March 6, 2022 /

Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: “Jim Matheson reports the Oilers are seeking a…”

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!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Oilersnation

Weekly Rumours – Will Ken Holland stay patient?
  • Friedman has thrown cold water on the idea of Rasmus Ristolainen being moved for now.
  • John Klingberg to Seattle? Friedman says it won’t happen at the deadline, but he could be a good fit with the Kraken this summer.
  • Seravalli thinks that there’s a decent chance Joe Pavelski stays in Dallas and signs an extension.
  • Seravalli has also added Red Wings forward Filip Zadina, the 6th overall pick in 2018, and Kasperi Kapanen of the Penguins to his trade bait list.
  • Jake Debrusk is red-hot right now and has some people wondering if maybe he’ll stay in Boston. His trade request has not been pulled yet and it doesn’t sound like his opinion on staying in Boston long-term has either.
  • Johnston says that Edmonton and Toronto might not get into the goaltending market.

BLH’s Thoughts: I know I’ve been saying that I don’t think Ken Holland will bring in a goalie but that performance from Smith last night was unacceptable and in my mind, I don’t think Holland needs to see anymore from Smith in order to make a decision on his netminding. 

I guess it’s out there now that the Dallas Stars are shopping Braden Holtby and if I were Ken Holland, I’d give the former Stanley up winning goalie a spin. I’d be worth paying a tad extra to see if Jim Nill would be willing to take Mike Smith back in that deal so that it would save the Oilers GM a future migraine. 

Now, I will say this, the Oilers still have to find themselves an upgrade on the back-end before they’re out of danger here. They’ve also got to get Nuge, Puljujarvi, and possibly Josh Archibald back into the lineup here because the lack of adequate depth on this team is forcing Jay Woodcroft to delve into Dave Tippett’s playbook and overplay his best players which, in turn, results in everybody deferring to them. 

Also, Edmonton’s special teams is absolute garbage right now. If the team doesn’t find a way to remedy that ailment, even 1990s Dominik Hasek wouldn’t be able to help. 

I think the one thing I’m noticing on their PP is their losing the puck ten feet into the other team’s zone along the boards on the right side. Whether it’s Leon Draisaitl trying to do make a cute little play off the wall or Bouchard or Barrie getting hung up with a bad pass or taking too much time to make a play. This is a problem area for the Oilers and teams with aggressive PK units are eating them alive. 

As things pertain to the PK, I’m not sure if they’ve got the proper personnel to have a top penalty kill. I watched Draisaitl put out a welcome mat for Nick Suzuki last night which allowed the Habs centre to walk right in and rip one top cheese on Smith. What the Hell was Leon thinking? Well, he was thinking back door dish and that’s fine but he didn’t have to back right into Lagesson, who was also watching Caufield. 

I just wonder, if the aggressive PK is so impactful, why don’t the Oilers use it? Maybe they don’t have quick enough forwards? The problem with Edmonton employing a passive PK is that nobody is willing to put their body on the line on that roster…

The Pacific Division is a mess right now and by some sort of weird miracle, the Oilers are still in the race to make the post-season. But if they don’t find a way to plug these holes, it’s going to be a long summer watching Calgary march their way to the Cup. 

Spector’s Hockey

BLH’s Thoughts: Okay, so for those of you who are wondering which big right-shot rentals on the blueline might be available, here’s what capfriendly has listed, 

  • Rasmus Ristolainen (PHI) – I like him and the Oilers have been watching the Flyers a lot this week, but I feel strongly that they’ve got their eyes on a smaller more affordable righty in Justin Braun. 
  • John Klingberg (DAL) – Nooooope. 
  • Josh Manson (ANA) – He’s my wildcard here, but new Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said if his big UFAs are re-signed by the deadline that they’re getting dealt. Would you want to play for your dad if you were him though?
  • Erik Gudbanson (CGY) – Would’ve been a nice addition this summer… Treliving isn’t moving him.
  • Josh Brown (OTT) – One of the toughest guys in the league, he’s a beast. I reckon the Oilers need a bit better of a player at that spot though.

There are a few more players on the list of right-shot dmen who stand over 6’3″ and are UFAs this summer, but nobody notable.

Ken Holland has his work cut out for him this month, that’s all I’ve got to say on that… 

The Daily Goal Horn

  • The Maple Leafs have been attached to Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg for some time now. Other possibilities could be pending UFAs like Mark Giordano, Hampus Lindholm, Justin Braun, and Colin Miller.
  • On Mark Giordano: So far, teams that have showed the most interest include the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes. – Emily Kaplan (ESPN)
  • I’ve learned that the Rangers are aggressively targeting pending UFAs, Rickard Rakell of the Anaheim Ducks and Ben Chiarot of the Montreal Canadiens. Those are the two big guys they want to add as rentals for the playoffs. A top six forward and a physical left defenseman that can chip in offensively.
Seattle Karen
The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!

CategoriesArmchair GM Beer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL Rumors

TagsEdmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers Rumors NHL NHL Rumors

Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!