The Frustration Tracker: NHL Insiders on the Edmonton Oilers
/Track what NHL Insiders are saying daily about the Edmonton Oilers - particularly as it relates to potential trade activity and/or organizational shakeups - with regular updates on this page.
Dec 2, 2014: LeBrun: "Oilers have gone fairly down the road" on trade talks
Pierre LeBrun, on if he’s suggesting it’ll be status quo for the Oilers for awhile, based on a conversation he just had with a source in the front office:
“Well, I never want to say never because, and this isn’t a cop-out, but literally one phone call changes everything. But I will tell you that as of five minutes ago (laughs) that there was nothing on the table from teams that was making a whole lot of sense.
“I will say that the Oilers have gone fairly down the road with a couple of teams on a couple of scenarios that if those teams were willing to see Edmonton’s way on a couple of those things then yeah, those deals could happen, but those teams aren’t willing to do that right now.
“And I think the question everyone is asking, of course, is what about the coach? And my understanding of the situation is that Craig MacTavish is a huge backer of Dallas Eakins and that would not be his first move. It may not even be his second or third move. Which may surprise a lot of people. I think a lot of people look at that team and feel like the players are playing like they want the coach fired, but I’m telling you the GM does not believe that’s the best move at this point.”
Dec 2, 2014: McKenzie: "Some conversations" between Flyers, Oilers on trades
Bob McKenzie, on if the disappointing Philadelphia Flyers will make some moves:
“So there might be a fit there with Edmonton. It’s hard to say. I know there’s been some conversation earlier and Philadelphia is looking for some offense, as you mentioned, some scoring wingers. Edmonton is looking for some center ice help. Philly’s got some depth at that position. They play Brayden Schenn, who is a center, on the left wing. Over the last year or two, we’ve heard his name linked to Edmonton a number of times.
“So we’ll see if there’s a potential fit there. I know there were some conversations earlier this season, but nothing got done. So I’m not sure where it stands at this moment in time.”
Dec 2, 2014: Dreger: MacTavish would trade Eberle "in a heartbeat"
Darren Dreger, on the spot in which Craig MacTavish finds himself:
“But let’s just look at management for a second. MacTavish is in an impossible spot now. Because he has been working hard. We keep saying that. We keep patting him on the back for doing that, and I know he’s working hard, but I also know there are no general managers in the NHL that are offering up players to do the Oilers any favors. So I’m sure he’s got numerous calls on Taylor Hall, likely on Jordan Eberle. The key components of that core. And I’m not suggesting he wouldn’t trade Jordan Eberle. I think he would in a heartbeat, if the return was fair. It’s not fair. It’s not. It’s the vultures circling over and above who are just simply trying to pick his pocket. Well, you can’t make a deal like that.
“As bad as it is for the Edmonton Oilers, as bad as it is for their fan base, MacTavish just has to stand pat and hope the players show enough pride around that core in that dressing room to work on the details. To execute better than they did. And until then? Unless Daryl Katz tells Bob Nicholson to tell Kevin Lowe to tell Craig MacTavish to fire Dallas Eakins, I don’t think we can expect anything in front office change.”
Dec 2, 2014: Dreger: MacTavish would trade Eberle "in a heartbeat"
Darren Dreger, On Craig MacTavish:
“And MacTavish, trust me when I tell you, I’ve talked to him a number of times over the last month or so and I spoke to him at length last week. He knows what the areas of concern are. But you can’t throw Jordan Eberle out there in a trade if you’re not getting something valuable in return. Something that’s going to make a difference. And right now, that’s the problem - there’s not enough free money in the system where you can just make a trade. And if you’re the Oilers and you can cleanly see that you’re not a playoff team this year, do you trade that piece of the core – Jordan Eberle – when you might get a lot more for him in the offseason...”
Dec 1, 2014: LeBrun: Oilers' MacTavish exploring trades with multiple teams
Pierre LeBrun, on the Columbus Blue Jackets losing Artem Anisimov, who was linked to David Perron in trade talks, for several months due to injury:
“Yeah, I mean I don’t know. At the end of the day, there were other names involved in those talks with Columbus and there are other teams the Oilers have been talking to as well. So it’s sort of – there’s a lot of moving targets here and why there hasn’t been a trade quite yet – I mean, obviously the Oilers haven’t been able to find that fit.
“But you’ve got to be careful here. I know that talking to GMs over the years, you hate making a trade when you’re at your lowest. Because it’s not a position of strength. It often can lead to the type of move that in retrospect looks like a panic move. So you’ve got to be careful.
“The one thing you can do during this period when the team is last in the league like this, until they start winning games, you can bring conversations far enough along – and this is something you see often – that when the glare is off and the team wins a few games and people aren’t quite expecting something, then you can go back and finish some of those conversations you’ve brought pretty far down the road with other teams. And that’s something you see often. You’ll see a team finish a trade that actually started two months ago, but kind of got put on the, ‘Let’s let this simmer, revisit it. Let’s see where your team is and our team is.’ And certainly, I think the Oilers have at least done that over the last few weeks in terms of the conversations they’ve had.”
Nov 28, 2014: LeBrun: Flyers, Jackets could be fit for Oilers on trade front
Pierre LeBrun, on the Edmonton Oilers and which changes may be afoot to get this team headed in the right direction:
“Well, I mean, they’ve been talking to a number of teams. The Columbus part of it obviously is out there. Philadelphia could be an interesting partner with the Flyers losing again today. And by the way, I watched that game and they looked terrible. And I just wonder how long GM Ron Hextall is just going to accept that. He kind of reamed them out recently. There was a players-only meeting and I’ll tell you, I’m not sure the last time I saw the Flyers play a worse game than they did today in that 3-0 loss to the Rangers. So who knows? Between the Flyers and the Jackets, is there a fit there for Edmonton? There has certainly been talk.
“And this is quite the crossroads moments, I think, for Craig MacTavish in Edmonton because there’s certainly more than one hole in the dam to fix. But not much room for error. This team needs help on defense. It needs help at centre. And more than anything, it needs help in goal. So there’s a lot to do, and can’t afford any more mistakes at this point.”
Nov 28, 2014: Friedman: Oilers' Perron on trade block "longer than I realized"
Elliotte Friedman, on a potential David Perron trade with Columbus or elsewhere:
“Anisimov would be an interesting one. I did hear that Columbus was not eager to give him up because even if you have two centres – I mean, Dubinsky’s got a big-time injury history and you can never have enough centres in this league, there’s no question about that. I don’t think they’re that keen to give him up.
“When I wrote it a couple of days ago, I did think that there was a chance that Perron could get moved pretty quickly. I think that’s cooled a little bit now, and I think there’s a couple of reasons for it.
