Dreger: "Holding pattern" between Oilers, Blue Jackets on trade

Darren Dreger was on Edmonton’s TSN 1260 on Thursday morning.

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.

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“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.”

Source: TSN 1260/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey