Proposal: BUF - EDM

[TFHockey]

Mattias Ekholm
Oilers 2027 1st



Owen Power

The Sabres have been rumored to be considering trading Power. They may want a veteran instead of more futures to move forward next year.

The Oilers, for their part, need to get younger and while Ekholm has been their best d-man during his tenure here, he is getting older. And as many will recall the Oilers played very well on defense while Ekholm was out with an injury.

Could work out for both teams.

 

[kingpest19]

Why would Buffalo trade a 22 year old for a 35 year old and a first round picks two years from now?

 

[SundherDome]

No

 

[Drake1588]

Ekholm has gone from being a guy in the grizzled prime of his career to being old pretty fast in the last 18 months. Trade that for a young stud defenseman? No one does that, on the other end. The inclusion of the pick here acknowledges that it's so lopsided, and doesn't make up the difference.

 

[barriers]

No

This guy gets it

 

[Frenzy31]

Mattias Ekholm
Oilers 2027 1st



Owen Power

The Sabres have been rumored to be considering trading Power. They may want a veteran instead of more futures to move forward next year.

The Oilers, for their part, need to get younger and while Ekholm has been their best d-man during his tenure here, he is getting older. And as many will recall the Oilers played very well on defense while Ekholm was out with an injury.

Could work out for both teams.

Why would the Sabres make this move? You really need to break it down beyond I want my team to get younger and better.

Why is this attractive to Buffalo?

 

[TFHockey]

Ekholm has gone from being a guy in the grizzled prime of his career to being old pretty fast in the last 18 months. Trade that for a young stud defenseman? No one does that, on the other end. The inclusion of the pick here acknowledges that it's so lopsided, and doesn't make up the difference.

Why would Buffalo trade a 22 year old for a 35 year old and a first round picks two years from now?

I don't think Buffalo fans are as against this as you think.

Ekholm was hurt this year. That is why he didn't play as well as he normally does. He is still a top pairing defenseman.

Maybe the Sabres do this because they want to make the playoffs next season.

 

[Djp]

Buffalo is the leagues farm team....hell mo

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I don't think Buffalo fans are as against this as you think.

Ekholm was hurt this year. That is why he didn't play as well as he normally does. He is still a top pairing defenseman.

Maybe the Sabres do this because they want to make the playoffs next season.

You are delusional here amigo

 

[Drake1588]

I don't think Buffalo fans are as against this as you think.

Ekholm was hurt this year. That is why he didn't play as well as he normally does. He is still a top pairing defenseman.

Maybe the Sabres do this because they want to make the playoffs next season.

The question that people will be asking is whether he was injured because of a freak one-time incident, all in the past, or is he getting injured because he's old?

If those questions didn't exist, if he was as staunch a defender as he was when he arrived in Edmonton and for that first year, then Oiler fans wouldn't be looking for a new home for Ekholm. Recovery from injuries at 35+ takes a lot longer and injuries can take something off your fastball, permanently. He's played a lot of hockey over the last 24 months.

Look, Power has not taken off like a bat out of hell, to be certain. There's work to be done there on the player development side. But there's a lot more runway to build him up and Coffey likely salivates at the prospect. Ekholm's just out of runway.

 

[57special]

Sure, why wouldn't BUF be willing to lie down like dogs for EDM?

 

[UnleashRasmus]

I'm alright trading Owen Power if the trade makes sense, however this does not. Easy pass.

 

[Fatass]

To get Power would cost A LOT more. And he’s not even being shopped, so that means even more cost. Sabres have Dahlin and Power. No way (imo) should they touch that.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

I don't think Buffalo fans are as against this as you think.

Ekholm was hurt this year. That is why he didn't play as well as he normally does. He is still a top pairing defenseman.

Maybe the Sabres do this because they want to make the playoffs next season.

We could stomach moving Power, but not for that outcome. His fit behind Dahlin isn't seamless and he's still showing growth but his lack of a physical game is a glaring hole.

 

[VaporTrail]

Ekholm is more of a final piece to a contender as he's in the twilight of his career...Buffalo is not contending anytime soon...makes no sense for the Sabres.

 

[toddkaz]

I don't think Buffalo fans are as against this as you think.

Ekholm was hurt this year. That is why he didn't play as well as he normally does. He is still a top pairing defenseman.

Maybe the Sabres do this because they want to make the playoffs next season.

No, we are against it. Ekholm is 1-2 years from retirement.

No F'in way.