“No. 1, one of the things that I’ve kind of learned in the middle of all of this since running that is that I think Perron has been on the block longer than I realized. I think Edmonton has sort of been fishing on him a little bit. I think teams like L.A. were contacted. I think a few other teams were contacted. I think teams would have been interested in Perron, or might have a desire for Perron, they’ve known for a little bit of time that he’s available. So that’s No. 1.
“No. 2, I think that while there is interest in him – if you’re going to make a trade with Edmonton, do you want to do it now, or do you want to wait to see what else becomes available? And my question is, if you think you want to make a deal with them... they want something they can look at and say, ‘This makes a difference for us.’
“I think other teams kind of look at it and say, ‘If we do that, do we want to make it in a deal for David Perron, or do we want to see who else becomes available?’
“I think the name a lot of people are talking about there is Eberle. If you’re looking for a winger... are teams saying, ‘I’ll wait to see when he becomes available, if he becomes available.’ I think that’s part of it too.”
Nov 28, 2014: Friedman: Bruins, Flyers, Blues interested in Oilers' Eberle
Elliotte Friedman, on the Edmonton Oilers and Jordan Eberle:
“I think what they’re going to end up doing, and this is a guess for me, is they’re going to see how this all plays out. And then in the off-season, they’ll see where they end up. They’ll see what they get in the draft. And they’ll kind of make their decisions from there.
“I think if they ever put, say, Eberle on the market, I think there would be a lot of teams who would be interested that may not be able to make the move now. Like Boston. Like Philadelphia. St. Louis I think is a team that would definitely be interested. I think there would be even more.
“But I think for some of those teams, are you limiting yourself, in terms of what you can do right now, because of cap reasons. And I think if you’re going to trade that player - and the Oilers have been pretty clear it’s not going to be cornerstone guys - if you’re going to trade that player you have to make sure you can target everybody you want to target and I’m not sure they’re going to be able to do that right now.”
Nov 28, 2014: Friedman: Perron trade timeline cooled; "A lot of teams" covet Eberle
Elliotte Friedman, on an update on the David Perron trade, which had seemed to be close the other day:
“I think it did cool a bit. I was really certain a couple of days ago he was going to get dealt. I still think he’s going to get traded, it just may not be as quick as the timeline I originally presented.
“I think there’s a couple of things going on. No. 1, I don’t think they’re – right now, when you’re desperate, it’s harder to make a good trade and I think they want to be careful. I don’t think they’re getting as much as they had hoped in terms of offers.
“That’s No. 1. And No. 2, I think it was a pretty wild week in Edmonton. They had that terrible game last Saturday night against Chicago. On Sunday, I think there was a lot of soul-searching. ‘We’ve got to tear it down a bit here.’ And I think during the week they kind of went through some other thinking, like, ‘This is a dangerous time for us. We can make the kind of bad trade that sets us back even further.’ So I think they kind of put the brakes on it a little bit and said, ‘Let’s really think this thing through.’
“I think there’s a lot of teams trying to find out if they would deal Eberle. I think Edmonton is in a point of view where if we’re going to deal one of our core players – I don’t think they really want to – they’re going to sit down there and think is now the right time to do it, or do you wait until the summer, when there’s more teams that maybe have the cap room to make the move, and let’s let not make a decision that hurts us even more even long term.”
Nov 27, 2014: Dreger on possibility of Perron to Penguins or Canadiens
Darren Dreger, on any potential interest from the Canadiens or Penguins in David Perron:
"Potentially, for sure. Pittsburgh absolutely is looking for a top-six forward and so that process probably has been amplified with the loss of Pascal Dupuis long-term. But anyone who watched the Penguins and the Leafs last night, all of the sudden you’ve got Blake Comeau, who’s kicked into high gear and he’s really giving the Penguins some offense. So I wouldn’t say that it’s an urgent matter in Pittsburgh just yet, but this is something that Rutherford most definitely is looking for.
“I don’t know that David Perron is on his radar, but what I do know is Rutherford is one of those guys that he’ll make a list of available players, and players that he likes, and he’ll just continue to tick down that list until he finds the right fit.
“So the hockey world knows David Perron is available. And David Perron sure expects to be traded, but I don’t think there’s any sort of official timeline as to when that might happen.”
Nov 27, 2014: Dreger: "Holding pattern" between Oilers, Blue Jackets on trade
Darren Dreger, on the status of a trade between the Oilers and Blue Jackets:
"It seems to be in a holding pattern. I think that there were very substantive discussions on both Perron and Anisimov. From a Columbus standpoint, with great respect to David Perron, a one-for-one probably doesn’t get it done. Trading centres is difficult in-season because they’re so highly-sought after. So I think it would take a bit more than that. Maybe that is why it hasn’t wrapped up yet.
“There could also be some of those pieces involved in other deals that Craig MacTavish is working on. We know that he’s working on a lot of them. Acquiring a centre has been a primary focus, but as you guys can tell, the top priority is a goaltender. And maybe a bigger deal includes a goaltender. There’s not a goaltender who can step in right now and make a difference for the Oilers. Certainly somebody they who they believe is going to develop as a goaltender who’s going to be a legitimate No. 1. I’m sure they thought the same of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth, and it hasn’t worked out that way.
“But I think that MacTavish is obviously open to almost anything and many irons are in the fire. But he’s also delivered a message to his group that, ‘Look, I know everyone is tired of having to be patient, but don’t expect help on the short term.’
“But that doesn’t mean that he won’t get a call today to say, ‘Look, we’re ready to make this move.’ And he makes that deal.”
Nov 26, 2025 McKenzie: Oilers eyeing Blues' Berglund, Flyers' Schenn
Bob McKenzie, on in what scenario Patrik Berglund would head to the Oilers via trade:
“Yeah, see, that’s a tough fit. Because, I mean, If David Perron is one of the chips you’re using – David Perron, that’s where they got him from - St. Louis. St. Louis does not want David Perron back. So Patrik Berglund is a guy that has been identified by the Edmonton Oilers as somebody that they would like. They’ve also got their eye on a guy that we’ll see in our game tonight – Brayden Schenn – who plays left wing for the Philadelphia Flyers, but could easily go back to his natural position of centre.
“The question then becomes is there a fit with these teams for those players and do they want to give them up. I think Patrik Berglund is a marketable asset for the St. Louis Blues at this point. I’m not convinced that Ron Hextall and the Philadelphia Flyers necessarily want to give up Brayden Schenn.”
Nov 26, 2014: Dreger on trade talk with Flyers, Oilers, Leafs, Jets
Darren Dreger, on which teams are active on the NHL trade front:
“The Philadelphia Flyers are definitely hungry, so maybe there’s a fit between Philadelphia and Edmonton.”
