Who could the Oilers pursue in this summer’s trade market? What could the Sharks do with the second-overall pick in this year’s draft? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHO COULD THE OILERS TARGET IN THIS SUMMER’S TRADE MARKET?
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson wondered how the Oilers would resolve their goaltending situation.
Struggling starter Tristan Jarry has two more seasons remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $5.385 million. Backup goalies Connor Ingram and Calvin Pickard are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Ingram could be an affordable re-signing for the Oilers.
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (NHL Images).
Matheson believes it would be difficult for the Oilers to move Jarry unless they include a high draft pick in the deal or take a bad contract in return. If they do move on from Jarry, Matheson suggested Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, or Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights as trade targets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wouldn’t hurt to inquire into the availability of those goaltenders. However, it sounds like Binnington will be back with the Blues next season. Gustavsson has a full no-movement clause and could be unwilling to play for the Oilers. Hill has a 10-team no-trade list, but he also carries an AAV ($6.25 million) that would be too expensive for the Oilers to carry, especially if they’re looking at improving other areas of their roster.
Matheson’s colleague, David Staples, mentioned Oilers insider Bob Stauffer suggesting the Oilers could stick with Jarry but could also make a trade with an NHL team that has deep prospect goalie depth.
Stauffer mentioned an Eastern Conference team that has “four pretty good goaltenders in their system right now.” He declined to name the team, but Staples believes he was referring to the Detroit Red Wings, listing prospect netminders Sebastian Cossa, Trey Augustine, Michal Postava, and Carter Gylander.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with Staple that Stauffer was likely referring to the Red Wings. They might not part with Cossa or Augustine, but Postava and Gylander could be available. I’d love to see the feedback from Red Wings fans on this. Feel free to weigh in on this in the comments section.
THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell suggested some potential trade targets for the Oilers this season. He suggested targeting Colorado Avalanche netminder Mackenzie Blackwood, who has been outplayed this season by Scott Wedgewood.
Mitchell also suggested some options to improve the Oilers offense. He proposed looking into the availability of St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou and Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackwood would be an interesting alternative if Binnington, Gustavsson, or Hill were unavailable to the Oilers. He’s in the first season of a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.25 million and a six-team no-trade list. Blackwood might be easier to obtain, but his cap hit could still be a concern.
Kyrou and Tippett have frequently appeared in trade rumors this season. Of the two, Kyrou would be more expensive ($8.125 million AAV) and probably unobtainable given his full no-trade clause.
Tippett is more affordable (but still expensive) at $6.2 million annually, and perhaps easier to obtain as his 10-team no-trade clause doesn’t begin until July 1. However, the Flyers seem reluctant to part with him.
THE MERCURY NEWS: Curtis Pashelka examined the options facing the San Jose Sharks after they landed the second-overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs take winger Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick, the Sharks could select forward Ivar Stenberg, a high-end center such as Caleb Malhotra, or a defenseman like Chase Reid or Keaton Verhoeff.
With the Sharks hoping to challenge for a playoff berth next season, general manager Mike Grier could shop that pick for more immediate roster help. Grier is open to moving that pick, but Pashelka believes his asking price will be steep.
Pashelka suggested Grier could also retain the No. 1 pick, select a winger like Stenberg, and peddle winger William Eklund, who lacks no-trade protection in his contract.
Grier could hang onto the pick and get another high-end talent in the draft. It could be the last time for a while that they’ll be this high in the draft order again.
NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: Sheng Peng reports it’s no secret that the Sharks must upgrade their defense corps this summer.
Veteran Dmitry Orlov and 19-year-old Sam Dickinson are the only Sharks blueliners under contract for next season. Restricted free agent Shakir Mukhamadullin could be back, as could a pending unrestricted free agent such as Mario Ferraro or Vincent Desharnais.
Peng suggested Grier could attempt to add a defenseman via this summer’s UFA market, since it wouldn’t cost any of his promising young players.
Options could include Darryn Raddysh of the Tampa Bay Lightning, John Carlson and Jacob Trouba of the Anaheim Ducks, and Rasmus Andersson of the Vegas Golden Knights.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersson will likely be re-signing with the Golden Knights. It’s believed they’re waiting until July 1, when they will be cap-compliant, to announce the signing.
Grier could also test the trade market. Potential targets could include Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils, Filip Hronek of the Vancouver Canucks, Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers, Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dougie Hamilton of the Devils.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Devils can move Hamilton, they’ll likely re-sign Nemec. Hamilton reportedly rejected a trade to the Sharks last summer, so it’s unlikely he’ll have changed his mind. The Canucks will likely hang onto Hronek.
Nurse and Rielly are veteran blueliners in decline. They might improve with a change of scenery, but that could be an expensive gamble not worth taking.