Could the Oilers be interested in a Jordan Eberle reunion?
The Edmonton Oilers have benefitted from the Sam Gagner reunion this season, but could they be interested in reuniting with another former first-round pick?
Plenty of former Oilers currently playing around the league are still decent players on their respective teams. One of whom is Jordan Eberle, who is currently playing with the Seattle Kraken.
After OilersNow radio host Bob Stauffer made a few interesting comments during a segment with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Wednesday night’s edition of the show, some fans are wondering if a reunion between the Oilers and Eberle could happen sooner rather than later.
“I think it fair to concede that the Oilers have pretty good top-five forwards: McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, and Evander Kane,” said Stuaffer. “I wonder whether or not there might be a right-wing out there that might make some sense for Edmonton that’s a pending UFA where they can make the money potentially work down the road.”
The Oilers might indeed be in the market for another top-six winger. The Connor Brown experiment does not seem to be working and the Oilers’ second line has not been playing up to its potential, despite the winning streak.
Eberle fits the bill for what Stauffer described. The now 33-year-old right-winger is on an expiring contract with the Kraken and holds a $5.5 million cap hit. The Kraken have a 9-14-7 record so far this season and could be in a position to sell off expiring assets like Eberle once the trade deadline arrives in March.
It might also be the perfect buy-low option for the Oilers. Eberle is coming off a 63-point season last year but has struggled in the early goings this time around with just three goals and 14 points in 27 games. Perhaps a package involving defenceman Philip Broberg and a high draft pick could be enough for Seattle to part ways with Eberle.
Salary could be a bit of a hurdle. If Edmonton can convince the Kraken to retain 50% of Eberle’s salary, the cap hit would come in at $2.75 million, which is much more doable for Oilers GM Ken Holland.
Where he could slot into the Oilers current lineup is also an interesting thought. Right now it appears the first line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid, and Zach Hyman is locked in as they are currently torching opponents.
Eberle would most likely plug into the team’s second line with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane.
It also has the potential to be a little weird for Oilers fans as Eberle would most likely have to pick a different jersey number than he had in his first tour with the team. The #14 that got him famous in Edmonton is now being used by defenceman Mattias Ekholm.
If the Oilers do indeed decide to make a run at Eberle, it would add an extra layer to a team that also brought back Gagner for another shot at the Stanley Cup in Alberta’s capital.