Is Nikita Zadorov The Answer For The Edmonton Oilers?

According to reports Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov has requested a trade. Could Zadorov be the answer for the Edmonton Oilers?

So far this season Alberta teams have been off to a pretty slow start. The Edmonton Oilers are tied for last place in the league with the San Jose Sharks, while the Calgary Flames are doing slightly better than them with 5 more points.

The news of Zadorov wanting a trade out of Calgary doesn’t come as much of a surprise as the team is doing badly and he is a UFA at the end of the season. He would likely be traded at the deadline, so he is speeding up the process.

This Is The Perfect Type Of Deal For The Edmonton Oilers?

Right now the Edmonton Oilers need to mix something up to turn their season around and a trade is one of the top options for doing that. The problem is when you are a struggling team you are dealing from a position of weakness.

A player requesting a trade also puts the team in a position of weakness. This is the perfect scenario for both teams. No team will have the upper hand in a deal between the Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.

The only thing that may hinder this trade is trading within the division. It is always a last resort to trade within your division as the player could come back to bite you as you play them much more often than an out-of-division team.

That being said, both of these teams have something to gain from this deal. The Edmonton Oilers can shift up their defensive attitude on the blueline and the Calgary Flames would get rid of a player who doesn’t want to be on their team.

What Would The Trade Look Like?

In a salary cap world trades can be difficult to make as not only do both teams need to agree on the players/picks going back and forth, but the money also needs to work. Zadorov has a cap hit of $3.75 million. So at least that much has to go back the other way.

I would say if the Oilers bring in Zadorov then they would likely send Brett Kulak and a bottom-six forward like Mattias Janmark the other way. I also think some picks would be included to even things up a bit.

I would say this deal would help both teams out. It would hopefully shock some sense into the whole Edmonton Oilers roster. It would also move Zadorov of the Flames organization a player who doesn’t want to be there.