Today on Oilers Now, host Bob Stauffer again brought up the most persistent trade rumour regarding the Edmonton Oilers.
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Said Stauffer: “I could foresee a scenario where the Edmonton Oilers at some point address their defense, looking for a guy capable of playing the right side, does not have to be a shut down guy, could be a left shot guy, could be a guy that can move the puck, and could be a guy with a little bit of term. But I’m not saying who it is.”
My take
1. In a previous incarnation of this rumour, Stauffer said the specific player was on a team still in playoff contention but likely to drop out of the race. At that time I listed my best guesses as Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen, who has two years left at $5.1 million, or Detroit’s Ben Chiarot, one more year at $4.7 million, or Ottawa’s Nick Jensen, one more at $4.0 million.
2. I fear I left out perhaps the most obvious trade target that then fit Stauffer’s criteria, Cam Fowler of the Anaheim Ducks. I did so because I misread the amount of term left on Fowler’s contract, thinking he was an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of this season. In fact, Fowler has one more year on a deal that pays him $6.5 million a year, which gives him the necessary term.
3. Fowler just turned 33. He’s a left shot d-man who can play the right side. He’s a puck mover who is not necessarily a shut-down guy. He’s got a No-Trade-Clause that limits him to only four teams he can be traded to, but that could be waived if he’s willing to come to the Oilers, and Oilers GM Stan Bowman has said he’s hearing from players who are willing to axe such clauses in order to compete for the Cup in Edmonton this spring.
4. Fowler has averaged 23:13 of ice time in his 15 NHL seasons. This year he’s at 21:02 in the 12 games he’s played. He’s got just three assists. I haven’t put in the necessary hardcore scouting work to have a credible opinion on the state of his game, but he’s always been a smart, highly-skilled puck mover, usually getting a point every second game, with about a third of those points coming on the power play, which he no longer plays much, having been supplanted by young Pavel Mintyukov.
5. Fowler kept his job in Anaheim even as that team moved out d-men like Brandon Montour, Josh Manson, Shea Theadore and Hampus Lindholm, a shocking amount of talent sent away. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported this week that Fowler was part of the talks that sent Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, but Fowler never made it into the final deal.
6. When we look at the Ducks there’s also an intriguing wild card trade candidate, Radko Gudas, 34, a right shot d-man who is more of a ferocious shut down player than a puckmover. Gudas has a no-trade clause with a 16-team no-trade list. Again, if Edmonton is on it, Gudas would have to waive. He earns $4 million a year and has another year left on his deal.
7. Gudas is more of a third-pairing type this year in Anaheim, playing 18:56 per game, with three assists in 25 games. But I wonder if he’s got enough game to pair with Darnell Nurse on a shut-down unit in the 2024 playoffs. Again, I haven’t done the deep video analysis it would take to have a credible opinion on Gudas’ game at this moment, but I’ve always liked his aggression and solidity on defence. Even if he’s picked up as a third-pairing depth player, he might well have value to the Oilers in the playoffs when ferocity ramps up as a crucial commodity.
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