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Drake Caggiula

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Brandon Manning From Chicago

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The Edmonton Oilers have already made one trade today and now general manager Peter Chiarelli continues to make roster moves. The Edmonton Oilers announced that they have traded forward Drake Caggiula and veteran defenseman Jason Garrison to the Chicago Blackhawks for defensemen Brandon Manning and Robin Norell.

For Edmonton, the team adds another defense-first defenseman in Manning to their lineup after acquiring Alexander Petrovic from Florida earlier today. Edmonton has lost five straight games and has fallen into sixth place in the Pacific Division and the hope is that adding a more physical and defensive players could help give the team a boost.

Chicago signed Manning to a two-year, $4.5MM deal this offseason, but with a number of young defenseman showing they were ready for the NHL, Manning became expendable. However, his contract and struggles on the ice in Chicago suggested the team wasn’t likely going to be able to sell off Manning. The 28-year-old hasn’t been effective as he has just a goal and three points in 27 games, while maintaining a minus-14 rating and averaging just 15:28 of ATOI, his lowest number since the 2012-13 season. Manning is also well known to Oilers’ fans as he was the player who checked Connor McDavid into the boards, breaking his collarbone in McDavid’s rookie season. McDavid might not be thrilled with the move as rumors are that he was close to Caggiula and the Edmonton star has referred to Manning in the past as “classless.” The Oilers hope that Manning and Petrovic, acquired for Chris Wideman and a third-round pick, will shore up the team’s defense with more defensive-minded players. The team has been without a number of players, but they expect to have Kris Russell back soon, which should bolster the team’s blueline for the remainder of the season. While Petrovic will be an unrestricted free agent next season, Manning still has another year at $2.25MM.

The team also picked up the rights to Norell, who was a fourth-round pick in 2013, but has not been able to break into the NHL. Norell played two full years with the Rockford Ice Hogs in the AHL, but Chicago loaned him to Djurgardens IF of the SHL. The 23-year-old failed to show that he can be a two-way player and is in the final year of his entry-level contract, suggesting the Blackhawks were ready to part ways with the prospect if they were willing to loan him out. Edmonton will have to qualify Norell this offseason as he’ll be a restricted free agent.

Chicago does quite well on their side of the trade as the team was going to have a logjam shortly on defense. With seven players already on the roster, the team is expecting to get back defenseman Brandon Davidson as well as rookie Henri Jokiharju is expected back after the World Junior Championships conclude in a few days. The team now has more flexibility after moving out Manning as Garrison makes the league minimum and should be easy to place on waivers and retain him. Garrison spent most of the 2017-18 season with the Chicago Wolves, assigned there from the Vegas Golden Knights. The 34-year-old Garrison has played 17 games for Edmonton and has a goal and a plus-one rating this season.

Caggiuli, on the other hand, has shown promise as a goal scorer, but has had issues on the defensive end of the ice. Caggulia tallied 13 goals last season with Edmonton and has seven goals and 11 points in 29 games this season. Caggiula was posting impressive ice times before new head coach Ken Hitchcock took over, but has seen his playing time dip quite a bit in the last six games as he’s played less than 10 minutes in four of them. However, he was playing well under former head coach Todd MacLellan, suggesting a change of scenery or coaches could be a positive effect for the team and give Chicago yet another young addition to try to work into their lineup.

Mark Spector of Sportsnet was the first to report the trade.

Minor Transactions: 12/30/18

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After 30 NHL teams played yesterday, just two take the ice tonight as the Arizona Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights in the day’s only action. However, that won’t stop a likely multitude of minor moves today ahead of a 13-game slate on New Year’s Eve tomorrow. Keep up with all of the transactions right here:

