Edmonton plays their last of a six game homestand tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Through the first five games, the team has scored a pitiful 6 goals while allowing 20. In some of the rough years Oilers fans have had to deal with, on poor outings the Oilers were at least getting stellar performances from Draisaitl and McDavid and even those two elite players have struggled. Nothing is working right now for the Oilers. In the summer Ken Holland had over 30 million dollars of cap space to make this "his team." Here is a quick recap of the big moves:

Signed RNH to an 8 year 5.125 million dollar deal
Signed Zach Hyman to a 7 year 5.5 million dollar deal
Signed Derek Ryan to a 2 year 1.25 million dollar deal
Signed Tyson Barrie to a 3 year 4.5 million dollar deal
Signed Cody Ceci to a 4 year 3.25 million dollar deal
Signed Mike Smith to a 2 year 2.2 million dollar deal
Traded Caleb Jones and a 3rd round pick for Duncan Keith
Traded Ethan Bear for Warren Foegele

These were all decisions made by Ken Holland. He can no longer use Peter Chiarelli as a crutch or an excuse why he couldn't do more to improve the team. This is what he did and for better or worse (right now far worse) this is the bed he has to sleep in.

Holland heralded moves like adding Duncan Keith, Zach Hyman and Cody Ceci as bringing in veteran players to help the team win now. Holland believed that this team could win right now. Holland has gone all in and if he doesn't want to be left at the table with nothing he might need to add more to the pot.

I bring this up because it is rumoured that the Coyotes are willing to part with Jakob Chychurn but that the return would need to be large. The 23 year old defender has shown he is a skilled legitimate top four player who produces great at even strength despite playing on the Coyotes. He has three more years remaining on his contract at 4.6 million. Great value. The most popular Oilers trade I have seen debated is Yamamoto, Kassian, and two first round picks for Chychurn. Cap space wise this deal balances out and the two first round picks would be a hefty loss for the Oilers but ultimately I don't think it's a bad deal for either side. The Yotes get a cheap winger in Yamamoto who still has plenty of potential to grow in addition to the draft picks.

It isn't a bad proposal but I don't think the Coyotes bite on it. I could see the Coyotes wanting a player to replace Chychrun and the Oilers might have that option in Philip Broberg. A Broberg, Kassian, and a first round pick deal I believe offers the Coyotes more. Some Oilers fans might balk at the idea of trading Broberg because of his draft pedigree and potential; to them I say Broberg is still a couple years away from being a difference maker while Chychrun is a difference maker now. The Oilers need to be a team that is competing right now.

Chychrun is a great 5 on 5 producer and finished 10th in Norris voting last season with 18 goals and 41 points in 56 games. This season he only has 2 goals and 7 points in 26 games and is a team worst -29. That doesn't seem great or worth the price I mentioned above but I do put much of that on the fact that the Coyotes are deliberately tanking this season, don't have a real NHL calibre goaltending tandem and a lineup that makes the Buffalo Sabres laugh and point fingers. Losing Broberg could sting in the long run but a left side of Nurse and Chychrun for the next 6+ years I believe would help fans get over that pretty quickly. Chychrun logs huge minutes too and could finally give Edmonton a competent option to help reduce some of Darnell's minutes.

This is all speculation of course. Right now there is no high end defender coming to reignite this Oilers team. Tonight they will try and earn one win in front of their fans against the Blue Jackets.

Here is a fun/awful stat. Kailer Yamamoto doesn't have a single shot yet on this homestand despite averaging roughly 15 minutes a game. He should maybe shoot the puck at least once tonight and see what happens.

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