Pierre LeBrun, via Chris Nichols on Twitter, said something on Monday that every Oilers fan wants to hear. Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli is talking to teams in regards to making a move, likely to bolster the team’s weak blueline currently.
Will anything happen? That remains to be seen, it’s tough to make moves in the NHL, especially this early into a season when teams are fighting for position to stay in the race. That said, we’re still going to talk about it, because it makes a lot of sense that Edmonton is looking and PC is a known in-season dealer from his time in Boston.
The Quote:
@NicholsOnHockey: LeBrun: “I think for sure Peter Chiarelli would like to make a move. I think he’s talked to teams, but it’s hard.” Others seek D too
#Oilers
Short, simple and sweet. Peter Chiarelli wants to make a deal for his team and he’s talk to teams. The context, which isn’t quoted but implied, suggests that Chia is talking about adding a defender. Clearly, the Oilers need one.
Current Corps:
Andrej Sekera is a proven top-four NHL defender and will only help Edmonton moving forward. He hasn’t been what many expected, but I think he’s been okay and he’s been getting better. Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse are already solid defenders with a very, very high ceiling for the future.
Justin Schultz, Eric Gryba, Andrew Ference and Mark Fayne are all NHL veterans but their future in Edmonton is very much in question. Griffin Reinhart and Brandon Davidson continue to develop for the club at the NHL level.
Only Sekera, Klefbom, Nurse and Reinhart should be considered safe options as of now. Sekera is their best veteran while Reinhart, Klefbom and Nurse form a dynamic trio for the future in Edmonton, a future that is closer than people realize, all three of them can play.
What Does Edmonton Need?:
The Oilers need someone who can handle top-four minutes and who is, ideally, a right shot. A RHD to slide in behind Sekera on Edmonton’s second pairing would give Oscar Klefbom a veteran partner and would slide Justin Schultz down to the third pairing when healthy.
This player also HAS to be able to move the puck. A defender like Eric Gryba is no help to this team at this point, they need someone capable of moving the puck up to the forwards, someone who can help the breakout passing situation, which is currently in shambles.
The Candidates:
There are three defenders that stand out to me as guys that both could help this team and who are potentially available on the market. Jared Spurgeon out of Minnesota is a guy we heard about this summer, while St. Louis’ Carl Gunnarsson and New Jersey’s Eric Gelinas have popped up early in the season as options.
Spurgeon is an Edmonton native and, in my mind, the best option for this club. He’s small, only 5’9” and 176 pounds, but he’s an effective player at the NHL level. In fact, he’s already playing top-four minutes for the Minnesota Wild and has been for over a year now. He’s only available due to cap concerns.
He’s a solid puck moving defender who can help with the passing issues on the back-end, can play the power-play, and who excels with his positioning. Outside of his size concerns, he is exactly what Edmonton is looking for in it’s top-four currently. He’d be a really good get.
Gunnarsson is a little different, he’s a bigger and more physical player. He’s averaged 18:37 per game in ice time this season, so he’s been pushed down the depth chart to a third pairing role because of St. Louis’ solid depth on the blueline.
His playing style is more of a shut down defender, but he can move the puck adequately and play the power-play if need be.
Lastly is the young Eric Gelinas. Gelinas is only averaging 13:12 per game this season, but he’s a young budding defender with good size and some offensive ability. The thing with Gelinas is that he’s still learning the NHL game and is without doubt a project.
Final Thoughts:
I’m not sure if the Wild will move him, but I like Jared Spurgeon quite a bit. If Edmonton could swing a deal for him to upgrade their top-four, I’d be quite a happy camper. I’d even be good with adding a guy like Carl Gunnarsson to help keep this team competitive for the remainder of the season.
If Edmonton makes a move, and I suspect Peter Chiarelli will sooner rather than later, then the defense could look like this….
Darnell Nurse – Andrej Sekera
Oscar Klefbom – Jared Spurgeon / Carl Gunnarsson
Griffin Reinhart – Justin Schultz / Eric Gryba
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