Strange trade for the Oilers, is another one coming?

[yave1964]

Dont get this one. at all.

 

I knew Ekholm was Edmonton bound when they traded Pulijarvi out to free up money but i hate the cost. HATE it.

 

  Ehholm was dealt by Nashville to Edmonton, a great get but the cost was Tyson Barrie the only defender with any type of offense this year as well as a first and a fourth.

 

  The only thing that I can think of is it is setting them up to add Chychrun as well, but that might be difficult without a first as Arizona refuses to budge without getting a first back. Maybe the following seasons first plus Broberg? IMHO that would be the likely cost. Moving Barrie salary out could be the key to Chychrun. Without adding him, I dont see Edmonton as being better than they were pre deadline.

[pilldoc]

32 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

Dont get this one. at all.

 

I knew Ekholm was Edmonton bound when they traded Pulijarvi out to free up money but i hate the cost. HATE it.

 

  Ehholm was dealt by Nashville to Edmonton, a great get but the cost was Tyson Barrie the only defender with any type of offense this year as well as a first and a fourth.

 

  The only thing that I can think of is it is setting them up to add Chychrun as well, but that might be difficult without a first as Arizona refuses to budge without getting a first back. Maybe the following seasons first plus Broberg? IMHO that would be the likely cost. Moving Barrie salary out could be the key to Chychrun. Without adding him, I dont see Edmonton as being better than they were pre deadline.

 
Yeah a definite head scratcher for sure.  If anything ... I believe the Oil are weak in net.  As I mentioned in other posts that seems to be their Achilles Heal.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Meh, I dunno, @yave1964... JR and I posted a bit about this in the chatbox.
IMO, I think the Oilers did well here.

Barrie is more the offensive threat, yes, but Mattias Ekholm is a better all rounder AND, even though he never got much of a chance to showcase it in 'always defense first' Nashville, he CAN contribute on offense as well.
Large bodied individual who skates very well, doesn't turn the puck over a ton, VERY hungry to win after toiling away all those years in Nashville without any real shot to win it all, and a guy who, as JR pointed out, may ease the pressure off Darnell Nurse, which in turn, could help Nurse crank up his game a notch or two more.

I stated there is a reason why Colorado, Toronto, and now Edmonton all thought Barrie was what they needed, but then realized he isn't and moved on from him.
Nashville's defensive mentality may tire quickly of Barrie's lack of such mentality sooner than later.....their 'get' after all, is the young player and picks.

One could argue this was a bit of an overpay on the Oilers' part, but if you look around the league, the most glaring example are my own Bolts, overpays are the norm now if you want to be sure you get the guy you want.

Nashville will fade away in the standings and probably be at best a mediocre team in the next couple seasons, but overall they made out like bandits with the draft capital and young players.
What they DO with it will really determine whether they 'won' any trade deadlines or not.

But Edmonton is in win now mode....just like the Leaves®, just like the Bolts, just like the Rangers. And all those teams overpaid for what they wanted.
But in the Oilers' case, it isn't as egregious.

I like Ekholm in Edmonton.

[thegx.ca]

Yeah I think Ekholm is just what Edmonton needs I'm thinking Edmonton and Winnipeg win their divisions now...

[thegx.ca]

Yeah I think Edmonton adds another defenceman before Friday...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just now, Villella McMeans said:

Yeah I think Ekholm is just what Edmonton needs I'm thinking Edmonton and Winnipeg win their divisions now...

 

@pilldoc rightly pointed out the questions in goal for the Oilers.
Ekholm doesn't solve that, although he may perhaps make it easier on Skinner or Campbell in net, but at the end of the day, the goalie has to make stops, which has been a problem for Edmonton goaltending.

Thing is, what goalie was out there, available, at a price that doesn't see the Oilers gut their squad just to acquire him?
There wasn't one.

So, while I also feel Edmonton is a bit better, I'd still pump the breaks on "them coming out of the West" until either Campbell, or more likely Skinner, prove they can make stops on a regular basis.

[yave1964]

17 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Meh, I dunno, @yave1964... JR and I posted a bit about this in the chatbox.
IMO, I think the Oilers did well here.

Barrie is more the offensive threat, yes, but Mattias Ekholm is a better all rounder AND, even though he never got much of a chance to showcase it in 'always defense first' Nashville, he CAN contribute on offense as well.
Large bodied individual who skates very well, doesn't turn the puck over a ton, VERY hungry to win after toiling away all those years in Nashville without any real shot to win it all, and a guy who, as JR pointed out, may ease the pressure off Darnell Nurse, which in turn, could help Nurse crank up his game a notch or two more.

I stated there is a reason why Colorado, Toronto, and now Edmonton all thought Barrie was what they needed, but then realized he isn't and moved on from him.
Nashville's defensive mentality may tire quickly of Barrie's lack of such mentality sooner than later.....their 'get' after all, is the young player and picks.

