The Edmonton Oilers are on the ropes.
After losing last night’s game on home ice, the Oilers face a 0–3 series deficit. Only four teams have come back from that in NHL history, so the writing could be on the wall for what has been a truly magical season.
In last night’s game, it became clear that the Oilers have potentially run out of gas due to injuries. The Florida Panthers are an absolute buzzsaw of a team, having now won six straight games in the postseason, but the Oilers aren’t doing themselves many favors.
The team is most likely looking at where their team has underperformed and potentially starting to regret the trades they didn’t make at the NHL Trade Deadline rather than what they did.
A tale of two trades
The Oilers only made a pair of deals at the deadline. The first was acquiring Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks, via the Tampa Bay Lightning, in exchange for a first-round pick, and two conditional fourth-round picks that could be upgraded if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup. The second was another fourth-round pick, in 2027, for defenceman Troy Stecher and a seventh-round pick from the former Arizona Coyotes.
The team opted for depth, which had been a concern for the team in previous playoff runs. The results have just not been there. None of the players have appeared in all of the team’s playoff games, with Stecher not dressing due to injuries, and the pair only have six points between the two of them in the 23 games played.
For the cost of acquisition, doesn’t look like it was worth the price.
Now looking at who the team was linked to on the market, surely their picks could have gone to better use.
The team had been rumored to be heavily in the market for Chris Tanev, who ended up being one of the best defensemen in the playoffs but ended up balking at paying a first-round pick. Rumors swirled that the team offered that pick plus Cody Ceci and retention, but the Flames were not interested and the Oilers wouldn’t adjust their offer. A strange decision seeing as they would give up that pick for Henrique eventually.
They also were linked to the likes of Sean Walker, but again did not want to pay the first-round pick. With the injury to Darnell Nurse, combined with his poor performance, and the liability that is Cody Ceci an upgrade on the back end would have been the better move.
Additionally, the team was rumored to have an interest in Anthony Mantha who would have been a lower acquisition cost combined with a better fit for the forward group. Add in the rumors of Pavel Buchnevich and Vladamir Tarasenko, and the Oilers sure look like they made the wrong moves here.
With Game 4 set to go on Saturday, and the season hanging in the balance, you do wonder if the team has buyer’s remorse.
they offered the first for tanev it was rejected.