Oilers looking to pay a premium to offload massive contract at deadline

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Ryan Hall
March 3, 2024 (2:42 PM)

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With five days remaining in the NHL trade deadline, general manager Ken Holland and the Oilers are doing all they can to seek out help on their forward lines and defence.

Last night, during the second intermission of Hockey Night in Canada Elliotte Friedman on his "Saturday Headlines" segment revealed some of the Oilers plans and how they are trying to move a contract that is plaguing their cap space.

Speculation could be several players it's likely the contract the Oilers are tried to move is of beleaguered goaltender Jack Campbell. Campbell's cap hit as a buried penalty to the Oilers and it's worth $3.85 million per season for the next three seasons. It seems the Oilers are quite content using the Skinner - Pickard tandem for the remainder of the season and the playoffs.

Campbell has played 24 games with the Bakersfield Condors while owning a record of 12-11-0 with 2.96 goals against and a .909 save percentage. Those numbers are certainly not flattering and do not give Holland confidence to return him to the big club as a relief for Skinner.

Many have felt the Oilers need better bottom 6 forwards and defence to shore up the team as it prepares for another Stanley Cup run, and moving a contract like Campbell's would certainly help their situation.

Holland will certainly have to be creative as he has a deadline capital of 2.37 million to work with.