On the Edmonton Oilers …
- Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun: GM Peter Chiarelli had hoped the Oilers would be much better this season. There has been some suggestions that it might be time to break up their core. Chiarelli won’t make any rash decisions about his team.
“It doesn’t mean that you won’t make a move, but the last thing you want, is to try and go out and force a move to shake things up,” Chiarelli said. “I’m not adverse to making moves and certainly I’ve had a lot of conversations in the last two weeks. But to think I have to go out and make a move because I have to shake things up, I think that’s the wrong way to approach it.”
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Chiarelli won’t name any names.
“There are players under-performing and you wouldn’t get proper value (in a trade now).”
The Oilers could use a 25-year old defenseman to go along with their forwards of similar age.
“If we can add a top-two-or-three defenceman, I’d like to do it, regardless of age,” said Chiarelli.
Chiarelli is interested in the 25-year old Travis Hamonic.
On the Minnesota Wild …
- Michael Russo of the Star Tribune: Russo thinks that Wild GM Chuck Fletcher should be looking at Blue Jackets Ryan Johansen if GM Jarmo Kekalainen is listening to offers on him. They should be in on Johansen over Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic. The Wild don’t need a top four defenseman and they could use a No. 1 center. The Blue Jackets need help on the blueline. Would Fletcher be willing to offer up Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba or Gustav Olofsson?
On the Boston Bruins …
- Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe: If the Bruins look to trade pending UFA winger Loui Eriksson, the asking price will likely be at least a first round pick and a prospect. Eriksson is better than Antoine Vermette, and that is what the Coyotes got for Vermette last year.
- The Bruins have their own first round pick, as well as the Sharks from the Martin Jones trade. The Bruins could look to package one of their first rounders in a package with Eriksson to possibly land a young defenseman to replace Dougie Hamilton.
- The Predators and Wild are both deep on the blueline and both could use some help upfront.
