Tag Archives: Travis Hamonic

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BLH Trade Rumors: Oilers, Sabres, Flames, Leafs, Wild, etc.

Oilers Most Likely to be Traded This Season

Jonathan Willis reckons that the Oilers have at least three players who are solid candidates to be traded this season. Matt Benning, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Kris Russell, in Willis’ opinion, are the likeliest options to be moved due to the fact that Benning is both useful and expendable, Russell being a reliable veteran presence with to offset a team going through a youth movement, and Puljujarvi’s growing value due to age (21) and how well he’s performing for Karpat in the SM-Liiga. (The Athletic)

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BLH’s Thoughts: I have a feeling that there will be a trade in the new year but I’m not sure if it will feature any of these players. Should the Oilers continue on the pace they’re currently on, I don’t think they’ll want to sacrifice their veteran defenseman going into the post-season. If anybody gets moved, it’s Puljujarvi, but there’s a part of me that wonders if Holland is playing the long game with him in hopes that he can get the big Finn to change his mind and return to the Oilers. 

Teams Who Need an Early Season Trade

Lyle Richardson recently blogged about five teams who could use a trade to shake things up because their campaigns have started off in a rather pedestrian manner.

Richardson cited Eric Francis, Darren Dreger, James Mirtle, and Elliotte Friedman who all commented on potential trades between the Calgary Flames and the Toronto Maple Leafs that included names like Tyson Barrie, Travis Hamonic, and TJ Brodie. (source)

BLH’s Thoughts: Are any of those players really going to make a real difference for either team. Calgary’s stars are shooting at ridiculously poor percentages and the Leafs simply need a shakeup. Hopefully, the firing of Mike Babcock brings that because I feel like the playoffs are better with Toronto in them. Even if they only last one round. 

Then the man behind Spector’s Hockey moved on to a trade proposal from ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski where Puck Daddy threw out the idea of a Tyson Barrie plus sweetener to Pittsburgh for Justin Schultz.

BLH’s Thoughts: That sweetener would have to be a helluva player I’m thinking. I get that Jultzy has had some injury problems but what if Tyson Barrie is no better in Pittsburgh than Toronto? I just feel like Sheldon Keefe might have better luck with Barrie if he gets some time with him. From an Oilers point of view though, Tyson Barrie would look good on their blue line as a rental…

It’s widely known that the Buffalo Sabres have a surplus of defenders on hand and are looking to make a trade. Richardson suggests that there could possibly be a deal to be made centered around defender Rasmus Ristolainen where the Sabres would send him to Vegas for one of Jonathan Marchessault or Reilly Smith.

BLH’s Thoughts: Interesting proposal. Not sure about Marchessault moving but Smith for Ristolainen is an intriguing idea. 

Wild GM Gauging the Market

Directly from Richardson’s main site, there’s a bit talking about what the Minnesota Wild are up to. Elliotte Friedman has reported that Bill Guerin is working overtime to assess the market on his roster.

It’s been rumored Wild forwards Kevin Fiala, Ryan Donato, and Joel Eriksson Ek are available. They probably don’t have much value in the trade market. Fiala and Eriksson Ek have shown some improvement of late, but likely not enough to entice a lot of interest. (source)

BLH’s Thoughts: As an Oilers fan, Kevin Fiala would be a player to keep an eye on. In my opinion, he would be a great addition to the Oilers middle-six forwards. If we’re talking Puljujarvi though and I’m Ken Holland, I would try to take advantage of the fact that Minnesota’s first-rounder from this past draft, Matthew Boldy, is having a real tough go in his first season at Boston College with only 1 goal in 11 games. I’d be finding out what the price is for Boldy AND Fiala. 

Team Canada Names Coaching Staff for Spengler Cup

The Team Canada coaching staff for the upcoming Spengler Cup has a familiar feel to it for Oilers fans. Former head coach Craig MacTavish, ex-teammate and hall-of-fame defender Paul Coffey, as well as Vegas Golden Knights Director of Hockey Ops Misha Donskov will guide the Canadians through the annual tourney that will run from Dec. 26th-31st this year.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t really have any feeling for this tournament to be honest. But it seems like MacTavish and Coffey are really trying to get back into the coaching game. I wonder if Seattle will be keeping a close eye on one or both of them? 

