Edmonton Oilers Sign Former Leafs Defenceman, Move Evander Kane Off Roster

The Oilers signed Dermott to one year, two-way contract at league minimum salary, which is great value for a quality depth defender. On a two-way deal, he can move between the AHL and NHL without waivers, which is a major asset.

Travis Dermott had attended Oilers training camp on a professional tryout offer and impressed many with his strong play. The 27 year old defender has played 329 career games with some playoff experience, and is a utility tool on the ice.

Dermott can play both the left and right side, and is a smooth skater that can make quality passes. He also has some connections within the Oilers organization, formerly playing under Coach Knoblauch and being a lifelong friend of Connor McDavid. Especially after the disappointment of Josh Brown, signing Dermott to a value contract is a great move.

The Oilers other roster move is part of some complex salary cap strategy to maximize their flexibility through the season. The Oilers want to accrue cap space over the year, which is only possible if Kane does not have to be on LTIR. The Oilers are now moving Kane off the active roster to the injured reserve, so it seems like that plan is off the table for now. Additionally, Matthew Savoie and Cameron Wright have been sent back to the AHL.

The Oilers will likely continue to make paper transactions like this throughout the season to maximize their available salary cap. It will be a long and confusing process, but done correctly, and the Oilers will give themselves a major advantage of more cap space to spend at the trade deadline.

With the signing of Dermott and placing Kane on the LTIR, the Oilers will have their roster fully set for the beginning of the regular season. The puck drops in Edmonton for the first time this season tomorrow night against the Winnipeg Jets.