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Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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With the All-Star break in the rear-view, the trade deadline looms large and is now 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.

For the second consecutive season, the Oilers started slowly. The team started so poorly this season that it resulted in the firing of head coach Jay Woodcroft after just 13 games. Since their 3-9-1 start to the season, Edmonton has rebounded under Kris Knoblauch with a 27-7 record that includes a near-record 16-game winning streak. The Oilers now once again look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and will no doubt be looking to add to their lineup at the trade deadline. The club has already been linked to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel and will surely be in on some of the other big names in the upcoming weeks. The Oilers don’t have much in the way of cap space and will need to get creative to fill in some of the remaining holes on their roster. But with the uncertainty around the futures of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they are likely to do everything they can to add to an already formidable lineup.

Record

30-16-1, 3rd in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

 $2.374MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, NASH 6th
2025: EDM 1st, EDM 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th

Trade Chips

Edmonton probably isn’t looking to move much off of their NHL roster to facilitate a trade, however, they will likely need to shed some salary to acquire any high-priced talent. There have been rumors in recent weeks that they would like to shed Cody Ceci and his $3.25MM cap hit, and they also have Jack Campbell toiling in the AHL with his $5MM cap hit, but if Edmonton wanted to move on from either player it would require a sizeable asset to move the money out.

The Oilers do have some assets if they want to make a big move, as they still possess their first-round pick in the next few drafts and have most of their other draft capital as well. There will also be interest in defenseman Philip Broberg despite his lack of NHL success. The 22-year-old hasn’t exactly had a seamless transition to professional hockey, but he is having a strong season in the AHL.

Edmonton has one of the worst farm systems in the NHL, but it isn’t without a couple of intriguing players. Xavier Bourgault is not having the type of season he or the Oilers were hoping for with just six goals and 10 assists in 39 AHL games. The 2021 first-round pick is ranked by many as the Oilers’ top prospect and has shown that he is a great special teams player, but his scoring just isn’t there at even strength. He along with Broberg could be pieces of a bigger package to acquire a big-name player. But if they are the central pieces, it might require the Oilers to give up multiple first-round picks.

Another Oilers prospect is Raphael Lavoie whose size will certainly be alluring to teams who are looking for a big center with untapped potential. Lavoie is having a decent season in the AHL with 15 goals and 11 assists in 33 games, but at 23 years of age, it is hard to consider him a prospect at this point, especially one that can fetch to top-6 forward such as Guentzel.

If Edmonton does want to make a splash, it may require moving out young forward Dylan Holloway, who hasn’t found his offensive game in the NHL but does have good underlying numbers and will almost certainly be an NHL player. Holloway has posted good offensive numbers in the AHL but hasn’t spent of ton of time playing in Edmonton’s top-9 and could find that side of his game if given a chance.

One other intriguing prospect who could draw some interest is Matvei Petrov. The 20-year-old has had a slow start to his professional career with Bakersfield this season, and had a terrific, albeit brief OHL career with the North Bay Battalion. The former sixth-round pick has just five goals and three assists in 30 AHL games with the Condors but had 67 goals and 116 assists in 128 career OHL games. Petrov has good vision and hockey sense but is on the lighter side at the moment and could become much stronger on the puck if he could fill out his 6’2” frame.

Other Potential Trade Chips: D Beau Akey, F Maxim Berezkin

Team Needs

1) Top-6 Forward: The Oilers shuffled their lines yesterday and moved Corey Perry onto their second line. While Perry still has a role in the NHL, his days of being a top-6 forward are well behind him. The Oilers have a considerable gap between their top five forwards and all the remaining ones. Therein lies the need for another top-six winger. The Oilers would probably love to get a right shot forward, however, the market may force them to look at the left side which is why Guentzel’s name is being thrown around. If Edmonton can’t land a top-six forward, they could opt for a top-9 forward as a fallback option. Something they thought they were getting last summer when they signed Connor Brown.

