Kraken and Coyotes Look Like Ideal Trade Partners for Edmonton According to Local Oilers Pundit

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The Oilers Prospect Report

Matvey Petrov was the highest-scoring Oilers prospect with three goals and six points for the North Bay Battalion.
Max Wanner found the back of the net for his first WHL goal against the Prince Albert Raiders last night.
Savoie scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season against Miami (Ohio) University for his fifth goal in his last four games. The next night, he grabbed an assist to take his points tally to 19 and is one away from his total last year.
On Saturday night, Broberg got his first NHL point with a secondary assist on Connor McDavid’s opening goal against the Chicago Blackhawks.

BLH’s Thoughts: Aapeli Rasanen continues to light up the SM-Liiga, Tyler Tullio is making the OHL his b*tch right now and Xavier Bourgault is running the QMJHL’s show to boot… Still.

It’s an interesting place for the Oilers prospect cupboard having so many offensive studs at the same time and the fanbase not crying bloody murder to have them playing in Edmonton.

The Athletic

How the Oilers’ most pressing roster priorities have changed since the offseason

Before the season began, most observers suggested general manager Ken Holland would add an additional goaltender to replace Koskinen at the deadline and give coach Dave Tippett a stronger option to tandem with Smith.
It was also suggested at least one dozen defencemen would make appearances in a wild series of trades and recalls in search of a third-pair lefty.
Finally, a No. 3 centre remained a need unless Derek Ryan or young Ryan McLeod could fill the gap.
It’s still very early, but Stuart Skinner (tandem goalie), Philip Broberg (third-pair defence) and McLeod (No. 3 centre) have shown well enough through the first games of 2021-22 to at least be considered as candidates for long-term solutions.
Using two-way play, contract and some offence as priorities, and depending on how the season rolls out, players like Joonas Donskoi and Mason Appleton (both of the Seattle Kraken) might come available and give the third line a boost.
A third line with Foegele, McLeod and a two-way right winger like Donskoi would allow the Oilers to move Kassian to the fourth line, likely with Derek Ryan.
Edmonton’s secret weapon for the fourth line could be Dylan Holloway. He is still recovering from surgery but should be ready to play games for the Bakersfield Condors in either late December or early January.
The Pacific Division (Kraken) and the Central Division (Arizona Coyotes) are teams that look like ideal trade partners at this point, with more teams to enter the pool as the season continues.

BLH’s Thoughts: If Colton Sceviour continues to play well, the Oilers should keep him at 4C and let Ryan recover from whatever’s been ailing him. Give the former Flame some spot duty from time to time, but give the guy who’s earned the job the actual job.

I don’t have any problems putting Kass on the 4th line, but I’d be willing to bet you won’t get what you think out of him there. I’ve found that he’s more engaged when he’s in the top-six and when he feels trusted by the coaching staff. So if Edmonton is going to slide him right down to the bottom rung, they’d might as well deal him for some salary cap relief and a bottom-sixer who relishes being a bottom-six grinder and defensive specialist.

The Daily Goal Horn

On Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, he and co-host Jeff Marek said that things in Vancouver were fairly chaotic.
- “I personally don’t think I’m going to get traded,” Boeser said via the Athletic. “I feel like I’m part of the core here and a big piece. That’s just how I feel.”
According to Jeremy Rutherford, who covers the Blues for the Athletic, he indicates Tarasenko’s trade demand still stands. The other big issue is his trade value, which seems to have improved but not enough for the Blues to move him.
- “The Blues have seemed inclined to keep Tarasenko since his trade request likely because his value to the club exceeds what he could bring back. But has his production this season increased interest? A few sources around the league feel that it has, but perhaps it’s still not enough for Blues general manager Doug Armstrong to consider moving Tarasenko before the trade deadline on March 21 — or even next summer.” – Jeremy Rutherford, The Athletic