Oilers were close to trade with Pittsburgh Penguins before Canucks move, per insider
The Edmonton Oilers were reportedly close to a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire forward Drew O'Connor before the Vancouver Canucks completed their trade.
The Oilers were linked to Drew O'Connor earlier this season in trade, targeting an upgrade on their 4th line speed and identity.
NHL insider says Oilers were in discussion to acquire forward Drew O'Connor
According to an update from NHL insider Frank Seravalli on OilersNow with Bob Stauffer, the Oilers were close to trading for O'Connor and still will be pursuing a similar forward after missing out on him.
- Frank Seravalli
Before the Canucks struck for their big trade to acquire defenceman Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor, it would've been plausible the Oilers were in on the same package deal.
Seravalli noted that perhaps the addition of Klingberg did take them out of the running for Pettersson. That'll place more pressure on Klingberg to bring his best.
Oilers will still be in trade market for bottom six forward
However, the Oilers won't just abandon their idea behind acquiring a player like O'Connor. The 26 year old forward was on a one year, $925K contract, and excels in a forechecking role in the bottom six. The Oilers will likely be looking for a similar player now.
The Oilers have been connected now to a tough, versatile forward with some toughness to plug into their bottom six for the playoffs. That player may have been O'Connor, but now they'll move to their next target. Hopefully, it can be an effective addition.
