The Rig Roundtable: Is Shattenkirk the Answer?

The trade deadline is upon us this Wednesday, and there’s been some talk about the Oilers making a move for a defenceman. One of the names tossed around in the offseason was Kevin Shattenkirk, but his pending UFA status at the end of this year was an obvious deterrent.

It came to light this week that he refused a sign-and-trade to Edmonton over the summer, a deal which would have seen Taylor Hall join the Blues and the Oilers blueline be immediately bolstered with veteran experience.

With that knowledge in hand, this week’s question is:

Should the Oilers make a play for Shattenkirk at the deadline?

Alex Thomas

I think it all depends on the price. It’s now public knowledge that the Oilers value this player and were willing to give Taylor Hall up for him at the draft last June. If the price has come down from that, I’d be all for Peter Chiarelli taking the risk and going after the best player available at the deadline. The problem is, Shattenkirk likely won’t re-sign with the Oilers and would purely be a rental. Are we ready to give up big assets for a rental player? I don’t think anyone believes that this team can win a championship this spring.

I’d be willing to move a high draft choice, Brandon Davidson and another piece for him at the deadline and take my chances, however unlikely as that may seem.

Bret Litke

No, I don’t think that they should. From what the insiders are reporting, it is pretty easy to gather that the odds of Shattenkirk signing in Edmonton long term are very low. Considering the cost that it would take to get him, is it really worth the price, knowing that it is all but a certainty that he walks? I don’t think so. We would be much better off using those assets either for myself or in a pair of other trades.

Plus, even if we did sign Shattenkirk, the thought of paying him over 6 million for 6 or 7 years makes me pause.

Too many red flags to go pursue him, in my opinion.

WheatNOil

Yes.

For one thing, the rumoured price (2nd and a prospect; 2nd becoming a 1st if re-signed) is pretty low of a player of Shattenkirk’s calibre. The Oilers don’t have a 2017 2nd but have other pieces that may be helpful to the Blues.

The Blues are a potential playoff team with a ludicrously lopsided defence. Their right side (Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Parayko) is MUCH stronger than their left. Getting an NHL defenceman back would be helpful for them. Meanwhile, Edmonton needs to unload a contract to fit Shattenkirk in under the cap this year. So the Oilers can offer a 2018 2nd rounder, a roster D (Davidson or Russell) and one of their one million left handed defenceman prospects.

Russell would probably be the Blue’s second best left handed defenceman on merit and fills a need on an expiring contract tract. Davidson would need to be protected in the expansion draft, but since Parayko is exempt, they could protect him, Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester. So it works for the Blues.

For the Oilers, IF they manage to re-sign Shattenkirk, their defence is set for years.

Klefbom – Larsson

Sekera – Shattenkirk

Nurse – Benning

Shattenkirk was uninterested in signing with Edmonton last summer, but rumour has it that he’s revisiting this now with the Oilers actually good and playoff bound. So at a not ridiculous price (say $6.5 x 6), the Oilers would have an elite defence core set for years. That’s worth the price of a 1st.

Even if he DOESN’T re-sign, though, there’s something in it for the Oilers. The West is weak this year. The Pacific especially. The Oilers with Shattenkirk are a legitimate threat to make it out of the Pacific and to the Conference finals. Shattenkirk checks off boxes of weakness this year. Right shot PP quarterback. Excellent in zone transitions. With that defence core outlined above, literally 5 of the 6 defenceman can move the puck up at above average to elite levels.

With Shattenkirk, the Oilers can make a push in the playoffs.

This leads me to my final point. Even if Shattenkirk walks, if the Oilers make a push in the playoffs this year, it’ll pay dividends. If there is any such thing as a McDavid Effect for UFA free agents, it should happen this summer. An up and coming, playoff-caliber Oiler squad, pushing to the 2nd or 3rd round, with McDavid leading the way… and NO wingers who have staked their claim to his line. Draisaitl, Eberle, Lucic, Maroon… no one has been a constant. The job is open. If the Oilers get Shattenkirk and make a push, we should see wingers take a discount to come here and audition on McDavid’s wing… or on his power play.

So yes. Make the push, get Shattenkirk!

Next Week…

…we’ll take a look at the Oilers deadline moves (or lack thereof, what ever the case may be).

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The Rig Roundtable: Is Shattenkirk the Answer?

Megan Fowler

Alex Thomas

Bret Litke

WheatNOil

Next Week…

Megan Fowler

Megan Fowler

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