Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Mock Trades featuring DeBrusk, Zucker, Kuemper, and More!

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

From The Cult of Hockey

Five signals this summer that the Edmonton Oilers organization is finally on target

Here are five signals that things are going right for the Oilers.

1. Be wary of shiny things.

• “Part of me loves the idea of Vladimir Tarasenko or Zach Hyman on Connor McDavid’s wing. I’m especially partial to the notion of Hyman being to McDavid what Chris Kunitz was for years in Pittsburgh to Sidney Crosby… Does the team really want to make another such massive bet, especially when they work out, at best, about half the time?”

2. Do not block promising AHL players.

• “Tampa Bay is a model franchise in large part because it drafts, develops, plays and holds on to players. You won’t often see them trading a way a Jeff Petry-type player… If Edmonton is ever going to turn the corner, the road runs right from Bakersfield to Edmonton.”

3. Be opportunistic in free agency.

• “Some of the best free agency finds don’t come with massive price tags. Edmonton found that out with Tyson Barrie this past year… Look for the next Cam Talbot, Philipp Grubauer or Darcy Kuemper, not for the next Jacob Markstrom or Sergei Bobrovsky.”

4. Do analytics, but do them the right way.

• “…Do the Oilers have this same detailed information for every other player in the NHL? If this kind of statistical record is crucial for the assessment of their own players, why don’t the Oilers have this data for other players they’re looking at paying dearly for, both in terms of acquisition cost, term and salary?… getting together this kind of team of analysts as soon as possible is crucial to the team’s future.”

5. Win a trade.

• “Tampa was built mainly through drafting and development, but also threw some shrewd trades…  If the Oilers are going to win a Cup, Holland will almost certainly have to win big on a trade one of these days. He’s yet to do so.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I think these points make a tone of sense, but I do want to ask, why do the Oilers have to copy the blueprint laid out by the Lightning. It ends up with the team getting dismantled anyhow.

What’s wrong with using Holland’s blueprint that he used in Detroit to turn that club into a team that made the playoffs yearly for two decades. I’d much rather have that, to be honest.

From The Athletic

Yes or no? Have your say on 10 hypothetical Oilers trades

BLH’s Thoughts: First off, who is Quinn Olson? Secondly, if I can’t get DeBrusk for Bear, I’m probably not doing it. I think Samorukov could have some Konstantinov in him and that has me excited to see what he can do. 

Now, if Holland wants to flip a 1st rounder for Louie’s boy, I might be able to be talked into buying that soup. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t mind this at all. Edmonton would have to take on that full salary, but Zucker’s a fantastic shooting forward who scores goals at a really nice clip every year. It would give the club two more years to sort out if Dylan Holloway is going to be a LW in the top-six or a third line center with the Oilers too. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Sure! Sign me up for this one. Edmonton gets a really nice 3C who can skate and contribute to the PK and they find a fresh start for Marody, a player I’ve never seen as someone who’d make it to the NHL with his current set of wheels. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I like Sam Reinhart quite a bit. He’s a jack of all trades and quite underrated, in my opinion. That said, I’m not sure I’m willing to give up those three assets to get him. Edmonton is shy of depth at forward in their prospect system and this would really dig into that. 

Now, if you believe that Yamamoto, who ever is selected with that draft pick, and Lavoie have futures that don’t involve top-six minutes, you might make that deal, but I’ve got a feeling Yamo is going to bounce back hard after watching what his buddy Tyler Johnson did in the Stanley Cup final as well as the performance Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher put forth. 

I think I’d pass on this one. 

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t mind this one bit. Edmonton get’s Keith at a reasonable price, the Hawks get their Seth Jones incentive, Caleb gets a fresh start with a club that might suit his skills a bit more, and the Coyotes get to add a draft pick that the desperately need in order to get this rebuild back on track. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Meh… No thanks. 

BLH’s Thoughts: This deal I don’t mind. Graves is as rock solid as they come and is only paid $3.2M/yr for a couple of more seasons. I’d do this. 

BLH’s Thoughts: With Kuemper going to free agency next summer, I’m not comfortable paying that first rounder right now when I can get him for money in the offseason. 

BLH’s Thoughts: No! F*ck that deal. Sweet Jesus, why would you pay that much? Just put Neal on LTIR if he can’t play anymore… Save the money that way. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Nope. As much as Kass has failed to live up to that deal, he’s going to be a contributor in the post-season because that’s where his game thrives. When the rink shrinks and the officiating relaxes… Plus, who are you bringing in to replace him? How many players who make less than him, play the same style, can skate and have skills like him, and can be deployed in the top-six like him are there in the league? Very few, if any, is the answer. 

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