“3 Deadline Targets That Could Put the Oilers Over the Top: Why Trading a First-Rounder Would Be a Wise Move”
While there are a few gaps to fill, the Edmonton Oilers are a pretty good team. In a summer when the NHL draft is deep, Edmonton should pick later in the first round, and in a typical year that would be a pick worth deferring if the player caught in a deadline Deal comes back somewhere in the region of a solid potential playoff, Performer falls to an impact piece that could help with a stretch run. Maybe not so much this season. This summer, moving that selection will require serious consideration.
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With only a handful of names available as of this year’s deadline that really make a difference, and dealing with a tight salary cap situation, GM Ken Holland should be selective about what he uses his best (and maybe only valued) Trade item exchanges . Names such as Jakob Chychrun, Jonathan Toews, John Klingberg, Nick Bjugstad, Matt Dumba, Jake McCabe, and a host of other possible targets have been linked to the Oilers. Are any of them worthy of a first-rounder given Edmonton’s specific situation? If not, is there anyone out there who is?
Your opinion will probably differ. Here is my personal list:
A salaryman Jakob Chychrun
Chychrun is the well-known defender to watch if Holland is looking to make a move that will help not only this season but for the next two seasons as well. He’s on a cheap contract, he’s an offensive producer, he eats big minutes and the Arizona Coyotes are ready to put him in the right deal. However, the deal must also be right for the Oilers.
Jakob Chychrun, Arizona Coyotes (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The right deal is one that doesn’t remove Philip Broberg from the lineup if Holland believes Broberg is a future Top 4 guy. Instead, Edmonton should treat Brett Kulak, Jesse Puljujarvi, their first-rounder, and perhaps a middle-round pick in 2024. Along with an actual first-place finisher, Puljujarvi is the second first-rounder Arizona could seek (the first-round equivalent). . Kulak has a good business, but with Chychrun on the list, he’s expendable. The later picks are all about sweetening the deal and offering something that other teams might not be offering.
Ideally, the Coyotes keep about $1 million and the Oilers pull $5.75 million in cap space and take back $3.5 million. It solves their cap problems this season and gives them some money to seek a deep right winger at a lower salary.
An extended Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane in the Oilers top 6 sounds wonderful, but not just on loan when demand is high. Sure he’d be eligible for a playoff run and make the Oilers incredibly dangerous, but then what? Holland would need to know that Kane is willing to extend a team-friendly deal for at least two more seasons. Unless he’s willing to pull a Paul Kariya, Kane probably won’t make that commitment to anyone.
Kane was recently approached with a list of interested teams, but he said he needs more time and will likely make his decision just before the March 3 deadline. Edmonton should remain curious, but they would have to have a chance to talk about overtime first. Kane is the flashy addition, but shiny and flashy aren’t always good.
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If Kane, at 34, agrees to a two-year extension at a fair price to play with Connor McDavid, he’s worth giving up the first. And if the Oilers are at all concerned about a lower-body injury that’s reportedly hampered Kane a bit this season, they should probably stay away from it.
A withheld salary Sam Reinhart
Consistent tenure right wingers could be hard to find. Targeting a team willing to move this player for pennies on the dollar might be even harder to pinpoint. The Florida Panthers could be one of the few exceptions, provided they feel cornered by their salary cap situation or things go wrong for the club and they start selling.
Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
If the combination of cap concerns and some panic over the course of the season creates a prime buying opportunity, this is where the Oilers should call themselves. If Florida is willing to move Sam Reinhart and keep the salary in his deal, Reinhart is a player of tremendous value if he’s on your team at a rate of $4 million or less for this season and next. He has 39 points in 53 games this season and is coming off an 82-point 33-goal season. The deal may need to be bigger than a first for a player with retained earnings because Edmonton needs to move money, but it would be at the heart of a deal between the two teams. The Oilers may have to take a second step with another club to lower salaries.
In the end, many of these trade suggestions may not be viable and a non-starter for teams looking to sell on time. That is not the point. The idea here is that the Oilers hold real value in their first-round picks this season and if they don’t get what they want or need, they just keep it. The oilers are good. You can afford to be a little picky.
Jim Parsons is a senior freelance THW writer, part-time journalist, and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps, and breathes NHL news and rumor while also writing features about the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a trusted source at The Hockey Writers for more than five years, but beyond that, his mission is to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL gossip and tech talk. Jim is a daily must-read for readers who want to be “in the loop.”
Other content contributions include: NHLtradetalk.com, The Sportster and hosting weekly videocasts, THW News and Rumors Rundown, and Oilers Overtime.
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Source: thehockeywriters.com
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