Trade Deadline proposals (armchair GMing)
Here's mine, 1 blockbuster and 1 "swapping of problems"
To Columbus:
Ales Hemsky:
- Howson has been a Hemsky fan for a long time despite his durability issues, so we know there’s a want
- Gives him a rental for the rest of this year and a possible valuable top 6 guy for the long term
- The Oilers don’t have to sweat over the bidding war that will start for his services July 1 (they’d probably be forced to overpay at the end of it all)
- Doesn’t seem happy in Edmonton, could use a fresh start
- Howson is under the gun and needs to make a big deal – Tambo may not have the same pressure but the pitchforks are coming out for him and he’ll be on the hot seat too if he doesn’t do something to improve the team
Sam Gagner:
- Young enough to be part of a rebuild for a long time in Columbus
- Will save them on cap space as a top 6 forward which is what they’ll need
- Has experience in being a 1st line C so it gives the team options in terms of where to play him
- Where would he fit on the Oilers depth chart? The only reason he’s played as much as he has this year is because of injuries
- Is only an RFA so re-signing will be much easier for Howson at the end of the season
To Edmonton
Jeff Carter
- Howson has publicly said he’s available for the right price
- An offensive upgrade for the 2nd line in a big way, and can still do everything Horcoff does defensively, in the faceoff circle, and on special teams – should still be a factor even with the current coaching strategy of a vet 2nd line playing the toughs
- Somewhat expensive and having an off year, but has a history of being a goalscorer: the past 3 seasons before this one in Columbus he was twice a 30 goal scorer and once a 40 goal scorer – high probability of bounceback season next year
- Can sub in on the 1st line in a pinch
- His measurements are similar to Horcoff, so measurement wise he’s fine
- Cap space of Horcoff vs. Carter: $5.5 mill of Horc vs. $5.27 mill of Carter….who would you rather have? To me the answer is a no-brainer.
- Doesn’t Jeff Carter have a NTC? Yes, but the Oilers are the only team in the NHL with the unique combo of cap space and more importantly they’ll have the best players to trade to Columbus. Who else could put up the equivalent of a combo of Hemsky and Gagner to the BJs? Probably no one. At the same time, the BJs will be blown up this year and will be just starting the rebuild – they’ll be further behind in team development than the Oilers are. Would Carter want to go through that much losing just to stay in Columbus? Probably not. On the Oilers, Jeff Carter would provide a formidable 1-2 punch at center with RNH on the first line and him anchoring the 2nd. He’ll provide top-notch offense and defense, giving the Oilers 1 of the missing ingredients they’ll need to be in the playoff hunt next year. Plus, chances are he’ll make both Smyth and his RWer better. He’ll win a SC sooner here than he will in Columbus. Howson will want Hemsky badly and he’ll help sell Carter on Edmonton.
- What about the fact he’s signed for 9 more years after this season? What about it? He’s proven himself at the NHL level, and he’s 27 right now so he’s in the prime of his career. Look at what Smytty is doing now – he’s lost a step but he’s still able to contribute at the NHL level. Carter should be able to do the same thing.
Mark Methot
- 6’3” 227 lbs – a bigger body for the D which addresses an Oiler need
- Boxcars show a penchant for puck moving – great partner to take the heat off of Whitney
- 26 years old and is due for a breakout in the next season or 2
- The hard growing pains are likely already done (unlike most of the defensive prospects in the Oiler system)
- As a 6 season veteran he also addresses the need for more vet help on the blueline
- Signed to a very reasonable contract with a cap hit of $3 mill/season for the next 3 seasons after this one
- With 85 hits is #3 on Columbus this year – knows how to use his size, something else the Oilers need from their D
- Durable as has never missed more than 22 games in a season
Cap space exchanged: To Columbus: $3.25 mill (Gagner, projected), $5 mill (Hemsky, estimated), To Edmonton: $5.27 mill (Carter), $3 mill (Methot), Totals: Departing from Edmonton - $8.25 mill (estimated), Coming to Edmonton - $8.27 mill. Slight advantage to Columbus (assuming Hemsky gets re-signed there).
