I don't see Edmonton as a team particularly well positioned for a busy, big spending UFA season, but I suppose it depends which players are movable for a quality return, a decent return, or prove movable at all.
There isn't a ton of money available until players are traded, claimed through waivers, or stashed in the minors.
As currently constructed, the Oilers roster looks something like:
Penner(4.25)-Horcoff(5.5)-Hemsky(4.1) = 13.85
O'Sullivan(2.93)-Gagner(1.63)-Cogliano(1.13) = 5.69
Moreau(2.0)-Pouliot(0.83)-Pisani(2.5) = 5.33
Nilsson(2.0)-Stortini(0.7)-Jacques(0.53) = 3.77
MacIntyre(0.54)
Visnovsky(5.6)-Souray(5.4) = 11
Gilbert(4.0)-Grebeshkov(3.3*) = 7.3
Smid(1.3*)-Staios(2.7) = 4.6
Peckham(0.6)
Roloson^(3.0) = 3.63
Deslauriers(0.63)
For a total cap hit of ~ 55.2 mil, which leaves EDM roughly 1.6 mil in cap room.
My guess would be that EDM uses that cap space plus Jacques or MacIntyre's salary (after waiving one of them) to find a 3rd line C at ~ 2mil cap hit, taking them right to the cap. Beyond that, how can one guess?
If they are to make more moves, it will have to involve trades, waivers, or demotion of one way contracts to the minors which will be difficult/impossible for me to guess given my lack of information regarding the options available to Tambellini. Is there a market for Penner, Moreau, Nilsson, and/or Staios? What other trade options are available? How many, if any, dollars will ownership allow to be buried in the minors?
That said, there are a number of players I think might be nice additions/replacements for many teams, depending on their cost (EDM being one of them if they have room to manoeuvre via trade etc), including but probably not limited to:
Gaborik, Tanguay, Havlat, Montador, Seidenberg, Connolly, Tjarnqvist, Hossa, Kotalik, Dvorak, Leopold, Bergeron, Bonk, Sullivan, Nichol, Fiddler, Betts, Mara, Morris, Knuble, Scuderi, and Moen.
I tried not to list 3rd line C candidates since I think EDM will probably get one of them anyways, the above are players I'd be interested in the Oilers signing as value buys, if they can move the player being replaced from the current roster.
* - estimates
^ - assuming the rumors EDM has made Roloson a one year offer around 3 mil are true. I would imagine he'd take that, but perhaps he'll look at the market first.
4 comments:
I posted this on LT's comments section but what if we follow the K.i.s.s. method of simplicity. I.E no trades and lackluster signings
Penner Horc Hemmer
POS Gags Knuble (2.5)
Moreau Maholtra (2) Pisani
Jaques Cogs Storts
Smac Poo
Souray Vis
Gilbert Grebs
Smid Staios
Strudz (0.6)
Rollie (3)
JDD
Dump or waive Nillson.
Does this lineup make the playoffs?
Also, does the silence about Smid resigning, combined with his alleged trade request and his trade value to due a potentially friendly cap contract make you wonder about his future???
I have a feeling we are talking about the wrong d-man leaving town and something smaller could be done.
Thoughts?
Jon:
Cogliano on the 4th line is madness. And not happening.
Speeds:
I missed the memo when you moved over here... but happy to have found this corner of the Al Gore.
Forget it speedo, Oilers are definitely picking up Heatley, and will give up something stupid in the process - enjoy!
PDO...where is he better suited?
The wing? Where he has not played for his entire pro career...Oh and we've seen how playing people out of position has worked in Edmonton.
Third line C? According to the Church of Kurri he was the worst faceoff man in Oilers history. That doesn't scream defensive center.
4th line C makes our energy line all of a sudden more potent, it frees him up to play PK and powerplay time without exhausting him, and when injuries happen, as they always do, we will have a suitable C to step in.
The only other option I see is moving Gagner to the RW and run
POS Cogs Gags
Take your pick...Cogs at 4th lineC or Gags at right wing.
I would take the former but that is just me
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