REPORT: West coast contending team almost ACQUIRED Wayne Simmonds

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Ryan
December 4, 2022 (6:41 PM)

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It's been a strange season for Wayne Simmonds as he has been put on waivers twice for the first time in his career by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs have had some cap issues this season and Simmonds was the unfortunate move they had to make to free up some cap space.

When he was put on waivers for the second time, a team in the Western Conference almost claimed him to add some ''toughness'' to their roster.

The Edmonton Oilers lost a big piece of their roster when they lost Evander Kane a few weeks ago to an injury, and after they traded away Zack Kassian this offseason, they have a serious lack of toughness in the roster.

General Manager Ken Holland made it public that the team was in the market for some grit in their lineup and Simmonds was the perfect opportunity to add that missing grit for free.

According to NHL Insider Frank Seravalli, Holland considered claiming Simmonds on waivers:

The Edmonton Oilers reportedly had interest in F Wayne Simmonds during their search for a «tough to play against» forward. Per, Frank Seravalli.
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Their focus has reportedly shifted, but no new connections have been made just yet.

The Edmonton Oilers have no problem putting up goals in their top 6, but the bottom 6 of the lineup has always been an issue.

They had the opportunity to add a former 30 goal scorer to their bottom 6 who could also provide a lot of attributes the team is missing.