Oilers fan's jersey collection has turned into a lineup of departed players

The chances of an NHL player spending his entire career in one organization is quite slim, something one Edmonton Oilers fan is learning the hard way.

Rick Weidemann took to X on Tuesday to share a photo of his collection of eight Oilers jerseys. The oldest of the bunch featured Doug Weight, while another was Brandon Davidson. Others are much more recent, though only one remains with the team, and that may not be the case for much longer.

One jersey is Ethan Bear, who was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of the 2021-22 season. He also has Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, and Klim Kostin sweaters, all of whom were traded within the last two years.

The most recent jersey of a departed player that Weidemann owns is that of Vincent Desharnais, who chose to sign with the Vancouver Canucks this summer. He was hoping his heartbreak would end there but was dealt another blow yesterday.

Weidemann also happens to own a Dylan Holloway jersey. The 22-year-olds future is in doubt after he signed an offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. The Oilers have six days remaining to match the contract, which is a two-year deal with a $2.29 million cap hit. If they fail to do so, Holloway will join the Blues, resulting in Weidemann having yet another jersey of a player who is no longer with the organization.

It’s starting to feel personal!!! pic.twitter.com/bf9ljhQT2N

— McDrai (@RPW_1832) August 13, 2024

“It’s starting to feel personal!” Weidemann wrote on X in a post that included all eight Oilers sweaters.

While matching a contract worth $2.29 million for a player as talented as Holloway would seem a no-brainer, it may be difficult for the Oilers to do so. They sit roughly $340,000 over the NHL’s maximum salary and would need to figure out a way to move cap out to do so. On top of that, the Blues also signed promising defenceman Philip Broberg to an offer sheet worth $4.58 million per season.

The Oilers will be forced to make some tough decisions in the coming week. Given his jersey collection, Weidemann will be praying that management can find a way to keep Holloway around.

You might also like:
• Oilers RFAs landed double their asking prices with Blues