  • The carousel at backup goalie in St. Louis continues to turn. Since the Blues lost Chad Johnson on waivers earlier this month, the team has swapped Jordan Binnington and Ville Husso several times. However, with Husso currently sidelined, it’s Binnington heading back to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, while first-year pro Evan Fitzpatrick gets the call to St. Louis, the team announced. Binnington has made two relief appearances this season, including just last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. After starter Jake Allen was pulled after giving up four goals on 17 shots, Binnington surrendered two more on 13 shots. That performance may have earned him a demotion back to the minors, although the Rampage may simply need a starter today after Fitzpatrick played last night. Fitzpatrick, the Blues’ second-round pick in 2016, began the season in the ECHL and has only made two AHL appearances. However, the 20-year-old has impressed in San Antonio, allowing just two goals, which seemingly qualified him for his first NHL call-up. Whether Fitzpatrick has earned an NHL start already remains to be seen, but so far this season whoever sits behind Allen has a decent chance of seeing game action regardless.
  • After acquiring Michael Hutchinson yesterday, the Toronto Maple Leafs have returned interim backup Kasimir Kaskisuo to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, per CapFriendly. Forward Trevor Moore will also reportedly be joining him on the short cross-town trip back to the minor league team. Both players had been on emergency recall, but will now resume their normal AHL activities. While Kaskisuo is suffering through a miserable season and was a scary sight on the Maple Leafs roster, Moore has impressed, recording 24 points in 27 games with the Marlies and two points in three games with the Leafs. Moore will likely continue to be the next man up at forward for Toronto this season.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced they have assigned forward Michael Amadio to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Amadio has been shuttling back and forth between the two teams all year. He was recalled three days ago and has already appeared in 28 games for the Kings this season, having put up two goals and four points this season. While no corresponding move has been made, it’s possible the team will be activating goaltender Jack Campbell soon as he has made one start in a conditioning stint with Ontario.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have sent goaltender Scott Wedgewood to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Wedgewood was recalled Saturday to fill in as an emergency backup when Linus Ullmark couldn’t go. However, Ulmark was ready to go during practice today.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Joseph Gambardella from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL to fill the open forward spot which the team opened up after trading Drake Caggiula to the Chicago Blackhawks. Gambardella leads the Condors with 12 goals and 21 points in 28 games. The 25-year-old has not played in an NHL game yet.
  • Winger Logan O’Connor has received his first NHL call-up as the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled him from Colorado of the AHL.  The 22-year-old is in his first professional season after spending the past three years with Denver of the NCAA.  O’Connor is off to a nice start in his rookie campaign with 16 points in 29 games with the Eagles.

Oscar Klefbom Out Six To Eight Weeks After Finger Surgery

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Saturday: John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that Klefbom had surgery on his injured finger and is expected to be out between 6-8 weeks.

Wednesday: The Edmonton Oilers are rolling right now after installing a more defensive structure under new head coach Ken Hitchcock, but will now be without one of their best defensemen. Oscar Klefbom has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a hand injury in last night’s game that should keep him out “weeks.” The team has also activated Drake Caggiula while assigning Cooper Marody to the AHL. To make up for Klefbom’s absence, the team has recalled defenseman Caleb Jones, who could make his long-awaited NHL debut soon.

In the first ten games of the Hitchcock era in Edmonton, he made it very clear that he would lean heavily on the players who he thought gave him the best chance to win. Klefbom was one of them, averaging over 26 minutes a night before going down to injury against Colorado. The 25-year old had also recorded seven points in those ten games, including two game-winning goals. That’s nearly half his production for the entire season, and was a stretch that had him closer to the 2016-17 version that helped the Oilers reach the playoffs.

Losing him means someone else—almost surely Darnell Nurse—will have to carry the load defensively and play nearly half the game. Nurse got a taste of that when he recorded 30:44 of ice time last night, the highest total of his career by three full minutes. Along with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Nurse will have to really excel in this period without Klefbom on the blue line and help the Oilers maintain their quick ascension of the Western Conference standings. Edmonton has gone 8-2-1 with Hitchcock in charge, and now sit just one point out of second place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand on both the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

Edmonton Oilers Make Several Roster Changes

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The Edmonton Oilers have made a few swaps on their roster, recalling Cooper Marody from the minor leagues and activating recently claimed forward Valentin Zykov. To make room, the team has moved Drake Caggiula to injured reserve, and assigned Patrick Russell back to Bakersfield of the AHL.

Most interesting in the bunch is Zykov, who was claimed off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes at the end of November but hasn’t yet played a game for the organization. The 23-year old forward has some lofty offensive potential as shown by his AHL-leading 33 goals for the Charlotte Checkers last season, but hasn’t been able to fulfill it at the NHL level. That is to say, not on a full-time basis at least. Zykov does have 11 points in 25 career games, which actually comes out to a 36-point full season pace, a total the Oilers would likely take at this point.

