Wild card player in Edmonton Oilers’ most persistent trade rumor? I can think of one

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Today on Oilers Now, host Bob Stauffer once again brought up the most persistent Edmonton Oilers trade rumor.

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Stauffer said, “I could envision a scenario where the Edmonton Oilers at some point address their defense, look for a guy who is able to play the right side, doesn’t have to be a shutdown guy, could be a left-shot guy, could be a guy who can move the puck and could be a guy with a little bit of timing. But I’m not saying who that is.”

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My bid

1. In a previous incarnation of this rumor, Stauffer said the specific player was on a team still in the playoffs but likely to fall out of the race. At the time, I listed my best guesses as Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen, who has two years left at $5.1 million, or Detroit’s Ben Chiarot, one more year at $4.7 million, or Ottawa’s Nick Jensen, one more at $4.0 million .

2. I’m afraid I left out perhaps the most obvious trade target that fit Stauffer’s criteria at the time, Cam Fowler of the Anaheim Ducks. I did that because I misunderstood the amount of time left on Fowler’s contract, and thought he was an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. In fact, Fowler has one more year on a deal that pays him $6.5 million per year, giving him the necessary maturity.

3. Fowler just turned 33. He’s a left-handed d-man who can play the right side. He’s a puck mover who isn’t necessarily a shutdown guy. He has a No-Trade clause that limits him to just four teams he can be traded to, but that can be waived if he’s willing to come to the Oilers, and Oilers GM Stan Bowman has said he’s hearing from players , who are willing to waive such clauses to compete for the Cup in Edmonton this spring.

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4. Fowler has averaged 23:13 of ice time in his 15 NHL seasons. This year he is at 21:02 in the 12 games he has played. He only has three assists. I haven’t put in the necessary hardcore scouting work to have a credible opinion on the state of his game, but he’s always been a smart, highly skilled puck mover who usually got a point every other game, with about a third of them. points come on the power play, which he no longer plays much after being supplanted by young Pavel Mintyukov.

5. Fowler kept his job in Anaheim even though the team moved away from d-men like Brandon Montour, Josh Manson, Shea Theadore and Hampus Lindholm, a shocking amount of talent sent away. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported this week that Fowler was part of the talks that sent Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, but Fowler never made it into the final deal.

6. Looking at the Ducks, there’s also an intriguing wild card trade candidate, Radko Gudas, 34, a right-handed d-man who’s more of a ferocious shut-down player than a puck mover. Gudas has a no-trade clause with a 16-team no-trade list. Again, if Edmonton is on it, Gudas would have to be waived. He makes $4 million a year and has another year left on his deal.

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7. Gudas is more of a third-pair type this year in Anaheim, playing 18:56 per game. game, with three assists in 25 games. But I wonder if he has enough games to pair with Darnell Nurse on a tight end unit in the 2024 playoffs. Again, I haven’t done the deep video analysis it would take to have a credible opinion on Gudas’ game at the moment, but I’ve always liked his aggression and solidity on defense. Even if he’s brought in as a third-pairing depth player, he could very well have value for the Oilers in the playoffs when wildness rises as a crucial commodity.

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