from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

So the Oilers, who are rolling in skilled forwards but, in their heart of hearts, know they need not one but two additional defencemen, won’t be getting the 21-year-old Jones. Admittedly, Jones, the fourth overall pick in 2013, has been frustrated offensively this year in Nashville with just one goal in 40 games, but he is still a top four NHL defenceman today with an upside to be a No. 2, at worst.

Now what? Well, they have to make a full-court press to get Islanders’ Travis Hamonic, who as we all know has asked for a trade because he wants to play closer to his Manitoba roots. If they’re not working on a deal now for the defender who is a No. 2 or at worst No. 3 on every pro scout’s grading system, then they certainly have to be closer to the June draft. If the Isles can’t resign winger Kyle Okposo, then the Islanders will need another high-end winger to replace him, for Hamonic. You’re free to speculate on Jordan Eberle.

If the Preds were looking at Nugent-Hopkins, who may find himself on the wing with Draisaitl when McDavid returns sometime this month to centre another line, the Oilers had the depth at centre to go for Jones. Columbus now has a crater in the middle with Brandon Dubinsky now the No. 1 when he’s never had more than 54 points in an NHL season. But, they’ve been looking for a defenceman for the last few years, and Jones, who played a subordinate role to all-stars Shea Weber and Roman Josi in Nashville, will not do so in Columbus. He wouldn’t have done so here, either.

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