Should the Edmonton Oilers Go More Conservative at the Deadline or Swing for the Fences?
TSN Hockey Analyst Martin Biron joined Jay Onrait on SportsCenter to discuss the Edmonton Oilers trade deadline strategy and was asked what approach the Oilers should take. Swing for Jake Guentzel or play it safe with Jordan Eberle.
NHLRumors.com Transcription***
NHL Rumors: Which direction will the Edmonton Oilers go in?
Jay Onrait: “Let’s talk about the top five of the Trade Bait List, Marty. At number four, you’ve got Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins. At number five, you have the Edmonton Oilers’ 2024 first-round pick. It seems like a Valentine’s Day match there, too.
If you’re the Oilers, Marty, do you throw that first-round pick, maybe Philip Broberg, another prospect, at the Penguins to try to go for Guentzel? Or maybe play it a bit more safe. There’s been a lot of talk about maybe Jordan Eberle returning to Edmonton. Do you maybe play a bit more safe and bring back Eberle to the team he was drafted?”
Martin Biron: “Well, I listen. I think we can all be romantic and say hey, with Eberle, the Oilers would be fun, but no. If I’m making a move, the Oilers, I’m calling Jake Guentzel.
He’s 29 years old. He’s over a point a game this year. What an add this would be for the Edmonton Oilers to go in and say, Hey, we can throw a first-round pick and more because it’s going to cost more than just the first-round for Jake Guentzel. But it puts you right there on the same level as Colorado, as the Vancouver Canucks, and as the Winnipeg Jets, and now you probably move up in the odds of winning a Stanley Cup if you’re the Edmonton Oilers, so I understand that.
Look, it’s gonna be a tough sell number one with the cap hit right. Pittsburgh cannot retain any salary on Jake Guentzel. So maybe you gotta get a broker, a third party to help with the transaction, but it is going to cost you a lot, right because it’s a rental, but it’s a high-priced rental right now for Jake Guentzel.
So hey, if you want to swing for the fence for me, if you’re the Oilers, you go with Jake Guentzel and nobody else.”
Quick Note: Jake Guentzel is sidelined with an injury that could potentially keep him out for up to four weeks. So, does that change the Oiler’s approach to the deadline?
