Edmonton Oilers – 9 Things At The Deadline

The Edmonton Oilers have been very quiet, so far, leading up to the trading deadline. But the final few hours can change all that. Here are 9 Things that Oilers fans may want to think about, Monday:

9. Keith Aulie was placed on waivers Sunday. Mid-morning Monday, we will know if he’s been claimed. No doubt the Edmonton Oilers would love for someone to pick up his salary. If they do, and Jeff Petry is dealt (more on him later), that is about $4m in freed up cap space.

8. The Oilers are short a natural center. As of tomorrow, they will only have 4 AHL call-ups available to them (unless it’s an emergency). Will young Bogdan Yakimov, who has really stepped up his game lately, be one of them? I think you can absolutely bet on it, later if not sooner.

7. There are reports that some teams have called asking about Andrew Ference, whose contract contains a NMC. I’m not surprised, what a strong acquisition for a stretch run. But last I checked, the Defenceman Fairy does not live in Edmonton, and so I predict the veteran D-man & Captain stays put.

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6. If you are looking for scoring depth up front, and if the price is not too steep, would you not kick the tires on Teddy Purcell, especially if the Edmonton Oilers were to swallow salary? It’s the one roster player I think MacT would consider doing that with. Not many clubs will have the space, though.

5. In the summer, I advocated for the Oilers to go after Dion Phaneuf. An imperfect 1D to be sure, the Alberta native would certainly be that for the Oilers, who will have to over-pay anyway. The Leafs would love to unload that contract, and the Oilers have enticing prospects. But Phaneuf would have to waive his NTC. Would Edmonton really be a better situation for him than Toronto?

4. Boyd Gordon. As an Oilers fan, the possibility of losing Boyd Gordon makes me shudder. He is so important to this lineup. But if you are a cup contender, Gordon would be a mighty attractive get: a gritty player who you can rely on in tight spots, and send out to the face-off dot with the game on the line. Might teams over-pay for those qualities?

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3. There has been so much smoke surrounding the Edmonton Oilers and Flyers the past few years, is this the time when all of that talking turns into action? Ron Hextall has been actively shopping Braydon Coburn (would add the size the Oilers D seriously lacks) and Luke Schenn (not Coburn’s level, but a RHS). The Flyers are not buyers, and picks would be attractive. ***Update: After this column went to press, the Flyers did indeed unload Coburn for picks, but for TB’s 1st & 3rd.

2. The Edmonton Oilers need another NHL Goaltender. Last year, Craig MacTavish went shopping mid-season, and ticking that item off the list early would sure help lessen the heavy lifting that he will be forced to do this Summer. And salary might not be an issue. Watch Jonathan Bernier (Toronto, pending RFA) and Antii Niemi (San Jose, pending UFA). Having tried 2 “bubble” goaltenders and failing at that experiment, I think MacT wants/needs a proven starter.

1. Sigh. Unless Craig MacTavish has an amazing poker face (he doesn’t), Jeff Petry will be traded, not signed. The two most likely destinations are said to be St. Louis and Boston. The Blues have two young players that should be interesting to The Edmonton Oilers, Ivan Barbashev and Petteri Lindbohm. But to get prospects of that level, any pick coming back to Edmonton would be mid-draft, at best. Boston has already waived Chris Cunningham, and injuries to David Krejci and Kevan Miller could free up yet more cap space if they end up on LTIR. But do the Bruins really need a 3-4D more than a replacement for Krejci? I don’t think so. Other possible destinations: Montreal, Detroit, Anaheim.

Something tells me that the Petry deal may end up being a little more intricate than has been talked about, and that another roster player could easily be packaged up with him, if the price is right. But I don’t think MacTavish will be in sell-off mode. I expect him to add assets established or close to it.

Hang on, folks, this could be fun. Or not.