T-minus 13 days until the 2016 NHL entry draft in Buffalo. For Oiler fans, this is likely to be the start of what will be a very ,very active off-season. The Oilers have many needs and seemingly very few untouchable players. Odds are, GM Peter Chiarelli will shoot for the stars with his off-season additions.
Subban Likely A No-Go:
The rumblings surrounding PK Subban in Montreal continue to persist. Darren Dreger, however, put cold water on that Thursday morning when he went on TSN 690 in Montreal. Dreger’s full comments can be read here, but the money quote is below.
Very recently, I reached out to a couple of general managers who I know have had some contact with Bergevin over time. One in particular, a Western Conference general manager, flat-out said he asked Bergevin about the availability of P.K. Subban. Now, this is probably in the last two, three weeks, maybe a bit longer than that. And he was flat-out told that he wasn’t going to be available.
This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Subban is one of the best defenders in the NHL and is a guy who you can build your organization around. It was a tough year for the Habs, but they would be completely foolish to move him.
From an Oilers perspective, this is a story because Subban is a perfect fit. He’s a legit number one defender, is young, and moves the puck exceptionally well. Everything Edmonton is missing, Subban has. The Oilers also are one of the few teams with the assets to make this kind of deal happen.
Subban, along with Justin Faulk and Travis Hamonic, was one of the ideal number one D options this summer. It seems like all three can be taken off the board now.
Speculation on my part, but does anyone else feel like the Western Conference GM alluded to by Dreger was Chiarelli?
Jackets Shopping Pick 3:
The Columbus blue Jackets appear open for business regarding the third overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft. Why is that of note? This severely impacts Edmonton’s trading leverage at pick four. The Jackets have already, according to The Score, received aggressive offers for the selection.
If Columbus does move the pick, it creates a few different scenarios for Edmonton. The best one is that the team moving up selects Matthew Tkachuk, biting on the recent hype. If that happens, the Oilers would watch Jesse Puljujarvi fall right into their laps. To me, that is ideal for the club.
The other options include the value of Edmonton’s pick decreasing and they keep the selection, and the value increasing if Columbus keeps the pick and a team gets desperate.
Now, this all could be posturing by the Jackets to see what is out there, and when push comes to shove I expect them to make the pick. That said, this will have a large impact on the trade market for picks at the draft.
The report also indicates that Edmonton and Vancouver are also looking to move their picks. Does that make this a buyers market? Starting to look like it.
Patrik Elias As Veteran Cover?:
New Jersey Devils F Patrik Elias will be a free agent this summer, and the 40 year old would love to play another season. He recently said, however, that he would only return to the Devils if they wanted him back. What happens if New Jersey doesn’t want the veteran back next season?
Would the Oilers be interested? Edmonton needs more veteran leaders and could certainly use help at right wing. Elias was injured almost all of last season, but still managed six points in 16 games. In 2014-15, Elias posted 13-21-34 in 69 games. That isn’t elite production by a mile, but it’s still solid NHL production. If he’s on your second line for a year, well you could do worse.
I doubt Elias would go elsewhere to finish his career, but in the event he does, he might just be a good fit for Edmonton.
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