2nd trade
To Montreal:
Shawn Horcoff
- Montreal is rumoured to have been interested in Horcoff for a long time – let’s see if that’s true
- Oilers would be able to rid themselves of a horrendous contract
- Horcoff has been a lightning rod for criticism ever since he signed this contract and could use a fresh start somewhere else
- Offensive play often dies with Horcoff – could play a more defensive role in Montreal
- Doesn’t Horcoff have a NTC? Yes, but does he really need to be sold on playing somewhere else? He’s got to be tired of hearing about his contract by now, plus the travel in Montreal will be easier than playing for the Oilers. He could use a fresh start and the Habs can give it to him. Belanger is playing right now where Horcoff should be playing (3rd line C), but it makes me whince that a 3rd line C would be making Horcoff’s money and be playing on the 3rd line for the Oilers….better he be an albatross in Montreal than here.
2nd round pick in 2012
- This sweetens the pot – Edmonton needs more vets not more prospects as we’re already loaded in prospects in all 3 positions. Montreal gets an additional pick in the 2nd round that might surprise and turn into a dark horse that helps the team down the road.
To Edmonton:
Erik Cole
- Cole is having a bit of an off year in Montreal now but has a history of putting up numbers decent enough to play on the 2nd line – in fact he actually has better boxcars than Hemsky over the last 3 seasons if you do the math – he’s outscored Hemsky in that span by almost 20 points simply because he’s more durable
- Defensively he’s not a shining star, but he does alright….in Montreal right now he’s +1 on a bad team
- Replaces Hemsky on the 2nd line – cap hit is fairly comparable right now at $4.5 mill vs. $4.1
- If the 1st trade goes through and Jeff Carter comes to Edmonton, should provide a boost to Cole’s numbers as Carter is better offensively than Horcoff at C. Plus, after this season Cole only has 3 years left on his contract. If he doesn’t work out his contract won’t be an impetus to trade.
- At 6’2” 205 lbs, Cole is a bigger body for the roster spot than Hemsky at 6’0”185 lbs
- Cole has played here once before, why would he want to come back? Because if the 1st trade I proposed goes through, he’ll have a more talented center to play with than he had in his 1st tour of duty, which should provide a boost to his numbers even though he’ll be playing the toughs. Plus, the Oilers are a different team now than they were in his 1st tour of duty. There’s more offensive firepower, and the team is in more need of vets – unlike when they traded him away the 1st time to shed themselves of salary and start the rebuild.
- Cole has a NTC, why would he waive it to come to Edmonton? Montreal is ground zero for the media spotlight, and a guy has to get tired of that after awhile. Edmonton is the lesser of the 2 evils in this regard, and Cole will know that having played here once before. Plus, on Montreal there’s no answer to Hall, Eberle, or RNH. Cole will be able to play behind these guys and won’t have to deal with the pressure of being on the top dog line. Montreal isn’t doing much better in the standings than Edmonton is but in Edmonton there’s hope for things to come because of the talent level on offence…..in Montreal, not so much.
- Cole is the leading goal scorer on the Habs this year, why would they trade him away? 17 goals leads the team? That’s pathetic. Cole is the best forward trade chip they’ve got and they’ll be able to pluck a decent draft pick from the Oilers plus a player they’ve had their eyes on for awhile. On an offensively challenged team like the Habs, every forward should be available.
Hall Gill
- At 6’7” 241 lbs Gill is a big body that will add some size to the D now and possibly in the future
- He’s a journeyman Dman whose contract is up after this season, he’s expensive for a bottom 3 D but Tambo can rectify that in many ways if he so chooses
- Nothing to lose if he’s no good – it’s a low risk gamble
- Adds much-needed experience to the bottom 3 D and doesn’t have the Shanaban rap sheet of Sutton
- How much of a hitter is he? Gill is not really known for his hitting, but he can do it when necessary as he has 34 hits in 38 games this year for Montreal. His best skill looks to be blocking shots – he’s 2nd on the Habs in blocked shots with 90 this year. You can never have too many players on your team that block shots. Gill may become something of a folk hero as an Oiler if he sticks around after this season because of it – these types of players are beloved here.
