I was going to write about the Oilers utter collapse against Arizona but what more is there to say. The team can’t hold a lead and as soon as one good thing starts to go their way, they sh*t the bed on something else. I mean how many times can you leave the Coyotes’ most lethal scorer alone? Mark Letestu I’m looking your way. With that said, it was nice to see that Draisaitl isn’t dependent on Hall to produce and Jultz scored! Eberle put forth a great game too.
Anyways I shall move on to the task at hand. My sources tell me that the Edmonton Oilers have been in talks with three teams as of recent. The Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals, and the Buffalo Sabres. It’s not a surprise that GM Peter Chiarelli is getting tired of what this team is putting out and I see Todd McLellan getting more frustrated in his search for ways to tell the media why the team is losing.
Just before we get into things I want to say that it is possible for bloggers such as myself to know people who know people on the inside but the reality is, it’s all 2nd or 3rd hand information and is no more likely to be a guarantee than what you read on Eklund’s page or over at MyNHLTradeRumors. We just write what we’re told. And no, we’re not going to tell you who told us. So you can call BS or you can enjoy the read and revel in the entertainment that is roster speculation.
So the first team I was told was the Buffalo Sabres. They are looking for an affordable puck moving d-man who can contribute offensively and can lead a PP. Apparently, there are only five or 6 players on the roster that are untouchable and if I were to guess on those players they’d be Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, Evander Kane, Ryan O’Reilly, and Zemgus Girgensons.
If we’re talking about Justin Schultz here and dealing him to the Sabres, I’m looking at two names right away. Marcus Foligno and Mark Pysyk.
Foligno is a bruising bottom six left winger. He plays a physical game and he’s not afraid to muck it up if need be. I’d see him as an upgrade on Hendricks and possibly Pouliot. He’s an RFA this summer so he’d be under team control but at a shade over $2 million, I think he’s worth the trade.
Mark Pysyk is a former Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman who was partnered with current Edmonton Oilers farm hand Griffin Reinhart during their days in the WHL. There’s instant chemistry there and I’m of the belief that Pysyk is about as NHL ready as a player can be these days. He’s just coming off injury at the moment but he’s a steady hard-working two-way defender in the mould of say… Kris Russell.
The second team that was mentioned was the Montreal Canadiens. This one is a bit more hazy. Apparently they were looking at Nuge and the Oilers 1st rounder and in return they were offering Lars Eller and Alexei Emelin… Rough!
If that is seriously how the negotiations were going then I’m not sure I’d ever call Marc Bergevin back. Talk about low balling. Good Lord!
In my opinion, any deal that includes Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Montreal Canadiens would have Alex Galchenyuk and Nathan Beaulieu included. That’s just me though.
As for the Washington Capitals, all I was told is that they were looking at Nugent-Hopkins. No mention of returning players.
If I were moving RNH to Washington I’d be looking at John Carlson as the return but that’s just my feeling and no doubt the Capitals would scoff at that. But we do know that the Caps are possibly looking to move Marcus Johansson because that’s what Elliotte Friedman told us in December but even then, he’s playing 3C behind Backstrom and Kuznetsov. I personally like Tom Wilson but I’m not sure where a deal would be made around RNH and Wilson.
Just as Lowetide said this morning, changes are going to be made. The team is about to go through a small overhaul and I’m starting to think that since game twenty (Chiarelli’s self-imposed guideline) the Oilers have been making calls to try to toughen up this squad. Starting with the call up of Zack Kassian…
Things are about to get real interesting in Oil Country. Stay tuned…
Take Care!
BLH
