The Toronto Maple Leafs inherited a problem when they acquired Miles Wood from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Kirill Marchenko deal. And the Edmonton Oilers might just be able to provide a way out.
During the latest edition of Saturday Headlines, insider Elliotte Friedman discussed how the Oilers’ injury woes have prompted the organization to explore a “lateral move” to acquire a depth forward or forwards.
The plan, according to Friedman, is to draw from Edmonton’s surplus of depth defensemen to land a depth forward who can fill an immediate gap.
As it stands, the Oilers have four regulars on the shelf, including top-line winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and middle-six center Jason Dickinson. On the surface, the Oilers will be looking for a guy who can play center. But they’ll take just about anyone at this point.
So, would Miles Wood make a ton of sense?
On the surface, it does. Wood is a bottom-six grinder who can chip in a little offensively. He’s a solid penalty killer and has a rough-and-tumble style that can mesh well with other tough customers in the Oilers’ lineup like Trent Frederic. Plus, Wood brings veteran leadership that can help stabilize the club amid its rash of injuries.
That said, the 800-pound gorilla in the room is Wood’s cap hit. At $2.5 million AAV, the Oilers just can’t afford a guy like that for a bottom-six depth role. But then again, the Oilers could do worse. And the Maple Leafs won’t necessarily be picky about who they take back in the deal.
Oilers have 3 names that might interest Maple Leafs
The Oilers, meanwhile, have three defensemen that might be of interest to the Maple Leafs. According to the chatter, Edmonton could be looking to move one of Shakir Mukhamadullin, Spencer Stastney, and Ty Emberson. All three are depth guys, with Mukhamadullin, in particular, being labeled as a first-round bust.
Perhaps a guy like Emberson might make the most sense for the Leafs. He’s a right shot and comes with a $1.3 million cap hit. He’ll be a UFA next summer, making this move a short-term commitment. Emberson would almost immediately hit waivers. And if someone claims him, the Leafs would have effectively cleared Wood’s cap hit without actually taking on any additional salary.
If Emberson clears, he can report to the Marlies, allowing Toronto to bury his cap hit in the AHL for the remainder of the season.
It’s worth pointing out that getting any of the aforementioned defensemen is not a bad idea for John Chayka. There’s so much to be said about depth, and having guys with some NHL experience can always come in handy.
For now, this conversation is naught more than a thought experiment. But you have to think that there’s a natural fit here, given the Oilers’ need and the Maple Leafs' desire to move on from Wood.
Add us as a preferred source on Google