Back in November, word leaked that New York Islanders star defender Travis Hamonic had requested a trade out of New York. An interesting note? He requested a trade to Western Canada due to family reasons, which puts the Oilers on a very short list to acquire this player. A few weeks later, we learned that Peter Chiarelli and Garth Snow had been having conversations dating back to the summer regarding this player.
It’s documented, the Oilers are interested in this player. Hamonic has four years left on one of the best value contracts in hockey, which comes in at an AAV of $3,857,143.
Why Is He Out There?:
As we discussed above, Travis Hamonic being available has nothing to do with his play. He’s got a personal issue, according to the initial report, and is looking to get closer to home to tend to that. The Islanders made him wait out this season because value wasn’t there, but it is very likely that they settle this over the course of the off-season.
From everything we have heard, the Islanders would much rather keep Hamonic, who is an extremely valuable piece of their hockey team.
What Does He Do Well?:
Travis Hamonic is more of an all-around defender than the other options we will look at in this series. He isn’t an offensively dynamic player, his career high in points is just 33, but does have enough offensive ability to be considered a bit of a threat. This season, in 72 games, he posted 5-16-21. Nothing spectacular, but it’s passable.
He’s a physical player who has a bit of an edge and some snarl to his game. He won’t be Chris Pronger on the back-end, but Hamonic isn’t afraid to back down from a challenge and certainly can bang with the big boys. He’s held his own physically against some quality guys over the years.
Hamonic is described by The Hockey News in their scouting report as a player with both offensive ability and a physical presence. They also describe his shot as “big”, which is something lacking in Edmonton. That said, judging by his minimal usage on the powerplay, I wouldn’t describe him as a solution to that issue.
Hamonic (23:49 per game) is a big minute eating defender who also plays some of the toughest opposition in New York. He’s established as a top-four defender in the NHL, and I’d label him as a top-pairing guy. I know a number of other people who are much smarter than me, like Woodguy and Supernova, agree with that assessment.
THN concludes their scouting report by calling Hamonic an “excellent shutdown defender”.
Where Will He Play / Where Should He Play:
If the Oilers finally closed the deal on Travis Hamonic, he would without doubt be the team’s number one defender. A top-pairing role and the most minutes is exactly the role that he would have to take on should he become an Oiler. Edmonton simply doesn’t have an option like him right now, although Oscar Klefbom is close.
Where Hamonic should play is also pretty much set in stone. There is zero doubt that he is a top-four defender in this league, and I’d slot him inside my top 60, meaning he’s a top-pairing defender in this league. To me, Travis Hamonic is a number two defender in the NHL currently. A top-pairing role is exactly where he should be.
What Will He Cost:
This is tough because the Islanders are in a difficult spot here. They aren’t just going to give Hamonic away, but there is a very limited number of teams that would be in on the defender due to the trade request. If Kyle Okposo leaves New York via free agency, I can see them revisiting Jordan Eberle as an option. Would Eberle and the RFA rights to David Musil get the job done? Possibly.
I’d also suggest Darnell Nurse could get it done, but Edmonton doesn’t appear likely to travel down that road, at least not yet.
Closing Argument:
At his year end press conference, Peter Chiarelli mentioned that he was confident that he could address his defense in a meaningful way. If Edmonton is going to do that, Travis Hamonic makes the most sense. He’s a top-pairing NHL defender and Edmonton is on his short list. This is a situation that Chiarelli must take advantage of.
Travis Hamonic is, in my mind, the best and most realistic option available to the Edmonton Oilers this summer on defense. The cost may be high, but the Oilers have to find a way to address this hole.
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