When discussing the Edmonton Oilers, and suggesting moves they should make this coming offseason, you have to look at all the options.
With the Oilers reportedly open-minded to plenty of options, they must also keep in mind that every gift comes with a price, meaning if they want a number-one defenseman, they’re going to have to trade away one of their many valuable pieces.
Right now, there’s a list of players that could be used as a trade chip: Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and the fourth-overall pick. Out of all of these, the best option is Nugent-Hopkins.
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First off, the Oilers should NOT trade Hall. He led the entire team in goals, assists, points and average time on ice this past season. Not to mention, he is a passionate hockey player who is one of the best 5 vs. 5 skaters in the league, and gives full effort and can truly flourish under Todd McLellan. Dealing him away would leave a bigger gap, and though wingers are expendable, replacing Hall would be expensive and an impossibility with the return that the Oilers would be getting with the defender coming back.
Jordan Eberle is a good piece to trade, an expendable winger with incredible hands and stickhandling ability. However, if the Oilers were to trade him, they wouldn’t get the big return that they are looking for.
When talking about the fourth-overall pick, and seeing it could be Matthew Tkachuk, a forward who brings a lot of physicality and scoring chances to the lineup, Edmonton may want to hang on to him and let him develop within their organization.
That leaves Nugent-Hopkins, and according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, he could truly be a piece that teams would be ready to go after.
“i think it’s pretty clear to everybody that the Edmonton Oilers are in the market to make some moves,” McKenzie said on TSN’s 1260. “…Now, what direction they choose to go, how highly-sought after are the individuals that they’re offering — I think Nugent-Hopkins is a really good player.”
With “Nuge,” teams get a player with great playmaking ability, speed and some size. He’s an incredibly underrated centre who has a lot of skill and can be a lethal asset on the top scoring lines. With Edmonton wanting to promote Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, it makes Nugent-Hopkins even more of an odd-man out.
THe only problem, and this is truly the only one that McKenzie brings up, is him staying healthy. Many injuries have interrupted his development and playing time, but according to McKenzie, he has the potential — and character — to move past that.
“…He’s a lot more physically mature now than he was before,” McKenzie said. “I think he’s a hell of a player.”
In Nugent-Hopkin’s longest season, which consisted of 80 games in 2013-14, he put up an impressive 56 points (19 G, 37 A) in 80 games. He also had a commanding 72 hits in that same season.
His most impressive season followed when he played four less games in 2014-15, scoring 56 points again (24 G, 42 A). He delivered a career-high 92 hits, and proved outstanding for Edmonton. This year, his season was cut to 55 games thanks to a broken hand. In this short time, he put up 34 points (12 G, 22 A) and was one of the best offensive players for the Oilers.
When it comes to Nugent-Hopkins, he will get a great return, and will take $6 million in salary off Edmonton’s cap (unless the return costs that much). He could get an incredibly valuable piece, such as one from the defensively-stacked St. Louis Blues who need some centres in the mix. He could also get back more than just a defenseman, but a forward as well. There are many teams that would be interested in this first-overall pick: he’s still young, has a lot of potential and is proven to be great when healthy.
Next: Edmonton Oilers: Understanding the Expansion Draft
Right now, it looks like out of all the forwards, Baby Nuge is the odd man out, thanks to his potential, great skill and value.