Depth is the key ingredient for a playoff contending team. For the first time in God knows how long, the Edmonton Oilers have considerable depth within their organization. This is terrific because there is an abundance of quality players on the roster, which means more healthy competition among teammates and players outplaying one another. Jordan Eberle is one of those players who is simply being outplayed.
I have the utmost respect for Eberle. He has been a very productive player for Edmonton the past few years and has certainly proved his worth as a quality top six forward. I also believe, at this point, that the ship led by Eberle since 2010 is about to be docked.
The Oilers new style of play revolves around size, toughness, speed and skill. Eberle certainly fits into the skill aspect, but even with that he hasn’t delivered enough this year. When I watch his game and how he plays, I see a player that simply does not fit into Edmonton’s new style and system. He is too slow, too small and too soft. His case would be better viewed if he could hit the net and bury the biscuit more often.
In the very near future, Peter Chiarelli will have an incredibly difficult decision to make. The trade deadline isn’t far away and the expansion draft will follow not long after that. A decision has to be made on Jordan Eberle’s future as an Oiler soon.
He does have value on the market right now, but I think the Oilers missed the boat to sell high on the right winger a year or two ago when his value was at its peak. Now, since he’s struggled mightily this season, there is no doubt his value is decreasing. Since he carries a six million dollar cap hit, that doesn’t make a trade with another team any easier.
Its never a positive thing to see a star player struggle, however this does provide an opportunity for players of lesser status to shine. We’ve seen the steal of the century, Patrick Maroon, flourish as of late and rookie Drake Caggiula step his game up. Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in particular have struggled all year, but the Oilers improved depth within their forward corps has quietly made up for that.
The worst case scenario would be losing Eberle for nothing if he gets claimed in the expansion draft. I am going to assume that, at this point, Chiarelli absolutely wants to protect Maroon over Eberle. The Oilers are deep in a playoff race and will need extra quality reinforcements when the trade deadline rolls around.
A high draft pick and a prospect for Eberle will not cut it if the Oilers are wanting to go far in the playoffs. At the same time, a deal like that is better than losing him for nothing. It should be Chiarelli’s full intention to get a roster player involved in a deal for Eberle, particularly a defender if they are serious about a playoff run.
In dealing Eberle though, there cannot be a significant subtraction without a replacement of some sort. That is why Chiarelli must go big and bold and acquire a veteran like Jarome Iginla to fill the void.
I think the Oilers should trade Eberle. He still has value and could net a great return given the right deal with the right team. There is a good chance that the Oilers protect someone else over him at this point. Keeping Eberle for a playoff run maintains depth in the organization, but now you risk losing him for nothing in the expansion draft. They are better off trading him if a plausible replacement is lined up.
Peter Chiarelli has some major thinking to do.
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