Nov 26, 2014: McKenzie: Talks "cooled off a little bit" between Oilers, Blue Jackets
Bob McKenzie, on what the next move is for the Oilers:
"There’s no question general manager Craig MacTavish is talking to teams. Last night, it seemed to be hot and heavy with the Columbus Blue Jackets. A potential deal that would send David Perron to Columbus in exchange for centre Artem Anisimov. That seems to have cooled off a little bit. Not dead by any stretch, I don’t think. But I think the Columbus Blue Jackets have moved on to other things... they were unable to consummate something as quickly as some of us thought would happen. So they’ll continue to look at their options.
“But there’s no question MacTavish is looking for a goaltender. There’s no question he’s looking for a centre. And, I mean, he wouldn’t turn his nose up at a good defenceman either.“
Nov 26, 2014: Dreger: Oilers have shown past interest in Sens' Lehner
Darren Dreger, on if there’s any scenario where the Oilers would be knocking on the door of the Senators, who have two capable goaltenders:
"I know that the Oilers have had interest in Robin Lehner in the past. But that’ll come as no surprise. A lot of teams expressed interest in Robin Lehner. Bryan Murray and the management of the Ottawa Senators also still believe that there is terrific upside in Robin Lehner and you’ve got a real good tandem there with Craig Anderson slightly leading the way.
“I don’t know that MacTavish and Bryan Murray have spoken recently on Robin Lehner, but I’d be real surprised if there wasn’t some dialog historically on that front.”
Nov 26, 2014: Dreger: "Substantive" talks between Oilers, Blue Jackets
Darren Dreger, on the Oilers, the Blue Jackets, David Perron, Artem Anisimov, and if he’s heard anything new:
"Not really, and I mean those conversations were substantive. I wouldn’t say they were really getting close to closing in on that deal, but, I mean, the players have been identified in terms of the interest going both sides.
“And you can understand why Jarmo Kekalainen and John Davidson would show interest in David Perron. They had him on the St. Louis Blues. And obviously the Edmonton Oilers need a centre. I just can’t believe the Columbus Blue Jackets would make that deal one-for-one. So maybe that’s what holding it up. They’re probably looking for, if not a little bit more, maybe even a lot more from the Edmonton Oilers to close on that deal. But that’s one of many irons that Craig MacTavish has in the fire.”
Nov 26, 2014: LeBrun on Oilers, Blue Jackets, trade talks, Perron
Pierre LeBrun, on the Edmonton Oilers and trade discussions:
“General manager Craig MacTavish is working the phones, no question about it, sources around the league confirmed to ESPN.com, and specifically one source confirmed that Edmonton has talked to the Columbus Blue Jackets about a potential deal.”
On David Perron specifically:
"No question Perron’s name has also come up in talks with other teams as well, sources say. He seems destined to be moved."
Nov 26, 2014: McKenzie: Canadiens not good fit for Oilers on trade front
Bob McKenzie, on the possibility of seeing David Perron traded to the Montreal Canadiens:
"Well, what I would say is I don’t see a fit between the Oilers and the Canadiens. I think the primary focus for Craig MacTavish – I’ve got to be careful how I use the word ‘primary’ because when you’re as bad as the Oilers are right now and you’ve got goaltending woes and you’ve got defensemen underachieving and you’re playing a borderline NHLer in Mark Arcobello and a kid in Leon Draisaitl as potentially on any given night your No. 2 and No. 3 centres, you’ve got lots of holes to fill.
“But if centre is the area that Craig MacTavish is trying to address, and trying to parlay – the strength they’ve got is they’ve got a surplus of wingers in Edmonton – then I’m not sure Montreal is a good trading partner because right now, they don’t have a good centre that would be a natural fit for the Edmonton Oilers. But we’ll see what happens over the course of the day."
Nov 26, 2014: McKenzie: Serious trade talks between Oilers, Blue Jackets
Bob McKenzie, on trade talks with the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets:
"There’s lots of talks going on between Edmonton and Columbus, as well as Edmonton and a lot of other teams. One of the things the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets have been discussing and discussing seriously over the last little while is a trade that would send David Perron to Columbus, possibly in exchange for Artem Anisimov – a centre that would really help the Edmonton Oilers.
“It’s a tough trade in some ways for Columbus to make because Anisimov gives them good depth at centre. They’ve got Ryan Johansen obviously. They’ve got Mark Letestu. Normally they would have Dubinsky, although he’s coming back from injury. But I guess they feel they’re insulated at that position a little bit. If they need to they can move Boone Jenner to the middle. So Anisimov may be expendable.
“We’re not saying it’s done. We’re just saying it’s being discussed quite seriously. As far as the Oilers go, they need help in the middle of the ice and there is some talk – and it’s just talk at this point – that perhaps Columbus and Edmonton would roll this out to include bigger and more high-profile players, but it remains to be seen whether that is, in fact, the case.”
Nov 25, 2014: LeBrun: NHL trade talks "really picking up"
Pierre LeBrun, on the NHL trade scene:
"Talks are really picking up. For sure. Now sometimes, when it starts to pick up, it still takes another three to four weeks for the more complicated deals to come together, but I do sense from talking to teams around the league that the intensity in some of the communication has picked up.
“And certainly Edmonton is at the heart of it. Something’s got to give there. You would hope they won’t do something out of panic. That’s not going to help a franchise that has been spinning its wheels for eight years. For sure there’s talk with a lot of different teams involving the Oilers and we’ll see what they can get done.”
Nov 25, 2014: Friedman: "I don't know if I believe" Oilers' core available via trade
Elliotte Friedman, on what happens in Edmonton with the Oilers:
"I think they did a lot of soul-searching on Sunday after that game on Saturday night. I have been told – I’ve been told this by Craig MacTavish before and I believe it again – they want to do anything before they fire the coach. They feel that he doesn’t have the strongest roster, and they feel they’ve fired so many coaches. If MacLellan was available, would that change? I don’t know. But I don’t think that’s what they want to do.
“I think they would like to make a trade. All of the sudden, they went from the core guys not being available to suddenly the core guys maybe be available. I don’t know if I believe that. I don’t think they’re trading Taylor Hall or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Related: The Frustration Tracker: NHL Insiders on the Edmonton Oilers
“But the one thing I do think is they want to start making people uncomfortable. And I think that’s why this story came out the way it did on Sunday and Monday. I think they want their players to know, ‘If you think this is going to just be the coach and not you, that’s not the way we’re dealing with it anymore. We expect you guys to start living up to your end of the bargain.”
