Edmonton Oilers would be wise to delay Roslovic contract talks
Rumours about the Edmonton Oilers extending Jack Roslovic, but the team should consider delaying those talks.
There is no doubt that Roslovic has proven to be an impactful top-nine player for the Oilers this season. Since signing a one-year deal midway through Edmonton’s home opener, the 28-year-old has managed to net 14 goals and 22 points in 41 games.
Roslovic has also been tried out in a variety of different roles, acting as a second-line winger with Leon Draisaitl and, most recently, moving down to pivot the third line. It’s excellent value for a player carrying a $2.8 million cap hit, but that is bound to go up on his next extension.
Sticking with the Oilers would make sense, and 880 CHED’s Bob Stauffer recently speculated what Roslovic’s next deal with the team could look like.
“I would look at extending Roslovic,” Stauffer said on Tuesday’s edition of Oilers Now. “I’m going to tell you right now, it’s going to be in the [$4 million range]. If you’re the Oilers, you wanna keep it to a term of four years.
“We’ll be monitoring that situation ongoing because he’s got the ability to play in the top six on a regular basis.”
If Edmonton inked Roslovic to a four-year deal carrying a $4 million cap hit, it would be quite a commitment. In the grand scheme of things, with the cap going up, that isn’t the type of deal that should handcuff the team, but they shouldn’t be rushing to get pen to paper.
Though he started hot with the Oilers, Roslovic has cooled off significantly since coming off an injury a few weeks ago. He managed an impressive 10 goals in his first 23 games with Edmonton, but those totals have dropped to just four goals in his past 18 games, two of which came in a blowout win over the Vancouver Canucks.
It’s been the tale of two seasons for the Ohio native, and GM Stan Bowman should give things a bit more time before making a multi-year commitment. Perhaps that asking price can come down a bit more, and something a bit more team-friendly can be sorted out.
You’d have to think, however, that Roslovic’s camp would be eager to sort something out sooner rather than later after how last summer shook out. He fired his agent after failing to sign an NHL deal in the offseason, which led to him inking a cheaper-than-expected contract with the Oilers.
There is no rush for Edmonton to sign anything at the moment, so they should let things play out and see where Roslovic’s game is closer to the end of the year.