Justin Bradford writes about the Nashville Predators and attends a number of the team’s games. On Thursday night, Nashville hosted Florida in a routine Thursday night game. Among the scouts in attendance last night? According to Bradford, there was one from the Edmonton Oilers. This is on the heels of the speculation surrounding the Oilers and the possibility of the team moving one of it’s core forwards.
Is There A Match Here?:
The Predators are an extremely deep defensive hockey team, they also have some solid two-way forwards on their roster. The Oilers, on the other hand, are a skilled team that has a lot of higher end forwards. Nashville lacks a true scoring threat outside of Filip Forsberg while Edmonton lacks a strong defensive group and a competent group of two way forwards.
The weaknesses of Edmonton are the strengths of Nashville and vice versa. Without doubt there is a match here in terms of the surplus of each team.
What Would Nashville Want?:
Obviously, scoring is an issue for the Predators so they’d be looking for a top-six forward. I think Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be their top choice, he’d easily be their best center, while Jordan Eberle would be a close second. The Predators don’t have a pure scorer like Eberle on their roster currently and they don’t have a high end center like RNH.
The “soft skill” narrative, which I think is a load of BS for RNH but that’s just me, wouldn’t be a factor for the Predators because they have so many solid and hard to play against forwards on their team. A “softer” skilled player would be a minority in Nashville, they could easily make it work.
Both RNH and Eberle would enhance the Predators’ attack, which could make them a very dangerous club come playoff time. It’s hard to look at that roster and think that they aren’t an offensive difference maker away from making a lengthy playoff run.
What About Edmonton?:
Good question, I’m glad you asked. Obviously the sexy name to ask for would be Shea Weber. Weber is still a number one defender in the NHL but he’s also getting older. Currently, he’s 30 years old which means he’s probably getting towards the end of his prime.
If Edmonton is at least three years from competing for a Stanley Cup, then Weber effectively becomes useless for the Oilers because he would be 33/34 when the Oilers make a real push. He’d be out of his prime and a shell of the elite defender that he currently is. I’m sure they would ask, but I can’t see Nashville moving him nor it making sense for either side.
Seth Jones is another popular name. Jones was the 4th overall pick at the 2013 NHL draft, but he hasn’t lived up to all the hype just yet. Jones had a stellar rookie season but fell to the sophomore slump last season and is still outside of the team’s top-four on the depth-chart. So far this season, Jones has averaged 19:57 per game, not bad but also not exactly the ice time you want from an impact defender.
Jones isn’t exactly a physical player, so I’m not sure he’d help change the culture in Edmonton. He’s still learning the NHL game and has yet to emerge as a top-four option. I’m not calling him a bust, but I’m saying he hasn’t lit the world on fire like many thought he would. I can absolutely see him being a big Oiler target however.
Matthias Ekholm averages about a minute less per night than Jones in terms of ice time, but I can see Edmonton asking for this young defender too. He’s a big boy capable of playing a solid all-around game from the point, just like Jones is. Again, like Jones, he isn’t established as a top-four NHL defender.
Obviously Roman Josi would be an Oilers target, I think he’s going to be a top-pairing defender in the NHL if he isn’t there already, but Nashville would be insane to move him.
A bigger forward like Colin Wilson could be a target too as a secondary piece in a trade with the Predators.
Final Thoughts:
If the Oilers are serious about moving a player like Jordan Eberle or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, I absolutely think that the Nashville Predators would be interested in talking with Peter Chiarelli. That said, I think Chiarelli would be looking for a number two or three defender and I can’t see Nashville moving theirs right now.
The Predators won’t give you Weber or Josi, so the match might not be there. Sure, they’ll give you a developing player like Jones or Ekholm, but that comes with the massive risk of them not yet being established as top-four defenders.
Peter Chiarelli is going to be looking for more established options via trade. He’ll likely look for a top-pairing defender and another defender along with a few heavy complimentary players. Obviously he won’t get them all in one deal, but that gives you an idea of what he is looking for.
The Predators will give you pieces that MIGHT become what you are looking for, but not proven players by the look of it. Sure, they’ll be in the bidding, but I’d wager that there will be teams willing to give you what you are looking for here, especially after the season.
Nashville will probably play a factor, but upon deeper review I don’t see them as an ideal fit for a trade right now.
Thoughts?
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