Nov 25, 2014: LeBrun: Teams waiting for Oilers to trade Eberle
Pierre LeBrun, on if he’s heard anything connecting David Perron trade talk and the Montreal Canadiens:
"No. No, not involving the Habs. That was news to me. I haven't heard that."
On if sooner than later, Perron and others might be leaving Edmonton:
“You know, it’s funny. We touched on this in Insider Trading... when I talk to other teams around the NHL, they’re waiting for the bigger fish to be put in the frying pan before they start taking Edmonton’s trade talk seriously. Namely Jordan Eberle. They want the big names out there.
“They’re not interested – no offense to David Perron, no offense to young Nail Yakupov. Until the Oilers – and maybe they’ll never be ready – but until they’re ready to put one of the big three guys into the fray, I’m not sure they’ll ever really entice that many teams or bring back tangible change to their roster.
“I mean, listen, David Perron is a nice, secondary player. But you’re not going to get a top centre for him. Who’s kidding who here? So, I mean, that’s interesting. And again, that’s not even - well, I guess it is my opinion, but this is what other teams are telling me, that if they call and put Eberle in play, ‘Now we’re talking. Now we’re talking turkey.’
“So that’s an interesting, I think, internal debate for Oilers management there. Of course you don’t want to trade Eberle because that’s the guy you’re building around. But you know what? If you’re really trying to bring meaningful change, you’ll probably going to have to trade one of the kids you don’t want to trade because that’s exactly one of the kids that other teams want.”
Nov 25, 2014: McKenzie on Eberle-level trade for Oilers, Yakupov's value
Bob McKenzie, on fixing the Edmonton Oilers:
“Most of the people in hockey I talk to say that if the Oil want to make an appreciable difference here, they’re going to have to trade a Jordan Eberle. They’re trying to trade David Perron. That’s not enough to make an appreciable difference in what they’re doing. You might be able to - hey, listen, he scored 28 goals, Perron did last year, so you’ve got to get something for him. But if you really want to sort of start to change the look and the feel, then Jordan Eberle would be the guy that maybe – and the problem you run into right now is everybody in the league knows where they are. The only thing people are looking to give Craig MacTavish right now is an anchor, and say, ‘Here you go. You’re in trouble. You need to make a deal.’
“And that’s why – I think he wants to make that big deal. I think in the last 24-48 hours after the Saturday night loss to the Chicago Blackhawks he probably realized, ‘You know what? That’s what I’ve got to do.’ And I think since then, he’s probably gone out and found out, ‘My goodness. I’m not sure I get the return I need right now.’ ”
On Nail Yakupov and if any GMs would be willing to take a shot at him, thinking there’s something there:
“That’s a good question. But again, it’s like buy high, sell low. I mean, right now, Yakupov is not a name that if you put it out there where every team in the league is going to come running, saying, ‘Oh, I’ve got to have me some of that.’ Because he just hasn’t developed the way you would expect a first overall pick to develop. That’s not to say that he won’t. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have value. But it’s not exactly – if this is the stock market, you’re selling low.”
Nov 25, 2014: Dreger: Perron, Petry "definitely available"
Darren Dreger, on the Oilers and if Jeff Petry and David Perron are available for trade:
“Well, Perron is definitely available. So is Jeff Petry. These are good hockey players, but they’re secondary players when you look at the core of the Oilers.
“The problem with that is it’s not like the Oilers need a tweak. They need far more than that. They need their goaltending to stabilize and I doubt very much that a goaltending coach firing is going to do that. That’s up to Scrivens and Fasth to figure it out. Defensively they have to be better than they’ve been. They’re in dire need of help up the middle of the ice. They’ve got a No. 1 and a No. 4 centre in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Boyd Gordon, and they’ve got guys playing in the No. 2 and No. 3 slot that just aren’t ready to be full-time NHL players just yet.
“So I don’t really think coaching matters. I can assure you that nobody cares more than Dallas Eakins, or for that matter Craig MacTavish, the general manager. This is about making sure the holes are properly filled and that’s what MacTavish is trying to do. But you’re not going to be able to fill those holes with either Jeff Petry or David Perron.
“And even if you were to dangle a Jordan Eberle – which is somewhat unlikely – those players are going to help you. A No. 2 centre is hard to find regardless of the player you’re willing to part with. So this is going to be a challenge for Craig MacTavish and in the meantime, I’m sure his message to his coaches is, ‘Hang in there. So put the onus on the players, based on the core that we have, and see if we can’t figure this thing out and scrape together a few wins.’ But they’re not going to fix this problem overnight.”
Nov 25, 2014: Dreger: Canadiens, Oilers not connected in trade talks
Darren Dreger, on what he’s hearing on the Oilers trade mix, and if there is any connection to the Montreal Canadiens:
“I don’t believe so Shaun, but yeah, I can tell you that Craig MacTavish has virtually scoured the league and will continue to do so. He’s got his feelers out there, and the message I’m told from other general managers is just about everyone is available. So if there’s a player of interest to you, let’s hear about it. And maybe that sparks the trade dialog and negotiation, if not on that player, then on someone else.
“I think though we need to be pretty transparent in acknowledging they’re not going to move Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They’re not moving their No. 1 centre. Obviously. Even though Taylor Hall’s name isn’t on the untouchable list, virtually he has to be untouchable. How do you replace that guy? If you trade Taylor Hall, what are you getting in return? It’s going to have to be a package that absolutely changes the outlook moving forward for the Edmonton Oilers, and I don’t see that happening.
“So now you move down another rung, and you come up with the likes of Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz potentially, Nail Yakupov another rung down. There are assets that the Edmonton Oilers can move and are willing to move. But it’s still a little bit early yet and I think that there’s enough teams that think they’re at least in the playoff hunt that they don’t want to cut bait just yet. But MacTavish is feeling the heat. He knows he needs a centre. He needs a No. 2. He needs a No. 3. And he might have to improve his goaltending as well, and a goalie coach switch isn’t going to do that, at least not immediately.”
Nov 25, 2014: Dreger: "Good chance" Eberle could be in play
Darren Dreger, on the Oilers:
“When we talk about Craig MacTavish scouring the NHL market, he’s not looking for a goaltender per say, but he is looking for a centre as he’s been looking for a centre for the past several months now, if not the past year-plus. And that market’s a difficult one to dive into because the type of centre that the Oilers would need – a No. 2, No. 3 – those guys aren’t moving for cheap. And everyone knows the situation that the Oilers are in. So when MacTavish calls, he has to dangle some bigger names – which Oilers fans can appreciate – just to get a dialog going.