2) A Reliable Second Goaltender: An argument could be made for an additional defender, but goaltending has been problematic for the Oilers for quite some time, which is why they signed Campbell two summers ago. Stuart Skinner has performed admirably for the Oilers and has earned the starter net. However, Edmonton would do well to find a solid backup who could take the net if Skinner were to falter or be dealt an injury. Alex Nedeljkovic out of Pittsburgh could be a good option should the Penguins falter and opt to sell at the deadline.  The Vegas Golden Knights showed last year that a team can never have too much reliable goaltending, and while the Oilers have three goaltenders who can play in the NHL, two of the three have a history of seeing their play fall off considerably. Something the Oilers can’t have as their contention window gets smaller and smaller.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Rangers, Pacioretty

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The Devils have been pondering about making a big push to acquire Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.  After a rough 2022-23 campaign, the 34-year-old has bounced back nicely this year, posting a .914 SV% in 31 starts to keep Calgary within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the West.  Markstrom is signed through 2025-26 with a $6MM cap hit and has a full no-move clause, giving him control on where he goes if he decides to accept a move; Pagnotta notes that Markstrom would seriously consider approving a trade to New Jersey should talks get that far.  The Devils have a team save percentage of just .881 this season, tied with Ottawa for last in the NHL so a significant upgrade between the pipes like Markstrom would be would give them a huge boost for the stretch run.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Rangers are believed to have interest in center Adam Henrique but are not willing to part with the first-round pick the Ducks are seeking, reports USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano. The 34-year-old is the best rental middleman left on the trade market, giving Anaheim some extra leverage in discussions.  Henrique has 15 goals and 18 assists in 49 games so far this season while winning 53.4% of his faceoffs.  However, he carries a $5.825MM cap hit, one that the Ducks will need to pay down half of to maximize his value.
  • When Max Pacioretty signed with the Capitals in free agency, he landed a full no-move clause as part of the contract, seemingly hoping to stick with them for the full season. However, Pierre LeBrun notes in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that his sense is that the 35-year-old might waive that trade protection for the right fit and a chance to go for a Stanley Cup.  Pacioretty has a base $2MM cap charge, plus another $2MM in games played bonuses.  Half of those bonuses have been met already while another $500K will be earned when he plays his next game which should come on Saturday versus Boston.

Maple Leafs Among Many Teams Interested In Maxim Tsyplakov

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Maxim Tsyplakov is having a career year in the KHL and saying he has caught the eye of some NHL teams would be putting it lightly.  Tsyplakov’s agent Alexander Chernykh told The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke that at least a dozen NHL teams have expressed an interest in signing the winger for next season.  He confirmed that the Maple Leafs are among those teams pursuing Tsyplakov.

The 25-year-old had a bounce-back season in 2022-23, picking up 25 points in 63 games with Spartak Moscow.  However, Tsyplakov has found another gear this season, lighting the lamp 30 times already while chipping in with 15 assists in 58 contests while logging nearly 18 minutes a night.  His goal total is tied for the third-highest in the KHL this season behind former NHLers Reid Boucher and Nikolay Goldobin.

Standing 6’3, Tsyplakov is also able to play with some physicality which would help him potentially fit in on a lower line to start next season as it’s rare that an undrafted free agent would jump into an NHL top six right away.  Kloke notes that Toronto also discussed the possibility of trying to play Tsyplakov at center which would certainly increase his value if he’s able to do so consistently.

Tsyplakov is still subject to entry-level regulations so wherever he signs, it will be a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary worth less than $1MM.  Considering the level of interest expressed so far, it stands to reason that he should be able to secure some performance bonuses which are capped as well.  Most teams will make the same offer so it will be up to Tsyplakov to determine the best fit, especially since he’d be arbitration-eligible following next season.

Unlike pending NHL free agents, KHL contracts expire at the end of April so Tsyplakov will be eligible to sign at that time.  With the interest he has already received, there’s a good chance it won’t take long for him to sign when the calendar turns to May.

