To follow up on previous bottom-dwelling team potential trade targets for the Edmonton Oilers I have been doing, in this article, I have picked the team that is currently at the bottom of the Pacific Division. If you want to take a look at the other teams I have done so far here are the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks.
Anaheim Ducks 37 Points(16-29-5)
The Anaheim Ducks are a team that can’t seem to get things going again after having a long stretch where there was one of the teams to beat in the Pacific. They have also recently made some poor choices lately. Trading Josh Mason and giving up Shea Theodore in the expansion draft has really hurt their blue line. This could be something the Edmonton Oilers could exploit.
The Edmonton Oilers have a pretty solid amount of depth in the defence position. They could use that as a bargaining chip if they were to look at making a deal with the Ducks. The problem is that the Edmonton Oilers need to add a skilled defenceman, and the Ducks only have a few that they may consider moving.
John Klingberg(6G-11A)
This offseason John Klingberg signed a one-year “show me” deal with the Anaheim Ducks. I assume he hoped he would have a good season and then another team would offer him big money this coming offseason.
So far that has not been the case for Klingberg. Being part of a bad team usually will have an effect on your stats. After 42 games Klingberg only has 17 points. He is not going to get very much money if he doesn’t improve those numbers.
This is where the Edmonton Oilers come in. Like I said above it’s hard to get points on a bad team, but it’s easy to get them on a good team. The Edmonton Oilers are a good team. This could be a relationship that benefits both the player and the team.
If Klingberg comes in and has success then he could get the big money he was looking for. If he has the success he wants that also means the Edmonton Oilers are doing good as a team.
Adam Henrique(18G-12A)
Adam Henrique for me would be a sneaky good pickup for the Edmonton Oilers if the Ducks are willing to move him. He has the ability to play in all aspects of the game and in any position of your lineup.
He would have a similar role to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but he is slightly bigger and stronger. I think that Henrique is a poor mans Ryan O’Reilly. He is a solid two-way player that has an above 50% faceoff win percentage.
He is also a player that can move around in your lineup. He could play top 6 minutes or bottom 6 and he can adapt to play that type of game. The big question for him is if the Ducks would be open to trading him away.
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Edmonton Oilers Need To Trade With A Rebuilding Team
With most teams at the bottom of the league, the Anaheim Ducks are trying to rebuild. This is the type of team the Edmonton Oilers will need to try and take advantage of. The Edmonton Oilers have a fairly full shelf of picks and prospects to bring in a rebuilding team’s top players.
The question around these picks and prospects is how much Ken Holland is willing to mortgage the future for a chance to win now. Only time will tell on that front, but I hope he doesn’t go too far.