“What would this Oilers team need for a championship run?” Asks One Prominent Pundit

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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Lowetide.ca

LONG TRAIN RUNNING

What would this Oilers team need for a championship run? One Nick Foles? Two? Would Ilya Konovalov turning into an on-ice Semyon Varlamov be enough? What if that happened and Dmitri Samorukov emerged as a top-four shutdown defenseman overnight?
…if the Oilers were fortunate enough to discover Dylan Holloway was healthy, he could have an impact on this roster. Don’t look past Ryan McLeod either, his speed is such a difference maker.
we’re looking at two blue ticketed for the minors (Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov) who could impact the 2021-22 season at the NHL level. Plus Markus Niemelainen who showed enough in Bakersfield to earn a mention when we discuss the season to come. No one knew much about Artem Zub not long ago, and he had a positive impact relative to his fellow defenders last year.
What if Konovalov is the real thing? He isn’t a big man but those KHL numbers shine like a diamond. Stuart Skinner is also in the conversation, and he delivered a strong run in Bakersfield last season. Did he turn a corner?

BLH’s Thoughts: So basically LT is wondering if somebody will come out of left field to lead the club to the Stanley Cup and I like the idea of Dmitri Samorukov or Ilya Konovalov being those guys. They’ve basically proven in the second best hockey league in the world that they have the ability to be “go-to” guys and to their advantage the positions they play have some question marks surrounding them on the Oilers.

I don’t think it will, but what about a guy whose back is against the wall like Tyler Benson? He’s got all of the tools but he’s just lacking one thing! What a story it would be if he emerged as the latest local lad to star for the Edmonton Oilers?

The Hockey Writers

Oilers Have Plenty to Offer in Trades This Season

Zack Kassian – The Oilers are going to have to see 2017 playoff Kassian again to reassure them why he needs to be on this current roster. With expectations high in Edmonton, this style of hockey can be just what they need to push past difficult opponents.
Mikko Koskinen – In a backup role with less games, he has done surprisingly better at times than what people give him credit for… With one year remaining on his deal, Koskinen is definitely an easier option to move at any point without giving up too much alongside him as far as assets go… If a goalie is performing well on a team that decides they can’t compete for a playoff spot, that could create an opportunity to make a 1-for-1 swap with a low-end draft pick attached.
Tyler Benson – A very productive player in the American Hockey League, he produced 141 points in 156 games. To go along with that, he produced 12 points in 16 playoff games in the AHL… He could be a good addition as a throw in to a larger trade. He could also be a result of a swap with an equally talented young player if both are struggling. We’ve seen this many times before from teams, and it could go well for both teams involved, or maybe just one.

BLH’s Thoughts: Koskinen’s not moving unless the Oilers attach a first round pick to him. So I don’t know if I’d consider him a “trade asset” per se. However, Kassian has tools in his toolbox that a lot of GMs like and I know for a fact that there are teams out there (*cough* Seattle *cough*) that are just waiting for the Oilers to put Benson on waivers so that they can claim him for a few hundred bucks.

Do not discount Edmonton moving a defenseman either. They’ve got a glut on the big club and another one on the minor league team and at some point, they’re going to need to be culled.

NHLTradeRumor.com

Matt Porter of the Boston Globe asks the question, if you’re Predators general manager David Poile, don’t you have to try to deal Filip Forsberg?

His expiring $6 million deal is reasonably priced and lacks trade protection.
There were NHL rumors last season that Forsberg was available for a trade but the team played really well down the stretch and the team decided to keep him for a playoff run.
Poile will likely ask for top prospects and a 1st round pick for Forsberg.

Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now reports there’s zero doubt the Boston Bruins will have interest in (Tomas) Hertl if he becomes a trade market option.

…the real complication in a Hertl trade is his $5.625 million cap hit. Hertl will undoubtedly be looking for a big raise as he approaches unrestricted free agency following the season.
The Bruins would need to move Charlie Coyle ($5.25 million) to the Sharks in order to make the money work…

Steve Carp of Vegas Hockey Now reports a Jack Eichel trade gives Vegas the top center it has lacked from Day One.

Owner Bill Foley is persuading team management to make a trade for Eichel and he has a goal to win the Stanley by year 6 of the Golden Knights existence.
In order for a trade to happen and clear salary cap space, Vegas will have to move one of Reilly Smith or Jonathan Marchessault along with Alex Tuch. They would likely want Peyton Krebs or a couple of other prospects. And they would probably insist on Vegas first- or second-round picks in 2022, 2023, or 2024.