It’s called free agency, but it’s still a mighty expensive proposition for the perennially cap-strapped Edmonton Oilers. The salary cap is going up, but it’s going up for every other team the Oilers will have to bid against on the open market when the floodgates burst Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Oilers' Salary Cap Constraints
General manager Stan Bowman has his work cut out for him, especially with Darnell Nurse’s big ticket still on the books despite agreeing to go on the trade block. The Oilers have holes to fill, hopefully with upgrades that don’t cost a whole heck of a lot. Connor McDavid took a hometown discount on his current two-year, $12.5-million extension, but management has whittled into it with monster deals to players like near-invisible Trent Frederic and the-sometimes-healthy-but-often-not Jake Walman.
Goaltending Needs
Let’s start in net. The goalie exchange that saw Stuart Skinner go to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Tristan Jarry has been the biggest black eye Bowman has had to wear so far. It’s also been the biggest gaping hole on the roster. Forget about Sergei Bobrovsky—he would never sign here due to his back-to-back championship rings with the Florida Panthers. Instead, the Oilers should look at Bob’s backup, Daniil Tarasov. He’s both younger and cheaper than the starter currently ahead of him, and has a higher ceiling than Edmonton’s roster options right now. The Oilers could also re-sign Connor Ingram if they want him back.
Defence and Forwards
On defence, the Oilers already signed their own big-shot unrestricted free agent in Connor Murphy. They expect to get a blue-line piece back in the eventual Nurse deal. For forwards, one name tops the list: Mason Marchment. He needs to get a serious look to help the Oilers get back in Stanley Cup contention.
