Insider Reveals Trade Price For Oilers to Acquire a Top Four Defenceman

On OilersNow tonight, Stauffer reported that the Oilers would be willing to move two second round draft picks to acquire a defenceman, perhaps throwing on an additional pick.

By looking to trade two second round picks, the Oilers are prioritizing keeping their higher draft picks and their prospects. When CEO Jeff Jackson took over from Ken Holland this offseason, he was vocal about restocking the Oilers system with high end young players and assets. The Oilers could perhaps dangle a premium prospect like Matthew Savoie in trade, but holding on to him may be best for the team long term.

The trade cost of two second draft picks for a top four defenceman calls back most recently to the trade that sent Devon Toews to Colorado for that same price. At the time, Toews was highly praised by some analysts as a rising star, and the Avalanche pounced at just the right time to acquire him for a steal of a deal. If Edmonton can re-create that deal this season, it will be an incredible success.

For now, not too many defenceman seem available that would be a perfect fit for Edmonton. Some candidates currently include Ivan Provorov, Marcus Pettersson, Artem Zub, and Henri Jokiharju. The Oilers scouting staff will have some work to do to identify which player will fit best in Edmonton, and hopefully, they have the assets to make the deal. The blue line is an obvious area that needs improvement, so perhaps they strike sooner than later.