A little over a month ago, back on January 11th, we took a look at the Edmonton Oilers who were listed on The Fourth Period’s Top 30 Trade Watch list. In addition, we also looked at the players that Edmonton was showing interest in at the time.
Some of those names have remained the same. Cam Talbot is still on the list, but currently is the only Oiler inside the top 30. He’s moved up, as well, going from 18th to 15th. Milan Lucic, who was ranked 27th back in January, has come off the list entirely. Moving Lucic will be a priority for the new GM, but that won’t be happening until the summer.
Regarding Talbot, the Islanders and Sharks were listed as interested parties back in January, but only the Sharks remain on the list. The Devils, Maple Leafs, Blue Jackets and Flyers are now currently interested in the veteran netminder, according to the report.
Columbus, should they trade Sergei Bobrovsky, makes a lot of sense for Talbot. He could go there and compete for starting minutes on a very good team. In Philly, Talbot could be the veteran 1B with super youngster Carter Hart, while the Devils provide another starting opportunity for Cam.
Edmonton remains interested in Rangers F Kevin Hayes, Flyers F Wayne Simmonds, Detroit G Jimmy Howard, LA D Alec Martinez, Carolina F Michael Ferland and Chicago D Duncan Keith.
New Additions:
As you can imagine, a lot has changed in the last five weeks. So with that said, let’s take a look at who the Oilers are rumored to be interested in that they weren’t looking at in January.
5. Mats Zuccarello: Zuccarello has been waiting for a trade since the off-season, when he thought one was coming. He prefers to stay in New York, but the writing is on the wall and a move is now just a matter of time.
Zuccarello makes a lot of sense for Edmonton as a veteran rental who brings both speed and skill to the table. Problem is, Zuccarello has gotten hot after a slow start and has likely played his way into being too expensive of an option for Edmonton.
9. Ryan Dzingel: Dzingel’s offensive outburst this season has caught the attention of many, and his $1.8 million salary cap hit makes him that more more attraction to contending teams in need of secondary scoring.
Dzingel is a goal scorer who is young enough (26) to be a longer term fit. Ottawa is looking for a first rounder for Dzingel, which is too high of a price for Edmonton. I actually think he’d be a better target in free agency than at the deadline, but there’s a pretty nice fit here between player and team.
11. Sergei Bobrovsky: The Blue Jackets are doing their due diligence when it comes to the trade market on Bobrovsky, though it seems the only major player right now is Florida, who could go after him as a UFA this summer. Will other teams step up? Will Columbus keep him for a playoff run? We shall see.
This is interesting because Edmonton can offer Columbus a potential replacement in Talbot as part of the trade package. Bobrovsky would be an upgrade in goal, but would likely require a big contract this summer. Scott Howson brought him to Columbus and is currently involved with Oiler Hockey Ops, so there is a connection there. This is a new and interesting tidbit.
14. Derick Brassard: The Panthers acquired Brassard from the Penguins in a major move, but plan on flipping him elsewhere before the Feb. 25 trade deadline. He will be moved, it’s just a matter of when and where.
Coached by Ken Hitchcock in Columbus earlier in his career, Brassard could be a nice fit as Edmonton’s third center. A pending UFA, the Oil could try out Brassard and see if there is a fit moving forward. Like with everyone on this list, it is going to come down to asset cost. If Florida makes an early play for Panarin, they might be willing to give Brassard away to clear cap space.
17. Brandon Saad: Chicago’s looking to move Saad and his $6M salary cap hit. It’s unclear if the Hawks will retain any salary in a deal, but they’ve made him available and will try to trade him by the deadline.
The Oilers were at TD Garden last night for Chicago’s visit to Boston, and have been following both the Bruins and Blackhawks lately. Saad has proven he can play with skill, and appears to be in need of a change of scenery. It’s a big cap hit, however, and I think Milan Lucic would need to be involved to make it work. I believe this was the player Chiarelli was targeting before he was fired.
19. Cody Ceci: The Senators are fielding calls for Ceci, who is set to become a restricted free agent July 1. The price is believed to be very high, and with the Sens in rebuild-mode, if the right package comes their way, GM Pierre Dorion would pull the trigger.
Seriously…..Don’t even think about it.
21. Tyler Toffoli: The Kings are listening on just about everybody and Toffoli’s been tossed around since October when the Kings were eyeing Toronto’s William Nylander. If a trade is made, it’ll fall along the lines of a hockey-move as the Kings look to continue to shake up their roster for next season.
Don’t think there is a great fit here between the Oilers and Kings, especially if LA wants to make a hockey trade, but Toffoli is a nice fit for Edmonton. He’s a goal scorer and has another year left on a pretty friendly contract ($4,600,000 through 2019-20). Like Dzingel, I think Toffoli is more of an off-season target than a deadline one.
25. Chris Kreider: The Rangers have taken calls on Kreider for some time, but that doesn’t mean they’ll move him. Given the state of the team, his return could be as impactful as his presence in the lineup. A team will have to blow the Rangers out of the water with a great offer to pry him out of The Big Apple.
I like Kreider, but I’m not sure there’s a fit here. He’s a pending UFA and I believe will command a contract too rich for Edmonton’s blood this off-season. As a result, with the playoffs essentially a dead dream now, there is no incentive to dealing for him.
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