It’s been well known since the Nicholson/Chiarelli press conference that Peter Chiarelli is not scared to make deals that will make the team better. He’s also not scared to trade younger star players.
Taylor Hall already came out saying he was concerned that he may be dealt before he gets a chance to receive a pass from Connor McDavid on the “left shot, black tape, left side.”
Chiarelli had an interesting quote when he mentioned he wasn’t scared of trading a young player to make his team better, regardless of how well that player does once he leaves the organization. Every deal is a calculated risk, and as long as you believe you’re making your team better, then you make the deal.
Considering things have changed drastically since Chiarelli was hired, which young Oiler is most likely to be dealt?
THE “CORE” UNDER MACT
Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, Justin Schultz, and Oscar Klefbom have become the wonder kids for the organization, and MacTavish was adamant in keeping all those players for the foreseeable future.
Taylor Hall: As mentioned above, Taylor Hall publicly pleaded that he did not want to be traded. While Hall has fallen out of favour with some Oiler fans, there is no denying that he is one of the elite left wingers in the NHL. In fact, omitting last season’s injury plagued season, Hall as arguably the best LW in the entire NHL. Some attitude issues have been mentioned, but I don’t believe it’s to the degree of the guy picked after him in the 2010 Draft. Hall’s performance at the World Championship will go a long way, and I expect Chiarelli wants to see what he can do playing with McDavid.
Jordan Eberle: Early 0n in the season, it seemed as if Eberle was the most likely to be dealt, with rumours seeing him going to Philadelphia or Boston. The Bruins actually seemed to have the most interest in Ebs, and that likely means Chiarelli holds him in a high standard. His chemistry with Nuge and their tremendous play toward the end of the year keeps Eberle as part of the core going into next season.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: Nuge became a fan favourite, and has been touted as the next captain of this team despite his boyish looks. The Nuge plays more hockey than almost every centre in the NHL and at the ripe age of 21 he plays the NHL’s best night in and night out. He’s on track to become that Pavel Datsyuk clone many believed he would be when the Oilers selected him 1st overall in the 2011 draft. With NHL teams likely playing their best against Connor McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins will see lesser competition and it’s almost a guarantee he will flourish. Nuge and McDavid give the Oilers a 1-2 punch that mirrors the Penguins Malkin/Crosby and the 80’s Oilers Messier/Gretzky.
Nail Yakupov: If it wasn’t for Todd Nelson and Derek Roy, we would have seen Yakupov eventually dealt for next to nothing. Yakupov has progressed in different ways and at a slower pace than many believed he would be. Yakupov will play with one of Nugent-Hopkins or Connor McDavid when he hits his stride and is back on track to become a 40-goal scorer. His potential and second-half see his value at the highest it’s been since his rookie year, so he could be used as bait to bring in the d-man or goaltender the club desires. However, Yakupov’s bridge contract makes him a cheap scoring option at $2.5 million.
Oscar Klefbom: The closest thing to an NHL top pairing two-way d-man the Oilers have. Klefbom progressed miles and miles ahead of where I personally expected him to be. If the Oilers bring in a few better options on the blueline, then Klefbom will only be better. This year, I fully expect Klefbom to solidify himself as an NHL top-four d-man. MacT was interested in extending Klefbom to a low-dollar, long term deal and I believe once Chiarelli sees what he has in Klefbom he’ll be interested in doing the same.
WHO DOES THAT LEAVE??
Justin Schultz: Before Schultz, Oiler fans consistently whipped Tom Poti, Cory Cross, Tom Gilbert and Jeff Petry. Now the term “Jultz” is used when the sought after free agent makes a brain-dead judgement call usually resulting in a goal against. His offence was supposed to be enough to make up for his mishaps, but it’s becoming more and more clear that MacTavish’s future Norris Trophy winner will be lucky to get a sympathy vote for that trophy. With his restricted free agency, stunted development, defensive incapabilities and a change in GM, Schultz is the odd-man out.
The blueline that Chiarelli compiled to win the Stanley Cup in 2011 consisted of Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Adam McQuiad, and Tomas Kaberle.
While Kaberle is not necessarily known for his defensive skills, he can hold his own decently in the defensive zone.
Looking at Chiarelli’s blueprint of what he wants in a defensive core, he has a bonafide number one guy, one offensive specialty d-man, and four capable big two-way defenders.
That bodes well for the likes of Martin Marincin and Oscar Klefbom, but Schultz’s defensive liabilities likely make him expendable.
IS ANYBODY INTERESTED IN ACQUIRING JUSTIN SCHULTZ?
Yes.
Despite his short falls, Justin Schultz is a capable NHL defenseman, if used in the role properly.
NHL team’s that are lacking a scoring defender and power play specialist are likely to make a move for Schultz.
Toronto Maple Leafs: The Maple Leafs are about to embark on a rebuild that the Oilers miraculously are finally getting out of, so what the group may do next is anybody’s guess. If the new GM is a fan of Jake Gardiner, then adding his partner in crime in Justin Schultz may be of interest. Could Schultz and a few draft picks net the Oilers Jonathan Bernier???
New Jersey Devils: The Devils are a team that is looking for a new identity. They have an improving young defense group that includes the likes of Damon Severson, Adam Larsson, Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas. Veteran defender Andy Greene, who just signed a new contract, may be moved if the group decides to rebuild. The Oilers would likely be interested in Greene’s service to re-team up with Mark Fayne and Justin Schultz would fit into the blueline’s young group.
Vancouver Canucks: Yeah, I know you don’t usually make deals with the rivals, but Justin Schultz may welcome a trade to his hometown team. The Kelowna-native plays a style that other than Alex Edler, the group doesn’t have a lot of. The Oilers could be interested in Eddie Lack or an ageing d-man like Kevin Bieksa (please no) or Dan Hamhuis (much better).
Boston Bruins: The Oilers new GM Pete Chiarelli left the team in salary cap hell, and if the Bruins next hire wants to shed cap space, the Oilers could be interested in the likes of Milan Lucic, Dennis Seidenberg, you name it. Justin Schultz will likely not make any more than the $3.6 million he made this season, so there could be something there.
CONCLUSIONS
There’s every chance that Pete Chiarelli will make a much bigger splash, but considering who is in the core and what the group can do altogether, Justin Schultz seems like he could be shown the door.
Chiarelli isn’t going to sit on his hands, and he knows he needs to acquire a goalie and a couple capable NHL defensemen if the club is going to improve.
So, without further ado, shall we strike “jultzing” from the Edmonton Oiler fan dictionary???
Motioned forwarded.
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