On what David Perron might fetch via trade:
“Well, and see that’s the problem. The ask is for a top line centre and top line can be No. 2. We know that’s what the Oilers need. They’re not going to move Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and he’s been terrific for the most part. David Perron is not bringing back a No. 2 centre. He’s not. So you’ve got to sweeten that pot considerably. Time left on contract can be problematic. All of those things.
“Perron is one of the names that is out there, and we know that his name is out there, but maybe because of how devastating the loss to the Chicago Blackhawks was, that forced MacTavish to open things up a little bit. And that’s why I suggested via Twitter yesterday that almost no one is untouchable. But I think that 140 characters, that can be a little misleading as well. Does anyone honestly think that Taylor Hall is getting traded? No. No. Can you try and imagine the type of deal that would be required to move Taylor Hall? It would be mammoth. It would be blockbuster. It would be every other adjective you could throw because of his level of importance to the Oilers.
“But then you move down another rung on the ladder and you find names like Jordan Eberle. I think that there’s a good chance that Jordan Eberle could be in play, but what is the rate of return? And then you go to maybe Justin Schultz or a Nail Yakupov. What is the level of return? That is the problem area for Craig MacTavish. Because the return that he’s getting, at least in conversation, isn’t going to be substantive enough for him to go, ‘Okay, I’m going to move Jordan Eberle.’ Or ‘I’m going to move Justin Schultz just because I need a centre.’ He’s going to get quality back if he’s giving quality, so this may take some time.”
Nov 24, 2014: Dreger: "Level of urgency" elevated for MacTavish, Oilers
Darren Dreger, on his sense of how long aggressive roster changes may take for the Oilers, and who may be in play:
“Well, if you’d asked me this question last week obviously, I would have answered it in a similar fashion. Because I know that Craig MacTavish has been looking for centres. He’s been looking for help on the blueline. He’s been kicking tires on trying to improve the quality of goaltending in Edmonton.
“But it was now expedited by how bad they were versus the Chicago Blackhawks. And so that’s the black mark on the organization and on this team, and that has elevated MacTavish’s level of urgency. So he’s, cliché making his calls and taking calls, but when I tweeted out this morning - and I was openly criticized, no big deal - by Oilers’ faithful when I said, ‘Look, he’s willing to listen to just about anything. And almost everyone is available.’ Well, I’m talking about just about everyone.
“Ryan Nugent-Hopkins isn’t going to get traded. They need their centres. They need more of them and he’s Edmonton’s No. 1 centre. He’s not going anywhere. It’s hard to imagine the type of deal that would be required to include Taylor Hall in an Oilers trade. But it’s not impossible. And then you go from that level to the next level with Jordan Eberle. I think that there’s a possibility that Jordan Eberle could get traded. I think there’s a possibility that Justin Schultz could be included in something. David Perron is obvious. But what are you getting, with all due respect to David Perron, in return? You’re getting something, but you’re probably not getting a No. 2 centre, which they desperately need.
“So there’s a higher level of urgency in Edmonton right now. MacTavish is working hard trying to find upgrades. But it’s not going to be easy and he’s going to have to give up, finally, good players to get good players in return.”
If you're going to trade these guys - if you're going to move everyone but Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - what are you trying to accomplish? Because it feels like rebuilding this team into a team that's good on the fly. You've got assets you can move, but I can't see how the Oilers all of the sudden surround these guys with enough talent to turn around what's been a losing program for this long.
"Yeah, it's a problem. And you've got good players - or supposedly good players - coming up from the American Hockey League as well. But they haven't been able to crack the NHL lineup full-time.
"I think it's really risky going after that core of Hall, Jordan Eberle. Schultz to a lesser degree. He's a younger guy with a shorter contract. But sometimes those names just start conversations, don't they. And you end up somewhere else other than with Jordan Eberle as your primary target. I think that's probably what MacTavish is hoping for."
Nov 24, 2014: McKenzie thinks Oilers will move "significant names"
Bob McKenzie, on what’s next for the Oilers:
“I think this is what’s happened over the last 24 hours and will continue to - I think we're going to see some trades. And I think we're going to see some significant names moved around. I think outside of Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, anybody and everybody could be flying out the door."
On this being a huge change in philosophy for a team that thought it could dig its way out of this:
“I think they have to now. It’s absolutely essential that - whether it’s a Jordan Eberle or Nail Yakupov or somebody else – Justin Schultz - whatever. Some of those bodies need to be moved and parlayed into different pieces that address the specific weaknesses of the team as it exists.”
Nov 24, 2014: Friedman: "Everybody in Edmonton is on notice"
Elliotte Friedman, on the Oilers:
“I think changes are in the works. I do. I heard that yesterday was a pretty intense day for the Oilers management.”
On who might be available:
“Behind the scenes, I think the Oilers were working a lot of stuff. I think – when I was on Saturday night, I had heard their key guys were not available. I don’t know if that’s true anymore. I think the Oilers might have thrown everybody on the table. Now, I think if we’re talking somebody like a Taylor Hall, the price is massive. I really do think that.
“But what I do think is that Craig MacTavish has promised he will make a trade before he fires the coach. That’s what guys have told me. And I think that’s what his plan remains. And I wonder if Edmonton is kind of now listening on everybody . Doesn’t mean anything is going to happen. But I think they’re listening on players they weren’t listening on as recently as 36 hours ago.”
On what might happen:
“I think everybody in Edmonton is on notice. Like, top to bottom. I don’t know if we’re talking - is Kevin Lowe in trouble? I doubt that. Is Bob Nicholson in trouble? I doubt that. He just got there. I mean, ultimately one of those two guys, or the owner, is going to make the call on the GM.
“... Everybody looks at MacTavish and says, ‘A lot of this is his fault.’ When he got there as the GM again, the team was a big mess. Like, it’s a big fix. Probably his biggest mistake was saying, ‘I’m going to make bold moves.’ Because now the entire fan base is sitting there saying, ‘Well, where are they?’
“And sometimes I think when you’re in a bad spot, making a reactionary trade is the worst mistake you can make. But everybody in that group has to wear this. They’re not getting better. As you said, the mistakes being made on the ice are glaring, especially when you watch them next to – and I think this whole thing with Calgary and the way the Flames are playing – I think it adds to this. Because if you’re in Edmonton and you hate Calgary as much as you guys in Calgary hate Edmonton, you see what you’re doing and you see what they’re doing and you’re sitting there going, ‘Damn it, why is this happening for them and not for us?’
“And so I think that goes throughout the organization and I think they know the mix everywhere is not working and they’re going to look at everything to try and fix it. I think that includes putting some of their core guys on the table and saying, ‘Maybe we don’t do it, but we see what’s out there for them.’
“I heard what Perron said after their loss on Friday night and that says to me that he wants to go, that if they trade him he’d be okay with that. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s one of the first guys to go and I think he’s got some value.
