Rumor: Oilers' Ryan Nugent Hopkins linked to a goalie trade.

Oilers are desperate for goaltending.

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HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
Rumor: Oilers' Ryan Nugent Hopkins linked to a goalie trade.
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The Edmonton Oilers are desperate for an answer to their goaltending woes and now there's a rumor suggesting that they are prepared to pay a heavy price in order to do so.

A rumor that has come from 91.9 Sports Radio in Montreal now suggests that Oilers general manager Ken Holland is prepared to move pending unrestricted free agent Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in order to remedy the Oilers issue in goal. The rumor, which was broadcast by host Raphael Doucet on Monday morning, has specifically linked the Oilers to the Columbus Blue Jackets in this trade.

According to Doucet, the Oilers are currently trying to acquire one of Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo, which is obviously the Blue Jackets current goaltending tandem. Both goaltenders are the same age and they have had a comparable season in terms of stats, but Merzlikins has only played in 11 games when compared to Korpisalo's 22.

The move would not only bring in another goaltender for the Oilers, but it would also provide them with additional cap space, something that Holland has not had as a luxury since taking over from former Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli.The cap savings would be more significant with Korpisalo, who carries a cap hit of $2.8 million, whole Merzlikins would come in a little bit higher at $4 million per season.

It's worth noting that, although this move would be designed to give the Oilers a better shot in this year's playoffs, neither of this goaltenders would be a pure rental. They both have one year remaining on their current contracts which means the Oilers would have whichever goalie they acquire for at least one more season beyond this one. 

For the Blue Jackets the move makes a little less sense in my estimation, given that they are by no means a lock to make the playoffs at this point. Acquiring Nugent Hopkins would certainly help them up the middle of the ice after losing Pierre Luc Dubois via a trade with the Winnipeg Jets earlier in the season, but with him set to hit the open market at the end of the season it would be a significant gamble on the part of the Blue Jackets. It's also has to be said that they would be adding a minimum of $2 million to their cap hit unless the Oilers are willing to retain salary in this transaction.


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