As we draw closer to the NHL trade deadline, we’re starting to see some names repeating over and over in connection to the Edmonton Oilers and as we know, that’s a good indicator as to who Ken Holland is targeting. Today we’ll talk about one of them (again) and we’ll also take a gander at two other names that are poking their heads into the Oilers rumor mill.

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The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

Same Names Keep Coming Up Over and Over, Hmmmm…

“I in the past have and will continue to watch where Colton Scissons and Nic Dowd. Dowd is of particular interest to me. It may not be the sexiest of names. But he does a lot of heavy lifting in Washington. 93% of his 5v5 shifts start in the defensive zone yet he has a Goals-For of 61%. His Penalty Kill TOI/game is Top-10 in the NHL and the right-shot Center has won 52.3% of his draws the past 6 years. That is a lot of value for $1.3m.” – Kurt Leavins, Cult of Hockey

• There that name is again. Nic Dowd.
• As I said yesterday and the day before that and multiple days before that, this is a player that will help the Oilers. Holland will haggle less over him because he’s got another year on his deal and because he’s 33yrs old.
• The Oilers are looking for a 3/4 center (read 4th line center but somebody who can play up the lineup), somebody with size (Dowd’s 6’1″, 193lbs), and a high-end faceoff guy. PLUS he’s a right shot!
• The one thing I’ve noticed in the Holland era is that he tends to broadcast who he’s trading for and who he’s drafting in the first round and Nic Dowd’s name came up early in the year this season. Stauffer’s been spouting Colton Scissons’ name for weeks, too. Both would be very solid additions to Edmonton’s forward group.
• FWIW, I’ve been talking about Scissons for years… It’s nice to see Bob and his harem finally get on board 😉

Would the Oilers Bring in Mattias Ekholm’s Old D-Partner from Nashville?

“I’ll tell you like someone was saying to me that a guy like (Alexandre) Carrier might be, from Nashville, might be a perfect fit and Edmonton. But Edmonton is the same way, it’s dollar-in, dollar-out.” – Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet

• 5’11, 180lbs?… Yeah, I’m not so sure on Carrier. On top of that he makes $2.5M.
• Would the plan be for him to replace Ceci and partner with his old d-partner, Mattias Ekholm?
• I don’t like it… I think that would be a bad idea.

Holland to Do Business with an Ex-Oiler Out in Ottawa? 

“(Sean) Walker has been mentioned in the rumor mill because of the arrival of Jamie Drysdale in Philadelphia, but there is also talk that Jakob Chychrun might be on his way out of Ottawa due to cap issues during any potential contract extension talks. Would the Oilers take a risk, move Ceci and then make a play for a different type of defender, possibly getting a team to retain salary?” – The Hockey Writers

• No team is going to take a risk when they’re Stanley Cup contenders. They’re going to be as risk-averse as possible in an effort to improve their roster.
• Chychun can play both sides and the Oilers were in on him before the got Ekholm last year. So there’s that to consider but I don’t think they trade for him to replace Cody Ceci right now. In the summer, that’s a more believable scenario though.

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How many ex-Oilers could Ken Holland bring back into the fold this season on top of Sam Gagner? Maybe there’s one playing in Minnesota at the moment with a few Cup rings on his hand that could help the team out? Also, is there another Mattias Ekholm-type trade on the table for the Oilers to green light? A hometown boy out in St. Louis might be the perfect foil for what the Canucks and Jets have done this week…

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The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

Oilers about to get Maroon’d Again?

“Maroon could be attractive to teams looking to add depth, leadership and somebody who can still score. Winning three Stanley Cups in a row is a valuable pedigree. Edmonton had interest earlier this season, but the Oilers’ acquisition of Corey Perry may change things there. Maroon has a 16-team trade list, according to CapFriendly, so he may control his own destiny.” – Michael Russo/Joe Smith, The Athletic

• Yes, yes, and another yes. Injuries will happen, Connor Brown may never score again, and nobody has ever complained about having too much Stanley Cup experience on their team going into the playoffs.
• The top six, in theory, could use another goal-scorer (Maroon isn’t that as his 4 goals in 49 games would suggest) on Leon’s wing, but at the same time, Warren Foegele has been a pretty decent placeholder on the 2nd line and I’m of the opinion that if Janmark gets hurt or needs a night off or Holloway gets traded/hurt/struggles, they’re going to need another LW to fill in.
• Why not Pat?

