Rumour Roundup: Insider suggests Battle of Alberta trade, former top prospect requests trade from Kings, and more
6 months ago
We’ve got ourselves a fresh batch of rumours worth talking about, including notes on a pair of struggling former top draft picks along with a suggestion for a trade between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
The latest on Philip Broberg:
Once again, the Oilers’ best defensive prospect is in trade rumours.
According to The Sports Network’s Darren Dreger, Broberg could do with a change of scenery. He’s been playing well with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, scoring a goal and 15 points in 22 games this season. Yet, he’s been unable to find his footing in the National Hockey League, scoring two goals and 11 points in 79 games. Quite disappointing for an eighth-overall pick.
Furthermore, Chris Johnston and Harman Dayal released an article for The Athletic about under-the-radar trade candidates. Of course, Broberg is on the list. Defencemen take time to develop, but in a cup or bust year, the Oilers may be better off trading Broberg for immediate help.
There is a pathway for Broberg to get an opportunity for the Oilers, and that’s if the team tries to trade Brett Kulak, who has a cap hit of $2.75 million for two more seasons after this one. Perhaps Kulak could be included in a move with the Calgary Flames?
Elias Lindholm as a possible fit:
On Tuesday’s edition of Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer suggested the idea of the Oilers going all-in for Flames star Elias Lindholm. He proposed a trade that would see the Oilers send their 2024 first-round pick, prospect Xavier Bourgault, and Brett Kulak for Lindholm at 50% retention, so $2.4 million against the cap.
While I’m not opposed to trading any of those players or picks, Lindholm isn’t really a guy I’m interested in. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a strong two-way centre who is two years removed from a season with 42 goals and 82 points. But that said, the Oilers have a lot of depth down the middle, and adding a centre might not be the best use of resources.
On top of that, Lindholm has been struggling this season, scoring just eight goals and 31 points in 47 games. Stauffer has suggested other, more interesting scenarios, such as a trade with Ottawa for a second-line right winger. He didn’t say his name, but he’s clearly speaking about Vladimir Tarasenko, who has 12 goals and 31 points in 41 games with the Ottawa Senators.
If the Oilers go for anyone on the Flames, you’d have to hope that it’s Chris Tanev, who’d be a significant upgrade over Cody Ceci. The pairing of Darnell Nurse and Tanev would be *chef’s kiss*.
Arthur Kaliyev wants out of Los Angeles:
In some non-Oiler news, the Los Angeles Kings are on fire right now. Former Oiler head coach Todd McLellan is on the hot seat of fans, but his job is secured for the rest of the season, said general manager Rob Blake.
In recent times, he’s called out the Kings’ big acquisition of the off-season, Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has just 10 goals and 20 points in 45 games. Don’t forget, they gave up a Kings’ ransom for the 25-year-old, giving the Winnipeg Jets Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, and a second-round pick this upcoming season.
If you’re curious, Vilardi has the same amount of points as Dubois, along with 11 goals. Iafallo has seven goals and 17 points as well. Kupari has just an assist in 20 games as their extra forward.
To make matters worse for the Kings, they’ve healthy-scratched Arthur Kaliyev multiple times and may be looking to trade him, according to that same TSN Insider Trading article. The 22-year-old winger has six goals and 14 points this season but has scored 14 goals and 13 goals over the past two seasons.
The scoring potential is there, but the Kings may not be the right fit for the Uzbekistanian.
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