The Edmonton Oilers have been widely hailed as winners of NHL free agency, largely due to the trade of defenseman Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks. The move freed up $9.25 million in cap space and netted an asset in prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin, while the Sharks are viewed as losers for taking on Nurse's full contract and signing Jacob Trouba to a four-year, $33 million deal.
Oilers' Cap Relief and Strategic Moves
Matt Larkin of the Daily Faceoff praised the Oilers for locking center Jason Dickinson and defenseman Connor Murphy at reasonable average annual values, noting Murphy re-signed for less than half of what the Sharks paid for Trouba. The Nurse trade indirectly helped, freeing up cap space that went to underrated puck mover Ryan Shea and re-signing leading playoff goal scorer Kasperi Kapanen. Larkin also highlighted the addition of goaltender Freddie Andersen as a step in a new direction, keeping the crease warm until Devon Levi is ready.
Sharks' Costly Additions
Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report listed the Sharks as losers for making expensive mistakes on defense. The Sharks signed Trouba to a four-year, $33 million contract and acquired Nurse, taking on all of his remaining contract. For the next four years, the Sharks will pay Trouba and Nurse a combined salary cap hit of over $17 million per season for two defensemen on the wrong side of 30 who are already on the downswing of their careers. Gretz noted Nurse is ideally a solid second-pairing defender being paid like a first-pairing defender.
Andersen Signing Earns High Marks
At ESPN, writer Kristen Shilton gave the Oilers an A- for signing Frederik Andersen. Andersen will have an opportunity to be Edmonton's new starting goaltender in a logjam of three potential candidates. He is coming off an impressive campaign with Carolina, guiding them to a Stanley Cup Final before an injury sidelined him. If he can remain healthy, the one-year deal laden with performance bonuses could be a bargain for Edmonton.
Oilers' Efficient Cap Management
Kyle Cushman of The Score called the Oilers winners, noting that ridding themselves of Nurse's $9.25 million cap hit for four years without retaining salary or taking back another bad contract seemed almost impossible. General manager Stan Bowman got Nurse to extend his trade list and found a suitor in the Sharks to take on the full contract and give up assets. Nurse was outscored 69-55 at five-on-five last season, making a split necessary. The Oilers filled the gap with a smart bet on Ryan Shea after his breakout campaign. The flexibility from the Nurse move provides Edmonton with over $6 million in cap space, even with Shea, Andersen, and Kapanen's contracts.
Sharks' Disastrous Free Agency
Josh Wegman of The Score had the Sharks as a loser, saying they completely laid an egg on Day 1 of free agency. The Sharks absorbed the entirety of Nurse's albatross contract, doing a huge favour for division-rival Oilers, and sent promising defenseman Mukhamadullin the other way. Nurse and Trouba have been destroyed in their minutes the last several seasons, and having them both in San Jose's top four could be disastrous.
