It's been a slow deadline day for the Edmonton Oilers, but it's not for a lack of trying.
NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton said on Oilers Now today that the Oilers were "aggressively" pursuing Mikko Rantanen in conversations with the Carolina Hurricanes before the star winger was sent to Dallas.
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According to Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer, the sticking point was that the Oilers couldn't meet Carolina's asking price. Looking at the package they got from the Stars, it's not surprising.
Carolina got forward Logan Stankoven, two first round picks, and two third round picks in exchange for Rantanen, who immediately signed an eight-year contract worth $12 million annually in Dallas.
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The Oilers' equivalent would have been Matt Savoie and the picks, with the first rounders coming in 2027 and 2028. That wouldn't have gotten it done, not to mention the fact that Edmonton can't afford Rantanen's extension and the vastly different tax situations between Alberta and Texas. Kudos to the Oilers for trying, but they just didn't have the assets.
Still, Oilers fans would be forgiven for having a sour taste in their mouths after the deadline. Jake Walman is a great pickup, and Trent Frederic will fit well in Edmonton, but their additions pale in comparison to the moves made by Dallas and Colorado (added Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle) in the west.
Even worse, the Oilers also lost out on Brad Marchand at the last minute, with the Bruins captain becoming a Florida Panther just as the deadline passed.
But the past is the past, and the Oilers' roster is now set for the rest of the season. They'll have to hope that Walman and Frederic are enough, because the western conference just got a whole lot scarier.
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