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Oilers Looking At RD With Term - Here Are Some Options |
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A couple days ago, Oilers reporter and insider Bob Stauffer tweeted out a slightly cryptic message.
Bob Stauffer is very connected to the goings on of the Edmonton Oilers so when he says something like this, it's clearly coming from somewhere in the organization. Today we are going to take a look around the NHL and see what players this could be referring to.
My criteria for this experiment was simple; I'm looking at right shot defensemen that are signed for at least this season and next. I am also looking solely at teams that aren't currently considered contenders and those players that didn't just sign new contracts. For example, while John Marino could fit most of the above mentioned criteria, Utah just acquired him and I would not expect them to be moving him this year.
All of that whittles the names down to just a few so let's take a look.
Rasmus Andersson - CAL
The 27 year old right shot defenseman has two years remaining on his contract at 4.55 million. Last season Andersson logged the second most minutes for the Flames at 5 on 5. The Flames were outscored 68/74 with him on the ice, but it is interesting to look at how the Flames did with him and Weegar together vs apart. Andersson played the most minutes with Weegar at 5 on 5 (755) and the Flames were outscored 37-42 in those minutes. Andersson played 634 minutes away from Weegar, and at 120 minutes fewer, the Flames went 31-32.
Overall it was still a step back for Andersson but it's important to note he was playing through a foot injury for much of the season. A healthy Andersson playing as a second pair option for the Oilers instead of having to shoulder the top pairing duties like he has to in Calgary would be a huge boost for the Oilers blueline.
Connor Murphy - CHI
Murphy technically fits the description here but is probably my least desired option. Once believed to be a top pairing defender, injuries and setbacks have hampered Murphy greatly, and the Hawks being so awful over the past few seasons also make it difficult to evaluate the player.
Bowman has a history with this player, as he was the GM who signed Murphy to that contract but unless the Oilers are truly desperate and have no better options, this is a player I would stay away from.
Jared Spurgeon - MIN
I debated whether I even wanted to include Spurgeon's name on here as I just can't see the Wild trading their captain. For years, Spurgeon has been one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL and despite his small stature, has never had an issue standing up for himself or his teammates. Spurgeon is 34 years old and is still signed for three more seasons at 7.575 million. On top of that, injuries kept him out of the lineup for all but 16 games last season. Spurgeon seems like exactly the kind of player that could help reign in Nurse... if he was even two years younger.
Rasmus Ristolainen - PHI
For years Ristolainen was basically Darnell Nurse of the Eastern Conference... a big, solid skating defender who logged a ton of minutes but didn't really excel at anything in those minutes. He put up some points, hit everything, but defensively was a bit of a mess and his lack of consistency in his own end led to some disastrous effects. Over the past couple seasons, as his minutes have been backed off and other players on the blueline could shoulder the responsibility, he has been able to be more effective.
The idea of a Ristolainen and Nurse pairing sounds like every coaches nightmare but if the Oilers were to acquire Risto and use him more as a third pairing option in different situations, or even strap a more defensively conscious player like Ekholm to him there could be ways to get the most out of him.
Ristolainen has three years remaining at 5.1 million per season. Maybe there is a way to make this work but this seems like another massive risk for the Oilers unless the Flyers are practically giving him away, perhaps even retaining salary.
Artem Zub - OTT
The Senators are trying desperately to make the playoffs but should they find themselves floundering once again, perhaps Zub could be pried away. The 28 year old right shot defender has quietly been a solid shutdown option for the Senators for a few years now. Last season he logged the third most minutes at 5 on 5, despite missing 13 games. The Senators nearly broke even with him on the ice as well going 53-55 but with an xGF% of 52.49% which was second only to Jake Sanderson.
This would be a great second pairing option for the Oilers but the biggest road block is that Zub is a strong middle option and the Senators are trying to win and not trade players for picks or prospects. Still, depending on how this season goes he could be an option for Edmonton.
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The best option from this list is clearly Rasmus Andersson. He fits the description of being a strong right shot option that would fit in perfect on Edmonton's second pairing. The biggest roadblock of course is that he plays for the Oilers provincial rival.
Last season we saw the Flames trading a handful of players to the Canucks and Stars instead of the Oilers. There will certainly be many teams interested in Andersson, should the Flames wish to trade him. You can bet Edmonton would have to pay more than any of them if they wanted his services.
Overall, this list is fairly underwhelming in terms of adding this years "Ekholm" to the roster. As the season goes on though things are always subject to change. No one up until the deal happened thought that Ekholm was on the trading block. It will be up to Jeff Jackson and Stan Bowman to put in the work and find an impact player.
Thanks for reading.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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