The Oilers passed on a top-six forward they could've had for free
It seems that the Edmonton Oilers have missed a huge Opportunity to land a consistent point producing forward that is Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen was the talk of the NHL for two weeks at the end of 2022 when the Nashville Predators decided to put him on waivers.
Many clubs expressed interest in Tolvanen as they felt he was not getting the proper ice time and opportunity with Nashville.
General manager Ron Francis of the Seattle Kraken didn't hesitate and scooped him off waivers and was chosen on December 12.
Having played 80 games for the Kraken and have 47 points including 24 goals, Tolvanen would have solved the scoring issue on the Oilers bottom 6 it would not have needed to sign Connor Brown who has been an absolute failure for the team.
What's worse is that Tolvanen only carries a $1.45 million cap hit and his age is 24 years old. This kind of player would have been exactly what the Oilers needed last year going forward and would have been a difference maker especially in the playoffs since he is an excellent offensive defender.
Brown has not lived up to expectations. His contract carries a performance bonus of over $3 million which will now be carried over into next season whether he plays with the Oilers or not.
The stipulation was he had to play 10 games or more and with his poor play right from the start he should have been waived immediately to avoid this cap crunch.
Maybe it's time the Oilers have a set of new eyes.
| POLL | ||
Would you have claimed Eeli Tolvanen last year off waivers? | ||
| Yes, His upside is quite high | 298 | 55.9 % |
| No, The Oilers didnt need him | 235 | 44.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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