“I believe that Petry is going to be traded because they’re not going to sign him. I think he goes eventually.
“I wonder what they do in goal. And I think they’ll do just about anything they can do if they get the centre that they want.”
On the call to fire Eakins:
"I would tell you this - For example, there's a lot of reports that Todd MacLellan is in some trouble in San Jose. Okay? If Todd MacLellan was available, that's a move I could see them making. But he's not, so I think they're going to be careful."
Nov 24, 2014: McKenzie: Everybody but Hall in play from Oilers
Bob McKenzie, on the Oilers' issues:
“So what it really boils down to is Craig MacTavish doesn’t believe that Dallas Eakins is the problem. He might have to look in the mirror and say, ‘Well then, if Eakins isn’t the problem what is the problem? I’m the general manager and a lot of the players that are here are my guys that I brought in and some of them haven’t worked out very well lately.’
“So, I think what you’re going to see is Craig MacTavish – the real vote of confidence for his coach is he’s go out and make a trade. And that’s the long and the short of it. And I think everybody, outside of Taylor Hall for the most part, is in play. And I mean everybody. I would suspect that Craig MacTavish feels a burning desire to go out and make some sort of significant move that is going to change the face of this team, either at centre, on defense, or in goal. One of those spots. Or maybe all three.”
Also: “David Perron, by the way, is fully in play. He’s – in my mind, if they get the right fit – he’s as good as gone. But I also think there’s so much more at play now and that if anything like what’s happened - this tipping point that’s happened over the last few days is. ‘Okay, you know what, if somebody wants to talk about Eberle, let’s talk about it. If somebody wants to talk about Yakupov, let’s talk about it. If somebody wants to talk about Schultz, let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about any and every player on this team.’ probably with the exception of Taylor Hall.”
Also: "You're not going to get a top-line centre for David Perron, but you might be able to get a centre for David Perron. Or you may be able to get a goaltender for David Perron. Or you may be able to get a defenceman for David Perron. You may be able to roll it out bigger. What would you get for Perron and Eberle? What would you get for Perron and Yakupov? What would you get for Perron and Schultz?
:So, as I said, I think everything is on the table here. And I think it's going to be fascinating. It's not easy to make a trade in the National Hockey League. It's especially not easy to make a trade in the National Hockey League when you're dealing from a position of weakness, like Craig MacTavish is right now, where every team in the league knows he's under the gun.
"So we'll see what happens. I mean, we've heard the same names and the same trade target teams over and over again. Philadelphia Flyers. Names like Brayden Coburn and Brayden Schenn. Go through the league, it's not difficult to look at the teams where there may or may not be a fit..."
Nov 22, 2014: Hockey Night in Canada: Saturday's Headlines
Damien Cox: "The Edmonton Oilers, Elliotte, they are desperate to make a deal."
Elliotte Friedman: "But the one thing other general managers are saying is that the Oilers are still not interested in moving any of their key, core players."
Nov 21, 2014: Friedman: Oilers have "dipped their toe" on Marincin trade possibilities
Elliotte Friedman, on if there’s a market for Martin Marincin:
“I think a guy like Marincin, who’s got some potential, and is still young, and he’s a restricted free agent after this year - but it’s not like his next contract is going to cost you a ton of money – I think there is value in that. I think - the Oilers won’t talk about it, but I think they’ve dipped their toe in with him. They’ve kind of asked around. They said, ‘If we can get a centre, we would consider doing this.’ And I think he has value.
“Now, the one thing I also wrote that I mentioned in there is that there’s a real mix of opinions on him as a player. I think there are some teams out there who like him, but I think there are some teams out there who don’t like him.
“The one thing I thought was most encouraging was there’s a draft guru who I know on a team who did not like Marincin in his draft year. I called him specifically and I said, ‘I know you weren’t a fan – what do you think?’ And he said, ‘He’s made more out of his career than I thought he would.’
“So if that’s the judgment there, I think there probably is a market for him. I just think that the question is, is it enough for the Oilers to pull the trigger? Young defensemen are hard to find, even though Edmonton’s got some there and a couple more coming, it’s a pretty valuable resource to have.”
Also:
"The one thing I would certainly say is - like I said, young defencemen are a commodity. The one thing the Oilers have is they have a few of them. There's no question. I think they feel Klefbom is ready to play. I can't imagine they feel Nurse is too far away. And as you're seeing right now though, they need help. They're really dying for a centre. And I think sometimes you have to make judgment calls. You have to say, 'Boy, if we can get some help...'
"And I don't think they're going to trade him necessarily - Marincin - for a guy who is a short-term fix, but if they could trade him for somebody who could help them for a couple of years and fixes their problems, I understand why they would consider doing it. I really do."
Nov 20, 2014: LeBrun on "bone-rattling, franchise-changing" blockbuster trade for Oilers
Pierre LeBrun, on the Oilers:
“For sure when it comes to the Oilers, a trade for a top centre continues to be their priority from what I understand, but where is that guy? I mean, it’s not to say it’s impossible. The Dallas Stars were having their own issues, but nevertheless have traded for two top centres in 13 months have shown you that it is possible, but it’s mighty hard.
“And certainly that has to continue to be the focal point, I think, if Edmonton moves forward with a big trade. But I think what’s going to be the real uncomfortable moment in Edmonton is that if they do decide to shake this team up with a blockbuster between now and March 2, if they truly want to bring change it’s going to have to be probably a guy they actually don’t want to trade. Because otherwise I’m not quite sure that they’re going to enact the kind of change they want.
“I don’t think Nail Yakupov is going to get you the kind of change that you need. I think if it’s really the change you kind of need, do you start to look at Jordan Eberle or Justin Schultz. Again guys that you don’t want to keep, you want to build around those guys. Or sorry, guys you don’t want to move, but want to keep. But on the other hand, if it’s really a bone-rattling, franchise-changing move that has to happen between now and March 2, it’s unfortunately going to have to involve somebody you really like because the fact that you really like him, means a lot of other teams will as well.”
Nov 20, 2014: Dreger: MacTavish's hands tied on trade front
Darren Dreger, on who should be held responsible for the deficiencies in the Oilers’ roster, since they seem to staying exactly in the same place:
“Right. And I agree with that. And here’s a reality check for all of us. Do we honestly think Craig MacTavish is sitting in his office just going, ‘Yeah, I don’t know what I’m going to do today. I’m going to play Solitaire because there’s not a whole lot going on.’
“No. I mean, these guys work incredibly hard. And I can tell you because I spend a lot of time on a daily basis checking in with general managers, NHL executives obviously scouring on the trade front. Looking for some little shred of information that we can run with. But the truth is there’s just nothing going right now.
