Sean Maloughney: Could Vincent Desharnais Be The Top 4 Defenseman The Oilers Need?

With a $9.3mil Nurse on D, and Ekholm, they should be just fine. Clearly someone is overpaid.

Sean Maloughney: Could Vincent Desharnais Be The Top 4 Defenseman The Oilers Need?
- freelancer

No.

Vinny is the perfect fit where he is, and I foresee massive problems if he is moved up, asking 5 minutes a game more out of him. I am a firm believer that the Oil have done as well as they have recently due to the consistency of the lines (D pairings & PK lines especially). But they are a Bouchard injury away from being a tire fire here.

Before JLO loses his mind, I will say that it is not because Evan is a great player, just that the full deck would need to be shuffled if he goes down. Ceci moves up, or someone moves from the L to the R, and every else moves around, someone else needs to QB the PP, etc. Team D would implode.

Find a good, reliable, defensive RD at the deadline, and add him to the existing mix. And if it turns out he can put Ceci in the pressbox for a few games leading up to the playoffs, good for us. Of course, cap is an issue too.

Oh well.

Next game.

Nick Seeler is who they need.....875k cap hit.

Would the Oilers do a trade like Erik Gustafson and a prospect for Holloway? Gus is a solid puck mover/bottom pair guy. He even ran the PP when Fox was out and did a terrific job (if Bouchard went down)

Would the Oilers do a trade like Erik Gustafson and a prospect for Holloway? Gus is a solid puck mover/bottom pair guy. He even ran the PP when Fox was out and did a terrific job (if Bouchard went down)
- Slimtj100

Not a chance. If Bouch went down you still have Nurse or Ekholm as PP options. If the Oilers want to add a depth defender at the deadline they can spend a 5th or 6th round pick and get one of 12 other options.

Not a chance. If Bouch went down you still have Nurse or Ekholm as PP options. If the Oilers want to add a depth defender at the deadline they can spend a 5th or 6th round pick and get one of 12 other options.
- freelancer

Fair enough. The prospect wasn’t chopped liver tho, was thinking Berard or Sykora. We just need a now bottom 6 guy

I think you’re underrating Gus. He’s been really good for us.

Fair enough. The prospect wasn’t chopped liver tho, was thinking Berard or Sykora. We just need a now bottom 6 guy

I think you’re underrating Gus. He’s been really good for us.
- Slimtj100

I’m sure he has but that’s simply not a need the Oilers have, let alone trading a good young player under contract for.

I’m sure he has but that’s simply not a need the Oilers have, let alone trading a good young player under contract for.
- freelancer

Ok I gave my sales pitch lol I’ll move on

I’m trying to find a contender for Gus, really nice cap hit, to improve their bottom pair. Where we get a bottom C/RW

Would the Oilers do a trade like Erik Gustafson and a prospect for Holloway? Gus is a solid puck mover/bottom pair guy. He even ran the PP when Fox was out and did a terrific job (if Bouchard went down)
- Slimtj100

They drafted that putz. I doubt they want his useless ass back.

Nice write-up, thanks.
I think this reinforces the fact that we actually do not have a top pairing. The only true top pairing dman is Nurse and he's been underperforming (but getting better). On a contending team, Ekholm is on the second pairing and Bouchard is 3rd with 1st PP minutes. So, trying to magically find a top pairing RH dman to play with Nurse is what's probably needed. Then Bouchard and Desharnais or Ceci get slotted accordingly.
(And Bouchard is 10x worse in his own end than Ceci).

Vegas' 2nd goal had Foegle WAY out if position (winger far too deep, behind the net!) and Draisaitl flying the zone early...not really a defenseman's fault.

No.

Vinny is the perfect fit where he is, and I foresee massive problems if he is moved up, asking 5 minutes a game more out of him. I am a firm believer that the Oil have done as well as they have recently due to the consistency of the lines (D pairings & PK lines especially). But they are a Bouchard injury away from being a tire fire here.

Before JLO loses his mind, I will say that it is not because Evan is a great player, just that the full deck would need to be shuffled if he goes down. Ceci moves up, or someone moves from the L to the R, and every else moves around, someone else needs to QB the PP, etc. Team D would implode.

Find a good, reliable, defensive RD at the deadline, and add him to the existing mix. And if it turns out he can put Ceci in the pressbox for a few games leading up to the playoffs, good for us. Of course, cap is an issue too.
- Beergu

100% agree, but take the pressure away from Bouchard and move him (and his partner Ek) to the 2nd pairing, if we could find a right side D1. MUCH easier said than done! But that would be a great, contending, d corps.

Nice write-up, thanks.
I think this reinforces the fact that we actually do not have a top pairing. The only true top pairing dman is Nurse and he's been underperforming (but getting better). On a contending team, Ekholm is on the second pairing and Bouchard is 3rd with 1st PP minutes. So, trying to magically find a top pairing RH dman to play with Nurse is what's probably needed. Then Bouchard and Desharnais or Ceci get slotted accordingly.
(And Bouchard is 10x worse in his own end than Ceci).

Vegas' 2nd goal had Foegle WAY out if position (winger far too deep, behind the net!) and Draisaitl flying the zone early...not really a defenseman's fault.
- JLO961

Since we’re dissecting Vegas’ 2nd goal, no mention of Nurse stealing a page out of Bouchard’s book of defending by an unknown Cotter?

100% agree, but take the pressure away from Bouchard and move him (and his partner Ek) to the 2nd pairing, if we could find a right side D1. MUCH easier said than done! But that would be a great, contending, d corps.
- JLO961

How are things with Ben Afleck?

So insider trading has the Oilers sniffing Tanev’s tires,
Tanev 50% retained for a 1st, Broberg, Ceci and a 5th. Flames retaining and taking Ceci’s contract back frees up more $ for other adds.
Thoughts?

So insider trading has the Oilers sniffing Tanev’s tires,
Tanev 50% retained for a 1st, Broberg, Ceci and a 5th. Flames retaining and taking Ceci’s contract back frees up more $ for other adds.
Thoughts?
- K-man25

Don't trade Broberg... he'll get there. He's playing great in the AHL.

Not a chance. If Bouch went down you still have Nurse or Ekholm as PP options. If the Oilers want to add a depth defender at the deadline they can spend a 5th or 6th round pick and get one of 12 other options.
- freelancer

Garbage for garbage