The Edmonton Oilers are on complete freefall. Despite winning their last game, head coach Jay Woodcroft was fired and goaltender Jack Campbell has been sent to the American Hockey League where he will likely play the rest of his contract. Now one potential option they had seems to be gone as this Bruins goaltender won't waive his no trade clause.
Linus Ullmark has often been floated as a trade target for the Edmonton Oilers. After all, their biggest problem has been goaltending by a lot. With the Bruins currently rostering two elite number one goalies, it would make sense that the team may consider moving one of them for the right price.
However, Linus Ullmark has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to veto trades to 16 teams. According to insiders, it's likely that the Oilers find themselves on Ullmark's list. This isn't surprising, considering the trend of players excluding Canadian teams from trade possibilities. The Oilers' current struggles and the pressure for Ullmark to revive their fortunes make a move to Edmonton seem unlikely.
Another reason why the Bruins are unlikely to help out the oilers is that they are too good. Why would the Bruins want to mess with anything when they have the best goalie tandem in the league by far? The other half of the tandem, Jeremy Swayman, lacks the trade protection of Ullmark, but his play would also suggest trading for him would come at a monumental cost. As of five days ago, Swayman was 2nd in the league in goals saved above expected and he is still only 25 years old, younger than Stuart Skinner.
While the Bruins could use center depth, the Oilers do not really have any great options they would trade unless Leon Draisaitl is part of the conversation. The Oilers would almost certainly not trade Draisaitl though unless they are completely blowing the team up, which seems unlikely. The 11-1-2 Bruins should not care too much about the Oilers struggles or desperate trade offers unless something drastic happens.
