Edmonton Oilers: No Hamonic, No Problem

The Edmonton Oilers made a long-anticipated trade with the Islanders this past week. However, it wasn’t the deal that many thought they would see.

Jordan Eberle was unsurprisingly shipped out to Brooklyn; however, the return wasn’t what was expected. Eberle was dealt for Ryan Strome in a player-for-player trade, and the relentless Travis Hamonic rumors came to an end. The move was simply made to free up cap space, and allowed the Oilers to re-sign Kris Russell to a four-year extension.

Days later, Hamonic was shipped out to Calgary in exchange for draft picks. Considering Hamonic’s asking price wasn’t too high, many Oilers fans were curious as to why Edmonton didn’t make a move for him. The right-handed, puck-moving defenceman seemed like just the player Edmonton needed. But in the end, Edmonton is better off without him.

Oilers Already Have Defence

Sure, while Andrej Sekera is out injured for 6-9 months, and Edmonton needs more depth, the Oilers already possess the right pieces to cope.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers strengthened the right side of their defence corps this past season by trading Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. Though he wasn’t a power-play quarterback, let alone a puck-mover, the Oilers got a more physical, stronger and smarter defenceman. With Larsson leading the defence corps, Edmonton’s defence became bigger and improved tremendously.

Behind Larsson, the Oilers got a strong shot-blocker out of Kris Russell and finally built a strong top-four. Of course, they also rounded out their blue line with an outstanding breakout year for NCAA free agent signing Matthew Benning. The 23-year-old showed remarkable puck-moving potential and was a solid player on the backend.

The Oilers already have quality defence on the right side. Instead of getting an expensive veteran player like Hamonic, they should put faith in the pieces they already have. Not to mention, giving Benning more minutes and allowing him to move into a top-four role will give him confidence. If they need more depth, they can sign a bottom-pairing defenceman in free agency and trust Benning to step up.

Hamonic’s Decline

With a poor showing this past season, Hamonic didn’t prove to be the top-four, power-play quarterback he’s capable of being. In an injury-ridden season where he played just 49 games, Hamonic finished with just three goals and 14 points and was a minus-21.

The 26-year-old also struggled defensively, averaging .79 giveaways per game. Though he posted 58 hits and 108 shot blocks, Hamonic wasn’t the smartest with the puck and didn’t post the best possession metrics.

Hamonic has been similar to Russell, and the Oilers already have that piece of the puzzle. Adding Hamonic on the right side may give the Oilers a puck-mover, but the high-scoring totals are something that Oilers fans should not expect; his career year was in 2014-15, where he posted 33 points.

Next: Edmonton Oilers Win Big at 2017 NHL Entry Draft

Bottom Line

With a cap hit of nearly $4 million per year, Hamonic was not the player Edmonton needed. This missed opportunity is a blessing in disguise: Edmonton can now invest more faith and minutes in their youth.