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Edmonton Oilers: Should Jordan Eberle Really Be On the Block

By Sammi Silber |
Jan 21, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers right wing Jordan Eberle (14) celebrates after scoring a goal against Calgary Flames goalie Brian Elliott (1) during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers right wing Jordan Eberle (14) celebrates after scoring a goal against Calgary Flames goalie Brian Elliott (1) during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The 2016-17 season did not start off the way Edmonton Oilers winger Jordan Eberle hoped it would.

Eberle appeared sluggish to start the season. The 26-year-old had just 11 goals through the first half of the season and was shooting off target. With the veteran winger struggling, many wondered if he had a future with the team.

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    • Still, despite his slump, the Oilers only recently demoted Eberle to the bottom-six. Alongside Drake Caggiula and Milan Lucic, Eberle seemed to get the message: he wasn’t doing well.

    Since then, he has seemed to improve. There is more stride in his game and appears to be more willing to step up and increase his effort. Eberle has six points in his last four games and has points in three of those last four contests. In the Oilers’ most recent win over Calgary, Eberle had a four-point night and was the biggest asset for the team.

    With that in mind, should the Oilers really be considering dealing away one of their longest-tenured core members?

    Benefits

    There are a few benefits when it comes to the possibility of shipping out Eberle. First off, the Oilers still have a few areas where they can improve. They do seem to need more depth when it comes to wingers; Anton Lander and Anton Slepyshev aren’t exactly quality scorers. And with Jujhar Khaira injured, Edmonton would benefit from more depth on the bottom-six.

    That is why I could see Edmonton dealing Eberle in exchange for more depth wingers. Or, the Oilers could get a quality top-six winger and possibly a couple of picks. In addition, Edmonton could trade Eberle in exchange for a top-four defender, giving them more insurance on the backend.

    Cons

    Eberle seems to be finding his stride and improving his shooting. Of late, he has been hitting the net and driving into the offensive zone. With him finally reinventing himself, the Oilers need to allow Eberle to break out of his funk.

    If they don’t, they will lose him and possibly get back a more sluggish return. With this in mind, Eberle could thrive elsewhere, and the Oilers would lose a top-six performer and get someone who doesn’t necessarily keep up and fill his void.

    The bottom line is that Eberle finally showing effort is a good sign that increases his value; but unless the return is a quality one, he should remain with the team.

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