Oilers in a Real Trade Deadline Pickle with Contracts Fiasco

The Edmonton Oilers did not do new general manager Stan Bowman any favors when they hired him after making all of their summer free-agency moves. Considered one of the early winners on July 1, it’s starting to look like some of the swings the Oilers took were for strikes, and Bowman is now dealing with what feels like more than a trade deadline pickle, but a nearly unfixable salary cap situation.

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The issue isn’t just that some additions haven’t worked out as hoped—though that plays a role. The bigger problem is that the Oilers can’t easily correct their mistakes at the deadline. No-move clauses were quietly given out on contracts Bowman might have shopped, limiting his options. While the team was aware, the public was not. Now, with Evander Kane reportedly wanting to play in the regular season, Bowman can’t even use LTIR as a workaround, further complicating their ability to make moves.

Oilers Are Stuck Thanks To Their Contract Clauses

A quick look at the updated contract situation on PuckPedia shows that practically every forward on the Oilers’ roster has a clause that complicates the Oilers’ trade deadline situation. The nine highest-paid forwards on the roster all either have full no-move clauses or modified no-trade provisions that give them leverage over their situation. Kane’s contract is the most moveable with a 16-team clause, but he’s also coming off two surgeries, and he’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Beyond those nine forwards, the Oilers could move Corey Perry, Kasperi Kapanen, Vasily Podkolzin, or Connor Brown. There’s no reason to move Perry based on his play this season. Sending out Brown makes little sense, given his penalty-killing acumen. The question becomes, who wants Kapanen or Podkolzin and what can the Oilers realistically do with $2 million in cap space if they were to move both in cap dump trades?

Asking the others to waive their no-trades or no-movement clauses is an option, but it’s fair to ask why anyone would do so. Someone like Jeff Skinner has been waiting over a decade to play a postseason game. Henrique took a discount to come back for another chance to win.

Oilers Players Are Expecting Changes

Making matters potentially more complicated, there are some Oilers expecting change. Connor McDavid told the media, ”…management in years past have always done a good job of pitching in and giving us another horse in the stable to help us coming down the stretch and into the playoffs so I’d expect management to do the same.” What happens if the Oilers can’t make a move?

If the best players on the team are expecting reinforcements and none come, that’s not an ideal situation. Not only does it create tension as the playoffs approach, but the feeling that this team might not be good enough, and the players know it requires those who have been unproductive to find another gear.

Going into the deadline, the media have been beating up on the players who are now guaranteed to be sticking around. Mark Spector recently wrote, “Age and injuries have left a player whose body can’t deliver on what his brain asks. Best case scenario, it’s an off season for Arvidsson. Reality is, this is likely as good as it gets.” Is that a fair criticism? Maybe not. Does it create a pickle for the Oilers if it’s true? Yep.

The Oilers need to cross their fingers Kane’s return either matches their timeline or he wants to play ball.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Leafs, Sabres, Canucks, Flames, Oilers