Edmonton Oilers Tied to Three Big-Name Defenders

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Aaron Itovitch
December 13, 2022 (2:53 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers should be set for a playoff run. Any team with both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should be a lock for cup contention year after year. Unfortunately, the teams' defense is lacklustre, and if there is one big move the team needs to make, it will be for a blueliner.

Per PuckEmpire and The Athletic, the Oilers are tied to three big name defenders: Erik Karlsson, Jakob Chychrun, and John Klingberg.

There are pros and cons to each of these players.

For Karlsson, the Oilers are looking at a long-term commitment. He is under contract for four more years, and even if San Jose retains half of his $11.5-million salary, the Oilers will still be on the hook for $5.75-million annually. While he is having an amazing season, he is bound to regress as he approaches 40. On the other hand, the cost to acquire him may be lesser than a player like Jakob Chychrun.

When it comes to Chychrun, every team would love to have a piece like him. At only $4.6-million annually, he has one of the best bargain contracts in the league. Any player that posts positive numbers on a terrible Arizona team is bound to breakout in a better structure with better teammates. The downside to Chychrun however is the asking price. We reported yesterday that the ask for Chychrun is still astronomical:

Finally, when it comes to John Klingberg, Edmonton has already expressed interest. He's currently on a one-year contract worth $7-million, but if Anaheim retains half, he would be a digestible $3.5-million player for the Oilers. Moving a guy like Warren Foegele would make this easily possible. The downside is that there is essentially no way that the Oilers could afford Klingberg next year, making him a pure rental.

All three of these options have their pros and their cons, but for an Oilers team that's running out of patience, something's got to give.

It will be an interesting story to follow.