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Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton Oilers goaltending

Dallas Eakins knows Ben Scrivens from their days with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, and like any coach he’s obviously eager to get “his guys” on the roster and in the room. So the Edmonton Oilers filled the hole left by the trade of Devan Dubnyk to the Nashville Predators, dealing a third rounder in 2014 to the Los Angeles Kings for Scrivens.

From the Oil:

Scrivens, 27, has appeared in 19 games for the Los Angeles Kings this season, posting a 7-5-4 record, .931 save percentage, 1.97 goals against average, and three shutouts.

The 6’2”, 193-pound netminder has compiled a record of 18-19-6 in 51 career NHL games. He has registered a .917 save percentage, 2.54 goals against average, and five career shutouts.

While he lacks Dubnyk’s potential – imagine if he figures out how to effectively use that 6-foot-5 frame? – Scrivens could be an upgrade. At the very least, he’ll cost less than Dubnyk this summer when both are unrestricted free agents; and he’s a fresh face, rather than the incumbent that’s (still) trying to put it together.

As a back-up or a No. 1-A, the Oilers did themselves well.

A word about the Dubnyk trade for Hendricks trade: I was stunned to see the vitriol coming from Oilers fans after this deal went down. OK, maybe not “stunned,” in the sense that everyone overvalues their assets, but surprised that more didn’t see the goalie market for what it is (limited) and Dubnyk for what he is (run out of town).

As for Hendricks, yes, he’s a role player with a four-year, $1.85 million cap hit, who hasn’t been his best in the last two seasons. It was a baffling contract for the Nashville Predators because he was a redundant player, but it’s not the toxic deal I’ve seen it made out to be.

He’s a role player that isn’t going to leave Edmonton for another three years. The word “intangibles” has almost become a dirty one in this time of sports analytics, but Hendricks has them – in the room and for the fans.