TSN’s Ryan Rishaug recently provided an inside look at the Edmonton Oilers’ trade market, reporting that the team is willing to move any prospects, roster players, or draft picks – the only untouchables are their first-round pick, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid. Rishaug adds that other teams are undoubtedly aware of Edmonton’s dire situation, giving them a disadvantage in trade negotiations.
It’s no surprise to hear that Edmonton is open to dealing anything if it means an improvement to what they have right now. The Oilers are currently on a three-game losing streak, most recently falling 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes. They are 2-3-0 under new head coach Kris Knoblauch, who took over on November 12th after Jay Woodcroft led the team to a 3-9-1 start.
This is despite the team boasting six different players with 14 or more points through their first 18 games, including three players scoring at a point-per-game pace or better. But they’re also icing four forwards with three or fewer points, including Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark, who have both failed to appear on the scoresheet. The scoring inconsistency is coupled with abysmal goaltending. All three goaltenders that Edmonton has iced this year carry a save percentage below .900, with current starter Stuart Skinner boasting a .865 through 13 games.
Goaltending and depth scoring will be new major pieces to address as Edmonton gears up for trades.
Other notes from around the league:
- Corey Perry is mysteriously missing from the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday practice, after serving as a surprise healthy scratch on Wednesday for, “organizational decisions”, as put by The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus. Fellow alternate captain, Nick Foligno, told Lazerus that the players aren’t sure what the situation is, and head coach Luke Richardson declined to comment further. Perry has nine points in his first 16 games with the Blackhawks organization, joining via trade this summer.
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan shared that all of the team’s injured players are progressing as expected, and that top winger Bryan Rust is still considered day-to-day. Pittsburgh has been battered and bruised this year, currently facing injuries to Rust, Rickard Rakell, Chad Ruhwedel, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and Will Butcher.