One of the many things that the Oilers need to fix this off-season is their secondary scoring situation, something that Craig MacTavish admitted to at the end of season press conference. There aren’t a ton of options out there in the free agent market, but Minnesota Wild forward Matt Moulson seems like a pretty decent option.
Why Is He Out There?:
Matt Moulson had a crazy year this past season. He went to camp and played the early stages of the year with the Islanders, who shipped him to Buffalo for star Thomas Vanek. He was a good soldier for the Sabres, and a solid producer, but was still traded off at the deadline to Minnesota as a secondary scorer for the Wild’s playoff push.
While he was decent in Minnesota, he seems to be strictly a rental player for the Wild, who have some decent offensive prospects and the inside track to sign the above mentioned Vanek this coming summer. Moulson appears to have been a hired gun for only a few weeks in Minny.
What Does He Do Well?:
Matt Moulson is a guy that does a number of things right. He’s a scorer first, and possesses a good shot. He works down low too according to The Hockey News, and is a guy that will use his 6’1”, 200 pound frame to make things happens in front of the net.
Matt Moulson is also called a hard working player that tries to improve his all-around instincts yearly, and is a guy that has the instincts of a scorer. He’s a good scoring winger, but is a guy that mainly is there to provide offense, not two-way play.
His skating needs some work too, and while he kept up with John Tavares in New York, he isn’t exactly a speed demon on the ice. Even though he has decent size, he doesn’t bring the physical aspect to the table, which is something Edmonton is looking for this off-season.
His Corsi numbers are really interesting to look at. He played for a struggling Islander team, an awful Sabre team, and a pretty good Minnesota squad that reached the second round. He ended up with a 46.6% Corsi For during the regular season, but when taken in context that isn’t too bad. If he were to play on the Oilers as currently constructed, that’s a number we could expect.
In the playoffs, Moulson turned it up and posted a 60.3% Corsi For on a strong Corsi team, so that too needs to be taken into context. He was at 52.2% in 2013 with the Isles, and was 49.2% the year before that, also in New York.
Offensively, Moulson put up 51 points in 75 games, with 23 of them being goals, so this is a guy that knows how to light the lamp a bit. He had 44 points in 47 games in 2013, and 69 in 82 the year before that.
Moulson isn’t a great defensive winger by any means, but he is good enough to not be a liability while providing scoring depth to an NHL lineup.
Where Will He Play, and Where Should He Play?:
Matt Moulson is listed as a natural left winger, so he’d play on the second line behind Taylor Hall or the third line behind both Hall and David Perron if he were to sign in Edmonton. This is a good forward and a guy that produces at a top-six clip, and is your typical second line forward.
If he signed in Edmonton, he’d be playing exactly where he should be in the lineup.
What Will He Cost?:
In a normal year, with a stronger UFA pool, Matt Moulson would be a secondary target, but this year he will be a top of the line offensive player on the market. Moulson made $3.1 M per season on his last deal, and will likely get a raise on that this summer. A three year deal starting at $4 M per year is likely to be the asking price for this player in this particular year.
Closing Argument:
The Oilers need secondary scorers, and Matt Moulson is arguably one of the best scorers out there this year. He has a knack for lighting the lamp with goals, and an ability to pick up assists along the way too. He’s a guy that has proven he can play with top skill too, evident by his days on Long Island.
He’s a player that is still relatively young at age 30, and has a decent frame. Possession wise, he’s pretty good too, and while he isn’t anything to write home about defensively, he’s good enough in that regard to not be seen as a liability.
He’s got some issues, he isn’t exactly the fastest guy, his defensive game isn’t the best, and he isn’t overly physical, but overall Matt Moulson is an attractive option on the free agent market this coming summer.
If Craig MacTavish has a chance to add Moulson on a fair contract, he should be more than willing to make things work between the two sides.
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