- Defensively? His age means he’s lost a step as he’s been below the break even point in the last 3 seasons, but there’s nothing that says we have to sign the guy long term or even that he has to be in the regular rotation. I’d say he’s probably a better version of Strudwick defensively.
Cap space exchanged: To Montreal: $5.5 mill, To Edmonton: $4.5 mill (Cole), $900K (Gill, assuming he signs a short term contract here), Totals: Departing from Edmonton - $5.5 mill, Coming to Edmonton - $5.4 mill, assuming Gill gets re-signed. Slight advantage to Edmonton.
How would the team look after these trades?
Top 6:
Line 1 – Hall-RNH-Eberle
Line 2 – Smyth-Carter-Cole
Notes – the 2nd line gets bigger and more durable with the addition of Cole and has more offensive pop with the addition of Carter. Perhaps with the development of the kids this season, Renney can start giving the kids the occasional shift of tough minutes while rewarding the vets with some easier playing time to help balance out the offence a little more.
Defence:
1st Pair: Whitney-Methot
2nd Pair: Smid-Gilbert
3rd pair: Gill/Sutton-Potter/Petry/Gill/Sutton
7th men: Gill/Sutton/Peckham/UFA/Chorney
Notes: The addition of Methot will be huge as Whitney FINALLY gets a counterpart puck mover he can play with. With Methot taking the heat off Whitney and playing on the top pair, Smid-Gilbert also get to go back down to 2nd pairing where they belong. Also, now Renney has a lot of options on the bottom 3 with the addition of Gill. He can play an all-vet 3rd pair of Gill and Sutton, or if Tambo decides to re-sign 1 and not the other they can be in the last pairing and mentor 1 of the young guys. Or, 1 vet could be a regular and the other the 7th d-man. This means that Petry and Teubert can now go back down to OKC for more development, and Peckham can be let go by whatever means necessary (preferably staying in the organization), or he can be the 7th d-man and sit out for awhile. Or Tambo could sign a different guy altogether to be the 7th d-man, or bring up Taylor Chorney. Potter can go back down to the 3rd pairing where he should have been after the magical run at the beginning of the season was over.
What else? Jones gets kicked back down to the 3rd line where he belongs with the addition of Cole. Barring injury or poor play, he can easily go back up again. Teemu Hartikainen I am predicting will challenge for a spot next TC. The goaltending tandem stays the same….for now. Khabby could be dealt next season’s TD, but it won’t be this season because of his contract and the fact the Oilers need him in net now as Dubnyk is not ready to be a starter yet (if ever). Petry may or may not win himself a regular spot on next year’s blue….personally I’m thinking no.
Will Belanger be dealt? I don’t think so. 1 bad season does not a career make, and Belanger will be given a chance to redeem himself offensively next season. Besides, 2010-2011 showed how disastrous it is for your team to have only 1 guy you can rely on consistently in the faceoff circle, so Belanger is valuable to the Oilers for that alone. Besides, no team would want this year’s version of Belanger with 2 years left on his contract – he’ll be more attractive with only 1 year instead of 2.
Will Smyth be dealt? Possibly, but I don’t think so. Everyone and their dog knows Smyth is loyal to Edmonton and he would only be a rental anywhere else. If we dealt Smyth we wouldn’t get anything more than a low level draft pick, bad contract, or prospect on the bubble.
What about trading Hemsky to LA? Not going to happen. Columbus will be blowing up their team starting at the trade deadline, which means better assets will be had from them. LA will never part with one of their best forwards (Kopitar, Richards, etc.). Lombardi may be trying to endear himself to Tambo right now, but Howson has better assets to dangle in front of Edmonton.
