Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: “It is time for a change in scenery for him…”

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The Athletic

If the losing continues will the Oilers make a coaching change?

I can’t see firing Tippett as a reaction to a five-game losing streak that came when the defence was dropping like flies. It’s doubtful Holland spends much time contemplating the idea before the losing streak hits 10 or more.
The main reason Holland keeps Tippett in the head coaching job is the roster was tailored to the coach.
Holland will stay the course because it’s too soon to know what this team will look like at Game 40 or Game 50. This is way too early to consider such a drastic change in course.

BLH’s Thoughts: Exactly… Plus… Ken Holland has never fired a coach and history matters.

The Hockey Writers

5 Oilers Who Probably Won’t Be Back Next Season

Barrie seems like he’s much more expendable after the power play has struggled recently and the Oilers’ top two defencemen can both fill in seamlessly on the top unit.
Koskinen has most definitely fallen out of favour with the general fanbase, and the organization, especially Holland, would receive a ton of backlash if Koskinen were to be brought back in any capacity. It is time for a change in scenery for him and the Oilers to look to the future.
Derek Ryan has massively underperformed the expectations the team had for him when the Oilers signed him to a two-year, $1.25 million AAV (average annual value) deal… If Ryan is moved, expect to see him buried in the minors next season for the final year of his deal.
Zack Kassian hasn’t had a horrible season, but I don’t believe he is worth what he is making in salary. Again, the Oilers will need to clear some cap space for next season to sign and add impactful players.
Almost no production, and failing to meet expectations, have found Turris struggling to fit in the lineup this year despite playing better than he did last season.

BLH’s Thoughts: It’s a decent list. My feeling is that Ryan won’t be traded as that could damage future free agent signings, right? Nobody wants to sign with a team if there’s a chance they could get traded if they perform under par.

Kyle Turris’ contract will run out as will Koskinen’s, so they’re easy pickings for a list like this and considering their inconsistent form this year, it’s feasible to envision the 2022-23 season with them plying their trade elsewhere.

With Kassian, there’s always going to be a market for a power forward who can skate, fight, and has great hands. Behind the scenes there are a few execs who simply think he needs a change of scenery and I agree with that. So there might not be a lot of urgency to just dump his contract from the Oilers camp.

Tyson Barrie is the reigning NHL scoring champ amongst blueliners. He’s definitely got value and I don’t see him getting moved before the 2022-23 trade deadline. Even then, I could see him staying in Edmonton until the summer of ’23 when the Oilers have to re-sign Evan Bouchard.

The Daily Goal Horn

“Edmonton is considering three areas,” Friedman said on his latest podcast. “Goalie, and Mike Smith’s health could determine that. Left defense, and third line center are what he’s looking at.”
Friedman acknowledged he wasn’t sure of timeline but that’s what Edmonton is trying to address. It’s time to show McDavid and Driasiatl the organization is ready to pull out all the stops to win.
Edmonton’s expectations are high this season which means that another playoff failure is beyond intolerable.

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t see anything happening until the team is healthy for a decent stretch. Trades in and around Christmas are considered poor form and then there’s the All-Star/Olympic break in February and in March is the trade deadline…

So, I’d think we’re some time from an Edmonton Oilers trade.