Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumours: Defensive Upgrades
By Ryan Ritchie
Nov 30, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center
(93) shoots against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Oilers 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumours: TSN Analysts Suggest Moving a Core Piece
For a long time, Edmonton Oilers trade rumours have been bantered about by experts in an attempt to fix this failing franchise. One of the oldest names attached to rumours is Jordan Eberle, and it sounds as though his name, along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are the latest rumoured to be on the trade block.
Nov 20, 2015; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a second period goal by defensemen
(77) against the New Jersey Devils at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
During “Leafs Lunch” on TSN Monday Afternoon, Jeff O’Neill and Jamie McLennan discussed the Oilers. Specifically, the pair shared the argument that Edmonton’s core players simply aren’t working, and haven’t generated the right chemistry together. They also made note that Edmonton has some very promising pieces in place (i.e. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse). O’Neill and McLennan both agreed that Edmonton would still struggle to stay competitive, even if fully healthy.
In an interview on “Leafs Lunch” with Ryan Rishaug, he made a suggestion that Peter Chiarelli might be willing to part ways with one of Jordan Eberle or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Rishaug, O’Neill, and McLennan all agreed that both players have underperformed in 2015-16, and they may be the only two guys that could fetch that defender that eats up big minutes. Rishaug did express concern in waiting to trade Nugent-Hopkins until Oilers management has a larger 40-game window on Leon Draisaitl to make sure he’s a second line centre lock. Nail Yakupov‘s name was also brought up, but Jeff O’Neill proposed the question, “Do you see Yakupov battling in the corners during four grueling rounds of playoffs?”. All agreed that Yakupov doesn’t carry enough trade value to obtain that big-time defender.
Nov 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Jordan Eberle (14) reacts as the Detroit Red Wings celebrate in overtime at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit won 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday night, Edmonton went head-to-head with the Toronto Maple Leafs, making history in all the wrong ways. Leafs goaltender Garrett Sparks was the first goalie in Toronto’s long history to record a shutout in his NHL debut. Following the game, Oilers coach Todd McLellan made a point of centering out his best players, criticizing their performance. On TSN‘s “That’s Hockey 2Nite” following the game, Craig Button made the suggestion that it’s time for Peter Chiarelli to re-evaluate who his core players are.
The most pressing need in Northern Alberta is another addition to the back-end, likely a big body that can log a ton of minutes. Edmonton could roll the dice, hope for a top three lottery pick for a chance at drafting Jakob Chychrun, but Chiarelli might be wise give this core a slight shake-up. There’s not a lot of options to fill the Oilers gaping hole on the blue-line, but let’s take a look at some possibilities.
Next: Most Unlikely Trade Options