The Edmonton Oilers have been playing solid hockey this season and seem poised to make another deep playoff run with their current team. With solid goaltending, strong forward depth, and good defensive depth, fans are excited for the team’s chances at winning their first Stanley Cup since 1990. However, some fans still argue that the Oilers may need to improve their defensive depth if they truly want to make a run and consider themselves contenders this season. According to a recent report on TSN’s Insider Trading, the Oilers have been calling around the league gauging the defensive trade market and seeing what is available, adding fuel to the fire and proving new general manager Stan Bowman is open to spending assets to help his franchise win a championship.
Related: Insider Claims Oilers Interested in Extending Ty Emberson
The Oilers have been connected to several big-name defenders in the past including David Savard, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Marcus Pettersson, but nothing has come to fruition just yet. After trading Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks and losing both Philip Broberg and Vincent Desharnais in the offseason, the Oilers hoped they could contend with a seemingly weakened defensive core, but they have been pleasantly surprised. Ty Emberson, who came back in return for Ceci, as well as Troy Stecher have been playing sound hockey and have helped lead the team to a playoff spot.
Pierre Lebrun mentioned that the Oilers had “cast a wide net” around the league to see what was available, and that Bowman has been more active on the phones recently. He did name-drop Savard as a potential fit but said their flexibility in games could allow them to acquire something other than a right-shot defender if they believe it’s the right fit. He mentions a left-shot puck-moving defender specifically, insinuating that the Oilers are comfortable bringing in someone who allows them to remain flexible, and it doesn’t just have to be a shutdown defender.
What Options Could Be Available?
When considering the options available on the market, let’s take a look at the obvious. Savard was mentioned in the same segment as someone the Oilers could look into acquiring, as he is a right-shot defender. He is 34 years old and currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens, notching one goal and adding nine assists for 10 points through 35 games this season. Throughout his career, he has scored 54 goals and added 183 assists for 237 points through 830 games which comes out to a 0.28 points-per-game average.
Another option that could be interesting for the Oilers to pursue is New York Rangers’ K’Andre Miller. With the Rangers openly willing to make moves, as we’ve seen with the Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko trades this season, the Oilers should consider Miller as a depth pickup. He is a left-shot and is a pending restricted free agent with a $3,872,000 cap hit. This season, he has scored two goals and added five assists for seven points through 35 games. Throughout his career, he has scored 31 goals and added 81 assists for 112 points through 329 games which comes out to a 0.34 points-per-game average.
Ristolainen could be another option but his defensive inconsistency is an issue. Trouba could be an option if the team wanted to focus on physicality but again, his defensive inconsistency is a major issue. There is a chance they swing for the fences and try to bring in an elite-level defender like Owen Power and attempt to pry him away from the struggling Buffalo Sabres, but that’s probably unrealistic based on the potential asking price in a trade return, considering the Oilers likely don’t have the picks or prospects to take a swing like that.
At the end of the day, it seems like the Oilers are going to make a move for a new defender. As mentioned in the Insider Trading segment, the team wants to make sure they have enough depth in any case of injuries, because they don’t believe they would have a strong enough blue line if any of their current defenders went down. With that being said, hopefully, they don’t overspend for a defender who plays an inconsistent two-way game and has a rough contract. Hopefully, they bring in someone who can boost their chances of winning a Stanley Cup and aren’t forced to pay a premium.
