I am going to address this once and then never again. I will not be adding any additional information after "Stan Bowman" in my blogs anymore. On a personal level I still believe this was a misstep by the organization and I think it was too soon to give Bowman full reins of a team. I would have much less issue if he was brought in as a senior advisor or even an assistant GM and worked his way back into the role.

This is a blog. I am writing about my own personal experiences and thoughts when it comes to hockey or anything surrounding the team that I write for. These are my thoughts on Bowman. You may have your own and that is fine.

That all being said, I want these blogs to be a place where people talk hockey. I think it's important to discuss bigger issues from time to time but the comments should be a place where people can talk about their favorite teams and escape from the problems of day to day life.

I'll be keeping an eye on the comment section; I would recommend keeping the dialogue respectful.

Now, onto hockey.

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Normally I am not one for posting trade rumours but this is one that has gained some traction in the past couple days. There have been a number of reports from guys in the know like Elliotte Friedman that suggest the Oilers will wait until in season to make any roster upgrades. At the same time there have been rumours that Edmonton is looking to make a trade prior to the start of the season.

The player getting a ton of notice right now is Dante Fabbro, currently of the Nashville Predators. Fabbro is one of those defensemen where if he is doing his job, you likely aren't going to notice him on the ice. He makes smart zone exits, defends well, is positionally sound and all these things happen whether he plays against Elite competition or lower in the lineup.

Edmonton has a dominant top pair in Ekholm and Bouchard; a pair that was both dominant in producing at 5 on 5 and preventing goals at 5 on 5. They have a player who should be a top 4 defenseman in Darnell Nurse, they have a really strong third pair option in Kulak who can moonlight in the top 4 at times. Then they have depth options like Emberson and Stetcher who could be top 4 options but are likely more suited to a third pairing role.

Edmonton needs someone who can help settle Darnell Nurse down on that second pairing. I still believe the organization thinks that Emberson could be that player but Fabbro is certainly more proven right now in that role.

So why would Nashville do this? Their right side is looking pretty set right now with Josi (playing the right side more despite being a left shot), Carrier, and Schenn. Fabbro may be the odd man out, especially because the organization really seems to favor Carrier now.

It comes down to cost. A second or third round pick (received from the Blues) is probably fair value for this player but that is only if the Predators want a pick at this stage in their plans. If they believe a third or second round pick to give them more options at the trade deadline is a better move than Fabbro. I could see a match between these two teams.

The next couple weeks will be interesting to watch the Edmonton Oilers. We will see whether they roll the dice with the players they have added or if they push to make an add sooner rather than later.

Thanks for reading.

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