On the Edmonton Oilers …
Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun: Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli on the approaching deadline.
“I think you need to identify what you need to get done and get it done early if you can. You don’t want to go into the trade deadline just hoping you can snag something, not quite knowing what it is and hoping something falls in your lap.
“Then there are other opportunities that come up and discussions that come up and you don’t want to force anything because there’s a trade deadline. Those are bigger, more organizational things. Sometimes, maybe the time is right. But often times it’s just planting some seeds and ideas and where you think you are going to be going and where you are with the other general managers. It’s just a part of discussion to a larger deal.”
Chiarelli knows they have holes on their blueline.
“I’d like to see where our defence fits in slot-wise when Oscar is back. I’d like to see us when we have three centres and maybe all three of them playing centre,” he said of McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl.
“Certain wingers can become a lot more productive when the have certain centres.”
Chiarelli on moving some of his young core.
“When I spoke to the media last week, they’re all asking about the young core guys,” he said of Hall, Rugent-Hopkins and Eberle.
“And I don’t think it’s the right time to be moving those guys. But it doesn’t mean I don’t have a bunch of instructive discussions on where we are as a team and where another potential trading partner is as a team — where they are in their development and where we are. And I actually find those very productive.
“Sometimes when you don’t come away with anything at the deadline that seems very significant, there’s a lot of underlying stuff that takes place. I tend to emphasize that underlying stuff at the trade deadline.
“It’s important the conversations you have during the year that aren’t just about immediate needs. You have to have conversations on long-term needs and know where other general managers are trending and have them know where you’re trending.
