3 Oilers Trade Deadline Rumors We’re Glad That Never Happened

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A week and a half had passed after the NHL trade deadline. There were plenty of trades that happened even before the trade deadline that left most of us excited about our team. One of the teams that were busy before the deadline was the Edmonton Oilers who were able to address some of their needs in order to stay on pace with the wide-open West Division.

We are elated to see the additions the Oilers were able to make considering how restricted they were due to the cap restraint they face. General Manager Ken Holland did a fantastic job maneuvering around the cap and being able to move money out in order to acquire a much-needed player/s in the lineup. Although it was bittersweet to see some of the Oilers players go like Jesse Puljujarvi and Tyson Barrie, it was more of a casualty due to cap rather than the players’ performance on the ice.

Oilers Management Made Moves, But The Right Ones

It was great to see Edmonton management do something to aid what has been a historic year for superstar Connor McDavid. It would have been disastrous to watch the Oilers sit on their thumb and do absolutely nothing at the deadline. Even with all the moves the Oilers were able to create, some of these trade rumours leading into the deadline some of us wanted to happen, and some were reluctant to see them don an Oilers jersey. Part of the reason why we want some of these players here is due to the name value that we salivate and dream about what they can do on ice with McDavid and Draistl. However, after the dust had settled, here are 3 players that were linked with the Oilers that we are glad never happened.

CHICAGO, IL – FEBRUARY 25: Partick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks fires a shot against the Nashville Predators at the United Center on February 25, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Predators defeated the Blackhawks 3-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

RW Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane was the subject of trade rumours even during the offseason, and it carried all the way through this season’s trade deadline as the Chicago Blackhawks enter its rebuilding mode. Those Kane rumours included a link to the Edmonton Oilers, and at first, we immediately jumped on the idea of what Kane can do alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draistl. Although Kane’s productive years are already behind him, he can be a lethal scoring addition to what has already been the most deadly in the league this year.

Fast-forward to the current, and Kane is now a member of the New York Rangers, a team Kane wanted to join. It was a long shot to acquire Patty Kane at the deadline as he only wished to go to the Rangers, and we are relieved that the Oilers did not put the trigger on it if they were even presented with the opportunity. There are a lot of moving parts to be able to trade for Kane as he is still owed $10.5 million this season. Although we saw that Ken Holland can maneuver himself well from their cap restriction, this is one addition that the Oilers did not need at the deadline.

Oilers are already one of the top-scoring teams in the league, and adding Kane will indeed catapult them to a juggernaut in terms of scoring, however, that will inhibit Edmonton to address some of the needs they desperately need, which is defence. A sigh of relief for most of us that this trade rumour did not materialize at the deadline, as the Oilers were able to address a glaring need on their defence instead.

DENVER, COLORADO – MARCH 7: Erik Karlsson #65 of the San Jose Sharks skates against the Colorado Avalanche in a game at Ball Arena on March 7, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

RD Erik Karlsson

This trade rumour had some wheels right until the deadline, even after the Oilers were able to acquire right-hand defenseman Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators, the Erik Karlsson to Edmonton Oilers did not stop. How could it? The idea of Karlsson quarterbacking the Oilers’ power play which is already tops in the league is mouthwatering. However, trading for Karlsson during the deadline did not make much sense for the Oilers to pull the trigger.

Could Edmonton have done it? Absolutely! But it would take a ton of navigating from Holland just to make it work as Karlsson is signed through the 2026-2027 season with a massive cap hit of $11.5 million. In order for the Oilers to be able to make this deal, they have to convince San Jose to retain some of Karlsson’s salary and convince another team to acquire part of Karlsson’s salary as well. That is a lot of maneuvering for one transaction to make.

The Karlsson to Edmonton trade might get revisited in the offseason, but for now, the Oilers did not have enough cap space to squeeze in the rejuvenated defenseman to their lineup. This trade rumour will be the one that will linger all throughout this year.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 30: Vladislav Gavrikov #4 of the Columbus Blue Jackets backs into Fabian Zetterlund #49 of the New Jersey Devils during the second period at the Prudential Center on October 30, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

LD Vladislav Gavrikov

Coming into this year’s trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers were in desperate need of defence. They were linked to multiple defensemen, from the aforementioned, Erik Karlsson, to Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun, all the way to Columbus Blue Jacket’s defenseman, Vladislav Gavrikov. With the limitations the Oilers had due to their cap, they had trouble trying to add Karlsson or Chychrun to their team, which pointed everyone to zero in on Gavrikov. However, most were not thrilled to hear about that rumour as Gavrikov was very vocal that he will not re-sign with the Oilers if he gets traded here.

We sure understand that the main focus for Edmonton is to compete for the cup this year but also, but they want continued stability if they trade for a player at the deadline. Maybe leading to the deadline, the Jackets’ asking price for their defenseman was high for Holland and the Oilers to pull the trigger. No matter what the circumstances were, we are relieved that Gavrikov did not end up in Edmonton, where he for sure does not want to be. Too bad he ended up with the Pacific division rival, LA Kings, but nevertheless, Edmonton Oilers made the right decision on not trading for Gavrikov.

Next. The Morning After: Edmonton Oilers vs Ottawa Senators. dark

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