One could argue this was a bit of an overpay on the Oilers' part, but if you look around the league, the most glaring example are my own Bolts, overpays are the norm now if you want to be sure you get the guy you want.

Nashville will fade away in the standings and probably be at best a mediocre team in the next couple seasons, but overall they made out like bandits with the draft capital and young players.
What they DO with it will really determine whether they 'won' any trade deadlines or not.

But Edmonton is in win now mode....just like the Leaves®, just like the Bolts, just like the Rangers. And all those teams overpaid for what they wanted.
But in the Oilers' case, it isn't as egregious.

I like Ekholm in Edmonton.

I also like Ekholm in Edmonton, a lot in fact. My problem is Barrie has quietly having a great year on the power play and yes, he is a poor defender but nobody on the Current roster can run the power play like he does.

 

Ekholm does everything well, nothing great but zero weaknesses. He has lived in josi shadow in smashville the way Sutter used to with Weber, maybe he has another offensive gear, maybe not either way he is solid.

 

 Just feel they better add chychrun or it is a sideways deal when you factor in throwing in last years first round pick and also giving up a first and fourth.  I feel is an overpay for a talented well rounded ekholm who Might have another gear but no proof that he does. I mean, through 61 games. Barrie has 43 points with a quarter of the year to go. That is more than ekholms career high. Edmonton is gonna miss Barrie feeding it through traffic on the pp to the big boys unless they somehow add chychrun.

[pilldoc]

Just now, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Thing is, what goalie was out there, available, at a price that doesn't see the Oilers gut their squad just to acquire him?
There wasn't one.

 

Exactly ....that is why I think the Oilers erred in the offseason.  Look Campbell was spectacular as a backup in Toronto. However, here is the thing Campbell was putting up numbers worthy of some Vezina Trophy odds and even played in the NHL all-star game. The issue? He's a 30-year-old goaltender who has never played 50 games in a season, and while he had some great moments with the Leafs, there are still a ton of unknowns here. 

 

Honestly I thought the Oilers would go after Samsonov who never materialized as the goalie of the future the Washington Capitals. However, he could become a true gem for someone this off-season which happens to be the Leafs this year. Samsonov struggled to hold the starting job last season, but after shipping out Vitek Vanecek, it looked like Samsonov was going to be safe. Then he went to the Leafs.

 

IMO, I thought that Samsonov would have been a better for the Oilers .....

 

So yeah ...there were no real good options out there .......

 

But this position needs to be addressed by this franchise.

[JR Ewing]

I like the trade, though the price didn't come at a bargain (as with most deadline deals).

 

Pros

Barrie: heavy shot, strong on the PP: distributes and move laterally very well.

Ekholm: good size, very strong defender with a good first-pass (a glaring weakness on the team), should help ease pressure on Nurse, who's been buried with defensive-zone starts.

 

Cons

Barrie: small & sub-par defender, repeatedly caught on bad pinches, weak on transition from own zone. Requires sheltering at ES.

Ekholm: heavy shot, but doesn't position well enough to use it. Won't be able to help on the PP, so this will put more on Evan Bouchard's plate.

 

I think Ekholm addresses Edmonton's needs quite a bit more than does Tyson Barrie, who seems like a good guy, by the way.

 

 

[yave1964]

28 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

I like the trade, though the price didn't come at a bargain (as with most deadline deals).

 

Pros

Barrie: heavy shot, strong on the PP: distributes and move laterally very well.

Ekholm: good size, very strong defender with a good first-pass (a glaring weakness on the team), should help ease pressure on Nurse, who's been buried with defensive-zone starts.

 

Cons

Barrie: small & sub-par defender, repeatedly caught on bad pinches, weak on transition from own zone. Requires sheltering at ES.

Ekholm: heavy shot, but doesn't position well enough to use it. Won't be able to help on the PP, so this will put more on Evan Bouchard's plate.

 

I think Ekholm addresses Edmonton's needs quite a bit more than does Tyson Barrie, who seems like a good guy, by the way.

 

 

I would like the deal for Edmonton a LOT more if they had been the one who added Gustafsson and his power play abilities instead of Toronto. I look at the offensive abilities of the Oiler defenseman now and dont fear any of them. Nurse, Bouchard, Ekholm can all offer a bit and all are much better rounded than Barrie but none are close to the same class offensively. I would rather have Ekholm as well for the long term but someone has to QB the power play. I dont believe it is Ekholm, Bouchard is to young, Nurse is a fun player but it is not his game. they now have a glaring weakness on the point. If it was one for one, sure, i could see the reason for it but giving up last years first rounder plus a first and fourth, i give the edge to Nashville. More than an edge, i think they are the clear cut winner.

[yave1964]

And one last thought on this one, if Nashville finds a taker for Barrie retaining salary but adding a prospect/decent pick, it is not only a win for Nashville but a slam dunk. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

51 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

And one last thought on this one, if Nashville finds a taker for Barrie retaining salary but adding a prospect/decent pick, it is not only a win for Nashville but a slam dunk. 

