The Edmonton Oilers need a few touch-ups before they can be considered true Stanley Cup contenders. Their defensive depth isn’t the worst, but it could use an upgrade.
The Carolina Hurricanes have an abundance of blueliners. After adding Nathan Beaulieu on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement, the team now has ten defensemen who can play in the NHL, and it would make sense to move one for an upgrade on offence near the deadline. But, they may choose to move one before the season starts to create more cap space, making the cost of an upgrade much cheaper.
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Brady Skjei, Dylan Coghlan, and Brett Pesce are all extremely skilled players who could be utilized on any playoff team. While both the Hurricanes and Oilers are in win-now mode, they could make a swap that fits both their needs. Sending a defenseman to the Oilers in exchange for a depth forward makes the most sense, similar to the Warren Foegele for Ethan Bear trade a couple of seasons ago. Here is an in-depth look at all three options from the Hurricanes.
Who is Brady Skjei?
Skjei is a 29-year-old left-shot defenseman from Lakeville, Minnesota who was drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at 28th overall. Through 529 games split between the Rangers and the Hurricanes, he has scored 55 goals and 200 points, which comes out to a 0.38 points-per-game average. Before joining the NHL, Skjei played three seasons at the University of Minnesota, scoring eight goals and 27 points through 109 games, which comes out to a 0.25 points-per-game average.
Skjei would stabilize the Oilers’ left-side defense. He is a solid defensive-minded d-man, and while he isn’t known for putting up big offensive numbers or driving the play in the offensive zone, he is the kind of player the Oilers would love to have in their top four come playoff time. He will be looking to build off of a solid season in 2022-23. Last season with the Hurricanes, he scored a career-high 18 goals and 38 points, the third-best point total of his career.
Who is Dylan Coghlan?
Coghlan is a 25-year-old right-shot defenseman from Duncan, Canada, who went undrafted and worked his way into the NHL after several seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Chicago Wolves. Coghlan played four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Tri-City Americans, scoring 38 goals and 107 assists in 265 games with the Americans.
Coghlan has scored six goals and 22 points through 105 games split between the Vegas Golden Knights and Hurricanes over four seasons. He strengthened the right side of the Oilers’ defensive pairings while providing a strong two-way game. He is on the brink of a breakout season but may end up finding himself on the trade block as the odd man out on the Hurricanes.
Who is Brett Pesce?
Pesce is a 28-year-old right-shot defenseman from Tarrytown, New York, who has spent his entire career with the Hurricanes. He was drafted in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, 66th overall, after a solid first season in the NCAA with the University of New Hampshire. Over three seasons, Pesce scored 11 goals and 43 points through 110 games.
Pesce would also help stabilize the Oilers’ right side. Also, his $4 million cap hit would clear enough space for the Hurricanes to add depth pieces at the trade deadline. While the Oilers would likely have to make another move to make this work, they could move Cody Ceci to a team that needs a bottom-four defenseman.
Any of these three Hurricanes could find themselves on the trade block if the team decides they need more cap space. Skjei, Coghlan, and Pesce are all impact players, and if they become available due to the influx of defensemen in Carolina, the Oilers should be all over them to strengthen their defensive depth with at least one of these options.
