Ken Holland‘s trade deadline strategy with the Edmonton Oilers
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Q&A): Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland’s philosophy on the regular season is quite candid but more telling of the upcoming trade deadline. He believes the market is not filled enough right now and likely will not be until closer to the deadline.
Prices will also have to come down as well. Inquiring and fishing is all part of the business always. Jesse Puljujarvi is an interesting one for Holland. He had some offers earlier in the season for him but none that came close to a deal maker.
Edmonton is in the thick of it for the last wild-card spot. What Holland does at the deadline may go a long way in determining whether they qualify for the second season. A winning run would help aid in the decision to be more of a buyer.
One last thing with the draft, Holland still feels that building your potential elsewhere until a player can contribute in the NHL is paramount. It is better than crashing and burning early. Too many Edmonton prospects have done the latter.
More on Ken Holland trade deadline options
Allan Mitchell of The Athletic: Again and again, one of the first questions is when will Puljujarvi get traded. The growing suspicion is in Montreal during the draft. That will be where Ken Holland can get the max return. The trade deadline doesn’t appear to be the time to move Puljujarvi. The same can be said for an Adam Larsson move.
Now, could Kris Russell go before the deadline? That answer is yes. The emergence of Ethan Bear cements that. Also, some team prospects that do not have plus foot speed look to be more expendable than years’ past.
Ken Holland is looking for at least 1-2 reliable scoring wingers, a goalie to spell Mikko Koskinen eventually, a middle-six two-way center, and maybe another defenseman if Matt Benning‘s concussion issues linger.
That sounds like an easy list but nothing is quite that simple as the trade deadline approaches. Prices will vary all over the place. One thing is certain. It is more and more apparent that Ken Holland is a buyer.