The Edmonton Oilers And The Use Of Cap Sapce

So here we are. Roughly two weeks since the Edmonton Oilers bought out defenceman Andrej Sekera and the roster is no better. In fact, the argument could be made it has gone in the opposite direction. Though there is still plenty of time for general manager Ken Holland to do something prior to the start of the 2019-20 NHL season, one can’t help but wonder why the decision was made to create cap space and not use it. 

Missing Andrej

After taking over the reins as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Chiarelli targeted two players to help address what was an apparent need for the club. In acquiring Cam Talbot via trade and signing Andrej Sekera to a free agent deal, the Ottawa native brought two important pieces to what has become the core of this lineup and the Slovak rearguard remains the key figure on this team’s backend. 

The Arrival Of Darnell Nurse

To have expected Darnell Nurse to come out of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and immediately turn into a bonafide top-four defenceman for the Edmonton Oilers was never a realistic ask. After all, up until last season, this was an organization that had been void of impactful veteran blueliners for so long that there was zero chance of a kid coming in and knocking it out of the park on the backend.

Oscar Will Be Just Fine

Heading into the 2017-18 season, the Edmonton Oilers had more than a few obstacles to overcome, most notably the extended absence of defenceman Andrej Sekera due to off-season knee surgery. However, what has been a rather unpleasant surprise is the addition of fellow blueliner Oscar Klefbom to said list with what can only be described as an awful start to his campaign.

It's Matt Benning Time

When the Edmonton Oilers announced the signing of Matt Benning to a two-year deal in August of 2016, many felt the club had lucked out and stumbled upon a player with the potential of eventually developing into a second pairing NHL defenceman. Isn’t it funny how expectations can change over the course of a calendar year?

Staying Away From UFA Market

When the Edmonton Oilers decided to bring on Peter Chiarelli as the club’s general manager following what was a disappointing but rather productive 2014-15 campaign, aka “The McDavid Lottery”, everyone knew the former Boston Bruins front man would be looking to add veteran reinforcements via unrestricted free agency. The Ontario native did exactly that during his first two off-seasons in charge of the organization but expecting that trend to continue over the coming weeks would be a mistake. 

Kris Russell Noise

No matter what side of the Kris Russell discussion one is on, there is no debating as to whether or not he is a viable NHL defenceman. Despite the shortcomings in his game, the 30-year old showed once again he could help a team as a depth piece during the 2016-17 campaign. However, this notion that the Edmonton Oilers are in some kind of dire need of re-signing the Red Deer native is not only confusing but flat-out untrue.

Oscar, Oscar, Oscar

Barring another injury-riddled campaign, the 2016-17 season was always going to be a campaign in which the Edmonton Oilers made substantial gains in the overall standings. The question was whether or not the improvement would be great enough to allow them to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Considering the club finished the year as a top ten team, the answer to the question was a resounding a yes.

Interesting Times In Oil Country

The Edmonton Oilers will be in an interesting position heading into the 2017-18 NHL season. After exceeding expectations during the 2016-17 campaign and pushing the Anaheim Ducks to a seventh game in their second playoff series, simply qualifying for the post-season will no longer be good enough. With that being the case, Peter Chiarelli will need to ensure he doesn’t allow the moment to cloud his better judgment.

Oilers Continue To Hit All The Right Notes

Hate to be the guy who said I told you so but I told you so. It may not have been pretty but thanks to a quick start, another huge goal from the power play and a stellar performance from netminder Cam Talbot, the Edmonton Oilers are heading home with a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Anaheim Ducks and have yet to play a complete 60 minutes. Isn’t playoff hockey great? 

Oilers Turning Heads

These are interesting times for the Edmonton Oilers. In a year which absolutely no one picked them to be anything more than a potential playoff team in the Western Conference, this group continues to turn heads.

Oilers In Uncharted Territory

No matter how things play out in their New Year’s Eve tilt with the Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers will close out 2016 as a playoff team in the Western Conference. For a franchise that has not come close to claiming a post-season berth since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006, this can only be viewed as a step in the right direction and one that was long overdue. So much so that, if the Oilers were to miss out on qualifying for the playoffs by season’s end, it would be viewed by most as a surprise. 

The Importance of Andrej Sekera

Back in the summer of 2015, the Edmonton Oilers turned more than a few heads by jumping with both feet into the unrestricted free agent market and landing one of its biggest prizes in defenceman Andrej Sekera. After agreeing to a six-year/$33 million pact, a large chunk of this fan base was under the impression Peter Chiarelli had finally secured the No. 1 rearguard this club so desperately needed. Unfortunately, in the real world, that was never the expectation and nor should it have been.

Low Risk With Potential High Reward

While his name had already worked its way through the rumour mill over the past few weeks, it appeared as though the Edmonton Oilers decided inking unrestricted free agent defenseman Kris Russell to a deal for the upcoming 2016-17 campaign was a road they did not want to go down. However, with the start of the season just around the corner and the club not satisfied with the current state of their backend, the two sides decided to circle back and take another kick at the proverbial can. 

What To Do With Oscar?

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. 

The Reconstruction Continues

It has been roughly nine months since the Edmonton Oilers decided to hand the title of general manager to Peter Chiarelli. While the expectation was for the 51-year old to come in and help clean up an organization that had been spinning its wheels for the better part of a decade, everyone knew there wasn’t going to be a quick fix. In inheriting the roster he did, this was always going to be about the 2016-17 season and beyond and not the here and now. 

The Return of Justin Schultz

While it may be hard for a fraction of the fan base to accept, the Edmonton Oilers have actually missed not having Justin Schultz in their lineup. By the sounds of it the 25-year old is on the verge of making his return to action and if healthy, he will be a welcomed addition to this team’s backend. For the first time in ages, it looks as though the Oilers could potentially have three pairings in which there is no real black hole on their blue line. 

Two Words...Travis Hamonic

While the Edmonton Oilers did find a way to drop another one-goal decision on Wednesday evening at Rexall Place, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks, Oilers Nation was abuzz thanks to some surprising news surrounding the availability of New York Islanders defenceman Travis Hamonic.

The Arrival of Mr. Darnell Nurse

While we may just be seven games into Darnell Nurse’s rookie season with the Edmonton Oilers, the talented blueliner has already managed to become of a fan favourite during his brief time in the NHL. Be it his ability to move the puck up ice, a willingness to engage in the physical side of the game, the exuberance he brings to the rink on a nightly basis or a combination of all three, whatever it is…it is clearly working. 

Survival Mode

Despite posting a rather unflattering 5-10 record through the first fifteen games of their 2015-16 schedule, the Edmonton Oilers have not been playing poorly. Unfortunately for them, it has not led to much success in the overall standings and with their current predicament being what it is, this collection of players could be in for a rough ride over the coming weeks.