For the Oilers, the most interesting of these transitional teams at the deadline may be the Washington Capitals. When looking at the deadline, there are many depth pieces that the Oilers could look at acquiring. Oilersnation speculates about who could be involved in a trade between the two teams, and what that could look like for Edmonton.
First is Nic Dowd, who is a very strong bottom 6 center. The Capitals were looking for a first round pick for him a couple weeks ago, but there's hasn't been much talk since then so it's easy to assume talks have soured due to the price. He would be a great pickup for the Oilers so they could slot him in the bottom 6 and possibly on the PK, but the price has been a huge issue with getting something finalized.
Next is Anthony Mantha, who was drafted as a sniper but has had challenges before this year in finding his scoring touch. He was also drafted by Ken Holland during his tenure as GM in Detroit, so Holland is familiar with and impressed by his game. He has been scoring very productively this year however and could be a great, cheap option for the Oilers to look at.
Then there's Joel Edmunson, who is a shutdown defender who can play either side. Edmunson would add great injury assurance for the Oilers, and could easily be thrown on the bottom pairing to be a responsible defender.
Finally is Charlie Lindgren, who has been having a phenomenal season. This one seems a bit less probable for the Capitals to move, as Kuemper is really struggling to regain his game. He is only on a 1.1M contract, and would be a very money safe backup option for Skinner. This would be a fantastic move for the Oilers, depending on how sure the Capitals are of heading to a rebuild.
The Capitals would be perfect for the Oilers to take multiple pieces from, and if they can't find a top 6 forwards to acquire at the deadline, they may be able to move their first for some very solid depth options.
POLL | ||
Would you want the Oilers to trade for some players from the Capitals? | ||
Yes, more depth is needed | 110 | 39.6 % |
Yes, but only if they can't do something bigger | 87 | 31.3 % |
No, none of the pieces are worth it | 81 | 29.1 % |
List of polls |