Oilers set ridiculous asking price for Puljujarvi!

The Oilers have lost 11 of their last 12 contests and it seems like new interim GM Keith Gretzky would like to make some moves to improve his team, but it feels like it's become quite a hard task in Edmonton...

However, we have a little bit of an advice for the Oilers: you need to set realistic goals when it comes to improving your roster in the long run. According to NHL insider Darren Dreger, the Oilers have set a ridiculous asking price in return for young winger Jesse Puljujarvi. 

“I can appreciate why Edmonton wants to continue to hold onto this young man, because they don’t fully know what his potential is. But if the feedback from your coaching staff is, ‘Well, we don’t really see him as being much better than a third-line player in the NHL,’ well cut bait," explained Dreger on the air of Edmonton's TSN 1260 on Thursday morning. 

“There is a trade market for Jesse Puljujarvi, but my understanding is that the Oilers just want too much - the ask on him is way too high. I don’t even know what that is. I can take a guess at it when you start talking about either a top prospect or a first-round pick obviously plus something given where he was drafted.

“But I don’t get the sense that Puljujarvi has much, if any, interest in going to Bakersfield and playing in the American Hockey League. Doesn’t have a choice organizationally, so if the Oilers want to take a tough stand on him then so be it.

“But I think it’s time that they actually seriously consider their trade options.”

It isn't the only deal the Oilers have struggled with as the trade deadline grows near. There is an urgent cap crunch issue as the Oilers need to make a move in order to clear $1.97 million in cap space in order to activate Andrej Sekera from injured reserve, but they cannot find any takers for two defensemen on the market, Alex Petrovic and Brandon Manning. The Oilers acquired Petrovic in return for Chris Wideman and a conditional third-round pick and landed Manning and Robin Norell from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Drake Caggiula and Jason Garrison.

Fans in Edmonton are sure used to bad trades, however, the team now needs to step into a new and better direction to improve their roster.