5 Players the Edmonton Oilers Should Not Trade

If you're an Edmonton Oilers fan and have not yet damaged any viewing screens this season, well, good for you.

Despite some noticeable improvements as a whole, the team remains in a depressingly similar position as it has for most of the past eight seasons—dead last in the NHL—heading into Tuesday night's play.

Despite gathering some of the more talented young forwards in the game via the NHL draft—Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall—the club continues to spin its tires, unable to gain any traction in the wildly competitive Western Conference.

The Oilers' dismal performance has led many to call for trades, firings and near executions. OK, maybe not the executions...yet.

Change will be coming, even if general manager Craig MacTavish said otherwise in his most recent media conference.

In ascending order, let's take a look at five current Edmonton Oilers who should remain in the NHL's northern-most city when the Oilers do decide to move players. Prospects are not considered for this list.

Honorable mentions go to Nail Yakupov and Jeff Petry. The Oilers should also be considering them as key players moving forward.

5. Jordan Eberle, Winger

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Twenty-nine other teams would gladly take Jordan Eberle off the Oilers' hands. While he has yet to develop a complete game at the NHL level, he's got some of the softest mitts in the league—and he's a sniper.

Eberle has struggled thus far in the 2014-15 campaign, but that is not an exclusive club on the Oilers roster. 

He's posted 238 points in 301 NHL games. That's great production on what has been an offensively challenged squad for years now.

Eberle has to be part of the solution in Edmonton. He has to lead from the front and play great two-way hockey for the rest of the season. He's paid well ($6 million per season) to do so.

4. Justin Schultz, Defenceman

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Justin Schultz is not going to win the Norris Trophy any time soon. In fact, the chances are he's never going to come close to doing so.

He's also unlikely to develop into a highly dependable, mistake-free defender who can be counted on to play great defensive hockey in his own end.

Despite all of this, Schultz could develop into a top-four defender who could score 40-plus points on a regular basis. 

Those kinds of numbers would put Schultz among the top 25 or 30 defenders in the NHL in terms of scoring. If the Oilers ever manage to put together something resembling a potent power play, his point totals could be even higher.

Schultz has to work on his intensity, his shot and his willingness to use his speed and agility to greater advantage. His offensive abilities are not easy to find, let alone develop.

The Oilers need Schultz in the long term in order to generate offence from the point.

3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Centre

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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the Oilers' best centreman, and it's not even close. RNH can play in all game situations and is a highly talented player.

It remains to be seen if he's elite, though—elite in the sense that he'll be one of the top four or five centres in the game.

He's young enough that a lot of upside remains in several parts of his game. Physically, he's much stronger than he was as a rookie, but he needs to continue to get stronger to be an impact centre in the Western Conference.

He also has to use his improving shot to generate more chances; he's got an underrated release.

While RNH will be challenged to crack 60 points based on having just 17 points in 25 games this season, the offensive skills are there for him to be a point-per-game NHL player.

The Nuge should be on the organization's no-trade list for the next decade.

2. Leon Draisaitl, Centre

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I wouldn't trade either of RNH or Leon Draisaitl as the Oilers general manager. But based on where I think these players will be in five to seven years, I would favour Draisaitl if there were ever a question.

He's looked slow and tentative at many turns this season, which is unsurprising for a young rookie.

However, when he's been at his best, he's been nearly unstoppable in the offensive zone with his great hands and his ability to control the play down low.

Leon may add another 10 to 15 pounds over the next two or three seasons. If his foot speed and overall stride can improve, just slightly, the Oilers will have an absolute force on their hands.

Draisaitl is bright and obviously plays the game on a higher plane, for the most part. He's not lighting it up offensively but is very responsible in the defensive zone. He's rarely out of position in any situation.

The Oilers still need another NHL centre, maybe even two. But picturing RNH and Draisaitl leading the squad in another season or two should get Oilers fans just a little excited.

1. Taylor Hall, Winger

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Taylor Hall is already an elite NHL player. He led NHL left wingers in scoring last year with 80 points.

He must continue to develop better defensive awareness and the will to play strong two-way hockey on a regular basis.

His biggest flaw is his propensity to turn the puck over at the opposing blue line, which is rarely followed up by intense efforts at puck retrieval.

Hall could reach 100 points in an NHL season under the right circumstances. His 80 points in 75 games last season proved his immense talents, and he is still waiting for a centre to match his impressive offensive abilities.

RNH may be that player. So might Draisaitl. While most Edmonton fans don't want to go there, Connor McDavid, the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL draft, would look mighty fine paired with Hall as well. Let's face it, McDavid is likely to boost his linemates' production by at least 20 percent.

Regardless of who his long-term centre is, Taylor Hall going anywhere should not enter any of MacTavish's thoughts.

All stats can be found on NHL.com unless noted otherwise.