Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with 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 Post Media
OILERS NOTES: Is Jake DeBrusk a trade target for Edmonton?
Should the Edmonton Oilers make a trade play for Jake DeBrusk? Or are they set on looking for another element on left-wing, like Brandon Saad or Zach Hyman, older more costly, as free-agents?
The only reason we’re even talking about a trade is because DeBrusk seems to have lost his way in Boston, tumbling to 14 points in 41 games (five goals) this year — vacillating between second and third line, more time on right-wing than his normal left after they traded for Taylor Hall.
DeBrusk, with a $3.65-million cap hit has speed and normally good hands and would be manageable for the Oilers if he’s on the second line. But his salary is $4.85 million this upcoming season. That seems too big to swallow, unless they can find a $3 million player to deal. Would Bruins be interested in Zack Kassian?
- Oilers farm coach Jay Woodcroft, who has done a bang-up job in Bakersfield, hasn’t interviewed in Arizona, which is a mistake because he’s well-qualified to be an NHL head coach.
- The Oilers have to qualify restricted free-agent centre Jujhar Khaira at $1.2-million to keep his rights. No guarantee they will do so. In the closing playoff game against Winnipeg, he played 11 minutes of a triple OT game (5:40 on the penalty-kill), which is a tell.
- Ryan McLeod looks like the 4C right now.
- Tampa’s UFA forward Barclay Goodrow is definitely on their radar. He’s playing wing with Yanni Gourde but he can be a third-line centre too.
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BLH’s Thoughts: Edmonton has the assets to bring Jake DeBrusk home and they need to seriously consider it. The Bruins are looking for a left-shot defender and Holland could send Dmitri Samorukov and a contract to Boston for the local lad AND keep Kassian.
It’s a bit maddening to me the amount of pundits who cover the Oilers that want Kassian gone. As if come playoff time or when somebody takes a liberty with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl they won’t be complaining about his absence… Standard process around this club I suppose.
If the Oilers allow Woodcroft to move on, I think they’ll regret it.
The feeling I get with Khaira is that if Edmonton can’t get their right-shot faceoff-winning center early on in the summer, they’ll come back to JJ. But I also think that Jujhar should go out and see what’s available for him. Why not head back home to Vancouver? They’ll be looking for a center in their bottom-six should Brandon Sutter sign elsewhere. Seattle will most likely be interested too.
As for Mr. McLeod, 4th line center would be a good spot for him to learn on the job but on the wing might be where he’s most useful considering his skillset plus Edmonton really needs a couple of “for sures” at center for its third and fourth lines. They can revisit McLeod at center anytime in the future, there’s no rush to get him in there right now.
Yes! Yes a million times to the Oilers bringing Barclay Goodrow to town. Get it done Ken Holland. In fact, why not try to bring in Tampa’s entire third line of Goodrow, Coleman, and Gourde? Has a team ever acquired an entire line from a Stanley Cup winning club before?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gfZEyk3Scg
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