge +1” and is described as thus:
The general concept of the Triangle +1 is that three penalty killers form a triangle shape down low, protecting the slot and net. The fourth penalty killer is the “plus-one,” focused on getting in shooting lanes, angling the play in certain directions, or pressuring the puck carrier. The key to understanding the Triangle +1 is knowing that the player functioning as the “plus-one” can shift mid-play, depending upon the location of the puck. If the play quickly transitions from left to right, the high forward can sag back into the triangle while the lower forward takes over the “plus-one” role.
Wedge +1
The same concepts of the Triangle +1 apply, but in the Czech Press, the “plus-one” forward is very aggressive. He actively attacks the high man at the blueline (usually a defenseman), and in the event of a pass to a forward on the half boards, he “presses” down on the new puck carrier to cut off space and time.(Source)
Czech Press
Here’s an example of what the Czech Press should look like if deployed properly,
According to the source from above, the Czech Press has it’s advantages and disadvantages,
The Czech Press, on the other hand, looks to actively force opposing power plays into mistakes. The result is more turnovers, but also more opportunities for dangerous chances, due to the chaotic play of the “plus-one” forward. Rapid puck movement has the aggressive forward constantly chasing, and can turn the formation into a “Triangle Plus-Nothing,” with three penalty killers in the slot just waiting to be eaten alive. (Source)
I think one of the things, apart from the possibilities discussed above, we’re witnessing this year with the Oilers is that teams are turning the extra man who chases the puck into the “nothing”. My understanding is that this formation when passive is used to combat the point shot and cross-seam passes. A team that doesn’t have the speed to use the Czech Press shouldn’t be using it in my opinion but maybe it’s more than that. One could argue it’s intelligence on the ice too because you can’t simply run around with your head cut off on the PK. The penalty kill is all about managing 2-on-1 scenarios, right?
Some players that are having good years on the PK according to some parameters set by Jon Willis (20 min TOI, GA/60, league avg=7 GA/60) on Twitter last night are:
Jujhar Khaira (36.1 TOI, 4.99 GA/60) – I believe that he’d be just as good as Pouliot on the PK if given the chance. He’s got good hands, a big body, AND he doesn’t take too many penalties.
Connor McDavid (47.9 TOI, 5.01 GA/60) – Of course he’s one of the best. He’s got the speed and agility to be used properly in the Czech Press PLUS he’s the smartest player in the game.
Brandon Davidson (33.3 TOI, 3.6 GA/60) – Matt Benning could use a night or two in the press box. He’s still young but he’s really hitting the sophomore slump this year and Davidson’s #s don’t lie here. Add to that Davy’s got a bit more experience and size on Benning.
Eric Gryba (29.43 TOI, 6.12 GA/60) – There’s not much to say about Grybs. He’s ineffective 5×5 and now he’s in the minors.
Other players that are hovering just over the league average GA/60 are Mark Letestu (8.79), Oscar Klefbom (8.98), and Iiro Pakarinen (8.85).
But the rest of the team are in double-digits. Drake Caggiula’s GA/60 on the PK is 17.81… Which is mad because he’s so fast and aggressive, right? You’d think that he’d fit right into this PK tactic. The worst dman is Matt Benning with 15.8 GA/60 on the PK…
If the Oilers don’t have the players who can effectively work within the penalty killing system, why use it? It reminds me of Dallas Eakins’ “swarm”. The coaches are trying to force it down the players’ throats and from what I’ve gathered, it doesn’t sound like the players are having anything of it anymore.
I think if you’ve noticed, that nearly every team that the Oilers get a PP versus uses the passive “triangle +1” because the Oilers are happy to pass it around the perimeter at their own pace. If the Oilers could move it around a lot quicker maybe by bringing the players on the wall a little higher to support the dman, they could open things up a bit better.
Another way to create scoring chances is… GO TO THE BLUE PAINT! Jesse Puljujarvi has scored but one from in the home plate if I recall correctly. I mean, I’m not a coach by trade but if the other team is parking the bus in front of the goalie, why not add some more chaos and throw three of your guys in front too and leave a 2-on-1 scenario for the remaining players. Then simply get the puck on the net for the players to battle over. I think an added bonus to those goal-mouth scrambles might be causing the other team to take more penalties due to the desperation of clearing the puck from so close to the net.
THE 2018 DRAFT
I suppose we’re going to have to start talking about it sooner or later… At this point, the Oilers are sitting pretty at 6th overall. Whether you’re the type to follow the draft or not, I’m sure you’ve heard who is going 1st overall, the Swedish Bobby Orr, Rasmus Dahlin. After Dahlin is a right-wing sniper who plays for Barrie in the OHL named Andrei Svechnikov.
