It is no secret general manager Peter Chiarelli will be looking to give the Edmonton Oilers roster yet another facelift during the upcoming offseason. While a change on the back end is a forgone conclusion, the former Boston Bruins GM might have his hands tied when it comes to his forward ranks. Surprised? Well, you really should not be because if you take a look at the contract situation facing this organization for the coming year, making wholesale changes could prove to be rather difficult.
It may not seem like much but for fans of the Edmonton Oilers, a 30-win season is nothing to sneeze at. For a club who has failed to qualify for the post-season over the past decade, celebrating even the smallest of victories can sometimes be a necessity. In fact, outside of their run the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, this franchise has played a grand total of six playoff games over the last fourteen years. One would think a little positivity could be a nice change of pace for this group.
After battling through a pair of serious shoulder injuries during his first two seasons in the NHL, Edmonton Oilers centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had enjoyed back-to-back campaigns in which he managed to remain relatively healthy. While he did struggle with his game during stretches of his third year in the league, following what was essentially off-season shoulder surgery in late April 2013, the former Red Deer Rebels standout had dressed for 156 of 164 games during 2013-14 and 2014-15. With a talent like Connor McDavid in the mix, a healthy and productive RNH appeared to be exactly what the doctor ordered for this organization.
When the Edmonton Oilers 2015-16 campaign officially comes to an end in Vancouver on April 9th, defenceman Oscar Klefbom will have missed the final 52 games of the season. Considering he left the Oilers December 11th contest against the New York Rangers with a fractured finger, no one could have ever imagined the kid would end up being out of action for what will turn out to be a four-month stretch.