“Craig MacTavish I’m sure could make a deal for a fourth-line centre, a spare part on a team that isn’t better than what he has, or isn’t better than what he’s got coming, and say to the Oilers Nation – ‘Okay, here’s a centre. Good for me. I just found a centre via trade.’ But is that going to help the team? It’s not.
“So it’s like the league right now is in financial paralysis. No one is willing to make that deal. Unless you’re willing to take on a big contract. Now, Marc Bergevin of the Montreal Canadiens acquired Sergei Gonchar from the Dallas Stars for Travis Moen. That’s bad money coming in and bad contract going out. That’s how you make deals today in the National Hockey League in the first quarter of the regular season.
“So yeah, you can blame Craig MacTavish for not bringing these players in, and not drafting and all of those things, but I don’t know. When I look at the Oilers and I look at their top six, it looks pretty good to me. And I see the holes on the back end and we’re still waiting to see if there’s a goaltender that’s going to emerge, but it’s not as easy as it sounds filling those holes.”
Nov 19, 2014: Dreger on Eakins' job, MacT's trade efforts, Oilers' maturity
Darren Dreger, on what he makes of the situation in Edmonton right now:
“It’s a tough one. But I don’t get the sense – similar to Toronto – that the brass in Edmonton is hovering over, and waiting to drop the ax on Dallas Eakins. I really don’t.
“You know, the media there is tough on the Oilers, as they should be. There’s still a lot of unanswered questions. But a lot of that falls on management. MacTavish has been working hard, I know he does - all managers work incredibly hard – trying to find a centre. Trying to find some depth again on D. Kicking around the notion that maybe he’s going to have to acquire a goaltender as well. His plate is full.
“But one thing that has remained consistent, guys, and I don’t think it’s appreciated enough, is the fact that those inside that Oilers room are still very committed. They’re not worried about what’s going on around them, or outside the room. The sky might be falling in the city of Edmonton because the team all of the sudden can’t win on home ice as they get ready for Vancouver tonight, but they’re not feeling that in the dressing room. So that’s a sign of maturity. Now if they can get a couple of pieces added as the season goes on, I think they’re going to be a better team.”
Nov 19, 2014: LeBrun: Pens' Rutherford in great position to trade
Pierre LeBrun, on the Penguins' search for top-six forwards:
“You would think that Jim Rutherford is in a good position to trade one of those kids... Dallas needs a defenseman. Colorado needs defensemen. Edmonton needs defensemen. There should be something there for Jimmy Rutherford to do given the abundance in that particular position in Pittsburgh.”
Nov 18, 2014: McKenzie wondered if Oilers or Devils might claim Harding
Bob McKenzie, on Josh Harding going unclaimed, and if it might not have been worth it for someone to have taken a shot at him:
“I wondered if somebody might. I wondered - I know Edmonton has been kind of nibbling on goaltenders a little bit as to whether they need somebody better than Scrivens and Fasth or not. New Jersey hasn’t found a suitable backup, because Cory Schneider is basically playing all of the games. So I wondered a little bit.
Nov 18, 2014: Dreger: Avs aren't shopping O'Reilly
Darren Dreger, on Ryan O'Reilly:
“And the fact that there’s a lot of teams with interest in O’Reilly. Winnipeg. Toronto. Go down the list. I’m sure Edmonton, from a Canadian team perspective. I’m sure a lot of American teams would show interest as well if he were available.”
Nov 18, 2014: Dreger on interest in O'Reilly from Oilers, Jets, Leafs
Darren Dreger, on which of Patrick Berglund, Mike Richards, Chris Kelly, Cody Eakin, or Ryan O’Reilly the Oilers may have interest in terms of acquiring a centre:
“Well, Ryan O’Reilly leaps off the page for me. And I can’t imagine the Oilers wouldn’t be interested. But here’s a news flash – there’s probably about 20 other teams that also have considerable interest."
Nov 17, 2014: LeBrun: Oilers management won't "sit back"
Pierre LeBrun, on how Oilers players – and coaches, to a degree - saying, ‘We’re playing better, but it’s not showing up in the win column,’ is a refrain that could get very old, very quickly:
“Yeah, I’d say. I mean, I really don’t think that management is going to sit back and just take this all in if this continues. I mean, I really think last year – described by Craig MacTavish, no less – in an interview with TSN before the season referred to last year’s start to the year as a ‘debacle,’ and I just don’t think that either Craig, nor the rest of ownership and management in Edmonton is going to sit back over the next couple of months and just accept a similar script.
“Now, that’s not to say it’ll be a similar script. There’s still lots of time for this to turn around. But whenever it seems like they’re putting a couple of wins together, it’s followed by a couple of losses and some of the same kind of mistakes being made. So I would definitely say let’s keep an eye on it, for sure. I don’t think people running the Edmonton Oilers want to go through this again.”
Nov 14, 2014: Dreger on Methot contract talks, potential trade suitors
Darren Dreger, on potential trade scenarios for Marc Methot if he’s not re-signed by Ottawa:
“But teams interested – You’re looking at Anaheim. You’re looking at Detroit. Maybe Edmonton in the West, and the Florida Panthers, I think, would have interest as well. That’s just naming four of what could be a much larger list.”
Also: "But teams will continue to call and there are teams that are interested in Marc Methot. Anaheim's a team with interest. Detroit. I'm told Florida, and the Edmonton Oilers as well, and I'm sure that list is longer than that."
Nov 14, 2014: Friedman's goaltending trade thoughts on Ducks, Oilers, Sabres, Flames
Elliotte Friedman, on the NHL goaltending market:
“I think one of things you’re going to start seeing in the next couple of weeks though guys - I think you’re going to start seeing some teams that are maybe unsure of their future goaltending start to look and see what’s going on here.
“I think Anaheim had decided that – Bob Murray told me he’ll try to get through this stretch with Andersen and Labarbera, but I think Edmonton down the road from you, I think - I wondered if they might look to Bryzgalov again, since he was in a camp. I was told no. But they’re looking now.
“I think the other team that’s going to be a little interesting, and they’ve been rumoured to do a bunch of things, is Buffalo. They’ve got two guys, Enroth and Neuvirth, who are free agents at the end of the year, and I don’t think they view either of them as their long-term guys.
“I think it’s going to be interesting to see what these kinds of teams decide to do for goalies in the next little bit.”
Nov 14, 2014: McKenzie on Oilers, Wild, goaltending market
Bob McKenzie, on Darren Dreger’s report the Oilers may already be looking for goaltending help:
“Yeah. We’ve kind of assumed all along that with Draisaitl’s minutes diminishing and Arcobello - Nugent-Hopkins playing well, Boyd Gordon being a given there. But in between those two they need help in the middle. The expectation has been that if they need to make an add, that’s where they want to make it.