Atlantic Notes: Newhook, Robertson, Tarasenko

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The Canadiens are expected to activate forward Alex Newhook off injured reserve on Saturday, paving the way for him to return against Dallas, relays Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette.  The 23-year-old has missed nearly two and a half months with an ankle injury but had gotten off to a decent start to his first year in Montreal before that, recording 13 points in 23 games.  While Newhook has spent a lot of time on the wing in his career, he’ll likely play at center more frequently down the stretch following the recent Sean Monahan trade.  The Canadiens opened up a roster spot to activate Newhook earlier today when they returned Lucas Condotta to AHL Laval.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Nicholas Robertson has popped up in recent trade chatter and the Maple Leafs are believed to be willing to move the winger, reports The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. The 22-year-old has managed to stay healthy this season, resulting in him playing in a career-best 31 games where he has seven goals and seven assists.  However, Robertson hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot in Toronto’s lineup.  Considering his offensive success at the lower levels, it stands to reason that several rebuilding teams would have some interest in seeing if Robertson can take a step forward with a new organization.
  • While many expect the Senators to move pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko before next month’s trade deadline, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes that it’s not a lock that Ottawa even wants to move him. The Sens are known to be looking to add quality veterans to help their younger core and have been impressed with how he has become a leading voice in their dressing room.  Tarasenko recently changed agents again; perhaps it was on the hopes of spurring along extension talks that have yet to begin at this point.

Minor Transactions: 02/09/24

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As the NHL trade deadline approaches, transfer activity continues overseas as many of the major European leagues are approaching the end of their regular seasons. A handful of former NHL-affiliated players have been on the move recently, so it’s a good time to check in on where some familiar faces are suiting up overseas:

  • Former Red Wings netminder Jared Coreau has played for various European teams since departing the North American circuit in 2020. The 32-year-old was one of the best netminders in the Slovak Extraliga last season, but his numbers have cratered this year with a .889 SV% and 7-13-0 record in 20 games for HC Slovan Bratislava. That’s led him to transfer to the Swedish second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan, to join Brynäs IF as they attempt to regain promotion to the SHL. Brynäs holds the top spot in the league after being relegated from the SHL last season – the first time they dropped out of the SHL in 63 years. Coreau will run in tandem with Ducks prospect Damian Clara as they aim to close the deal over the coming weeks.
  • One-time Panthers defense prospect Ben Finkelstein abruptly announced his retirement today, ending his four-year pro career. The 26-year-old was a seventh-round pick in the 2016 draft out of high school, but a four-year collegiate stint split between St. Lawrence University and Boston College didn’t yield him an entry-level contract after graduating in 2020. He played two seasons in the ECHL, leading all blue-liners in points with 62 in just 36 games in the 2021-22 campaign, before heading overseas that summer. He was under contract with the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin, where he had 15 assists and a -6 rating in 37 games before sustaining an injury.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Maple Leafs Recall Maxime Lajoie

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The Maple Leafs recalled defenseman Maxime Lajoie from AHL Toronto on Friday, per the team’s public relations department.

Toronto’s 23 active roster slots are all full, so a corresponding move must happen for the recall to be registered with the league. It’s unclear whether that will come in the form of an injured reserve placement or another move, such as a trade. The Hockey News’ David Alter reports center David Kämpf may be heading to IR to create space for Lajoie.

Kämpf, 29, has not played since the All-Star break with an undisclosed injury and is expected to miss at least one more game. He will be eligible to come off IR at any time.

For now, the Maple Leafs will have only 12 forwards and nine defensemen on the active roster. The lopsided totals won’t last long – veterans Jake McCabe and Mark Giordano were absent from practice yesterday for maintenance, so Lajoie comes up in the worst-case scenario that both are ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Senators.

The 26-year-old has four appearances with Toronto this year, last suiting up in the NHL in December. He’s averaged just 9:32 per game and has no shots on goal, although he does have a respectable 52.5% Corsi share at even strength in his limited minutes.

Lajoie will be a restricted free agent upon completion of his one-year, two-way deal this summer. Through 31 AHL games with the Marlies, he has two goals and 17 points with a +5 rating.

