Edmonton Oilers front office heats up as Stan Bowman calls strategic meetings
With the NHL trade deadline just two months away, Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is getting his ducks in a row. According to new reports from hockey insider Pierre LeBrun, Stan Bowman has been holding strategic front office meetings as trade talks heat up in Edmonton.
According to Liam McCormick of
Oilers Daily, Earlier this year, Stan Bowman revealed his plan to evaluate the Oilers for the first half of the season, then begin to enact their trade plans.
Nearing the halfway point of the season now, insider Pierre LeBrun has revealed that the Oilers front office and scouting staff held meetings this week to determine their top trade targets, but left the meetings feeling flexible.
"They had their pro scouting meetings this week," LeBrun said. "They came out of it very much so with the idea of casting a wide net in their search of the D market. ... It's very preliminary, but they do want to upgrade."
He added, "They're going into this trade season with an open mind, a long list."
The Oilers' blue line hasn't had to contend with too many injuries, but LeBrun noted the team's brass is aware that trend may not continue.
"There's a recognition within the Oilers' front office that they've been relatively healthy on their back end and maybe they don't have enough depth in case injuries start to pile up in the second half," he said.
As it stands, the Edmonton Oilers are confirmed to be making an addition to the blue line, but whether it's a top-4 or depth defender remains to be determined.
Previously on Oilers Central
POLL |
JANVIER 9 | 254 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers front office heats up as Stan Bowman calls strategic meetings Do you think the Oilers will trade for a top-4 D-man - or depth D-man? |
top-4 | 184 | 72.4 % |
depth | 70 | 27.6 % |
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