Team: 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers

Initial Creation Date: Jul. 3, 2022

Published: Jul. 3, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Getting to busy with work so won’t be able to finish the series I started before the draft. Figured I’d jump to my favourite team and do a mixture of what I think could happen ie Campbell as well as what I would do ie resign JP give Holloway chance to replace Kane. Gonna go into a lot more detail on this one too, thanks for reading love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

The Oilers are in a bit of a tight cap situation this summer that should be alleviated somewhat by placing Klefboom and Smith on LTIR. The other method I think they will or at least should use is trades rather then buyouts. This is reflected in the trades I’ve made.

Trade 1:
Julien Gauthier for Tyler Benson. Tyler Benson hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role in the Oilers lineup but has dominated the AHL. Feel like he may request a change of scenery. Rangers like Oilers are gonna need cheap contracts to fill out the bottom 6 and with Gauthier requesting a trade I decided they could both use a change of scenery. May have to kick in a pick swap but wasn’t 100% on value. Gauthier is a 6’4 forward who put up 7 points in 49 games this year with the rangers and 8 points in 30 games last year. Benson is also 24 and had just 2 points in 29 games this year in Edmonton. He recorded 12 points in 18 games with Bakersfield this year and put up a point per game last year with them.

Trade 2:
Barrie to Dallas for Hanley and a third.
This trade sees the Oilers clear up 4.5 million dollars in cap space to help them sign Campbell. I was also wondering stars fans would think about a Barrie for Hankanpa swap and what might need to be added. Stars get someone to replace Klingberg (I have him leaving) for cheaper who can do a lot of the same things. Barrie gets to much hate in Edmonton as far as I’m concerned. No he’s not great defensively that’s why you play him with a defensive dman. But he has been very good for the Oilers helping on the pp and makes a good first pass out of the zone. Plays his role well, he has the tools to do more though and that’s why I think people get so frustrated with him. But he’s a great offensive dman who can be counted on for 40+ points a season. I haven’t watched much of Hanley but from what I know he started to become a regular these last couple years and is a solid third pairing dman? But a state fan could probably shed more light on him.

Trade 3:
This could be any team. I went with Ottawa cause there were rumours they were interested. Oilers move down in the draft and the other team moves up, but the Oilers gain cap space. 3.2 is to much to pay to a 4th liner even if they’re a good one on a playoff team. Oilers get the cap relief. Other team gets a higher pick

Free agents:
Not a ton of moves to be made mostly resigning and a couple outside free agents. Campbell is the big addition, after missing out on Wallstedt the Oilers shouldn’t be picking a goalie early on here, time to go get an actual starter that we haven’t had since Talbot. Kulak returns and will fill the second pairing LHD role next season. Kane walks and Holloway replaces him. Bouchards contract next season comes from the Keith money that will be left. Forward might see a different 4th liner then the ones I resigned but tried to not rock the boat to much like I’ve been preaching since the start of summer. Gave McLeod slightly more then EH projects. Yam got less but also made it a bridge deal. JP gets a one year deal more on him later but the only reason Oilers should trade him is they have someone to replace him.

Prospects/AHL:
1. Bourgault
2. Lavoie
3. Savoie
4. Samorunkov
5. Niemelainen
6. Rodrigue
7. Tulio
8. Petrov
9. Munzenberger
10. Philp

AHL notables/callups
Rodrigue
Fanti

Niemelainen
Samorunkov
Berglund
Koekook

Griffith
Sceviour
Tulio
Savoie
Petrov
Lavoie
Perlini

Oilers roster

Goalies:
Smith goes on LTIR and Mikko to Switzerland. Skinner impressed Oil country last year boasting a .913 SV% and a 2.62 GAA in 13 games with the big club with a .920 SV% and 2.21 GAA with the condors. While I don’t think he ever becomes a starter with a cheap contract he should be a solid backup. Campbell just finished the year with a .914 SV% and 2.64 GAA in 49 games which is down from last years stats but looked better earlier on in the season then played well late and come playoffs. While he doesn’t have the amount of games you might expect for a 30 year old goalie coming from the pressure packed market of Toronto he’s shown he can handle the pressure. Overall I think this tandem is a small upgrade over last years. Could go very wrong but could also be much better.

Defence:
Nurse anchors the blueline with an anchor of a contract but is still a number one blueliner who will continue to log heavy minutes. He and Ceci found chemistry, keep that intact. Look for Bouchard to take a step forward as he should have total control of the 1pp unit. Look for him and and keith to improve with familiarity and as Bouchard builds experience. Keith and Kulak may switch places too as I have Kulak on the 2nd pairing next season and Brobergs skating and passing come in to replace Barrie. Hanley can rotate in. This defence is almost the way last years ended. Just minus Barrie and healthy.

Forwards:
I’m gonna talk about JP first. If someone wants to offer sheet JP fine, either it will be to much and we take the compensation or we trade him. If they don’t then we can sign him. I gave him a one year deal to bounce back. I’d rather pay Kane the extra mill then give up assets for Anderson. Likewise if I’m trading Jp for Connor brown I can sign JP for less. So basically the only reason to trade him is either saving money and getting a player of equal or slightly less value in return with a pick since Jp will have more potential in all likelihood. He started the season well and after covid and injury he struggled coming back. Like him or not the potential is there. The analytics are there, and he plays a solid 200 foot game. He was a little snake bitten later on but I think coming in this year healthy he should shake that. My only complaint about him is I’d like to see him be more physical but he looked more comfortable this year then in past years so I hope the next couple years he starts to use his size.

I gave all the RFAs bridge deals, keep them team controlled and cheaper. That first line I really like. Hyman replaces Kane there and that line should keep rolling like they did late season and into playoffs. The second line, Holloway gets his shot on the second line and don’t want to split up Drai and Yam. Third line, Foegle should have a better season his second year in Edmonton and maybe wins a top 6 role like he wanted when he left Carolina. Nuge makes players around him better and adding Gauthier to the other side gives size to try and target a poor man’s version of the top line. I wanted to bring in a different fourth liner/healthy scratch but wasn’t sure who. Malone gets the left wing and McLeod and Ryan have shown chemistry, not the most physical fourth line but they’ll work hard and play responsible hockey.

Overall:
Don’t rock the boat like I’ve been preaching. Holloway replaces Kane and try to run it back. May try and add at tdl if teams heavily retain but otherwise the team probably stays the same. Team should be a top 8 team and should be a WCF team again and hopefully can get past there. Thanks for reading leave thoughts and comments below!

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