Rare NHL rule could block Edmonton Oilers from trading for a former player this year

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Liam McCormick
February 21, 2024 (3:20 PM)

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At last year's trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers make a fantastic move to bring in Nick Bjugstad as the team's third line Center. After seeing him in the team's last game in Arizona, talks have picked up about the Oilers making another trade to get him back - but that may be blocked by a rarely seen NHL rule.

On the GotYerBack Podcast, the hosts discussed how well Bjugstad could fit back in the Oilers lineup as a shutdown third line player who could take on tough defensive minutes as he did last season. The Coyotes are falling well out of a playoff spot once again, and the team would likely be open to trading him once again. This time however, Bjugstad has term on his contract which is both a bonus and a complication.

If the Oilers were to trade for Bjugstad, they'd have to find a way to take on his entire salary, because they traded for him last year with retained salary. It's against NHL rules to trade for the same player twice in one season with retained salary.

The 31 year old veteran Center is having another great year with the Coyotes, scoring 12 goals and 29 points in 55 games. He's signed to a contract for this year and next year for just $2.1M.

In any trade the Oilers make at the deadline this year, salary retention will almost certainly play a role. The team has around $2.4M in cap space to use at the deadline, which means that they could add several high impact players using salary retention and moving away from one roster player. Still, if the Oilers decide that a shutdown Center should be a priority for the team, a reunion with Bjugstad should be considered.