The Edmonton Oilers and head coach Kris Knoblauch were in urgent need of help on defense. However, Toronto wanted way too much for Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Brad Treliving seemed to be messing with the Edmonton team. The Maple Leafs asked for a first-round pick and a second-round pick in exchange for the experienced defenseman.
That is an outrageous demand. You shouldn’t give up your future draft picks for a 34-year-old player who hasn’t scored in his last four games. The Oilers should have known better than that.
In his career, Ekman-Larsson has been good at producing points on the power play. But it doesn’t make sense to trade important draft picks for a player who is getting older.
The Oilers are trying to win right now. They need their defense to play well, not take a risky chance that could hurt their future prospects.
Toronto set the asking price really high on purpose. They understood that Edmonton was in a tough spot after their second pair of defensemen performed poorly.
Treliving was being a bit too bold. He benched his player to manage his roster, thinking that the Oilers would get anxious and agree to his demands.
The Situation at the Trade Deadline
Edmonton needs defensemen who can move the puck well to support their star players. They need players who can help the team transition smoothly from their own end.
A first-round pick is the most valuable asset you can have. You want to save that for a top defenseman.
At this point in his career, Ekman-Larsson can solidify a third pairing. He plays about 18 minutes and 35 seconds per game, but he’s not the kind of player who will take a team to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Knoblauch needs players who can effectively kill penalties. You can’t make it through a tough playoff system in the Western Conference without solid defensemen who can block shots in tough spots.
Toronto was pretending from the very start. The Leafs have to deal with the salary impact while the Oilers wisely held on to their important draft picks.
Edmonton dodged a big mistake by not going through with the trade. Paying too much during the trade deadline is a common error that messes up team budgets and leads to problems in the future.
The players understand that the bosses made a good decision. The team just needs to focus and win some games during the next series of home games.
Leave a Reply