The Edmonton Oilers are in some trouble right now. They have dropped to 5-11-1 after back-to-back losses in the state of Florida. Both the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers featured multi-goal leads blown by the Oilers. This amplifies the need for goaltending and a change on defense.
It is no secret that the Oilers have been searching for goaltending to help Stuart Skinner and to provide the Oilers with more stability. On top of that, a lack of strong defensive play has been a conversation for a while and a big reason why the Oilers need to add defensive help. So today, I’ve gone ahead and looked at four teams where the Oilers can address both issues in one trade.
Montreal Canadiens
The Oilers have been in talks with the Montreal Canadiens most prominently and have inquired about all three goaltenders on the roster at this point. While some make more sense than others, this is one of the best options for the Oilers to address their issues in one trade.
All three of Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault, and Cayden Primeau are an upgrade over Calvin Pickard right now. I’m not blaming the loss against the Panthers on Nov. 20 on him, but there’s a reason why he’s had seven total starts in the NHL since the start of the 2019-20 season. Even Primeau, who I don’t think the Oilers should pursue because of his age and lack of experience, is seen as an upgrade and a potential piece moving forward.
Allen has the highest cap hit, but might actually be the best option if the Canadiens retain some of that or take Jack Campbell back in a trade. Allen is a veteran and is strong in the areas and at the times the Oilers have needed saves, particularly on the penalty kill and in high-danger chances. He has also been used to playing in front of a weak defensive team. Montembeault has been playing in front of the same defense, so he has that experience as well and has done fairly well. He is in the final year of his deal, but also only has a cap hit of $1 million AAV. This would allow the Oilers to do more to improve their team. I would find a way to get Allen or Montembeault at this point from the Canadiens since there are talks.
As for the defense, it has to be David Savard. Unfortunately, he is out for a while, so this wouldn’t work at the moment. This moment is how soon the Oilers need to address their issues. Savard is a capable veteran defender who has a focus on defending and playing hard. He shoots right and could be a better partner for Darnell Nurse on the top pairing than Cody Ceci has been. Savard is no stranger to playing big minutes defensively and would help on the penalty kill. He registered 14 blocked shots in just five games this season and has recorded over 100 in the last nine consecutive seasons. Almost anyone else on the Canadiens would be a younger player. That isn’t what the Oilers need right now. Savard is also likely to be moved this season to create space on the back end in Montreal.
The only other defender I’d consider is Johnathan Kovacevic, but he is making a name for himself in Montreal at the moment. The Canadiens do have a lot of young talent, and some of those players will have to be traded, but I don’t know if that will be Kovacevic just yet. He plays a strong defensive game and is on a very affordable contract through next season.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers have gotten off to a pretty good start, but that doesn’t change the direction of the team. They will likely slide down the standing a fair bit over the course of the season and sell what they can. The perception is that Carter Hart will be traded before the end of his contract, and the Oilers are a team that has to be very interested. He is a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of this season, and it doesn’t make much sense to hold onto an asset of that caliber through a rebuild. Hart is also used to being peppered with shots and playing in front of a less-than-ideal group defensively. His save percentage (SV%) is .919 right now.
Defensively, someone who has shockingly impressed on the Flyers is Sean Walker. He was someone who could have been a target for the Oilers last season, with the Los Angeles Kings wanting to free up space, but he ended up being moved to the Flyers instead as a partial contract dump. Walker has done a lot in Philadelphia this season, from putting up points, shooting the puck, playing physically, and blocking shots. He plays in all situations and is slotted in on the right side of the ice. He is an upgrade over a few Oilers’ defenders this season and could be acquired by the Oilers with a cap hit of less than $1.4 million AAV.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a team with a big logjam at all positions. When the team is healthy, it is a real problem, but a good one for them. This will allow them to open up trade discussions to move a couple of players as more fresh faces break into the NHL.
In net, there’s three goalies on the roster like the Canadiens. Devon Levi is the goalie of the future. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was highly thought of fairly recently before some struggles in the NHL, and Eric Comrie might be the most expendable of the three. The Oilers can definitely get one of the two latter goaltenders from the Sabres. At this time with the Sabres trying to get into the playoffs, Luukkonen would be a bit tough to pry from them, but he also has the best numbers and looks to be a strong option in net moving forward in the NHL. Comrie is the likely option if there’s to be a trade, but there’s doubt as to how much he’d actually help out in Edmonton. He would at least give Skinner some more rest, but with the Oilers’ defense, I can’t see his numbers really being much better than anyone the Oilers have featured in net this season.
The Sabres’ defense is where the Oilers could actually find someone to help out the goals against. There are eight defenseman on the roster right now, but who I have my eye on is the two signed in the offseason, Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson. Both shoot right, play the right side and have had lots of success on the defensive end in their careers. Johnson is older, but very experienced. Clifton may be the better option here, as he would have a few more years under contract. Johnson would be a rental, and a 35-year-old might not be the best answer. He would be an upgrade this season though, but won’t be able to steadily play top-four minutes.
Detroit Red Wings
After a very hot start, the Detroit Red Wings have fallen out of a playoff spot. Nobody really envisioned that this team would be a playoff team this season with how tough the competition in the Eastern Conference is, so they are right where they will likely end the season. The Red Wings, like the Sabres, have a logjam at all positions. But less like the Sabres, Detroit is filled with a lot more veterans and experienced players. I expect the Red Wings are holding three goalies on the roster to move one in the first half of the season. On top of that, Simon Edvinsson should be in the NHL, so there would have to be a move made to make room on defense.
James Reimer should have been a goalie target for the Oilers dating back to two seasons ago when he had a strong season for the San Jose Sharks. He now finds himself as the backup in Detroit and is playing very well to start the season. His .917 SV% is great, but not unexpected. Last season was the only one of his career where he posted a sub-.900 SV% in 13 seasons in the NHL. He has bounced back nicely and has been holding the goaltending together in Detroit. Despite that, Ville Husso is still the go-to, and the team has Alex Lyon for a reason. Reimer and his strong play in front of not-so-great defensive play would be welcomed in Edmonton to provide a save.
Related: Flames Open for Business: 2 Trade Targets on Oilers’ Radar
There are two potential targets on the defense, Ben Chiarot and Justin Holl. Considering Holl has been arguably the best defender on the team this season, he would be tough to get. As for Chiarot, he has a defensive pedigree and can play both sides of the ice. The right side is the side he should be playing on though. His cap hit is a bit high, but that’s where cap retention comes into play.
The Oilers have to get something done before time catches up to them. They aren’t out of the race if they can just turn things around immediately. With the current roster and the lack of confidence, life, saves, and defense, I don’t see that happening. The sooner a deal can be made the better, and if a trade can also address both the glaring needs, even better.
