Oilers Make 2 Key Roster Moves Ahead of Hyman’s Return

The Edmonton Oilers made a pair of roster moves on Friday, and all signs point to one thing: Zach Hyman is coming back. As the team prepares for Saturday’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton announced that they have placed defenseman Troy Stecher on waivers and assigned rookie forward Isaac Howard to AHL Bakersfield.

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The moves weren’t surprising — but they were necessary.

Stecher, 31, hit the wire after appearing in six games and averaging 13:37 per night. Howard, the 21-year-old rookie who has shown flashes at the NHL level, was sent down after posting two goals and an assist through 17 games. Because he’s waiver exempt and stuck in a fourth-line role, Howard was the easiest — and smartest — piece to move.

The real story here is what comes next.

Hyman’s Return Triggers the Dominoes

Zach Hyman is inching closer to returning from LTIR, and head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed he’s likely to suit up Saturday. But activating Hyman means making the puzzle pieces fit. The Oilers needed to shed roughly $2.2 million in space once Hyman and Mattias Janmark are fully activated.

Puck Pedia writes, “With #LetsGoOilers sending down Howard, it clears $1.62M of cap space in LTIR: his $950K cap hit + his $667K avg annual perf bonuses which were reducing team cap space since he was not on roster when they entered LTIR. They now have $3.2M cap space in LTI & will lose $3.8M space when Hyman is activated. Therefore, when Stecher is either claimed on waivers or clears and sent down, they’ll have $212K space remaining.”

Stecher was an unfortunate casualty, sitting eighth on the depth chart and struggling badly at five-on-five. With Ty Emberson pushing past him and Alec Regula healthy again, the writing was on the wall.

Howard’s demotion clears some money off the books, while letting him play top-line minutes in Bakersfield — something he wasn’t getting in Edmonton. The problem comes if the Oilers want to call Howard back up.

Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic notes that Curtis Lazar, David Tomasek, Noah Philp, and even Emberson could become cap casualties depending on how the Oilers maneuver the numbers.

One thing is certain: the Oilers should be fine for a little while, but Friday’s moves might be the start of other transactions.

Next: There’s a Pickard Problem the Oilers Can’t Ignore Anymore