Scribe Argues Oilers Know What They Need—Getting It Is the Hard Part

The Edmonton Oilers are once again staring down a familiar offseason challenge: how to improve a contender with limited cap space, untradeable contracts, and dwindling assets. Caprice St-Pierre’s recent piece for The Hockey News, which explores potential blue-line upgrades for a team firmly in win-now mode.

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She writes, “the future Edmonton has been trading away for years isn’t really the future anymore. Some of those first-round picks would already be in Bakersfield. A couple might even be pushing for NHL roles. Instead, the Oilers are once again looking for creative ways to patch holes around an expensive core.” She argued the blue line is one of the areas where it’s most glaring that the Oilers haven’t drafted and developed well. (at least, they haven’t kept the pieces they drafted and developed).

Noting that there might be limited options on the market to address the needs on defense, she lists three potential defensive targets.

Who Might Make For a Good Fit on Edmonton’s Blue Line?

St-Pierre focused on Jacob Trouba, Rasmus Andersson, and Darren Raddysh.

Trouba is presented as a culture-shifting addition, someone who could bring physicality and edge to a lineup that has, at times, lacked bite. He’s a pending UFA in Anaheim, and while the Ducks would probably like to hang on to him, they have some bigger contracts on their to-do list, including Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier. Spending too much on an aging Trouba isn’t really an option. Then again, it’s likely not in Edmonton either.

Rasmus Andersson, meanwhile, is positioned as the ideal fit—a well-rounded, right-shot defenseman capable of handling tough minutes—but likely too expensive given Edmonton’s limited trade capital. He’d like to stay in Vegas, and the Golden Knights would like to keep him. All that said, they’ve not talked extension yet and he’s likely to test the market if a ruthless Vegas team doesn’t offer him a fair deal.

Darren Raddysh rounds out the list as the practical option: not flashy, but effective and potentially affordable. She writes, “Right-shot defencemen don’t grow on trees. Neither do affordable ones. He moves the puck well, skates efficiently and can handle a serious amount of minutes on any given night. Those players tend to become more valuable the deeper a team gets into the playoffs.”

Where Things Get Complicated for the Oilers

However, it’s important to note that all three suggestions come with a huge caveat. Money has to go out the door, and St-Pierre suggests another defensive move be made to clear up cap space.

She suggests moving significant contracts, such as Darnell Nurse or Mattias Ekholm, to create space. Both have trade protection and no-move clauses. Neither wants to leave, and both are seen as key parts of the core that Connor McDavid has been trying to protect as he and the rest of the Oilers try to finally win a Stanley Cup.

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