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Oilers/Flames: Five Things We Learned After Game 1

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I now understand why my dad would yell at the TV when the Oilers were playing when I was a kid because I was doing it last night. Not once, not twice, but ~three times a lady~… I mean, three times did I yell at my TV and with each shout came the name…

“McDAVID!!!!!”

The final time even brought forth a jump and punch into the air ala Little Mac from the classic 8-bit Nintendo game, Mike Tyson’s Punchout.

The Oilers/Flames game followed up on a 7-2 Toronto Maple Leafs win over the Winnipeg Jets where Connor McDavid’s cross-country rival Auston Matthews put up 3 pts. I didn’t get to watch all of that game but it was a shitshow nevertheless. The reason I bring up that game is because whenever the Maple Leafs and Oilers play on the same night and Matthews has a good game, I wonder to myself how Connor will return Matthews’ serve and last night McDavid returned it with some heat.

Game, set, match to McDavid.

Getting back to the actual game that Connor McDavid dominated. I envy those that were lucky enough to witness it live. That game would’ve been outstanding to see in person.

Before we get into the five things we learned, let’s re-live that magical from Connor McDavid.

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED

  • Connor McDavid’s newest endeavor… The Rocket Richard Trophy!

I’ve only ever witnessed another player dominate professional sports like Connor McDavid is doing now and that is Lionel Messi. Every time Messi gets the ball magic happens and that is the same as Connor. Whenever he gets the puck you need to prepare an extra set of underwear in case he pulls off some move that makes you evacuate your bowels in amazement.

I truly hope that one of McDavid’s goals this year is to win the Rocket Richard Trophy. Throw that in the face of the Matthews’ supporters and the Crosby lovers. Truth be known, I like Matthews and Crosby and what better entertainment would it be to have the three of them going head-to-head for the Rocket Richard and the Art Ross?

  • Zack Kassian can play in the top 6 and be effective.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t exactly expect to see Kassassination in the top 6 last night and as soon as I did see him up with Lucic and Nuge my first thought was that the coach had seen enough of Kailer Yamamoto. But actually, Zack Kassian had a pretty decent game for the Oilers last night. He ended the evening with 5 PIMs, 3 shots, and 1 hit.

I wonder if we see Kassian up with Nuge and Looch a bit more vs. the Canucks this weekend…

  • Drake Caggiula is an absolute buzzsaw. 8 hits last night!!!

THIS was the Caggiula I wanted to see all pre-season. He was hitting everything in sight and it got me fired up for him! This was part of the reason Jordan Eberle was shipped out to Brooklyn. When he wasn’t scoring, there was nothing else to his game. The Drake gave zero f*cks as to who he hit, he found a Flame, put him in his sights and lowered the boom. I loved it!

Caggiula’s line was solid too. I was really impressed with Jokinen and his positioning and hockey IQ. Ryan Strome didn’t do a whole lot but was effective and didn’t stand out for the wrong reasons.

  • Kailer Yamamoto was completely out of his element last night which was highlighted by his TOI at the end of the evening. A paltry 6:33. 

That’s two anonymous games in a row for Yamamoto and you can’t even blame it on the Oilers taking too many penalties or spending a lot of time on the power play. It is clear to me that the NHL is moving far too fast for him right now, it’s too heavy, and he’s having trouble adapting quickly but we should be fair to him because even though the Flames had a poor game, they are a good team and a physical team at that. Perhaps Yamamoto will have better luck vs. the Canucks in a couple of days.

I’ll tell you what though, that little tete-a-tete he had going with Kris Versteeg off the faceoff (In the 2nd period I think) made me happy. He didn’t back down from the NHL vet at all. Not that Kris Versteeg is anybody to be afraid of or anything. But just that he not only took what Versteeg had to give but he gave it back is a good sign.

  • Oscar Klefbom might be a Norris Trophy candidate by season’s end if he keeps up efforts like the one he showed us last night and stays healthy. He had 9 shots on goal!!!

More like carpet bom… He was on fire last night! I mean, how about that shot that nearly took Smith’s head off? Wowzas!!! He had 12 tallies last season, can he improve on that this year? If he’s going to be sending 7+ shots on net every game, I expect him to be keeping pace with Brent Burns.

On a side note, how good was the defense last night? Wow! Completely shut down the Flames offense apart from a little push in the 3rd from Monahan’s line. Klefbom’s partner Adam Larsson was particularly impressive.

