Trade Deadline Preview: Defencemen who could be of interest to the Edmonton Oilers

The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline is only a few weeks away and rumour and speculation season is in full swing.

The Oilers are undoubtedly in the “buyer” category this season as they sit in a tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the top spot in the Canadian Division and look to be gearing up for a playoff run come spring. The team has three clear areas on the roster that could use an upgrade: the third-line centre position, a complimentary winger for the top-six, and a veteran left-handed defenceman.

There’s no doubt that Ken Holland is in a challenging situation as the team doesn’t have its second- or third-round draft picks this season and they’re pressed right up against the salary cap ceiling. Still, it’s worthwhile to take a look and see what’s out there and how the Oilers can improve before the playoffs.

Yesterday, I profiled some names on the trade market who could fill those two forward spots, and I’ll take a look at defenders today.

Stuck in sixth place in a difficult division, it seems inevitable that the Nashville Predators will sell off some assets ahead of the trade deadline. At the top of that list is Mattias Ekholm, a legitimate top-pairing defenceman who is signed for one more season at a very reasonable $3,750,000 cap hit. Just about everybody out there would be happy to add Ekholm, an excellent two-way defender, to their top-four, but the price is going to be steep given the number of teams bidding.

A couple of weeks ago Jason Gregor mentioned on the DFO Rundown that he viewed Jamie Oleksiak as the ideal trade deadline acquisition for the Oilers. He’s a big, tough, left-handed defenceman who could slide in on the team’s shutdown pair next to Adam Larsson. While Oleksiak doesn’t bring much offence, he’s a rock in his own zone. He was great for Dallas last year on their run to the Stanley Cup Final, putting up a plus-11 rating through 27 games while logging 21:38 per night. He would also cost significantly less to acquire than Ekholm and his cap hit is manageable.

Though Edmonton’s need is for a veteran on the left side, right-handed shutdown stalwart David Savard’s name is one worth mentioning. Savard is an impending free-agent and, if the Blue Jackets opt to sell, he’s a name that’s likely to be on the way out as he could be a big help to a team in the playoffs. Savard was a rock in the playoffs for Columbus in their upset over Tampa a couple of years ago and their win over Toronto last summer. Again, though, Edmonton’s need isn’t on the right side.

It looks like Alex Edler’s time in the league is coming to an end. He was an excellent under-the-radar defender for the Canucks for years, playing on the team’s top pairing during their Stanley Cup Final run and for much of the decade after that. Edler doesn’t have the same offence as he used to as he’s taken on more of a defensive role on the Canucks this year. He would be a nice veteran add for the Oilers to play alongside Larsson but the large cap hit and no-movement clause are obstacles.

Sticking with the Canucks, the more manageable veteran lefty for the Oilers to look at would be Jordie Benn, who carries a manageable $2,000,000 cap hit. Benn has been used in third-pairing duty during his two years in Vancouver but he’s been a solid second-pairing guy while playing with Dallas and Montreal in the past.

There isn’t a defender on this list with more playoff pedigree than Niklas Hjalmarsson, who was a key member of all three of the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup teams in the early-2010s. Back with Chicago, Hjalmarsson was the team’s rock, serving as their shutdown guy mostly alongside Duncan Keith. He’s no longer a top-pairing defenceman but Hjalmarsson could still be a worthwhile veteran addition for a team going into the playoffs. The challenge here is his no-move clause and his large cap hit.

Sticking with Arizona, another soon-to-be free-agent veteran is the minute-munching Alex Goligoski. Though his offence has dried up this season, Goligoski has still played well defensively while logging a ton of ice-time. He plays 22:27 per night, mostly in defensive situations, and breaks even in terms of shot and goal differential. Like with Hjalmarsson, the obstacle here is his cap hit.

Finally, there’s Marc Staal, who the Red Wings acquired from New York this off-season to serve as a veteran on their rebuilding club. Staal was once a very good shutdown defender for the Rangers who could log major minutes against the opponent’s best, but he’s best used now as a depth defender. Detroit took on a second-round pick to take on Staal’s cap hit so the cost to acquire him ahead of the deadline wouldn’t be much.