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Which Oilers are to be traded?
- By Phil Austin
The entry draft brings together hockey trade enthusiasts everywhere, as everyone speculates on who's to be traded. Names of struggling players are brought up alongside disgruntled skaters as the rumours start. Being an Oiler site, I shall speculate on Oilers that are on the block, and the rumours that have been floating around the internet involving them.
A radio station in Anaheim recently reported that an inside source with the New York Islanders stated that the Islanders are listening to teams about dealing their 1st round draft choice, the #1 overall pick this year. The radio station said that the Islanders would part with their pick if either Alexei Yashin, Jeremy Roenick, or Roman Hamrlik were offered straight up for it. So what does this all mean for the Edmonton Oilers? Well, they have the opportunity to attain the first draft choice in franchise history, and draft a can't-miss-kid.
There are some that feel the Oilers would be giving up too much for just a draft choice, and vice versa. If I were Kevin Lowe, GM of the Edmonton Oilers, I would make that deal. Don't get me wrong, I love Hamrlik and believe that he is an vital cog on our team, but his contract demands this off-season may well make scare Lowe to move him.
However, certain people also believe that the Oilers can't afford to deal a proven player, entering his prime for a risky prospect. They feel that if Hamrlik is dealt, we should get a proven player in return to help our team. Our weakest spot in the lineup is our second line, and asecond-line center is sorely needed for the Oilers to reach any higher plateaus. Rob Niedermayer's name has surfaced in trade rumours involving the Florida Panthers. Many also feel that a trade to the city of Czechs, Pittsburgh, would suit Hamrlik well, and that the Penguins have a roster full of second-line players to suit our needs.
Their has been plenty of talk of trading our power-forward Bill Guerin. I don't agree, but many believe that he should be traded out of Edmonton immediately. In Boston, Sergei Samsonov seems to be on the outs, and rumours have Geurin being swapped straight up for the flashy youngster. This could bode well for both teams, should this trade happen. Doug Weight was quoted as saying, "I love playing with fast wingers", after Todd Marchant's Game 7 overtime winning goal against the Dallas Stars. Samsonov would pair well with Doug Weight, as the two could toss and shoot back and forth with an extreme amount of skill.
However, the question that nags the back of my head is, do we really need another floating winger on our lineup, after the streaky season Alex Selivanov had? Is trading one of leaders, a gritty, fast-skating, sniper really going to benefit us if the player we get in return is the antithesis of what we lost? The big factor concerning any trade with Guerin deal is his contract. He has one more year left, and history has it in Edmonton that players are traded only when their contracts are up. Bottom line is, Guerin is going nowehere.
Some very quirky rumours have Doug Weight out of town. I'm baffled when I see these, though. No matter who we got in return (and you could bet it wouldn't be equalvalue), it couldn't replace Weight's significance to this team. The 8-year Oiler is the longest serving Oiler and is our Captain. Resurfacing the Guerin rumours, if we traded Guerin (Weight's good friend), would the damage roll in waves? Doug Weight surely would not be pleased at seeing his good buddy leaving the team, and that factor could sway his decision on whether or not to stay when he becomes an unrestricted free-agent in 2 years time. Trading Guerin would probably spell the end of Doug Weight in Edmonton.
This coming off-season will bring many changes, as 3/4 of the Oilers' lineup is up for contract. As well, Kevin Lowe will be looking to make his mark on the team, and players will be dealt to suffice this. In all honesty, I think that Roman Hamrlik will be the only significant player to shipped off this summer. But will the swap benefit us now, or for the future? Questions might be answered after this weekend's entry draft...
Agree, disagree? Talk about it on the message board.