To Columbus:
Ales Hemsky:
- Howson has been a Hemsky fan for a long time despite his durability issues, so we know there’s a want
- Gives him a rental for the rest of this year and a possible valuable top 6 guy for the long term
- The Oilers don’t have to sweat over the bidding war that will start for his services July 1 (they’d probably be forced to overpay at the end of it all)
- Doesn’t seem happy in Edmonton, could use a fresh start
- Howson is under the gun and needs to make a big deal – Tambo may not have the same pressure but the pitchforks are coming out for him and he’ll be on the hot seat too if he doesn’t do something to improve the team
Sam Gagner:
- Young enough to be part of a rebuild for a long time in Columbus
- Will save them on cap space as a top 6 forward which is what they’ll need
- Has experience in being a 1st line C so it gives the team options in terms of where to play him
- Where would he fit on the Oilers depth chart? The only reason he’s played as much as he has this year is because of injuries
- Is only an RFA so re-signing will be much easier for Howson at the end of the season
To Edmonton
Jeff Carter
- Howson has publicly said he’s available for the right price
- An offensive upgrade for the 2nd line in a big way, and can still do everything Horcoff does defensively, in the faceoff circle, and on special teams – should still be a factor even with the current coaching strategy of a vet 2nd line playing the toughs
- Somewhat expensive and having an off year, but has a history of being a goalscorer: the past 3 seasons before this one in Columbus he was twice a 30 goal scorer and once a 40 goal scorer – high probability of bounceback season next year
- Can sub in on the 1st line in a pinch
- His measurements are similar to Horcoff, so measurement wise he’s fine
- Cap space of Horcoff vs. Carter: $5.5 mill of Horc vs. $5.27 mill of Carter….who would you rather have? To me the answer is a no-brainer.
- Doesn’t Jeff Carter have a NTC? Yes, but the Oilers are the only team in the NHL with the unique combo of cap space and more importantly they’ll have the best players to trade to Columbus. Who else could put up the equivalent of a combo of Hemsky and Gagner to the BJs? Probably no one. At the same time, the BJs will be blown up this year and will be just starting the rebuild – they’ll be further behind in team development than the Oilers are. Would Carter want to go through that much losing just to stay in Columbus? Probably not. On the Oilers, Jeff Carter would provide a formidable 1-2 punch at center with RNH on the first line and him anchoring the 2nd. He’ll provide top-notch offense and defense, giving the Oilers 1 of the missing ingredients they’ll need to be in the playoff hunt next year. Plus, chances are he’ll make both Smyth and his RWer better. He’ll win a SC sooner here than he will in Columbus. Howson will want Hemsky badly and he’ll help sell Carter on Edmonton.
- What about the fact he’s signed for 9 more years after this season? What about it? He’s proven himself at the NHL level, and he’s 27 right now so he’s in the prime of his career. Look at what Smytty is doing now – he’s lost a step but he’s still able to contribute at the NHL level. Carter should be able to do the same thing.
Mark Methot
- 6’3” 227 lbs – a bigger body for the D which addresses an Oiler need
- Boxcars show a penchant for puck moving – great partner to take the heat off of Whitney
- 26 years old and is due for a breakout in the next season or 2
- The hard growing pains are likely already done (unlike most of the defensive prospects in the Oiler system)
- As a 6 season veteran he also addresses the need for more vet help on the blueline
- Signed to a very reasonable contract with a cap hit of $3 mill/season for the next 3 seasons after this one
- With 85 hits is #3 on Columbus this year – knows how to use his size, something else the Oilers need from their D
- Durable as has never missed more than 22 games in a season
Cap space exchanged: To Columbus: $3.25 mill (Gagner, projected), $5 mill (Hemsky, estimated), To Edmonton: $5.27 mill (Carter), $3 mill (Methot), Totals: Departing from Edmonton - $8.25 mill (estimated), Coming to Edmonton - $8.27 mill. Slight advantage to Columbus (assuming Hemsky gets re-signed there).
