Weekly Rumours – When Could the Oilers Make A Move?
3 years ago
This year’s trade deadline isn’t until April 12th this season but there is a general sense that we will see more trades made before the deadline than in years past. That will be especially true for the Edmonton Oilers and the rest of the Canadian teams.
With the quarantine rules currently in place, if the Oilers were to acquire a player on the April 12th deadline, by the time they finished the two-week quarantine, they would only get to play a maximum of six games before the regular season ended. I’m not sure if I would be too crazy about bringing in a key player and giving them that short of a time to get acclimated to the team’s systems before the postseason.
If the Oilers wanted to give a new player ten games in the lineup before the playoffs, they would need to have them start their quarantine by April 2nd. I think that might be a pretty important date to keep in mind. If Ken Holland is going to make a move, I could see him doing it sooner rather than later.
If the Oilers were to wait right up until the deadline, one name to keep an eye on is Brandon Sutter. The centreman has pretty good numbers this season with the Vancouver Canucks and he checks a lot of boxes for the Oilers. His ability to kill penalties and the fact that he shoots right would make him a good fit. He’s also a UFA at the end of the season, so it’s not like the Oilers would be committing to him long-term.
There really haven’t been a lot of substantial rumours surrounding the Oilers though. There has been lots of talk about whether or not they should be interested in players. Rickard Rakell, Victor Arvidsson, and pretty much any goaltender who could be even slightly available. Still, nothing too serious to talk about when it comes to the Oilers and potential trade targets. So with that, here’s a look at some other rumours from around the league.
LEAFS LOOKING TO ADD A WINGER
Darren Dreger said on Insider Trading earlier this week that as long as the Leafs keep winning, Kyle Dubas will keep looking for ways to improve the team. Right now, the focus seems to be on adding a top-six winger to Toronto’s already strong forward group. Jamie McLennan added that he thinks a winger that shoots left would fit best. Makes sense considering they have Nylander and Marner on the right side.
Mikael Granlund keeps getting connected to the Leafs and that would make sense. The Predators are clearly in sell mode and the Leafs were interested in Granlund when he was a free agent.
As we approach the deadline, it’s worth noting that the Leafs own their first and second rounds for the next three drafts along with some nice prospects.They could aim higher than Granlund if they wanted to. Making the money work of course, is a bit of a problem for them.
WHO’S AVAILABLE IN BUFFALO?
The short answer to this question is: pretty much everybody. Yes, even superstar centre Jack Eichel. An in-season deal of the 2015 second overall pick is unlikely though. A few insiders how come out and said that considering the magnitude of this deal and Eichel’s high cap-hit, a trade is more likely in the offseason.
Taylor Hall is a big name that will likely be moved before the trade deadline. Even if Buffalo wants to re-sign him, it makes more sense to cash in on his value at the deadline and try to get a deal done in the offseason. Even though he’s struggled, he’ll likely fetch them a first-round pick.
Brandon Montour and Eric Staal will also likely be moved before April 12th.
QUICK NOTES
- Alex Goligoski, a pending UFA who makes $5.47 million, is on the market according to Frank Seravalli.
- It sounds like Tony DeAngelo is going to be loaned to another organization’s AHL affiliate, also according to Frank Seravalli.
- Pierre LeBrun says that pending UFA Dougie Hamilton wants to stay in Carolina but after an initial conversation between his agent and the Hurricanes about a month ago, things have gone silent.
- Pending UFA David Savard was on Frank Seravalli’s Trade Bait Board. He’s a damn good defender. Columbus will likely get something good for him. Considering he’s a right-shot, I don’t see him as a fit in Edmonton though.
- Elliotte Friedman said that the Kings will try to get a deal done with soon-to-be UFA Alex Iaffalo. So don’t expect him to be dealt before the deadline.
- I know I can’t be the only one who really doesn’t understand this whole ‘NBA Top-Shot’ thing, right? One second I think I get it, then I’m just more confused.
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