Équipe: 2022-23 Oilers d'Edmonton

Date de création initiale: 22 janv. 2022

Publié: 10 févr. 2022

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

I think that the best way for Edmonton to solve their goalie problem long-term is to sign unrestricted free agent Jack Campbell. That wouldn't require as much cap jostling as many people might think.

The Kassian trade can occur anytime between now and the 2022 draft. I think that he won't be as difficult to move as many have suggested because he's still a reasonable bottom-six player and contending teams like Nashville and Columbus are undersubscribed in forwards both this year and for the 2022-2023 season, with only a few viable promotable prospects. (Nashville has 8 forwards under contract plus 2 RFAs and over $25 million in projected cap space; Columbus has 9 and 2, respectively, with over $29 million in projected cap space.) But I could be optimistic.

The Barrie trade is made in the off-season before or at the draft and is, of course, primarily motivated by the need to clear cap space for Campbell. Edmonton gets another second-round pick in this year's draft; Arizona gets a move up into the third round from the fourth in 2023. (Note: Arizona has only Dysin Mayo and Timmins, plus Victor Soderstrom, under contract at RD for next season.) The assumption is that the Islanders pick is the latest of Arizona's five (5!) 2022 second-rounders but still in the top half of the draw.

RW is so obviously weak that maybe Zach Hyman should be put over there.

From this construction, it seems to me that if Jack Campbell can't be signed for less than $7 million, he's beyond Edmonton's reach. I think that Colorado and his hometown team will be serious suitors for him.

I'm assuming that Mike Smith retires after his injury problems this season.

There remains the problem of the right side of the defense once Barrie is gone. Originally in this construction, I had Edmonton trading with Boston for Connor Clifton (who has a $1 million cap hit and would replace Koekkuk or Niemelainin on the roster) for a prospect and a pick. Given the shallowness of the Edmonton prospect pool, the Oilers might prefer to sign a free-agent RD to fill the bottom pair rather than spend assets on Clifton.

Of course, the retirement of Duncan Keith would change the picture drastically, opening up a wealth of possibilities -- the most obvious of which would be to re-sign Evander Kane, which would also be the alternative plan if Campbell goes somewhere else.

1.

2.