A quiet offseason so far for the back-to-back Stanley Cup finalist Oilers sees former Calgary Flame Andrew Mangiapane and bottom six forward Curtis Lazar join the troops ahead of their quest to make the cup final for a third consecutive finals appearance. But with some big months ahead, there is still one or two major spots the Oilers need to fill, not a goalie, and not a right side d-man, but a right shot centreman,
Although the signing of Lazar introduces a much needed right hander into Edmonton’s centre core, he isn't the top six, or even middle six forward they need to elevate their game, and with chatter around Adam Henrique’s potential exit from Oil country, a perfect gap for a dynamic right shot centre opens up, and there are a few who could fit in really well.
Assuming Henrique is traded, and the third line centre a spot opens up between probably Trent Frederic and Vasily Podkolzin (or others), there is a burning need for a bit of variety in the Oilers line up, and one too many times this season, areas where a right shot guy was needed were not exploited, and is clearly an obvious need heading into next season. The Oilers are a notorious scoring team, but when it comes to missing chances, and negating opportunities due to unfavourable shot angles, a right shot guy is exactly what they need to make sure no chances go amiss, and here are a few who could fit the bill.
One option who has been heavily touted on the trade block is Islanders and Senators veteran Jean-Gabriel Pageau. With a $5 million cap hit, the Oilers could definitely make a trade work, and with Pageau a proven playmaker, and avid 40 point scorer, he is the ideal candidate to bring some dynamic right hand shot fluidity to the team.
If the Oilers believe they have covered bases with right shot needs with Lazar, doubling up with an asset like Pageau really wouldn't go amiss, and could be the valuable player who could fill those areas they were struggling with one to many times. It is tough to say what avenue they may go down next season, but it is clear in my eyes, that a player who plays on the other side of the puck, and can make things happen in different ways on different sides of the ice for Edmonton is what they need, and is a beamingly obvious hole in their incomplete line up.
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