With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Edmonton Oilers.
After some early panic, the Oilers have settled into a groove of late and are making a strong push for the Pacific Division crown. Connor McDavid has reached another level of offensive greatness with 92 points through 50 games, and Leon Draisaitl is second in the league scoring race (but still trails by 16 points). Stuart Skinner has given them some stability in net, and Zach Hyman continues to outperform his contract.
Still, there are some concerns about the defense in Edmonton, and the forward group still lacks depth. The gap from the fourth-highest scoring forward (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) to the fifth (Ryan McLeod) is 45 points, showing just how much room for improvement there is at the deadline. If they can find creative ways to make the cap work, everything is set up for the Oilers to make a big splash this year to fill out the lineup card and try to go on another deep postseason run.
Record
28-18-4, 4th in the Pacific
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$1.125MM in LTIR relief, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th
2024: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th
Trade Chips
First and foremost, it is all-in time for Edmonton with regard to their draft picks. The team only has three more playoff runs with Leon Draisaitl before his bargain contract expires and four until McDavid once again becomes the highest-paid player in the league. Their first-round pick this year and next should be in play if it can get them closer to a championship.
That’s not to say they throw it away for an insignificant rental, but there are no more building years in Edmonton. The time is now to challenge for the Cup, and if an impact player is available (even better if they come with a few years of control), Ken Holland should be willing to lose as many picks as it takes.
Beyond that, some other chips could be on the table as the deadline approaches.
Jesse Puljujarvi is the one that stands out, as his time in Edmonton appears to be dwindling one way or another. The 24-year-old can’t score this season, and sits with just four goals and ten points through 49 games. Is he getting a great opportunity? Not anymore, but that shouldn’t stop him from outscoring someone like Brett Kulak or Derek Ryan. Puljujarvi isn’t going to bring back much on his own, but moving him out would open up some cap flexibility for the Oilers to make a bigger move.
On the other hand, a young player like Dylan Holloway could also be dangled in a significant trade. The 21-year-old has shown enough in his rookie season to prove he will play many NHL games but not enough to guarantee he is a top line player. Selected 14th overall in 2020, if he isn’t ready to make an impact this year, he shouldn’t be off limits in trade talks. With just nine points in 46 games, that seems to be the case.
Something similar could be said about Evan Bouchard, who has seen his ice time slashed this season. The 10th overall pick from 2018 is still just 23 and had an encouraging 43-point rookie season last year, but is still a liability on defense and can’t be entirely trusted by the coaching staff. If the Oilers target a legitimate top-four defenseman at the deadline, there’s certainly a chance the other team targets Bouchard as a piece coming back.
Other potential trade chips: F Raphael Lavoie, F Xavier Bourgault, F Reid Schaefer
Team Needs
1) Third-line center: Defense doesn’t always mean defensemen. Acquiring a true two-way pivot that can fill the third-line role, allowing Nugent-Hopkins to move up into the top-six full-time, would solve several of the Oilers’ problems. Sometimes, the term two-way is used to describe defense-only players – that’s not what Edmonton would be targeting here. This is a true impact player who can drive play in the right direction while keeping the puck out of his own net. He doesn’t need to be McDavid on offense or Patrice Bergeron on defense, but a true difference-maker in this spot would help take some of the pressure off the top players while also elevating the Oilers whenever they are off the ice.
2) Top-four defenseman: The need for a defenseman might eventually disappear with the play of Philip Broberg, but it’s hard to bet on him ascending into a big role this postseason. Getting a minute-munching defender who can play in all situations is a must for the Oilers at the deadline. The caveat here is that it shouldn’t be the kind of bruising, physical addition several other contenders will look for. Edmonton desperately needs another player who can defend hard but also move the puck quickly to their talented forwards. Someone who could theoretically take over the powerplay duties from Tyson Barrie would be ideal, though it would be hard to mess with a unit that is clipping along at 32%.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Yeah, Edmonton’s not going anywhere far. Their top four matches or betters any team in the league, and if this were basketball, that would matter. It being hockey, the Oilers have one series win in them, tops.
They just won 2 series last season, so what are you even talking about lmao
The club isn’t anywhere near Cup contention even though they do have the top two players on earth. It’s still a team sport.
Yeah they aren’t just one C or a D away from being a Cup contender. Half of their forwards aren’t pulling their weight and Skinner is going to get run into the ground before the playoffs even start. The other thing is that they’re so PP dependent and I wonder if the way playoff hockey is officiated results in fewer opportunities.
Skinner has played once in the last 8 games. Im sure hes got plenty left in the tank lol. Jack Campbell has won 7 in a row and come back to earth. Man people who dont watch them regularly love to think they know things. Thats a good hockey team who’s 7-0-1 in there last 8 and 10-3-2 since Christmas. They always seem to play better after Christmas, just like last season when they had the 2nd best points percentage in the NHL behind only Florida, when the new coach took over after xmas. If they could get a good 3rd line center like Toews or the like, watch out
Yeah, speaking of not knowing what you’re talking about … you DO realize that Edmonton is in the worst cap hell of any team in the league not named VGK, right? They’ll have a million in deadline cap space, no more. Even with full retention AND if the trade partner takes Puljujarvi off of their hands (hah!), there’s no way they’re getting their hands on a Toews.
And you think because they won two series last year they can manage more than one this year? Last year they had some secondary scoring: guys like Yamamoto and Puljujarvi and Foegele and Bouchard who just aren’t doing it THIS year. Guys like Mike Smith who are no longer around. “LMAO” indeed.
Stick to soccer Nha
Translation = I got nothin’ so all I’m gonna do is throw some soccer snark back. Stick to pickleball, fella.
Throw a 1st and some guy for Vladislav Gavrikov. You know you want him eating big minutes and playing on the PK.
I doubt a late first and “some guys” get’s it done for Gavrikov. Particularly because the guy you send will have to carry some cap with him. So either you are making your team worse by sending a guy who is worth that cap hit, or you have to add a big sweetener because you’re sending a guy who isn’t worth his cap hit.
I think the Blue Jackets would do Gavrikov for Puljujarvi, Schaefer a 1st and 3rd.