A few other things that I really enjoyed about last night’s game against the Lames:

  • Pat Maroon getting right into Mike Smith’s grill.
  • The #MEGATHREAD that was started by our good friend @theoilknight. Give him a follow. He provides good info on OHL prospects as well as a fresh take on the Oilers.
  • Cam Talbot absolutely robbing Sean Monahan late in the game.
  • When Lucic wallpapered that Flame which in turn lead to McDavid’s hat-trick goal. Looch looks a bit faster, no?

Do you think that the Edmonton Oilers served notice to the entire NHL last night that it’s going to be a long game for whoever is playing the Oilers on any given evening? 45 shots was it? Against one of the best defenses (apparently) in the NHL now?

What I’m really looking forward to is the first time the Oilers play the Maple Leafs because the Leafs are shaping up to be an offensive juggernaut whereas the Oilers have learned to play a tight defensive game but have the world’s best offensive hockey player on their team…

What did you think about the game? Who stood out for you and what was your favorite highlight of the game? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter/Facebook!

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Why the Oilers Stepped Away From Hamonic

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It’s been quite a productive week with regards to conversations with the sources!

But the first thing I’d like to talk about is why the Oilers stepped away from the Travis Hamonic trade.

Quite simply, Islanders GM Garth Snow wanted Darnell Nurse included in the deal according to my people on the inside. I asked, “Was Hamonic talked about in the Eberle deal?”

The reply,

“Yes. But Snow wanted Nurse too. Talks stopped there. Peter was actually hot after Hamonic BEFORE he got Larsson. The Swedish pinball. After Larsson, Hamonic interest was halted. Peter loves Nurse. He’s not trading Nurse. So, It would have been Ebs and Nurse for Strome and Hamonic. But Peter was no way in hell parting with Nurse. That’s why it ultimately became Ebs Strome 1v1″

Now, the Hamonic trade makes Calgary’s d-core a cup contending one and they’ll have that core together for a solid period of time before Hamonic needs a raise. Based on the current market, you can be assured that Hamonic’s next contract will be in the vicinity of $5M or more per year. The Flames are going all-in this upcoming season because they’re not going to be able to afford all these big pieces and they gave up a HUGE amount to get a guy that can help them for the next three seasons but in the 2018 draft they are screwed because they don’t pick until the 4th round. So, they’d better have good amateur scouting because, in the long run, they’ve just shot themselves in the foot.

It’s pretty obvious that Calgary is building the defense out in an attempt to combat Edmonton’s blossoming forward corps but after Sean Monahan, Johnny Hockey, and Matt Tkachuk; their offense is bone dry.

If they want to get to the Stanley Cup next season, they’ll have to go through Edmonton or Nashville. Good Luck!

As for the Oilers, they want to hold onto their picks because, according to my source, Peter Chiarelli has learned his lesson. He went the way the Flames are going when he was GM in Boston and he’s got the opportunity to build a multiple Stanley Cup winning team here in Edmonton.

Do you agree with the path that Peter Chiarelli has the Oilers on by not sacrificing draft picks for Hamonic? Let us know in the comments below!

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Oilers Rumors: Friedman on Phaneuf, Hamonic, Barrie, Eberle, and Vegas!

Our favorite insider Elliotte Friedman did his usual spot on Oilers NOW! with Brendan Ullrich yesterday morning and hit on a number of topics regarding the Oilers and what they might be doing before the roster freeze later today.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES EBERLE GETS DEALT BEFORE THE ROSTER FREEZE?

EF: I think pretty decent. I don’t think there’s any doubt they’re going to try very hard. Peter is in the cone of silence about it. I tried to ask him a few questions about things that I was hearing and he was very polite about it and said, “Look, I’m just not going to talk to you about it right now.”

I think he’s really trying to get something done. I’m sure for Eberle too he’s sitting there saying, “I hope this ends sometime.” because he’s probably tired of the whole sage as well. 

I think if it’s up to Peter Chiarelli to get something done, he will. I think he’s really going to try.

SOME OF THE OFFERS CHIARELLI IS LOOKING AT

EF: I don’t know about the offers. I can’t tell you exactly on that. I think also too, the league is really trying hard to get the salary cap sorted out today. There have been reports today and John Shannon is one of the ones reporting it, the players are voting on a $75M cap and that is something that could have a direct influence on what some of these teams are looking at and what they’re going to be able to do. So I think that’s a factor in just about everything that these teams are talking about. 

