Oilers’ “Offseason Must Be One of Change”, It’s Time to Have the Talk

“No matter what happens in March, whether the Oilers make the playoffs or miss, this offseason must be one of change in Edmonton,” writes Allan Mitchell of The Athletic. Following a big 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, Edmonton remains in a position where the playoffs are not a lock. They sit third in the Pacific Division, and the team looks little like the confident group from the past two seasons.

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What’s the issue? Part of it is that the top players have remained top players, without a lot of support to surround them. Mitchell writes, “During Ken Holland’s time as general manager, and continuing with [Stan] Bowman, the team has agreed to an abundance of deals with players that include some form of trade protection.” He adds, “The club got caught in that vortex last week at the trade deadline, and will again next spring unless Bowman can find a way out.”

Darnell Nurse was supposed to be among the core three. It was him, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That’s why Nurse got a $9.25 million extension over the long haul. However, Evan Bouchard has replaced Nurse in terms of importance and Nurse’s deal now looks like an anchor weighing the franchise down.

“This summer, Bowman and the Oilers would be wise to approach Nurse in hopes the defender waives his no-movement clause as the organization attempts to retool on the fly,” writes Mitchell. He’s unlikely to do so, meaning the Oilers will have to look at other changes.

What Else Can the Oilers Do If Nurse Won’t Waive?

There will be new faces in Edmonton next season, even if Nurse remains. Adam Henrique will not be signed to an extension. He’s a pending UFA. Beyond that, Mitchell explains:

“This is where money gets tight, and difficult decisions need to be made. The priority among the unrestricted free agents should be [Jason] Dickinson, [Kasperi] Kapanen, [Jack] Roslovic and [Connor] Ingram. A guess would be $15 million in cap required to sign all four, meaning the Oilers can’t sign all of them. Additionally, Edmonton would need that final defenceman to be {Atro] Leppänen or another player making the minimum.”

Could one of Tristan Jarry ($5.375 million), Jake Walman ($7 million), or Trent Frederic ($3.85 million) be moved to free up the extra cap space? Everyone has a full no-move, with the exception of Jarry, who has a 12-team no-trade protection clause in his deal.

This all brings it back to Nurse being the one to go. The question is how do the Oilers convince him to embrace the idea of a fresh start, while abandoning the team he’s spent years trying to win with and knowing he won’t be there to reap the reward if the Oilers eventually get over the hump?

Next: Hyman on Deadline Trades for Oilers: “This Is The Group Moving Forward”