As of today, the Oiler's centre depth is in shambles. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recovering from a summer shoulder surgery, the loss of Sam Gagner indefinitely to a broken jaw comes as a huge hit. Gagner and RNH were Edmonton's top two centres, and without them the only legitimate NHL middleman left on the roster is Boyd Gordon, who is best suited for the third line. The success of the Taylor Hall-to-centre experiment just became all the more imperative. Right now, the depth chart looks like Hall as your number one, Gordon at number two, and then Will Acton, Anton Lander and Mark Arcobello battling for the other two slots. Personally I feel it's necessary to bring in another pivot, either through trade or free agency. let's take a look at who's out there.
Free Agents
Jerred Smithson- This one isn't too likely, as the Smithson experiment last year didn't satisfy anyone.
Jeff Halpern- He could likely be had cheep, and his veteran savvy and face off skill would be a welcomed addition to the fourth line.
David Steckel- My favourite of the free agent options, Steckel is massive and an ace in the dot. He plays solid two way hockey and is very underrated overall. A guy like Steckel would be a great add even if everyone in Edmonton was healthy.
Kyle Wellwood- Wellwood would bring the most scoring punch of this bunch. I'm not sure how he fits in, but for 2 million on a one year deal he would bring some nice versatility and a little bit of production.
Trade
Derek MacKenzie, Columbus- The perfect fourth line centre. Good on draws, great defense and a motor that never quits.
Zack Smith, Ottawa- I'm not sure what it would take to get him out of Ottawa, but he'd be a nice fit in the bottom six. Smith is as gritty as they get, and he even has a little bit of upside to his name.
Dustin Jeffrey, Pittsburgh- Jeffrey hasn't ever really been given an opportunity in Pittsburgh, what with all the depth they possess. Jeffrey has proven to be a solid power play option and, given the opportunity, he could surprise.
Joe Colborne, Toronto- He's big, young and has the potential to be the perfect number 2 centre we all crave in Edmonton. (No disrespect to Gags.) Toronto may want a fair amount in return for him, so I'm not quite sure what it would take to acquire him either.
Mathieu Perreault, Washington- Perreault is another one of those guys that hasn't nailed down a specific role for himself. In Washington, he's been used in a variety of ways and hasn't quite found a niche. He has the skill set to be a prototypical second/third line tweener. He can produce from the third spot, but in case of injury (Hint, hint.) he can also step up into a bigger role.
Others- Brandon Pirri, Mark McNeill, (CHI) Mark Letestu, (CBJ) Cory Emmerton, (DET) Jacob Josefson, (NJ) Ryan Strome, Brock Nelson, (NYI) Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore, (NYR) Stephane Da Costa, (OTT) Jordan Schroeder. (VAN)
So who do you think helps Edmonton the most? Thanks for reading! -Johannes