HOPE No More?

Remember in 2010 when Oilers fans were all about HOPE? Well, we’re down to E and that might be gone soon.

Everyone’s favourite HNIC panelist, Elliotte Friedman, was on Sportsnet 960 Radio this morning, and the conversation moved to one Jordan Eberle.

Eberle has 2 more years at $6 million, and will be a UFA in July 2019. When he signed his extension, the idea was that he, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall would carry the team to Stanley Cup glory. Instead, the Oilers traded Taylor Hall last summer, and it seems that Jordan Eberle’s time with the Oilers may just be coming to an end.

This season, Eberle is on pace for about 50 points, but by all accounts he’s having a down year. He’s not producing at the level he should be, and was especially offensively impotent while playing with Connor McDavid.

According to Friedman:
“I think they have tried to trade both Eberle and Pouliot for some time now and I don’t think there’s a market (right now). One of the problems is that the cap is going to be flat next year. So I think it makes it harder for those kinds of guys to get dealt.”

That flat cap, especially taking Eberle’s current output into account, is going to hurt any chance of moving him without salary retention. He *should* be better than he is and maybe the change of scenery would be beneficial to him, but he isn’t going anywhere unless he finds his scoring touch again.

Coupled with the flat cap is the knowledge that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are going to demand pretty big second contracts. It’s unclear what the asks will be from either player, but it’s probably safe to assume that they’ll be paid a combined $15+ million. Friedman agrees:

“I think everything that Peter Chiarelli does is with the realization that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have to be re-signed. So what are those two guys going to be making… $16 million? $18 million? $20 million? I don’t know. But you have to be prepared for that.”

Trading Eberle this season seems like a panic move, especially considering how thin the Oilers are at right wing. Any trade for involving Jordan Eberle needs to somehow bring a 2RW back, or else the team will be worse. If they do trade him, they should wait until the offseason to at least give themselves a chance to make the playoffs and maybe have a little success.

Trading Jordan Eberle would truly spell the end of an era. He’s the longest tenured Oiler by far, and represents one of the few bright spots of Kevin Lowe’s tenure as GM.