The Edmonton Oilers are in their Stanley Cup window, as superstar Connor McDavid could have just two years left in Edmonton.
With that, Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Oilers acquiring star scoring winger Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a blockbuster deal.
Oilers acquire:
Blue Jackets acquire:
- Isaac Howard
- Matthew Savoie
- 2028 first-round pick
The Oilers go all-in and trade two young forwards and a first-round pick for Marchenko, who can add some more secondary scoring to the roster.
Edmonton would acquire Marchenko, whose name has come up in trade rumors. Marchenko is entering the final year of his three-year, $11.55 million deal, but is an RFA at the end of it. The Russian is 25-years-old and would be a great top-six winger to add some scoring to the Oilers roster. He recorded 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 76 games last season, while his career-high is 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points in 79 games a year ago.
In return, Columbus would trade a 2028 first-round pick, which doesn’t matter as that draft would be the last year of McDavid. Howard, meanwhile, is a former Hobey Baker winner as the top college player, but he struggled in his rookie year. With the Oilers needing to win, Howard is expendable and fits in better in Columbus’ young system.
The Oilers would also deal Savoie, who’s an impact bottom-six forward and could develop into the top-six. Savoie recorded 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in 82 games last season.
Marchenko Could be Dealt
Although Marchenko is a star player, his name has come up in trade rumors as Columbus may not be able to extend him.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that Marchenko’s name has come up in rumors ahead of the NHL Draft on Friday.
“Columbus has arrived at a crossroads. Superstar defenseman and newly crowned Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski has joined Hockey 24/7’s Trade Targets board alongside the Blue Jackets’ best forward in Kirill Marchenko,” Seravalli wrote.
“Teams have been calling Columbus GM Don Waddell about Marchenko for the last couple weeks, his name percolating in the rumor mill. And while the Blue Jackets are not actively seeking to move Marchenko, a burgeoning star that will be incredibly difficult to replace, that hasn’t stopped teams from wondering whether he’s actually interested in extending in Columbus this summer. The same is true with Werenski.”
If Marchenko is indeed available, there will be several teams interested in him, but he does fit in well with the Oilers’ offense.
Oilers Hire Mike Babcock
Edmonton’s first big move of the offseason was hiring head coach Mike Babcock.
Babcock won a Stanley Cup as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and also served as head coach of Team Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, winning gold.
However, Babcock is known as a hard-nosed coach, and he said he made sure the Oilers were bought in as he wouldn’t have come out of retirement unless they were.
“The interaction with star players who want nothing more than to win and tell you how they’re willing to change and adjust to make that happen, that’s pretty exciting for a coach,” Babcock said during his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “I went through in detail the changes that would have to be made for us to have success when it mattered. And when they said they were all in, the next step was to get together with ownership.”
The Oilers are one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
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