Travis Hamonic Rescinds Trade Request – Now What?

Edmonton Oiler fans and bloggers, myself included, have been fawning over the possibility of Travis Hamonic coming to Edmonton since his trade request in November. Hamonic was the perfect fit, a right-shot defender who played a shut-down style and who was a top-pairing defender in the NHL. Oh, and he wanted to come to western Canada. It was a match made in heaven.

Have you ever heard the saying that if it’s too good to be true, well it probably isn’t true? Oiler fans got a rather large dose of that on Tuesday morning when Hamonic stunned everyone. According to Newsday’s Arthur Staple, and later confirmed by Hamonic and Islanders coach Jack Capuano, Travis Hamonic has rescinded his trade request.

All those mock deals, those fantasy lineups, you can forget about them.

Breaking #Isles news: Travis Hamonic has rescinded his trade request, Newsday has learned. More to follow.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) May 10, 2016

Edmonton’s top defensive option for this summer is off the board now, it’s official. With the trade request gone, the Islanders almost certainly will not be moving the rearguard. The only way Edmonton could still get Hamonic? A massive overpayment, meaning someone like Taylor Hall or Leon Draisaitl going the other way.

Now What?:

With Hamonic off the board, it’s time for Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli to get creative. The good news is that Chiarelli isn’t like previous Oiler GM’s. In past years, Steve Tambellini and Craig MacTavish would get flustered after their top option was gone, panicking and settling for much less. Chiarelli is a veteran and has handled situations just like this when in Boston.

The off-season targets series that I have been doing here has touched on a number of different options. Travis Hamonic was the first option in terms of what we were looking for, but I outlined plenty of other guys. I’m sure that Peter Chiarelli has done the same in his office these last few weeks.

The Oilers could look at Justin Faulk, who is probably the best option out there right now. Faulk is a slick puck-moving defender who is currently the number one in Carolina. He’s a guy that fits just as well in Edmonton as Travis Hamonic.

Tyson Barrie is another option via the trade route, but I’d be weary of making him the top defender here. Jason Demers is likely the best free agent option for a right-shot defender. After those three, it’s pretty slim pickings for top-pairing defenders this summer.

That said, the Oilers could explore the PK Subban route should the Canadiens elect to move him. It’s unlikely, but there has been some smoke here. Brent Seabrook, although far from ideal, must also be considered at this point. The Oilers are sure to be interested in the veteran, even if that might be a mistake at this point in time.

Names like Sami Vatanen and Alex Goligoski are likely to be linked to the Oilers as well, but those are more second pairing guys than anything. Adding one of them would help, but it won’t be enough. Cam Fowler has been linked to Edmonton quite a bit as well, something to watch.

What The Insiders Are Saying:

Have to think that Ducks front and center for Oilers with Hamonic trade request withdrawn.

— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) May 10, 2016

Dennis, who works with The Fourth Period, is very connected with the California teams. In a twitter conversation we had the other night, he listed Jordan Eberle as a target for the Ducks and mentioned Cam Fowler as being part of the package in return to Edmonton. It was also noted that Peter Chiarelli and Craig MacTavish had been following the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s AHL franchise.

Cam Fowler, who we touched on in off-season targets, is a solid top-four defender, but is another left-shot. As much as I’d like Fowler, if Edmonton is trading Eberle they better get a right-shot who can help right now. Fowler simply cannot be the only defender added this summer if Edmonton wants to improve next year.

Final Thoughts:

This news certainly is a hit to the Edmonton Oilers and their off-season plans, no doubt about that. However, Peter Chiarelli is a veteran GM and likely has about 15 other options and plans that he can use. This is not the end of the world, it really isn’t. It’s a tough break, but there are other options and I expect the Oilers to examine those.

Personally, I see Justin Faulk as the top option now available to Edmonton. We should also be keeping a close eye on the Anaheim Ducks, as there has been a ton of smoke regarding one of their defenders coming to Edmonton.

While Travis Hamonic would have been a great get for the Oilers, it simply was not meant to be. What happens next should be very interesting, but there are options.

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