Sportsnet Pundit Says the Oilers Could Get in on this All-Star Defenseman

Coming from an Edmonton Oilers point of view, BLH provides you with excerpts from the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation from all of the internet’s best sites including Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, The Athletic, TSN and more!

From Spector’s Hockey

LATEST EICHEL SPECULATION

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy reports Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams seeks a king’s ransom for Jack Eichel. A league executive told Murphy that Adams could seek up to six components in the return for the 24-year-old center.

Those components include a top-six center 25-year-old or younger, a top-four defenseman 25-or-young, a first-round pick and various prospects. Murphy said that monumental asking price has some NHL executives wondering if the Sabres GM has misread the market for Eichel.

BLH’s Thoughts: That’s quite the haul that Adams is going for. Why not though? Jack Eichel is a fantastic talent. That said, if the Minnesota Wild were willing to go all-in for Eichel, do you think an offer of Marco Rossi, Matt Dumba, a first round pick and prospect Ryan O’Rourke be too much?

COULD THE BRUINS PURSUE EKMAN-LARSSON?

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss believes the Bruins should pass on Ekman-Larsson. If they acquire all or part of his remaining cap hit, it’ll tie up money to re-sign free agents Brandon Carlo and Mike Reilly. His disappointing play is also a red flag. Goss believes Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm is a better option if the Bruins intend to pursue a trade for a left-side defenseman.

BLH’s Thoughts: I suppose the Bruins have to ask themselves if they’d rather have Carlo and Reilly or one of Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Mattias Ekholm. My feeling is that Boston will have one of OEL or Ekholm on their team next season. Now, be that as it may, will that impact their ability to bring Taylor Hall back? If so, how hot will the Hall-to-Edmonton speculation be?

From Sportsnet

Which teams could pull off Dougie Hamilton sign-and-trade?

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers need to improve their blue line and Hamilton would be an upgrade, albeit a much more expensive one, to fellow pending UFA Tyson Barrie who just led all defencemen in scoring. Adam Larsson, another right-shot defender is set to hit the open market so with those two plus Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Alex Chiasson, Dmitry Kulikov and Tyler Ennis potentially all off the books, cap space wouldn’t be an issue for GM Ken Holland.

Hamilton leading a right side that also has Evan Bouchard and Ethan Bear while playing alongside either Darnell Nurse or a returning Oscar Klefbom would make many Oilers fans happy.

BLH’s Thoughts: They could show interest, but that’s about it. Two $8M dmen on the same team would probably be the quickest way to cap hell and a plethora of difficult summers to come.

I mean, is it me or are these journalists grabbing the lowest hanging fruit these days and running with it. Just because the Oilers are going to have an open spot on the top pairing of their defense doesn’t mean that they should automatically be inserted into every bit of speculation with Dougie Hamilton’s name tied to it.

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