What are the honest odds Jarome Iginla will be traded?

Well, if I knew that for sure, I’d be at a betting window in Vegas right now, now wouldn’t I?

A.J. Haefele and I talked about this on the latest BSNAvalanche Podcast, and as of Tuesday afternoon, I don’t think my opinion has changed much. That is, it seems like the odds of Jarome Iginla being traded by Wednesday’s deadline are iffy at best.

Number 12 could be dealt at any second and it certainly wouldn’t shock anyone. And maybe it’s just me, but I just have the nagging hunch that if Iginla were to be traded, it would have already happened by now. For the classy 39-year-old’s sake, I hope that hunch is wrong.

But the numbers just aren’t on Iginla’s side right now. There’s his age (39). There’s his production this season (eight goals, 18 points, in 60 games). And there’s his contract ($5.3 million cap hit).

A.J. and I both believe the Edmonton Oilers would be the best fit for Iginla, for a couple reasons. One, he’s an Edmonton native, so there’s the “going home”, sentimental factor. But more than that, the Oilers arguably could use another veteran stick for the playoff run. Arguably, they could use another veteran presence in the locker room, to help steady the nerves of some young players in what has suddenly shaped up as a more worrisome battle just to make the playoffs. They’re only four points ahead of Calgary for the third spot in the Pacific. A wild card spot still looks very favorable for the Oil, but not quite the lock it once was.

But I haven’t heard much out of Edmonton that the Oilers are looking too hard at Iginla, though, as A.J. noted, vice president of hockey operations Craig MacTavish was at the Avs’-Sabres game Saturday. I put in a contact request to Iginla’s agent, Don Meehan, but no response yet.

Iginla is a minus-19, but his Corsi for percentage number is among the better ones on a last-place team at just under 50%. I just have to think Iginla would be good for a game-winning power-play goal somewhere down the stretch or in a playoff series. It likely wouldn’t cost a team much at all to get him, maybe a late-round draft pick even. If a team could afford it, I think it would be a good gamble.

But is it likely to happen? With the deadline less than 24 hours away, it seems iffy.

At best.