by Blain Potvin, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

HALIFAX, NS — With the end of each playoff round the draft order is set and we get one step closer to the 2016 NHL Draft to be held in Buffalo, New York on June 24th and 25th. This will be a very busy time for NHL General Managers and their management teams.  These teams will begin looking seriously at what they require to improve within their team plans.  Do they let their prospects develop at their own pace or, do they add NHL talent now?  There are some teams that may be obvious fits to discuss trades as they each have an abundance of what another may covet.

In Montreal, it is clear that top six scoring is a major organizational concern long term while an NHL-ready defense corps is an organizational strength.  In Edmonton, Peter Chiarelli has stated defense and bottom six size and grit are his team’s largest issues.  This sounds to the layman to be an excellent fit.  Can the Canadiens and Oilers strike a deal?  Is there one that even makes sense?  If so, Marc Bergevin can emulate George Jefferson and ‘Move on Up.’

That the Oilers’ need to improve on their current set defensemen is no secret, Peter Chiarelli admitted that to CHED 630 in an interview.

“There’s also a chance, as I said in my previous comments, that we could move the pick to get a…top-four defenseman.”  

With that he has signaled to his counterparts that he is willing to trade the fourth pick overall. What is he looking for in return? And does Montreal have the right pieces that can be moved without sacrificing team depth next season?

At a quick glance, Marc Bergevin seemingly does have what it takes: an abundance of top four defensemen, a top-10 pick and enough bottom six players to start his own outlet store.  But this is not a PlayStation game and as we’ve all been told, trades are not easy to conclude.

Peter Chiarelli has spent the first year of his tenure adding size and grit to what is considered a soft, yet talented and underperforming Oilers team.  Chiarelli built a Boston Bruins Cup champion well known for its gritty and aggressive play, and he has placed a premium on acquiring those types of players to compliment the offensively talented lineup.  He has added players such as Patrick Maroon, Eric Gryba and Adam Pardy to name a few.

In that light, Alexei Emelin could be a player the Oilers would target.  Chiarelli has witnessed Emelin at his best while up against the Bruins.  Emelin is a big body who lays heavy hits, often.  He is adept at clearing the front of the net and his own zone all while being capable of playing the right and left hand sides.

Emelin’s style of play is perfectly suited for the more physical style of the Western Conference.  But Emelin alone is not enough to land the fourth overall pick and Montreal has a lack of depth of left handed defenders at minor levels in the system.

Adding Montreal’s ninth pick with Emelin may be too much for the fourth overall selection, unless Chiarelli were willing to add a young left handed defenseman to help address Montreal’s lack of depth on the left side.

David Musil is a left handed AHL level defenseman who is close to becoming NHL ready, and plays a style very similar to Emelin.  He has had some injuries that has slowed his progression, but this season has shown he has gotten back to full heath and his style of play that got him to this level.  Also, he has the personal misfortune to be behind young left handed defensemen Darnell Nurse, Oscar Klefbom, Griffin Reinhart and Brandon Davidson on the depth chart as well as Andrej Sekera making Musil expendable for immediate help on the right side.

In the end Chiarelli would trade down five positions in the draft to upgrade his NHL defense immediately with the style of player needed to compliment a highly talented and young team and likely use the ninth pick to select a blue-chip defenseman all while improving his team’s organizational depth.  While Bergevin would need to sacrifice a veteran top four defenseman whose minutes and style of play can be replaced by the emergence of Nathan Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn while likely adding a blue-chip offensively gifted forward that would address the lack of top six depth and provide more cap flexibility moving forward.