207
Photo Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Oilers trade Caggiula, Garrison to Blackhawks

Early Sunday, the Oilers made a splash acquiring Alex Petrovic in exchange for Chris Wideman and a 2019 3rd round pick.

Postmedia’s Jim Matheson and Sportsnet’s Mark Spector tweeted shorly thereafter the team likely wasn’t done, and now it appears the Oilers are looking at a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

The deal, now made official by the Chicago Blackhawks, isn’t a deal that gets me very excited.

Manning, who is infamously known for breaking Connor McDavid’s collarbone in his rookie year and allegedly admitted intent to do so, is not a good defenceman. He has three points in 27 games this year playing 15.5 minutes a game and his goals for/against is

He, without a doubt, is not a better defenceman than Kris Russell, Alex Petrovic, Matt Benning, or Jason Garrison, so what is the point in bringing in another bottom-tier defender?

Let’s not even get started about how bad the optics are of trading for a player who seriously injured your franchise player, and best player in the world.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

While Caggiula is a player who has largely struggled during his time in Edmonton, he is quietly having his strongest NHL season. You could make a good argument that the Oilers lack of forward depth is a bigger need than that of an already busy defensive corp.

On top of that, Caggiula is due $1.5-million this year and next, while Manning is owed $2.25-million over the same time. No need to increase a payroll for a team that already has cap issues, if you ask me.

Norell isn’t a guy who checks many boxes in his own right. The 23-year-old, 5’11, 192 lb defenceman, has three assists in 28 SHL games this year.

He spent all of the last two seasons in the AHL, scoring a modest 18 points in 128 games.

I just… don’t get this trade. While I personally don’t have any information to suggest this, I can’t imagine this is the last of the deals to come.

Mainly, because the trades today don’t really make the Oilers better.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

On Twitter: @zjlaing


  • Chris_Cruise

    I can’t believe they would bring in this dirtbag who rode Connor into he boards and had the audacity to taunt him about it the next game they played. This is appalling and despicable!!!!!!! Don’t you guys remember Manning pointing at his collar bone while laughing at Connor?!!!

    I am beside myself right now!!!

    There is absolutely NO EXPLAINING why you’d ever trade for this player.

  • Jonathan Willis summed it up perfectly on Twitter today, “Today’s moves fit Chiarelli’s profile: indifference to cap space, indifference to age, indifference to puckmoving, love of grit and heaviness.
    It’s the same plan he laid out when he was hired in 2015. It’s the same plan that has led the Oilers to where they are today.”

  • rnj

    I’m sure you all remember McDavids response to Manning’s comment: “One of the most classless things I’ve seen on the ice”

    The classiest, never say a bad word about anyone Connor McDavid said this on national TV.

    And you bring in that defenseman, of all the guys in the league, to play behind him? And trade a third rounder and a body for him?

    For those who don’t want to waste time looking: Manning is -6 with 0 points in his last five games.

    Absolutely disgusting. This is trash. I feel betrayed as a fan. Why do we have to throw jerseys and buy billboards to make things happen?

    • Chris_Cruise

      Thank you. We’ll put. Anyone on here justifying this trade as something positive needs to give their head a shake. This was yet another example of no move being better than Pete’s move.

  • OldOilerFan

    I”ve long thought the Oilers have completely lost touch with their fan base (just count the number of bathrooms at our shiny arena), but this trade is just absurd. Chia is obviously grasping at straws but to acquire Manning? He’s got borderline stats, he’s not going to turn our season around any more than the other bags of pucks he’s brought in recently, and now you have a question mark in the dressing room. Good gawd…..

    • VvV

      There is enough washrooms at Rogers Place, the issue is people don’t know how to use them, they start the lineup from the entrance, where it is designed to start at each individual urinal. The Oilers even assigned staff to point this out and signs on the floor at one point, but everyone one was too dense to figure it out, just like zipper merging on the Henday.

  • Bringer_Of_Snow

    Why would you trade for a fringe NHLer who Connor said was unapologetic about breaking his collarbone. The guy is a loser. They should be more concerned about getting NHL players rather than fringe guys.

    Also I’m not watching another game until Benning is gone… he is so bad, it makes me thing I still have a shot at the show

    • Spydyr

      What do you honestly think Caggiula is going to get in return?

      Would you rather Chiarelli traded Nuge or some high draft picks which are the teams future?

      I don’t have any faith in Chiarelli winning a trade.

    • Hockey Forever

      “The team has no decent assets to move”

      There’s the problem. The only hope is that this is part of another move. And with who we have in charge… That’s scary…

  • Real Oiler Fan since 83

    I don’t get why everyone is losing they brains. Seriously would you rather us stand pat and do nothing? There is not many options out there and quite frankly Mr Caggiula is only noticeable once every 3 games and this is the best league in the world. That isn’t good enough. Benning, widman and Garrison are D men that cannot get the puck out or move anybody in front of the net. Petrovic and Manning play a hard game in the D zone. We need this until Klef, Russell and Sekera are back. Calm down my friends.

      • Chris_Cruise

        This!!
        Why anyone thinks Sekera will be able to jump right into the lineup in a month is crazy.

        Even 20 years olds have a hard time acclimating to the speed of the game if they simply miss training camp! While being injury free and in the prime shape of their lives.

