Oilers "top priority" is to trade for a defenceman: report
The Edmonton Oilers have made their list, and they only need to check it once.
And help on the blue line is the “top priority,” according to Darren Dreger of TSN.
“What we know is defence is an area of concern for the Oilers,” Dreger said on Insider Trading on Tuesday. “It was going into the season and it continues to be. The Edmonton Oilers need a top defenceman. Now, do they get wild and crazy and swing for the fence and get in on Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks? It seems impossible they could do that but there’s some around the organization with interest.”
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Edmonton has the sixth-worst goals-against per game this season, giving up 3.58 scores per game.
Darnell Nurse, who is a team-best +8, leads the Oilers with 23:53 of ice time per game. Cody Ceci is second amongst rearguards at 21:04 of ice time, and Tyson Barrie ranks third at 19:30. Evan Bouchard, who is a team-worst -12, is fourth at 18:34.
Karlsson — who has 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) and has four seasons remaining on an eight-year, $92 million contract with an average annual value of $11.5 million — is seventh in the NHL with an average ice time of 25:07.
Edmonton currently has 842,500 of cap space available, according to CapFriendly.
“The problem is that their key veterans in Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci are playing too much and their younger guys like Bouchard and (Philip) Broberg, well they’re not quite ready yet as we saw Bouchard benched in a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals,” Dreger said.
“Defence [is] top priority for Kenny Holland.”
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