x

Already member? Login first!

Comments / New

One Trade With Every NHL Team – Edmonton Oilers

Jan 28, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Jack Quinn (22) looks to take a shot on goal during the second period against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Keeping this paragraph as a starting point if this is your first time reading this series: We will be continuing our journey through this series looking at one team at a time to act as a trade partner. Please keep in mind this should not be viewed in the same way as a comprehensive GM for a day type of post where we are looking to completely overhaul the team in one fell swoop. Each article will “reset” the Sabres roster, so don’t be surprised to see the same players, prospects, and picks used repeatedly in various trade offers.

The Edmonton Oilers were one win away from a Stanley Cup at the end of the playoffs last season. This is a team with Superstar talent, and looking to fine-tune their roster so they don’t end up falling short again. Needless to say, but we won’t be making trades for McDavid or Draisaitl in this proposal. Also, as fun as it would be, we’re not looking to bring back Jeff Skinner either. While there is an argument that he hasn’t been given an entirely fair shake to succeed in Edmonton, his underlying numbers are fairly poor and it confirms the thought of him being more of a passenger (finisher at his best) than a play driver.

To Buffalo: Shane Lachance, Vasily Podkolzin, and Brett Kulak

To Edmonton: Jack Quinn, Mattias Samuelsson, and Viktor Neuchev

Some similarities should be pretty easily observed when looking at this trade proposal. Each team would be giving up a LHD, a solid (but not A tier) prospect, and a young winger with upside.

In this scenario Edmonton’s prime acquisition target would be Jack Quinn. The Oilers have two dynamic centers, and each of them have supreme playmaking and passing abilities. Quinn may not have the straight line speed, but is quite agile in tight spaces and when he can get his shot off it is an elite NHL release. Jeff Skinner was supposed to be the goal scored added to Draisaitl’s line, but that hasn’t worked out as expected, could Quinn be the right fit?

The Oilers also could use an injection of offensive creativity to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. The acquisition of Neuchev brings speed and upside that is lacking in their system. Yes, they would be giving up a prospect of their own, but Lachance is currently playing in the NCAA and is still an unknown at the professional level. Given the Oilers targeted Savoie in their last trade with the Sabres, could they have a good read on the current pool of Sabres prospects?

Lastly, while Samuelsson’s contract length isn’t ideal, his size and style of play has potential to translate well to the grinding style of playoff hockey. He is also much younger in age than Kulak, and may be an additional the Oilers penalty kill as well. If the Oilers are looking to win now, a big bodied LHD with defensive characteristics would be appealing. Especially with the salary cap looking to increase significantly over the next 3 years Samuelsson’s contract seems much more palatable.

Let’s take a look at what the Sabres get in return. Brett Kulak is a LHD with another year left on his contract after this one, and adds needed experience (both regular season & playoff) to the team. Kulak is smaller than Samuelsson, but still decent size at around 6’2″ and 190lbs. A primary attribute of his is speed, and if Ruff wants the Sabres to play more straight line hockey, more speed from the backend would be welcomed.

Shane Lachance is an interesting prospect, he was drafted in the same year as Neuchev 3 rounds further back. Even still, his game has elevated and he is the current captain for Boston University. Leadership is a quality that can be hard to find, and this is the type of player missing from the Sabres prospect pool. Lachance is 6’5″ and close to 220lbs at 21 years old. I would not expect him to be a dynamic scorer as the NHL level, however he is near a PPG with Boston University currently, and could be an enticing future middle six player.

Vasily Podkolzin was acquired by the Oilers at a very reasonable cost in only giving up a 4th round pick to the Vancouver Canucks. Podkolzin was a 2019 10th overall draft pick, in comparison to Quinn being a 2020 8th overall draft pick. They are very different style players, even if they are very similar in size. Podkolzin plays an aggressive in your face style of play, and his underlying metrics are actually quite impressive. He may not have fit in on the Oilers top 6 in terms of point production, but a change of scenery could help along with increased ice-time. He is on a 2 year 1million AAV contract and will be an RFA in 2026. The Sabres may like the additional year to evaluate the player vs having to determine contracts for Quinn, JJP, Byram as big name RFAs this upcoming off-season.

As always, looking forward to hearing your thoughts and I appreciate the support given along the way while writing the articles in this series. Please feel free to let me know if you have any interest in joining/starting a podcast, talking hockey is always a fun passtime.

Go Sabres!

Talking Points