 

I wouldn't put it past Nashville to flip Barrie for yet even MORE picks.
Preds are definitely the undisputed deadline champions....shame they don't get a trophy for that, but they ARE.  

Because right now, they are like pipers or doc in NAHANA...they have ALL the picks while the rest of us wonder if they will use them wisely.  

[JR Ewing]

@yave1964I think the Oilers are sort of damned if they do and damned if they don't. Tyson Barrie is such a bad defender that, two seasons ago when he scored more points than any other defenseman, he didn't a single vote for Norris. That is to say that he's an astonishingly bad defensive player: he's small, can't break up the cycle, and has long had a problem with making poor decisions to pinch at the offensive blue line, leading to off-man rushes coming at his own goaltenders. We constantly hear that Edmonton needs to improve on their blueline's ability to defend, and they did exactly that. The criticism? Gee; what about the power-play? I think it's a fair point to make, and I think it will clearly take a hit, but I also think it's fair to point out that it was the #1 PP unit when Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom were getting the minutes, before Tyson Barrie joined the team. We hear year after year that the Oilers can't succeed in the playoffs if they continue to rely on power-plays in order to win, and this is a major step to help with that.

 

The Oilers had to get better at even-strength, the game-state which constitutes roughly 75% of the time the teams are on the ice, and a key was trading the small PP specialist who can't play in his end a single lick, to the extent that every single coach he ever played for sheltered him with as many offensive-zone starts as possible.

 

The price? A big one, and it's a price that no team would ever prefer to pay. They have three seasons after 2023 remaining on the McDavid contract and two for Draisaitl. They have to get sh|t done and give those two men a compelling reason to re-sign. I don't know how it will work out, but this goes some way to addressing a glaring need at the expense of a guy who always gave up more than he got.

 

-----------------------

 

PPG Rates with and without Barrie, for what it's worth:

 

 

Barrie/Bouchard compared directly:

 

 

I don't think should be really shocking. The PP runs through McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins, with Draisaitl the usual finisher, not the defense.

Edited March 1, 2023 by JR Ewing

[thegx.ca]

I thought Edmonton might get Chychrun or Ghosti...and now there not any good defencemen left on market...they can't improve goal either now...oh well...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 minutes ago, Villella McMeans said:

I thought Edmonton might get Chychrun or Ghosti...and now there not any good defencemen left on market...they can't improve goal either now...oh well...

 

Those two would have been the splashier names, yes, but at the end of the day, I think Edmonton got the best defenseman in Ekholm, for THEIR purposes.

[thegx.ca]

Oh of course Ekholm is best for Edmonton since they need to improve defensively...but I was thinking they be adding more than one defenceman before the deadline but markets dried up now haha...

[J0e Th0rnton]

44 minutes ago, Villella McMeans said:

I thought Edmonton might get Chychrun or Ghosti...and now there not any good defencemen left on market...they can't improve goal either now...oh well...

Sure there is. He just has a cap hit of 11 million dollars lol

[thegx.ca]

5 hours ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

Sure there is. He just has a cap hit of 11 million dollars lol

Carey Price...?

[JR Ewing]

I thought I would do an end of season update to look at how the last 1/4 of the year went since the Ekholm deal.

 

Oilers record: 18-2-1 (#1 in NHL since the deadline)

Ekholm boxcars: 21 GP, 4-10-14, +28 (!)

Evan Bouchard since changing roles: 21 GP, 5-14-19, +12

 

Oilers GA/GP

Pre-deadline: 3.28

Post-deadline: 2.67

 

Oilers GF%

Pre-deadline: 53.7%

Post-deadline: 62.4%

 

Oilers PP%

Pre-deadline: 31.9%

Post-deadline: 33.9%

 

Matias Ekholm addressed need in multiple areas, and the trade has worked out handsomely so far. Ekholm has always produced just as much as Barrie at even-strength, while being a substantial defensive improvement and being infinitely harder to play against, while Bouchard has amply replaced Barrie's PP production. I came across this cool little video package:

 

 

 

 

[yave1964]

@JR Ewing

 

  Credit where credit is due. My original thought when Ekholm came aboard was uncertainty because he is not an offensive player. But then i had the realization that it allowed Bouchard to do what he does best with all the pressure removed and i snagged him in every league that i could get him in, fantasy wise. In Sweet 16 i even picked up Ekholm off the waiver wire and traded him for Bouchard.

 

  So fantasy and reality Bouchard became a near star. Take his numbers through a quarter of the season and he has 20 goals and 76 points, and Ekholm has certainly found his groove as well. I admit when i am wrong, happens a fair amount lol, truth is Ekholm is the perfect fit for the Oiler back end and if they win it all this deal may be mentioned in the same breath as the Butch Goring deal the Isles made way back when.