What Is Jordan Eberle’s True Trade Value?

The Edmonton Oilers are in need of a top-pairing RHD this off-season. The options are few and far between, and some are already off the board. We’ve heard from Bob Stauffer that Justin Faulk and Kevin Shattenkirk aren’t in play for the Oilers, while Travis Hamonic has rescinded his trade request in Brooklyn.

That leaves precious few options for the Oilers to fill this massive hole. The thing is, the Oilers aren’t the only team left with minimal options. Teams like the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres will be hunting for defenders in the next few weeks.

Many Oiler fans prefer to keep both Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall, which is totally understandable. Most people seem to think that Edmonton can ship Jordan Eberle out for the desired defender and replace the sniper much more easily than doing the same with Hall or Nugent-Hopkins.

In sense, that is correct. The Oilers could find a right winger with a scoring touch more easily than a young top six, two-way center or a possession driving top line winger. So can’t 29 other teams in the NHL.

I’m a big fan of Jordan Eberle, but he’s a pretty specific player. He’s a one-dimensional forward, although he is damn good at that one dimension. Eberle struggles with the defensive aspect of the game, but he’s a terrific goal scorer, arguably the best pure finisher Edmonton currently has. He’s a good player and he would help any team that he goes to.

That said, there are more Jordan Eberles than Travis Hamonics in the NHL. That’s why the Islanders reportedly declined Edmonton’s offer of Eberle-for-Hamonic.

Jordan Eberle is a helluva hockey player, but I don’t think his trade value around the NHL is the same as Oiler fans think it is. I would be very surprised if the Oilers were able to pull a top-pairing RHD for Eberle alone.

Here are a few tweets from Arthur Staple, who covers the Islanders, in regards to Edmonton’s sniper.

@StapeNewsday what else do you think would have to be added to acquire Eberle if the 19th overall were to be included?

— John Fiorino (@J_ferns97) June 13, 2016

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@J_ferns97 Not that much, to be honest. I like him, but is he worth an A-prospect plus a 1st?

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) June 13, 2016

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@OilBomb @__conforto Well, I do know that EDM offered Eberle for Hamonic last season and the Isles said no.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) June 14, 2016

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@adicandilo Eberle’s been on the block for a while, which tells me either EDM isn’t getting what they want or there’s little interest.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) June 14, 2016

Staple starts this segment of tweets by responding to the first tweet of what the Isles would need to add to pick 19. Staple asks if an A-prospect is worth it and then says he isn’t sure. So, let’s assume that someone in the know sees Eberle’s value as a late first and a B-level prospect. That isn’t what Oiler fans expect.

The final tweet from Staple that I included in here is the money quote, if you will. We have heard Jordan Eberle’s name floated around quite a bit the last two or three years, but nothing seems to come from it. Is it actually the Oilers wanting to hang onto him, or are teams not willing to give up value?

Staple confirming that Eberle has been on the block for a while now suggests to me that the issue here is value heading back to Edmonton. It appears that while teams value Eberle, they don’t value him enough to give up a key piece.

That falls in line with Bob Stauffer’s comments on Inside Sports with Reid Wilkins recently. He mentioned that there was less than a 15% chance that Eberle gets moved. Eberle is a good player, but he is not close to untouchable good. That tells me that teams simply will not give the Oilers what they want for him.

So, What Is Fair Value?:

I think Staple is underselling Eberle by suggesting pick 19 and an A-prospect. I got a first hand look at a number of Islanders prospects in the AHL this season, and outside of Ryan Pulock they don’t have a higher level prospect that is close. I highly doubt the Islanders move him, either.

I also think Oiler fans are vastly overrating Eberle’s value by suggesting that he could be moved for a player like Kevin Shattenkirk or Travis Hamonic. Unfortunately, he does not have that kind of appeal league wide.

Where does his actual value lie? Probably somewhere in between. I think Eberle could bring back a second pairing defender for the Oilers or another top-six forward. Would Eberle fetch you a player like Calvin De Hann? Probably.

Jordan Eberle’s ACTUAL trade value is something for Oiler fans to strongly consider this off-season when thinking about potential deals.

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