On Tuesday, Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli spoke to the assembled media in Edmonton to essentially announce that he will be selling at the deadline on Monday. That’s not a surprise, anyone with any sense of the NHL and how things work knew that would be the case. Chiarelli did create some waves with a few comments. Let’s discuss.
“We haven’t been good enough, so there will be changes.” #Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli, says team will be “sellers” pic.twitter.com/93sjlHlsS5
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 23, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsNo surprise here, Chiarelli announces the team will sell and all but seals the fate of Teddy Purcell come next Monday. Chiarelli mentions ‘changes’ in the plural sense, so there could be more than one thing that goes down. Based on the rest of his comments, I’d be stunned if he stopped at just Purcell.
“I’d like to get bigger and heavier across the board… I like our skill.” GM Chiarelli on the current makeup of the #Oilers roster
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 23, 2016
Again, no surprise here. Chiarelli’s Bruins had some bigger players on the roster and played a physical style. Chia had success with that group so obviously he’ll want to add that element here. Chiarelli mentions he likes the skill here right now, and that’s worth noting. He’s got his skilled pieces, but has excess and can change the mix with bigger and heavier players. Example? Moving a Nail Yakupov for a heavy defender of a bigger forward.
GM Chiarelli says major #Oilers injuries throughout the season “hurts my ability to assess our group, but we have to figure it out”.
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 23, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsI hate using the injury excuse, but it does play a factor. The Oilers have yet to play a single game with their full top six unit and have missed Connor McDavid, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for extended periods. Not to mention, Oscar Klefbom has been gone for two and a half months. It doesn’t excuse this season, but we have to acknowledge that the full lineup has yet to see a single game.
“We’ve got some players who have under-achieved and may need a new venue.” GM Chiarelli on potential #Oilers moves at #NHLTrade deadline
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 23, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsHere’s where things get interesting. The players who have underachieved this season, to me, are: Nail Yakupov, Justin Schultz, Anton Lander, Lauri Korpikoski, Mark Fayne, Mark Letestu. That’s a large list of players and includes a number of veteran names. This shows, to me, that Chiarelli is both sending a message and looking to move out some players who just have not fit here. Sets up an interesting few days here.
Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli says he is open to trading one or more of Edmonton’s core players, but it would likely be in the summer.
— Rob Tychkowski (@Sun_Tychkowski) February 23, 2016
I’m on the record as saying the Oilers need to change the mix up in Edmonton. This current group is not getting it done for this club, it’s been constant losing with them. Moving a piece like Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, it isn’t the worst thing in the world if you can get value to fill another hole.
Peter Chiarelli is not afraid to make moves he feels better his hockey team. He feels no loyalty to this group of players and I’m a firm believe that, from his past and this verbal, that one of these young forwards is getting moved this off-season, if not sooner. My bet? Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
“I’m not really looking at (trading a core player) now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be looking at that in the summer.” – Chiarelli
— Rob Tychkowski (@Sun_Tychkowski) February 23, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThis goes to my last point about Chiarelli making the move in the off-season. Big money deals with a lot of moving pieces off current rosters rarely happen during the season. Chiarelli will have more options available to him come draft time and there are bound to be more desperate teams in June than there are now. You’ll likely get a better return then, too. No need to rush into things to save this season, everything is about 2016-17 now.
Unless a deal comes around that the Oilers feel comfortable with making, they should wait until June.
Chiarelli confirms trading a $6 million player tough at Deadline, but he’s open to the prospect heading into the draft.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) February 23, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsNot a Chiarelli quote directly, but I wanted to add this tweet in there because Spector specifically mentions a “$6 million player” being moved and Chiarelli being open to the prospect come draft time. With all the rumors and that price tag, I can’t help but think it is RNH. Jordan Eberle could be the guy too, despite recent news that he was pulled from the block.
Final Thoughts:
Peter Chiarelli sent a clear message on Tuesday that he is looking to dump the underachieving players and that he is looking to turn this organization around. He also openly said he would consider moving a core player come summer time, a vastly different approach from GMs past.
To me, Peter Chiarelli laid down the map for the Edmonton Oilers and their turn north. The changes will start with the underachievers at the deadline and will extend to making the bold move come draft time. That means moving a core player to find that stud defender, something Mark Specter mentioned via twitter on Tuesday afternoon.
Chiarelli is going to change this roster up before training camp 2016, I’m very certain of that fact. These quotes only make me that much more confident in that fact. I’ll be stunned if Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle are all here next fall, seriously. Someone is moving.
Interesting times in Oil Country.
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