BREAKING NEWS: Oilers Acquire Fraser from the Leafs

Well MacT has made another trade. Acquiring defenseman Mark Fraser from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for pesky, yet underperforming, Cameron Abney and the rights for Teemu Hartikainnen who’s currently playing in the KHL.

Getting rid of Abney and Hartsi doesn’t put a dent in the organization, Abney is a long shot to ever be a player in the NHL and Teemu moved back over the pond this season after realizing that he wouln’t get a spot with the Oilers this year and was more likely to spend time in OKC.

Mark Fraser brings something the Oilers have little of right now, SIZE, he stands 6’4” and is listed at 220lbs. This makes him the heaviest player on the Oilers D, and the one guy next to Ference that will not shy away from the nastiness in front of the Oilers net.

Now, Fraser is not an all-star defenseman he’s only played in 19 games this season and had fallen out of favor with Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. The big defenseman has 1 point, 33 pims and 3 fighting majors. But mark my words, Fraser is going to play most nights the rest of the way for the Oilers, he’s played for Dallas Eakins before with the Marlies and you would think the coach was asked about this move before it was agreed upon.

Ok so I just said that Fraser will play most of the games the rest of the way this year, so if he’s going to be the Oilers 6^th defenseman let’s see what the D looks like now.

Ference (5’11”) – J. Shultz (6’2”)

Marincin (6’4”) – Petry (6’3)

Belov (6’4”) – Fraser (6’4”)

*I didn’t include Nick Schultz who’s 6’1” but I think he’s going to be moved very soon.

That’s an average of 6’2.6” now for the blue line. Not bad right. We’ve been saying all season long that the Oilers need to get bigger, and that’s exactly what MacT has been doing. He’s adding much needed size and toughness. I for one like this move.

Like bringing in Ben Scrivens, Mark Fraser is a UFA at the end of the season, so essentially he has a 26 game audition to earn himself another contract and one that may end up being with the Oilers if he can impress the Oilers brass.

Anyway folks, this isn’t a deal I would consider bold, but bringing in Fraser means less Potter, less Larsen and of course a capable replacement for Nick Schultz whom I said above is on his way out. Who knows there’s been lots of talk about the Bruins having interest, maybe Nultz doesn’t get on the plane after tomorrow’s game.

I’m sure we’ll have more articles like these coming as we move closer to the Olympic trade freeze February 7^th and of course the real trade deadline on March 5^th. I’ll leave you with a video of Fraser beating up Montreal’s Brandon Prust.

Thanks For Reading.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYcc2V-n6EU]