Refining the Oil (Part Two)

Go Big or Go Home!

The Oilers need to start thinking bigger. With McDavid on his ELC, a good time for that to start would be this season and/or next, but certainly in the very near future. The goal should not merely be playoffs with a talent like McDavid in the fold – it should be Lord Stanley’s Cup.

In the first installment of this series, we pinpointed 3 areas in definite need of improvement: 2RW, PP specialist, 2 RD.

In this, part two of the series, we’ll begin to take a look at options on the RW.

Criteria

Size: Pretty self-explanatory.

Contract: What’s he paid and for how long?

Player: How does he play? Is he any good?

Availability: Is there any reason he’d be available?

Cost to Acquire (CTA): Between skill and contract, what’s his value and what will he cost to acquire?

I combed through NHL scoring lists from the RW over the last 5 years, and determined a list of 10 players that could be, at the very least, somewhat legitimate options for the Oilers, as plug and play, shore up options. Also, there’s at least a chance these players could become available, though it might take a lot to acquire a couple of them.

You’ll notice a lack of superstars – those guys are expensive and rare and not what we normally call 2^nd liners (he’s come under fire recently, but as a $6M man, Jordan Eberle is the Oilers #1 RW for the foreseeable future).

Now, in no particular order, let’s get to the first 5!

10 Options at RW (1-5)

#1. Jiri Hudler

(680 GP, 161 G – 256 A – 417 pts, CF% 52.2)

Size: 5’10, 180lbs

Contract: 1^st year of $2M x 1 year, 2017 UFA

Player: One of the best offensive options out there, Oilers fans will remember Hudler well from his time with Calgary. He’s an excellent scorer, and can also play at center, though he’s probably better suited to the wing. Left shot.

Availability: Injury has limited his impact, but the Stars are still counting on him to infuse some much needed offense into their lineup. I don’t really see why GM Jim Nill would want to move him, unless he’s unhappy with role, or they’re unhappy with his production down the road. Great contract.

CTA: On the high side. He’s a proven commodity and provides a rare skill on a great contract. If he struggles he may become a buy-low option, but that seems unlikely. 2^nd rounder at deadline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHo8c9vTL6k

#2. Matt Read

(371 GP, 82 G – 92 A – 174 pts, CF% 49.7)

Size: 5’10, 185lbs

Contract: 2^nd year of $3.625M x 4 years

Player: Known more for his two-way play, Read enjoyed some fairly prolific seasons of scoring when he entered the league in 2011-12, with 47 pts, 24 (lockout), and 40 pts in succession. Since then, his offensive touch has been limited, though he’s been placed in a defensive role under Dave Hakstol. Right shot.

Availability: He’s a useful player, but a winger, and could potentially be had for a defenceman, as the Flyers need some help keeping the puck out of their net.

CTA: His awful contract is the biggest hurdle. $3.65M is steep for a guy who hasn’t scored a lot recently. If the Flyers retained quite a bit, maybe a deal could be had. But Read’s lack of offense is a concern that puts him lower on this list. Also, Hakstol seems to value what Read brings.

#3. Gustav Nyquist

(277 GP, 79 G – 89 A – 168 pts, 54.2 CF%)

Size: 5’11, 184lbs

Contract: 1^st year of $4.75M x 4 years

Player: Nyquist is a stereotypical Detroit Red Wings specialty. Drafted in the 4^th round, developed in the AHL with a cup of NHL coffee here and there, Nyquist established himself in the 2013-14 season. A very good shooter and an excellent skater, he probably fits somewhere in between 1^st and 2^nd line talent. He can be counted on for at least .5 pts/game and probably more. His 28 goals in 57 games in 2013 would seem unlikely to be a career high, provided he gets decent linemates. Shoots left.

Availability: The only way to acquire Nyquist would be in a blockbuster type deal. Otherwise, Detroit is more than happy to keep him.

CTA: There is no reason why Detroit would want to move him. So the offer would have to be part of something bigger, or too good to say no to. In my opinion, Nyquist is the most valuable player on this list. He’s 27, his contract is not bad, and he’s an excellent talent. However, if you lose Eberle in the deal, and pick up Nyquist plus a defenceman, how far ahead are you, really?

#4. Kris Versteeg

(562 GP, 133 G – 184 A – 317 pts, 53.5 CF%)

Contract: Only year of $950K x 1 year

Size: 5’11, 176lbs

Player: Kris Versteeg is a good hockey player. He’s got a wide range of skills, having played well at EV, on the PP, and the PK over his career. Why does he continue to struggle to find NHL employment? Well, I’d guess it’s not just a health issue – there’s something else there. I suspect coaches consider him to be not quite rugged enough to be in the “Bottom 6” and not quite talented enough to be in the “Top 6”. On the Oilers at least, he would be firmly at #2 on the RW depth chart. Shoots right.

Availability: Seems like the Flames don’t particularly value what the accomplished rapper brings to the team. He’s only averaging a little over 12 mins/game so far… not a good sign for a guy whose reason for coming to Calgary was related to ice time.

CTA: The Flames would want more from a divisional rival, but they’re obviously not too pleased with Versteeg. How much can you demand in return for a guy you hardly play? What really stuns me is that Versteeg even ended up in Calgary; if you knew you were likely to trade Yakupov, why would you hesitate in making a commitment to Versteeg? Counting on Puljujarvi to be the #2 option is unjustifiable, a sure mistake from Chiarelli.

https://youtu.be/maRt-sgaWu8?t=15s

#5. P.A. Parenteau

(438 GP, 106 G – 168 A – 274 pts, 51.3 CF%)

Size: 6’0, 200lbs

Contract: Only year of $1.25M x 1 year

Player: There’s an awful lot to like about Parenteau’s game. He’s one of the best scorers on this list, putting up well over .5 pts/g in his career. He has decent size, and though he’s not a pretty skater, he keeps up just fine. A very cerebral, very proficient passer, who’s a threat to score as well. Solid PP option, and very good in the shootout. Is he a penalty-killer? Ehhhh, no. But if scoring is what you’re after, he can provide it. Shoots right.

Availability: New Jersey doesn’t have much of a reason to trade Parenteau. His TOI averages are a little low, but in the last little while his coach, John Hynes, has been feeding him more minutes. One would think Ray Shero is happy with his waiver claim.

CTA: Shocked the Islanders waived him, and disappointed the Oilers didn’t claim him on waivers when he was available. I think New Jersey is happy to have the 33 year-old, though he has been lacking some offensive punch lately. If the Devils fall out of playoff contention, he’s the kind of player that becomes available for a 3^rd rounder or so.

That does it for the first 5 in this list. The next 5 are a little more intriguing, I think, featuring more youth and a dash of German betrayal. Oh, those Deutschlanders…