Oilers Reportedly Looking At Left Defense: Cam Fowler Prime Target

The Edmonton Oilers are going to be upgrading this season, especially with how much better they have played. The forward group, when healthy, is very good and it doesn't seem as if there's going to be changes in net, so upgrading on defense is the likely solution.

Bob Stauffer hinted that the Oilers are looking at left defensemen who can play the right side (likely on the second pairing) and are good puck-movers. This defenseman would also have a little bit of term so that Edmonton can use him the same way the Oilers have been utilizing Mattias Ekholm after acquiring him from the Nashville Predators.

The defenseman that fits this is Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks and there is a good chance that he is dealt from the rebuilding team before his contract expires. If the team retains some of his $6.5 million AAV cap hit for this year and next and trades him before the deadline this season, the return will be higher.

I fully believe that the Oilers are willing to pay the price to get someone like Fowler who has been so consistent in his career and can play at both ends of the ice. Sometimes right-shot options for the right side are limited, so a player like Fowler can be of great value to the Oilers in searching for what may fit.

His numbers aren't great this season and that may mean it is finally time for the Ducks to part with the veteran. He plays over 21 minutes per night and now has competition on the left side in Anaheim with Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov developing nicely as well as Brian Dumoulin on the team.

Fowler has four assists in 16 games and the 33-year-old is a -5, but has a goals for percentage of 35%, which is not good. The Ducks are outplayed a lot and he is on the ice a good amount of every game. A change in scenery to the Oilers to play alongside Darnell Nurse in the midst of a great bounce-back season could be the best thing for everyone involved. Fowler has hovered around 0.5 points-per-game in his career and can definitely move the puck.

Expect this potential trade to pick up some traction as the season progresses, but it won't be the only defenseman connected to the Oilers.