If Power is traded its for a player that is 23-27. You dont trade a player entering their prime for a player going to retire.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I don't think Buffalo fans are as against this as you think.

Ekholm was hurt this year. That is why he didn't play as well as he normally does. He is still a top pairing defenseman.

Maybe the Sabres do this because they want to make the playoffs next season.

Yeah, 35yos are definitely known for bouncing back to prime performance and not just falling off the edge of the aging cliff.

 

[BKarchitect]

Ekholm was awful when he got back in the playoffs. I think that clearly was injury related. But this was by far his most uneven season for the Oilers, even excluding that. I think it's a pretty straight line from him being 35 and slowing down to that, not simply "oh he was injured and will be a top defenseman again next year".

I don't think the Oilers would be remiss in seeing what the market is for trading one season of Ekholm at age 35. I don't think you want to be (the Oilers definitely won't want to be) the team that pays Ekholm his new deal next summer at age 36. If you can gain some cap flexibility and assets for a guy who is clearly slowing down - you should take a look. Ekholm is a warrior with a sterling reputation and has been a defining player for the Oilers these past few years. He will have value, for sure...I just think the sights need to be set a helluva lot lower than Owen Power coming back. This might have made a bit more sense when he was 32-year-old Ekholm coming from Nashville who had 2-3 top seasons left in the tank. But not for 35 year-old Ekholm.

 

[kinghock]

Mattias Ekholm
Oilers 2027 1st



Owen Power

The Sabres have been rumored to be considering trading Power. They may want a veteran instead of more futures to move forward next year.

The Oilers, for their part, need to get younger and while Ekholm has been their best d-man during his tenure here, he is getting older. And as many will recall the Oilers played very well on defense while Ekholm was out with an injury.

Could work out for both teams.

I think this delusional offer should have better reaction on Oilers board.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

28 year old Ekholm, okay. 35 year old Ekholm obviously isn't you getting Power.

 

[keppel146]

This is not even close

 

[archangel2]

Mattias Ekholm
Oilers 2027 1st



Owen Power

The Sabres have been rumored to be considering trading Power. They may want a veteran instead of more futures to move forward next year.

The Oilers, for their part, need to get younger and while Ekholm has been their best d-man during his tenure here, he is getting older. And as many will recall the Oilers played very well on defense while Ekholm was out with an injury.

Could work out for both teams.

Okay, Some needs to explain the logic better to me. Ekholm is a broken down 35 year old who may be done and that pick maybe like 28th?

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I don't think Buffalo fans are as against this as you think.

Ekholm was hurt this year. That is why he didn't play as well as he normally does. He is still a top pairing defenseman.

Maybe the Sabres do this because they want to make the playoffs next season.

Ekholm has 1 year remaining. He’s a rental.

This isn’t well thought out…

 

[TFHockey]

Ekholm was awful when he got back in the playoffs. I think that clearly was injury related. But this was by far his most uneven season for the Oilers, even excluding that. I think it's a pretty straight line from him being 35 and slowing down to that, not simply "oh he was injured and will be a top defenseman again next year".

I don't think the Oilers would be remiss in seeing what the market is for trading one season of Ekholm at age 35. I don't think you want to be (the Oilers definitely won't want to be) the team that pays Ekholm his new deal next summer at age 36. If you can gain some cap flexibility and assets for a guy who is clearly slowing down - you should take a look. Ekholm is a warrior with a sterling reputation and has been a defining player for the Oilers these past few years. He will have value, for sure...I just think the sights need to be set a helluva lot lower than Owen Power coming back. This might have made a bit more sense when he was 32-year-old Ekholm coming from Nashville who had 2-3 top seasons left in the tank. But not for 35 year-old Ekholm.

Okay, fair. I think he will bounce back as a top paring guy, but Ekholm definitely has a limited shelf life.

 

[BKarchitect]

Okay, fair. I think he will bounce back as a top paring guy, but Ekholm definitely has a limited shelf life.

Bigger picture, say Ekholm bounces back next season as a reliable, if slightly diminished, 22 minute per night defenseman….but it’s clear the Oilers don’t want to pay him moving forward and the cap crunch is just stifling any moves around the edges.

Would Oilers fans prefer to keep him through next year’s playoffs and then let him walk? Or trade him as a rental for cap space and assets, with the assumption that either with that trade or via the flexibility it creates - he is replaced in the line-up with a younger, cheaper blueliner with term but who is not quite at healthy Ekholm level?