Elliotte Friedman dropped a bit of a bombshell on those Edmonton Oilers fans who want Jake Guentzel on the team. We’re going to talk about that as well as four NEW names for the rumor mill for Edmonton and the other thing I want to point out about the fact that some believe the Oilers are handcuffed trade-wise this year. I don’t believe that to be true and I’ll tell you why.
I should start prefacing these blogs with the fact that I write them a day in advance and because we’re getting so close to the deadline there’s a good chance I might write about a player or a team and it be old news by the time it gets to your beautiful eyes. If that happens, my apologies!
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The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors
New Names from the Oilers MSM
- Patrick Kane ($2.75M, UFA 2024) – “This is someone the Oilers have had interest in in the past. All Kane has done is produce for Detroit, which makes him a suitable top-six candidate.”
- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($750k, UFA 2024) – “He’s also a two-time Stanley Cup finalist and is posting elite underlying numbers with Seattle… The price is certainly right, and Holland has picked up cheap forwards at each of the last two deadlines”
- Lars Eller ($2.45M, UFA 2025) – “All Eller has done for years is put up sound underlying numbers in a supportive role. He’s doing it again in Pittsburgh with a team that’ll be hard-pressed to make the playoffs.”
- Dennis Gilbert – “Perhaps he’s a throw-in if the Oilers acquire Tanev.”
- Mike Reilly ($1M, UFA 2024) – “You could do a lot worse that picking up someone closing in on 400 games of NHL experience to fill out your roster.” – The Athletic
- Nice to see DNB joining the 2xKane party. If Kane is willing and the Red Wings fall out of the playoff race, he should be priority #1 for the Oilers top-6 RW spot.
- It’s hard to argue against Bellemare at 4C for Edmonton’s run to the Cup this year. Lots of experience and his fancies tell me that he’s the kind of player you’d want on the ice when the game is tight and you’re up by a goal or even in a tie game attempting to get the match to an extra frame.
- Another thing with Bellemare is that he’s under no illusions with regards to his role on the team and the Oilers could use more of that. A 4th line of Ryan, Gagner, and Holloway is too small and what’s the identity there?
- Lars Ellers’ contract is too high for the role he’d play if acquired by Edmonton.
- Who the hell is Dennis Gilbert?
- Mike Reilly is a guy I swear the Oilers had interest in way back in the Chiarelli days. Funny enough, there are scouts on the team that remain from the Chia regime. So maybe there’s something to this but I don’t know if Lou Lamoriello will be interested in trading him.
- What about Tommy Novak in Nashville? 800k center who can bring some offense.
Are the Oilers Handcuffed
“I believe the Oilers can’t afford any player making more than $4.5 million, without having to clear out more than one roster player. At that point, Holland risks upsetting his excellent chemistry and compromising what little depth Edmonton has.”
“They’ll be in the mix for a forward like, say, Scott Laughton, and also a premier defenceman like Tanev. He doesn’t have the assets or cap space for both.”
“If they can land the forward work, Holland’s secondary acquisition will be a veteran depth defenceman. A Zach Bogosian, Josh Brown type who can push young Philip Broberg to eighth on the Oilers defensive depth chart.” – Mark Spector, Sportsnet
- I think with some crafty negotiations, the Oilers could bring in a top-six RW, a top-four dman, and a depth LHD and not compromise the team’s chemistry.
- Keep in mind though, what your definition of a top-six forward or a top-four defender is might not be the same as what the club considers those to be.
- So if $4.5M is the cutoff, why not spend to get Patrick Kane out of Detroit (if possible), deal Kulak for futures, then use the remaining cap space to bring in Jacob Megna from Chicago, Bellemare from Seattle, and Duhaime or Malenstyn from Washington?
- There’d still be money left over if I’m correct, they could add another depth option for depth.
- Now, if they were willing to deal another roster player like Foegele, that opens up even more possibilities. Is Connor Brown the glue that holds this team together? Probably not, so he could be dealt, too.
- Another scenario might be dealing Kulak and Broberg to San Jose for Mario Ferraro.
- I just think they need to add defenders who are willing to sacrifice everything and forwards who’ll do anything to get a goal for the playoffs or are so skilled that they put the opposition on pins and needles when they’ve got the puck in the offensive zone, but I don’t agree that Edmonton is handcuffed to the point that they’re only able to make one or two moves.
Is That It Dad? Did the Penguin Tell You to Do It?
“If teams are allowed to try and extend Guentzel before a trade, that hurts Edmonton. They can’t do it. The Oilers are also very aware that for every dollar that comes in, someone needs to go out. So they are doing legwork in several different directions.” – Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet
- I don’t think the Oilers are in on him. They’d like to be but so many things are working against them right now and going forward. Bouchard’s next deal, Draisaitl’s as well, and then there’s the Connor Brown bonus that’ll eat away at Edmonton’s cap next season. Vinnie Desharnais is going to need to be re-upped. What is Edmonton’s plan with Jack Campbell?
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