The NHL’s return to action comes at a busy time. The trade deadline is just around the corner, the playoffs a bit more than 20 games away. The standings, meanwhile, remain in a tizzy, especially in the Pacific Division. The Edmonton Oilers find themselves with a shot at the top spot in the division, but are not too far from the wild card race either.
Given their success the past few seasons, the Oilers are expected to be buyers. The team does need to find a greater level of play, particularly defensively. As the deadline draws nearer speculation around what, or rather whom, the Oilers might add is ramping up.
Amidst it all one team emerges as an intriguing potential trade partner, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Already a few players have been rumoured, but in truth the Leafs have a number of options that might interest the Oilers. The uncertain deadline status of the Leafs does shroud a potential deal, but the rumours and logic suggest otherwise.
Let’s take a look at what the Leafs have to offer the Oilers, and how a trade would impact the team.
Defencive options
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
The current leader in speculation between these teams is Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Oilers are expected to look for a defenceman, especially one who can play the right side. Though he is a left-shot, Ekman-Larsson has been very effective playing his weak side for the Leafs. Some consider him to be the Leafs best defenceman this season, proving that he still has a lot to offer. Being named to Sweden’s Olympic roster presents further evidence.
Early in his career, Ekman-Larsson was thought of as one of the best offensive defencemen in the league. At some point his effectiveness waned, leading to a trade to the Vancouver Canucks, where he was eventually bought out. Injuries were thought to have played a huge role in his decline, and a huge contract did no favours for him or the Canucks. Since then his career has rebounded, winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, eventually signing with the Leafs as a free agent.
Ekman-Larsson still has a lot to offer offensively, but his defensive game is notable as well. Able to control gaps through the neutral zone, Ekman-Larsson is an effective rush defender. He also brings an edge, willing to get physical and play a mean game. Penalties are a bit of an issue, but his competitive snarl is unquestionable.
In his mid-thirties, there might not be much more high-level play from Ekman-Larsson. If the Leafs are deciding to retool, selling high on the veteran makes sense. The Oilers are more focused on the present, and Ekman-Larsson would be an upgrade to the blueline throughout Connor McDavid’s sweetheart extension. Over that time period, Ekman-Larsson might be the single most effective defenceman on the trade market.
Brandon Carlo
A less speculated option is Brandon Carlo. The tall, defensive right shot might even fit the archetype that the Oilers are missing more than Ekman-Larsson does. While Carlo does not have the same effect on controlling the flow of play, he is a traditional defensive presence.
His right shot would help add balance to the Oilers blueline, but so does his ability to kill penalties. The Oilers already have a talented left shot who can play his weak side in Jake Walman, perhaps making Ekman-Larsson a bit redundant, while there is no player who brings what Carlo does. Carlo fulfills a role that the Oilers other right shot regulars, Evan Bouchard and Ty Emberson, do not.
There might be some similarities to Alec Regula, who seems to be getting another shot in the lineup. Regula does show some promise, but might not fit the Oilers timeline for this season. Though he might not be as good a player as Ekman-Larsson in a vacuum, Carlo might be a better fit for the Oilers.
Forwards to keep an eye on
Bobby McMann
Another popular rumour is the potential acquisition of power winger Bobby McMann. The pending free agent has an odd career path, but has solidified himself as a bonafide NHLer over the past year. His size and speed are obvious and undeniable. His cap hit is quite reasonable. There is certainly a lot to like about McMann, but being born in Edmonton might add some gas to the rumours. The same might be said for rumours surrounding Jake DeBrusk, for example.
That said, McMann is not a perfect player. He has yet to prove an effective playoff performer. He does not seem to have enough playmaking and play reading abilities to hold down a spot higher in the lineup. McMann might top out as a third line scorer, his physical attributes allowing him to be dangerous without elite linemates.
As the Oilers needs seem to shift to defence, rumours about adding a scorer have waned. Still, McMann would improve the Oilers lineup. As a pending UFA the Leafs might be more eager to move McMann.
Some might suggest that pending RFA Matias Maccelli is an option for the Oilers, but his fit on the Oilers is more redundant than McMann’s. The Oilers have a lot of smaller offensive wingers trying to work their way up the lineup, including Matthew Savoie as well as prospects like Quinn Hutson, Viljami Marjala, and Isaac Howard.
Other centres to look at
There are significantly less rumours surrounding centres that the Oilers might add. Adam Henrique’s return to the lineup is vital to assessing the team’s needs, but a defensive centre who can upgrade the penalty kill could be a huge boost to the lineup.
The Leafs have two options in this mould, Scott Laughton and Nic Roy. Laughton is a pending UFA, which might make him more likely to be traded. Both could help stabilize the Oilers lineup, especially if Henrique is not at his best.
Oiler fans might be more familiar with Roy from his time with the Vegas Golden Knights. As a right shot, Roy might have some extra appeal for the Oilers. Neither one is much of a threat to push up the lineup, but both could offer some help in the less glamorous tasks that winning requires.
Goalies
Though Stuart Skinner has been traded, faith in the Oilers goaltending remains elusive. The Oilers have already attempted to remedy the situation, now with an entirely different tandem than they started the season with. Having already changed the goalie coach this offseason, the Oilers are running out of explanations.
Perhaps none of the goalies have been good enough. Clearly there are not any Vezina Trophy contenders in the group. Is it as simple as the Oilers have not had good enough goalies? Perhaps this focus is incorrect. Goalies like Adin Hill and Philipp Grubauer have won the Stanley Cup.
On the other hand, many believe the Oilers need only average goaltending to be effective. Could it be that all four of their goalies this season are below average?
Meanwhile, other teams around the league have had their own struggles with goaltending over multiple seasons. The Ottawa Senators, for example, spent a lot of resources trying to upgrade over the years. Cam Talbot, Filip Gustavsson, Jonas Korpisalo, and Linus Ullmark all underwhelmed as Senators. All four goalies had much better results elsewhere on better defensive teams, either before or after their time in Ottawa.
The answer might be a combination of things, but it should not be dismissed that the Oilers need to do a better job of playing sound defensively in front of their goalies. The team does have a number of interesting prospects, from Connor Ungar to Samuel Jonsson, Nathan Day, and Emil Vinni, but those players will take time to reach true NHL status. Ungar has been incredible in the AHL this season, and could be nearing an NHL audition, but expecting him to save the Oilers crease requires a lot of hope.
Anthony Stolarz
Regardless, the Leafs might be able to offer some options, as their prospect duo of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov are nearing a promotion to the NHL. Perhaps the Leafs might look to move Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz.
Woll is younger, and the Leafs are unlikely to trade him. Stolarz, meanwhile, has had exceptional stats since leaving the Oilers after a brief stint in 2018–19. There are certainly injury concerns with Stolarz, and his career high for games played in an NHL season is only 34, set last season. Still, Stolarz has shown flashes of excellence, and could upgrade the Oilers situation.
Of course, Stolarz is not regarded as an elite goalie, and he might suffer just as much as the Oilers current goalies behind a questionable defensive performance. Clearly, shoring up the goaltending has been complicated for the Oilers, and it is tough to say what might ultimately fix the situation. Regardless, Stolarz will have some supporters across Oil Country.
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