Pacific Notes: Arvidsson, McTavish, Jones

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Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson skated in a full-contact jersey Friday for the first time since sustaining back and lower-body injuries during the preseason, Zach Dooley of the team’s official site reports. The 30-year-old’s return to the lineup is not imminent, but it’s a major step forward toward Arvidsson making his season debut before the March 8 trade deadline.

The 5-foot-9 sniper has not played since Los Angeles’ loss to the Oilers in Game 6 of last year’s first-round series. His absence has left a significant hole in the cap-strapped Kings’ top-nine, and as such, their 18th-ranked offense has performed under expectations.

Arvidsson has been skating with a non-contact designation for a few weeks, so his conditioning is likely close to game action after the extended absence. Interim head coach Jim Hiller has not commented on when Arvidsson could make his season debut.

The Swede is in his third season in Hollywood, notching 46 goals and 108 points in 143 games since a 2021 trade brought him West from Nashville. He’s in the final season of a seven-year, $29.75MM deal signed with the Predators in 2017 and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Other updates from SoCal:

  • Ducks sophomore Mason McTavish is out Friday against the Oilers with an upper-body injury, head coach Greg Cronin said. It’s unclear whether this is a recurrence of the upper-body injury that sidelined McTavish for seven games in December. The 2021 third-overall pick looks well on his way to holding down a long-term center spot in Anaheim’s top six, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 31 points in 43 games. His 54.2 faceoff win percentage is the highest on the team, and while his possession metrics this season are mediocre, they don’t suggest he’s been a defensive liability.
  • Replacing McTavish in the lineup will be winger Max Jones, who was activated off injured reserve Friday, according to the NHL’s media portal. The 25-year-old has not played since sustaining an upper-body injury on Jan. 5 against the Jets that caused him to miss Anaheim’s last 12 games. A pending RFA upon completion of his three-year, $3.885MM deal, the 2016 first-round pick has four goals and eight points in 34 games.

Canadiens Reassign Lucas Condotta

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Feb. 9: The Canadiens reassigned Condotta to AHL Laval on Friday, per a team announcement. He logged a +1 rating and one shot on goal in a season-high 10:34 of ice time against the Capitals on Tuesday.

Feb. 4: The Montreal Canadiens have recalled forward Lucas Condotta to the NHL roster. Condotta was up with the Canadiens roster for three days last week, playing in two games and going without a point. It was just the second and third games of Condotta’s career, with the 26-year-old making his NHL debut and scoring his first career goal last season.

Condotta has otherwise spent the entire 2023-24 season in the AHL, playing in 40 games and scoring 13 points with the Laval Rocket. He’s in just his third professional season, joining the Canadiens organization following the end of UMass-Lowell’s 2021-22 season. The undrafted free agent appeared in 17 AHL games through the end of the year, between the end of the regular season and the postseason, scoring a combined five points. He had a much stronger showing in his official rookie AHL season last year, netting 16 goals and 31 points in 72 games.

Condotta isn’t the only new face at Montreal’s Sunday practice, with the team also inking Brandon Gignac to a two-year NHL contract and recalling him to the top club. Gignac is currently leading the Rocket in scoring, with 42 points through 43 games. It’s a career year for the 26-year-old, who has already outscored his previous career-high of 33 points set in 49 games last season.

Gignac and Condotta will battle for a spot in a Montreal lineup that’s opted to ice 11 forwards and eight defensemen since recalling Arber Xhekaj on January 22nd. The Canadiens are without Brendan Gallagher for their next four games, after the winger earned the first suspension of his career with an elbow to Adam Pelech’s head. They are also without Christian Dvorak, Alex Newhook, and Kirby Dach, with all three forwards on injured reserve for varying amounts of time. These absences could provide a chance for the pair of minor-league forwards to find ice time, though which of the two will slot in and for how long is yet to be seen.

Injury Notes: Tinordi, Kapanen, Smith

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Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi has a lower-body injury and will be a game-time decision against the Rangers on Friday, head coach Luke Richardson said Friday (via Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago). 22-year-old rookie Louis Crevier will make his first appearance since Chicago recalled him from AHL Rockford on Wednesday if Tinordi can’t play, Richardson said.

