The trade talk is running rampant right now in Edmonton, and it is all surrounding forward Sam Gagner. Back in early January we heard Elliotte Friedman bring this up as a possibility, and now it’s looking likely that we see some movement here soon.
The Oilers, according to rumors and some key insiders like Bob McKenzie, Pierre Lebrun and The Fourth Period, are in deep talks with the LA Kings regarding a trade the would send Sam Gagner to Los Angeles.
There has been a lot of talk regarding potential return and what Edmonton is after. We’ve been getting a decent idea of what the Oilers are interested in, and it’s not really that surprising.
According to Dennis Bernstein of TFP, the Oilers asked about defender Jake Muzzin and prospect center Linden Vey. The Kings informed the Oilers that Muzzin is not available and that Vey will not be moved. Muzzin was arguably the best target for Edmonton here, while Vey makes some sense.
Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet also mentioned prospect Tyler Toffoli as the guy teams like Edmonton are most interested in. It makes sense too, as Toffoli looks like a guy that will be able to score at a top-six clip.
The name mentioned by the Edmonton media as a guy of interest, and named by myself on this blog earlier this week, is Dwight King, but his name hasn’t really been out there today. Kyle Clifford however, is the name that is out there.
Clifford was a guy mentioned over the summer as a possible bottom-six option, and now looks to be an Oilers target in this rumored Gagner trade. To me, that is a big mistake. Nothing against Kyle Clifford, but he doesn’t really do anything for this team.
Clifford is a bigger body that does play a physical game, but he doesn’t really play on the PK and he has next to no offense in his game. He’s strictly a fourth line player. Yes, he’d probably be an upgrade on Jesse Joensuu and Luke Gazdic, but you can find that in free agency.
Trading an asset like Gagner for a a player like Clifford would be a major mistake, and set this team back quite a bit in my opinion. I don’t think Gagner has a long term role on this team, but you certainly need to get something of value for a player like that. Kyle Clifford is not value.
The Oilers are a team with high-end talent up front and a bunch of fourth liners. Adding another fourth liner is literally insanity. I think Craig MacTavish is a smart guy, and think he understands what he is doing. I can’t see him making a mistake like this.
Another name being talked about today is defender Alec Martinez, but he’s not exactly what Edmonton needs. Martinez is young yes, but is nothing more than a 5th/6th defender, which Edmonton has plenty of. Trading for a guy like Martinez and expecting him to play higher in the lineup is a very poor decision, but one Edmonton is known for unfortunately.
It certainly sounds like something is very close to happening in regards to a Sam Gagner trade. The rumored return right now is Kyle Clifford, and most assume a + is involved there too. Personally, I think Gagner will be dealt by the Olympic freeze on Friday afternoon. The return? We’ll have to wait and see.
We’ll be updating the Oilers Rig with any news, and you can follow on twitter for updates @Alex_Thomas14!
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