Team: 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers

Initial Creation Date: Jun. 7, 2022

Published: Jun. 7, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Okay here is take number three for next season. It's clear that the Defense and the Goaltending needs to change for the Oilers, and this is my best best at the changes.

First off is the resign phase, where I have Kane signing a deal equal to Hyman in order to stay with the team. I feel like Kane isnt the type of guy that will go play for Arizona for 8 mil; he wants to be in a place that is the best fit for him. Playing with McDavid is that magic fit.
Kulak was probably our best defenseman in these playoffs and I sure hope he is resigned to a team friendly contract. He needs a raise, but hopefully its just a small one. The rest of the money is split between Puljujarvi and Yamamoto, likely in the 2 mil bridge deal range. McLeod will make slightly less at around 1.5 mil.

Free Agency will have us pick up Andrei Kuzmenko for the middle 6 LW sniper spot. Either he a) plays with Draisaitl and lights it up, which would leave the 3rd line as a shutdown line, or he plays on the 3rd line with RNH as his center. Either seems like a good deal for him and for the Oilers. Ville Husso is brought in to be the starter with Mike Smith retiring (or going to play in Arizona for 1 last farewell tour), which would likely be an upgrade.

Finally for the trades, I have Kassian going to Dallas for Hakanpaa to give us a better defensive d-man, while Dallas gets a player that will help them get tougher after getting pushed around by Calgary.

Then we trade Barrie to Pittsburgh for whatever prospect is fair value. I don't know their prospect pool well enough, but I know Hallander has been moved twice already so i went with him. I think that this trade goes through as a result of Penguins choosing to resign Malkin instead of Letang. Barrie can fill the Letang hole on a budget while also allowing them to go after Fleury / retool in other areas.

Overall: Our forward core is kept the same for the most part, outside of 2 new additions of Holloway and Kuzmenko. This also moves the McLeod line to the 4th line, which can only be seen as a positive. Defensively its probably an improvement. Hard to do much with the defense until Keith retires. And Goaltending is either a wash or an upgrade, but i think getting Skinner action can only be a good thing for the future.

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