Oilers Face Tough Choices as They Solve Surplus Forward Issue
The Edmonton Oilers have a few needs they’d like to fill before the NHL Trade Deadline. The priority will be a top-four defenseman and potentially a depth goaltender. In a perfect world, the Oilers might add a reliable forward with size and grit in the bottom six. Unfortunately, the latter can’t happen until the organization deals with another issue first — they have a surplus of forwards and insufficient space.
Before the holiday break, the Oilers were cooking. They’re one of the hottest teams in the NHL, and their injured forwards are starting to return. Players are being juggled around to make things work, but useful pieces are starting to sit. Specifically, Derek Ryan has been and will be a healthy scratch on Saturday , but he’s done nothing wrong. A solid faceoff guy and two-way depth piece, Ryan is only out because the alternative is sitting someone like Connor Brown, Corey Perry, Mattias Janmark, Kasperi Kapanen, Vasily Podkolzin, or Jeff Skinner. Head coach Kris Knoblauch is unlikely to do that.
The coach said, “I see the group of 13 we have right now, and everyone brings something that’s very valuable to our team. I wouldn’t want to lose anybody. We got some decisions to make, but right now, I can’t think of our team wanting to risk losing anybody.”
If the Oilers aren’t keen on sending anyone down or moving anyone out, it poses a hurdle with the lineup as is. It only gets trickier as the team has access to the full roster. The lineup for Saturday will see Kapanen moved down to the third line. It’s unfortunate, considering the chemistry that was being built between Leon Draisaitl, Podkolzin, and Kapanen. Still, Arvidsson has earned the right for an elevated look.
So What Will the Oilers Do?
The problem is a good one to have, but it only gets bigger when Evander Kane is back and ready to go. Oilers insider Bob Stauffer reported Kane isn’t expected back until March. That gives the Oilers some time. That said, if they have a desire to add, something has to give.
A spot will be left for Kane, who is expected to be fully healthy and ready to go ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As for which other forwards are part of that postseason mix, it is unclear. If Knoblauch doesn’t want to take anyone out or lose them on waivers, it seems unlikely Edmonton will add. Not unless that additional is a considerable upgrade.
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