The Edmonton Oilers have won two games in a row. They looked dominant in those games, but we’ve seen that it can switch on a dime. Management is still looking for trade partners and players who will help them climb back into the race and help beyond this season.
According to Brian Hedger, a beat reporter covering the Columbus Blue Jackets, several scouts were inside Nationwide Arena for the game between the Blue Jackets and the Boston Bruins on Nov. 27. Three of those scouts were from the Oilers. That is more than a team normally sends to games, meaning the organization has some real interest in the Blue Jackets, Bruins, or possibly both.
There are a number of players who could be of interest to the Oilers, so here’s a deeper look at who could be on the team’s radar.
Goaltending From Both Blue Jackets and Bruins
The Bruins dealt with major cap issues this summer, and many thought Linus Ullmark would be the goaltender the Bruins moved on from, even after his Vezina-winning season. Selling high wouldn’t have been the worst idea, but it seems he hasn’t cooled off much from last season, even though Jeremy Swayman is more than proving that he deserves to be a starter in the NHL too.
Swayman started against the Blue Jackets but was pulled in the early second in favour of Ullmark, who allowed three goals. The Bruins had another very strong start to the season despite a downgraded roster, but may finally be snapping back to reality: they have lost three in a row, four of five, and have uncharacteristically allowed up at least five goals in all four losses. Their goaltending and defense can’t get much better, but the forwards surely can. If the Bruins remain in the playoff hunt all season, which they should, they will be looking to upgrade up front.
The Oilers have some good depth, but the problem with bringing in Ullmark is that they would have to move a significant contract. A contender like the Bruins would not be looking to bring in Jack Campbell. I think they’d take their chances with their current team. However, a three-way trade could work with a non-contender so that all teams are happy.
Spencer Martin was in net for Columbus. He has been strong for the bottom-feeding team and has bounced back very nicely from what got him sent to the minors last season and allowed the Blue Jackets to claim him off waivers. Martin replaced Daniil Tarasov, who got injured before the regular season started and has proved strong enough to be a solid backup. While Elvis Merzlikins has been better than he has over the past few years, Martin sits at a .903 save percentage (SV%) after the win over the Bruins.
Once Tarasov comes back, which shouldn’t be long, the Blue Jackets will have three goalies. Either one will have to be dealt or waived since there is too much young talent in the organization to hold three goalies, especially since they are all playing well. Martin is a cheap option and wouldn’t require a Campbell contract dump to pull it off. Perhaps the Oilers can also get someone else along with him if this is their intention.
Oilers Could Want a Defenseman
While their goaltending hasn’t been good this season, their defence has been a problem for longer. The Oilers still need a new partner for Darnell Nurse, one that can play strong defensively and in the top four. That isn’t easy to find, but both the Bruins and Blue Jackets have defensemen they can spare in exchange for help in other areas.
Starting with the Blue Jackets — since I’ve talked multiple times about the Oilers acquiring a defenseman from them — there are a few options. The more realistic options include Adam Boqvist and Andrew Peeke, but a longer shot would be Erik Gudbranson, who I’ll talk more about. Of the eight Blue Jackets defensemen who have been in the lineup this season, Peeke and Boqvist have played the fewest games, but it actually makes sense analytically since they are the two worst among the defensemen this season (in limited action). Last season, Peeke was the only defender on the team who played more than 70 games, so it is a big change for him to only have played in four of the team’s 23 this season. Boqvist leads the Blue Jackets in goals-for percentage with 56.25 even though his team gets out-chanced when he’s on the ice.
While those two make sense because of their age (Boqvist at 23 and Peeke at 25) and because they look better from the eye test than the analytics show, Elliotte Friedman noted on 32 Thoughts that the Blue Jackets may ask their veterans if they want to be traded and help in find a suitable landing spot if the losing continues. I think this would include Gudbranson.
He likely wants to win, and the Oilers would give him a better shot at doing that than the Blue Jackets. If a deal were to be done of this nature, salary would have to be retained. The question on the Oilers’ side is if Gudbranson would be able to handle minutes alongside Nurse or if he would be more of an overpaid third-pairing defenseman, even if half of his salary is retained ($2 million average annual value).
The Bruins’ side is interesting because an early-season injury revealed that Mason Lohrei is ready to be in the NHL. Since Matt Grzelcyk returned and the defence seems to be healthy at the moment, Lohrei is back in the American Hockey League (AHL). Given the Bruins’ depth and the cap space they might want to free up, moving a defender is definitely something they should consider. The Oilers need more help on the right side, but two pieces the Bruins would likely want to move play on the left in Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort. This isn’t to say that either cannot be moved over to the right side or Brett Kulak can’t easily play his off-side, but a natural right-shot defenseman would probably fare better.
Related: 4 Teams the Oilers Can Target to Find a Goalie & Defenseman
Regardless of these details, I’m sure the Oilers can figure it out if the right player is acquired. Neither player is cheap, but their contracts are manageable if they can send something to the Bruins in a trade. Forbort would be my pick because of his physicality, the fact that he’s been on the ice for 13 goals for and six against at five-on-five this season, and there’s been the fewest high-danger scoring chances against among the regulars in the Bruins lineup when he’s on the ice.
I know we’re all waiting impatiently for the Oilers to make a trade, but it seems the team is serious about getting something done sooner rather than later as long as it doesn’t feel like an overpayment. While the Oilers could go forward with the defence they have, it’s not ideal. What really needs to be addressed is goaltending, and there are a couple of pretty good options on the Bruins and Blue Jackets.