Tinordi, 31, last played with 6:53 remaining in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Wild. He did not take the ice for his defensive partner Isaak Phillips’ final two shifts.

The physical depth blue-liner has played in 30 of Chicago’s 51 games this season, recording six assists and a -19 rating while averaging 15:44 per game. A first-round pick of the Canadiens in 2010, Tinordi has worked his way into a stable NHL job with the rebuilding Blackhawks after they claimed him off waivers from the Rangers at the beginning of the 2022-23 season.

His value to Chicago comes in the form of pro experience and leadership, however – not so much from his on-ice performance. Tinordi’s 38.7% Corsi share at even strength is the worst among qualified Blackhawks skaters, although that figure is no doubt exacerbated by his sparingly low usage in the offensive zone.

Crevier hasn’t been much of an upgrade in his first 15 NHL showings. The 2020 seventh-round pick has similar offensive and possession numbers to Tinordi in nearly the same usage.

The 6-foot-6, 229-pound Tinordi will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He signed a one-year, $1.25MM extension to remain with Chicago last April after playing a career-high 44 games that season.

Other minor injury updates from around the league to close out the week:

  • Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen is ready to return from a lower-body injury ahead of Saturday’s game against the Sabres, interim head coach Drew Bannister said (via Lou Korac of NHL.com). Kapanen, 27, missed seven games with a lower-body injury sustained on Jan. 15 against the Flyers. St. Louis has an open roster spot and won’t need to make a corresponding transaction to take Kapanen off injured reserve. Despite scoring only four times in 42 games this season, he’s projected to return in a top-six role alongside Jake Neighbours and Brayden Schenn. Now in the second year of a two-year, $6.4MM contract ($3.2MM cap hit), the 2014 first-round pick has 12 goals and 27 points in 65 games with the Blues after they claimed him off waivers from the Penguins in February 2023.
  • Devils defenseman Brendan Smith will remain out on Saturday against the Hurricanes with a knee sprain, head coach Lindy Ruff said (via Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site). The 35-year-old has been upgraded to day-to-day after landing on injured reserve over three weeks ago, however, and could be an option as soon as Monday against the Kraken. A depth free-agent add in the summer of 2022, Smith has logged time on both defense and left wing this season while occupying a veteran enforcer role. Signed to a contract with a $1.1MM cap hit that expires this summer, he’s posted a goal and four assists in 34 games while averaging 14:25 per contest. AHL call-up Santeri Hatakka has been serviceable in Smith’s absence, posting an assist and a +6 rating while shouldering bottom-pairing minutes in five games.

Leon Gawanke To Sign With DEL’s Adler Mannheim

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Feb. 9: Gawanke has cleared waivers and will now sign with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsch Eishockey Liga, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports Friday.

Feb. 8: The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Leon Gawanke on waivers for the purpose of contract termination, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The 24-year-old has spent all season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, where he leads defensemen in scoring with eight goals and 27 points through 38 games – the highest point-per-game pace of Gawanke’s five-year AHL career. This success comes after Gawanke tied for the league’s lead in goals scored by a defenseman last season, with 20 through 68 games.

The Sharks acquired Gawanke in a minor-league swap this summer, sending Artemi Kniazev to the Winnipeg Jets in return. Winnipeg has also seen their acquisition move away, with Kniazev starting the season in the AHL but moving to the KHL’s Kazan Ak-Bars in the new year. Gawanke signed a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the Sharks that he is now poised to terminate. If he does clear waivers, he will get the change to negotiate as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.

Gawanke was a fifth-round selection in the 2017 NHL Draft. He made his professional debut two seasons later and has since spent all of the last six years in the AHL – save for a six-game stint with Germany’s Berlin Polar Bears during the 2020-21 season. Gawanke has been the top-scoring defenseman on his team in four of his pro seasons, but whether that will be enough to earn him a new deal is yet to be seen.

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