Petry and Marincin (Photo: Windsor Star)

Petry and Marincin (Photo: Windsor Star)

The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly listening to offers for anyone on the roster. The Oilers are very heavy on the wing and defensive prospects, but thin at center and NHL defensemen, Theoretically, they are looking for an NHL ready center, and are willing to deal anyone on the roster.

Martin Marincin (22 years old) and Jeff Petry have been brought up a few times in trade rumblings a few times, but it was more speculation than anything substantial. The reasoning is that the Oilers are heavily invested in Justin Schultz, Andrew Ference, Nikita Nikitin, and Mark Fayne beyond this year. They have Darnell Nurse (OHL), Oscar Klefbom (AHL), and David Musil (AHL) knocking at the door as well. Guys like Petry (UFA, high salary) and Marincin (RFA, squeezed out by younger, better kids) could be used to address their needs.

First things first, let’s look at both Petry and Marincin, and how they compare to the current Rangers defensemen in terms of usage and possession effectiveness (this is all at even strength):

Courtesy of war-on-ice

Courtesy of war-on-ice

That blue circle on the left side is Petry. He drives possession despite getting buried with DZ starts (only Marc Staal has worse starts in this comparison). He doesn’t face top competition the way Marincin does, but as a right-handed shot, he’s more effective at even strength than most Ranger defensemen. Just comparing him to the RHD’s, Petry would be the top guy at evens, more effective than Girardi, Dan Boyle, and John Moore (Disclaiumer: even strength only).

As for Marincin, a left-handed shot, he’d be an upgrade over Staal. You can make the assumption that he would be comparable to John Moore if he were to receive those sheltered minutes as well. But the fact that Marincin is close to 50% Fenwick while on the Oilers and receiving pretty difficult minutes is impressive. He’d be a solid improvement for the Rangers.

Naturally, the biggest question here would be price. I’ve said this on Twitter, but I think J.T. Miller is the starting point in any deal for either defenseman. Miller is getting to the “too good for the AHL” discussion, but there aren’t any open spots on this year’s club. With Derek Stepan-Derick Brassard-Kevin Hayes-Dominic Moore down the middle, his future is on the wing as well, where the Rangers are stacked now and in the future.

I’m prone to undervaluing two things with the Rangers: 1) prospect value, and 2) Glen Sather’s trading prowess. I believe a straight Miller for Marincin swap would be fair value for both teams, and would address needs on both teams (Oilers: center depth, Rangers: LHD beyond Moore/Staal, since both are FAs). I don’t think Miller for Petry is fair value for the Oilers, but then again, he’s been healthy scratched in the past.

*-For those worrying about him being healthy scratched, remember that Anthony Duclair has been healthy scratched. It sometimes comes down to odd decision-making.

There’s a deal to be made here, and a deal for either defensemen opens the possibility of trading Staal for a big package. The Rangers have serious questions on their blue line, both this year and next. At some point, the Rangers will realize that –given his contract demands– Staal may not be worth the commitment when there are better, cheaper options available. A swap of Miller for one of these defensemen opens the door for a big Staal trade, keeping the eye on the current season and seasons to come.

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