The Edmonton Oilers, with arguably the best duo in the National Hockey League right now in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, have a defensive core that leaves little to be desired.
Without a true offensive defenceman outside of Darnell Nurse, the Oilers D-core has a combined 62 points through the team’s 28 games played this season, with only three of their seven rostered defencemen having 10 or more points.
To put that into perspective with the forward production of McDavid and Draisaitl, that’s only eight points shy of McDavid’s season points total alone.
McDavid and Daisaitl have been carrying the Oilers offence all season with 100 total combined points between the two talents.
With such offensive prowess already on their roster, the best solution to their defensive lapses would be to add someone who can provide support for their offensive weapons on the other side of the puck.
The market for defencemen has a handful of high-profile names in it, but finding a partnership that is smart in the short term and provides a long-term upside is what general manager Ken Holland and his staff will be looking to navigate through.
Here are four defencemen that the Oilers could consider adding by this year’s trade deadline on March 3.
1. Jakob Chychrun
One of the biggest names on almost every contending team’s radar is that of 6-2, 220-pound defenceman Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes.
Coming off wrist surgery this past offseason, Chychrun has played just nine games for the Coyotes this year, putting up eight points in those nine games — thrusting him into 11th overall in team’s scoring.
While the Coyotes continue to struggle as the NHL’s fourth worst team behind the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Columbus Blue Jackets, the ‘Yotes are in a position to acquire a more than satisfying return on the 24-year-old D-man.
With only Connor Bedard to play for this season, the Coyotes are in the best position to rebuild their current roster, while also growing their prospect pool through trade acquisitions.
This move would also give the Oilers some freedom on a game-to-game basis on the power play and penalty kill, allowing Nurse and/or Chychrun to run the team’s first and second PP units – ultimately making McDavid and Draisaitl even more an offensive threat.
The return package for Arizona would most certainly include one, if not two first round picks, along with the likes of forward Jesse Puljujarvi, and potentially prospect Philip Broberg. It might be too steep an asking price for a team that isn’t necessarily looking at going “all in,” but the Oilers are on the cusp of going from good team to a great one if the pieces are there.
2. Shayne Gostisbehere
There are similarities when talking about the games of Shayne Gostisbehere and Chychrun, more than just playing for the same struggling squad.
Gostisbehere, second in Coyotes’ team scoring with 20 points (6 G, 14 A), would complement the Oilers offensive capabilities, but acquiring him might mean needing to look at another depth defenceman to lock things down.
The asking price on Gostisbehere is going to be less than that of Chychrun, but don’t be surprised to see the Coyotes expecting a first-round pick and prospect to be part of the return for Gostisbehere.
3. Mike Reilly
A name that some fans might have forgotten about, Mike Reilly could be an underrated addition to the Oilers blue line – one that boosts the team’s defensive capabilities.
Having been up and down from the Boston Bruins main roster four times since the start of the season, and having only played in 10 of the team’s 26 games this year, it’s clear the 29-year-old remains the odd one out of a crowded Bruins’ D-core.
While he may only have one point through those 10 games, Reilly is one of the few defensive-defencemen on the trade market who could provide an unexpected sense of security on the Oilers’ blueline – security they haven’t had since Duncan Keith retired this offseason.
He’s only been on the ice for four goals scored against, and has 21 hits so far this season, averaging 2.1 hits per game.
Although those may not look like all-star numbers, consistency is something the Oilers are lacking in their defensive game right now, and the addition of some consistency could make for a solid addition to the Oilers.
Look for a third-round pick to be involved in the return for the Bruins should this deal go down.
4. John Klingberg
If the Oilers can’t get a deal done with any of the three above names, there might be a possibility that they make a move for Ducks D-man John Klingberg.
Only one year older than Reilly, Klingberg is considered the veteran of these four names, which could play devil’s advocate with regards to teams going out of their way to acquire the 30-year-old.
With eight points in 21 games played this season, he’s also a -14 on the year with 10 penalty minutes. Not the strongest looking stat line when looking at adding a D-man that doesn’t turn into a liability.
Having signed a one-year, $7 million contract in the off-season, the Ducks will have to commit to holding onto some of his salary depending the cap-hit that Klingberg will bring to an acquiring team, maybe even up to 50 per cent of his $7 million.
The asking price from the Ducks might be dependant on how much of that salary they end up needing to retain, but shouldn’t expect more than a third-round pick for the struggling blueliner.