One team that needs help on defense ahead of the trade deadline, when the Olympic break is over, is the Edmonton Oilers. Goaltender Tristan Jarry spoke about the team needing to be better after a 7-3 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild last Saturday night.
"It's tough," said Jarry. "I think the chances that we are giving up, some of the shots, they're tough. A lot of Grade As, a lot of breakdowns, it's tough to really think about your game at this point. I think it's the whole team."
What does that tell us? Well, you could consider it a subtle message to the front office, but it also could be a message to the rest of the locker room. If he's asking for more help on defense for a team that appears to need it, could a former Bruins defenseman be the answer?
Elliotte Friedman links former Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo to Oilers
At the trade deadline last March, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made a bold move, sending Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a package that included prospect Fraser Minten and a first-round draft pick. So far, that is paying off to be a massive heist.
On his 32 Thoughts podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman wonders if Edmonton would be interested in acquiring Carlo. Toronto is likely to sell some at the deadline, and Carlo could be someone moved. Would the asking price be as high as what Boston's was? Who knows, but Maple Leafs fans wouldn't be upset to see him go.
“I’m curious to see how the Oilers react to Jarry saying that, and number two, I’m also curious to see how, like, if the fact that the goalie actually comes out and says it, is okay,'' said Friedman. "It’s not a coach saying this anymore; it’s the goalie we just went out and got who said it. How does that resonate in their room? Do they get mad or do they say wait a sec, this isn’t a coach, this is our peer. This is one of the guys we went out and got. It’s interesting too because I heard some talk that they might be interested in a guy like Brandon Carlo.”
The Oilers are the two-time defending Western Conference champs, but the road to the Stanley Cup Final will be a lot tougher this year than in years past. Are the Oilers positioned to make a run as they are currently constructed? Probably not, but do they see Carlo as the answer on defense to make them better? That's the question. We'll see if this gains any traction.