The Edmonton Oilers have been on top of the hockey world as of late, having broken their franchise record of wins in a row when they defeated the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday (Jan. 13) night. They are on pace to make the playoffs after a troubling start to the 2023-24 season had fans wondering if they would be a draft lottery team after starting 3-9-1. With Kris Knoblauch having replaced Jay Woodcroft and Paul Coffey having replaced Dave Manson within the coaching staff, the team has turned their season around and has turned themselves back into serious contenders.
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The Oilers will likely be buying at the trade deadline as they look to bolster their depth to make a deep playoff run, and one player they could look at acquiring is Ottawa Senators’ defenceman Artem Zub. The Senators have not had the campaign they expected to have coming into the 2023-24 season, and it could lead to them selling off some assets in hopes of bettering their future. While players like Mathieu Joseph, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Drake Batherson could all be players that teams ask for if they want to bolster their scoring depth, the Oilers should look at Zub to bolster their defensive depth.
While the Oilers need to bolster their scoring depth if they hope to make a deep run into the postseason, the Senators have someone in Zub who is much more attractive of an asset than anyone on their team in terms of value to the Oilers. There is potential for a massive trade between the Oilers and Senators if the Oilers choose to try to kill two birds with one stone and add a depth forward as well as a defenceman. Still, it would require too much movement with money, and it doesn’t make sense for the Oilers to make a massive trade with them right now.
Who Is Artem Zub & How Would He Help The Oilers?
Zub is a 28-year-old right-shot defenceman from Khabarovsk, Russia, who is currently playing with the Senators. He was undrafted and signed with the Senators out of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia before the 2020-21 season after several seasons split between Amur Khabarovsk and SKA St. Petersburg. Over six seasons in the KHL with two different teams, Zub scored 19 goals and added 35 assists for 54 points through 256 games, which comes out to a 0.21 points-per-game average.
Since signing with the Senators, Zub has played four seasons with the team, scored 15 goals, and added 45 assists for 60 points through 211 games, which is a 0.28 points-per-game average. He has established himself at the NHL level as a strong two-way defender and has been a huge piece for the Senators since joining. While he hasn’t seen much team success with the Sens, he has established himself as a strong piece to their blue line and has proven he can be solid with any other team should he be traded.
The Oilers’ third-line left defenceman at the moment is Vincent Desharnais, who has been strong as of late, but having someone like Zub, who has more experience, would be beneficial to the team as they attempt to make a run at a Stanley Cup. His contract is very affordable, even though it would require some serious money moves on the Oilers’ end. He is someone they should be looking to bring into their lineup, as I believe he would fit into their depth perfectly.
What Would It Take To Acquire Zub?
Zub has a $4.6 million cap hit, and his contract extends through the 2026-27 season. For the Oilers to bring him in, it would require them to have to move some money out, as it’s unlikely the Senators would be interested in retaining any money for four straight seasons while he plays against them. Cody Ceci, Warren Foegele, and Brett Kulak all come to mind when thinking about who the Oilers could trade to make room for Zub.
The Senators would likely be looking for a prospect and a couple of draft picks in return for Zub on top of the contract that they’d be taking on to make the trade work. Theoretically, a trade between the two would look like the Oilers acquiring Zub in exchange for Raphael Lavoie, Cody Ceci, a second-round pick, and a third-round pick.
If I were the general manager of the Oilers, I would be trying to make this deal work. Zub would be my main target heading into the trade deadline. Hopefully, they make the right moves to make a strong push for their first Stanley Cup since 1990.