Oilers conundrum: One does not simply replace 31% of team goal scoring

Edmonton Journal

6 days ago

Article content
The Edmonton Oilers ' conundrum? One does not simply replace 31 per cent of the team's goal scoring prowess.
Article content
That is what the Oilers have lost from their 2025 playoff team, 31 per cent of the goal scoring having now left town with the departures of Corey Perry, 10 playoff goals, Evander Kane, six, Connor Brown, five, Viktor Arvidsson, two, John Klingberg, one, and Jeff Skinner, one.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
You think if the Oilers had abundant cap space they'd have let go of Perry, Kane, Brown and Klingberg? I don't.
Article content
Article content
Cap space is Edmonton's enemy like never before. That's the issue.
Article content
Edmonton is a threat to win the Cup next year because it's thankfully got star players in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Next year, however, for the first time, all three star players will be earning massive salaries compared to the cap, $12.5 million for McDavid, $14.0 million for Draisaitl, $10.5 million for Bouchard.
Article content
No complaints from me on the big three getting paid big time. But the fact of the matter is that every dollar a top star gets, that is one dollar less in cap space. And it doesn't help with inconsistent d-man Darnell Nurse making $9.2 million.
Article content
The Oilers will be OK in a few years when the cap rises to more than $113 million. But these next two years are going to be tight when it comes to cap space, making it difficult for the Oilers to keep, retain and/or bring in talent.
Article content
Article content
This is the fact. It's the reality GM Stan Bowman faces. It's no easy thing to handle, which is why Edmonton, essentially, had to say good-bye to such useful veterans as Kane, Brown, Klingberg and Perry. They could not afford them under the cap.
Article content
The upside of the downside?
Article content
Does this cloud of grey having any silver lining? Yes, it does.
Article content
First off, Bowman has proven somewhat adept at managing the cap. This coming year he'll be counting on four low cost players — Ike Howard, Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and David Tomasek — to step up. Bowman doesn't need all four to be world beaters. But to compete for the Cup he needs at least one out of three of Savoie, Howard and Tomasek to step up as a Top 6 forward. He needs another one of those three to step up as a third line winger. And he needs Philp, or some other low-cost option, to step up and be a strong two-way player in a checking role.