With the successful cap dump that was the Edmonton Oilers trading Kailer Yamamoto to the Detroit Red Wings, GM Ken Holland got started on the process of finding some room to make moves both internally and externally with his roster. The trade included Klim Kostin, and while that wasn’t motivated exclusively by salary cap concerns — it was believed the player was likely to sign in the KHL — there is some additional money now available to add a player and get another item on Holland’s to-do list checked off.
What Comes Next for the Oilers and Holland?
With the money saved and the now nearly $9 million in cap space to spend, reports suggest that forward Connor Brown may reunite with his former junior teammate, Connor McDavid. Brown, who missed most of the season due to a knee injury, is expected to sign a contract with performance bonuses and according to Chris Johnston, the Oilers are likely to secure a low-dollar deal with Brown, potentially including performance incentives.
It wasn’t what the Oilers wanted, but trading Kostin, a pending restricted free agent, frees up additional budget for the Oilers. This extra cap space could be allocated towards getting Brown locked into a free agency deal on July 1, something most insiders suggest is all but secure. The potential reunion of Brown and McDavid brings excitement to Edmonton, as fans anticipate the impact of their on-ice chemistry. With the Oilers aiming to strengthen their roster, securing the signature of Brown and finalizing deals for their promising young players will be crucial steps in their offseason strategy.
Holland Has Internal Contracts to Get Done
From there, it is believed the Oilers will prioritize deals for Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod, as Holland has mentioned the importance of securing bridge contracts for both players. These moves should be doable under the Oilers’ current salary cap constraints, but they certainly wouldn’t have been had the Oilers not moved the $3.1 million owed to Yamamoto.
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Meanwhile, moving Yamamoto means having the money to re-sign Bouchard, who is seen as a top defenseman If not on his way) at just 23 years old. Again, it’s not ideal that the Oilers can’t get Bouchard signed to a long-term extension now, potentially locking him in at a solid rate as the cap increases, but it seems likely that is business that will be a top priority next summer.
From there, it’s a matter of getting McLeod signed to a bridge deal while keeping prospects like Philip Broberg on the roster if possible.
Holland Created The Cap Space He Needed
Another deal to move out money might have given the Oilers what they needed to lock in Bouchard, but there’s no guarantee the defenseman isn’t prepared to bet on himself and post big numbers heading into another negotiation. For now, it appears Holland has cleared what he needs in order to get his immediate business done.
If Brown comes in at a small number plus bonuses, and McLeod is around the same without bonuses to worry about, that gives the Oilers a decent chunk of change to sign Bouchard and then add one or two more pieces at bottom-barrel prices. There are bargains to be had in free agency, so it will be intriguing to see if Holland has identified anyone and tries to convince a player to join a contending team with a legitimate chance to make a run.
Holland aims to create room to complete the 22-man roster. The team has important decisions to make in order to balance their financial resources and build a competitive lineup. With that in mind, the hard part of Holland’s job this summer isn’t over yet.