After watching the Oilers play last night, I'm of the opinion that a trade for a forward is definitely doable.#dumpster fire. Preferably Draisatl sp., they need help on blue line, we're flush, I hope DA isn't blind to that fact.

How are we 'flush' on defense? Look how much our PP suffered without Shatty. Also, do you really think that Shatty, Parayko, and Bortz can play vs top lines AND nearly 30 minutes a night like Petro does? We may score goals with this new forward, but simple thinking makes you realize you'll also give up more also. Sorry, Shatty is injury prone lately, and I'd hate to entrust him as our #1RHD.

Also, you do understand you need great D, strong goaltending, and three solid lines to win in the NHL right?

You trade either Shatty or Petro, and I guarantee we either miss the playoffs or go out first round, again.

Also, where does this new super uber forward play? Unless you trade a forward also, we're pretty full in our top 9 once Schwartz comes back:

Steen/Stastny/Tarasenko
Scwhartz/Lehtera/Brouwer
Jaskin/MPS/Backes/Fabbri
Upshall/Ott/Brodziak/Gomez/Reaves/Berglund

I'm happy with our team. We have a team now that plays for each other and desires to win. We are 2nd in the Central. We are winning games. Other teams are struggling with scoring also, and all eventually get out of it.

A deal like the OP described is likely to need to be something along the lines of:

Shattenkirk + [insert forward here]

for

[coveted C/W] + serviceable Top 4 D (preferably LD, and preferably one that can QB the PP)

I'm not sure EDM has anyone on the left side that would fulfill all of that criteria, but you may be able to work something around Shattenkirk + Jaskin for Draisaitl + Schultz. Schultz is kind of a tire fire defensively, but you could give him 8-10 minutes 5v5 on the 3rd pairing and give him lots of PP time and you might be able to make it work. Personally, I'd rather have Gryba for my #5/6 RD, but he gives you nothing you can use on the PP. Also, we probably have someone that could fill the role I described for Schultz in Andre Benoit, so maybe you don't have to give up Jaskin to get Schultz back in the deal.

So much of this is grasping at straws when you try to put names to it, but the bottom line is that we would need a lesser version of Shatty to keep our PP from going to hell, and the other team would likely need a young forward coming back in the deal to offset the loss of the C/W we covet.

MissouriMook wrote:A deal like the OP described is likely to need to be something along the lines of:

Shattenkirk + [insert forward here]

for

[coveted C/W] + serviceable Top 4 D (preferably LD, and preferably one that can QB the PP)

I'm not sure EDM has anyone on the left side that would fulfill all of that criteria, but you may be able to work something around Shattenkirk + Jaskin for Draisaitl + Schultz. Schultz is kind of a tire fire defensively, but you could give him 8-10 minutes 5v5 on the 3rd pairing and give him lots of PP time and you might be able to make it work. Personally, I'd rather have Gryba for my #5/6 RD, but he gives you nothing you can use on the PP. Also, we probably have someone that could fill the role I described for Schultz in Andre Benoit, so maybe you don't have to give up Jaskin to get Schultz back in the deal.

So much of this is grasping at straws when you try to put names to it, but the bottom line is that we would need a lesser version of Shatty to keep our PP from going to hell, and the other team would likely need a young forward coming back in the deal to offset the loss of the C/W we covet.

Subtract Jaskin, add Backes, and I think that might actually be a possibility. I don't know if I would do it (I think losing Backes would hurt us quite a bit) but Draisaitl isn't coming cheap.

Not accounting for Schwartz's performance when he comes back, since we don't know what he will look like after a considerable break (see what I did there). The Blues' offense is absolutely hosed without 91. He pulls defenders in and helps create space, draws attention, and when he does break free with the puck, he buries it.

That said, if 91 goes down at any point, the Blues are in trouble. The idea of searching for some more offensive fire-power is wise and you have to think the front office is looking around. The Blues are constantly in need of a few more goals during crunch time. Defense hasn't been the overwhelming problem. (Goal tending has also been an issue but...(no jinx))

Shattenkirk isn't going anywhere. You can't just magically plug in a decent guy and hope he can contribute to the PP the way 22 has. There is no way they make a move that could possibly take away goals on the PP.

The Blues have a stable core on D that gets it done night in and night out. Hitch and the team have recently been quoted as saying they like the chemistry and are working on execution.

However, going back to my first point, the offense would fall apart without 91, so how does management mitigate that risk?

I suspect they won't.

stable D, yes. consistently good D, no. like i said during the buffalo game, without 91, we ARE buffalo. our D and/or jake is not good enough to compensate for everyone else. that said, we cannot trade from our "top 4" D right now. we couldn't suffer that loss and continue to compete. we are one injury away from bottom third.

T.C. wrote:stable D, yes. consistently good D, no. like i said during the buffalo game, without 91, we ARE buffalo. our D and/or jake is not good enough to compensate for everyone else. that said, we cannot trade from our "top 4" D right now. we couldn't suffer that loss and continue to compete. we are one injury away from bottom third.

I disagree. The blues have had how many key injuries this year already? Yet they are still second in the central behind the hottest team in the league. Blues are one of the deepest teams.

one injury meaning 91.

The Oilers need goal tending just as bad a defense. They would want Ells.

Gunnar Ells and Berglund for...??? Eberle???

After seeing Hall and Eberle and Nuge continually play with not even a little bit of defensive effort, or grit I really don't want any part of those three. Draisaitl is the only guy that might be available that I want from the Oil. Should we lose Backes a center lineup of Draisaitl/Stastny/Sobotka would be just fine with me. (I think Sobotka returns next season and Lehtera can move to LW). I can dream anyway...

Ready on the left?ready on the right?ready on the firing line? Here goes nothing, Petro for Draisaitl sp.straight up. FIRE.

BlueinNy wrote:Ready on the left?ready on the right?ready on the firing line? Here goes nothing, Petro for Draisaitl sp.straight up. FIRE.

Since you asked for it...

Horrible value. We're not trading Petro, and we're certainly not trading a Top 10 overall defenseman for a hot, but completely un-proven rookie.

Point taken, and I get it, trade proposal was over the top but if it were eichel or McDavid would ya? Where exactly is Petros ceiling, I believe he's already bumping his head. Draisaitl was a third overall, this kid is going to be special.Bottom line we're flush with D, and if 91,20, or 26 go down to injury we're fucked. On second thought we could always rely on Ott and Reaves, or Brodziak like last night. Lehtera has looked abysmal, mps useless, we need young talent before Gomez is our best option and Ott is running the PP.

Not sure where the whole "flush with D" assessment is coming from. If you're talking about defense prospects, we could start another thread of all the defense prospects that were "can't miss" guys who never stuck in the NHL for more than a cup of coffee. Pietrangelo is only 25. Draisatl is having a nice 1/4 season, but remember, Paajarvi was a 1st round pick of the Oilers too. And to your question, if it were Eichel or McJesus you'd need Pietrangelo plus another roster player, plus two blue chip prospects (fabbri/parayko), plus a couple picks. Which would then make you the Edmonton Oilers. No thanks.

Well here's this, we sit Burtuzzo for a rookie, Butler is in Chicago with Linbohm, sooo yeah flush. Well I guess we could wait a couple years til he's made his bones and then give him 8,9, or10 mil. Or what ever a #1 C is going for that year, sound foresight. No sense looking to the future, we always have Gomez.