The Edmonton Oilers have traded F Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for D Adam Larsson. There are no other pieces in this deal, it’s just a one-for-one trade.
The #Oilers have acquired defenceman Adam Larsson from the @NJDevils in exchange for forward Taylor Hall. pic.twitter.com/cmJqz7Do73
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 29, 2016
Edmonton acquires it’s top-four RHD, but gives up one of the best left wingers in the NHL. To say this is a tough day for Oiler fans would be an understatement. The team has traded it’s second best player for yet another “maybe” on the defensive side of things.
Adam Larsson is a good NHL’er, there is no doubt about that. He’ll be able to play 20+ minutes a night and he’ll make the Oilers’ defensive group better. I truly, truly believe that. As a RHD, Larsson provides a lot of things to Edmonton that will help this team.
Via The Hockey News:
| Assets: | Can play the game with exceptional poise. Has a great point shot and an ideal frame for an NHL defenseman (6-3, 205 pounds). Oozes all-round ability and can be a big minute-muncher, too. |
| Flaws: | Could stand to become even more assertive physically, especially when it comes to the utilization of his 6-3 frame. Also, he could stand to shoot the puck far more to produce more numbers. |
| Career Potential: | Talented, big-minute defenseman with a little upside. |
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The issue here is not with Larsson. He took on a larger role in 2015-16 with the New Jersey Devils and he improved as defender. He’s a legit top-four NHL defender, just like I mentioned above.
So What Is Wrong:
My issue here is the fact that Edmonton had to give up Taylor Hall to get the player. Hall is one of the best wingers in the NHL. He is a legit first line player who can have a line built around him. He can drive possession, he can post offense, and he is one of the top players in the NHL when it comes to even strength scoring.
This is a franchise level player, one of the top wingers in the NHL. To move him for a defender who is, at best, a number three guy? That, folks, is a terrible decision. This is the kind of trade that teams make when they get desperate. The Edmonton Oilers got very, very desperate here.
I try to be fair and I try to take all things into consideration. I will full on admit that I am a big fan of Taylor Hall and am not sold on Adam Larsson’s potential. To me, this deal is a huge, huge loss for the Edmonton Oilers. They gave up a top notch player for a guy who is a question mark, plain and simple.
I will not say that someone should lose their job for this move, we don’t know what the rest of the moves will look like. That said, I have lost some faith in the men running the Edmonton Oilers. I have no doubts they are a worse hockey team today than yesterday.
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