Way back in the distant year of 2017, the Edmonton Oilers traded left shooting Brandon Davidson for centre David Desharnais. At the time of the trade it was considered a fine if unspectacular trade. Davidson wasn't cracking the Oilers lineup every night and the team needed another bottom six centre.

At the time, other options existed like Brian Boyle, Martin Hanzal, and Patrick Eaves who were all considered great depth adds for a deep playoff run but Edmonton wasn't in on any of them. Former General Manager Peter Chiarelli spoke to the media after the deadline about how the team was happy to add a player like Desharnais, but they weren't going to sell the future for a playoff push that year because this was only the beginning for this team.

Flash forward to now where the Edmonton Oilers have not come close to touching the post-season since that year. Every statement Ken Holland has given to media this year rings indicative to the same mindset of Peter Chiarelli; that fans should not expect this team to make big moves just yet.

It's a mistake.

As fans of hockey have seen year after year, it is not necessarily the best team in the regular season that wins the Cup... ask Tampa Bay Lightning fans how that worked out for them.

That being said, when you have managed to catch lightning in a bottle, a good general manager should do everything in their power to harness and utilize that energy.

What is Edmonton's lightning in a bottle?

- McDavid and Draisaitl are both having Hart and Art Ross worthy seasons, both on pace for career highs of 133 and 136 points respectively.

- A starter in Mikko Koskinen who is currently posting a 0.921SV% and gives the team a chance to win any night.

- Depth on defense, including a potential top 4 group of Klefbom, Bear, Jones, and Nurse who are all on great cap friendly deals. This year those players together make a combined 8.75 million. Next season that same group will likely make north of 15 million.

- That group doesn't even include Adam Larsson who at 4.1 million is also starting to look like his old shutdown self, Matthew Benning who is a solid third pairing option or another cap friendly option in Joel Persson.

When is the last time a team had two 100+ point players and an above average defensive group at that cap hit?

The issues with this team are the forwards beyond that group. James Neal is a great PP option but doesn't cut it as a 5 on 5 producer in the top 6 and Ryan Nugent Hopkins is doing his best to drive a second line but he needs help. The bottom six has shown more signs of life over the past month but the team also lacks a true third line centre who can produce.

These are fully addressable areas right now for the Oilers.

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This isn't meant to be a "Why The Oilers Should Trade For Hall" blog, but let's go there for one moment. Dan Rosen reportedly earlier in November that the original ask for Hall was an NHL ready defenseman and a high pick or prospect. Imagining for a moment Jersey accepts a deal where Edmonton sends Jones, Lagesson, and a 2nd (becoming a first if he re-signs) for Taylor Hall... Holland should not think twice and immediately pull the trigger.

Playing NHL20 for another moment. How about Holland trades Yamamoto and rights to Jesse Puljujarvi to the Sens for Pageau.

Before anyone goes to the comments section to yell at me because my trades are either giving up too much or not enough, these are just some examples to illustrate a point.

That point is that a Kailer Yamamoto, a Caleb Jones or any picks this coming draft isn't going to likely be a difference maker for the Edmonton Oilers this season, next season, or probably even the season after that.

The window for the Edmonton Oilers Cup possibilities should be looked at as from the present until two or three years from now. These next few years are the prime of McDavid and Draisaitl's career, as well as the secondary group that includes Klefbom, RNH, and Nurse. This season these players are carrying the team on their back and Ken Holland needs to reward these guys by sending in the cavalry.

Thanks for reading.

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