I'd love Edmondson on the Oilers because a close family member of his owes me a huge favour but he just can't stay healthy
Edmunson forced himself to play through injury during our unlikely run to the finals (alongside Price and Weber, who were much more injured and just popping painkillers like it was candy). That really took its toll on him as a player health-wise, and he's been nursing and re-aggravating a back injury ever since.
Last year, after having sat for 2/3 of the season, Edmunson finally became healthy enough to play. And he was good, don't get me wrong, but he just wasn't as effective as he'd been for us up to that point. Fact of the matter is that he plain wasn't as solid as the "Steady Eddy" he'd come to be known as in Montreal by that point through his stellar play alongside Petry. You could tell he wasn't 100% but still insisted on playing.
This year, Edmunson's looked better ever since he's returned to the lineup, almost back to his old self. But we still need to see how he will hold up through the grind of the season before he ever becomes a truly attractive trade target for other teams.
So yeah, trade talks at this point are quite premature and should only be re-visited later in the year, when the playoffs picture is clearer and depending on Edmunson's health by that time. Also, it is possible that Hughes chooses to retain Edmunson until next year as well, as he is supposedly quite the positive veteran presence for this team, so any trades involving him isn't set in stone at all in the first place.
But since this answer isn't a white-hot take and this is HfBoards, I'll just say that, in a vaccum void of the real-world facts that either outright stop or majorly complicate player movement, Edmunson's trade return should be a first-round pick or equivalent prospect/package of pieces.
Those who argue otherwise either overvalue picks/prospects, or undervalue what a good veteran D can do for teams that are in "win-now" mode come playoffs time.