I’m sure the Islanders are there, Colorado’s there, I always think there’s somebody there that maybe we don’t think about. That there’s a team there that we haven’t considered or you haven’t heard about. I would generally believe that that’s the case. 

I’ve said a couple of times now, I don’t know what to make of the whole Islanders situation. That quite simply when Kelly Buchberger was with Jordan Eberle, I know they butted heads sometimes. I don’t know if that’s a big deal or not and that means the Islanders are or aren’t interested. But I know a lot of people around Edmonton, they really think that the Islanders are the team, I can’t tell you that’s true one way or another.

I’ve always wondered if a team like Carolina could be involved but I don’t think they are. In that particular situation, I always wonder because they’re looking for offense.

THE ISLANDERS AND EBERLE

EF: From what I hear on Hamonic, the price is really high. I wonder if it’s higher than Eberle to be perfectly honest…

(It should be, given Hall was offered for Hamonic last summer.)

I don’t know if Hamonic is going to get it done unless there’s more to it than that. 

I mentioned a while ago that during the World Championships that Detroit was really looking at De Haan and he played pretty well there. And then someone said to me that after he played there, the Islanders might want to keep De Haan and maybe it’s Hamonic that Detroit goes for and I just heard that the price on Hamonic is really high. I think that’s more than what Eberle is and I think also, don’t forget, you talk about Edmonton and the choices you have to make with your cap with Draisaitl and McDavid, the Islanders have to do Tavares and I think everything that they do is going to be about Tavares. So, I just wonder if that’s a move they want to make. Hamonic’s on a great contract too. 

Don’t forget last year one of the reasons that Hall for Larsson was 1-for-1 was Edmonton was saving, what, $1.8M on the cap. So I think everything gets done, Hamonic makes less than Eberle but is a more impactful player at this point in his career. I’m not sure that that’s going to do it. I think that if it’s Eberle going to the Islanders, either it’s going to be more than him or there’s going to be something else involved. 

So I’m not convinced that that’s the deal that’s going to get made. 

COLORADO DEAL?

EF: I think there’s a lot in Colorado. I think there’s Tyson Barrie. Tyson Barrie is available in a pure hockey deal. That’s what I was told and I know Tyson Barrie, I’ve written about this before, he got injured at the World Championships, and I know teams were really disappointed because I know there were teams that wanted to watch him there. 

I think that Colorado is willing to do that but it’s got to be a hockey deal.

Now, you know what? Maybe that’s Eberle but I don’t know. I can’t say yes or no but I do think there is something that could get done there too. 

(That’s four insiders in a week, McKenzie, Stauffer, Rishaug, and Friedman; three in one day mind you, that have mentioned Barrie and the Oilers. Why is everyone focused on Hamonic still?)

HOW ABOUT THAT MATHESON TWEET?

EF: Are you talking about this Eakin for Eberle rumor? I kinda looked into it and I was kinda told it probably wasn’t going to happen. So my inclination is to say right now that’s a no. That particular deal.

(Friedman says “that particular deal” which tells me there’s another deal(s) on the table he’s away of… Wonder what that could be? Nichushkin?)

WOULD VEGAS OR ST.LOUIS BE AN OPTION FOR EBERLE?

EF: I think Vegas is going to have trouble finding scoring. I could see that and if I were a player, I’d want to go there. You know Fleury is going to be there. Initially, I think teams were hoping Fleury was going to get flipped out of Vegas but I don’t think that’s happening anymore. I think he’s staying. So, immediately you’ve got a player there that a lot of players would like to play with and a good goalie. 

To me, if I was Vegas, I would take a long look at Eberle. Simply because I see a team there that is going to need scoring and you know what? Maybe he’s a perfect fit for that. I don’t have any problem with a Jordan Eberle in Vegas and you know I’ve always felt that St.Louis is a team that could use offense but I don’t know if they’re in on him or not. 

I think the biggest question with Vegas is how many guys that are drafting and keeping?

Let’s say for argument’s sake they take Marc Methot from Ottawa, are they keeping that guy? Because I think there’d be a stampede from teams wanting him.

(Methot for Eberle?)

JJ

EF: I think one of two things are going to happen, either he’s going to get snapped up in the expansion draft or he’s going to be playing for Edmonton because that contract is a one-way. That says to me that he’s going to be playing in Edmonton next year if not picked up by Vegas. 

DOUBLE DION COMING TO TOWN?

