On Wednesday night, the Edmonton Oilers began their trade deadline season. The club first recalled heavy forward Jujhar Khaira, who will join the team in Los Angeles in time for tonight’s game against the Kings. On top of that, the Oilers traded the rights to D Philip Larsen to Vancouver for a 2017 5th round pick.
Nothing earth-shattering from the Oil, but it’s a start.
Khaira Returns:
Earlier this season, Jujhar Khaira made his NHL debut and had a successful first stint with the Oilers. He registered just 0-2-2 in 12 games, but he provided some solid play for the Oilers. He was physical, not afraid to use his body, and knew where to be. He had some rookie moments, but overall he was a strong player for Edmonton in the bottom six.
We know Khaira will bring maximum effort to the table and we know he’ll be tough to play against. The Oilers simply do not have enough of that right now, and this recall should be a message for the underachieving players on this roster currently.
Khaira will provide Edmonton with physical play and while he’s young and will likely have a few tough shifts, he’s likely to provide the same strong play that he gave Todd McLellan the first time around. It’s also worth mentioning that his offensive numbers in the AHL spiked when returned from his first trip north. In 32 AHL contests, he’s registered 8-14-22, a solid pace.
Based on practice yesterday, it seems like one of Lauri Korpikoski, Iiro Pakarinen or Teddy Purcell will come out of the lineup. On merit, it should be Korpikoski.
The other aspect of this move is that the Oilers are setting up for a trade, recalling the guy who will slide into the lineup once one of the current forwards gets moved. Food for thought.
Larsen To Vancouver:
Remember Philip Larsen? The defender was acquired from the Dallas Stars for Shawn Horcoff during the 2013 off-season and played in Edmonton during the 2013-14 season. After that one year, Larsen bolted to the KHL. He’s been there ever since.
This season, Larsen has registered 12-26-38 in 54 games, pretty solid production for a defender. He’s nothing special as a player, but he can move the puck and he can play on a power play unit in the right situation. It’s also worth mentioning that he is a right shot defender, which would have been of value to the Oilers.
I thought the Oilers would consider bringing him back, and apparently they did.
According to Larsen’s agent the Oilers wanted him to come back but he wasn’t comfortable returning to the organization.
— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) February 25, 2016
This could mean two things: Larsen didn’t think he would make the Oilers next season and didn’t want to go back to the AHL, OR Larsen saw how much of a mess this team was last time around and he wants no part of that again. I hope it’s the first point, but suspect it is the second point.
Regardless, this is a whatever move. Larsen isn’t a great NHL’er, he’s a marginal player who might be a nice depth defender for a team that is set in the top four. His offensive instincts are nice and he can produce on the power play, but he certainly struggles in his own end and can’t handle large minutes.
The Oilers get a pick for a marginal player who may end up doing nothing in Vancouver, can’t really complain there.
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