logo
OilersNation has no direct affiliation to the Edmonton Oilers, Oilers Entertainment Group, NHL, or NHLPA
OilersNation Top 25 of 2020: #17 — Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins talked trade involving Oscar Klefbom and Torey Krug
Edmonton Oilers Oscar Klefbom
Photo credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
Dec 9, 2020, 17:54 ESTUpdated: Dec 9, 2020, 17:58 EST
Comments
Welcome to the yearly wrap up of the top read articles over the last year!
This is an interesting article to look back on.
In the middle of August, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman dropped a nugget about a potential Oilers trade talked about years ago.
That article, published on Aug. 14, was the 17th most-read article this year.
The nugget from Friedman surrounded an Oscar Klefbom for Torey Krug deal at some point. While the timeline wasn’t mentioned, Bruins beatwriter Joe Haggerty speculated in 2018 about a trade circulating Klefbom and 10th overall for Krug and the Oilers went on to select Evan Bouchard 10th overall that year.
At the time, too, we didn’t know half of what we do about Klefbom and his long-term health — namely an arthritic shoulder that’s been giving him issues for some time.
Here’s some of what I wrote about the deal at the time:
The cost was high, but to hear that the Oilers may have been targeting Krug in a trade isn’t a huge surprise. Krug was signed as a free agent by Chiarelli in 2012 and has gone on to have a great career in Boston.
He’s a solid two-way defenceman who has boatloads of offensive upside to his game. Krug undoubtedly would’ve changed the makeup of the Oilers backend as a left-shot defenceman. He’s scored 337 points in 523 games over his career and has posted multiple 50+ point seasons.
It’s interesting to think of how the trade would’ve shaken up the Oilers. While the cost was prohibitive, Krug is a defenceman I have lots of time for and his play speaks for itself. He’s also been a powerplay QB for the Bruins, spending lots of time there.
Nonetheless, losing Klefbom and what would’ve been Bouchard was, in my opinion, too high of a price to pay. I think Bouchard has Krug levels of potential and I’m not convinced the acquisition would’ve propelled the Oilers that much further to success.
On Twitter: @zjlaing

News

Oilers Talk

Breaking News