Initial Creation Date: May 21, 2022

Published: May 21, 2022

Team: 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers

Hey everyone! I know it’s in the middle of the Oilers playoff run and things are going well with this roster so far but I think they have the potential for an interesting off-season and I wanted to throw out some different ideas than your typical ones with some usual stuff mixed in too. Remember, this is for fun and NOT a prediction by any means! Let me break down these trades and signings. This is for fun, don’t get all insane in those comments.

Most of the signings come from the Evolving Hockey contract projections. Those are usually pretty good at being in the ballpark of the offers that the players end up getting.

Nuge trade:
Nugent-Hopkins is a good player and a fan favorite. However, his money can best be allocated into two roster spots. Here comes the veteran, right-handed face off winning and playoff experiences Jeff Carter. He was fantastic with the Penguins last season and the first half of this season. He wore down a bit and had inconsistent line mates. I’d argue he fits what Edmonton needs in their bottom six. Veteran, two-way guys who can put the puck in the net. Danton Heinen had a resurgence year with Pittsburgh and found some chemistry at times with Carter and Malkin. He’s versatile in his ability to play either wing and he can move up and down a lineup with ease. Solid skater and a knack for going on goal scoring streaks. Two picks help even out the value. Conditions could be placed to make the picks go either way.

Tyson Barrie trade:
Buffalo has a lot of left handed defenseman and The Athletic’s John Vogl discussed the possibility of the Sabres using draft capital to acquire some help on the right side of their D. They need partners for Dahlin and Power. Barrie isn’t a perfect fit but he’s a flip panel asset if anything. Think of Nick Leddy going to Detroit last year. Young team gets a veteran D who they can flip after getting any potential benefit. Edmonton recoups cap space and a current draft asset.

Arizona cap dump with Puljujarvi:
The Coyotes will look to continue picking up assets with taking on salary. The Oilers are a good match for this. The catch in this scenario is instead of picking up a pick, the Coyotes get Jesse Puljujarvi. He’s a young right winger who’s seen some inconsistency in Edmonton. A change of scenery could be necessary as the Oilers look to invest their cap space in other places than with the pending RFA. Kassian is the only multi-year contract in this deal for Arizona besides Jesse. Ryan and Smith don’t have to be moved and they are expiring contracts. That’s what allows the Coyotes to surrender a current draft asset in this deal. It seems contradictory to their strategies as they wouldn’t usually give up a pick however this is a gamble on Puljujarvi realizing his potential. I think it’s worth it for Arizona and Edmonton especially if the latter used the cap space well.

Signings:
Vile Husso- Younger goaltender who stands as a long-term upgrade over Mike Smith. The latter has his good moments but he’s not the future and he’s inconsistent at times. Husso gained playoff experience already this year and would look to build off of that.

Ilya Mikheyev - Middle six winger who can play the penalty kill and put up roughly half a point per game this season. He adds depth scoring to this team and has lineup versatility.

Mark Pysyk - The veteran right handed defenseman put up solid analytics in a third pair role in Buffalo. I’d imagine he’d do even better with a better team in front of him. Cost-effective deal depending on the market.

Nick Bjugstad - Depth forward with size and versatility. He may not be physical but he has size and can play center or wing. He’s had solid scoring seasons in the past and you’d hope for his two way game to show up on a consistent basis. Low risk signing.

Sami Niku - Low risk, high reward left handed defenseman. He’s young and a strong skater with a feel for the puck. He’s someone that if given the chance, could breakout on the right team. Travis Dermott-esque. If it doesn’t work, oh well.

Overall, I think this lineup has more depth scoring and is stronger in net. The D is questionable still but if you believe Bouchard will continue to grow and Broberg can hold his own, then it should be perfectly fine. Keith’s contract would be off the book in a year, allowing for upgrades after that.

I know this will be unpopular due to trading Nuge and Puljujarvi. The latter is not a common name in trade talks for good reason but I don’t think it should be scoffed at. You should consider your options with any non-McDavid and Draisaitl player. I think Puljujarvi shows up in trade talks due to his contract status so I ran with that in this scenario. Good luck to the Oilers the rest of the way and we’ll see how everything plays out. Thanks for reading everyone!

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