ANAHEIM — You can quibble over the pieces added by the Edmonton Oilers, their relative value and how big an impact they’ll have on the ice. Certainly, a river of beer will flow through Northern Alberta Monday night as fans debate the finer points.
But the facts that can not be disputed are these: General Manager Ken Holland made his Oilers faster, deeper and better at the trade deadline, fortifying a roster that has every chance to take a run at a Pacific Division title in 2020.
“My message today is, we’re trying to win,” said Holland, who signed on in Edmonton only last May, and likely did not expect to be a buyer of this magnitude at his first deadline as the Oilers GM.
“I’ve come to Edmonton, we’ve got a great nucleus, and they’ve played hard to put ourselves in a position where we can compete for a playoff spot,” he said. “The last three years I was a seller in Detroit. We made the playoffs for 25 years before that. It’s fun to be in the playoffs.”
Give Holland credit for making the maximum impact with the minimum expenditure. He shored up his team with three acquisitions, yet did not give up a first-round pick or even a single prospect in acquiring left wingers Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis, plus veteran defenceman Mike Green.
The biggest price he paid was two second-round picks for Athanasiou, but the speedy winger is a restricted free agent for two seasons after this one. So he will be an Oiler for several more years, if the team wishes it so.
“He’s having a tough year. We’re hoping … we can get the best out of him,” Holland said. “He’s got great speed, high-end skill. He’s a talented player and he’s 25 years of age — not 21, 22. We’re hoping his best years are ahead of him.”
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Let’s break down the acquisitions:
• D Mike Green from Detroit for Kyle Brodziak and a conditional pick (3rd or 4th)
Green will run the league’s No. 1 power play while Oscar Klefbom heals his shoulder, and quite possibly for the long term after that, paring a few minutes off of Klefbom’s nightly 25:36 (fifth in the NHL). That makes the Oilers a better team when their No. 1 D-man is playing 22 minutes, not just shy of 26. Meanwhile, Green has run power plays for 15 years in the NHL. He’s a pro’s pro, and he’ll help in a playoff run.
• LW Andreas Athanasiou and LW Ryan Kuffner from Detroit for two second-round picks and Sam Gagner
Athanasiou is one of the fastest players in hockey, and should be lightning next to Connor McDavid. Does he have the hockey sense? Can he play within a system? Can he help to maximize production for McDavid?
All of those questions are soon to be answered, but it will be easier for Athanasiou to shine as a support player in Edmonton than in a leading role in Detroit, where he’s managed to pile up an NHL-worst minus-45 rating.
• LW Tyler Ennis from Ottawa for a fifth-round pick in 2021
Another quick forward, Ennis fits in as a third-line LW next to Riley Sheahan and the speedy Josh Archibald. He’s an upgrade on the not-quite-ready Tyler Benson, who was assigned to Bakersfield, and puts Jujhar Khaira on the fourth line, which suits him better.
And he can score a bit, which might help in a playoff series when the third line chips in a goal or two.
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Like we said, you can find holes in every one of these players’ games. But look around at the players who moved in the final days before Monday’s deadline — none is a superstar, and none is close to perfect.
“No risk, no gain. I can sit around and do nothing. I can puddle around, but I felt like I had a chance to help,” said Holland, who simply wanted to inject some juice into his team. “They’ve played hard all year. They’ve battled and scratched and clawed.
“We’re fighting for a playoff spot, we’re banged up a little bit. I wanted to provide some depth.”
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