Rumors of a player for player deal between the Oilers and Blue Jackets.

Rumors of a big player for player deal after scouting from Chiarelli.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Rumors of a player for player deal between the Oilers and Blue Jackets.
NHL

The Edmonton Oilers have been looking for a defenseman for some time and they may have found a target on the Columbus Blue Jackets roster. 

On Monday night Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli was spotted personally taking in the match up between the Blue Jackets and the Buffalo Sabres, and while at the time it wasn't clear who he was scouting, there is now a belief it may have been Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray.

Murray has often been the subject of trade rumors over the past two seasons, and now that the Blue Jackets are seriously making a push to acquire top 2 center, it's believed that he will be the trading chip the use to get it. 

However the former second overall pick in the 2012 National Hockey League Entry Draft will not come cheap, and in fact TSN insider Darren Dreger has suggested it could cost the Oilers one of their best performing forwards,

“But things have changed a little bit, said Dreger as per Fanrag's Chris Nichols. So let’s go back to the draft in Chicago. I know Columbus was willing to consider a top pick for Ryan Murray. Now they want player-for-player, and they’re in the market for a center. Is it Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out of Edmonton?"

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Nugent-Hopkins, the former first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, has looked very solid for the Oilers this season recording 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points in his first 20 regular season games, and it would be a tough sell to the Oilers fan base to trade him away. Given how some of general manager Peter Chiarelli's trades have turned out as of late it wouldn't be surprised to see backlash from the fans if the move is in fact pulled off. 

Murray however is a solid defenseman and that is exactly what the Oilers desperately need at the moment as they hang around near the NHL's basement. In 21 games with Columbus this season Murray has 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points and a plus minus rating of +6. 

Would you make the deal? Who do you think wins if this trade does go down?

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