Through 28 games, the Oilers sit 14-12-2 on the year and can thank just a handful of players for nearly all of their success. Outside of their three big forwards, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the rest of the team has been nearly invisible through the first third of the season. Alex Chiasson has been a nice addition with 11 goals, but no other forward even has more than 10 points on the year.

If Zykov can find some of that offensive success he showed at the minor league level, there’s no reason to think the Oilers wouldn’t push him into a full-time, top-six role. The team simply hasn’t gotten enough from the wings this year, and has had trouble finding linemates to skate with McDavid and company. Cagguila, who at times looks like a perfect fit for the top line, has just 10 points in 23 games and is now dealing with a hand injury. You couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to make an impact, one that Marody or Zykov (or both) will need to take advantage of.

Pacific Notes: Coyotes Goaltending, Frolik, Caggiula

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The Coyotes have received strong goaltending from Adin Hill after he was pressed into action following the lower-body injuries to both Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper.  He has posted a 0.56 GAA with a .977 SV% in five appearances so far this season which has led some to speculate if he could make a run for the starting job even when the team is fully healthy.  In an interview on Arizona Sports (audio link), GM John Chayka was quick to dispel any talk of a goalie controversy but hinted that they may keep all three goalies up when Raanta and Kuemper return:

“We’re in a performance-based industry. We’ve had some injuries and underperformance at times whether it’s been goalies or other players.  To have a young guy step in who has got a good track record, it gets your attention. Credit to him. I think we need all three [goalies].”

That doesn’t appear to bode well for Calvin Pickard’s future in the desert.  The Coyotes added him off of waivers late last month but has yet to see game action with Arizona so far.  With both Raanta and Kuemper (who took part in practice today) getting close to returning, the 26-year-old could find himself back on the wire shortly.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Flames winger Michael Frolik has suffered a setback in his recovery from lower-body injury, reports Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson. He last played on November 19th and was initially listed as day-to-day but it appears he’ll be out a fair bit longer as he has yet to even skate over the past week.  Frolik has had a quiet start to his season; while he has a respectable seven goals in 20 games, he has yet to record a single assist while his ice time has dropped to a career-low 12:07 per night.
  • The Oilers announced (Twitter link) that winger Drake Caggiula is dealing with a minor hand injury and will miss tonight’s game against St. Louis. As a result, winger Patrick Russell will remain in the lineup instead of ceding his place to center Connor McDavid who returns after missing the last game due to illness.

Edmonton Activates Ty Rattie From Injured Reserve

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Entering the 2018-19 season, forward Ty Rattie was labeled as one of the players who could make or break the Edmonton Oilers’ season. Any determination of Rattie’s impact on the campaign was put on hold in mid-October, when the 25-year-old was placed on the injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Expected to be out until later this month, it came as somewhat of a surprise this afternoon when the Oilers announced that Rattie has been activated from the IR and is set to return to the lineup. In a corresponding move, rookie forward Cooper Marody has been returned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

After an incredibly productive preseason, Rattie was handed a coveted first-line slot on the right wing of superstar center Connor McDavid. It was a career-defining opportunity for Rattie, who has been little more than minor league depth thus far in his pro career. A second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2011, Rattie played in only 30 NHL games in parts of four seasons in St. Louis, recording eight points. He was lost on waivers briefly to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016-17 and contributed two points in five games. Rattie opted to sign with Edmonton as a free agent in 2017 and played in a career-high 14 games last season, posting a career best 15:28 ATOI. It was far from regular NHL action, but was the first step toward taking a permanent role with the Oilers, and he made the most of it by posting nine points. Expected to take a step forward this year, Rattie notched a goal and an assist in his five games prior to the injury. While he’s not quite back at square one, he may very well have to work his way back into top minutes and first-line consideration.

