Team: 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers

Initial Creation Date: Dec. 16, 2022

Published: Dec. 18, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

As bad as Nurse has been lately, the bigger problem is line deployment and composition. Here are my solutions while Kane & Mcleod (key roster components) are out long term:

1. Shore and Malone aren't NHLers, at least not if you believe your team is a Stanley Cup contender. Send them to the AHL !

2. Find a 3rd / 4th line center to fill in for Mcleod and play with Holloway & JP. Upon Mcleod's return he can be bumped to the 4th line. (Jason Dickinson)

3. Deal Foegele once he returns, he is a redundancy. Holloway is far more offensive, Kostin is far more physical and his $2.75M salary should be used elsewhere (depth C or as part of a larger deal to make $$).

4. Reduce Nurses minutes!!! This can be accomplished by either placing more time on Kulak and Broberg, or by adding a Dman of 1st pair or 2nd pair capabilities. (Chychrun, Soucy, Gavrikov, Jensen are a few of the names thrown around). A third option would be to actually show the player some bench when he makes game costing decisions. (Chychrun ideally)

5. Deal Barrie, this may negatively effect the powerplay in the short term as Barrie is integral to its current composition and success; however, the natural successor (Bouchard) is ready to take the reigns and IF EDM is serious about contending they need to alter the complexion of the d-core (far to many non-physical / non-defensive players). I'm not looking for them to add a bruiser as I view defense more of a positional-heady spot rather a shield wall warrior. Chychrun is that guy! He is a smart, positionally sound player that would change the complexion of EDMs dcore, paired with Nurse he would cover up many of the glaring positional errors that are made. This doesn't lessen the burden placed on Nurse however it would likely improve his on ice numbers. If paired with Kulak or Bouchard on the 2nd unit a greater number of minutes could be placed on the 2nd pair due to the reliability they would bring thereby reducing the fatigue factor that Nurse is obviously dealing with. Another guy I would like is Nick Jensen however unless WSH falls out of contention which it doesn't appear like they will be I doubt he becomes available.

6. Add a veteran RHD (Braun) to play #7 minutes & run 11 & 7 until Mcleod is back in the lineup

7. IF you absolutely require a tough guy and for them to fit in with this lineup under the cap they will need to be making league minimum and have 50% retained. (Stone, Gadjovich, Ritchie, Robinson)

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