Sounds like the Chicago Blackhawks are sending a goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers?

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Ryan Hall
November 26, 2023 (11:21)

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The 2023-2024 season for the Edmonton Oilers has been nothing short of a disaster. The first 20 games have been one blunder after another, reaching a point where the team fired both their head coach and assistant coach to see if it would make a difference.

Though it's still too early to determine whether it has, General Manager Ken Holland has been scouring the league, making numerous calls to his fellow general managers in search of a goaltender who could help them.

The team is also grappling with a beleaguered defence that can't seem to keep the puck out of their end, let alone their net. This issue is paralyzing their offence, which has been their bread and butter since McDavid arrived in 2015.

All in all, the Oilers' season is in disarray, and change should be on the horizon. This brings us to the question: Are the Chicago Blackhawks the perfect trading partners for the Oilers?

There is an argument to say yes, as the Blackhawks have initiated their rebuilding program and possess several options that could benefit the Oilers.

Firstly, the team would have ample cap space, with Taylor Hall now on long-term injury reserve due to a knee injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the season, and uncertainty surrounding Corey Perry, who has recently left the team due to a personal matter.

The Blackhawks could use this cap space to take on bad contracts, which, in turn, could be used to acquire draft picks. Additionally, several other players on the Oilers could be available to help the team restore their season and potentially make a playoff run.

Players like Tyler Johnson, Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, and Connor Murphy are some of the names that could interest the Oilers as they seek to reshape their roster.

The most pressing need for the Oilers is a new goaltender who can handle the bulk of the games. It remains to be seen whether the Oilers would be interested in Petr Mrazek, as Holland has ties to him from his Detroit days.

As the season progresses, and the gap between the Oilers and their competitors widens, their opportunity to effect change diminishes, and the need for change becomes more apparent.