According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, expressed during a discussion on Oilers Now, he believes that the Edmonton Oilers will make a significant push during the trade deadline. Specifically, he said, “I think you guys are trying to hit at least one home run and the question is: What do you decide that that home run is going to be?”
It’s a good question because the term “home run” can be defined in a variety of ways. The literal definition of the term from the dictionary is, “a fair hit that allows the batter to make a complete circuit of the bases without stopping and score a run.” In hockey terms and at the trade deadline, there are many ways GM Ken Holland can score for the Oilers. Circling the figurative bases doesn’t just mean landing a big-name player in one ballpark-clearing swing.
What Did Friedman Mean By Home Run?
The NHL insider elaborated a bit when he said, “I think you guys are looking at everything. I think you guys are looking at who is available, what the different tiers (of players) are, who might have to go out to make it work, who comes back in. I think you’re doing all of this stuff.” In his view, this is about acquiring a player who can help the team during their playoff push.
But, what kind of player? There are names like Jake Guentzel out there. He would be an upgrade in the top six and on the wing. There are names like Sean Walker available out of Philadelphia. He is not as clear-cut an upgrade over what the Oilers have now in their top six blue line corps. Perhaps the Oilers are looking at someone few insiders have on their radar.
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Then, there’s always the goaltending. Stuart Skinner has seen a couple of bumps since the All-Star break, but he’s been incredible since a rocky start to the season for the entire group. But, would a home run be landing someone like Jacob Markstrom, Marc-Andre Fleury, or John Gibson? That would be a change few people expected since the Oilers went on two incredible winning streaks. It would turn a previous goaltending weakness into a major strength. Many would view having one of the best tandems for the playoffs as a 500-footer over the left-field wall.
Could a Home Run Be About the Salary Cap?
Friedman highlighted that the Oilers operate on a dollar-in, dollar-out basis, meaning that for any substantial contract added, an existing contract with an equivalent cap hit must be moved out. What if the home run he is referring to has more to do with a big cap move that will free up space and give the Oilers flexibility they haven’t had all season long?
At this stage, any move the Oilers are thinking about making has to be made under the context of: “What options do we have? What players can we consider?” In other words, who can the Oilers afford to sacrifice to get what they need? That’s not an easy decision and it’s the challenge most teams make in win-now mode, with no guarantees their big swing will connect.
Last season, the Oilers made a huge move to acquire Mattias Ekholm, but in doing so, moved out Tyson Barrie. It was a polarizing decision at the time, but it turned out to be a home run. Not only did moving Barrie free up the money to land Ekholm, but it also carved a pathway for Evan Bouchard. He’s been given the ball and ran with it this season. That was a two-run dinger.
This season, the most likely candidates are Brett Kulak, Warren Foegele, and Cody Ceci. All either have term left or could price themselves out what the Oilers can afford to pay next season. Perhaps a home run means not only adding someone but also taking care of some important financial business in the process.