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Thoughts on the Oilers Trade Deadline |
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Yesterday Oilers Twitter was just about as divided as I have seen it in years regarding the work (or lack thereof) Ken Holland put into the trade deadline. On one side you have the people angry that Holland didn't do more while the other side agrees with Holland's philosophy in not blowing all their assets right now in favor of pushing towards the future. While I personally fall more into the latter category I certainly won't fault anyone for disagreeing. An argument can be made that in this weird year the Oilers have the best opportunity of pushing for a Cup run.
I dislike getting into conversations about hypotheticals; for example talking about that Holland should have offered say a 1st round pick and prospect to get Rickard Rakell. No one else made that deal so I'm not going to sit here and discuss it. Instead I'm going to look at some of the bigger trades that dropped yesterday, see if Edmonton had the assets to make them happen, and argue whether or not they would have pushed the river enough to make this team into a Cup Contender.
TRADE 1 - NEW JERSEY ACQUIRES: AJ GREER, MASON JOBST, 2021 1ST ROUND PICK, 2022 4TH ROUND PICK
NEW YORK ISLANDERS ACQUIRE: KYLE PALMIERI, TRAVIS ZAJAC
Both Greer and Jobst are expiring contracts and were moved just so that the Islanders didn't have to worry about the roster size. The 1st and 4th, which turns into a 3rd if the Isles make it to the Cup Final are the big pieces.
IS THIS A MOVE EDMONTON COULD HAVE MADE?
Yes. The Oilers could have easily traded a couple of expiring contracts like Alan Quine and Joseph Gambardella and dealt a 1st and 4th next season. The only sticking points would be the NTC clauses both Palmieri and Zajac have and whether Edmonton was on that list. In addition Edmonton I don't believe would be able to take on the 5.2 million dollar cap hit and would need to include someone like a Chiasson to make the dollars fit.
SHOULD EDMONTON HAVE MADE THIS MOVE?
Adding Palmieri gives the Oilers another top six winger, albeit another right winger so someone would have to be moved to their off side and Zajac would help out the bottom six and provide a stabilizing element to the third line. It isn't a perfect fit and the 1st round rental price is high but if there is one trade I could have gotten behind it likely would have been this one.
TRADE 2 - LEAFS ACQUIRES STEFAN NOESEN, NICK FOLIGNO
SHARKS ACQUIRE: LEAFS 2021 4TH
BLUE JACKETS ACQUIRE: LEAFS 2021 FIRST and 2022 4TH
IS THIS A MOVE EDMONTON COULD HAVE MADE?
Yes. Edmonton had all the same assets as the Leafs to make this deal, which is all about Nick Foligno.
SHOULD EDMONTON HAVE MADE THIS MOVE?
Absolutely not in my opinion. Toronto clearly is pushing for the win this season but this is a pretty hefty sum for a player who hasn't produced more than 35 points over the past four years. Foligno isn't a huge shot generator but he does play a physical game and led the Blue Jackets in hits this season. In addition he is a strong two way player. If Foligno was the last missing piece for an Edmonton run perhaps you make this deal but with the other issues around this roster I don't see how it would make sense for Edmonton to pull the trigger on this one.
TRADE 3 - BOSTON ACQUIRES: CURTIS LAZAR, TAYLOR HALL
SABRES ACQUIRE: Anders Bjork, 2021 2ND ROUND PICK
Here is the one that originally got everyone into a tizzy. Once again Oilers fans got it into their heads that Hall was going to return to Edmonton and once again they were let down.
IS THIS A MOVE EDMONTON COULD HAVE MADE?
Not in the way the trade is set up. The Oilers do not have a 2nd round pick this season and they don't really have a player like Ander Bjork; a young player with some term on his contract to offer up. That being said I think if Edmonton was willing to offer up a 1st Buffalo would have taken their offer.
With all that said I still don't think this was ever a realistic possibility. Everything we have heard from this screams that Hall was only going to accept a trade to Boston. Hall wanted to be a Bruin last off-season and it didn't work out. Sorry Oilers fans, Taylor Hall is over you.
SHOULD EDMONTON HAVE MADE THIS MOVE?
As I have stated a few times, even if the Oilers could have traded a 1st for Taylor Hall I would heavily be against it. Aside from Hall having a bad year (yes on a historically bad team) and being a rental, I don't think Hall makes this team a Cup contender. The Oilers right now have no issue entering the zone with Draisaitl and McDavid being the puck carrier on separate lines. Edmonton needs wingers with a shoot first mentality who can be physical and distribute the puck back to Drai and McDavid. Hall does not fit the bill there.
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Let's fire off a few of the other trades in much shorter order.
Anthony Mantha: Not interested at all in paying that massive price for Mantha. Edmonton doesn't really have a Vrana replacement but you would have to look at a player like Yamamoto or Puljujarvi then being part of the return. Huge pass.
David Savard: Great player but the Oilers right side is already pretty crowded and a 1st and 4th this season and a 3rd next season is a steep price for a rental.
Mattias Janmark: Oilers don't have the second round pick this year that Vegas traded to acquire him. Janmark would be a good third line addition but again he alone doesn't drastically improve this roster.
Brandon Montour: As mentioned with Savard the Oilers have a crowded right side and Montour would help even less. Plus Oilers did not have a 3rd round pick.
Eric Staal: Oilers did not have a 3rd round pick or a 5th round pick this season.
Sam Bennett: Calgary got a huge return from the Panthers for Bennett, a 2nd and a prospect who was just drafted in the 2nd round. Oilers don't have those assets to make it work and you can bet for Calgary to trade him to Edmonton the price would've been higher.
Jeff Carter: Pass.
Overall none of these trades by themselves solve enough issues that I would have encouraged the Oilers to pull the trigger. Edmonton needs at least another top six winger, a third line centre, and a left shot defenseman to play in the top 4. Holland was able to check one of those boxes in the addition of Kulikov.
Holland in his post deadline presser essentially rolled out his plan for the off-season. The Oilers are going to have the cap space to be very active in free agency and the assets to make moves to build for next year and beyond. I still think the roster as it stands today has the ability to win a playoff round or two. It may not have been the exciting deadline some were hoping for but for the success of the next three years I think Holland made the wise choice.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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