Edmonton Oilers Seeking Defensemen
Jason Gregor of Oilersnation.com: With just a little over a week until expansion protect lists have to be made, there is some posturing going on. The Edmonton Oilers seeking a defenseman via trade would not be a surprise. Tampa Bay needs to move a defenseman so Ryan McDonagh‘s name will come up plenty.
A sweetener would have to be added even at a $3.3375 million retention rate. However, this could be one avenue worth exploring. McDonagh has never played in the West and has a no-trade clause. Ken Holland has to at least kick the tires. Carolina may have to expose Jake Bean. Again, Holland possesses options.
Edmonton might even look at Ryan Graves from Colorado but his $3.9 million salary is too pricey. It will be interesting to see who actually gets exposed. Right now, there is so much conjecture. With all the chatter, some rumors are getting lost in the echo.
Vancouver Canucks Offseason Search for Defense
Harman Dayal of The Athletic: The expected cap space for the Vancouver Canucks to help their blueline will be very little. That presents a problem. Vancouver needs help desperately, on the penalty kill as well. If they can find a few under-the-radar options, that would be ideal.
When two of your “holes” are the 2 and 3 spots defensively, that can be a problem. Vancouver might bring back Alexander Edler on a team-friendly deal but would need insurance for the aging blueliner. The bigger thing may be the “3” with replacing Travis Hamonic. Can Vancouver save money there?
Jake McCabe comes to mind on a buy-low scenario from the Buffalo Sabres. A prove-me-wrong contract might be ideal for one year. Jon Merrill has been explored but he is not a two or three or close. Zach Whitecloud is an intriguing target and could be had with some upside from Vegas. He might be one to explore.
Then, there are some usual suspects like Mark Pysyk and Alex Goligoski. At some point, one is getting into the too expensive realm perhaps. Again, this is about being budget-friendly while balancing needs.
