Relax MacTavish, Don’t Do It!

Those in the Boston media are chomping at the bit of the Edmonton Oilers right now. Even though their Bruins are hanging on for dear life out east and have lost four in a row, the media has spent the last week ripping the Oilers worse than yours truly. Part of that narrative is that the Oilers are a team to target in trade, a team that might be open to making a foolish trade to help correct the Seguin to Dallas blunder of July 2013.

On Monday, the Bruins announced that they had recalled G Malcolm Subban, who joined the team earlier today in Edmonton. Malcolm’s older brother, PK, said on Monday night that his brother would be making his first start on Wednesday, against those Oilers.

Now, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was on twitter saying it would be interesting if the Bruins started Subban against Edmonton, while many had previously mentioned that Edmonton had interest in the Bruins’ top prospect. Earlier this season, many reported that the Bruins were hot on the tail of F Jordan Eberle, and those rumors haven’t died down.

Last week, The Fourth Period reported that they expected one of Eberle or Yakupov to be moved, and listed the Boston Bruins as a potential landing spot for one of the players. It makes a ton of sense, as Boston is desperate for goal scoring and needs help in order to secure that final playoff spot out east.

Here’s the thing, it isn’t smart for Edmonton to deal Jordan Eberle to Boston, at least right now. The Oilers need to hit a homerun if they deal Eberle, and the Bruins simply won’t part with the proper pieces at this time. Boston is in the middle of a playoff chase, and won’t be moving a piece like Milan Lucic in trade till the summer, if at all.

The Bruins have some trade chips, but do they help Edmonton? Malcolm Subban looks like a solid bet as a prospect, but he is just that, a prospect. To this point, Subban has still not played a game at the NHL level, and has just recently turned a corner in the AHL. He’s a question mark in net right now, not a sure thing. The Oilers need a sure thing, not another maybe like Ben Scrivens, Viktor Fasth and previously Devan Dubnyk.

In addition to that, Edmonton will likely look to get a defender from Boston, which could end in disaster. We know Zdeno Chara is a stud, but he is older and likely not being moved. Dougie Hamilton? He’s the next great defender for the Boston Bruins. Adam McQuaid? Maybe as a throw-in because of salary, but he’s taken a massive step back as of late.

The likely option? That guy is Torey Krug, a young offensive defender who Edmonton likely looks at as what Justin Schultz should have been. Here’s the problem, Krug is a weak defender defensively, doesn’t play physical at all, and really only provides a use offensively.

Now, he is GREAT on the power-play, and is a very good puck-mover, but he has chaos to his game, something Edmonton has too much of. In the right spot, Krug is a very useful player, but Edmonton is not the right spot. He would struggle in a very big way with this hockey club.

Let’s say Krug and Subban were the big two pieces coming back, the Oilers still need to take some salary back in this deal. That likely means taking one of Chris Kelly, Loui Eriksson or Adam McQuaid, none of which are very appealing. Kelly is a third line center at best, while McQuaid is a slowing down third-pairing defender, not a good group.

Loui Eriksson is the best of the group, but he has struggled in a massive way in Boston, and has almost no value at this point. He’s been a huge disappointment for the Bruins, and is basically being chased out of town right now. Maybe a change of scenery will help, but it’s not a great bet.

If that is what a deal looks like, Edmonton would be trading Eberle to Boston for Subban, Krug and one of Kelly, Eriksson or McQuaid. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like that deal one bit in the short-term for Edmonton, and I doubt the Oilers win it in the long-term either. The best player in that deal, by a wide margin, is Eberle. You trade the best player, you lose the deal, plain and simple.

I’m not saying make Eberle untouchable, but if you are going to deal him, you better hit a homerun. Edmonton has made far too many bad moves over the years that have cost them, which is why they are where they are. This team can’t afford to make a move like this right now, it just doesn’t make any sense.

Spend your assets on pieces that you know will help you and will fill the holes you have, not another prospect and a defender that is a better version of what you already have. It’s really simple.

I understand that Craig MacTavish is trying to save his job, but just wait until the summer when the offers are better. Don’t panic and make a trade that you will regret long-term, which is exactly what this is.

As Frankie once said on his way to Hollywood, relax, don’t do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_2entulkw