“But Darren reported yesterday that if they continue to sputter and goaltending continues to be – not horrendous, but questionable – that might be an area they need to bolster in the very short-term, which certainly wasn’t part of the plan when the season began because all of the focus was on centre.
“After last night’s game – obviously I didn’t see it, I was in Peterborough – but I watched the highlights and you can go glass half-full glass, glass half-empty in terms of as you say, the bad start. Not prepared to play the game. But full marks for rallying and coming back. And again, they get a point against an Eastern Conference team. At some point here, not that you can differentiate on the points because they all count, but at some point here they’re going to have to prove their mettle against the teams that they play more frequently and that they’re in competition for to try to move up in the standings and try and do something against the West.”
On if a team who is looking for goaltending help is more likely to address it via trade, or a phone call to a Bryzgalov or Brodeur or someone like that:
“It’s interesting that there’s all these free agent goaltenders kind of hanging out there right now. You’ve got Marty Brodeur. You’ve got Ilya Bryzgalov. You’ve got Tomas Vokoun. I don’t remember a year where that many veteran goaltenders with that much NHL experience are just kind of hanging out there with no jobs, just waiting for the phone to ring. So that’s an option that hasn’t been there as much in the past.
“But if you’re looking for immediate help in net, do you really want to sign a goaltender who hasn’t played a game this season, and that hasn’t played any real action dating back to last year. So that’s a bit of a problem.
“In terms of other goalies that may or may not be available, I’m sure there’s some out there.
“Interesting situation in Minnesota, not that I’m not suggesting that anything is far enough down the track for the Oilers that this is even being discussed, but you’ve got Kuemper and Backstrom right now as the two goalies on the Minnesota Wild, but Josh Harding - after he broke his foot in an off-ice altercation with a teammate in the preseason that got him suspended without pay - is now back practicing with the team. And he hasn’t been reactivated yet, but it’s just a matter of time because at some point here they’ve got to pay him because he’s physically able enough to play games again. So you’ve got to take him off suspension. And I wonder what the Wild’s plan is going to be with him. Of course, Harding’s situation is on another level too because he’s battling Multiple Sclerosis and has done a magnificent job of trying to stay on the right side of that, but it’s interesting that there might be a surplus goaltender available there too.”
Nov 14, 2014: Friedman: Oilers, Sabres exploring goaltending market
Elliotte Friedman, on who is chasing the goalies now – is it the Ducks, is it the Oilers?
“Well, the Ducks I’d say no. They’ll try to ride it out with Andersen and Labarbera until Gibson is healthy.
“I think the Oilers now are. I wondered if maybe they would bring Brygalov back. He was in a training camp. He played reasonably well for them last year. I was told no, that wasn’t what they were thinking of doing. I think they are looking at goalies now.
“But I think maybe the other team who might be looking at goalies too is Buffalo. They have Neuvirth and Enroth. Both of those guys are unrestricted free agents after the year. I’m not sure the Sabres consider them long-term solutions. Everybody has talked about Myers and what they might do with him. I think one of the things Buffalo is doing is trying to determine is who their goalie is of the future.”
Nov 11, 2014: Dreger: Kings moving Richards "has to be considered"
Darren Dreger, on a potential Mike Richards trade and how he wouldn’t be going to a team to be its No. 1 or No. 2 center anymore:
“I can’t see it. And is he going to go to Edmonton to be their No. 2 center? Probably not if he has a no-trade or no-move.”
Nov 7, 2014: Friedman: "When, not if" Oilers trade Petry
Elliotte Friedman, on who is the player most likely to get traded in the next two weeks:
“Boy, that is a great question.
“You know my feelings, Bob... Among the players I think who are most likely to get dealt this year is Jeff Petry. I think that’s just a matter of when, not if. Like, I can’t guarantee it’s going to happen in the next two or three weeks, but I think it’s going to happen. So I would put him on my list just because of that. But I’m not saying it’s going to happen in the next two or three weeks. It’s just on my list. I think it’s going to happen at some point.”
Nov 7, 2014: McKenzie: "Significant trade" for Oilers before coaching change
Bob McKenzie, on if the Oilers would need to be involved in the trade market if their losing ways haven’t stopped by American Thanksgiving:
“Yeah, I think if they continue to lose here, Craig MacTavish has got to take stock of what’s there and maybe he’s got to pull the trigger on a move. I don’t think – because of the negative momentum of the last eight-plus years, and we’ve talked about this seven ways to Sunday - it’s not all Craig MacTavish’s fault. It’s not all Dallas Eakins’ fault. But guess what? They get to live with that legacy right now and so you can’t just lose seven or eight or nine in a row and say, ‘Well, yeah, but it’s all part of the plan. We’ll be fine.’ Because people aren’t going to tolerate the plan anymore. It maybe forces you into making a move you wouldn’t otherwise make in Year Two or Three of your plan.
“And I know obviously the coach comes under the gun in situations like that, especially if you continue to lose, but I’ve got to believe – and I could be wrong on this – but I’ve got to believe that there’ll be a significant trade for the Oilers before there would be a coaching change.”
Nov 3, 2014: Dreger: Teams asking Oilers about Eberle, Klefbom
Darren Dreger, on how Nail Yakupov’s name has been at the top of the list when people have discussed moving a member of the Oilers’ core over the past year:
“Well, the easiest to move. In terms of what would you get for Nail Yakupov? Not as much as you’d need to give up on a young player of that stature. And when anyone comes swirling around the Edmonton Oilers, they’re not asking about Nail Yakupov. They’re asking about Jordan Eberle. They’re asking about Oscar Klefbom. They’re asking about players like that.”
On why there’s so much attention around Klefbom:
“Well, I mean, he was a highly-touted prospect when he was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers. It was expected that he was going to be a very good defenceman. The jury is still out. He needs a lot more time in the National Hockey League and a lot more experience before we can collectively say he’s a 5-6 guy by NHL standards, or he will one day evolve into a Top-4. He just hasn’t had enough time on ice yet in the NHL to make that determination.
“I think the lofty side would be to suggest he’s going to one day be a Top-4. He’s probably going to be in that 5-6 range. But that’s still a pretty good player by National Hockey League standards. The Oilers still hold out hope he’s going to be better than that. Otherwise they would have packaged him as part of a deal by now.
“You know what? MacTavish, like so many other general managers – throw Dave Nonis into the mix – everyone, in fact, all overrate their players. And I think it’s starting to lean toward the side now of Klefbom being overrated to this point.”
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