With not much happening today on the rumour front, save for speculation that the Thrashers and Ilya Kovalchuk are far apart in contract talks, I am going back to the free-for-all Friday approach, where I encourage fans to discuss the moves you want your team to make, and how they can accomplish those goals.
In the spirit of things, I will out myself as an Oiler fan and suggest that the team tests the market for Robert Nilsson. With the speedy winger playing very well of late, the time is right to see who could use some extra scoring and is willing to pay for it.
My suggestion would be to target teams that has a lot of cap room and are leaning towards a rebuild. In return for Nilsson, I would ask for a steady veteran defender who could step into the lineup and open the door for a bigger deal involving one Edmonton’s puck moving defensemen. Nashville has Dan Hamhuis approaching UFA status and has a ton of cap space but limited revenue. Perhaps they would consider one more year of Robert Nilsson at $2.5 million (cap hit of $2.0) instead of ponying up the big bucks for Hamhuis, who will command serious money this summer.
Edmonton would have to move salary out the door to get Hamhuis in the mix going forward, but it would allow them to deal one or two big tickets and get some cheaper veteran help up front. The team would still have some holes, but a 27 year old Hamhuis at $3 or $4 million might be more palatable than an injury prone Sheldon Souray.
Get the picture? Lets hear your thoughts in the comments. I know there are Bruins fans lurking, so lay out your trade plans to improve the Beantowners.
