Edmonton Oilers: A Trade For Problem Children Part Two
By Phil Gretzky
Can the Edmonton Oilers make any changes and get rid of some players that don’t fit into the future plans of this franchise?
Edmonton Oilers: We’ve already made one trade of problem children when we traded away Ryan Strome for Ryan Spooner as I wrote about here. But there’s another problem child trade we could make – if we can pull it off. Here it is:
To Edmonton: James Neal To Calgary: Milan Lucic
I may have done a bit of foreshadowing with the image, but you may not have figured that out until you read this just now, so maybe not. This is one that will occur later on in the season, maybe even at the trade deadline.
Anyway, here’s why this trade works for the Oilers:
1. We’re a bit lacking in scoring from the right side
It’s no secret that RW hasn’t rolled out the way we expected – hey, I wrote about that here too: https://oilonwhyte.com/2018/11/12/edmonton-oilers-right-winger-issues/
It seems like the expectation at the beginning of the season was to roll out with both Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto flanking the top 6 on the starboard side.
In theory, it would work as both would be flanked by more experienced personnel on the other sides of the puck, but as we all know by now, that’s not how it worked out.
The problem has been exacerbated by the injury of Tobias Rieder, who is equipped to play both wings.
Pulujujarvi, of course, is back up with the Oilers now, and although he’s done well in a whopping two games since he’s been back, that’s a short sample size, and he may, in fact, have to go back down to Bakersfield, at this point we don’t know for sure.
Alex Chiasson has been the surprise of the early going, come here on a PTO as an afterthought in training camp, but then winning a spot and not just winning but thriving, playing the right side on lines centered by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nuge and has produced with all 3.