Friedman Connects 2016 First-Round Draft Pick to the Oilers

Elliotte Friedman reported today on 32 thoughts that the Edmonton Oilers are interested in Sharks center Luke Kunin.

Kunin has been a regular in the Sharks lineup this season, getting into 51 games with the club after he missed much of last season with an injury. The 26-year-old has 8 goals and 10 points on the league-worst Sharks offense. Notably, he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning if he were to be traded, he would not be a pure rental for a potential buyer.

That being said, the Oilers are not the only team north of the border that has expressed interest in the young center. The Toronto Maple Leafs have also been rumored to be in on Kunin from reports that came out earlier this month.

The Sharks may want to strike while the iron is hot on a deal involving Kunin. At least according to public models, his advanced stats are among the worst in the entire league. Clearly, some NHL clubs have their own process that must show him as being more valuable, as it would bit peculiar as to why there is so much interest in him if that were not the case.

That being said, trade deadline deals often come back to haunt teams. For the Sharks, any future assets they can get would only serve to accelerate the rebuild.