Welcome back to the middle of July editions of NHL Rumours with us here at Last Word On Hockey. Today we try to summarize some of what’s been happening, but we will focus on the Edmonton Oilers situation. So, let’s get into it.
NHL Rumours: The Edmonton Oilers in Search of an Addition
Rumour: The rumour man, David Pagnotta, dropped in to have a chat on the Podcast of Hello Hockey. He suggested the Oilers are searching for a top-six scorer.
Analysis: Not to be blunt, but honestly, who doesn’t want some top-end depth scoring. Therein lies the problem, that there is a lot of competition. It will likely end up going to the highest bidder, someone with cap space. Or, a general manager willing to give up a hot prospect.
Before we get into the Oilers, let’s explore a potential target. The reason that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been targeted is that they possess two desirable forwards. Both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell could put up 30 goals, and they do so economically. Both have very similar contracts remaining, around $5 million per year, for the next three years.
This is why general manager Kyle Dubas can hold out for maximum return. This is besides the fact it doesn’t sound like Sidney Crosby is going anywhere. He would love both those guys finishing off his passes on the wing or the power play. So, the Penguins don’t need to do anything.
For the Oilers, they want to stay within the upper-echelon of NHL franchises. To do so, they may yet require upgrades to their forward group. The problem is they need a strong player to be able to achieve that and upgrade what they currently have. Guys like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman are bigger name scorers beyond their top guys. But what about after them? There is a bit of a drop-off, especially in terms of offensive guys. Andrew Mangiapane was a solid off-season pickup, but they would like more depth. Depth is imperative in the case of injuries, such as was the case for Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins in the playoffs.
What Can Edmonton Realistically Do
The biggest problem for Edmonton, is they are currently listed as only having $225K in available cap space. That’s not going to get it done. Moreover, they’d likely have to give up the very type of pieces that would be used in their top-nine anyway, if not top-six.
There’s not a lot out there that provides the type of upgrades they require as a top Stanley Cup contender. Maybe they could swipe up one of the forwards headed to arbitration. Nicholas Robertson of the Toronto Maple Leafs comes to mind. However, that is a small subset of players. In any sense, if they can swing a trade, it will be salary for salary given their current situation.
If they can manage to stay patient, something will open up. It always does. However, this isn’t a team that likes to be patient. They’ve been so close to winning, and don’t want to deviate from their current path too much. That’s why you’ve seen acquisitions of the Jeff Skinner
and Corey Perry
‘s over that past couple of campaigns. If they are able to land a big upgrade, without giving up anything important, it will be impressive.
Main Photo Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports
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