Can Ken Holland Bring Another Hometown Boy Back to Northern Alberta?

“Another player of note, and one who was listed on The Fourth Period’s Trade Watch List, is St. Albert native Colton Parayko. The 30-year-old right-shot defenceman has eight goals and 18 points in 48 games and carries a cap hit of $6.5 million until the end of the 2029-30 season, along with a full no-trade clause. You’d have to imagine that maybe he’d waive it to play for his hometown team, right?” – Oilersnation

• Parayko is 30 years old and has, what, six more years left on his deal at $6.5M per year. I know the Oilersnation guys aren’t a fan of that but it doesn’t really scare me off as the salary cap is going to increase more and more in the next few years and if you’re looking for an upgrade on Cody Ceci, isn’t Parayko just that?
• He’s stayed pretty healthy over his career, he plays north of 24 minutes a night regularly, he’s a massive unit with a big shot, and one more thing… Stanley Cup Pedigree!!!
• I mean, you ask fans in other markets who would you rather have, Cody Ceci or Colton Parayko? You could ask some execs the same question and I think you’re going to find that most will say Parayko.
• In addition to those points, it would give the club the necessary personnel to slow cook the likes of Max Wanner and Beau Akey. Ken Holland LOVES his veterans, right?

Trade Deadline Could be a Quiet One in Edmonton

“I see the Oilers #1 target ahead of the deadline being a 3-4, 2-way Center with some size, faceoff prowess and PK experience. I always say that you can never have too many Centers. I will get into some names in a minute. But I also wonder if Ken Holland considers tweaking his Defence corps? I could see the logic behind adding some experienced, veteran depth in case you hit injuries. But upgrading any of the existing Top-4 (who have been particularly good) might not be the biggest bang for their buck.” – Kurt Leavins, Cult of Hockey

• I know I’ve talked about Maroon and Parayko today, but in previous blogs recently I’ve mentioned the likes of Nic Dowd and Jaycob Megna at least once if not multiple times.
• Megna seems like a lock to me unless somebody else scoops him up and if that scenario goes down, look for the Oilers to trade for a similar sized dman with a similar skill set.
• Maybe Ilya Lybushkin down in Anaheim, I wonder about Erik Johnson in Buffalo (hurt?), Zach Bogosian in Minny, Johnathan Kovacevic in Montreal, or possibly Matt Dumba who’s playing for the Coyotes.
• Kovecevic makes minimum wage. He might be the most similar to Megna in terms of size and financials. He’s not as good, mind you.
• Nic Dowd’s stock will go up with the trades of Monahan and Lindholm and it’s not even a guarantee he gets dealt if the Caps stay in the race. Which leads me to believe that Boone Jenner could be high on their list (hence why McDavid selected him at the All-Star Game draft). I think Colton Scissons is high on their list if Nashville decides to throw in the towel. And I think Scott Laughton is another in the event that Philly comes back to Earth without Carter Hart.
• I’m curious about Nico Sturm down in San Jose too. I think he’d be a decent 4th line pick up if the Sharks would eat 50% of his $2M/yr deal that expires after next year. He’s a good faceoff man but is a lefty. He’s 6’3″, 200+ lbs, but his fancies are atrocious with the Sharks. So there’s that to consider. However, if Edmonton is looking for somebody to help on the PK, Sturm averages almost two min/night in San Jose.

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Add a new name to the Edmonton Oilers rumor mill folks! I’m not telling you here though, you have to scroll down to find about about Megna-man. I’m also going to comment on the Sean Walker rumors and how I think he’s not the guy Edmonton needs right now. Lastly, there’s a lot of talk emerging about the Oilers going after Jake Guentzel, but I’ve got another name who might be cheaper and better. Read on to find out who that is!

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The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

Ceci Out? But Who’s Coming In?

“If the Oilers are looking to upgrade on Ceci, this could be the guy to do it. First off, Walker will give you more production, as the 5’11” right-shot defenceman has five goals and 17 points in 50 games this season.” – Oilersnation

• I don’t know… Ceci hasn’t been terrible but does he find himself in Tyson Barrie’s shoes this year?
• Good guy, works hard?

Sean Walker an Option?

