3 Oilers to trade from the current roster for a goaltender
Looking at three potential trade options from the current roster, to help the Edmonton Oilers resolve their goaltending issues.
In recent games, Stuart Skinner has been holding down the fort for the Edmonton Oilers while they continue their ongoing search for his goaltending partner. Overall, he has provided some mixed results so far, with stellar games mixed in with some mediocre ones. Nevertheless, at least Skinner has gone 5-2 in his last six starts, keeping the team afloat for now.
How long Skinner could keep it up remains to be seen however. The Oilers desperately need some help behind the pipes to work in tandem with him in the long run for the team to be successful.
Recently, we had suggested the idea of trading potential prospects in the Oilers system to help accomplish their goal. However, with their pipeline of prospects on the relatively weak side compared to other teams in the NHL, it might not be enough to get them a goalie of decent quality.
Perhaps the Oilers can look to some of their players on the current roster instead, to see if they would be more attractive trade chips for opposing teams to consider. In that case, who from their everyday lineup could be made available to help them net their much-needed backup goalie? Here, we take a look at three potential players that could get the job done:
Ryan McLeod
As a former second-round selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Ryan McLeod needed a couple of years of development before finally making his debut with the Oilers during the 2020-21 season. Last year, he put together his strongest season to date, with 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 57 games played.
McLeod also added five assists in 12 playoff games, as the Oilers reached the second round. In doing so, he received a two-year contract extension from the team this past offseason with an AAV of $2.1 million.
However, McLeod has struggled coming out of the gate so far for the Oilers in 2023-24. In 19 total games, he has yet to register a goal, and has only four helpers to show for.
At 24 combined with his contract, McLeod could be an intriguing prospect to be developed further on a young and growing team. Furthermore, with his primary position being centre, he should be enticing to any team lacking depth down the middle.
Philip Broberg
As a former eighth overall pick from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Philip Broberg has yet to live up to his first-round status potential thus far in his tenure with the Oilers. Known for both his size and speed, he hasn’t been able to translate it into on-ice dominance.
In 79 career games over three seasons with the Oilers, Broberg has posted only two goals and nine assists for 11 points. In general, his play on the blue line has yet to see him receive top-four minutes on a consistent basis with the team.
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Even when partnered with the experienced Mattias Ekholm early in the 2023-24 season, Broberg’s game failed to take off as expected, with him held pointless in ten games to date. As a result, he has seen time in the press box more often than not, which doesn’t bode well for the growth and development of his game.
At just 22 years of age, patience remains the key for Broberg, but the Oilers unfortunately may not have that in their current struggling state. As a result, he could be a key piece in the trade puzzle in their pursuit for a suitable backup goaltender.
Vincent Desharnais
For Oilers’ defenceman Vincent Desharnais, he has sure come a long way since being selected in the seventh round (183rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. After spending a prolonged period in developing his game in college, the ECHL and the AHL, he finally made it to the big show last season.
Desharnais suited up for 36 games in total during the 2023-23 season. He certainly didn’t look out of place in his rookie debut season with the Oilers, putting up 31 PIM along with maintaining a +15.
Desharnais’ biggest strength is his enormous size, towering around six foot seven and weighing in at 226 pounds. He uses it to his advantage in stopping the opposition rushes, along with dishing out punishing hits and roughing it up with his opponent once in a while.
This season, Desharnais has even shown to help tilt the ice in the Oilers’ favour whenever he takes the ice five-on-five with a CF% of 55.5% and an expected goals rate of 56.8%. That is the type of defenceman who could be highly coveted by many teams, so even though he may be a bottom-pairing/extra defenceman on the Oilers’ roster, he could possibly net the team a surprising return to help solve their backup goaltending issues in the long run.
(All stats from naturalststtrick.com)
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Of course, the Oilers shouldn’t be expecting to land a star-calibre goaltender with the aforementioned players as their main trade chip. However, with their skills and potential still waiting to be untapped, a decent, solid goalie in return wouldn’t be out of the question.