Sunday we looked at the Edmonton Oilers blue-line situation, assessing who should return, who should go, and what needs to be brought in. If we learned one thing, it’s that there is a lot of work to be done on the back-end for Edmonton, but unfortunately that isn’t the only spot that needs fixing. The forward group, that has some good pieces, needs some help too.
The Top-Six:
Let’s get this out of the way now, Taylor Hall is going to be the top-line left winger, while David Perron will be the second line left winger. Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov will be back on the right wing, giving Edmonton four of their top-six forwards. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will center the second line, so five of the six needed players are already in place.
The talent here is undeniable, but maturity and development is an issue. All of these players are young and in their first few seasons of NHL hockey with the exception of Perron.
As for what the team needs to address here, it is quite simple. The second line center spot has just not been good enough for this team, and that is on Sam Gagner. Throughout his career, Gagner has been a decent offensive player for this role, but his defensive game is simply not up to par for an NHL level center. The Oilers badly need to fill this hole, and trading Gagner seems like the best option.
Rumors flew that he was on his way to Los Angeles before the Olympics, while others have connected him to Nashville. The Islanders, for Josh Bailey, was thrown around as well. Moving Gagner seems like a likely, and smart option for the Oilers.
As for a replacement, the team needs a center that is defensively responsible. Bailey might be that option, while Colin Wilson could be an option from Nashville. Free agent centers David Legwand and Paul Stastny stick out to me as good fits should they both hit the market.
The Bottom Six:
Boyd Gordon will be back as Edmonton’s third line center, while Matt Hendricks will be back, likely as a winger on the fourth line. As much as I don’t want it to happen, Luke Gazdic will likely be re-signed and made a permanent fixture on the fourth line, so that leaves the Oilers with three holes.
The team will need a fourth line center, two third line wingers, and an couple of extra forwards.
There are internal options for these spots, but the team may elect to go outside the organization. Mark Arcobello was re-signed, and could be an option for the fourth line center’s spot. Anton Lander, a RFA, seems like a very logical fit.
As for outside of the organization options for the fourth line center spot, veterans Brian Boyle and Marcel Goc make a lot of sense, while guys like Zenon Konopka, and David Steckel could be options as well.
As for the wingers, Matt Hendricks could slide up to line three, while Tyler Pitlick could take the third line role as well. That said, it seems like Edmonton wants to have Hendricks on line four, and Pitlick didn’t exactly win a spot in his most recent call-up.
On the left side, Daniel Winnik is my top-choice, as he is a big guy who plays responsible hockey and can chip in a few points when needed. Benoit Pouliot, Blake Comeau and Dustin Penner are decent options as well, although I’d label Penner a long shot. Winnik is the best fit.
On the right wing, there are a few more options. David Moss stands right out, as he is exactly the kind of winger this team is missing, and has played with Boyd Gordon before. Lee Stempniak is a decent option if the team wants a little scoring, while Nikolai Kulemin, Devin Setoguchi and Steve Bernier could all fit the role. Kulemin and Moss are likely the top options however.
The Verdict:
The Oilers top-six is basically set, which is good news. This is the area that requires the most heavy-lifting, so to have that done is a big boost. The team needs a second line center and likely needs to deal Sam Gagner along the way.
In the bottom six, the team has three pieces in Boyd Gordon, Luke Gazdic and Matt Hendricks, but will need to add just as many. That means two third line wingers and a fourth line center. As mentioned, there are internal options, but at least two of these spots will likely be filled from outside the organization.
Tyler Pitlick and Mark Arcobello will likely make the team as well, giving Edmonton 14 forwards on the roster. Both of these guys seem ready for the NHL, but could use a little easing into the big leagues, especially Pitlick.
If every hole is filled, the Oilers will have four new faces up front, which is decent turnover from this past season, and likely realistic to expect. Tomorrow, we conclude the series with a wrap-up, and look at the official summer shopping list for the Oilers.
[adsanity id=1808 align=alignnone /]Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
