It's definitely not too late to salvage this offseason. I hope protecting Kassian means there's a market for him. Getting that contract off the books would open up some possibilities

That may be true, but the point I am trying to make is those kinds of moves may not be necessary in order to improve the roster.

On paper, the lineup I have put together should be an improvement over the 2020/21 Oilers. My version has a proven goal scorer who plays a style that should match-up well with McDavid and Puljujarvi, it includes a legitimate 3C capable of providing respectable depth scoring, adds some youthful energy and improved scoring potential to the bottom six forwards, includes a slight downgrade but still reasonable replacement for Adam Larsson, a youngish starting goaltender with potential to carry the team when required, and black aces that are comparable to last season's taxi squad. Last year the team finished 11th in the league, I think the roster I put together is faster, bigger, and more skilled. It could put the Oilers solidly into the top ten and should get past the first round of the playoffs.

Koskinen is the only buyout, and only because I am not confident that he can be traded. Edmonton would save $3,000,000 in 2021/22, and that contributes a lot of cap space required for the top-six forward. In 2022/23, the dead cap space associated with that buyout is only $1,500,000, which is less than the space cleared as Turris's contract expires. Burying Neal's contract in Bakersfield during the 2021/22 season serves a number of purposes. It clears a bit of cap space for the season and opens up an opportunity for Benson and Holloway. It also allows the Oilers to put off a buyout until after the 2021/22 season, effectively halving the impact. In any case, at the end of the 2021/22 season Edmonton would have at least $22M to put toward new contracts for Darnell Nurse, Ethan Bear, Jesse Puljujarvi, Ryan McLeod, and gaps in the roster. By then, Holloway may be ready to move up to the top 6 forward group, Skinner or Konovalov might be ready to back up Ullmark, Lavoie may be NHL ready (forcing a decision on Kassian or Archibald), and both Borberg and Samorukov should be ready for the NHL.

Of course, my model is built on the premise that Oscar Klefbom's career is over. If it turns out that he can return, I suspect the Oilers might try to trade him before he comes off LTIR.

Its not the fast track to Stanley Cup contention, but it does suggest steady improvement.