We’re officially in the midst of the NHL summer lull. With little news to write about and a lot of patience required before training camps and the regular season begin, trade proposal posts are part of the norm this time of year. The Hockey Writers’ scribe Jesse Courville-Lynch, posed one such pitch, when he wrote, “If the Oilers are truly willing to spend big, they might fit a trade partner in the Detroit Red Wings… One player who stands out as a potential trade target for the Oilers is superstar forward Alex DeBrincat.”
Interesting idea. Unfortunately, the trade checks off few, if any, logical boxes for either the Detroit Red Wings or the Edmonton Oilers.
Why This Trade Just Doesn’t Make Sense For Either Team
The full trade pitch included the following: DeBrincat in exchange for Mattias Ekholm, Beau Akey, their 2027 first-round pick, and their 2028 second-round pick.
In his post, Courville-Lynch argues that the Oilers bring in a superstar for their top-six forward group, and with deep defensive depth, they can afford to move on from Ekholm. That’s not entirely true.
First, one could argue the Oilers don’t need a superstar winger. It would be nice to have a sidekick for Leon Draisaitl, but Edmonton is giving a look to much less expensive options in Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie this season. The money is a big factor here, even if the idea is to convince the Red Wings to retain salary, which they are unlikely to do.
Second, the Oilers cannot afford to move Ekholm because they have defensive depth. There’s a difference between depth and a solid group of blueliners. Ekholm is a big part of that core and moving him creates a massive hole with no one to effectively fill it.
Finally, the Red Wings are looking to be competitive this season. Sure, if they struggle and look like they aren’t headed for the playoffs, they might sell a couple of pieces. DeBrincat isn’t one of them. He’s not on an expiring deal, and he wouldn’t be a rental. And, while Ekholm is a nice add, Beau Akey, and two picks don’t help Detroit get better today.
We’re Also Leaving Out Some Obvious Factors in This Trade Proposal
Something else to consider here is that DeBrincat has a 16-team no-trade list. While Ekholm doesn’t hold trade protection, he’s been overwhelmingly positive and quite public about his love for the city of Edmonton and the Oilers. Assuming either player has any desire to leave their respective situation is a long shot, at best.
Beyond that, there is already talk that the Oilers are looking at offering Ekholm a contract extension. There’s no indication at all that the team is thinking about trading him. Sure, there might be some back-and-forth about the best deal to offer at his age, but that doesn’t mean they’re thinking about moving on. It also doesn’t mean he’d have any desire to sign in Detroit, assuming the Oilers oddly traded him there.
Why would the Red Wings give up DeBrincat for Ekholm, knowing he can walk away at the end of the season and sign wherever he wants, including back in Edmonton?
For the Oilers, the idea of trading Ekholm at the deadline is preposterous. Only if they have a line on an upgrade on defense, and it takes moving Ekholm to land that player, would Edmonton contemplate sending him anywhere. Even more than Detroit, the Oilers aren’t just in win-now mode. They’re in Stanley Cup contention mode. GM Stan Bowman isn’t going to be in the business of trading one position for another, especially if it creates new problems he’ll have to manage.
And, the problem created on the Oilers’ blue line wouldn’t just be a today problem. The Oilers have no clear succession plan if Ekholm is gone, but moving Akey in the deal makes a hole on their blue line for the future. It also moves a ton of the Oilers’ draft capital.
