The latest on Oilers and Canucks Bo Horvat

A pair of western Canadian teams appear to be in the thick of the NHL’s trade market, including the Vancouver Canucks, whose presumptive sell-off may not be written in stone after all.

Pierre LeBrun’s recent report in his latest rumblings article at The Athletic The top trade candidate Bo Horvat might not be a certainty to be dealt for a bundle of picks or prospects.

LeBrun’s Report is Contrary to Much of the Industry Speculation surrounding the Pending Free Agent, Who Many Expect to Be A Piece Used To kickstart a rebuild on Canada’s Pacific Coast.

To this point, the Canucks have been disappointing, with their inconsistent play and lackluster performance. controversy behind the bench They should be out at a middle 13-13-3 start, and they should not be in the playoff picture.

LeBrun shared that the team could be eyeing an ever-elusive and difficult to define “hockey deal” for their captain, perhaps signalling that management believes in the potential of a playoff appearance.

The Canucks brass may have a point, shockingly. Despite their poor record, the Canucks are only three points behind Colorado for the final wildcard spot. The Avalanche still have a game in their favor.

Vancouver’s reported hockey deal would see the team acquire either a centreman or a defenceman who are ready to play in NHL this season. This leads to speculation that there could be a sign-and-trade.

Oilers in search of blueline assistance

Lebrun reports that Edmonton Oilers have been actively searching for a new defenseman in recent weeks. This is a desperate group looking for help.

Edmonton ranks 26th in the league for goals against. While the team’s goaltending has been the primary culprit, highlighted by a miserable .898 team save percentage, the team’s 22nd-ranked expected goals-against rate at 5v5 shows that there are cracks in the foundation.

The two names in particular reportedly of great interest to general manager Ken Holland include Anaheim’s John Klingberg, a pending unrestricted free agent, and Montreal’s Joel Edmundson, who has one additional year remaining.

LeBrun believes Edmundson is the name the Oilers should pursue. The 29-year-old’s defensive reputation around the league, combined with his additional team control, reportedly makes him a much neater fit into a team that continues to seek out its defensive identity. Edmundson still has one-year left on his contract after this season, and is subject to a cap of $3.5million.

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