Since the middle of May, we here at The Oilers Rig have been taking a look at possible targets for GM Peter Chiarelli this off-season. The annual “Off-Season Targets” series took a look at a number of trade and free agent candidates for the club at multiple positions of need.
The Oilers will need to strengthen their blue-line this summer and also will likely need to add a forward or two depending on what happens trade-wise. Starting this morning, things could get very interesting and we could see the moves begin to take place.
The Shopping List:
One of the first things I did this off-season was lay out my shopping list for Peter Chiarelli. The full post is here, but below is a quick recap of what I believe the Oilers need to do this summer from mid-May.
1.) Sign Connor McDavid
2.) Sign Leon Draisaitl
3.) Address second-pairing RHD
4.) Add a 3rd line center or top six RW
5.) Figure out the Mark Fayne/Benoit Pouliot situations
6.) Add depth
The purpose of off-season targets was to take a look at all of these items and see which could be addressed with external additions, then to find a list of players that were both realistic and affordable.
I counted items three, four and six as the ones that Chiarelli could address via outside additions. Since this list was published, Andrej Sekera’s torn ACL was revealed, so adding a top-four LHD also became somewhat of a priority as the series went along.
The Players:
For the defensive holes on the roster, we looked at Travis Hamonic, Justin Faulk, Tyson Barrie, Kris Russell, Michael Stone, Zdeno Chara, Cody Franson, Dennis Wideman, Kevin Shattenkirk, Andrei Markov, Jason Demers, Alex Petrovic and Mark Pysyk.
Up front, players like Sam Gagner, Derek Ryan, Martin Hanzal, Brian Boyle, Nick Bonino, Jordan Weal, Nate Thompson, Dominic Moore, Ryan Strome, Drew Stafford, Jaromir Jagr, Justin Williams, Radim Vrbata and Patrick Eaves were the targets.
Not all of the players listed will change teams this off-season, and certainly not all of them will be Oilers. Hell, it’s even possible that Edmonton stuns us all and doesn’t even acquire a single player listed above. Unlikely, but possible. Expect the unexpected, right?
The Best Fits:
If Edmonton is going to acquire a second-pairing RHD to slide behind Adam Larsson, I determined that Travis Hamonic and Justin Faulk are the best two options. After that, I’d list Tyson Barrie as my third choice followed closely by Jason Demers and Kevin Shattenkirk. After that, all the players on this list would be a risk for Edmonton.
As for a short-term replacement for Sekera, well Zdeno Chara seems to be the perfect guy. Only problem is, I’m not sure Chara is willing to move and I’m not certain Boston is willing to move him as it currently stands. I’d have time for Kris Russell on another one-year deal for this slot.
Depending on what Edmonton does this summer, Martin Hanzal would be the ideal third line center for this club. That would likely mean Leon stays at right wing, but I love Hanzal’s potential fit with the club. Old friend Sam Gagner is an interesting fit as well, but he’s likely not a center at this stage of his career.
In terms of strictly right wingers, I thought Radim Vrbata and Justin Williams were, by far, the best potential fits for this hockey club.
An Ideal Summer:
Based on this series, I’d say that my ideal summer for the Oilers would be trading Jordan Eberle to the Islanders for Travis Hamonic (so much for that huh?), signing Radim Vrbata to a contract and re-signing Kris Russell on a short-term pact. Adding a depth piece like Dominic Moore would also be a very welcomed addition for this hockey club.
That said, I suspect a player like Ryan Strome is on his way to Edmonton, while Russell may be the only player given a contract on the blue-line this summer. Those two story-lines will be very interesting to watch.
I want to thank Preston Hodgkinson and Sullivan Larson for their help with the series this year, it is much appreciated! I’d also like to thank you, the readers, for stopping by everyday and providing feedback on the players, I enjoyed it!
Next stop: The actual transactions.
UPDATE: So yeah, the actual transactions were in fact the next stop. The Oilers have traded Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders for Ryan Strome. Initial trade thoughts from earlier this afternoon can be found here.
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