GENE'S BLOG: Deadline Day

There is no day like it. It's the day hockey fans look forward to and players dread unless they are looking for a fresh start on a new team and in a new city. In the world outside of sports, if you are leaving a job you normally give two weeks' notice and sometimes it's even longer. You are not usually gone the same day the decision has been made.
I suppose that's the case sometimes when it's the employer deciding it's time for a change. It usually is a meeting accompanied by an HR staffer, and after a short conversation you are ushered out of the building. Oftentimes, either way, it doesn't involve a rushed move, a quick trip to the airport and a flight to your new home. Such is the life of an NHLer.
It was the case for the two newest members of the Edmonton Oilers. Derick Brassard woke up as a Philadelphia Flyer and Brett Kulak a Montreal Canadien. Likely by about the time Kulak finished his breakfast and was preparing for the morning skate in Montreal for an evening game against Boston, he found out he was dealt to the Oilers. It was a less busy day for Brassard as the Flyers weren't playing, but things took a turn from east to west just after lunch.

To get someone, you have to give up someone or something, and the Oilers did so in both cases. For Kulak, it was William Lagesson and a pair of picks, while Brassard cost the Oilers a fourth-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. No direct damage to their lineup while being able to add two players who can make a difference down the stretch.
Kulak is a local kid. He grew up on a farm just outside of Stony Plain and eventually found his path through the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. A fourth-round pick of Calgary's who played for the Flames and Montreal before being dealt to his hometown team.

In fact, he will become the second Kulak to play for the Oilers as a distant relative named Stu suited up for Edmonton in 23 games during the 1986-87 season. This Kulak will give the Oilers the blueline depth they wanted and needed ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.
Brassard has been to Edmonton many times since he was drafted sixth overall by Columbus in 2006. A year later, he started what has been a long and winding road through his career. Along the way he played no games in the minors but 936 in the NHL. After six seasons with the Jackets, they were no longer a fit, so it was on to the New York Rangers for four more.

Two in Ottawa and two more in Pittsburgh before going to Florida, Colorado, New York's other team the Islanders, Arizona, Philadelphia and now Edmonton. While he has been much travelled, Brassard affords Edmonton options down the middle of their lineup. He also gives them experience and lots of it in the playoffs. He's played 117 post-season games and that includes a trip to the Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers in 2014.
It was an eventful day but it really wasn't about making a big splash to start the work week. Ken Holland had already done that in January when he brought in Evander Kane to bolster the team's already potent offence. This was more about reinforcements for a team currently in a playoff spot. Getting Kulak and Brassard made the Oilers a better hockey club.