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Perfect Time To Talk Trade Deadline |
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Prior to the All-Star Break, the Edmonton Oilers have two home games to play; one against Nashville and the second against the Coyotes. After the week off for the Break, Edmonton returns home to play Calgary and St Louis and then we are already in February and rapidly approaching the trade deadline.
The Pacific Division and the West as a whole remain locked in contention with the final playoff bracket likely not being made clear until the last game of the season. Oilers fans should be feeling excited right now, you should be discussing your team as a buyer and not a seller.
With that being said, here are a few teams and some potential players Ken Holland should be looking at to help push his team into the post-season.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Perhaps no team will be more intriguing to watch over the next month than the Nashville Predators. After coaching in Music City for five and a half seasons, Laviolette is out and the recently fired coach from Jersey, John Hynes is in. Nashville is only a few points removed from a Wild Card spot but should they continue to slip in the standings a few big names stand out.
After being a regular 60+ point player in Minnesota, Mikael Granlund has not had the same success in Nashville. Through 38 games with the Preds this season, Granlund only has 7 goals and 15 points. Offense isn't coming naturally for most on that team this season and the 27 year old would likely look much better playing on Connor McDavid's wing. Granlund is set to be a UFA this summer and currently makes 5.75 million. Plus he could spend more time with his brother Markus who is also an Oiler.
Craig Smith, the 30 year old right winger is also worth mentioning. Smith has played his entire NHL career with Nashville but is also set to be a UFA. Smith is currently slotted in on the Predators third line with Bonino and Grimaldi and has 10 goals through the first 44 games.
DETROIT RED WINGS
Going way way way down to the bottom of the standings we have the Red Wings who quite simply are an absolute tire-fire of a team. GM's will typically go back to what they are comfortable with so if Ken Holland were to add a player from here no one should be surprised.
A UFA defenseman like Mike Green or Trevor Daley could be an option if Holland wanted some veteran depth but the more realistic option which has been rumoured for some time is Andreas Athanasiou. Unlike other names in this blog, Athanasiou is an RFA not UFA and would have his rights past this season.
Athanasiou has still managed 19 points through 36 games on the worst team in the league. At 25 he is in the perfect age group for the Oilers and could be the skilled third line centre this team so desperately needs.
BUFFALO SABRES
Poor Buffalo is going to miss the playoffs for a ninth straight season even though Eichel is having a phenomenal year. Most of the Sabres forwards are just above replacement level players but a Conor Sheary, Jimmy Vesey, or Zemgus Girgensons could be had on the cheap if one felt inclined.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
Currently Florida holds the second Wild Card position in the East, but similar to the Predators should they falter there are a few very note-worthy names to consider. Mike Hoffman and Evgeny Dadonov are both on pace for 30+ goal seasons and likely 70 point seasons as well. The cost to acquire either of these players likely begins with a first round pick and Holland's unwillingness to move his in a Hall deal likely nixes that here as well.
Florida should be battling for a playoff spot until the very end so unless the team has a cataclysmic collapse I doubt either gets moved. Certainly these are names we will be discussing again closer to July 1st.
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QUICK NAMES TO AVOID
J.G Pageau - Ottawa Senators - Pageau is doing himself all the favours by having such a breakout year when he is set to be UFA. Ottawa will be asking for the moon in any deal for him and on the Oilers he would likely slot in on the third line and not come close to matching what he is producing now.
Tyler Toffoli - LA Kings - Potentially an option but due to the fact that moving Toffoli to Edmonton would keep him in the division, the asking price would be higher for a team like Edmonton as opposed to an out of division opponent.
Chris Kreider - New York Rangers - Not as much a name to avoid and more specifically the reports that Kreider does not want to play anywhere in Canada.
Josh Anderson - Columbus Blue Jackets - The 25 year old right winger scored 27 goals last season but injuries have limited him to only 26 games and a single goal this year. Anderson is exactly the kind of player you would want to see next to McDavid for the next 8+ years but the Blue Jackets ask for him right now is too high. As the story goes, the Blue Jackets would want a 1st and one of Broberg, Bouchard, or Ryan Nugent Hopkins for their winger. Something to circle back on later.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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