The Edmonton Oilers have posted one of their worst starts in franchise history.
They are currently 1-4-1 overall and 0-4-1 in the Pacific Conference - a start so bad that it has some, like Chris Peters of CBSsports.com, wondering if maybe the team will start shaking things up by making moves either to right the ship or get value aimed towards a serious rebuild.
One possible move the Oilers could make is the trade of winger Nail Yakupov.
"The outside interest doesn't matter much if the Oilers aren't willing to deal, but the Oilers might have to consider changing things up and getting older instead of continually going younger," wrote Peters. "Yakupov still has some cache due to his first overall pedigree and his offensive talent despite tepid numbers in his young career."
Yakupov has only three points through six games this season. And among the young Oilers' core of Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle, Yakupov is the least costly and least productive, making him the easiest to potentially replace, Peters noted.
"Yakupov is on the last year of his affordable entry-level contract. For a team in need of immediate help offensively on the cheap, he could be a fit. There's also the added bonus of possibly being able to work out a fairly reasonable extension with the 21-year-old," wrote Peters.
A report by Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports says that, at this point, nothing is for certain, but teams are very much interested in Yakupov should be become available.
Beyond Yakupov, another potential move that could be made by the organization, should the team's performance continue on its current trajectory, is the ousting of head coach Dallas Eakins.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun posits that Eakins could be on shaky ground, and may not last the duration of his contract.
"At what point do the Oilers have to do something just to make their fanbase happy?" asks Garrioch. "GM Craig MacTavish made a bold move by hiring coach Dallas Eakins. MacTavish may be forced to make a bold move and fire Eakins two seasons into his four-year deal if this doesn't get turned around quickly.
If that happens, you have to think MacTavish may have to go back behind the bench."
