Oilers fans call for management to send depth forward packing after bad playoffs

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Ryan Hall
July 4, 2024 (4:35 PM)

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Many Oilers fans have expressed their desire to see Oilers forward Ryan McLeod put on the trade market as the Oilers continue to reshape the roster.

It does seem surprising that so many fans would like to see him move on as the team seeks more youth and speed. The 24-year-old center who stands at six foot 3 and 201 pounds is in his final season of his $4.2 million contract which holds a cap hit of 2.1 million AAV.

During the playoffs and especially in the Stanley Cup finals, his game took another step forward and he became an important player as the Oilers mounted a comeback against the Florida Panthers. Even though he only scored four goals through 24 games he was put to the task to help shut down the main lines of teams such as the Dallas Stars and the Panthers.

Fans are responding to the idea of McLeod being traded and many feel that this should happen. Some have referenced that Dylan Holloway is far too good for the fourth line and that MacLeod would be the player to go.

As good as the Oilers have been with unrestricted free agency, the team is in a severe cap crunch and are currently $2.4 million over. It's widely expected that Jeff Jackson and the incoming general manager will continue to tinker and move players around like Evander Kane and potential trade Ryan Mcleod to make everything fit with the team's goal to add a defenseman.

The summer has just begun and changes are expected to continue.