GDB 39.0: Another re-tooling begins, Perron traded.

9 years ago

Are the Oilers in Rebuild III? Many believe they are after trading David Perron to Pittsburgh for a 1st round pick this summer and journeyman winger Rob Klinkhammer.

I don’t think they plan on rebuilding, but on the surface this trade doesn’t make much sense. It clearly makes the Oilers worse today and for the next few years. A late first round pick this summer will not help this team for at least three years.

Unless they are planning on making a major move and needed to clear cap space, this trade is another backwards step if the end goal is to make the playoffs.

I’ve read much speculation that this move was made because Perron wanted out. I know he was sick of losing like any player, but I hadn’t heard he was a negative influence in the room. I don’t have any concrete proof he was a distraction, but as I mentioned after the LA game, I thought it was odd he didn’t even celebrate when he scored the SO winner.

I watch other teams celebrate goals, and I found it odd that Perron was so subdued. I don’t like reading too much into one solitary action, but Perron had shown he wasn’t happy, but, again, very few players are when they are losing this much. I believe he likely wanted out, but I hadn’t seen him being a negative distraction. Whether you like it or not, you won’t win with players who don’t want to be here, but the issue for the Oilers is that if they keep losing then most players will quietly want to leave.

“After a few years you just want to win. It’s nice to get that opportunity in Pittsburgh,” Perron told the media in Colorado this morning. A few years, what do you think Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle feel like. It has been five and half years of losing for them.

The debate will be was it best to move him now, or wait until the trade deadline to see if you could get more in return? Moving him now increases the Oilers chances of staying in 30th place. If you look at recent trade deadline deals, I’m not sure we can say with certainty the Oilers would have gotten a better return closer to the deadline.

Last year, the only 1st round pick traded was when the Rangers dealt their 1st in 2015 and Ryan Callahan to Tampa Bay for Marty St.Louis. Perron is not as good as St.Louis.

In 2013, the Calgary Flames received 1st rounders in two separate deals:
Jay Bouwmeester was sent to Blues for their 1st (Emile Poirier), Reto Berra, Mark Cunderi and a 4th rounder.
Jarome Iginla was moved to Pittsburgh for a 1st (Morgan Klimchuk) and the rights to Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski.

Both Iginla and Bouwmeester were better at the time than Perron is now.

Getting a 1st rounder for Perron is good value, if you felt it was best to deal before he became a negative influence inside the dressing room. We will never know the exact reason why MacTavish made the move, but it is clear that it makes the Oilers worse today. Only time will tell if that pick can be used to improve them in the summer.

Speaking of trading that pick at the draft. Here are some recent examples of deals involving #22-30 picks on draft day, or leading up to it. (I’m assuming the Penguins pick will fall in that range.)

2014: Ducks trade their 24th overall pick, (Jared McCann) Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa and a 4th round pick to Vancouver for Ryan Kesler.
2012: Detroit traded the 19th pick and Sebastien Piche to Tampa Bay for Kyle Quincey. Tampa Bay drafted goalie Andrei Vasilevski with the pick.
2011: Washington traded the 26th pick to Chicago for Troy Brouwer.
2011: San Jose traded the 28th pick,Devin Setoguchi and Charlie Coyle to Minnesota for Brent Burns and a 2nd rounder.

There are other examples prior to 2011 as well, so the Oilers could turn that pick into a proven NHL player at the draft.

Today, they lose the trade, but at the draft we will see if the Oilers can leverage that pick to acquire a proven NHL player. Keep in mind, any player with a NMC is unlikely to waive it to come to Edmonton. Kesler would never agree to come here, so that will limit their trade options.

LINEUP

Leon Draisaitl is coming off his first multi-point game of his career, but he won’t dress tonight. The Oilers continually show they have no plan. I assume he is scratched because they don’t want to risk him being injured and not being able to send him to the WHL.

Why did they wait this long? Even when they finally make the correct decision, sending him back to the WHL, they do it in a fashion that makes them look amateur.

Nikitin draws back in because Keith Aulie got suspended two games for his hit on Matt Stajan. I don’t agree with that suspension at all. I understand why the officials, in real time, gave him a five minute major, because it didn’t look great, however, it makes no sense why after watching it in slow motion that he received a suspension.

The Oilers want to give Scrivens every opportunity to show he can be a consistent starter.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…

From Mile High Hockey:

When it comes to trying to spark some offense, the Avs have the right team coming to Denver. The Oilers are dead last in the NHL in goals against. As much as the Avs are looking for a better new year, the Oilers are hoping for one even more. Gas prices are down, that means oil is cheap, and Oilers may be super cheap at the trade deadline because the Oilers are at an all-time low. With this team having drafted in the top five for so many drafts now, it’s hard to say what they should do. This team should be better, so they fired their coach, and now they’ve only won one game in the last ten. This isn’t just a must win for the Avs, it’s a win to save face game.
With all that being said, the Avs can’t look past the Oilers. They still have a talented roster and they’ve bitten the Avs in the ass before.

TONIGHT…

GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Avs are 10-7-3 in their last 20 games and they’ve gone to OT/SO in eight of them. Avs win in OT, 4-3.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The word rebuild will be used more today amongst Oilers fans than any other word. Often it won’t be used in a positive light.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Jeanshorts won’t have time to watch the game. He is too busy making goodbye videos for Perron, Draisaitl, Petry. To be safe he makes one for every player on the team, just so he can upload them when the trades occur over the next two months.

Recently by Jason Gregor:

GDB 39.0: Another re-tooling begins, Perron traded.

LINEUP

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…

TONIGHT…

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