2nd trade
To Montreal:
Shawn Horcoff
- Montreal is rumoured to have been interested in Horcoff for a long time – let’s see if that’s true
- Oilers would be able to rid themselves of a horrendous contract
- Horcoff has been a lightning rod for criticism ever since he signed this contract and could use a fresh start somewhere else
- Offensive play often dies with Horcoff – could play a more defensive role in Montreal
- Doesn’t Horcoff have a NTC? Yes, but does he really need to be sold on playing somewhere else? He’s got to be tired of hearing about his contract by now, plus the travel in Montreal will be easier than playing for the Oilers. He could use a fresh start and the Habs can give it to him. Belanger is playing right now where Horcoff should be playing (3rd line C), but it makes me whince that a 3rd line C would be making Horcoff’s money and be playing on the 3rd line for the Oilers….better he be an albatross in Montreal than here.
2nd round pick in 2012
- This sweetens the pot – Edmonton needs more vets not more prospects as we’re already loaded in prospects in all 3 positions. Montreal gets an additional pick in the 2nd round that might surprise and turn into a dark horse that helps the team down the road.
To Edmonton:
Erik Cole
- Cole is having a bit of an off year in Montreal now but has a history of putting up numbers decent enough to play on the 2nd line – in fact he actually has better boxcars than Hemsky over the last 3 seasons if you do the math – he’s outscored Hemsky in that span by almost 20 points simply because he’s more durable
- Defensively he’s not a shining star, but he does alright….in Montreal right now he’s +1 on a bad team
- Replaces Hemsky on the 2nd line – cap hit is fairly comparable right now at $4.5 mill vs. $4.1
- If the 1st trade goes through and Jeff Carter comes to Edmonton, should provide a boost to Cole’s numbers as Carter is better offensively than Horcoff at C. Plus, after this season Cole only has 3 years left on his contract. If he doesn’t work out his contract won’t be an impetus to trade.
- At 6’2” 205 lbs, Cole is a bigger body for the roster spot than Hemsky at 6’0”185 lbs
- Cole has played here once before, why would he want to come back? Because if the 1st trade I proposed goes through, he’ll have a more talented center to play with than he had in his 1st tour of duty, which should provide a boost to his numbers even though he’ll be playing the toughs. Plus, the Oilers are a different team now than they were in his 1st tour of duty. There’s more offensive firepower, and the team is in more need of vets – unlike when they traded him away the 1st time to shed themselves of salary and start the rebuild.
- Cole has a NTC, why would he waive it to come to Edmonton? Montreal is ground zero for the media spotlight, and a guy has to get tired of that after awhile. Edmonton is the lesser of the 2 evils in this regard, and Cole will know that having played here once before. Plus, on Montreal there’s no answer to Hall, Eberle, or RNH. Cole will be able to play behind these guys and won’t have to deal with the pressure of being on the top dog line. Montreal isn’t doing much better in the standings than Edmonton is but in Edmonton there’s hope for things to come because of the talent level on offence…..in Montreal, not so much.
- Cole is the leading goal scorer on the Habs this year, why would they trade him away? 17 goals leads the team? That’s pathetic. Cole is the best forward trade chip they’ve got and they’ll be able to pluck a decent draft pick from the Oilers plus a player they’ve had their eyes on for awhile. On an offensively challenged team like the Habs, every forward should be available.
Hall Gill
- At 6’7” 241 lbs Gill is a big body that will add some size to the D now and possibly in the future
- He’s a journeyman Dman whose contract is up after this season, he’s expensive for a bottom 3 D but Tambo can rectify that in many ways if he so chooses
- Nothing to lose if he’s no good – it’s a low risk gamble
- Adds much-needed experience to the bottom 3 D and doesn’t have the Shanaban rap sheet of Sutton
- How much of a hitter is he? Gill is not really known for his hitting, but he can do it when necessary as he has 34 hits in 38 games this year for Montreal. His best skill looks to be blocking shots – he’s 2nd on the Habs in blocked shots with 90 this year. You can never have too many players on your team that block shots. Gill may become something of a folk hero as an Oiler if he sticks around after this season because of it – these types of players are beloved here.
