Chiarelli expects Oilers to sell at deadline

EDMONTON -- Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli will be a seller leading up to the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline on Monday at 3 p.m. ET.
The Oilers (22-32-6) are last in the NHL standings and likely to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.

"I'm disappointed where we are in the standings," Chiarelli said Tuesday. "Just in this last little stretch, I thought our energy level and our work ethic is waning a little bit. Leading into this stretch, I was generally satisfied with the progress we were making on some levels. Obviously, our defense is a work in progress, it is well-documented by you guys [media] and rightfully so, and something that we have to improve."
Edmonton hosts the Ottawa Senators at Rexall Place on Tuesday (9 p.m., ET; RDS, SNW, TSN5, NHL.TV). The Oilers are on a four-game losing streak and have lost seven of their past eight games (1-6-1).
Among players Chiarelli is believed to be actively shopping are pending unrestricted free agent forward Teddy Purcell and pending restricted free agent defenseman Justin Schultz.
Forward Nail Yakupov also could draw interest, but Chiarelli would not discuss specific players.

"We have some players that have underachieved, we have some players that may need a different venue," Chiarelli said. "Those are the determinations we'll make between now and trade deadline. If certain players are still around, it's because the deal wasn't right or we felt that there was a future for them with us, and we may revisit that situation in the summer."
Chiarelli said it is unlikely he will trade a young core member of his team before the deadline, such as left wing Taylor Hall, right wing Jordan Eberle or center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is out of the lineup with a broken hand. A major trade, however, may not be out of the question this offseason.
"Anything is possible, for me, but major deals are less likely at this time," Chiarelli said. "What happens is that there is more global planning that takes place postseason prior to the draft. And then of course, you have the proximity of those draft picks that teams are aware of and there is just more activity that way. Anything is possible, but I can tell you that I'm not thinking about that type of deal now. It doesn't mean I won't be looking at that in the spring and summer."
Chiarelli was hired by Edmonton on April 24, 2015, nine days after being fired by the Boston Bruins. He took over a team which began its rebuild when Hall was selected first in the 2010 NHL Draft.
The Oilers have chosen first three times since, selecting Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Yakupov (2012) and Connor McDavid (2015).
Edmonton will have another high draft pick this year, which Chiarelli said he would consider trading.
"I'm open to a lot of different things, I'm sure there will be a lot of offers," Chiarelli said. "I've been in that position before where we've had a lot of high picks and there's a lot of offers. There are a lot of ways to replenish your roster. I would like to get bigger. We're a fast team, and with the proper moves on defense I think we become faster with the ability to move the puck and the ability to transport a puck, we become faster. I like our skill, but I'd like to get bigger and heavier."
Chiarelli believes the Oilers have good core pieces in place to construct a contending team. He is committed to staying patient in continuation of the rebuild.
"I'd like to think that I'm taking that approach and not being reactive," Chiarelli said. "There was a time this year where we were close in a lot of games and you could feel good about the effort and you can feel good about the structure, and lately, there hasn't been that. I knew there would be some heavy lifting here, but I'm a fairly measured person and that's not going to change my approach.
"The sky isn't falling as much as it feels that it is, it's not falling. There is an ability to make this team a contending team and it can be in a hurry. You have to do it right. There is heavy lifting, no question."