Oilers still looking to upgrade on defence: report
The Edmonton Oilers may not be done adding to their roster this offseason, according to a new report.
The Oilers CEO has had a hectic offseason in the GM chair so far. Jackson has already signed 13 new contracts and made two trades, the latest of which sent Ryan McLeod to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for top prospect Matthew Savoie.Ā
With all that, you would expect the Oilers to lay low for the next few weeks. That doesn’t appear to be the case, as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on Edmonton Sports Talk that the Oilers are now turning their attention to the blueline.
“If they can get a player capable of being a second pair guy, like a four or five defenceman, I think that is what they would like to do,” Pagnotta said. “We’re hearing [Brett] Kulak’s name out there again, [Cody] Ceci’s name out there as well.
“I think it’s due diligence on management’s part just to see what else is out there and what the options may be available to them, but if they could bring in a player who is capable of being a four-five guy, I think that’s something they would like to do.”
Sounds like the Oilers aren't done cooking yet.@TheFourthPeriod discussed what Edmonton might be trying to do with the defence. Keep in mind the team still needs to free up cap space as well.
š„: @HelloHockeyShow @yegsportstalk pic.twitter.com/NeV1Ej4lCi
— Tom Gazzola (@TomGazzola) July 7, 2024
The report makes sense, as the Oilers have done a great job plugging the holes in their forward group this summer but have largely left the defensive group the same as it was last season. Vincent Desharnais is gone, and Josh Brown has been signed, but there is a need to upgrade the second pair, specifically on the right side.
The UFA market does not look like it will be the place to fill that need. In addition to not having any legitimate candidates available, the Oilers also don’t have a lot of cap space to play around with, especially when you consider that the team still has to sign RFAs Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to new deals.
That likely leaves the trade market as the only surefire way to acquire a second-pair defenceman. Kulak and Ceci are interesting names that Pagnotta brought up as potential trade chips.
Since Ceci has likely lost his spot in the top four after a brutal postseason, shipping off his $3.25 million cap hit should be near the top of the list for the Oilers. Kulak may be less likely to move due to having a fairly locked-down spot on the third pair and is coming off a strong postseason showing.
As for who the Oilers could trade for, there aren’t many obvious options. Perhaps the team can try to pry Artem Zub from the Ottawa Senators, or maybe former Oiler Adam Larsson could shake loose from the Seattle Kraken. Either one of those players would be able to step in on Edmonton’s second pair.
The team is not in a rush to make a move, as the season is still three months away.