Edmonton Oilers’ insider Bob Stauffer mentioned on the “Oilers Now” show that the team is looking to add three more players by the trade deadline, specifically players with size. Hockey analyst Rob Brown proposed a 6-foot-2 and 200-pound player to consider, saying, “I just watched the player the Oilers would love to have, I just watched him last game and he was the best player on the ice and that was Jason Dickinson. He was excellent in that hockey game the other night, he wins faceoffs, he can lead, he can drive a line for you.”
The Oilers escaped with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 9 and Dickinson scored the lone Blackhawks’ goal. Brown also stated, “He was the best player on the ice” and added, “He was dominant when he was on the ice. That’s what the Oilers need.”
Related: Oilers’ Trade Strategy May Shift if Holloway Succeeds at Center
Currently, Oilers’ forwards Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele are excelling on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and most hockey pundits feel it’s just a matter of time before their hot play starts to fizzle. Yet, they haven’t shown signs of slowing down and if they continue to play well and stay in the top six down the playoff stretch, they’ll need to upgrade the 3C spot, that used to belong to McLeod. Derek Ryan, currently in that role, lacks the size and foot speed needed to be a sustainable long-term solution.
Perhaps Dylan Holloway can fill that void at some point once he gets up and running as a centerman with the Bakersfield Condors; however, if he doesn’t pan out down the middle, Dickinson would be an excellent low-cost acquisition to fill the 3C spot.
Dickinson Is Having a Career-Year with the Blackhawks
Dickinson is a centerman from Georgetown, ON and was drafted in the first round in 2013 by the Dallas Stars after playing four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He played six seasons with the Stars and recorded 63 points in that span.
Dickinson was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in July 2021 for a third-round draft pick and he, along with a second-round draft pick was dealt a year later to the Blackhawks in exchange for defenceman Riley Stillman. The centerman recorded a career-high 30 points last season in Chicago and he’s continuing his offensive upswing as he’s on pace to surpass 40 points this season.
Also, he’s set a career-high with 14 goals already in the 2023-24 campaign, and notably, an impressive 13 of the tallies were scored at even strength. Another noteworthy stat is his leading plus/minus rating of plus-8 among Blackhawks players, which is significant considering the team has a minus-59 goal differential, which is the second lowest in the league. Additionally, he leads the forward group with almost 95 minutes played on the penalty kill.
Why Would Dickinson Be Good for the Oilers?
As mentioned, the Oilers will likely need someone to play 3C heading into the postseason and Dickinson could be a low-cost addition to fill that role. He can kill penalties and his size is appealing down the middle. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he’s not afraid to use his body, as he was third on the Blackhawks with 112 hits last season.
The Oilers have a history of third-line centers with limited offensive skill and a prior knock on Dickinson was that he couldn’t produce points, but this season tells a different story. At 28 years old, he seems to be hitting his stride, on pace for a nearly 28-goal season. Moreover, the Oilers got a glimpse of the centerman’s finishing ability firsthand on Jan. 9 as he scored a highlight reel goal when he made a silky toe drag move on Oilers’ defenceman Darnell Nurse and shot a rocket high glove past Stuart Skinner.
To add to that, Dickinson played 11:25 at 5-on-5 against Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid and the shots were 5-2 in favour of the Blackhawk. That said, he held his own against arguably the NHL’s best and he shouldn’t come with a hefty price tag should the Oilers pursue a trade for him.
What Would It Take for the Oilers to Acquire Him?
Dickinson is in the final year of a three-year and $7.95 million contract with a $2.65 million annual average value (AAV). Last season, Edmonton made a trade with the Arizona Coyotes for centerman Nick Bjugstad, in exchange for Michael Kesselring (who, much to the Oilers’ dismay, has turned into a serviceable player) and a third-round draft pick. Dickinson could likely be acquired for the same as he’d be a rental, likely in the ballpark of a third-round draft pick and a lower-tiered prospect.
Also, according to PuckPedia, the Oilers are on track to fit a cap hit of $2.79 million by the trade deadline without making any trades, but if Chicago retained 50% of his contract (which might bump up the ask to a second-round draft pick), his price tag would come in at a lower $1.325 million AAV, leaving some money to spare for Edmonton to use elsewhere.
Dickinson checks many boxes for the Oilers — he has the size and skill to fill in as their third-line center and can score at even strength and kill penalties. As Brown stated, “That is the kind of player the Oilers need in their lineup and [he’d] make them that much better.”
What do you think of Jason Dickinson as a possible fit for the Oilers? Have your say in the comments below!