Expansion?

Jones gone. I was just too lazy to do it properly. Made this to show someone the Oilers aren't in the cap hell everyone thinks they are. Still have 6mil for a LW trade.

Yes things are easing up but with this lineup Oil still need money to resign Nurse, Bear, and Jesse in 2022, which will be at least $4M more. The only cap relief is a Neal Buyout.

A Neal buyout isn't exactly "cap relief". Oilers would have $4.2mill in cap penalties till 2023, and an extra $1.91mill in penalties till 2025 with a Neal buyout added to our current buyout and retention penalties. Only 1 playoff team this year has more than our hypothetical $4.2mill in penalties, Montreal with $4.3mill in penalties, which becomes only $1.9mill next year. I think it's absolutely ridiculous to add another $2mill to our current penalties with a Neal buyout. Teams don't succeed with $4.2mill in penalties. We'll continue to have an awful bottom 6, and get nowhere. I would much rather hold onto Neal and unload him in a TDL move in his 2nd last, or final year to make the money work, it would cost extra picks but is entirely worth it. We're supposed to be winning cups with McDavid and Drai, not get anchored down by more cap penalties

And koskinen. So kosk gone is 4.5. Figure either Skinner gets a shot at near league min or we find a backup for 1mil. Russel is gone after next season as they'll want Broberg in that third pairing at league min freeing up another 600k or so.

Neal buyout in 2022 is 2mil against for 2 seasons. Freeing up another 3.7. So 8.3mil or so for raises. 2023 sekera and looch are completely off the books for another 2.2 mil.

Hardest part is finding a LW to make an impact the next two years until Holloway steps in.

Larssons not getting a 5 yr deal from the oilers or any team in the league

He's 28. 3-3.5 for 5 isn't bad at all, even if he ends up on the third pairing after 3. He's playing great hockey right now, which is fortunate/unfortunate for us. It brings him to 33 which isn't even old for a d-man. If he'd do 3 for 3 that'd be great, but I'm almost positive he'll get offers this offseason.

He is playing better this yr back to being a physical force and playing with a edge which is something we need on the right side but he’s battled back problems and when his back is bothering him he can’t play that style, don’t see him staying healthy enough, I’d be fine on a 2 yr deal max 3 but that a risk. Flat cap has changed everything, every cent is important can’t afford a bad contract, we already have Neal and Kassian