Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: “You need to have more beef out there. Right now they look smallish.” Says Former Oiler

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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Cult of Hockey

Goaltending not Edmonton’s big issue, it’s lack of hitting, desperation and hunger, NHL commentator argues

This in from former NHL grinder Alan May,

“I’m seeing a team that doesn’t play with any physicality. I look last night at the players who got the hits up top, Tyler Benson and I think Devin Shore. You need to have more beef out there. Right now they look smallish.”
“I just think you’ve got to add some grit. … I’m not biased against small guys, but small guys to me have to the most noticeable, dominate players on the ice… I just think that those players have to be hungrier, faster, and I just don’t see enough right now out of the supporting cast.”

BLH’s Thoughts: He’s not wrong. I don’t know how many times I have to say it, but this team needs more jerks. I don’t have any problem bringing in smaller players, but they have to bring something to the ice when they hit it. I love Yamo and his ability to get into the equipment of the other players, but in a 1v1 battle, he’s not coming away with the puck all that often because he’s getting out muscled by the bigger player.

Now, that being said, a bigger guy who doesn’t use his size and strength appropriately is just as useless on the ice as a small guy who’s fast and jittery but lacks strength.

So therein lies the rub for Ken Holland. We’re lead to believe by Bob Stauffer that Ken Holland is in the process of acquiring some size for his bottom six, right? These guys have to be tenacious and physical, but at the same time they’ve got to be able to play the game.

Another aspect of bringing in some more size and grit is it will give the Oilers the ability to send out a group of guys with an identity when the game’s not going Edmonton’s way.

I was just talking to a friend this past week and I asked him if he could imagine the Oilers acquiring Lawson Crouse, Mason Marchment, and Nathan Bastian? You’ve got a couple of guys there in Crouse and Bastian who can contribute on the PK and Marchment who has 11pts in 15 games for the Panthers and can barely get off the 4th line. The Kicker? They all like to bang and they can all scrap too.

What if Holland doesn’t stop there and he brings in Josh Brown from Ottawa and Carson Soucy from Seattle (maybe along with Chris Driedger?) to increase the grit factor on Edmonton’s bottom-pairing?

I like it and hopefully the club wouldn’t decide to pull chute and go the other way like Chiarelli did when he was told the team wasn’t fast enough…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHiXqDtT4YA

NHL Trade Talk

Oilers Expected Changes: Coach Rumors, AHL Signing, Goalie Search

Rumors are the coach might be gone, that GM Ken Holland is trying to sign someone from the AHL and that he’s still actively out there looking for a new goaltender.
Ryan Rishaug of TSN reports, “My sense is, a coaching change is not imminent today. It’s going to be a day-by-day process for now.” He does acknowledge that a loss against the Calgary Flames on Saturday would probably force the Oilers’ hand and that Glen Gulutzan would take over on an interim basis, but there’s no doubt now that Tippett’s job is in jeopardy.
Jay Woodcroft is also being heavily considered as the next coach. He is currently running the Bakersfield’s team and if Woodcroft is brought in, Rishaug believes the Oilers will be making him the permanent coach, not an interim one.
There is also speculation that the Oilers are looking to sign 32-year-old forward Brad Malone to an NHL contract.
Rightfully, Oilers’ fans are unhappy that this might be considered Ken Holland’s first move to try and fix things, but it could also suggest Woodcroft is on his way and he wants to bring a familiar face with him.
There was some thought that Edmonton had an interest in Montreal Canadiens goalie Jake Allen, but he is now out for the next eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

BLH’s Thoughts: So the Condors play tomorrow night and then have three nights off. If the plan is to let Dave Tippett go and promote Woodcroft, there’s not much time to get them up to Edmonton AND get a coaching staff in place to see the rest of the year out for Bakersfield as they’ve got games on the 26th, 28th, and 29th. In fact, it might make more sense to wait until after the game on the 29th to promote Woodcroft and Manson seeing as the Condors don’t play again until the following Friday.

Of course, that’s all predicated on Tippett getting the axe.

The club could avoid all of that trouble if they just give the bench to Glen Gulutzan and then promote Woody and Charlie at season’s end, but what happens to Brian Wiseman and Jim Playfair in this scenario? Do you think the team would ask Craig MacTavish to help out as he’s back in town and has a little bit of experience behind the Oilers bench.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JeF271w2WE

NHLRumors.com

Sheng Peng of NBC Sports Bay Area: San Jose Sharks 28-year old pending UFA Tomas Hertl could be one of the top trade deadline rentals in years. He’s on pace for 40 goals this season and can kill penalties… Comparable trades in the past are Matt Duchene (basically for two first-round picks), Mark Stone (basically for a top prospect and a second-round pick).
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: (mailbag) The Calgary Flames should be looking for a puck moving defenseman and a top-six forward. They likely won’t find a No. 1, but they need someone who can skate and move the puck. Seattle Kraken’s Mark Giordano? The Flames should be keeping an eye on Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg.
Rick Dhaliwal: Canucks Rutherford on their GM search: “It is getting closer, I am talking to lots of people, lots of interviews. I have narrowed it to maybe 5.”
Shawn Simpson: The Ottawa Senators should look at trading forwards Chris Tierney and Zach Sanford before the March 21st trade deadline.

BLH’s Thoughts: I like Zach Sanford for the Oilers. A big bodied winger who is physically assertive and apparently scores a goal every now and then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BIWUG3gh5o