Oilers target star forward on trade market!

Before getting GM Ken Holland to come to Edmonton to save the Oilers, the fanbase had unfortunately gotten used to poor decisions and bad trades. 

However, it seems that with Holland in the driver seat, the Oilers are getting ready to make an important move this offseason. 

Ever since Jesse Granger of The Athletic reported that the Vegas Golden Knights are consider trading forward Nikita Gusev, fans across the league have kept an eye on where the Russian sensation will end up for the start of the 2019-20 season.

Now we know that the Oilers are in the mix to acquire the services of the Russian star, per the Hockey Writers.

They aren’t the only interested parties as the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators are also believed to have inquired about Gusev. 

The Golden Knights have yet to make a decision on whether to sign or trade Gusev. He joined the Golden Knights ahead of the playoffs this spring after nine seasons in the KHL but did not appear in a game with the team. He led the KHL in points in 2018-19 with 17 goals and 82 points in 62 games with SKA St. Petersburg before joining Vegas. He has drawn comparisons to Artemi Panarin and could be a deadly weapon in Vegas if they choose to hold on to him. As of now, neither the Knights or Gusev can agree on a deal as both sides remain as far as $2 million apart in average annual value on a potential two-year deal.

While the Jackets, Senators and Blue Jackets have more cap space than the Oilers and could have more chances to land Gusev, the Russian forward could be more willing to play with star players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in a city that could be a contending force in the coming season. 

Let’s see if Vegas can keep Gusev in the fold or if the Oilers will manage to bring him to Edmonton!