The Edmonton Oilers seemingly are preparing fans for a move from veteran Jordan Eberle. Verbal from the organization suggests that a trade could be days away, and that fans should brace for the return being underwhelming. When that happens, Peter Chiarelli will be opening up another hole on his roster, this time at right wing.
As I’ve said many times over the course of the last week, it is not wise to just assume Jesse Puljujarvi will replace Eberle in the lineup. Is it possible? Absolutely it is, but until Puljujarvi produces at the NHL level, it isn’t smart to simply assume that he can handle a top-six role.
In the meantime, while Puljujarvi develops, who should slide into Edmonton’s top-six? What about a volume shooter, a player that can take Connor McDavid’s passes and turn them into shots on goal? That’s exactly what Patrick Eaves does, and he’s close to hitting the free agent market.
Why Is He Out There?:
The 33-year old Eaves is hitting the market at exactly the perfect time. He is coming off of a career year that saw him pot 32 goals and add another 19 assists for 51 points. Eaves had never even hit 15 goals in an NHL season prior to 2016-17, and his previous career high in points was 27, which he accomplished in 2014-15.
A season like this one is bound to earn Eaves a raise on the $1 million he made last season, and it is also likely to earn him a multi-year contract from a team looking for scoring help on the wings. While there is mutual interest between Eaves and the Ducks, there are concerns about the money working, especially with a Cam Fowler contract extension likely coming down the pipe soon.
What Does He Do Well?:
Eaves shoots the puck a ton, and this season he took advantage of an increased role in Dallas and turned it into a career year. He fired 209 shots on goal over the course of 79 regular season games, becoming a real volume shooter while seeing his ice time increase to 16:24 per night.
This season he displayed goal scoring ability, evident by his 32 goals, but he did it in a few different ways. Yes, his shot paid off and was responsible for a large number of his tallies, but Eaves also wasn’t afraid to get dirty and found himself scoring some in the greasy areas. That’s a valuable trait, because not everyone is willing to do those things.
Outside of his offense, Eaves is a solid penalty killer and plays a pretty responsible defensive game. Prior to his breakout season in ’16-17, he stayed in the league by contributing in other areas, making himself more well-rounded as a player.
Eaves is a solid forechecker and also has good speed, which is important when possibly playing with Connor McDavid. He’s 6′ and 200 pounds, can play physical, and is a coveted right-shot forward.
Where Should He Play/Where Will He Play?:
While I have questions about his ability to even come close to repeating his career season, Eaves should be in a team’s top-six forward grouping based off of this past season. In Edmonton, he’d be in that mix based on merit. Assuming Eberle is traded, Eaves would be the team’s best natural right winger.
He could be a great fit with McDavid (volume shooter, right-shot) and could slide in on a veteran second unit with RNH and Milan Lucic if need be. Eaves would be properly slotted on Edmonton’s depth chart if he signed with the club.
What Will He Cost?:
We’ve already established that Eaves has earned a raise and some term after last year, it’s just a matter of where the numbers come in. Three years, at his age, should be enticing enough for Eaves. I can’t see teams offering a player at his age any more years than that, especially with salary cap uncertainty looming.
As for money, would $3.5 million per season get it done? While Eaves had a career year last season, it’s also very fair to consider his complete past and not just pay him based on one year. He shouldn’t, and likely won’t, break the bank because of his 2016-17 season.
Closing Thoughts:
Things are going to get very interesting in about 48 hours when trades begin to flow in the NHL. When Jordan Eberle gets moved (it feels this way at least), Edmonton will need to immediately start looking for a cheaper replacement. Maybe they get that player back in the trade, maybe they don’t.
In the event that Edmonton has to complete another transaction to replace Eberle, they would be foolish not to look at Eaves. Yes, it is fair to wonder if last season was simply a one-hit wonder for the veteran, but his style of play and his strengths fit this club quite well, and he could be a great running mate for Connor McDavid next season.
If the Ducks and Eaves struggle to reach a contract agreement, which I admit seems unlikely, then I’d like to see the Oilers swoop in and try to sign this player.
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