The rumors surrounding the Edmonton Oilers just keep getting more interesting as the days roll by. Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan both added fuel to the fire on Tuesday with their respective media availability sessions. For the first time since this rebuild began, a GM has admitted that his core players are vulnerable and could be moved in a massive shakeup.
The odds that shakeup happens in-season, as I touched on yesterday, are slim, but in the off-season all bets are off. The core is not safe for the first time in a long time. Outside of Connor McDavid, everyone is up for grabs, and rightfully so.
Some, however, are more at risk of moving than others. Taylor Hall may be the safest of the old guard.
Dreger: “I don’t see a scenario where Taylor Hall gets traded any time soon by the Edmonton #Oilers.”
— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) February 24, 2016
This makes sense for the most part. Taylor Hall is a top ten scorer in the NHL and is a top five left winger in this game. Yes, the team has not had success with Hall as the top dog, but this isn’t a player you can easily replace. Taylor Hall is an elite producer in the NHL and there is no way around that point.
Should Hall be untouchable? No, absolutely not. If you can get fair value for Hall, you pull the trigger. What is fair value? Hall as part of a package for a Subban, Karlsson, Doughty type defender, something substantial. The odds that a move like that happens? Minimal, but if it’s there, the Oilers should take advantage of it.
That’s the thing with Hall, to me. He’s a great player and should not just be dumped, but if you can get something that really helps, then you do it.
Until that offer comes, if it ever comes, the Oilers need to hold onto Taylor Hall. He’s an elite offensive player and he will help moving forward. Seeing this tweet from Dreger has to be a sigh of relief for Oilers fans.
Unless the Oilers can really cash in on Taylor Hall, it makes no sense to trade him. This is Peter Chiarelli being smart and hanging on to one of his best players.
Dreger: “I know the Edmonton #Oilers have had discussions about the availability of Nail Yakupov w/ other teams.” More likely in off-season.
— Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) February 23, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThis is on the other side of the spectrum. Nail Yakupov came to Edmonton with high expectations and outside of his rookie year, he has not lived up to them. Part of that is on Nail, but part of that is also on the Oilers as an organization.
Yakupov has struggled to fit in with Todd McLellan’s Oilers, and he is certainly one of those underachieving players that Peter Chiarelli referred to on Tuesday. Here’s the thing, Yakupov is a skilled player and he’s a great guy, but he doesn’t produce enough and is part of that excess skill that Edmonton has.
Exchanging Yakupov for a player that fits the system is certainly something that could help the Oilers, and it’s something that I expect Peter Chiarelli to do. There will be interest in the player, and I’m sure there will be some sort of value available.
If the Oilers can get a Lars Eller kind of player for Yakupov, then I think you have to do it.
Final Thoughts:
These quotes from Dreger make a ton of sense. Taylor Hall is a helluva hockey player and he’s going to keep producing. The Oilers, unless they can get something spectacular, are better off with the player. Moving him for lesser assets just to change things up is a step backwards and something that a losing organization would do.
As for Yakupov, it sucks because he is so likable, but it just hasn’t worked in Edmonton. Edmonton exchanging him for a piece that fits better will help in the team building process.
Again, we get a look into Peter Chiarelli’s mind. Taylor Hall appears safe while the writing looks to be on the wall for Nail Yakupov. What happens next with Yakupov could be the most interesting development of the next five days.
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