So Long Smyth Part Two?

TSN’s hockey insider Darren Dreger thinks that Oilers veteran forward Ryan Smyth may soon be joining teammates Ales Hemsky, Nick Schultz and Sam Gagner on the trading block. It’s an interesting note, because Smyth has played much better this year and looks like a decent option for next year’s fourth line.

There is no surprise that Schultz, a pending UFA who has no future in Edmonton, is on the block. He’s struggled mightily this year and won’t be getting re-signed. He makes sense as a rental for an eastern team. Hemsky probably will not re-sign with the team, while Gagner has really struggled and doesn’t seem like a good long-term fit in Edmonton. I’d be shocked if any of those three were at Oilers training camp in September.

As for Smyth however, this surprises me a little bit. Smyth is far from the player he once was, but is still serviceable for the Oilers. He’s looked pretty good on a line with Boyd Gordon and Ales Hemsky, and seems like he has a little bit left in the tank. He could be a pretty good option for the team’s fourth line next season.

That said, it appears the Oilers do not agree with me in that regard. According to reports, the Oilers have not started contract negotiations with Smyth, and some beleive those talks won’t happen. Would the Oilers move Smyth off for one last shot at the Stanley Cup? It’s starting to look that way.

Smyth would bring a solid bottom six option to any team he gets traded too. He’s still got a little bit left in his game, and brings good leadership qualities and a solid veteran presence. He can still help on the PK, and can still sit in his office out front of the net if need be. He’s a shell of his former self, but he is still a solid player.

Interested Teams?:

Who would be interested in a guy like Smyth? One would imagine this rental would be limited to playoff teams. The Fourth Period reported that the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, and, you might want to take a seat, the Vancouver Canucks are interested.

I just can’t see Smyth in a Canucks jersey, that’s an image that I’ll never be able to get into my head. I’d be shocked if that is where he ended up. As for the other three teams, well they make some sense. All are contending teams, and all could use another player for their runs to the final.

The Bruins would use Smyth in a 4th line role, but even then he might not fit into their lineup, the team loves using Shawn Thornton in the LW4 spot. The Hawks always find a way to make players fit, and maybe Smyth could take Bollig’s spot on line four.

The Coyotes also have a vacant spot in their bottom six for Smyth, who seems like a logical fit with that team and style. That said, I can’t see Smyth ending up with a team currently out of the playoffs and not looking like a threat to win the Cup.

My bet, and this is pure speculation on my part, is that Smyth ends up in Chicago on the Hawks fourth line. He seems like a good fit there and could help them in a few areas. Again, this is just speculation based off teams that are reportedly interested in the veteran.

The Return:

I’ll keep this short and sweet. The Oilers, unless he is a throw-in, will not get a good return for Ryan Smyth. He is a rental at the end of his career who is a good fourth liner on a Cup team. You won’t get a roster player for that, and probably won’t get a prospect back either. Depending on the team, I could see Edmonton getting anything from a 3rd to a 7th round draft pick.

It’s not anything spectacular, but it is currently the market value for a guy like Ryan Smyth.

As the Oilers approach another trade season as a team in full on sell mode, it only makes sense to move off veteran players that don’t have a role moving forward. Ryan Smyth, sadly, is one of the players. It’s certainly sounding like a second break-up is on the way between the Oilers and Smyth.