“The Philadelphia Flyer has five goals and 17 points in 50 games, along with a 53.95% goal share and 53.17% expected goal share. Furthermore, he has played 284.3 minutes against elite competition, or 35.1% of his ice time.” Oilersnation

• I’m not sure what the infatuation is with getting rid of Ceci? I get that the fans would like the team to get better but this is a guy who’s contributing to one of the league’s BEST defenses. Would it be a smart idea to disturb the chemistry that’s currently taking place right now?
• I see that he was playing some big minutes when Philly was hot but he hasn’t played over 20 minutes in a game since Jan.8th in a loss to Pittsburgh. Since then he’s only played more than 18 minutes twice.
• Maybe somebody can help me with this, Walker played 26 shifts against Boston on the 27th but only 15:53 in TOI. Why were his shifts so short?
• Another weird stat that comes up is that he’s not been credited for a single hit since the 13th! That’s seven games! As a dman, how can you go almost 100 minutes or so without hitting anybody? I don’t mean laying a guy out, but simply not shoulder checking a guy into the boards? That’s weird to me.
• Getting back to the Oilers, does Darnell Nurse need a partner who is strictly a “defensive dman” (that doesn’t hit anybody)? I kinda of thought that was his job to be honest. If you’re going to upgrade his partner, wouldn’t you want an elite puck mover like Bouchard?
• Unrelated to the previous point, here’s a name for you, Jaycob Megna out of the Blackhawks.
• Left shot, 31 years old, 762k cap hit, and possible Brett Kulak replacement should Edmonton move Kulak in a different deal.
• I’m willing to bet that the Oilers could add Megna or a player like him for the post-season drive. Word is, he’s impressed some important people for the work he’s done in Chicago.

“In a recent interview with The Athletic, Jeff Jackson, CEO of the Edmonton Oilers, shed light on the team’s strategies as the NHL trade deadline approaches. Saying the team is in a good spot and hinting there’s no need to make a big move, Jackson also hinted the Oilers aren’t shying away from one.” – NHL Trade Talk

• Well, it’s going to go one way or the other. No half-measures.
• Either the Oilers bring in a big name or the add fringe pieces and I could see Holland selling the future to win now. He did it in Detroit all those years they were contenders and he’s going it in Edmonton too.
• Does that mean Holloway and Broberg are outtie 5000? If the Lindholm deal is the benchmark for a Guentzel trade, you can kiss one or both of those young players goodbye.

Edmonton’s Trade Deadline Objective

“Top Objective: 3C or 2RW
Scoop: There is more than one way to skin a cat, which is to the Oilers’ advantage here. They can go out and acquire a third line center, which would allow them to keep Ryan McLeod on the wing – where he has really blossomed. Or they can keep McLeod at center, where he can utilize his speed, and add a right-shooting forward who can help feed Leon Draisaitl pucks. It would be particularly advantageous if Corey Perry could be that guy for the Oilers near league minimum, which would allow them to retain some assets to fill elsewhere, such as by adding another true defender, or providing a steady tandem partner for Stuart Skinner.” – Frank Seravalli, Daily Faceoff

• Perry can moonlight in the top-six but I wouldn’t have him up there for any extended amount of time. The guy is almost 40 years old and has been playing on the 3rd and 4th lines of his teams in recent campaigns for a reason.
• Do the Oilers want a playmaker on the RW for Leon? I feel like giving Draisaitl a shooter frees him up a bit and keeps him grounded positionally.
• The other thing is, Knoblauch mixed things up a bit before the all-star break by putting Leon back up with Connor and Hyman and Nuge down to play with Kane and Foegele. How might that play out going forward with regards to the trade deadline?
• Another question I’ve got is, what’s going on with Sam Gagner? Is he really 100% or does Knoblauch really prefer Janmark and Brown over him on the 4th line?
• Personally, I like the line of Holloway, McLeod, and Foegele but if Edmonton sticks with that, it means either Perry goes and plays top-six or he heads down and bumps Brown to the press box (which isn’t a bad idea at all).
• Right now, the top RW trade target connected to Edmonton is Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel and he’d be as pure-a-rental as you’re gonna get because I can’t see him taking a haircut to stay in Edmonton and he’s going to get one hell of a raise starting next year that the Oilers won’t be able to afford.
• Now, there’s an alternative and his name is Vladimir Tarasenko. Cup pedigree, post-season snipe show, perhaps a perfect winger for Draisaitl, and he’s got to be cheaper to acquire than Pittsburgh’s star winger.