If Rattie can find his scoring touch quickly, he should be back in the top-six as soon as possible. The Oilers have struggled with secondary scoring this season, with only McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins holding more than seven points on the year. The platoon on the right side is an especially troublesome situation, with Alex Chiasson, Drake Caggiula, Zack Kassian, and Jesse Puljujarvi all failing to make the most of their opportunities. Rattie’s addition would be a welcome addition to the competition for production and consistency at right wing.

Marody, a first-year pro out of the University of Michigan, skated in two games for the Oilers during Rattie’s absence. While he was limited to under nine minutes of ice time per night and held scoreless, he didn’t look out of place at the NHL level. A sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers acquired for a third-round pick last spring, Marody’s stock is clearly on the rise and he should see more action in Edmonton before the end of the season.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Edmonton Oilers

Current Cap Hit: $75,521,166 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jesse Puljujarvi (one year, $925K)
F Kailer Yamamoto (three years, $894K)
D Ethan Bear (two years, $798K)

Potential Bonuses

Yamamoto: $230K
Puljujarvi: $2.5MM
Bear: $70K

Total: $2.8MM

One major need is for the Oilers to get some help from their young players. Perhaps the most intruiging prospect is Puljujarvi, the team’s fourth-overall pick in 2016. After struggling in his rookie season, Puljujarvi showed some promise last year, scoring 12 goals in 65 games, but the 20-year-old still hasn’t proved that he can be a top-six winger yet. Regardless, the Oilers have resisted trading the prospect as they have received quite a bit of attention from other teams. Yamamoto also struggled in a early-season tryout last season as he played in nine games (tallying just three assists) before being sent back to juniors. However, after scoring 21 goals in 40 games with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, the speedy Yamamoto might be ready to claim a spot on Edmonton’s roster this season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Cam Talbot ($4.17MM, UFA)
G Mikko Koskinen ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Tobias Rieder ($2MM, RFA)
G Al Montoya ($1.03MM, UFA)
D Jakub Jerabek ($1MM, UFA)
F Ty Rattie ($800K, RFA)
D Kevin Gravel ($700K, UFA)
F Jujhar Khaira ($675K, RFA)
F Pontus Aberg ($650K, RFA)

The team has many decisions to make with their goaltending next season. All three goaltenders are on one-year deals and will have to prove their value to the franchise for a new contract. Talbot will be the chief goaltender who must prove that last year’s disappointing season was a fluke as the 21-year-old went from a 2.39 GAA in 2016-17 to a dismal 3.02 GAA last year. His .919 save percentage in the 2016-17 season dropped to a .908. So which is he? If Talbot can rebound and show that he’s closer to the 2016-17 season, the team will likely lock him up for several more years, but if not the team may look elsewhere for goaltending help.

Another factor could be Koskinen’s presence. Brought over from the KHL, the 30-year-old veteran has been one of the top goalies in the KHL for the past six seasons, but whether he can make the conversion to the NHL is a whole new question. However, a good showing could change the way Edmonton looks at Talbot and his contract in one year. If neither is capable of locking down the No. 1 job, the team should find quite a few interesting names in the free agent market next season.

The team does have hopes that they can properly develop the speedy Rieder, who signed a one-year “prove it” deal, which could turn into a two-year deal considering that he’ll still be a restricted free agent next year. The 25-year-old has scored 12 or more goals for four seasons, but has never been able to take his game to another level and now is on his third organization in one year, which suggests that two organizations have given up on him. However, with his speed, he could be the perfect complement to the team’s top speed line.

Two Years Remaining

F Ryan Strome ($3.1MM, RFA)
F Zack Kassian ($1.95MM, UFA)
D Matt Benning ($1.9MM, RFA)
F Drake Caggiula ($1.5MM, RFA)
F Kyle Brodziak ($1.15MM, UFA)
D Keegan Lowe ($675K, UFA)

Strome was the key piece in the Jordan Eberle deal last offseason, but while he posted moderate numbers, he hasn’t yet proven that he will be a significant part of the future of the Oilers. The forward’s production continues to decline. The 25-year-old posted 13 goals, the same he did a year ago, but he also played a full season this year, as opposed to just 69 games in 2016-17. However, no one is quite sure what his role will be going forward although the team has two years to figure it out. Is he a top-six winger, who can put up a large number of goals or a bottom-six center? Caggiula has a similar issue. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of North Dakota, Caggiula has improved, posting 13 goals himself last year, but hasn’t been able to provide the breakout season the Oilers are looking for out of their youth. The 24-year-old struggled with consistency throughout the year as he had several significant streaks where he didn’t even register a point and disappeared on the ice, but again, the team has two more years to figure out what it has in him.