EF: I think he would go there (Edmonton). I think the tough thing is, even if you get Phaneuf at $5M as opposed to $7M, that’s going to be a tough squeeze for you guys. 

Unless it makes sense from a point of view where Ottawa takes something off of Edmonton’s hands money-wise. I don’t know if that makes a lot of sense. 

It’ll be interesting though, Phaneuf is more of a grinder than a speedster, and you play in the one division where Anaheim’s a real grinding team, the Kings are a real grinding team, Calgary’s more of a speed team than a grinding team. If you look at the top teams in your division, you’ve got some real grinders there. Even San Jose, they can really grind with ya too. 

Phaneuf actually could make some sense in the Pacific division. That would just have to be a deal that would make a lot of sense to me financially before I’d believe Edmonton was going to do it. 

There are teams out there that worry more about term than they do about money and if you could get Russell for three years, would you take that over Phaneuf at four? I think you probably would. 

(Phaneuf has always interested me since his days in Calgary and I like Friedman’s point about the grinding teams. See, Phaneuf is very much in the Kadri/Bieksa role in that he’ll annoy players physically but he won’t engage them. If he could be had for a lower price-point, I would support that move.)

HENDERSON’S FAVORITE PLAYER

EF: I’m going to guess that those two guys have a pretty good idea of what’s going on there, the Oilers and the agent, I’m sure they knew before he even signed last year. 

(Russell is going to have some better offers this summer. He showed that he is a fine defenseman when played in his wheelhouse and with the right support. I wouldn’t be surprised if Calgary or Toronto took a run at him or if Boston wheeled back with another offer.)

If Travis Hamonic gets traded, and I think it’s possible he does, that’s a big trade. Whoever gets him is going to hurt a bit. They’re going to be happy to get Hamonic but they’re going to give up a lot. 

Listen to the whole interview right below!

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Lowetide’s Defensive Targets

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Below is a list of targets our beloved Lowetide has come up with (Here’s the link). Now, I’ve been wanting to comment on something like this for a while now but my time is split between running around Taipei for work and my two young children at home, I haven’t had the chance. So I’d like to use Lowetide’s list and comment on each player because if anyone has their eye’s on the ball regarding the Oilers, it’s LT.

RD Josh Manson, Anaheim Ducks. A dream solution to 2RHD.

– Perfect dman for the Oilers right now. I agree with LT here. He’s as mean as his old man but doesn’t quite have the shot. Skates better and is a tad smarter though. Fearless.

RD Radko Gudas, Philadelphia Flyers. Duck killer, if acquired.

– Some might be scared off by his previous run-ins with player safety but he’d neutralize any threats from the opposition and be a mentor to someone like Darnell Nurse and Matt Benning. This guy is an absolute tank and his shot may very well be one of the hardest in the league. Players get hurt when he takes the ice one way or the other.

RD Alex Petrovic, Florida Panthers. Rugged D, good possession numbers.

– I’m not as sold on Petrovic as LT. He’s only okay to me. Kris Russell was a better defender with worse possession numbers for Edmonton in my opinion. There are better players out there and yeah, he’ll drop the gloves but he’s not a great scrapper.

RD Travis Hamonic, NY Islanders. A rumored target.

– Hottest rumor out there has Hamonic coming in for Eberle but I can’t see it. He’s better than De Haan I reckon but isn’t as consistent as of recent. The Isles would be better off finding a way to keep him but if Edmonton could get him, he’d be right up there with Manson as a very nice piece to add to the Oilers puzzle.

RD Mark Pysyk, Florida Panthers. Panthers young and emerging blue.

– Bob Green must be salivating at the thought of reuniting Griffin Reinhart and Mark Pysyk. Not only that but seeing as Reinhart looks to be the hill that Peter Chiarelli will die on these days, I’m sure he’d also be okay with him coming to Edmonton and attempting to re-animate that old Edmonton Oil Kings partnership. Is he a 2nd pairing dman though? Griffin sure isn’t.

RD Justin Faulk, Carolina Hurricanes. He brings a lot of offense, bigger ask obvious.

– Is Faulk a better version of Justin Schultz? As LT says, he brings a lot of offense but he hemorrhages chances defensively and is that the kind of player you want partnering up with Kris Russell next season if KR were to be re-signed?

RD Kevin Shattenkirk FREE AGENT (80gp, 13-43-56). One year at big coin?

