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Oil on Whyte
The Pacific Division Just Got A Little More Difficult
- This does not change anything for the Edmonton Oilers this season, but now they have another star player to keep in mind when they face off against the Golden Knights, this rivalry is only going to grow from here.
- I cannot help but think about the playoff showdowns that could be coming the next few years. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have met many times in the postseason, it is where their rivalry truly shined. Now the Oilers and Golden Knights will have that every season with McDavid and Eichel, the first overall and second overall draft picks from 2015.
BLH’s Thoughts: For what the Golden Knights are going to have to cut from their team to become salary cap compliant, I think that’s going to offset the Eichel addition. Add that to the fact that Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty’s health will be a constant concern from here on out and I’m not as concerned about the impact of this trade on the Oilers as I was maybe a month ago.
I do like the idea of seeing Eichel/McDavid more often though. Good hockey is good hockey.
Oilersnation
The Golden Knights beat out the Flames in the Jack Eichel sweepstakes. What does this mean for the Oilers?
- Eichel still winds up in the Pacific Division, making one of Edmonton’s toughest competitors even stronger.
- …when the Golden Knights are fully healthy, they’ll be able to run a very deep forward group, which will likely consist of Eichel playing with Stone and Pacioretty on his wings, the standard second line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Reilly Smith, and a third line centered by Chandler Stephenson, who leads the team with nine points in nine games.
BLH’s Thoughts: One of Edmonton’s toughest competitors is slowly going to become weaker and weaker since they prefer to pilfer all of their draft picks and trade from a deficit when it comes time to move one of their mega contracts in order to fit in the flavor of the day that season.
They won’t be able to run that roster suggested because they’ll be over the cap by a significant amount. But Bob Stauffer has been intimating that Mark Stone might be out months, not weeks… Reckon Vegas is going to pull off “The Kucherov” IF they can make the playoffs?
The Hockey Writers Rumors
- As is being reported by multiple sources and confirmed by the Sabres organization, Eichel has been traded to the Golden Knights and the deal is a big one. The Golden Knights have acquired the center and a conditional pick from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and two conditional picks. The conditional picks are a first-round pick in 2022, and a second-round pick in 2023.
- According to a report by Kevin Weekes on Wednesday, the Calgary Flames were extremely close. While there was some pushback on his report that the Flames had offered Matthew Tkachuk as part of a proposed deal, he tweeted, “For all asking, my understanding is the @NHLFlames have Tkachuk (who is a future potential captain) an upcoming 1 Rd pick, a former 1st Rd pick, and 2 prospects in the Eichel sweepstakes with the @BuffaloSabres.”
- As per Pierre LeBrun and a couple of other respected sources, the Carolina Hurricanes were the mystery team in the Eichel sweepstakes. It’s interesting news considering the team is 9-0 to start the season and would have likely moved significant roster pieces to acquire a player who wouldn’t be available for approximately four months.
- Frank Seravalli said earlier this week that Carolina has proven they aren’t afraid to make big moves or trade anyone if it helps the team. Do they have something else cooking now that they failed to land someone they had some interest in?
