Such was the case in Tuesday night's game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Montreal Canadiens, when the Oilers sent not just an «ordinary» scout, but their head professional scout, Archie Henderson. It's an important move and that says a lot, less than three weeks before the deadline for trades.
As Marco D'Amico reminds us in one of his recent columns, the Oilers could very well end up becoming buyers by the trade deadline. They have been playing much better since replacing Dave Tippett with Jay Woodcroft behind the bench, having won 7 of their last 10 games. With the recent losses of the Ducks and Predators, a playoff berth is more than possible for the Oilers.
It wouldn't be surprising, then, if the Oilers had their eye on Ben Chiarot as recent rumors have it that the team is looking for a left-handed defenseman who can play in the top two pairs. Adding the veteran defenseman would help, in addition to his game on the ice, in the locker room with his experience and leadership.
As of today, the Oilers have their first-round picks for the 2022 and 2023 drafts. It will be interesting to see, if ever a trade occurs between Montreal and Edmonton, if one of these picks will be included in the agreement and if a young prospect will take the road to Quebec.