Oilers – To Trade or Not To Trade

Tonnes of trade speculation in Oil country this week, and rightfully so. With the team mired in a 7 game losing skid, players calling on each other and the coaches for accountability, a new goalie coach and really no end to the misery in sight it’s a wonder it’s taken this long for the rumors to come about.

One of the trade options EDM is looking at for David Perron is with Columbus Blue Jackets.EDM focus maybe on center Artem Anisimov. #TSN

— Aaron Ward (@NHL_AaronWard) November 26, 2014

Aaron Ward started it all the other day when he mentioned the rumors coming out of Columbus linking the Oilers to big center Artem Anisimov. Then of course the Flyers rumors began to swirl again and now the Oilers are linked to just about every center who may or may not be on the block.

Now I’m not going to go out and say who’s likely to come to Edmonton and who’s likely to be sent out, that’s been done (Spoiler, there is an amazing picture of the girl from Big Bang Theory in the linked article). No I’m going to talk briefly about what the downside of the “Bold Move” happening now might be and ask if a trade for the Oilers the best option available.

First, There is no way no how that Craig MacTavish is going to get full value for any trade he makes in season. Let’s face it, the Oilers are worse than a zit on your face the day before the prom and every GM in the league knows this and knows that they can probably squeeze MacT for a little more than the player going back is worth. Supply and demand, the Oilers have no supply and a silly amount of demand. In a previous article I wrote what a conversation between MacT and Ron Hextall might be like when talking trade;

MacT: “Hey Ron Hextall i’d like to trade with you and I want Couturier”

Hextall: “Sure, but I want Jordan Eberle, Jeff Petry and either a prospect or a pick”

MacT: “Hmm, what about Brayden Schenn?”

Hextall: “Sure I want Jordan Eberle, Jeff Petry and either a prospect or a pick”

MacT: Click…….

Yep something like that, if you are a GM what do you do? You try and win the deal, and hey the Oilers just might be desperate enough to say yes.

So that’s the first part. Here’s the second. McDavid. Connor McDavid IS A GENERATIONAL PLAYER. Junior hockey hasn’t seen numbers like he’s got since, you guessed it, Sidney freaking Crosby. Now before you flip out on me here saying “Another top pick, screw it, trade everyone now, improve now” Well did you read the part where I said he’s a GENERATIONAL PLAYER.

I also know the Oilers don’t have as good of a chance at winning the draft lottery this year too. But they still are sitting in dead last in the league with a 20% chance to win it, think about it that’s 1 in 5. Would you but a million dollar lottery ticket with those chances, even if it was your last 5 bucks?

Hear me out, I’m not preaching a do nothing stay the course attitude here. What I think should happen, when the Oilers lose a few more games instead of over reacting and making a trade they have little chance at coming out on top in, fire Eakins. Yep, Fire Eakins, and MacT comes down behind the bench for the remainder of this season.

Face it, the season is already lost. MacT can get a good grasp on all of his players, all of his coaching staff and then when the offseason hits, he can make decisions based on what he learned behind the bench the last few months of the season. I know firing the coach may not be the best move, or maybe it is, maybe firing both the GM and the coach are the answer, but we all know that realistically MacT and Kevin Lowe aren’t going anywhere.

The other advantage to this is it “should be” easier to make deals involving the core players in the offseason, less likely for trades to be as one sided as they would probably be right now.

It’s a tough spot for any GM to be in, and I don’t envy the man his position. But if I’m the GM, another year in the tank is something to seriously consider.

Thanks for Reading and make sure to check out the #OilersRigLive4Ms upcoming fundraiser and live podcast recording.