Will the Oilers be Forced to Explore the Trade Market for a LW?

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 Sportsnet (Mark Spector)

Oilers’ focus shifts to addressing forward depth and goalie tandem

Holland filled a need this week when he dealt for Duncan Keith to anchor his second defensive pair, and when/if he gets Adam Larsson signed, he’ll have a blue-line that stacks up pretty well. We predict that signing will occur shortly after the Expansion Draft
Zach Hyman or Jaden Schwartz?
- Hyman is target No. 1, Schwartz No. 2, and after that, it might be time to explore the trade market for a Jake DeBrusk, Rickard Rackell or perhaps even a player like Detroit RFA Tyler Bertuzzi.
- Hyman is seen as the right player for Edmonton: He has skill and can play alongside elite offensive players, but he is not a perimeter scorer, which the Oilers have in abundance. Hyman is seen as the exact type of responsible, close-in scorer needed to compliment a line with McDavid and a shooter like Puljujarvi.
- The Wilcox, Sask. native Schwartz is seen as a less expensive alternative — a player who does everything well, but not one thing stellar
- It is more likely that Edmonton will be looking at DeBrusk as a UFA a year from now.
The Oilers simply can’t rely on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as much as they have… That puts Holland in the market for a third-line centre who can do all the things that expect of a competent 3C — win draws, kill penalties, check top lines — but generate some offence as well.
- Well, Phillip Danault is the clear-cut favorite among free agent centres who can handle defensive responsibilities. But the same team won’t get Keith, Hyman and Danault. That’s a pipe dream.
- Paul Stastny would work, but he is both 35 and coming off a $6.5 million AAV.
- Former University of Alberta Golden Bear Derek Ryan. But he is likely to be left unprotected by Calgary, and as a Spokane, Wash., native there is a very real chance the Seattle Kraken make him an expansion pick.
Signing a 39-year-old Mike Smith isn’t a bad thing — as long as he has a partner who is up and coming, like a Chris Driedger, or Igor Shesterkin.

BLH’s Thoughts: My question regarding the future of the Oilers’ LW depth remains. RNH will be there for the next eight years presumably and possibly one of Taylor Hall, Zach Hyman, or Gabriel Landeskog, right? Then they plan to have Dylan Holloway on the roster at some point as well I assume. So where is Jake DeBrusk going to fit into that plan and why are they spending so much money on the LW?

Derek Ryan sounds like a very realistic target for the Oilers 3C position if they lose Jujhar Khaira to Seattle. Phil Danault, on the other hand, does not sound realistic at all. Elliotte Friedman thinks he’ll go to Columbus as they’re desperate for centers.

Igor Shesterkin? Seriously? Maybe Spector knows something I don’t, but why would the Rangers move him over Georgiev aside from maybe pricing himself out of New York.

From Spector’s Hockey

NHL Rumor Mill – July 16, 2021

AZ COYOTES INSIDER: Craig Morgan also reported the Avalanche has an interest in Kuemper. The netminder’s performance for Canada in this year’s World Championships improved his trade value after being sidelined by a knee injury in March. Morgan suggests shopping him to a contender for a late first-round draft pick, proposing Colorado, Carolina and Edmonton as possible trade partners.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m not really confident that the Oilers can land Kuemper out of Arizona. That being said though, Bob Stauffer has been talking about Christian Dvorak a bit this week as well as Lawson Crouse and to a lesser extent, Phil Kessel.

From 3 days ago – do you agree now the Larsson was the issue? “Daniel, you are totally missing the "squeeze" here. It wasn't Bowman. It was Adam Larsson. If Larsson signs Holland doesn't need to rush to sign Keith before expansion.”

— pakeha (@pakeha1) July 17, 2021

From The Daily Goal Horn

Many teams calling Zach Hyman

According to the Toronto Star several teams have already reached out to Hyman’s camp. The Oilers, Flames, Bruins, Penguins, Canucks, Red Wings, and Panthers are all supposedly interested.
The 28 year-old Hyman is a UFA and will make substantially more than the $2.25 million AAV he earns now. Estimates have him looking at 7 years with an AAV around $5.5 million range. There is now talk that he could hit $6 million with this much interest in his services.
Edmonton was the first team reportedly interested in trying to make a trade for his rights in order to negotiate prior to him hitting the open market. GM Kyle Dubas obviously understands the high-level of interest which could facilitate a trade and sign so that Toronto can acquire a draft pick or prospect.

BLH’s Thoughts: What I would pay for Hyman’s rights and what Ken Holland will could be coerced into paying is probably miles apart, but I said yesterday (I believe) that if the Oilers could get Hyman to sign an 8yr deal with an AAV of no more than $5M, I could get behind that. I’m a stickler on that number, I don’t think it would be an honorable thing to do to pay an outsider more than Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

My personal feeling though is that Hyman signs with the Red Wings so that he can stay close to home.

The Hyman noise is the loudest by far. Doesn’t mean it correlates to a done deal, but everyone you ask continues to bring up Hyman and Edmonton. https://t.co/pENycdBMHj

— NRD (@NHLRumorsDaily) July 16, 2021

Seattle Karen — The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!

Give us a follow on the socials!