Edmonton Oilers set on sending Ryan Nugent-Hopkins packing in exchange for a goaltender
The team's season has been turbulent, navigating the recent firing of head coach Jay Woodcroft and assistant Dave Manson. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the Oilers, exposing the expected problems of a porous defence and inconsistent goaltending.
When facing such odds, and with no hope of a minor league player stepping up to salvage the season, it is anticipated that the general manager would explore trades to strengthen weaker areas. One player on the roster who could bring significant value in return is Ryan Nugent Hopkins.
In a recent Spittin Chiclets episode, former NHLers Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney were brainstorming ideas about which player the Oilers could sacrifice to address their weaknesses. Both concurred that Nugent Hopkins would be the best choice for a trade, potentially bringing back quality players to bolster deficient areas.
The 30-year-old center had an outstanding year last season, reaching 104 points for the first time in his career. Currently in the third year of an 8-year deal worth $41 million, with a cap hit of $5.125 million per season, he will remain on this contract for the next five seasons.
This makes him an attractive commodity for teams looking to strengthen their lineups for a playoff run in the coming spring.
He could serve as a bona fide #1 center for most teams in the league. It remains to be seen whether the Oilers are willing to entertain this idea.
As all in Oil Country know, the stakes are extremely high, and there are no excuses for failure.
| POLL | ||
Would you consider trading Nuge for defence or a starting goalie if you were the GM? | ||
| Yes | 189 | 58.2 % |
| No | 136 | 41.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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