- Defensively? His age means he’s lost a step as he’s been below the break even point in the last 3 seasons, but there’s nothing that says we have to sign the guy long term or even that he has to be in the regular rotation. I’d say he’s probably a better version of Strudwick defensively.
Cap space exchanged: To Montreal: $5.5 mill, To Edmonton: $4.5 mill (Cole), $900K (Gill, assuming he signs a short term contract here), Totals: Departing from Edmonton - $5.5 mill, Coming to Edmonton - $5.4 mill, assuming Gill gets re-signed. Slight advantage to Edmonton.
How would the team look after these trades?
Top 6:
Line 1 – Hall-RNH-Eberle
Line 2 – Smyth-Carter-Cole
Notes – the 2nd line gets bigger and more durable with the addition of Cole and has more offensive pop with the addition of Carter. Perhaps with the development of the kids this season, Renney can start giving the kids the occasional shift of tough minutes while rewarding the vets with some easier playing time to help balance out the offence a little more.
Defence:
1st Pair: Whitney-Methot
2nd Pair: Smid-Gilbert
3rd pair: Gill/Sutton-Potter/Petry/Gill/Sutton
7th men: Gill/Sutton/Peckham/UFA/Chorney
Notes: The addition of Methot will be huge as Whitney FINALLY gets a counterpart puck mover he can play with. With Methot taking the heat off Whitney and playing on the top pair, Smid-Gilbert also get to go back down to 2nd pairing where they belong. Also, now Renney has a lot of options on the bottom 3 with the addition of Gill. He can play an all-vet 3rd pair of Gill and Sutton, or if Tambo decides to re-sign 1 and not the other they can be in the last pairing and mentor 1 of the young guys. Or, 1 vet could be a regular and the other the 7th d-man. This means that Petry and Teubert can now go back down to OKC for more development, and Peckham can be let go by whatever means necessary (preferably staying in the organization), or he can be the 7th d-man and sit out for awhile. Or Tambo could sign a different guy altogether to be the 7th d-man, or bring up Taylor Chorney. Potter can go back down to the 3rd pairing where he should have been after the magical run at the beginning of the season was over.
What else? Jones gets kicked back down to the 3rd line where he belongs with the addition of Cole. Barring injury or poor play, he can easily go back up again. Teemu Hartikainen I am predicting will challenge for a spot next TC. The goaltending tandem stays the same….for now. Khabby could be dealt next season’s TD, but it won’t be this season because of his contract and the fact the Oilers need him in net now as Dubnyk is not ready to be a starter yet (if ever). Petry may or may not win himself a regular spot on next year’s blue….personally I’m thinking no.
Will Belanger be dealt? I don’t think so. 1 bad season does not a career make, and Belanger will be given a chance to redeem himself offensively next season. Besides, 2010-2011 showed how disastrous it is for your team to have only 1 guy you can rely on consistently in the faceoff circle, so Belanger is valuable to the Oilers for that alone. Besides, no team would want this year’s version of Belanger with 2 years left on his contract – he’ll be more attractive with only 1 year instead of 2.
Will Smyth be dealt? Possibly, but I don’t think so. Everyone and their dog knows Smyth is loyal to Edmonton and he would only be a rental anywhere else. If we dealt Smyth we wouldn’t get anything more than a low level draft pick, bad contract, or prospect on the bubble.
What about trading Hemsky to LA? Not going to happen. Columbus will be blowing up their team starting at the trade deadline, which means better assets will be had from them. LA will never part with one of their best forwards (Kopitar, Richards, etc.). Lombardi may be trying to endear himself to Tambo right now, but Howson has better assets to dangle in front of Edmonton.
Comment