The Edmonton Oilers have started trying to find a solution to their blue-line problems. Barely holding on to a Wild Card playoff spot, the team has started to struggle and the defense corps is taking a lot of the blame for the team’s troubles. General manager Ken Holland is reportedly calling around to see if there is anything he can do via trade to fix the issues.

As per reports by Darren Dreger and TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun, Holland has reached out to “every selling team you can think of with a defenseman potentially up for grabs.” Included in those conversations have been the Arizona Coyotes who are shopping Jakob Chychrun, and the Montreal Canadiens, who may or may not be open to trading Joel Edmundson. Darren Dreger adds that he’s heard the Oilers have also been linked to the Minnesota Wild and Matt Dumba.

LeBrun suggests that Holland isn’t operating in panic mode but he’s been actively working the phones. The idea is to get a sense of the market and find out if his team can even meet the asking prices of some of these teams — which is reportedly quite high. When it comes to Jakob Chychrun, it is believed it could cost the Oilers something like Philip Broberg and two first-rounders. This is an asking price the Coyotes have been firm on all season, even before Chycrhun returned to the lineup and started lighting it up, posting 20 points in 24 games.

LeBrun adds:

“Most notable defensemen on the market are going to be priced at at least a first-round pick right now because it’s January and, well, because Montreal got that last year for Ben Chiarot and Columbus got it two years ago for David Savard.” He explains, “Selling teams are using that as a jumping-off point.”

What About Matt Dumba and the Oilers?

Darren Dreger is reporting the cost associated with acquiring Dumba would also be high. There have been rumors dating years back that the Wild have been open to moving the defenseman, but the team is in a playoff spot and they would likely need to replace him if they traded him. If the Wild don’t have a Plan B, it’s hard to imagine them moving him, even if he is a pending UFA and they risk losing him for nothing during the summer.

The Oilers might also kick tires in Florida where Radko Gudas could be a fit, or in Columbus where Vladislav Gavrikov might be a popular target. The question with all of these players will be cost and whether the Oilers are able to afford to add anyone with any sort of significant salary.

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