5 Offseason Things – Part Three: Getting a Top Six Winger
2 years ago
We are all fully expecting the Oilers to be very active this offseason. They have some holes that need to be filled, pending free agents that need to be re-signed, and bad contracts that need to be dealt with. There’s a lot to get done and there’s been a lot of debate around Oilersnation about what Oilers GM Ken Holland should and shouldn’t do.
That’s why I’ve decided to take my offseason wish list for the Edmonton Oilers and break it into five steps. You’ll see each idea get its own article on the site over the next few weeks as we continue debating and speculating about what Holland could do to this roster over the next few months. If you want to catch up on the earlier parts of this series, here is part one & part two!
3 – Acquire An Impact Winger
This is the part of this series I was the most excited about writing. In parts one and two, I talked about how Ken Holland needs to create a little bit more cap space and bring back both Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson. Those aren’t sexy moves, but they’re important. Ken Holland can really put his stamp on this roster by going out this offseason and acquiring an impact top-six winger. Whether it’s via trade or free agency, he needs to beef up this team’s top six.
I already talked about how Holland would be wise to bring back Nugent-Hopkins but even if he does that, he will still need to go get another top-six winger. Who are some players that could be had this summer? Let’s start with the free agents. I’m only going to be talking about players that I think could be good fits in the Oilers’ top six.
@Zach Hyman: He just turned 29-years-old and is coming off the most productive season of his career. His 0.77 points per game would have ranked third among Oilers forwards. He’s a right-shooting left-winger and would add both speed and size to the Oilers’ top six. I would imagine that Ken Holland will be very interested in his services but the rumours about Hyman potentially getting close to $6 million a season on a long-term deal has me worried.
@Brandon Saad: I would love to see the Oilers sign Saad. He has a history of producing with skilled players and has been really consistent in his production. He’s scored at a 20-goal pace in almost every single season in which he’s been a regular NHL player. Colorado is facing a cap crunch and Saad likely won’t be back. Again, I’d be worried about the Oilers overpaying him, but he’s another really good option.
@Blake Coleman: He’s coming off a season in which he scored 14 goals in 55 games. That’s right around a 21 goal pace in a normal season. That would have been his third straight 20-goal campaign. Now, you might think that he only produced because he played on a loaded Tampa Bay team, but that’s not true. He scored 13 of his 14 goals at even strength with Barclay Goodrow and Yanni Gourde as his most common linemates. The Oilers need more players who can generate offence at even strength and Coleman can do that. He can also kill penalties.
@Jaden Schwartz: Like the other names on this list, Schwartz is in his late twenties and has a history of scoring 20 goals a year. He hasn’t been quite as consistent as a guy like Brandon Saad, but he also likely won’t cost as much. Schwartz wouldn’t be my first choice, but he’s worth putting on the list and considering if you’re the Oilers.
@Tomas Tatar: A truly interesting conversation to have. Tatar scored 30 points in 50 games this season, scored 20 goals in seven straight seasons before this year, and has solid defensive metrics. He’s been very productive but he’s also currently being healthy scratched by the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs and he was also sat by the Vegas Golden Knights for important games during his stint with them. I think he’d be a fine addition, but I would only do it if it was a short-term deal.
There is also the option for the Oilers to go the trade route. Now, there are pros and cons to doing this. On one hand, you can likely land a player with a higher ceiling and a lower cap hit. The downside is that to get a player like that, you’ll need to likely give up some serious future assets. If Holland decides to sacrifice some picks and prospects, here are some names I would like to see him target.
@Sam Reinhart: It is not often that a player who finished 12th in the league in goals becomes available, but that’s the case here. Reinhart, who is a pending RFA, will cost a lot to acquire (likely two very good assets) and will cost a lot to sign (I’d guess between $6.5-7 million a year) but there’s no denying that he’d be a perfect fit in Edmonton. He’s only 25-years-old but already has six full NHL seasons under his belt and has scored at least 22 goals in five of them. They should call, but I’d be a little surprised if they end up being the highest bidder.
@Rickard Rakell: I love this option. He scores at least 20 goals a season, is signed for just $3.75m next season and can play both wings (he shoots right though). He is a damn near perfect fit for the Oilers but like Reinhart, he will cost a lot to acquire. The fact he is a UFA at the end of the season concerns me, but I still think the Oilers should be going hard after Rakell this summer.
@Jake DeBrusk: He isn’t as good as the other two players on this list right now but he’s also the youngest, so there is upside here. He’s averaged 22.5 goals per 82 games so far during his career and again, there’s reason to believe he will only get better and more productive if he’s given a good opportunity in Edmonton. Another key here: he would cost less to acquire than Rakell and Reinhart. It’s a decent option for sure.
Those are the three big names that we know will likely be on the trade market this summer. There will surely be more and considering their expansion draft situation and the cap space they have. Ken Holland can really pursue any trade target he wants to this offseason and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if we see a big trade before the draft at the end of July.
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