I’ll start by saying that I feel the Edmonton Oilers don’t need Shayne Gostisbehere, but this might be the player that ends up in Oil Country. For the last few months, the Oilers have been rumoured to be in on many players around the NHL, because general manager (GM) Ken Holland is paid handsomely to check in and compare asking prices for pieces that could upgrade his team.
The Oilers’ defensive corps is the main area that needs improvement. Philip Broberg has emerged with steady play as of late, along with the physical Vincent Desharnais in his limited role. However, there’s too much inexperience with those two players to confidently say that they can be depended on for a deep postseason push.
Because of that, the Oilers have been rumoured to be interested in several defencemen like Joel Edmundson, Jakob Chychrun, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Jake McCabe and the latest news is that Edmonton has re-started discussions with the San Jose Sharks for Erik Karlsson. Yet, as the trade deadline inches closer, for various reasons, each of these players is slowly being checked off the list as potential fits in Edmonton. At the same time, The Hockey Writers’ Jim Parsons recently wrote that the Oilers‘ star players want a player that can move the puck. As a result, it’s possible that Holland shifts his focus and settles on Arizona Coyotes’ defender, Gostisbehere.
Gostisbehere Is Becoming a More Realistic Option for the Oilers
Let’s start with the defencemen that are unlikely to end up in an Oilers uniform. The Montreal Canadiens’ Edmundson brings an imposing, physical brand of hockey, along with Stanley Cup pedigree. However, he’s been out of the Habs’ lineup with a lower-body injury since Jan. 26. Additionally, the rumoured ask for Edmundson is a first-round pick, and at one point during the season, there was a narrative from hockey pundits that the Oilers needed more muscle on the back end. Yet, with the emergence of towering 6-foot-6 Desharnais over the last 12 games, Edmundson’s skill set isn’t necessarily required anymore and former Oiler Georges Laraque desperately urged Edmonton to stay away from him due to nagging injuries.
At the time of this writing, Chychrun hasn’t yet been traded, but it’s heavily rumoured that the Los Angeles Kings are front runners for his services and Edmonton is most likely out of the running. Additionally, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Gavrikov has a contract that expires at the end of this season, but there’s chatter that he will not sign with a Canadian team after this season. If true, the Oilers might opt to stay away from the Russian defenceman because he would purely be a rental.
McCabe is an interesting choice. He’s played solid in Chicago on a potential lottery-picking Blackhawks team and has two more years on his contract at a $4 million cap hit after this season. However, he has a seven-team no-trade clause and there’s a feeling that all seven Canadian teams are on that list, meaning he likely won’t come to Edmonton.
Related: Oilers Stars Have Told Their GM Who They Want at Trade Deadline
Now, the biggest name and best player available on the market is Karlsson. Imagine the possibility of icing a top power-play unit of all potential 100-point players in Karlsson, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman — it would be incredible to see. The Sharks’ defender is a magician with the puck and is destined for the Hall of Fame one day. What’s delaying an imminent trade, is his enormous cap hit of $11.5 million for another four seasons, and the big price it’s going to take to acquire him.
Oilers’ Star Players Want a Puck Mover, Gostisbehere Fits That Description
Oilers’ colour commentator Bob Stauffer recently suggested that in order to acquire Karlsson’s services, Evan Bouchard, Xavier Bourgault, and a first-round draft pick would likely have to go the other way. It’s quite the haul, but you have to give quality in order to get quality, but depending on where GM Holland’s mindset is, he might think that’s too expensive of an ask and shy away from the deal.
On that note, Elliotte Friedman talked about the Oilers’ top players wanting more puck movers on the “32 Thoughts” Podcast, saying, “From what I understand, one of the things the Oilers’ players have made it very clear is if they make a trade, they want to make sure it’s somebody who can get the puck out of the zone, not just bang it off the glass, but move it. That the Oilers feel they’re a better team when they have that kind of player back there.” He added, “I believe the Oilers at least, are listening to their top players, who have said, we prefer puck moving, and they’re going to look into that.”
Friedman alluded that it’s McDavid and Draisaitl that want a puck mover. The best player that fits that role is Karlsson, but if a deal can’t get done for him, or any of the other players mentioned above, Gostisbehere is a player that fits that description. To add to that, Friedman mentioned on Feb. 11 that the Oilers’ fallback option if a Karlsson deal falls through, is the Coyotes’ defender. It shouldn’t cost a lot to acquire Gostisbehere, but if Arizona retained 50 percent of his salary, a player like Warren Foegele or Jesse Puljujarvi, and a third-round draft pick could get the deal done.
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Gostisbehere is an offensively gifted defenceman and is in the last year of his contract that pays him $4.5 million and he’s on pace for 47 points. He’s in his ninth NHL season and he’s averaging over 22 minutes of time on ice. He contributes at even-strength, on the power play and he’s a good puck mover when he’s at the top of his game. However, he’s been known to have difficulties defending in his own end.
Taking into consideration his strengths and weaknesses, he has a lot of similarities to Oilers’ defenceman Tyson Barrie, as both of them are 5-foot-11, offensively-minded puck movers, who aren’t exactly fleet-footed. That said, if the Oilers hope to have a lengthy playoff run and contend for the Stanley Cup, having right and left-handed versions of the same type of player that has downfalls defensively, isn’t exactly a recipe to win a championship.
As a fan of hockey, I’d love to see Karlsson, the best offensive defenceman in the NHL this season, feeding passes to arguably the best player in the game in McDavid. Yet, if a deal can’t get done, Gostisbehere makes sense as a plan B option, if Holland feels pressure from his star players to add more puck-moving ability from the back end.
What are your thoughts on Gostisbehere in an Oilers uniform? Have your say in the comments below!
