This is a boring but somewhat realistic mock of what I think Edmonton will do.
- Keep Neal for one more season, buying him out at the end of the season for $1.916 over 2. This saves them 3.8m in cap in 2022-23, when Nurse's contract kicks in, at a single years cost of $1.916m
- Keep Koskinen, play him as the backup and run out his contract this year.
- Sign Larsson post expansion draft
- Sign Yamamoto to a bridge deal clearing when Neal's contract is off the books.
- Sign Khaira to the rumored multi-year deal.
- Sign a right shooting faceoff specialist - Derek Ryan, Luke Glendenning, etc.
- Sign a 2nd to 3rd pairing UFA defender - I listed Oleksiak @ 4m, but could be a player like Kulikov at a reduced price if Klefbom thinks he can return this season upcoming.
- Sign a player like Barclay Goodrow as a 3rd line LW. Needs to be good on the boards, preferably with size.
- Put an inexpensive player with McDavid on his left wing, to be swapped out during the game if needed. Holloway has good speed, 6'1"-203, and has hands. At times during the game, flip him with a player like Goodrow or Kassian, to change the mix (McDavid has great results with these types of players, e.g. Maroon.) Size and speed open the ice for McDavid, and he's consistently shown he can elevate players placed with him, so no point in spending a great deal of cap here.
Expansion draft list: McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH, Yamamoto, Puljujarvi, Kassian, Khaira, Nurse, Klefbom, Bear, (not protected if Klefbom doesn't expect to return or Larsson if signed,) and a goalie acquired by trade before the expansion draft.
Given the goalie market (~30 FA goalies,) and spaces for the expansion draft, the cost should be really low (picks and prospects.) with a fall back plan to go to FA. Given Edmonton having the open spot for goalie protection, I would exhaust trades looking for good deals before looking at FA's.'
Which goalies do you think Holland should target, and why?
Please note: Copy and paste error - Klefbom is the third protected defender, and not protected if either he doesn't believe he's returning this season or Larsson is signed. Nurse and Bear are protected.
I think Khaira could be replaced by a better 4th line option as he got steamrolled for most of last year. Also much prefer Ryan to Glendening as Ryan seems like the better overall player atm.
McGinn-Ryan-Kassian feels like much better line to me
I think Khaira could be replaced by a better 4th line option as he got steamrolled for most of last year. Also much prefer Ryan to Glendening as Ryan seems like the better overall player atm.
McGinn-Ryan-Kassian feels like much better line to me
Sorry, I don't get the "steamrolled" comment. He did start really poorly, but improved as the season went on.
From an article on oilonwhyte.com, they had "Noteworthy is the fact his +/- was bettered from -19 2 seasons ago to -1 last season. He finished tied for 4th with Kris Russell in PK TOI/game on the team with 1:58. Khaira ended up with 3-8-11 in 40 games last season. In a full 82 game season, that works out to 6 goals and 22 points."
That said, at $1.15m on the 4th line, you could bury him without really impacting the cap, so it's something of a moot point.
Sorry, I don't get the "steamrolled" comment. He did start really poorly, but improved as the season went on.
From an article on oilonwhyte.com, they had "Noteworthy is the fact his +/- was bettered from -19 2 seasons ago to -1 last season. He finished tied for 4th with Kris Russell in PK TOI/game on the team with 1:58. Khaira ended up with 3-8-11 in 40 games last season. In a full 82 game season, that works out to 6 goals and 22 points."
That said, at $1.15m on the 4th line, you could bury him without really impacting the cap, so it's something of a moot point.
Khaira was just surviving anytime he was on the ice the Oilers offered very little offensively and were just trying to not get scored on.. that type of hockey is never winning hockey. It shows in his expected goal where he was ranked in the bottom 10% of all forwards. Compare that to like Adam Erne on Detroit playing on a much worse team he was in the 40th percentile for excepted goals+/-. Oilers can't just keep players because they are good on the PK if they can't play 5v5.
Khaira was just surviving anytime he was on the ice the Oilers offered very little offensively and were just trying to not get scored on.. that type of hockey is never winning hockey. It shows in his expected goal where he was ranked in the bottom 10% of all forwards. Compare that to like Adam Erne on Detroit playing on a much worse team he was in the 40th percentile for excepted goals+/-. Oilers can't just keep players because they are good on the PK if they can't play 5v5.
Stats like expected goals for vary a great deal based on individual events when players only play limited minutes. Kharia only played 12:03 a night (23rd on the Oilers.) while playing on the PK. Given he averaged 1:58 on the PK (4th on the Oil,) he barely had 10 minutes a night 5v5 over 40 games. Single events would skew the results.
That said, he's a 4th line PK'er (and a good one) on a buryable contract.
You have 8 mill in cap space. Why not try for a better LW.
When adding, remember that players playing with McDavid have him carrying the puck for the majority of the time, including zone entries. Look at the results he had with players like Kassian and Maroon, then at his play with RNH and Hall.
I agree with what you are saying . I would try to add a finisher like Saad or Hoffman both are strictly finishers. I would also look at Blake Coleman he would add some size and play on any of the top 3 lines.