In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, the rumors linking the Oilers to Patrick Kane won’t go away and Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman offered more details in his latest 32 Thoughts column. There is chatter that the Oilers might have been interested in Ryan O’Reilly before the deal to Toronto, and if Erik Karlsson is not an option for Edmonton, might they look at a player like Colton Parayko?
Kane Still Being Linked to the Oilers
After essentially saying the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t on his radar and after the New York Rangers added Vladimir Tarasenko, the two teams that seem most likely to be going after Patrick Kane are the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers. Friedman mentions that in the Western Conference, everybody is waiting to see what Edmonton and Vegas will do. Says it’s “obvious that two teams are thinking big.”
Friedman added, “I think it’s some combination of Vegas, Dallas, Edmonton” on where Patrick Kane’s heart is. Kane has been very non-commital with all of this trade deadline speculation, but he did say regarding his GM’s comments that he’s got all the control here, “I don’t think he’s lying when he says that. I’m the one with the no-movement clause, but we’ve been having discussions.”
Chris Johnston of TSN and Northstar Bets writes of rumored mutual interest: “He’s certainly believed to be intrigued by the idea. What remains to be seen is if the Oilers decide to make Kane a priority – they’ve got mild interest, but seem to have other targets more squarely in sight.”
Oilers Might Have Liked O’Reilly
Friedman also noted, “I think they (the Avs) were in on O’Reilly, I do. I think they liked O’Reilly…I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oilers liked O’Reilly also”. O’Reilly ended up going to Toronto in a deal that saw the Maple Leafs give up four draft picks to land the center and depth forward Noel Acciari. It’s hard to imagine the Oilers would have paid that price for a rental who had just come off of an injury, but it makes sense if they kicked tires.
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What should be noted is the price and how that might affect the market on other centers or forwards if the Oilers are actively looking for someone. Perhaps there’s not a comparison because it was two useful players in one deal, but if the trade market is starting to show signs of what certain rentals and players are worth.
Karlsson Still a Long Shot Ahead of the Deadline
TSN’s Chris Johnston offered an update on the likelihood that Erik Karlsson could be acquired over the next two weeks. He said, “I know it may still not be likely that it happens. It might still be a long shot but what you have is a team that makes a lot of sense. You have two weeks here to still get a deal done.”
He added that as long as the Oilers and Sharks are talking, there’s always a chance. At this point, it is believed Karlsson would be open to joining the Oilers but has not officially been asked to waive his no-move to do so. Johnston also notes:
“There doesn’t seem to be any momentum in talks that were reignited earlier this month. The Sharks aren’t believed to have shown a willingness to retain more than 20 percent of Karlsson’s contract, which isn’t a number Edmonton can even start to work with. That will have to change if this has any chance of happening right now.”
Clearly, the Oilers could use some defensive help after blowing another early lead and losing in overtime. Karlsson might not be known for being a defensive defenseman, but he does get the puck out of the zone with ease and he would be a weapon in three-on-three, which, for some inexplicable reason, the Oilers have been brutal in this season.
Might Oilers Look at Colton Parayko?
There is speculation that the St. Louis Blues aren’t finished making trades and some suggestions they might be willing to move defenseman Colton Parayko. As expected, the fact that Parayko is s local product and the Oilers need blue line help has caused a few insiders to link him to Edmonton. It is not known if the Oilers and Blues have even begun a conversation about this as a possibility but the one thing to keep in mind is that he’s got time and money on his contract, plus an injury history.
Unless the Blues are willing to retain 50%, it’s unlikely the Oilers spend assets to acquire a player whose play has slid a bit, has back issues, and is locked in for four more seasons. Yes, the Oilers are looking at something similar to Karlsson’s contract, but they’re exploring a deal for a player that is likely to get close to 100 points this season.
