Fans Cold on Idea of Oilers Taking a Cap Gamble on a $5M Veteran Winger

The Edmonton Oilers still have real cap space to spend, and the name generating the most buzz to fill it isn’t exactly inspiring confidence. Vladimir Tarasenko has emerged as a legitimate free-agent option for Edmonton’s top six — and not everyone is sold that chasing him would be the best idea.

There are definitely some who are in the pro-Tarasenko camp. On paper, he’s a decent fit — 23 goals, elite shooter, motivated to prove he’s still capable of playing with top talent. The problem is that adding him removes the cap flexibility created by other moves this summer, and there’s no guarantee that a winger who can’t seem to stick with an NHL team will be a good fit in Edmonton.

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The connection started gaining traction after several analysts and scribes started linking him when the first wave of free agents got signed and he wasn’t among them. Tarasenko became a possible fit because of his scoring touch and playoff pedigree. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman later mentioned the veteran winger as an option when it was learned that GM Stan Bowman kicked tires on Claude Giroux, but nothing came of it.

Would Tarasenko Be a Good Fit for the Oilers?

At 34, Tarasenko is coming off a respectable 47-point season with the Minnesota Wild. He struggled the last two seasons, but he’s scored 30-plus goals multiple times in his NHL career. Of course, this is the kind of resume Oilers fans have seen before. Andrew Mangiapane was signed last season with the hope he could find the same game he had in Calgary. Jeff Skinner was signed a couple years prior, the sell being that he’d scored 30 in the league before.

Neither worked out. As such, it makes sense that fans would be hesitant.

Critics have questioned whether Tarasenko’s declining footspeed can keep pace with the high-tempo attack Edmonton runs through Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, especially with the games getting faster and more physical come playoff time. The second is price: Tarasenko is coming off a $4.75 million cap hit, and reporting suggests Edmonton would realistically need him to accept something closer to $2 million to make the fit work financially — a significant pay cut that some doubt he’d actually accept given his track record. He may ultimately wind up doing so, but if he was willing now, one would think he’d have signed a deal already.

The reality is, he’s a hit-or-miss signing, probably not something in between. Some believe Tarasenko’s finishing ability and championship experience make him worth the gamble at the right price. He has the potential to knock a team-friendly deal out of the park. Others believe that his production could fall of a cliff and he won’t fit under Mike Babcock’s new system. The Oilers might be better off taking a swing on Ike Howard or another prospect forward and finding out how much they can give at the NHL level.

What’s the Risk for Edmonton?

Opportunity cost is the real risk if Edmonton fills its remaining cap space on a bargain-bin name this summer. They’ll either block a young guy from a possible path this season, or they’ll have eliminated their flexibility for a bigger swing closer to the trade deadline.

Nothing is imminent. Insiders have been careful to note this is a name to monitor, not a signing that’s close to happening.

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