NHL insider: Edmonton Oilers considering transfer that would “mess everything up”

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This comes from NHL insider Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff. According to him, the Edmonton Oilers are considering a significant transfer rather than simply bringing in a veteran defenseman on a pro tryout.

Speaking to Cam Moon and Brenden Escott at Oilers Now, Seravalli said, “The Oilers have options. They’re pursuing those options. I think Edmonton is looking at other things, including a potential trade that could shake things up a little more than maybe just the PTO route.”

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That trade could happen before training camp, Seravalli said. “The thing is, it’s so uncertain right now. I think there are seven different scenarios that Stan Bowman and his team are probably considering. They’re looking at a lot of different options around the league.”

The Oilers have chosen not to sign Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway because of the uncertainty surrounding Evander Kane’s injury situation, Seravalli said. If Kane were out, then recovered and came off the long-term injured list during the season, Seravalli said, where would Edmonton find players to trade? There are no obvious trade candidates. Plus, having Kane on the roster and off the long-term injured list frees up the team’s cap space for a major signing in the future.

Seravalli also mentioned that the Oilers might be interested in 28-year-old Tony DeAngelo, who he believes is a better player than any other unsigned veterans such as Tyson Barrie, Justin Schultz and Kevin Shattenkirk.

“All I know is that he’s a very popular teammate. Have there been some skirmishes over the course of his career? Has he become famous because of his Twitter account? That’s all true. Some of it is true. Some of it has become legend. But I think you’re talking about a potential 50-point defenseman on your team who is still in his 20s, ready, willing and able to play for almost the league minimum and would absolutely love to be in Edmonton.”

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If the goal is to win, teams can’t have a popularity contest when it comes to signing players, Seravalli said. “Do we want to have a team of nice guys who are going to succeed in the community? Or do we want to have a team that wins the Stanley Cup? I think there’s a way to combine those two missions.”

My opinion

1. Seravalli is one of the few leading NHL insiders. He is a credible source. If he is suggesting here that the Oilers are considering a major move, he heard it from a reliable source and is not making it up.

2. Edmonton has a Philip Broberg-sized hole on the second line of right backs. The Oilers desperately need a defenseman who can contribute and fit well with Darnell Nurse.

This player is likely a right-handed shooter who can read the game extremely well and move the puck adeptly. Nurse can provide the defense and ferocity of the pair, but he needs a partner with exceptional hockey IQ and top-notch puck-moving skills.

3. As I said, I think DeAngelo is a good choice. If there are real questions about the character, Nurse can help answer them, as he was DeAngelo’s teammate for half a year in Sault St. Marie.

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DeAngelo had a questionable regular season in 2023-24, playing just 31 games with just 11 points and a -7. But he was solid enough to play nine games in the playoffs for Carolina. And in the previous two seasons, he had 42 points in 70 games and 51 points in 64 games. Of course, he was on the power play in those better seasons, but who’s to say Evan Bouchard will be fully healthy this year? Wouldn’t it be smart to have a high-performing backup player on the payroll? DeAngelo could very well be that player, and he’s between four and six years younger than other players just mentioned, like Tyson Barrie, Justin Schultz, and Kevin Shattenkirk.

4. I’m not sure I buy the argument that you shouldn’t put Broberg or Holloway on par to keep the salary cap flexible. It all depends on whether Kane is placed on the LTIR list – a matter as murky as mud. But if Kane is indeed placed on the LTIR list, it would buy the Oilers time to either trade another player or see if anyone else gets injured during the season. That freshly injured player could then be placed on the LTIR list and help the Oilers get Kane under the salary cap when he is healthy enough to return to the lineup.

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Yes, such an LTIR juggling would have been a riskier move. It would have meant more stress for the other Oilers players.

I assume if the team was really interested in keeping Broberg or Holloway, they would have made that move. The Oilers obviously weren’t that interested, so Broberg and Holloway were gone.

5. Seravalli also wondered why the contract negotiations with Leon Drasaitl were not yet completed. Seravalli didn’t make a big deal out of it, but brought it up anyway.

I’m not worried yet, as there could very well be a larger discussion between Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid about what each of those players wants to keep the team together, but also have the cap space to keep the team competitive. That wouldn’t necessarily be a quick or easy discussion. Of course, I’m not an insider, I’m just speculating.

6. It’s nice to see Seravalli advocating for second chances for players like DeAngelo. We live in the age of dismissals and quick, self-righteous and sometimes merciless judgment, often based on the flimsiest of facts or caustic misinformation. Besides, the road to success is not paved by angels or critics, but by people who know how to work with others and get the job done well. If DeAngelo is that kind of person, he should be welcome on the Oilers.

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#21-25: Maybe there is a lack of skill, but a lack of aggressiveness

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