To Trade or Not to Trade: Brett Kulak
March 5, 2024
Oilers Acquire Henrique and Carrick
March 6, 2024Oilers 2024 Trade Deadline Rumours
EDMONTON, AB - NOV 12, 2023: Ken Holland addresses the media at Rogers Place. Photo Credit: Oilers TV
March 6, 2024 by Ryan Lotsberg
The 2024 NHL trade deadline looms. Teams are already starting to make deals leading up to Friday’s trade deadline, and the rumours are swirling like crazy as usual. The Edmonton Oilers are one of the biggest wild cards at the deadline this year. They have interest in a lot of different players, and nobody seems to know which way the Oilers are leaning.
Bob Stauffer has repeatedly said that the Oilers are trying to add a middle six forward, a depth forward, and a depth defenceman. Stauffer was sure to emphasize the word “add” when referring to the two forwards during the Oilers broadcast on Tuesday evening, and he explained that the Oilers want to add two forwards without trading a forward off the current roster. “Depth defenceman” implies that the defenceman that the Oilers are trying to add is not a top four defenceman.
Jake Guentzel is the top available forward at this year’s deadline. Frank Seravalli suggested that the Oilers are out on Guentzel because the price is too high earlier in the week, but Elliotte Friedman said that the Oilers still believe they have a shot at Guentzel on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast on Tuesday. Anthony Mantha going to the Vegas Golden Knights has all but removed them from the Guentzel conversation. The Vancouver Canucks are in on Guentzel as well. Chris Johnston suggested that the Canucks might flip recently acquired Elias Lindholm to get assets to use on Guentzel.
Something crazy has to happen in Vancouver for the Canucks to get Guentzel, but they have the young players (Vasily Podkolzin, Nils Hoglander, Arshdeep Bains) to spare. The Golden Knights are likely out on him now. They don’t have the collection of young players to offer the Penguins. The Carolina Hurricanes could entice the Pittsburgh Penguins with Martin Necas (who would be an intriguing fit for the Oilers). The Oilers could still emerge here; but they can’t offer as strong of a package as other teams could, and I question the wisdom of chasing a rental with this high of a price tag with no guarantee of a ring to show for it.
According to Darren Dreger, the Penguins are seeking “a 1st, young NHL player, plus prospects” in a trade that is expected to happen Wednesday. For the Oilers, that would involve their 2024 1st round pick, Dylan Holloway, and whatever prospects are needed to make the necessary salary retention happen. I would assume that Philip Broberg would be a part of any package for Guentzel as well. The Penguins won’t accept low-end prospects for their top scoring winger, especially if they have to retain salary. This type of deal would run counter to Stauffer’s suggestion that the Oilers are trying to not move a forward off their current roster, and it would run counter to the Oilers not trading Broberg for a rental.
Related: To Trade or Not to Trade: Dylan Holloway
New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald addressed the media a day after firing former head coach Lindy Ruff. Pierre LeBrun wrote that “[h]e would be a nice fit in Edmonton on the second line.” Devils play by play announcer Bill Spaulding shared this quote from Fitzgerald on Toffoli:
According to Bruce Garrioch, the Oilers are interested in Vladimir Tarasenko of the Ottawa Senators. Tarasenko has a full no-trade clause, so he ultimately has full control over where he goes at the trade deadline. The Florida Panthers are an appealing team for Tarasenko because his family resides in Fort Lauderdale. The hope for the Oilers is that a playoff run with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is enticing enough for Tarasenko to want to join the Oilers. Also, Senators GM Steve Staios was a highly regarded Oilers executive as recently as last season. Oilers GM Ken Holland wanted Staios to take on a larger role with the Oilers, but the Senators job delivered an even bigger role. Hopefully there are no hard feelings between Staios and the Oilers.
Related: To Trade or Not to Trade: Warren Foegele
Stauffer mentioned that Jordan Eberle might sign an extension with the Seattle Kraken before Friday’s deadline or at some point this summer during his appearance on Monday’s edition of Oilers Now. He said that if the Kraken don’t believe that they can re-sign Eberle, then he’s the kind of player the Oilers could be interested in acquiring. Stauffer suggested that the acquisition cost might be a second round pick plus another pick to a third team to retain 25% of Eberle’s contract. For what it’s worth, Stauffer was correct in saying that Mantha could be had for a second round pick as well. Eberle is due to play his 1000th NHL game soon. It would be AMAZING to see that happen in an Oilers uniform!
Pierre LeBrun has written that Adam Henrique from the Anaheim Ducks has become a “primary target” for the Oilers. Stauffer suggested that the Ducks will want a first round pick in return for Henrique. Stauffer also said that the Ducks would have to retain 50% of Henrique’s cap hit with the first round pick involved, but the Oilers would still have to pay another team a fourth round draft pick to be a third team involved to retain 25% of Henrique’s cap hit. The Ducks also have Sam Carrick, a right-handed fourth line centre that could be of interest to the Oilers. It could be a package deal involving Henrique and Carrick. I suspect that Carrick is a plan B for the Oilers, and that Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals is the preferred depth forward choice.
LeBrun also wrote that Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz “mentioned the possibility of keeping [Alexandre] Carrier as an own-rental because the team is in a playoff spot”, but the door isn’t entirely closed on that possibility yet. It seems unlikely that Carrier will move; but nobody thought that they would trade Mattias Ekholm last season, and look what happened. Cody Ceci would have to go the other way (or somewhere else) to bring Carrier aboard, but that isn’t an easy sell. Carrier is a possibility with low odds.
David Pagnotta reported that the Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs have continued to check in on Sean Walker though. Frank Servalli reported that it is becoming “increasingly unlikely” that the Philadelphia Flyers will re-sign both Walker and Nick Seeler. Seravalli added that one of them will likely be traded. Walker is apparently seeking a four-year contract with an AAV of $5 million this summer, while Seeler is seeking a three or four year deal with an AAV between three and four million dollars.
Carrier or Walker would be a replacement for Ceci on the second pairing. The Oilers have moved Ceci down to the third pairing for the last two games, and they have moved Vincent Desharnais into his spot beside Darnell Nurse. The results have been good for the team thus far, and Ceci made a poor neutral zone read that led to the Boston Bruins’ only goal of the game against the Oilers on Tuesday evening. That might mean nothing, but it could also be one of the last straws that Holland needs to make a trade to get an upgrade on Ceci. Seeler would qualify as a depth defender, but it is my personal belief that the asking price will be too high for a player that will likely spend most nights in the press box.
I haven’t seen much on any available depth defencemen in the last few days aside from Seeler. This is totally speculative on my part, but keep an eye on Travis Dermott from the Arizona Coyotes. Dermott has five points in 37 games for the Coyotes this season. He hasn’t played a game for the Coyotes since February 16, 2024. Dermott is a former client of Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson, which leads me to believe that Dermott coming to Edmonton is a possibility. Dermott is a mobile, puck moving defenceman that fits as a seventh defenceman. Jayson Megna from the Chicago Blackhawks is another possibility.
That’s all I’ve got for now. The situation is obviously constantly evolving on all fronts, but stay tuned to Heavy Hockey for more trade deadline content in the coming days.
