Oilers and Maple Leafs to Talk Trade?

The Edmonton Oilers are central in a few NHL rumors this week. First, they’re not completely out of the running for Taylor Hall if you believe a few Edmonton-based media insiders. Second, Ilya Kovalchuk is on waivers from the LA Kings and could be had as a free agent for an inexpensive price. Finally, there is some rumblings the Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs might be ready to have a quick conversation.

The Maple Leafs have some strong chemistry being built on the third line (Ilya Mikheyev-Alex Kerfoot-Pierre Engvall), and that means one of Andreas Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen could wind up on the fourth line. That doesn’t make a lot of sense from a financial standpoint. As such, it is believed the Maple Leafs might be open to moving one of those two players if the right return is there?

Toronto could use help on their blue line and at the backup goaltender position. The Oilers have some decent prospects on the blue line, although it’s not expected they’d give up one of their netminders. At the same time, according to James Mirtle of The Athletic, teams are keeping an eye on Kasperi Kapanen and he could become a trade chip.

"A Kapanen-for-a-D deal might make sense here, if these standout performances down the lineup continue. "@mirtle on a successful Leafs road trip and why it may not make sense to wait for the trade deadline to make a big move.https://t.co/7EBeEP6OjG

— The Athletic Toronto (@TheAthleticTO) December 16, 2019

Mirtle writes:

If the third line keeps playing like this, however, those tough decisions could become trade chips, as that talk heats up around the league, thanks to the Taylor Hall sweepstakes.

Essentially, Kapanen could become Plan B for a lot of teams. And, if the Oilers were one of those teams who missed out, it might make sense to connect the Leafs to the Oilers in a Kapanen swap.

What Would A Trade Look Like?

Kapanen is quite the player and on a good contract (assuming you put him in your top six) so the Oilers would have to give up something up substance. Could Kapanen and Adam Larsson be the centerpieces of a trade?

Or, might the Oilers trade a goaltending prospect like Stuart Skinner and a player like Matt Benning for Kapanen? There are a few combinations the two teams can look at.

That said, if Kapanen is available, the Oilers won’t be the only team in on him.

Related: Ilya Kovalchuk Leaves Kings, On Waivers