Edited Jan. 20, 2020 at 7:42 a.m.
Quoting: ConnorsCousin
I'd imagine cost to acquiring guy like Granlund would be high. Can Craig Smith play C? He'd be a good target for our team as well.
The two guys that I think would look good on the Oilers right now are Rakell and Athanasiou. However, I don't think we have the assets to acquire them/we're not willing to trade the assets to acquire them.
I'd also like us to chase some guys who play heavy hockey and can produce. Our team could use a couple more Kassians. Preferably one on LW with McDavid, and one at 3C.
Granlund is a pending UFA making nearly $6M this year, and he's on pace to score 15 goals / 30 points. He might cost a little more based on rep, but he isn't a premier target.
Smith doesn't play C, but Koivu does. I'd inquire about both, I think they could help the team and neither would cost much to re-sign.
I'm not sure that the Oilers issues stem from not enough heavy hockey guys, I think it's simply a lack of skill, maybe mix in a healthy dose of determination and relentlessness. Look how Yamamoto - probably the smallest player in the league - has impacted the 2nd line. His style of play is exactly what I want to see more of, size isn't exactly relevant. (Not that you don't need size, but the Oilers already have quite a bit of it. Hence guys like Yamamoto and Archibald can make an impact despite their stature.)
I would absolutely go after Rakell. I'm less enamored with AA though (terrible defensively, not a Tippett type), although previous history with Holland might see him in Oilers silks sometime soon. I don't think he has a lot of value, pretty sure the Oilers could land him without giving up a 1st or top-tier prospect.