Oilers Scout Blue Jackets Again, Turning Into Potentially Big Trade

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman recently said on his 32 Thoughts podcast, “The circumstantial evidence makes a lot of sense that the Oilers would be looking at Columbus for goalies. However, this person indicated to me that it might be more than that and they might be looking at some of the other players Columbus has.” Are the Oilers scouting the Blue Jackets for a potentially big trade?

Based on Friedman’s comments, it sounds like that might be the case. This comes following news that the Oilers were, once again, scouting the Blue Jackets game. Columbus took on the Ottawa Senators Friday night. Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins — who the Oilers have been linked to in rumors — happened to stop 41 shots to lead the Blue Jackets to a 4-2 victory.

What Other Players Could Be Part of a Big Trade?

It’s not entirely clear who Friedman was referring to when he said, “other players”, but Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff included a few Blue Jackets on his recent trade bait board. Specifically, Andrew Peeke could be available, as might right-shot defenseman Adam Boqvist. Seravalli writes, “The Blue Jackets have been looking to move a defenseman since training camp broke. Here’s the problem: neither Peeke nor Boqvist has much (if any) value.” Could Columbus try to dump one in a trade that would see them take Jack Campbell back?

Alexandre Texier made the list as well. The NHL insider suggests he’s on the list of “change of scenery” players.

Of course, the big name people are linking to Edmonton is Merzlikins. The reason is obvious. The Oilers goaltending combination of Skinner and Campbell have struggled to start the season.

Mark Spector of Sportsnet tweeted on Friday night, “These 3 were indeed ACCREDITED again for tonight’s CBJ-OTT game. Only Salajko, who lives in Columbus, was actually in attendance however. Personally, I don’t see how Merzlikins fits in an EDM deal, but you never know.” Spector’s comments included an original post on X.com that the Oilers had three scouts checking out the goaltending duel between Merzlikins and Sam Montembeault on Wednesday. Important to note, Montembeault signed with Montreal this week, and the Oilers were back to check out Columbus after learning the Habs had locked up their guy.

For the Oilers, Merzlikins isn’t exactly a slam-dunk target. He possesses a $5.4 million cap hit, surpassing Campbell’s by $400K. Additionally, he maintains a .906 save percentage over 167 games. Comparatively, when Edmonton acquired Campbell, he boasted a .916 save percentage in 135 games. To make things interesting, Campbell has started to play well in the AHL.

Is Blue Jackets’ Merzlikins a Better Option than Campbell?

In his recent three starts with Bakersfield, Campbell has posted solid numbers, including a 1.97 goals-against average (GAA) and a .944 save percentage. These statistics have caught the attention of the Oilers, prompting them to consider him as a potential backup for Stuart Skinner. Fortunately, for Edmonton, Skinner seems to have found his game.

It would be an expensive mistake to make if the Oilers make it on Merzlikins. That could be why new Oilers’ goaltending scout Jeff Salajko has been back to watch the goaltender a couple of times. He’s got a lengthy contract with three additional seasons on it.

Perhaps this is the type of trade that could turn out to be much bigger than a one-for-one, or a one-for-one with a sweetener. If the Oilers are checking out other players, as Friedman suggests, this has the potential to become a fairly sizeable trade.

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