Oilers ‘need’ to trade for forward with 99th-percentile max skating speed originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Edmonton Oilers want to change the trend.
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They’ve lost in the Stanley Cup Finals each of the past two seasons to the Florida Panthers. That’s the kind of three-peat no one is looking for.
And so as the NHL heads more deeply into trade season, there’s work for the Oilers to do.
In a new article, The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell has identified the Oilers’ biggest need for a trade: a third-line forward with speed and size.
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Edmonton has already been linked to Bobby McMann of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Mitchell confirms that he’d be an ideal fit.
“Size and speed on the third line are the primary issues,” Mitchell writes. “Goal-scoring ability would be a major asset, especially if the acquisition has had success scoring in a depth role. Bobby McMann of the Maple Leafs has been mentioned as a target recently. His max skating speed is 99th percentile, according to NHL Edge. He has 17 goals already and is on an expiring contract at $1.35 million. That’s a value contract for a fast player who has size and can score. It’s a perfect fit for Edmonton’s needs.”
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For this to really happen, the Oilers just need the Leafs to struggle a bit longer.
Toronto is obviously a big-name franchise that doesn’t want to be a trade deadline seller. But if they don’t think they can make the playoffs, or re-sign McMann after the season, then trading him now would make the most sense.
He would certainly fit in on an Oilers team with a lot of speed on its top lines but less so on its bottom-six.
McMann would be a great third-line player, and he could try to help the Oilers overcome their falling short of the last couple campaigns.
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