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Ken Holland is right in his wheelhouse here as the Edmonton Oilers are a Stanley Cup contender yet again and that means he’s going to sell the farm to make his team as good as possible. Who’s he going to bring in though? There’s a veteran Cup-winning center playing in Southern California that might tickle his fancy. That yearning for a goal-scoring RWer could be solved by tapping into a former Oiler’s relation playing out east. Lastly, do you think that the Oilers could’ve offered a better package to get Elias Lindholm? I do. Read on to find out what Edmonton could’ve offered.

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The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

Holland to Bring in Another Player with Stanley Cup Pedigree?

“Adam Henrique will be a popular guy over the next four-to-six weeks. The Anaheim Ducks are collecting information and trade calls, and as I reported earlier this month, there seems to be a willingness to move him well in advance of the trade deadline. If the Ducks eat half his deal and are willing to take a contract back on top of it, I think the Edmonton Oilers could pursue.” – The Fourth Period

• I do like the idea of bringing in Henrique if the price is right and right now, I’m not sure if the price is going to be right and being a left-shot doesn’t exactly knock off “Right-Shot Center” from the deadline checklist.
• Although, would him having the 7th best EV FO% make you forget that he’s not RH’d?
• On top of that, he’s healthy right now but boy does he have a dodgy IR history. That would scare me off paying any sort of premium for him if I was GM of any team.

“Henrique is a pending UFA with a cap hit of $5.825M, so the Ducks would either have to retain $1,800,113, or the Oilers would have to send back that amount in other contracts, or something in the middle that made the math work.” – The Oilers Rig

• Well, that’s a first rounder at least to retain that much salary and Monahan just got dealt to WPG for a first and a conditional 3rd if the Jets win the Cup without salary retained.
• I know Stauffer has mentioned a couple times in recent weeks that the cost to acquire Henrique will be much lower than that to get Monahan… As Bob often says, I guess time will tell on that regard.
• Personally, I think the only center position that needs attention is the one on the 4th line and I’d be targeting Nic Dowd (cheap and serviceable on the dot) but if the Oilers want to go balls out, Kevin Hayes in STL could be a tasty addition.
• Jake Evans in MTL has taken over 600 faceoffs this year and his EV FO% is 53.7%… Edmonton was looking at him last season if I remember correctly.

Could Louie’s Boy Finally Come Home?

“…the Bruins winger is writing a hefty pay raise from his current $4 million cap hit. Most NHL bettors would likely bet that (Jake) DeBrusk is looking at a minimum, six-year, $30 million contract. So, it will be interesting to see if, as Sweeney did two years ago when he signed DeBrusk to his current two-year, $8 million contract at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, gets DeBrusk signed again by the March 8, 2024, NHL Trade Deadline. – Jimmy Murphy, Boston Hockey Now

• Bob Stauffer has hinted at the Oilers targeting a pending UFA right-winger in the past and I thought he was talking about Jordan Eberle. I totally forgot about Jake DeBrusk but hey, Edmonton’s inquired about him in the past and if he’s on the market, even softly, you can be damned sure that Holland has called Boston about him.
• Would a deal centered around Warren Foegele and DeBrusk work?

What the Oilers Could’ve Paid to Get Lindholm Out of Calgary

“So, the Edmonton Oilers price for Elias Lindholm would have been the equivalent of (say) Zach Hyman, their 2024 1^st, 2024 conditional 5^th, Beau Akey and Nikita Yevseyev, no salary retained.” – Kurt Leavins, The Cult of Hockey

• I think an argument could’ve been made to deal Kane IF he would green-light the deal. I mean, I like what Kane’s going to bring to the post-season, however, age-wise, he’s in a very precarious position as his type of player generally doesn’t get better with time aka the production is going to start declining fast and hard.
• That said, maybe that extra year on Kane’s deal wasn’t ideal for Craig Conroy. Maybe making a trade with Edmonton wasn’t a savory idea for Calgary but that’s a team with no bite anymore now that Tkachuk is gone. Wouldn’t you want somebody on that team who stirs the pot and can back it up?

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Daniel Nugent-Hopkins, -er I mean Bowman, wrote recently of the five most likely “assets” in play for the Edmonton Oilers at this year’s NHL trade deadline. Let’s take a look at who he mentioned!