Dahlin and Svechnikov will be going 1 and 2 at the draft, I have no doubt in my mind about that. But it’s from 3rd overall to 6th overall that it could get interesting. Right now I believe it’s a battle between a magical Czech forward named Filip Zadina and another Swedish Karlsson clone named Adam Boqvist for no.3. Matthew Tkachuk’s little brother Brady should go 5th and then the 2nd best skater in the draft, Quinn Hughes, a dman playing NCAA in Michigan should round it out.
We don’t know where the lottery balls will land come draft time but I’m not a huge fan of selecting a defender in the top 6 not named Rasmus Dahlin.
If the Oilers draft…
1st – Rasmus Dahlin (LD) – Swedish Orr
2nd – Andrei Svechnikov (RW) – Tarasenko V2
3rd – Filip Zadina (LW) – Very Barzal-like with his puck handling and shooting
4th – Brady Tkachuk (LW) – Better than his brother
5th – Adam Boqvist (RD) – Dazzling defender
6th – Oliver Wahlstrom (RW) – Shoots the lights out
Should the Oilers lose out in the lottery and be forced to move down, I think trading down to gather assets would be a good plan as the cluster from 7th overall to about 14th or 15th look to be a safe area for the Oilers to trade down to and still get a good player.
But if you’re wondering what some of those players look like, look no further than our 2018 November Top Ten Rankings over at the Beer League Heroes Youtube Channel!
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Tough game for the Edmonton Oilers’ defense as they let the team down one too many times versus Winnipeg. But how about that McDavid/Draisaitl team-up on the shorty and the Puljujarvi goal! AMAZ-BALLS!!
On the other hand, Larsson and Davidson had their worst game as a pairing and the timing couldn’t be better if you can even say that.
Oscar Klefbom is set to return from the IR and with that, an Oilers defenseman is going to have to hit the waiver wire. Which Oilers dman you ask? I’ll go out on a limb and guess.
Eric Gryba
The big bearded grilling machine hasn’t had the best of years since signing his 2-year deal with the Oilers last summer and with the Oilers claiming Brandon Davidson off of waivers this month, Grybs is going to have to find employment elsewhere.
I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for players like Eric Gryba as he still plays that old-school hockey that I grew up watching. It’s too bad Mark Fayne lent him his skates this year though, had he been a bit more agile on the ice, he might’ve made it more of a challenge to sit him.
What might very well happen is a trade though because there’s simply no room for Gryba in Bakersfield. Since Ethan Bear has returned, Mark Fayne was loaned to Florida’s AHL team. I suppose Ryan Mantha or another player could be sent to the ECHL but that’s IF Gryba clears waivers.
Another option is Gryba being loaned out to another team like the aforementioned Mark Fayne. His contract isn’t that bad though at 900k and he’s only 29, so he may very well get claimed too. But now we wait and if he does end up leaving the Oilers, we’ll wish him a fond farewell and remember the good times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5DiEgSC8Pw
I’m looking forward to Klefbom getting back into the lineup because I can’t remember a time since the ’06 Oilers where the Edmonton had this kind of spine.
All the players in blue are ones that were brought in by Peter Chiarelli… Yet, he still gets shit on… It’s a glorious thing to look at folks! And something we should feel very lucky to have as Oiler fans.
As for any trade rumors, I think the Oilers are OUT on Mike Hoffman, the price is too high at the moment and with the way that the team is playing, I reckon Chiarelli is happy to wait the Senators out.
Below is a BLH Youtube clip on the Kris Letang rumor. The Oilers aren’t in on him at all. The price for Hoffman is high but Letang’s is right up there too.
Stauffer is saying he thinks a winger is coming, the insiders are saying a defenseman, I’ve heard a goalie… If I were you, I’d just sit back and let all of the noise clear out before making a guess as to what the Oilers are going to do here.
The Oilers have a really key homestand coming up where they play Chicago, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Winnipeg again. If they can manage 3 wins here, I think we’re in the money Oilers fans!!!
In the meantime…
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The Ottawa Senators are open for business folks! According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Sens are expected to make another deal before the Christmas trade deadline next Tuesday and that could be good news IF the Oilers are looking to tinker with things but lets look at some of the other things that have been published today regarding the Senators and the Oilers that might give us a better idea as to the trade compatibility of both teams.