– Boy, that is a big ticket for one year. That being said, it’s a great opportunity for both parties to hit a home run as it’s well known Shattenkirk would like to be beamed up to the Rangers and New York needs to rid itself of one of Marc Staal or Dan Girardi before stumping up for Shattenkirk. And the Oilers could use the year to rip up the league offensively before McDavid’s new contract kicks in and that would also give them a year to find a replacement for Shattenkirk internally or externally.

RD Sami  Vatanen, Anaheim Ducks. Talented, inconsistent.

– Apparently, the teams are lining up for this Finnish defender even though he won’t be ready for the beginning of next season. I like him but man, coming back from that shoulder surgery will be hard. I can’t see him being as effective until the 2019 season. Not worth it to me.

RD Jason Demers, Florida Panthers. Veteran D visited Edmonton as UFA last summer.

– Honestly, I think that Matt Benning can do an equal-to-better job than Demers and he’s a helluva lot cheaper.

LD Kris Russell FREE AGENT. GM and coach like him, good chance he’ll return.

– I dig Russell but not at $4Mx4. Anything over $3M is an overpayment in my opinion.

RD David Savard, Columbus. Rarely mentioned but an interesting option.

– Really emerged this season on the Blue Jackets’ blue line. Very much an all-round defender but I think the Oilers are looking for somebody with a bit more offensive flair.

RD Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild. Power play option, chaos in his game.

– Dumba isn’t a puck rusher like a Kris Letang but he’s got a cannon like Ryan Ellis. He hits like Scott Stevens but he defends a bit better than Justin Schultz. So plainly put, he has his pluses but the warts are pretty apparent too.

LD Ryan Murray, Columbus Blue Jackets. Doesn’t seem a fit.

– That’s a good summary of Murray from LT. Is he better or worse than Kris Russell in your opinion?

RD Cody Franson FREE AGENT. His fancy stats: Out of the blue and into the black.

– I reckon I heard Jason Gregor talking about how Franson has trouble pivoting and is Marshmellow Man soft…

RD Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche. He had a poor year, but has talent.

– His price point is up there at $5.5M per year and he really is chaos defensively but he puts up the points and he doesn’t take shit from anybody. Just ask Pat Maroon. Could cost the Oilers dear to acquire him.

LD Brian Campbell FREE AGENT (80gp, 5-12-17). The man can still wheel.

– I like this option because it could be very helpful to the Oilers salary cap. I don’t think he’d cost very much, he’s a veteran (which I think the Oilers could use more of), and as LT says, he can still skate. Think of him as a 2006 Bret Hedican type.

LD Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins. Played over 23 minutes a game this past season.

– On the last year of his deal, making $4M, still plays a beastly game. I really believe he’d make a positive impact of the Oilers could get him. That said, the relationship between Boston and Chiarelli since his firing has been frosty at best.

RD Michael Stone FREE AGENT (64gp, 3-12-15). Last chance Texaco.

– He’s going to get the same kind of money that Kris Russell is going for, isn’t he? I don’t like it long-term. The Oilers need more offense in a defenseman for that kind of money on the 2nd pairing.

There are a couple names I believe Lowetide failed to mention, one being Jacob Trouba. I think he’d fit in well in Edmonton and surely that trade demand out of Winnipeg is still lingering.  The other being Noah Hanifin.

Don’t ask me why Ron Francis would even entertain the notion of dealing him. Maybe they reckon he’s going to ask for a pretty penny once his entry-level contract is up and they like Slavvin and Pesce in the long run a bit better. And with the likes of Roland McKeown, Hadyn Fleury, Jake Bean, and Klaus Dahlbeck coming up, perhaps they feel they could really cash in on him…

If that really is the case, I’d be happy to send Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Carolina for Hanifin. I’d add to that to make it happen too. Noah Hanifin is a better version of Seth Jones and we saw how well he’s turned out for Columbus.

If I had to choose a top 5 out of the list of Lowetide’s above who I think the Oilers are after, I’d go with this:

  1. Kevin Shattenkirk
  2. Travis Hamonic
  3. Tyson Barrie
  4. Matt Dumba
  5. Justin Faulk

My top 5 would be different:

  1. Josh Manson
  2. Radko Gudas
  3. Travis Hamonic
  4. Tyson Barrie
  5. Zdeno Chara

Which dmen would you like to see the Oilers pursue? Are there any on Lowetide’s list above you wouldn’t tough with Zdeno Chara’s stick? Let us know in the comments below!

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