With NHL trade deadline on the horizon, we dissect your proposals for Oilers
Here’s the thing with HolKen land: He’s in it to win it.
His Edmonton Oilers have lost three times in two months. This isn’t fantasy hockey he’s playing, where he can fill every hole, right now. Last year, he got his stud defenceman Mattias Ekholm and the useful Nick Bjugstad for his bottom six, with one roster player Tyson Barrie moving on. Very good stuff.
It’s no secret that Jake Guentzel would be a dream fit on Leon Draisaitl’s wing. And if they want an upgrade on Cody Ceci on the back end, Chris Tanev is at the top of their list ahead of the March 8 NHL trade deadline. Both would be unrestricted free-agent rentals.
But he’s going for a high-end D or a top-end winger. Not both.
One possibility is Washington forward Nic Dowd, who has this season and next at a $1.3-million cap hit. He’s a rightie, a good faceoff guy, but nowhere near as offensive-minded as the 6-foor-6 Bjugstad, back in Arizona after the Oilers acquired him at last year’s last year’s trade deadline.
Everyone’s talking trade these days. With that in mind, here are some online trade proposals from fans …
1. Calgary moves Chris Tanev (50% retained) for Cody Ceci, Raphael Lavoie, a second-rounder in 2024 and a third-rounder in 2025 (@deferoiler)
This isn’t a bad idea, but it’s too rich a price for the Oilers because of the two draft picks. Ceci would plug the right-shot hole for the Flames now and next year at $3.25 million, plus they would get another young forward in Lavoie.
Trading the third-rounder in 2025 is fine; the Oilers don’t have one this June. But also a second-rounder in 2024? That’s four pieces for a rental. A great return for Calgary, although we all know they would rather have Dylan Holloway, who looks like a young Martin Gelinas — a talent just waiting to break out — straight up for Tanev at 50%
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2. Nashville trades right-shot defenceman Alexandre Carrier for Ceci and a 2024 second-round pick, with third-party Arizona receiving a fifth-rounder from Edmonton for retaining 25% of Carrier’s contract (@Evan Wain)
If the Oilers think Carrier is better than Ceci as a blueline partner for Darnell Nurse, it’s got possibilities. The Oilers undoubtedly would run this by Ekholm, Carrier’s former Predators teammate.
The Preds have used up two of three max retained slots for their earlier trades of Ryan Johansen (Colorado) and Ekholm, and might want to keep a third to move Tyson Barrie’s $4.5-million contract, so could defer on retaining for Carrier, who is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
3. Guentzel (50% retained) for Holloway, Warren Foegele and a 2024 first-round pick (@Joseph Rockstar)
The Penguins badly need to restock their prospect cupboard and Holloway and the first-rounder would do that. Adding Foegele’s $2.75 million and Holloway’s $925,000 AAVs make it a good deal cap-wise if Guentzel comes in at $3 million after retention. It would certainly would give Pens GM Kyle Dubas pause.
Guentzel has a 12-team no-trade clause, and the Oilers are probably on it. But perhaps he would jump at the opportunity to play with Draisaitl. He’s a big-game player at 29, has a Cup ring and is ninth all-time in post-season goals per game. The downside for the Oilers is Guentzel would likely only be here for a few months and then be on his way as a free agent, with Edmonton losing its best young forward prospect in Holloway, and a first-rounder. But if I’m Holland, I take a big swing at this.
4. St. Louis winger Pavel Buchnevich for Foegele, Brett Kulak, Xavier Bourgault, a first- and second-rounder. (sloppy @TakenKhariaYa).
OK, Holland and Blues GM Doug Armstrong are best buds, and part of Canadian Olympic team staffs of the past. But this is way too much for Buchnevich, even if he has 43 points (19 goals) in 53 games this year and had 26 and 30 goals before that. He’s not a rental, but he’s UFA after next season’s contract worth $5.8 million. The Oilers have to spend big-time to keep Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard when their deals run out after 2025-2026.
We see where you’re coming from trying to move Foegele’s cap hit and Kulak’s $2.75 million to offset Buchnevich’s money now. Maybe Philip Broberg can take Kulak’s spot. But giving up first- and second-round picks and Bourgault, a former first-rounder, too?
Sorry, this only happens if Holland has been overserved.
5. Ottawa winger Vladimir Tarasenko (25% retained) for Foegele and Bourgault. (@Styleinlife)
This would be Holland dealing with Senators GM Steve Staios, who worked for him for a year in Oil Country. Foegele is a good role player, but he’s a pending UFA, and Bourgault appears a lukewarm prospect for a lot of you.
Moving Foegele’s money and 25 cents on the dollar retained for the Russian winger’s $5 million, adds up to $4 million. So that’s just $1 million extra on the cap.
I suspect Staios would rather have Lavoie, further along the NHL trail, than Bourgault, struggling in his second pro season. Tarasenko, aslo a pending UFA, does have 37 points in 50 games for the Sens. But he would be a fall-back right winger for me if the Oilers strike out on Guentzel.
6. Seattle sends Jordan Eberle (50% retained) and 2024 fourth-rounder for Bourgault and Oilers 2024 first-rounder (@Evan Wain).
We would all like a reboot of Ebs here after he was traded for Ryan Strome after his one and only poor playoff. He would be a nice playmaker on the wing with No. 29 and he has 45 points in his past 63 playoff games, but I’m not sure if the UFA winger is worth a first-rounder because he’s turning 34 in May and only has 30 points this season.
That’s too steep a price even with 50% retained to bring his cap hit down to $2.75 million. The problem is there’s no NHL money going out for the Oilers. Certainly, he’s worth a second-rounder and Bourgault, but Seattle already has too many small forwards. They might want Lavoie more.
The Oilers could use a fourth-rounder. They don’t have one this June.
