Edmonton Oilers urged to rethink trading forward after dramatic turnaround
The Oilers are being urged to no longer trade forward Jack Roslovic, after he has had what many are calling an official breakout, winning the last two games.
Jack Roslovic wasn't part of the Edmonton Oilers' opening-night lineup; in fact, he wasn't even on the roster when the season opened on Oct. 8. Yet in just a few weeks, the 6-foot-1 centre has become impossible to overlook.
What Jack Roslovic has done to stand out lately
Roslovic buried the overtime winner against the Flyers on Nov. 12, just two days after scoring another sudden-death goal versus Columbus. He's now only the second player in Oilers history to score OT goals in back-to-back games.
The 28-year-old has picked up points in six of his last seven outings and has 10 points over his last nine games, trailing only Connor McDavid in that stretch.
At some point, there were whispers that Edmonton could consider flipping him by midseason, but with his surge, the Oilers should shut down any talk of trading him immediately.
"He's proving to be something of a saviour for an Oilers team that desperately needs production while it waits for the return of injured winger Zach Hyman, and has recently had to deal with an injury to forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins."
- Brian Swane
- Brian Swane
With Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dealing with injuries, Roslovic has become one of the few reliable sources of offense, the exact type of player Edmonton cannot afford to lose.
Signed on Oct. 8 to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, literally during the Oilers' season opener, Roslovic arrived late, missed camp, and understandably started slowly. But since scoring his first goal on Oct. 26, he has taken off.
Why Jack Roslovic must not be traded by the Oilers
Through 16 games, he has five goals, a team-best plus-5 rating, 0.69 points per game, and the second-most shots per game behind McDavid.
He has been a timely and instrumental puck-moving forward with Edmonton struggling to score and keep themselves afloat within the Pacific.
In the weeks to come, his play may prove even more valuable as the Oilers try to stabilize their season. For now, Roslovic has become exactly what they needed, exactly the type of player they must keep.
Previously on HockeyLatest
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 13 | 107 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers urged to rethink trading forward after dramatic turnaround Should the Oilers keep Jack Roslovic for the entire season? | ||
| Yes | 91 | 85 % |
| No | 16 | 15 % |
| List of polls | ||