        Sekera, who is no spring chicken, is coming off of a horrendous string of lower body injuries and with a season more than half over.

        It sucks but he really shouldn’t be considered at all this season. The reality is he’s going to be slow, timing and touch will be off. And by the time he shows up the season very well could be lost so what’s the point. Let some young guys get their reps in. IMO anyways.

    • MrBung

      I would rather the Oilers fire Chia like they should have after last season. This team is making no progress and these desperation moves will do nothing to help the team now or in the future. These deals are getting done only for/by Chia to show he is “doing something”. Important work is done in June, not January. And the current team is a collection of all the poor moves and decisions he has made. The net effect is not good.

    • nijames

      seriously?? all they are doing is changing names in the back of the jerseys The players moved out are slugs and the ones coming in are the same. These trades don’t make the Oilers better or worse just the same. One injury to McDavid away from being the worst team in the league by far,

    • the reasonable person

      Yes I’d rather them keep draft picks and use cagguila for a pick at the trade deadline in a year where they will challenge for dead last. It’s coming. Florida will like picking 65th overall for the dman they would healthy scratch and would have let walk. This is a sick joke, even before the fact that one of the no-namr D men they added was Manning. Connor must be starting go get unhappy.

  • MrBung

    Chia is the worst GM in the NHL and his days in Edmonton are numbered…but ownership and the rest of the management team are also incompetent when it comes to building a winning hockey team.

  • Drinking my Oilers problems away...

    I don’t know how Chia gets another job after this debacle but then again, it’s the NHL and there’s short term memory involved with most

  • Big Jacks Meat

    Well everyone despised Kassian for breaking Gagners face , but then fell in love with him. Manning will be forgiven. He played for his team and did what he had to do , right or wrong. Now , he will stand up for Connor. Its Hockey people, stuff happens. Mcdavid will probably have him over for supper.

    • Chris_Cruise

      You’re right. Bad plays happen. But he crossed the line with the taunting.

      Pointing at his own collarbone and laughing at Connor showed Manning’s true colors.

      Is that even someone you’d want on your roster if they were a top player? Let alone risk animosity in the dressing room over a nobody??! We’re not talking Drew Daughty or Brent Burns here. We’re talking about a complete nobody who could have ended Connor’s career, and luckily it was only the season.

    • Chris_Cruise

      Kassian taunted Gags too while he was wired shut or playing with the cage. I can’t remember exactly. That was a terrible douche move and why despite winning fans over in the short term, Kassian will never truly win the hearts of fans over in the big picture. He was classless. Sure he’s matured but not many guys were as classless as him back then.

    • He didn’t just injure anyone, it was McDavid, and he put him out for like 2 months with a broken collarbone, a nasty injury on a dirty play that completely derailed the Oilers season. There’s a difference, like Brashear or McSorley. If McDavid does not extend and allow Manning to kiss the ring, he will be banished from the dressing room to the far reaches of the press box.

        • Lazarus

          Well you will be happy to know no one incident will cost Conner a Stanley Cup in Edmonton. Because that will never even be at their fingertips.
          Believe that. This team is so far from making a playoff push before Conner says “You know what? F@$^ this. I want out. Now. “

        • I don’t think anybody is denying that, but yes the McDavid injury took the Oilers out of it that year. Everybody knows that.

          What I’m saying is there is a difference in the severity of some infractions. Like McSorley, pretty much ended his career. It all hinges on whether or not McDavid extends his gracious hand toward peasant Manning. If not, Manning is as good as dog meat in the dressing room.

          Personally, I think it would be only too ironic to see Manning ride out the season watching McDavid play from the Oilers press box. Serve him right as far as I’m concerned.

    • Chris_Cruise

      You’re right. Bad plays happen. But he crossed the line with the taunting.

      Pointing at his own collarbone and laughing at Connor showed Manning’s true colors.

      Is that even someone you’d want on your roster if they were a top player? Let alone risk animosity in the dressing room over a nobody??! We’re not talking Drew Daughty or Brent Burns here. We’re talking about a complete nobody who could have ended Connor’s career, and luckily it was only the season.

    • Derzie

      Why? Does he not see the results? Why would anyone think they deserved to a keep a job based on these results? This alone is proof that he should not have the job. No self-awareness.

  • Harry2

    The thing that bothers me about this deal is the 2.25 million Manning is owed next year. Why the hell is Chiarelli adding more salary? Even if they squeek into the playoffs I cant see how Chiarelli has a job in Edm next season.

  • Chris_Cruise

    Not sure if you guys saw this as well…

    Mark Spector
    @SportsnetSpec
    Told Chiarelli tried to include Ryan Spooner in one of the deals he made Sunday, to no avail.

    The Spooner-for-Ryan-Strome deal that seemed regretful at the time is, alas, regretted

  • DrillExpat

    What a clown show! Can the Oilers fans coordinate to miss the first period of a game on Saturday night (HNIC) to show Katz what an empty arena looks like? Then to add to it, nobody buys any concessions. Perhaps this small message may get Katz attention to make some changes. It may be a dream, but it could work.

    • MrBung

      It wont. He has his glory year fantasy buddies in Lowe and MacT and 99 to reassure him and give him advice. The humiliation comes with being a lottery team with the best hockey player on the planet. The mocking and jeers will hurt more ….