Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: Chris Driedger, Josh Anderson, Evander Kane, and the Latest NHL Rumors

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

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Copper and Blue

Going To Market For A Goaltender?

CHRIS DRIEDGER, SEATTLE KRAKEN

Driedger is in the first of a three year contract with a 10-team modified NTC. He averages 3.5MM a year until 2023-24.
I like Driedger, even starting out on a tough year. Driedger’s SV% is a sleepy .892in 2021-22, that’s no better than either Mike Smith or Mikko KoskinenAt just 27 years of age (and equipped with two more years on his contract), Driedger’s asking price is likely more in line with what Edmonton would want to spend.

JAKE ALLEN, MONTREAL CANADIENS

Allen’s cap hit is a much more palatable 2.875MM this year and next. A winner of the 2018-19 Stanley Cup with the Blues…
Now with the Canadiens, he finished last year with a .907 SV% and is now behind a Habs defence that’s allowing more than 34 shots per game (T-29th).

MARC-ANDRE FLEURY, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

He’d be a pure rental, and the Oilers would need to free up significant space to make it work unless the Blackhawks were to eat 50%… I don’t think there’s a good chance of that happening unless we see Ken Holland ship multiple firsts.

BLH’s Thoughts: It really feels like Fleury is Edmonton’s to lose at this point and that’s a bit of a problem because Chicago will know this and seeing how the Oilers are going to be fighting to win a wildcard spot when they return, I have some reservations about using prime assets to bring in MAF for one year.

The other thing, with the way Canada is re: COVID restrictions, how many players with trade protection are waving it to play there. Maybe Holland will have no choice but to trade with Montreal…

The Hockey Writers

Oilers’ Lack of Toughness Showing During Losing Skid

Against the New York Rangers on Jan. 3, Ryan Reaves delivered a heavy hit to Draisaitl early in the first period. Credit to Draisaitl, he returned one of his own moments later. His feistiness to respond back is commendable but it’s a mismatch that the NHL’s leading goal scorer shouldn’t have to respond to.
In the same game, Connor McDavid was battling in front of the net with Jacob Trouba, and the Rangers’ defenseman gave a half slew foot to the Oilers’ captain that dropped him to the ice. The only Oiler that responded was all of 5-foot-6 Kailer Yamamoto.
They’ve only scored 10 times in first periods out of 34 games, and for whatever reason, they’re notoriously slow to start the game. That’s where playing tough is essential, to set the tone of the game. When the big guns on the team aren’t able to get you a lead, someone needs to lay a big hit, get in the grill of other team’s star players, or at the very least, have their teammates’ back when an opposing player is pushing them around.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t know where this whole drive to have four scoring lines has gained momentum because it’s never worked and it never will thanks to the salary cap. It’s a fine idea on paper, but then again, so was Communism and look where that landed.

Every line on a team should have some sort of identity.

The top two should be scoring lines.

The third line should be a shutdown line.

The fourth line should be an energy line.

And the reason a team should be constructed like this is that it gives each trio of forwards on each line a dedicated role and specific responsibilities that make it difficult for the other team to counter and shut down completely like they’re doing with the Oilers right now.

It also keeps a team’s salary cap in touch with reality because the players who play above their value down the lineup either price themselves out and move on or they push a higher paid skater in the top-six out. A team that has drafted well, has a good GM, or both, will have a plug-and-play replacement available for the bottom-six too.

I know that it looks antiquated and out of touch with this new NHL, but even if it is, so what? Every team should have alternative approaches to hockey games built within their roster construction. I mean, does Tampa win the Cup last year if Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, and Barclay Goodrow aren’t as dominant as they were? When St. Louis won, Sammy Blais, Ryan O’Reilly, and David Perron were on their 2nd line, how annoying were they for Boston? Edmonton has NONE of that on their team. No annoying players, no high-end two-way grinders, nothing to compliment their off-the-rush tactics.

That said, I don’t think Edmonton is far off with their forwards. When healthy, they might only need one or two pickups to shore that aspect of the roster up.

Hyman-McDavid-Puljujarvi
RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Foegele-McLeod-Kassian
Benson-Ryan-Sceviour

The tinkering I would make is to move RNH to the third line, Foegele up to the 2nd to provide some extra tenacity and muscle, and then McLeod to the LW for Nuge. I’d consider trading Kassian to somebody for a younger version of him like Ryan McLeod’s brother Michael who is a center, has three more hits than Kass, and is a whiz on the dot this year, plus he’s a righty! Or McLeod’s teammate in NJ, Nathan Bastian who has often been mentioned by Bob Stauffer.

Depending on what happens with Evander Kane, I’d definitely look into him to come in run out the year with this team. If Holland could bring in a 30g/yr scorer with the edge he brings, they could move Foegele back to the third line with RNH and McLeod to the 4th line. That would be championship caliber depth in my opinion.

The Oilers don’t have to bring in goons per se, but they do need to have players on the roster who will step up when guys like Trouba and Reaves take liberties with Edmonton’s stars. I haven’t watched a lot of LA Kings hockey this year, but Dustin Brown was on Edmonton’s radar last year, how would he look alongside RNH and McLeod on the Oilers’ third line if Holland could make the cap numbers work?

This is just a long-winded way of me saying that I believe the Oilers have the skill already and that’s the hardest thing to get. So, now I reckon all they’re missing is a couple of real jerks whose games excel when the going gets rough.

Spector’s Hockey

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve Macfarlane wonders whether the Calgary Flames should consider signing San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane after he cleared unconditional waivers yesterday.
NYI HOCKEY NOW: Stefen Rosner also examined whether the New York Islanders should bring in Kane to provide a boost to their sagging offense.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson wondered if the Oilers should attempt to pry away Josh Anderson from the floundering Montreal Canadiens. He pointed out they lack a “power forward, mean-streak type in their top six.”
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards reports the Panthers are in “go-for-it” mode this season and will be buyers at the March 21 NHL trade deadline. The main focus will be on bolstering the blueline.
NHL.COM: Dave McCarthy reports Pittsburgh Penguins team president Brian Burke is impressed by his club’s recent success this season. He also admitted that it will be difficult for his club to make any significant additions before the trade deadline.

BLH’s Thoughts: Josh Anderson would be great for the Oilers! I like Matty’s thinking! I wouldn’t be throwing Bourgault in the deal though, I’d rather Yamamoto and Samorukov plus somebody with a bloated contract. I think Xavier Bourgault will replace Killer in Edmonton’s top-six in the next 2-3 years if not sooner.

Now, here’s something for you to chew on. Do you think that the Oilers would trade Jesse Puljujarvi? I’m 100% against it, but for some reason I wouldn’t be shocked if they moved him to bring in that special piece on defense or in net and then move Kassian to Connor’s RW. Ugh! Shoot me now…