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The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

The 2024+2025 1st round picks

“They’d better acquire such an impactful player in this scenario because the trade-off is steep. The cupboards are already bare here. That Ekholm trade cost the Oilers their 2023 first-rounder and Reid Schaefer, their top pick just months prior.”

• I’m not worried about dealing 1st rounders anymore. I think the club has done pretty decently in the latter rounds in the Holland-era that I feel confident in using them to improve the club in the short-term.
• On top of that, I don’t see an impact player in the draft rankings where Edmonton sits now or could sit should they continue their fiery pace until the end of the regular season.
• Frank Seravalli and Bob Stauffer were talking about Adam Henrique and Sean Monahan on Oilers Now! this week and one would have to think that the cost of either of those centers would include a 1st rounder considering the seasons they’re having.

2. Philip Broberg

“Should the Oilers decide to move Broberg, he’d have some value because he’s young, he was recently a high pick and he’s cheap. He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract with no grounds to strike it rich on his next deal… Interestingly, he’s played exclusively on his natural left side when he has plenty of experience at the right defence, too. That provides a tip for who could be on the outs if Broberg isn’t traded.”

• Nothing has changed for me here. I’m still of the belief that Edmonton is going to hold on to Broberg. His next deal won’t be cumbersome at all and the Oilers are going to need cheap young players that are able to impact the games when they’re on the ice. One could argue that the club bricking his path to the NHL might be on purpose for financial reasons.
• I’d also add that his value is much much higher than it was back in early December.

3. Brett Kulak

“DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli had Kulak on his most recent trade board in part because of Broberg’s ability to backfill that spot with a nearly $2 million savings on the cap… He might be a little too pricy for the Oilers right now.”

• Someone in my Twitter feed recently said that Brett Kulak is a player good teams trade for at the deadline for depth. They don’t generally trade them away and I agree with that.
• I could see him being this year’s Tyson Barrie though. Edmonton has Broberg right there in the waiting to fill Kulak’s boots and if Ken Holland is going to upgrade the roster somewhere else, he’ll need to move some money around..

4. Rafa Lavoie

“Lavoie might still be a call-up option in the weeks ahead and could be a top-nine fixture next season. The Oilers will need cheap forwards on the roster come the fall, too, especially with most or all of Connor Brown’s bonus set to slip over onto next season’s cap… He’s not a non-starter in trade talks, though. It’s very unlikely the Oilers would say no if another team desperately wanted him, and they got a key player back.”

• Do the Oilers need another Alex Chiasson on the roster for next season? I don’t think the 4th line would hurt with Lavoie on it as he’s clearly done with the AHL.
• However, I’m not sure what else he brings to the table aside from his shot at the NHL level. He’s not going to go on the PK or the PP, so that’s going to stunt his development. He’ll fight but he’s not Ryan Reaves nor is he the sort of player that bangs bodies when he doesn’t have the puck.
• Sure, he’s got 13 goals but he’s not really outpacing last season’s totals. It might make perfect sense to find a team that has a piece Edmonton needs and deal him while he’s got some heat.
• Maybe use him to bring Pat Maroon back? Just an idea. A little more Cup pedigree never hurt and Oilers fans LOVE Patty! 800k cap hit, no less.

5. Xavier Bourgault

“He’s regressing statistically. Bourgault projects to finish with worse offensive numbers than he did last season. He has just five goals and 14 points in 35 games compared to 13 goals and 34 points in 62 contests a year ago. As with Lavoie, the Oilers wouldn’t be expected to keep him off limits to another team if he means securing an ideal return.”

• When I watch him he looks like he’s got the tools but the finish just isn’t there. That could be due to linemates but he’s had some good AHL vets to play with over these last two years and also some higher end prospects too. Yet, the results are the same.
• Man, Holland’s got to live with passing over some major talent to draft Bourgault instead, eh?
• Move Gogo is my advice. Get what you can I reckon because the good ones will always find a way to get their names on the score sheet. Be that in the points department or elsewhere.
• I’m wondering if Dallas might have interest in him considering they’ve got an ex-junior teammate in Mavrik Bourque lighting it up for their AHL affiliate.
• If I’m being completely honest, I don’t know any teams that would want to take him on unless it’s one of those swaps where each team has a player who needs a change of scenery.
• I really thought Bourgault would be further along. When I watched him last year and previous I admired his abilities in the muck. He wasn’t the most physical guy but he could always get the puck out of the corner or off the wall and make a play with it. Am I the only guy that noticed?

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