As the Oilers hit the ice for their first practice this morning, the question begs to be asked. Is this team done making roster moves? The answer, in my mind, is no. The Oilers clearly are not set with what they have at center, and something tells me they will make a move for one in these next three weeks.
Who could go? Something tells me it might be a defender, and it might be puck-mover Jeff Petry. Who would replace him? The likely candidates are Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse, but Edmonton may not get the chance to find out if they are ready before a trade comes knocking. Could Edmonton turn to a veteran to fill the hole?
You better believe they could.
Derek Morris:
Enter 36 year old Derek Morris, a puck-moving defender from Edmonton. Morris provides decent size, standing in at 6’0” and 210 pounds, and provides a lot of leadership. He’s been around for years, on both good teams and bad teams. He knows how the league works, and he knows how to help turn a team around.
Last year Morris only played in 63 games, and scored only 17 points, which isn’t awful production but also isn’t great.
Morris’ strengths are nice, he’s strong, he’s aggressive, those are things lacking in Edmonton. Added to that, he has a booming shot from the point, can play on the power-play and QB the unit, and has some great passing ability. He knows how to move the puck, and he knows how to get it from the defensive zone to the forwards.
He’s got a good mix of skill too, to the point where not only is he a solid puck-mover, but he’s a solid defender too. That’s a really nice combo of skills.
The only problem here is that he is old, and clearly in the decline, there is a reason why the Coyotes let him walk, and a reason why he is still on the market today.
Morris is a solid veteran with some good offensive instincts and an ability to be an aggressive player. If Edmonton needs a stop-gap, and feels that they must trade a defender, they could do worse than Morris.
Is a Camp Invite Realistic?:
The Oilers won’t give Morris a contract just like that. They’ll want to see Klefbom and Nurse, and see if they can snag the role. With that said, a training camp invite is easily the most realistic option. As for contract dollars and term, IF he made the team he would only get one-year and minimal dollars. Not really rocket science.
Will They Do It?:
It’s possible. I’m not sure they will, but it is very possible. The Oilers admit to having only two NHL centers on the roster, and it’s possible they go out and get another one in a trade. The asking price? It’ll likely be a defender, and Jeff Petry is the prime candidate to go. The problem? He’s a top-four guy and someone that makes the team better.
Sure, Fayne and Nikitin will hold down two top-four spots, but what about the other two? The right-side is weak and would need a replacement. Morris isn’t perfect, but he’d be better than other options like Brad Hunt. If Klefbom and Nurse can’t step up, Morris would be my logical choice.
All of this hinges on a deal however, which makes camp that much more interesting. If I were Derek Morris, I wouldn’t go too far from the phone.
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