The Edmonton Oilers were rumored to be interested in Seth Jones last season when the Nashville Predators were looking to acquire a center in return for him. This signals to this observer that the Oilers are interested in acquiring defenders with potential who could help moving forward.
At the same time, the Minnesota Wild were also looking for a center and apparently tried to get Ryan Johansen from Columbus for Jonas Brodin, the tenth overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft. Minnesota will be looking to make changes this off-season and will certainly try to address their lack of centers. Could they move Brodin for that player?
Why Is He Out There?:
The Wild are in an interesting spot. They have minimal cap space available yet they’ll have to make some adjustments to their roster. Ryan Suter, Mathew Dumba, Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella form the top of a defensive depth chart that also has youngster Mike Reilly in the mix. Christian Folin is pushing for employment from the AHL while Gustav Olofsson is not far behind. One could argue that the Wild’s defensive group is a strength.
Minnesota was rumored to be willing to part with Brodin earlier this year and they badly need another center in their top six. Mikko Koivu is slowing down at an alarming rate and beyond him, it’s a barren group that features Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Jarrett Stoll.
Brodin has been inconsistent since his dominating rookie year in 2012-13 and the Wild may look to cash him in for help in other areas.
What Does He Do Well?:
Jonas Brodin isn’t a guy who plays a sexy style, he’s one of those defenders that is better off when you don’t notice him. At 6’1” and 194 pounds, he’s an average sized player and doesn’t really get pushed around. Throughout his career, he’s hung in there against the big boys in Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim and St. Louis.
Defensively, he’s described as being a steady player and having good defensive acumen. He plays a simpler game in that regard, able to defend the cycle decently well and able to play a strong positional game. That said, he’s a little passive in his demeanor, according to The Hockey News. Overall, he’s a strong defensive player who makes smart and simple plays in his own zone.
Offensively, Jonas Brodin is an exceptional puck mover. It’s odd to say that, mainly because he doesn’t put up many points (2-5-7 in 68 games), but he’s able to move the puck up ice and to his forwards. When exiting the zone, Brodin is more than competent in getting the puck where it needs to go. In simpler terms, he’s not just going to toss grenades up ice like Oiler defenders of the past.
He’s a non-factor on the powerplay, doesn’t possess a big shot and doesn’t really join in on the rush. His offensive impact is simply in moving the puck forward, he won’t make a dent on the score sheet with his name.
Where Will He Play / Where Should He Play?:
If Edmonton acquired Jonas Brodin via trade this off-season, he would most likely slide into the second pairing on his natural side. Brodin is a left-shot defender so he would go in behind Oscar Klefbom while Andrej Sekera shifted over to the right side.
Brodin can and has played the right side, however, so it’s possible that he slides in on the top-pairing next to Klefbom. There are options with this player.
Ideally, however, Brodin would be a second pairing defender in Edmonton. He’s good and only 22 years old, but he’s not yet a top-pairing NHL defender. In fact, his 20:25 per game this season make him look more like a number four option currently.
What Will He Cost?:
The Wild likely will want a young center in exchange for Brodin. Obviously the Oilers will not deal Connor McDavid, while Leon Draisaitl is also unlikely to get moved. That leaves Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as the lone alternative that makes sense. Would you do RNH for Brodin straight up? I wouldn’t if I were the Oilers. Maybe something like Brodin and Jason Zucker for RNH?
Closing Argument:
Jonas Brodin is a young and developing NHL defender who does a lot of things well. He’s steady in his own zone and he’s good at moving the puck out of danger and to the attack. That said, he’s not yet a top-pairing NHL defender and he’s yet to prove himself as a guy who can carry a pairing. He’s also more comfortable on the left-side, which doesn’t make him an ideal fit with this roster.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
