Oilers will have one of NHL's busiest offseasons this summer
With the Oilers heading into next season with a cup in mind, here's a simple list of things that the Oilers could do to improve the team and give them the best chance possible at winning next year.
First off is the possible extensions for both Draisaitl and Bouchard. The Oilers need to make re-signing Draisaitl priority. Draisaitl has all the leverage in a contract dispute, and Ken Holland should look to sign him to as long of a contract as he's willing to sign, which will most likely end up in the neighbourhood of 12.5-13.5M.
Bouchard on the other hand could be expendable if he isn't looking to take a pay cut. Bouchard might be able to get upwards of 8.5M AAV on the open market, and the Oilers shouldn't be willing to pay that much for Bouchard. If they can sign him at a bargain contract or a bridge contract they should do it, but they should also be ready to cut ties if he asks too much.
Next on the list is any of the multiple ways to free up more money. It could be from buying out or trading any of Nurse, Kane, Ceci or Campbell.
Unlike the other three, Kane still has a light amount of value as a trade piece. He definitely isn't worth the 5.12M he's making right now, but a team could definitely be interested in the grit he has to offer as a player. Kane also has a full no movement clause, so he would have to approve any deal from the team.
Campbell and Ceci could also be options to trade as the Oilers look to free up cap. Ceci could be moved to another team for a late round pick as his cap hit isn't too much, whereas Campbell contract is a massive anchor. Campbell would most likely require the Oilers to add at least a first round pick into the trade to dump his contract, but after seeing the Korpisalo trade anything seems possible.
Lastly is to hire a new GM, as it's been clear for a while that Holland isn't the best fit for the position. There aren't too many GM targets out there right now, but the Oilers could either higher internally or promote one of their assistant GMs, Brad Holland or Keith Gretzky. Some of these moves could help push the Oilers over the edge and give them that extra win they needed.
| POLL | ||
Which of these moves would you like most? | ||
| Draisaitl extension | 167 | 66.3 % |
| Trade for Campbell or Ceci | 39 | 15.5 % |
| Kane trade | 21 | 8.3 % |
| Bouchard extension | 25 | 9.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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