The trade deadline day was a quiet one for the Edmonton Oilers.
Oilers fans were hopeful that general manager Ken Holland had more up his sleeve today, but according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, that won’t be the case.
#Oilers are done, their deadline shopping complete.
ā Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 8, 2024
The Oilers were linked to several names in the week’s approaching the deadline, as they were hoping to add to their blue line while also bringing in a top-six winger. Players such as Jordan Eberle, Tyler Toffoli, Anthony Mantha, Pavel Buchnevich, Vladimir Tarasenko, Chris Tanev, and even Jake Guentzel were discussed, but either stayed with their respective teams or were dealt elsewhere.
Holland was able to make a few moves, acquiring Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. He added some defensive depth yesterday as well, bringing in Troy Stecher from the Arizona Coyotes. While these moves, particularly Henrique, will help the Oilers, many feel it was an underwhelming deadline given the improvements other contenders around the league were able to make.
Perhaps the most improved team coming out of the deadline is the Vegas Golden Knights, who eliminated the Oilers in the second round of last year’s playoffs en route to winning the Stanley Cup. In recent days they were able to add Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin, and completed a blockbuster of a deal minutes before today’s deadline by acquiring Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks.
While the Oilers remain contenders in the Western Conference, they will be facing some very stiff competition on their potential run to the Stanley Cup Final. The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, and Golden Knights are serious contenders as well. We will see once the playoffs roll around as to whether or not the lack of moves from the Oilers prove costly.
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