Scribe and radio host Allan Mitchell (Lowetide) suggested there were plenty of things the Edmonton Oilers could do to alleviate some of the pressure being felt with a 5-12-1 record this season. Among them, calling up names like Raphael Lavoie and/or Ben Gleason from the AHL, or signing Jaroslav Halak. Instead, he writes, “Expect a trade. A big, ugly, painful trade sending away more future for right now.”
In terms of what the Oilers will give away, he figures that will include first-round picks, Philip Broberg, Xavier Bourgault, plus “hood ornaments, odds and sods, your mom’s pancake recipe and anything not nailed down.”
The reason he says calls is a “big, ugly, painful trade” is because the Oilers are going to get very little in return for what they’re sending out. While the player(s) who comes back might be what the Oilers need, the reality is, there will be better options. Those options just aren’t available. The other reality is, the return should be higher. That said, no team is going to do anything but throw boat anchors at the Oilers. And, GM Ken Holland will have little choice but to suck it up and take one on the chin. As TSN’s Ryan Rishaug said, “There is no white knight going to ride in and save this team.”
Expect a Trade for Edmonton Oilers Despite The Fact They’ll Lose It
The really sad reality is that a trade likely doesn’t make a difference. This is not a team that is one player away from, all of a sudden, contending. This Oilers group is dealing with poor defensive play, a Connor McDavid injury, less-than-stellar goaltending, coaching changes, a new defensive system that didn’t work, and more. Bringing in a Jake Allen or a Jordan Binnington won’t be the catalyst that turns the group from a 5-12-1 team to a 12-5-1 team in the next 18 games. For crying out loud, Darnell Nurse is taking a puck off the face in warmups and Stuart Skinner is sliding into the other team’s warmups because he fell — that’s the kind of mojo this team has right now.
The only thing that will help is this current team working itself out of its own funk. They need to get out of their own way. Players need to start playing (and by playing, putting in 60 minutes worth of effort).
A trade will come simply because doing nothing might be the only unacceptable thing right now. Yes, even a bad trade might be better than no trade at all, which is scary to think about.
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