Friedman/Garrioch: Oilers could be looking to move Hendricks, Pouliot
By Zach Laing
7 years agoDuring last night’s Sportsnet headlines, Elliotte Friedman made note that the Edmonton Oilers could be looking to move on from Matt Hendricks. In an article posted yesterday evening for the Ottawa Sun, Bruce Garrioch made mention the Oilers could be looking to move Pouliot. What gives?
Matt Hendricks, healthy scratch again tonight. I think Edmonton is looking to move him. I wonder if Minnesota, where Hendricks is from could be a potential fit. – Friedman
Now in his third year with the Edmonton Oilers, Matt Hendricks has been an large figure for the team. He was originally acquired from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Devan Dubnyk on Jan. 15, 2014 and in the 177 games he has played in for the Edmonton Oilers, he has scored only 32 points.
A fourth liner, Hendricks has been a great leader for the young Oilers and has been a very well liked player. He is the true example of what you want from a veteran leader, despite the fact that he has never really been a point producer.
However, his analytics have shown a very different side. In nearly every major analytic category at 5v5 or in all situations, Matt Hendricks ranks either at the bottom, or second worst. Even just in watching him, it is apparent that he is starting to slow down as a player.
At 35 years old, Hendricks is on his last legs in the NHL. Not many players are able to play into their mid-thirties, and with one year at $1.8m left on his deal he is certainly nearing the end of his NHL career.
The Oilers have held talks with a few teams about winger Benoit Pouliot, who has two years left at $4 million per season. Edmonton isn’t actively shopping Pouliot but it’s believed GM Peter Chiarelli is trying to see if there’s any interest. – Garrioch
Pouliot has been a bit of an enigmatic figure during his time in Edmonton. The Oilers signed him to a five-year, $4m deal on July 1, 2014. Since then, he has come to Edmonton and been a possesion driver as well as a solid secondary scoring option scoring 75 points in 136 games.
However, he has also been a streaky player for the Oilers and doesn’t seem to be in favour of the new management team and coaching staff. This season, he has had some mighty struggles that found him spending time in the press box watching from above.
What do you think the Oilers should do?
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