TEN FOR THE OILERS

1. RD Josh Manson, Anaheim Ducks. Along with partner Hampus Lindholm represents one of the finest pairings in the NHL. May be available because of expansion, but unlikely to be heading to Edmonton. Still, if Anaheim offloads him to the eastern seaboard, it behooves Peter Chiarelli to check out possibilities. A perfect fit.
2. RD Radko Gudas, Philadelphia Flyers. He’s a fantastic defenseman and plays with the kind of edge even Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf might find difficult to ignore. A stretch to suggest he is available, Scott Cullen lists scoring winger, two defensemen and a goalie among team needs. Perhaps there’s a multi-player deal available.
3. RD Travis Hamonic, NY Islanders. He was brilliant in 2015-16 but posted a poor year while also being injured for 33 games. His value should be lower than a year ago and Garth Snow is apparently searching for a scoring winger. There is a fit here, with risk on both sides. I think it’s a worthwhile bet. We sometimes focus solely on the most recent season without taking advantage of the longer view.
4. RD Alex Petrovic, Florida Panthers. He’s a rugged player and would fit nicely on a pairing with (say) Andrej Sekera. Fits the Todd McLellan model in that he can play defense while also having enough foot speed to close gaps and quickly correct mistakes.
5. RD Mark Pysyk, Florida Panthers. Florida is the one spot in the NHL with too many righty blue, so that should be the spot Edmonton is shopping this summer. He is young, is building a solid resume and is capable of filling the second or third pairing on right side (depending on Benning’s development).
6. RD Justin Faulk, Carolina Hurricanes. The only impact offensive defenseman on the list, he’s also a capable defender and a workhorse for Carolina. This would have to be a massive deal and may depend on Carolina placing high value on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, which seems a reasonable notion. An interesting idea.
7. RD David Savard, Columbus Blue Jackets. Elliotte Friedman mentioned Ryan Murray in his 30 Thoughts, so Savard may not be available. He makes all kinds of sense for Edmonton, as Savard can play the McLellan style while helping some offensively. CBJ need scoring.
8. RD Jason Demers, Florida Panthers. Had an unusual season in Florida but he’s bona fide. Almost signed in Edmonton (he did visit) last summer and the Oilers still have a need even after all of the activity of one year ago. Florida could use some scoring on RW.
9. LD Kris Russell, Free Agent. I remain convinced this is the most likely option, suspect a multi-year deal to be announced shortly after the expansion draft. Peter Chiarelli’s job is to provide his coach with players he can trust, and McLellan clearly has it with Russell.
10. RD Mark Fayne, Edmonton Oilers. Matt Benning’s possession numbers are strong enough to project him onto the second pairing and Fayne should be able to fill in on third pair. He does have speed and coverage issues, but the team may have to survive with Fayne inside the top 6D until Sekera returns. I don’t think Peter Chiarelli will enter training camp with Fayne as the only option, but he’s a safety net on RH side this fall.