Have things gotten so bad in Edmonton and Philadelphia that we can say they’ve officially hit rock bottom?
NHL trade rumors: Flyers looking at Jordan Eberle
The Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers are discussing a potential trade involving Jordan Eberle, according to a report.
Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Told today Flyers are talking with EDM about Eberle
— Tim Panaccio (@tpanotchCSN) November 8, 2013
Yeah, it’s probably fair to say that.
In the event that this development is as accurate as the source reporting it, then the Flyers are considering the ramifications of a major shakeup (again). Philadelphia is struggling to produce offense this season and has scored only 22 goals, which is the fewest of any team in the entire league. Edmonton is on the other end of the spectrum, hemorrhaging goals at a league-leading pace (66 entering competition on Friday).
Both clubs are in the bottom five of the league’s standings and will be facing one another on Saturday afternoon. If an exchange were to be made, it’s a pretty good time to do it.
Edmonton's brain trust -- manager Craig MacTavish, president Kevin Lowe and special adviser Mark Messier -- have reportedly been on the East Coast this week. Much of the focus was on their presence at a few Rangers games, but the group was in attendance for the Flyers game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. This isn't the first time that the two teams have been reported to be in discussion, as talks centered around defenseman Braydon Coburn in June, according to reports at the time.
Ultimately nothing came of it.
Assuming these renewed discussions have weight, one would imagine some component of defense would have to be involved in the deal. If Eberle is the one being moved, it means Coburn is likely involved because Philadelphia doesn't have much else to offer. MacTavish has also made mention of adding depth throughout the forward group, which is something Brayden Schenn, Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier or Wayne Simmonds could provide.
Some have speculated that Flyers captain Claude Giroux could be involved in this deal. If that's the case, the Flyers have problems that no trade can solve.
Eberle has been projected by some to be the Oilers captain of the future. For the team to consider trading him, I’d imagine multiple pieces will be moving each way. Both teams have several needs and a simple exchange of a player or two seems unlikely. Either way, stay in close range of an insider’s Twitter account and hold on for dear life if you live in Edmonton or Philly, because things might get crazy.
Update: So, this is what Dreger has to say about the rumor:
In the eyes of Oilers managment, Eberle will be an Oiler forever. Forever is a long time, but, he's not a trade target.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 8, 2013
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