LOWETIDE
The Ottawa Senators appear to be contemplating something rash and a team like the Edmonton Oilers would do well to pay attention. The Alberta team’s continuing search for a shooter to place on Connor McDavid’s line could be solved with the addition of a pure scorer like Mike Hoffman of the Senators.
I love the idea of adding a player like Mike Hoffman but not for the reason that LT outlines here.
It’s because he’s a pure shooter and the PP needs that injection. Hoffman is as selfish (I use that in a complimentary way) as one can hope for when it comes to shooting vs. passing.
Could McDavid run a line with two pure shooters on it? It’s very possible but the rub with Hoffman is similar to that of Eberle’s, if he’s not scoring, what else is he doing? That said, he’s one of the elite shooters in the NHL today in my opinion.
I look at their roster and think the club requires defence, but Ottawa is extremely patient with their blueliners. The Sens are an internal-cap team, so saving a couple million dollars on a trade (Hoffman is at $5.187 million through 2020 summer and has a modified NTC) should have appeal.
Read into that what you may but what I’m getting out of that is Pat Maroon (to replace Hoffman) and the Oilers’ younger dmen like Nurse, Benning, Bear, or Jones. You can combine one of those players with a draft pick and/or other prospects I imagine and with the Oilers extra cap space available, there should be a fit for a trade.
Those quotes come from The Athletic. You should sign up for it because you’ll get all of your roster speculation articles from LT there as opposed to his own site nowadays. Plus if you do sign up through the link below, I get a bit of scratch to help feed the kids with 🙂
Speaking of Darnell Nurse and another article from The Athletic…
WILLIS
Jonathan Willis has an article out speculating which Oilers dmen might get pushed out with the emergence of the defensive beast that is Darnell Nurse.
The typical Edmonton solution to this would be to deal Klefbom. Like most NHL teams, the Oilers tend to move guys at low ebbs in their career, rather than waiting for a better return later on. It might even be the right move, depending on what his value on the market is; if there’s a team out there willing to pay full price for the guy, it’s a trade that could make sense. There are precious few untradeable players in hockey today.
It’s possible yeah. Klefbom has had one real good season to date, the others have been tainted by injury or inconsistent performances and you’d have to wonder how that makes the coach and GM feel. This is a team that is desperate for consistently solid defensemen. From what I’ve noticed just as a fan, Klefbom starts his seasons slowly and really picks it up as the year progresses. He was one of the Oilers best players let alone dmen last season… So there’s that.
The outside-the-box idea would be to deal Nurse. His value is undoubtedly high right now, and as a general rule it’s better to trade a player when he’s at a peak rather than a valley in his game. It’s hard to imagine such a deal, though. Nurse fits the kind of team Chiarelli wants to build to a tee, he’s strong in some areas the Oilers are weak, and given his age we probably haven’t seen the best of him yet.
Yup, Willis makes another good point here. Would this be the carrot you dangle in front of Senators GM Pierre Dorion in order to get trade talks regarding Erik Karlsson started?
I really love the way that Nurse has progressed and questions about Karlsson’s health are starting to emerge. Add that to the idea of having to pay Karlsson MORE that Connor McDavid and things start to get a bit murkier. Could a team survive in the cap era with those kinds of salaries on the books? Or would acquiring Erik Karlsson be akin to when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Paul Coffey?… Something to think about.
The best solution might actually be dealing Sekera, since that would leave Edmonton with two young guys on modest deals to anchor the defence for years to come. The problems with this are myriad. Trade value is one. Another is that Edmonton hasn’t fared very well without their veteran safety net on the blue line this season; Nurse has excelled while Klefbom has struggled, and given their age and experience levels it’s not crazy to expect a few more ups and downs from both players before they settle into a steady mid-career keel. Finally, Sekera has a full no-move clause through 2019, which theoretically means he could block any deal made before that point.
Andrej Sekera is going to get traded sooner or later, as is Kris Russell. I know that because that’s what I’ve been passed on. I agree with Willis here though and I’ve always thought that an older roster is one that I trust more, especially when the team is bringing along young A-level prospects. The trick being not to give those young prospects as much leash as they want and to trust your veterans.
Who would you trade?
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THE INSIDERS
The insides like Friedman, McKenzie, Dreger, and Lebrun are all over this story as expected. Here are a few quotes from them courtesy of Fanrag Sports.
My sense, according to people that I talk to, is that Melnyk does not want to make that change (firing the coach). So we might see some trades. Dorion may not be done yet with his three-way trade that brought Duchene to Ottawa. Maybe he has to move out some other pieces before they decide that it’s time to give up on the coach.
