So now that Nail Yakupov has been moved, we’ve gor Kris Russell coming in on a deal rumoured to be in the 1 year $3M range. I was also told that Eric Gryba could very well be let go from his PTO and Mark Fayne might start the year in Bakersfield…
The first two moves don’t surprise me much but that last one with Fayne is a bit of a shocker… The Oilers need RHD don’t they? Has Matt Benning played that well?
Is this how the Oilers defence is set to line up?
Klefbom/Larsson
Russell/Sekera
Nurse/Davidson
Benning
Let me know if I’m missing someone and what your feelings are in the comments below!
Yakupov trade I am positive on. Saddened, but positive. He was beat out by Versteeg and Caggiula by my eye with Puljujarvi uncomfortably close behind him. I had his chances of being here next year at 0%. Could we have got more? Idk, I wasnt on the calls but he was hardly regarded around the league as a “premier asset”. He was labeled a bust. So we got a 2nd or 3rd and an AHL center back. I regret that we went against our scouts by drafting him first more that the trade.
Russel? Neutral on that so far. I will be positive if we send Nurse down, sign Gryba and run Sekera-Fayne / Russel – Davidson / X Gryba. I will be Neutral if we relieve Gryba, keep Nurse up, and shelter Nurse with the LHD depth so he never has to play top 4. I will be irate if we release Gryba, demote Fayne and play Nurse with Sekera in the top four. BUT that is more McLellan’s choice than Chiarelli anyways, Chiarelli gave the organization a chance to be cautious and appropriate with Nurses development and added a veteran presence on D. Thats a plus in my books