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The Hockey Writers
3 Oilers Trade Assets That Can Be Moved to Upgrade Roster
- Kyle Turris – The Turris experiment didn’t work in Edmonton, but maybe he’ll be able to find some of his former self in a new environment… It is not too much of an ask to include him as a throw-in to a larger deal to free up that little bit of cap.
- Zack Kassian – His contract of $3.2 million for two more years may be a tough one to move and also may have to be done in a trade to just send away cap. It’s suggested by Allan Mitchell and Jim Parsons that he could be a buyout candidate for the Oilers after this season if they don’t elect to trade him with a sweetener attached.
- Mikko Koskinen – Koskinen, along with possibly Tyson Barrie, may be the largest contracts that the Oilers would be willing to move. A Barrie deal is more likely done next offseason. But, since there are only two goalie positions on the roster, Koskinen will definitely be traded the other way to make the money work if the Oilers are going to add a capable goaltender.
BLH’s Thoughts: An asset is usually something considered to be of value, something that others might covet. Reckon Koskinen, Kassian, and Turris are wanted by other GMs?
I’m going to go with a no, but there might be some teams who need to get up to the cap floor, so in that sense those three players might be deemed as trade “assets”…
The feeling I get is that Edmonton might be doing business with a team in the Metropolitan Division like the Rangers or the Penguins, the Buffalo Sabres. and the Arizona Coyotes before the season is out.
That said, I think we’re just going to have to wait until Holland starts to leak things out before we know what the true value is on these players because often what a sofa GM thinks about a player is not what a general manager might be thinking.
The Edmonton Sun
ZACH’S BACK: Oilers’ Hyman hale and hearty after holiday break
- Hyman says he could have played the three postponed games before Christmas but the break gave him some extra time off, to heal…
- Not getting a chance to play in the Olympics hurt too, after the NHL and the NHL Players Association agreed they weren’t sending their anyone because of COVID-19 concerns in Beijing and on their own club teams.
- This was probably Hyman’s one and only Olympic shot because he’s 29…
- “…A lot goes on behind this, it obviously wasn’t an easy decision. It was the right call given the circumstances.”
BLH’s Thoughts: First time I’ve seen an NHLer say it was the right call not to send NHLers to China for the Winter Olympics instead of bitching and moaning about the decision… Good for Hyman and more respect to him for being brave enough to say that considering his team’s leadership core are having a hissy fit about it.
NHLRumors.com
- Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now: A look at five of the top players that could be available for trade.
- 5. Jake DeBrusk – Boston Bruins – The Bruins are looking for “equal value” in any deal. Only has five goals and three assists in 25 games.
- 4. Bryan Rust – Pittsburgh Penguins – Has scored 20+ goals the past two seasons but has been bothered by a lower-body injury this year. Pending UFA could be looking for six years at $6 million per on a new deal.
- 3. Mark Giordano – Seattle Kraken – Pending UFA who can play on the top-pairing. He could be worth a high draft pick and a prospect.
- 2. Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers – It could be time for the sides to move on. Carries an $8.275 million salary cap. Has 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 games so far this season.
- 1. Tomas Hertl – San Jose Sharks – The Sharks may want to keep Hertl, but if they fall out of the race, they could move the pending UFA. The cost would easily be a top pick and a top prospect. They can’t lose him for nothing.
