Oilers forced to make more moves after busy start to free agency
You could make a solid case that the Edmonton Oilers were the winners on day one of free agency this year, but there are still more moves to be made.
Acting GM Jeff Jackson had himself a banner day with the Oilers yesterday as he managed to sign 12 players to new contracts, including bringing in two top-six forwards, Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner.
That sounds like a very expensive day for the organization; however, Jackson managed to get all those deals done and keep the overall cap hit below $19 million, which is a very impressive accomplishment on a day known for overpayments.
Yet, despite that tidy bit of business, the Oilers are still not finished making moves. The team is now over the NHL salary cap by around $2.4 million and will have to find a way to shed some money before next season starts.
More moves must be coming for the #Oilers as they now find themselves over the cap by about $2.4 million… they still need to sign RFAs Holloway and Broberg
A trade could solve things and all of Evander Kane, Cody Ceci, Ryan McLeod, and Brett Kulak could be candidates to move
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) July 2, 2024
A trade would be the easiest and most obvious way for the Oilers to shed some unwanted money. Remember, just getting below the salary cap ceiling is not going to cut it; the team will need some extra money to spend if they want to retain RFAs like Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, which they will want to do.
This means that trading a player with a cap hit right around that $2.4 million mark is likely not enough to get the job done. That fact would seem to rule out moving players like Ryan McLeod ($2.1 million) and Brett Kulak ($2.75 million) unless you packaged them together, but that could cause unwanted roster holes.
With that in mind, the two trade candidates who would solve Edmonton’s issues are Evander Kane ($5.125 million) and Cody Ceci ($3.25 million). There have been various reports over the last few days hinting that the relationship between Kane and the Oilers has soured lately, indicating that the organization may feel like it’s time to move on.
The problem with moving Kane is that he holds a no-movement clause in his contract and, by all accounts, the Oilers have not asked him to waive it. That fact, however, hasn’t stopped Jackson from seemingly replacing Kane’s spot in the top six with the addition of Skinner. If Kane does come back next season, he will most likely be a bottom-six player, a role that would be a bit rich for his cap hit and one you have to presume he isn’t a fan of.
Ceci is another player who could quickly find his way out in a trade. The 30-year-old defenceman has spent the last few seasons playing on Edmonton’s second pair alongside Darnell Nurse but recently lost that spot in the playoffs. With the emergence of Philip Broberg in the postseason, it looks like Ceci could potentially start next season on the team’s bottom pair. His cap hit isn’t the most attractive thing for other teams looking to trade, but he does have only one year remaining on his contract.
Another possibility that could help temporarily alleviate Edmonton’s cap issue is utilizing the LTIR system next season. Kane missed most of the Stanley Cup Final with some injury and early reports this summer are unclear on just how severe it is.
Jackson commented on the injury in a press availability yesterday and said that the organization is seeking a second opinion on Kane’s health.
“He was going through an issue with his hip,” Jackson said. “We are going through the process to see what will occur and he is getting the best care and advice from our doctors.
“We will discuss options with him and his agent and get second opinions. That is where we are at and nothing is planned at this point.”
Putting Kane on LTIR would give Edmonton about $2.6 million in additional cap space to spend, which should be enough to sign their RFAs, but it would also cause problems once Kane comes off it. This would be more of a way to give the team some more time to work with rather than an end-all solution.
No matter what the rest of the summer holds for the Oilers, at least three more moves must come to resolve their cap situation and get a few of their RFAs under contract.
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