Based on the way the two teams have been performing since the All-Star break, tonight’s match between the speedy, high-flying Maple Leafs and the young and offensively gifted Edmonton Oilers promises to be one of the more exciting games of the season.
The Oilers have scored 13 goals in home wins against Western Conference powers Chicago and Detroit, highlighted by the supernova that is Sam Gagner, who earned NHL Player of the Week honors for tying a club record with 8 points in a game held by a couple guys named Gretzky and Coffey Thursday night and followed that up with another three points and a goal in the shootout over the weekend.
The Leafs have earned five of a possible six points and with the shootout loss and shutout victory against Pittsburgh last week and perhaps their most dominant performance of season in a 5-0 victory over Ottawa at Scotiabank Place on Saturday.
Coach Ron Wilson will not make any lineup changes for tonight’s game, including goaltender James Reimer getting his third consecutive start, but indicated that Jonas Gustavsson most likely will get the start tomorrow night in Winnipeg.
The Oilers are expected to be sellers in the next few weeks leading up the NHL Trade
Deadline and are looking to upgrade their blueline, which is not particularly deep and has endured injuries to veterans Cam Barker, Ryan Whitney and Tom Gilbert throughout the year, but in spite of Toronto’s stockpile of young defenseman, there does not appear to be a good fit for a potential deal.
The names most often mentioned in trade circles from the Oilers have been Gagner, who is a restricted free agent at year’s end and unrestricted free agents Ryan Smyth and Ales Hemsky.
The Leafs could have an interest in Smyth in a rent-a-player scenario, but he is not likely to waive his no-trade clause to go anywhere other than a top contender, like the New York Rangers(which has been recently rumored).
Hemsky is a sizable $4.1 Million cap hit and has missed a season’s worth of games the last three years with recurrent shoulder injuries.
The asking price for the 22 year old Gagner has reportedly skyrocketed since his eight point night, with GM Steve Tambellini looking for a top four defenseman in exchange. The young forward is gifted and has not bloomed in Edmonton playing out of position as a winger, but as a center he would not be a great improvement over Tim Connolly, Mikhail Grabovski or Tyler Bozak.
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An interesting counterintuitive piece by Michael Traikos in today’s National Post (http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/02/06/michael-traikos-leafs-should-stand-pat/)regarding what the Leafs should do before the deadline:
I don’t know about you, but I really hope the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t actually trade for Rick Nash. No question, he is one of the league’s best power forwards. It’s just that after hearing fans moan and complain about how much was given up for Phil Kessel two years ago, I can’t imagine going through this song and dance again.
For that matter, keep Jeff Carter and his 11-year contract away from here. And don’t even mention Tuomo Ruutu, Sam Gagner, Ryane Clowe or anyone else whose name has been dragged through the rumour mill in recent weeks.
Trade talk is exciting and everything. But if I were general manager Brian Burke, I’d be more inclined to take a Seinfeld-like approach as we inch closer to the Feb. 27 deadline and do nothing.
There is definitely some merit to this argument, if you buy into the aspect that this group of young players will grow and improve with experience and have enough talent to take a step from just making the playoffs this season to becoming a legitimate contender in the next two years.
It is tough not to be confident in the decision making abilities of GM Brian Burke and his staff when it comes to making trades and while Toronto does have solid organizational depth, they are still lacking in primary level talent that is often the difference between post-season victory and defeat.
While no member of Leafs Nation would be in favor of trading prospects like Matt Frattin or Nazem Kadri for a rent-a-player who will play 30 or so games with the club before being free to walk away, their depth does allow them to trade multiple players for one difference maker who they can hold onto for the foreseeable future.
That is the deal that Burke is looking to make, if it is not out there, than he may very well not make a significant trade.
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