The team did add Brodziak to its roster to provide veteran depth to their roster. The 34-year-old center had a impressive year last year, posting 10 goals and 33 points, his best season since the 2011-12 season. In just his second season, Benning received a significant uptick in minutes played after several teammates went down with injuries. The 24-year-old blueliner, known for his big checks, played well, but is not likely ready for a top-four role as yet. However, with injuries already mounting, that may become inevitable.Read more

Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Drake Caggiula

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The Edmonton Oilers have locked up one of their young forwards, signing Drake Caggiula to a two-year contract. Caggiula was scheduled to become a restricted free agent for the first time, coming off his two-year entry-level contract. Instead, he has signed on early for two years and $3MM, reports TSN’s Ryan Rishaug.

Signed out of the University of North Dakota after an excellent 51-point senior season, Caggiula shocked many by making the Oilers out of camp at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. Unfortunately a hip injury kept him out of the lineup until mid-November, when he made his presence felt with two points in his first two games. The rest of the season didn’t come as easily though, and Caggiula would end up with just 18 points as a rookie. This past season was much of the same, battling injury and inconsistency to finish with just 20 points, though his 13 goals actually tied him for fifth on the team.

Caggiula will turn 24 in just a few days and is likely close to the ceiling of what he can become as an NHL player. While he may not possess high-end offensive ability, he does have an incredible work ethic and can be a reliable player to support the more skilled Oilers forwards. Capable of playing both the wing and center, and contributing on the powerplay and penalty kill, his versatility will come in handy as the team tries to get back to a Stanley Cup contender.

Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers

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Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Edmonton’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Ryan Strome – When GM Peter Chiarelli and the Oilers decided last summer that Jordan Eberle had to be moved out because of his high-priced contract, the eventual return was the underperforming but talented Strome. The team enjoyed a $3.5MM cap cut, while hoping that the 24-year old forward could find his footing in Edmonton. After all, Strome was a fifth-overall pick who had scored 17 goals and 50 points in 2014-15, and could perhaps be relied upon as a long-term option down the middle.

Now, after another disappointing season where Strome’s below average skating was exposed on a team that lacked speed, and he struggled to maintain any kind of offensive consistency at center or the wing, there’s some uncertainty about where his future lies. As a restricted free agent, he doesn’t have a great case for a substantial raise over the $2.5MM cap hit he carried each of the last two seasons. After scoring just 34 points in 82 games—an even worse pace than his final year in New York—it’s not clear if he’s part of the problem or can still be part of the solution in Edmonton. He certainly won’t cost as much as Eberle’s $6MM cap hit in 2018-19, but neither side may look for a contract that stretches far beyond next season.

D Darnell Nurse – Perhaps the biggest problem in Edmonton this year was that several of their defensemen took substantial steps backwards, but one can’t really say that about Nurse. The 23-year old set career highs in games played, minutes played, goals, assists, points, +/-, penalty minutes, shots, hits and blocks, essentially leading the entire Oilers defense corps in nearly every category. He followed that with a big role on Canada’s IIHF World Championship team, and looks ready to blossom into the player Edmonton was hoping for when they selected him seventh-overall in 2013.

Still, it’s not clear exactly how long a contract the Oilers can afford to give their young defenseman. With so much money tied up in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the team has to be careful how they spend the rest of their cap. Nearly $20MM of the remaining funds are already committed to Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell and Adam Larsson for the next three seasons, meaning any deal buying out unrestricted free agent years for Nurse is likely too expensive to take on right now. That still leaves plenty of room for a short-term deal, but he’s the one heading into negotiations in a position of leverage after a career year.

