I don't really trust the words of a random 'NHL scout' to a young journalist with little professional clout, but IF this rumour has any basis in reality, which is a big if, I won't be entirely shocked.

Yesterday on the Flames sub we were discussing the upcoming draft apropos of an article that claimed Matthews would be a perfect fit in Calgary. People rightly pointed out he would be a perfect fit on any team, then someone said he wouldn't be on Edmonton and I said this in response:

"Well, you could argue he would. Matthews and McDavid are essentially the same age and would be in their primes at the same time. Edmonton could trade away their older core players for (high) picks and (elite) prospects, free up cap space, sign a bunch of cheap veterans on short-term deals and ride out McDavid and Matthews's ELCs as a traditional rebuilding team, a la Buffalo and Toronto, instead of continuing to do whatever the hell they are doing now indefinitely.

OR you could argue that trading away young players of Hall and RNH's calibre is always a mistake, they really do just need a couple of defenders and some better luck with injuries, McDavid will drag them to the playoffs one way or another, they're showing signs of improvement already, etc. I don't know. That all sounds plausible, but it's been sounding plausible for years now and little has changed.

I don't know what to think. They have a lot of talent on the roster and should theoretically be able to improve by making smart trades and incremental changes, but on the other hand a part of me thinks it would just be easier to put Hall and Eberle out of their misery and send them to playoff teams and just, like. Take Matthews and blow it up again."

I have no idea whether that would be the smart thing to do and I don't know if I'd have the guts to do it, but it's an option. And not because Taylor Hall is a loser who could never win a cup or whatever Oilers fans say in the heat of the moment--anyone who believes that is out to lunch, honestly; it's not his, RNH or Eberle's fault Edmonton have an atrocious bottom six, mediocre goaltending and only one puck-moving defenceman in Davidson--but because the 'old core' is expensive and getting older, and the team needs assets only those guys can fetch on the market.

All that said, IF Edmonton trades away Taylor Hall and he goes on to have a career season on a better team that is able to get him the puck and break out of the d-zone with regularity, I will be first in line to mock them. I don't think you could make a trade like that and feel good about it, even if you think you need to.