Oilers have free agent options if they're still looking to add depth
Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland added a new No. 1 goalie, returned a top-line forward, re-upped two key pending restricted free agents, and added a touch of depth to his squad through the summer.Ā
And he might not be done.Ā
If he can find the room.Ā
The Oilers sit a touch over $6 million in the hole when it comes to cap space when it comes to a 11 forward, seven defencemen, two goaltender configuration, according to CapFriendly, with youngster Ryan McLeod remaining a restricted free agent.Ā
There’ll be a bit of room to breathe with goaltender Mike Smith and blueliner Oscar Klefbom hitting long-term injury reserve, but it remains a tight squeeze in Edmonton.
Still, they have Jack Campbell for the next five years at a total of $25 million, Evander Kane is back to ride shotgun with Connor McDavid on a team-friendly cap hit of $5.125 million per, and Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto are both back on the forward core.Ā
And there remains some budget-friendly options on the open market should Holland get the itch.Ā
āThere are some players out there that Iām still kind of looking at that maybe on the bottom part of the roster,ā Holland saidĀ in early August. āWeād like to add in somebody on a one-year deal that, you know, sort of undervalued because they didnāt get swept up in that over the first couple of weeks of free agency.ā
Forward options
No doubt Holland is aware that Phil Kessel remains unsigned through the midway point in August. The right-shot right-wing produced just eight goals in 82 games last season for the Arizona Coyotes while shooting an NHL career-worst 4.6%, but he still managed a respectable 44 assists and 52 points ā which wouldāve ranked him fourth in Oilers scoring last season behind McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman.
Kessel could slot on the right side with McDavid and Kane, or even serve as a second-line option with Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, giving Edmonton some flexibility in how they choose to roll out its forward core.Ā
Evan Rodrigues could make for another interesting piece in the Oilers top-six.Ā
In 82 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, Rodrigues netted an NHL career-high 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) — surpassing his previous best of 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) set with the Buffalo Sabres back in 2018-19.
A short-term showcase contract could be in the cards for Rodrigues to prove his career year wasn’t an aberration, and Edmonton could be the city to best showcase that.
In 82 games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he scored 19 goals and recorded 43 points. Overall, those kinds of numbers certainly make him an appealing option.Ā
Sonny Milano could be an option taking a similar approach. The 26-year-old remains unsigned after a breakthrough season with the Anaheim Ducks.
Milano set NHL career-highs in games (66), goals (14), assists (20), and points (34) with the Anaheim Ducks last season, but remains an unrestricted free agent well into August. He also showed well on the analytics side, registering a team-best shot attempt percentage at 57%, and a team-leading expected goals percentage at 58.1%, according toĀ MoneyPuck.Ā
Available defencemen
P.K. Subban, who has also been indirectly linked to the Oilers, could offer some similar workability on the back end. The right-shot rearguard has 467 points (115 goals, 352 assists) over 13 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and New Jersey Devils, remains unemployed in August.Ā
As it stands, however, Edmonton seems pretty set on the right side with Cody Ceci, Tyson Barrie, and Evan Bouchard.Ā
Instead, left-shot defenceman Danny DeKeyser could be a better fit to give the likes of Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov more time to percolate in the minors. He netted 11 points, all assists, with a -8 rating in 59 games. Injuries have slowed DeKeyser, who is coming off a six-year, $30 million deal.
Holland, the longtime Red Wings GM, is no doubt familiar with DeKeyser, who has logged 547 games with the Detroit Red Wings from 2012-2022, amassing 146 points (33 goals, 113 assists) along the way.
Should DeKeyser not be a target, Keith Yandle might.Ā
Yandle, who played an NHL record 989 consecutive games before he was a healthy scratch last season, had 19 points (one goal, 18 assists) in 77 games in 2021-22. Yandle, 35, had had a productive career with 619 points (103 goals, 516 assists) in 1,109 games for the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Coyotes.Ā
The catch on any addition for Edmonton will be the cap hit and, depending on circumstance, term.
There’s not a lot of money remaining to put forth on the table in free agency, but there’s no doubting the Oilers are an attractive option for a short-term agreement.