Are the Edmonton Oilers Interested in Alexander Frolov?

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It's not a secret that the Oilers could use a bona-fide goal scoring first line left winger. The J.F. Jacques experiment, while interesting, hasn't quite proven it deserves to go on much longer.

It's not that it's Jacques fault either. He's done everything that can be asked of a player with his talents and he definitely deserves to be on the Oilers roster.

But beyond the protection he's meant to provide for linemates Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky, that trio simply hasn't clicked like a first line should.

So, on Monday, when Terry Murray of the Los Angeles Kings, both benched and publicly demeaned Alexander Frolov for what Murray called a lack of team play; my eyes, and perhaps the eyes of the Edmonton Oilers opened a bit wider.

As was reported by TSN, the Kings have decided that Frolov isn't playing up to their expectations. Even though he has five points in eight games, according to Murray, Frolov doesn't fit the Kings new team concept.

Murray continued by saying that the Kings have been changing the culture, the style of play, philosophy, and team system, needing a total buy-in from all players since he arrived. He ended with, "That's the only way you can become a good hockey club."

If Frolov doesn't fit that picture, Murray may be speaking about a player who is on the way out. Good for L.A. and their new team concept. Maybe even better for Edmonton, who by all accounts, see Alexander Frolov as everything Edmonton could use and were rumoured to have offered as much as Sheldon Souray for the sniper plus this past offseason.

If Frolov is on the trade block, thank goodness after Murray's comments, it won't take Souray to get a deal done this time.

In the past four seasons, Frolov has been a 20-plus goal scorer, twice eclipsing the 30-goal mark and he's proven he can do it all with little assistance in the form of true superstars as linemates.

Add to that Frolov's soon to expire contract, Edmonton's focus on some upcoming free agents on their own team, and you have a deal that makes a lot of sense from an Oiler perspective.

So here is the question I leave with you. Since L.A. might be looking at somewhat of a player dump, who would you offer from the Oilers to get this deal done?

I'd pony up Robert Nilsson, Marc Pouliot and Steve MacIntyre to see if the Kings bite. Of the three, the highly skilled Nilsson provides the most upside and Los Angeles has a tendency to take on ex-Oiler cast-offs.

The Kings have the cap and roster space. Edmonton needs to move that much salary to make it work. That said, this isn't the only scenario. What would you offer if you could?

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