Off-Season Targets Overview

After more than a month, we are finally done with our look at the possible targets for the Edmonton Oilers this off-season. It’s a lengthy list and it covers a lot of different angles, players and needs. By position, here is a break down of the players we have touched on since the season ended.

Forwards:

Jamie McGinn, Lee Stempniak, Tanner Pearson, Troy Brouwer, Jason Chimera, Milan Lucic, Loui Eriksson, Martin Hanzal, David Backes, Frans Nielson, Shawn Matthias

Defenders:

Travis Hamonic (oops), Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski, Tyson Barrie, Keith Yandle, Luke Schenn, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, Justin Faulk, Kris Russell, Dennis Wideman, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, David Savard

Goaltenders:

Chad Johnson, Anton Khudobin, Jonas Gustavsson, James Reimer, Jhonas Enroth

The Shopping List:

Back on April 11th, I posted my off-season shopping list for the Edmonton Oilers. The entire piece is here, but below is the list that I feel Peter Chiarelli should be going by this off-season to make the Oilers competitive again.

1.) A top pairing RHD to play with Oscar Klefbom/Andrej Sekera

2.) A second pairing D who can play on the PP

3.) A third line center

4.) An NHL level goaltender

5.) A top nine winger

I will re-post this list a few times in the next few weeks and update the progress as we go, but with less than a month to go before the draft and our off-season targets list all done, I wanted to revisit it.

This list, as I have mentioned before, isn’t as extensive as years past, but it is filled with difficult to acquire pieces. Top-four defenders don’t exactly grow on trees, we know how difficult they are to find.

The Best Fits:

During this series, I’ve been taking mental notes in addition to writing on these players. Some of these guys are good fits, while some of them aren’t but have been connected to the Oilers. For example, I don’t think Dennis Wideman really fits with the Oilers, but his name has been thrown around regarding the team.

I’m not sold on Milan Lucic’s contract demands, I don’t think he’ll be a good player six years from now, but the Oilers could certainly be interested in adding him. In fact, if he hits the market, I’m starting to think that they will be in the thick of it.

The best fits for top-pairing RHD to play with Oscar Klefbom or Andrej Sekera are few and far between. I’d list Travis Hamonic and Justin Faulk as the best options there. Hamonic is off the market (at least we think) while Faulk would cost quite a bit. Adding one of the ideal fits doesn’t seem possible, so the Oil may need to settle.

The second pairing D to play big PP minutes could be one of a few players. Tyson Barrie and Sami Vatanen struck me as the best fits from this series, but I also really like Keith Yandle for this role. Kevin Shattenkirk wasn’t covered here, but he too would fit. I think Chiarelli fills this hole with a trade for Tyson Barrie at the draft.

Martin Hanzal is my ideal fit for the third line center spot, but it sounds like Arizona is considering keeping him and trying to sign him to some sort of an extension. Tyler Bozak, who I didn’t cover, has been getting a lot of play lately as well. I’m not sold on him and his contract, however.

For the NHL level goaltender, I think James Reimer is the best fit, but he is likely to cost far too much money. I’d look at Jhonas Enroth and Chad Johnson if I were Peter Chiarelli. I can see the veteran Johnson, who has a history with the GM, being the player added here.

Lastly comes the top nine winger. I firmly believe that veterans Lee Stempniak and Troy Brouwer are the top choices to fill this spot, but it’s looking more and more like Milan Lucic is Edmonton’s top choice for this spot. Considering the contract that Lucic will get, that is a very, very scary thought.

That said, Lucic still has a few years left in the tank and would give Edmonton at least two good years. Still, a six year investment is quite a lot.

Final Thoughts:

I really, really enjoy doing this series. It reminds me of starting this blog, still being in college (3 weeks out and I want to go back) and it has allowed me to better know the possible targets for the Oilers going into an off-season. This year we covered a lot of ground and we are well versed in a number of different players.

Outside of the top-pairing defender item, there are plenty of players for the Oilers to pursue this off-season who could really help them. If Peter Chiarelli plays his cards right, the Oilers could be a good team in 2016-17, I’m not putting it past them at all.

One thing is for sure. Things are going to be very interesting and the Oilers are going to be very busy leading into this summer. We’d best get familiar with some possible targets. Hopefully I was able to help you all with that this last month and a half.