The Edmonton Oilers have bounced back in a big way after starting the season with a 3-9-1 record. The changes they made were exactly what they needed, and they now find themselves riding a 16-game winning streak heading into the All-Star Break. However, the Oilers might want to improve their defensive depth as they head toward the postseason, and insider Elliotte Friedman suggested there’s a defenceman of interest to the team.
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Friedman pointed to Nashville Predators defenceman Alexandre Carrier as a potential target during The Jeff Marek Show, but he was quick to point out the Oilers will be patient and won’t make a trade for the sake of it. Friedman also mentioned the Philadelphia Flyers’ Sean Walker as a trade target, but in this article, we are going to focus on Carrier.
Who Is Alexandre Carrier
Carrier is a 27-year-old right-shot defender from Québec. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators (115th overall) after a solid season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL, recently rebranded as the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) with the Gatineau Olympiques. In his draft year, Carrier scored 12 goals and 55 points through 68 games and was an alternate captain. When he returned the following season, he scored 12 goals and 47 points through 57 games.
Before playing in the QMJHL, Carrier played AAA level hockey with Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois in the 2011-12 season where he scored five goals and added 25 assists for 30 points. He began to build a reputation as a string two-way defender who could become elite if he was able to transfer his game to the professional level after some fine-tuning in the QMJHL.
Carrier joined the Predators the following season but only played five games. In 2020-21, he played 19 games and scored one goal and two assists. The following season, his first full campaign in the NHL, he scored three goals and 27 assists in 77 games. In his short career, Carrier has scored 10 goals and 56 points in 190 games for a 0.29 points-per-game average. During his time in the American Hockey League (AHL), he scored 20 goals and 142 points in 279 games for a 0.51 points-per-game average.
How Would Carrier Help The Oilers?
Should the Oilers want to acquire Carrier, the pros would outweigh the cons. He would provide stability on the right side of the bottom four, as he has recently proven himself to be a solid two-way defender. His offense is a bonus to his defensive game, and he would be an upgrade over Cody Ceci. He also shouldn’t cost a ton to acquire, making him an even-more-attractive asset heading toward the March 8 trade deadline.
Carrier is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $2.5 million cap hit. With the Oilers’ salary cap issues right now, they would have to wait until closer to the deadline when they have accrued more cap space, or the Predators would have to retain some of his salary. If the Oilers wanted to make a deal now without retention, they would have to move out some money to make the trade work.
While Carrier is a strong defender, he is still fairly unproven. It’s unlikely the Predators ask for too much in return for him, but as a team destined for a rebuild or a retool, they will be looking to acquire future players and prospects. From the Oilers’ standpoint, they should try their best to keep their 2024 first-round pick and not move Raphael Lavoie or Beau Akey. While those two could be in play for a stronger asset, they aren’t worth moving for a bottom-four depth defender.
If the Oilers wait until they’ve accrued cap space to take on Carrier without retention or with very little retention, a trade between the two sides likely looks like the Oilers acquiring Carrier in exchange for Xavier Bourgault and the Oilers’ 2024 second-round draft pick. The Predators would be shaping up their future bringing in a prospect like Bourgault as well as a second-round pick in a strong draft class. This seems like a pretty fair deal for both sides and fits the needs of what both teams are trying to accomplish in the foreseeable future.
After the All-Star Break, the Oilers will try to tie the record for consecutive wins in a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 6. They don’t have many holes to fill, but Carrier could be a big help on the back end. The Oilers don’t need this trade, so the price will have to be reasonable for it to work. However, it would be nice to see them bolster the right side of their blue line.