Other RFAs: F Anton Slepyshev, F Iiro Pakarinen, F Drake Caggiula, D Matt Benning, F Braden Christoffer, D Ben Betker, F Patrick Russell, F Kyle Platzer

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Mike Cammalleri – A few seasons ago, the idea of Cammalleri walking in free agency might be a big story. Now, the veteran forward is just hoping for another contract. Cammalleri came to the Oilers in a midseason swap with the Los Angeles Kings, and found some of his old offensive juice for the team. With 22 points in 51 games he was relatively effective, and cost them very little in terms of salary. That could be a reason to bring him back on another incentive-laden contract, but there are likely bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks, as the team prepares for the draft and negotiates with the above listed RFAs.

Cammalleri will turn 36 in just a few days, and isn’t by any means a necessary piece for the Oilers to bring back. After agreeing to a $1MM contract with $200K in performance bonuses last season, he may be even less expensive if they decide his experience is worth the money and roster spot in 2018-19.

Other UFAs: D Yohann Auvitu, G Laurent Brossoit, F Brian Ferlin, D Mark Fayne, D Dillon Simpson, D Joey LaLeggia, F Grayson Downing

Projected Cap Space: It’s never a good thing when a team that missed the playoffs doesn’t have a lot of cap space, but that’s the situation the Oilers find themselves in. With just around $15MM in projected cap space for next season depending on where the upper limit lands, they won’t have a ton of space to find upgrades after re-signing their restricted free agents. That, and the lack of success despite another fantastic season from McDavid, is a reason why Edmonton is linked to nearly every rumored player on the market at one point or another.

There have been rumors in the past about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins potentially being available as the team looks to clear money, but after finding a home alongside McDavid on the top line he likely is now off limits. If the team could find a taker for Milan Lucic or one of their aging defensemen they likely would jump on the opportunity, but it won’t be easy. Chiarelli and his staff also need to prepare for their upcoming goaltending conundrum, as Cam Talbot and the newly signed Mikko Koskinen are unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, SJS, STL, TOR, WSH, and VGK.

What are the Oilers most thankful for?

The fact that they have already locked up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to long-term deals and don’t have to worry about them wanting to leave after the team’s disappointing start to the season. Not much has gone right for Edmonton as many of their moves have not worked out well and the team sits in seventh place in the Pacific Division (when most people expected them to win it this year) with a 11-14-2 record. The team has had trouble on defense and even have had trouble putting the puck in the net as they have relied too heavily on wings that have not produced. Much of the blame falls to general manager Peter Chiarelli who has made several questionable moves, including trading winger Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome. Eberle has 10 goals and 19 points for the New Yorkk Islanders, while Strome has managed four goals and 11 points.

Who are the Oilers most thankful for?

McDavid. It doesn’t matter how much the team overall has struggled. That just hasn’t been the case for the team’s star player. McDavid has 11 goals and 32 points and been that one positive player to focus around. McDavid, who still makes just $925K, however, will get a nice pay raise next season when his eight year, $100MM extension kicks in, meaning McDavid will be with Edmonton for a long time. He should be in contention for the Hart Trophy again and if he can get a nice hot streak going, perhaps McDavid can beat his 100 points total that he had a year ago.

What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?

Some of their defensive depth to improve. Injuries on their defensive end have not helped with the Oilers struggles this year. The biggest injury was when the team lost Andrej Sekera in May after tearing his ACL. He should be back in a few weeks, although there have been no official updates. Sekera was a critical piece to the team’s defensive success last season. The team has also just lacked depth this year. The team has added former Oiler Brandon Davidson back to the team today after claiming him off waivers from Montreal and expect Adam Larsson to return soon from injury, but the hope is the return of Sekera should give the team the depth it really needs.

What should be on the Oilers’ Holiday Wish List?

Finding a trade partner that can get the team a not too pricey wing solution. The team has tried to put its faith into young wingers like Anton Slepyshev (one goal), Drake Caggiula (four goals), Jujhar Khaira (three goals), Jesse Puljujarvi (four goals), Kailer Yamamoto (one goal and returned to junior team), Iiro Pakarinen (no goals and just waived and sent down to the AHL), Zack Kassian (two goals) and Jussi Jokinen (no goals and traded to the Los Angeles Kings). Many might still have some potential, but none of them seem to be players who could be in the team’s top-six. The team is loaded with centers, but can’t seem to find anyone to consistently put the puck away. A move must be made at some point if they want to salvage their season.

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