There’s plenty of concern in Edmonton right now, particularly with the on-ice product. But what should be more concerning (and it may be for some) is that Chiarelli may be on the verge of yet another transformative trade — and his track record for those types of moves is far from glistening. If another core piece like, say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were to leave town, it leaves a significant hole in their forward group and Chiarelli has to be 100 percent sure that the player coming back is either a) a high-end defenseman or b) someone who can score.

This iteration of the Oilers appears to be running out of time. Ownership’s patience with the GM might be thin, too.

-Rob Mixer at The Sporting News where you can read more on the Oilers plus other NHL topics too...