If they’re not certain that they’re going to be able to sign this guy either financially or if Karlsson decides he wants to test the free agent market, then they don’t have much choice. – Dreger (source)
It seems that the coaches of struggling teams are getting some leeway this season and I dig that. After seeing the Oilers fire so many coaches season after season, it’s a breath of fresh air to get the feeling that the coaches might have some security and the players are the ones who are sitting on eggshells.
Dreger didn’t mention other teams or other players
I don’t believe for a moment that right now they’re picking up the phone and they’re trying to make a trade for Erik Karlsson, or that that’s even a consideration for them at this point in the season. And it may not even be at any point in this season, although I suppose you’ve got to leave the door open a crack depending on what happens between now and March and if they keep going the way they’re going.
But I do think that – and Bruce Garrioch wrote this in the Ottawa Sun/Citizen this morning – that they are looking at making some moves. I think Mike Hoffman’s name and Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s name have been mentioned. We’ll see.
Now, I don’t think they’ll trade Hoffman or Pageau for a bunch of draft picks and call it a day by any stretch. They’re obviously looking to make a hockey deal here using some pretty good hockey players. – McKenzie (source)
I tell you what, if the Oilers could get their hands on Pageau AND Hoffman, that would be a coup for Chiarelli but what kind of “hockey deal” could be made there? Both Pageau and Hoffman are vital to the Senators special teams. Would you deal RNH and say… Ryan Strome for both of them?
But I think Pierre Dorion is working the phones for sure right now trying to make another trade and trying to shake his team up here.
I think there’s a bunch of guys on the Senators I think they would listen on. I mean, Cody Ceci is an interesting player to look at. Right-handed defenseman, top-four guy, plays behind Karlsson. It just so happens where his deal is up at the end of the year where he’s an RFA. So the Senators were going to have to decide on him at some point anyway between now and the summer because either you commit to him financially or you move on, right. – LeBrun (source)
I’ve got no interest in Ceci right now. I’ve watched a few Sens games this year and he looks a bit like Phaneuf at the moment. Meaning I’m not sure how smart of a player he is compared to what we’ve got now in Edmonton. I like Larsson AND Benning much more and I probably like Brandon Davidson more too.
Ceci used to be a hot prospect coming up but I just see an average player there. Mind you, if the Oilers could lose something off the cap in a deal for him, maybe that’s something to consider.
one of the things I was told – or theories I was told – was that maybe they were upset that Karlsson had said what he said, so they wanted to rattle his cage back by asking for his list. I mentioned that to someone, and I guess that person mentioned it to someone else, and they called me. And they kind of knew Ottawa’s situation a bit. And they said that’s not what’s going on here.
And I think that’s what this is. If you look at their contracts, they’ve got to deal with Cody Ceci, they’ve got to deal with Mark Stone who’s having a phenomenal year, they’ve got to deal with Derick Brassard, they’ve got to deal with Matt Duchene, they’ve got to deal with Erik Karlsson in the next two years. I think they’re looking at it and saying, ‘What are we going to do here.
So I just think it’s – when you’re losing, it’s always worse. And they’re losing and the walls close in on you when this happens. – Friedman (source)
If the player and the team are playing games like this in the media, it’s time to move on because it’s not going to get any better and the trust between both parties isn’t going to get any stronger. That’s just my thoughts on Friedman’s Karlsson comment there.
Mark Stone is another player I absolutely love from Ottawa. He would look outstanding on the Oilers, right? He’s simply one of the smartest players in the league.
I’m under the impression that the Oilers aren’t looking to trade right now and the reason for that is they don’t want to be negotiating from the position their in right now. Meaning, they’re behind the 8-ball and other teams know that. I reckon Chiarelli wants to make a deal but is using every ounce of patience he has not to.
BUT. I’m a fan first and foremost and I like roster speculation as much as the next guy…
I’d have ZERO problems if the Oilers decided to go all in and try to acquire Hoffman, Pageau, and Stone. I’m a fan of earth-shattering trades but what would the Oilers have to give up to get all three?
I can’t imagine the Sens wanting to part with Stone if we’re being honest. Not unless Puljujarvi is coming back and that would be a mistake for the Oilers. Pulju is coming on and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts scoring more as the team continues to pick up steam.
Thoughts? If I’ve got any Senators fans following the blog, let me know what you think about all of these rumors and what you guys expect back for players like Hoffman and Pageau.
