Quoting: McDavidFan97
Grubauer, Stall, extending Nuge and Kahun would all be great. Every game it looks like Yamo's new deal will be cheaper, saving extra cap room. A veteran who actually contributes something is much needed. Tipp likes his veterans so someone like Stall would work well at 3C.
Trading Barrie likely wouldn't impact our record at all, I hope it happens, we could use some 2nd/3rd round picks. Bouch and Nurse could easily maintain our current PP%. Bouch's defensive numbers are better than Barrie's, although he's been pretty sheltered. Realistically, I doubt we move Barrie because he signed this cheap "show me" deal in Edmonton, publicly making it know that he was here to rack up some points and get paid next summer. It would be a bad look trading him 2 months into the season when he appears to be clicking well here. I assume we'll overplay him all year and let him walk in free agency
I really don't think there are any upgrades for Larsson in free agency. Unless we make a big upgrade by bringing in a top pair RD, I don't see why we disrupt morale and chemistry by letting him walk. If our top 3 RD next year were 1. Bear 2. Bouch 3. Larsson/Savard/(any similar 2nd/3rd pair RD) I'd be somewhat disappointed. Realistically that's a bottom 10 RD depth chart in the league currently. In a few years it could be one of the best with Bouch and Bear growing their games and transitioning to the NHL. If we don't upgrade this summer we're wasting time imo. The left side at least has Nurse
If the team wants to be as successful as possible - on and off of the ice - moving Barrie at the deadline is the shrewd kind of move that needs to be made. Hockey is a business: if we already have the players that can do what Barrie does and he's ultimately remained a defensive liability, pull the trigger and give the club more assets to do long-term damage with.
Larsson's inability to remain consistent and growing concerns about how injuries have affected his performance are very valid reasons to move on from him. Savard does everything Larsson does equally as good, if not better while also coming with less tangible risk.
I don't believe this club needs to add a game-breaking defenceman in order to be on track to achieve anything. We just saw a stretch of hockey where half-assed goaltending turned this team into something that might threaten the Leafs for #1 in the division (they won't, but they could). What point is there in adding a defenceman if this club's woes for years has been missing out on that key, timely save? Edmonton has better defenders than the Leafs, full stop. I'm not worried about them becoming "Leafs West" if they continue to play to their strengths by adding a potent third line and finding two goaltenders that actually have the skill to play behind this team. Unless Klefbom cannot return, there's no need for Edmonton to add a defender beyond a Larsson replacement.
Even if Broberg and Samorukov start in Bakersfield (they should) and Jones is lost to Seattle (highly probable), a left side of Nurse-Klefbom-Lagesson is far from poor. The game is so much more about puck mobility now; the extra year for Bear and Bouchard will pay dividends. Bottom-10 is a gross over-exaggeration. League average is probably more apt. League average defence with above average goaltending and outstanding offense makes the Oilers a threat. That should be the focus.