Edmonton Oilers & Boston Bruins Discussing Ryan Whitney Trade

Update – After losing out on Jarome Iginla, the Boston Bruins have already moved on and are looking at the next potential trade they could make to bolster their roster for the upcoming playoff run.  Rumors were flying all over Twitter yesterday that a potential deal involving the Oilers defenseman Ryan Whitney was in the works.  The Iginla story soon took over and quietly pushed the Whitney rumors aside.

As of today there hasn’t been anything new in terms of a potential deal but there is some additional speculation surrounding the situation despite the Oilers brass denying the rumor, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.

Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal examines the Whitney to Boston scenario and highlights that Whitney would obviously love a chance to play for his hometown team.

Matheson also writes that the Bruins could be “sniffing around” on winger Ales Hemsky and that a mulit-player deal could be had for both clubs.  Matheson hears that Jordan Caron is one player who has surfaced as a potential return for Whitney along with a second round draft pick.  Caron is a big bodied forward and the Oilers certainly need additional size up front.

Matheson goes on to mention Carl Soderberg who has yet to report to the Bruins and is in the midst of serving a suspension in the Swedish Elite League.  Prospect netminder Niklas Svedberg is also named as a possible interest to the Oilers who, like Matheson says, need to replenish their cupboard when it comes to young goalies.

Late yesterday afternoon there were rumblings that Magnus Paajarvi was the potential forward heading to Boston with Whitney, but Jason Gregor via Twitter doesn’t believe that Paajarvi would be of appeal to the Bruins.  He also doesn’t see who the Bruins would move to Edmonton to make room for Paajarvi.

More on this as it continues to come forth.

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3/27/2013 – Update on the Ryan Whitney trade talk that has grown this afternoon between the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins.  Earlier we heard rumblings that the two teams were discussing a deal that would send the 30-year old defenseman to Boston and now Gene Principe of Sportsnet, who follows the Oilers, has confirmed that the two clubs are in fact engaged in discussions surrounding Whitney.  Principe tweeted that the deal could see an Oilers forward also head to Boston but no names were mentioned.

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There are rampant rumors via the Twitter world this afternoon that the Edmonton Oilers are closing in on a deal that would send defenseman Ryan Whitney to the Boston Bruins.

Jimmy Murphy from ESPNBoston.com was the first to tweet that he was hearing the rumblings but was quick to point out that nothing had been confirmed.

A few minutes later, Bob McKenzie from TSN chimed in via Twitter and offered the following:

McKenzie did mention that the Bruins have been doing their “due diligence” on Whitney and have checked out his health which is a primary concern.  The TSN hockey expert does confirm that there is “no doubt” the Oilers are trying to move the 30-year old, a rumor that has surfaced since the beginning of March.

On the season the former fifth overall draft pick in 2002 has 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points 24 games with the Oilers while posting a minus-9 rating.

There is no mention of who is rumored to be involved in the potential trade talks as compensation for Whitney.  But Kevin Paul Dupont from the Boston Globe points out that both Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference are from Edmonton.  Could a homecoming be in order for one of the two?  It’s highly doubtful that Edmonton would get a return of Boychuk in the deal but Ferene could be a possibility.

A healthy scratch for multiple games this season, Whitney has left many wondering what has happened to his game and why has he depreciated so rapidly.  Some have stated that his foot speed has fallen off and he can’t keep up to the pace of the game, while others believe that an injury could be the cause for the puck-moving defenseman to lag behind on his offensive production.

Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Whitney was an offensive catalyst during his years there with the most productive coming in 2006-07 when he registered 59 points in 81 games (14 goals).  Since that breakout year he has only collected more than 40 points in a season once and that was the following year.

He was later traded from the Penguins to the Ducks in 2009 that saw Chris Kunitz head to Pittsburgh.  Anaheim then dealt him to Edmonton in 2010 for Lubomir Visnovsky.

More on this as it happens.