Oilers Forward and Holland Far Apart in Negotiations

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Ryan Hall
July 26, 2023 (11:08)

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As the summer months wind down and Oilers fans grow more excited for another hockey season, there are still a few issues the team needs to resolve before the puck drop in October. One pressing matter is the contract extension for Oilers forward Ryan McLeod, as he deserves a decent pay raise after his contributions.

This will be McLeod's fourth season with the team, and in the 2022-2023 season, he played 57 games, scoring eleven goals with 12 assists, totalling 23 points, and achieving a +4 rating.

Additionally, he had 18 penalty minutes and three shorthanded points. Though these figures are only a minor improvement from the previous year, they highlight McLeod's consistent offensive contributions that the Oilers desperately need.

Unfortunately, it seems that both parties are currently far apart in contract negotiations. As a result, they will head to arbitration, which is scheduled for August 4th, to settle the matter.

During a recent episode of DFO Rundown, Frank Seravalli and Jason Gregor discussed the upcoming arbitration case and other league happenings. Seravalli refutes reports that the two sides are closer to a deal than stated.

Seravalli: "The team that's hurting the most from this is the Edmonton Oilers, trying to get Ryan McLeod done. They were aiming to secure him for just under two million bucks, but now the number has sadly risen to around 2.5 million. This might create some difficulties, and it could potentially affect Evan Bouchard."
Gregor: "I had heard that McLeod negotiations were pretty close."
Seravalli: "I don't think that's accurate."

Interestingly, McLeod was the player who had to take a pay cut last year to help the team become cap compliant. Given the absence of a deal so far, it seems like his way of saying that he wants to be appropriately compensated this time around.

The Oilers' current cap situation can only last for so long, but if reports are accurate and the cap rises by 4,000,000 or more next season, it might alleviate some of the team's present issues. This could mean they won't have to make tough decisions regarding players like Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin again.