2022-23 Oilers Roster:
This is NOT my Ideal-world pie-in-the-sky idea, I think it is realistic enough, if contingent upon certain truths, i.e. Nashville fails to re-sign Forsberg, Keith is coerced to retire, and our package is satisfactory to PHX.
If I were picking an absolute-fantasy roster I would have gone after better Cheaper players For multiple positions (ESPECIALLY Goaltending...) :
Jack Campbell is falling out of favour in Toronto but was born a high pedigree goalie and has very strong numbers for solid stretches in the NHL. We can’t afford to pay 5M+ for a goalie but its beginning to seem likely that Toronto will “Freddie Andersen” Mr.Campbell. We swoop in and sign him to a mid-level deal , 3M AAV x whatever it takes in term. Mike Smith retires after his struggle of a season. Koskinen walks due to cash. Skinner is called up. Goalies @ ~ 4M AAV.
Evander Kane has been what the doctor ordered for the top six but if we read the tea leaves he may be playing his way into another big-money long-term deal. We balk and bail to go big game hunting for an UPGRADE.
ASSUMING Filip Forsberg wants big money and a cup (&NSH can’t deliver) : we give him both. We trade a 5th round pick for his rights at the last minute and sign him to 8M x 8. He becomes the best winger in Oilers modern Era. (IF THIS FAILS, Back-UPS are Rakell, Burakovsky, Palat or Niederrieter)
Duncan Keith RETIRES. We get the cap recapture cash. We COMPEL him to take this path. Whatever it takes. Darryl Katz rearranges the universe to make this happen. One of Broberg/Niemalinen break camp with the team As 6/7D.
Montreal was rumoured to have tried to sign Tyson Barrie both of the last 2 off seasons. Tyson Barrie is TRADED for Jake Evans who is signed to a great deal x3 years but is now over 25 And might be considered movable for a coveted offensive RD to solve their PP problems. We get the roster space to add a competent defensive/physical defender who can pull on the rope in playoff time and excel against better than 3rd-pairing opposition. I throw in Raphael Lavoie to sweeten the pot who is a quality 2nd rd pick and they love French prospects.
Tyson’s replacement: Josh Manson. Bouchard takes the billion offensive zone and PP starts from Barrie and Josh Manson takes the heavy lifting. The deal is ”Adam Larsson” level, around 4M X 4. Money-in money-out is a near wash gaining around 250k.
Cap goes up 1M.
Puljujarvi is re-signed through to UFA on a 2.75M deal. Yamo is signed to a bridge, 2.1M x 2. Assuming insurance is needed, Kulak is re-signed to a hometown discount deal, 1.9M x 3.
We also try to meet the Yotes asking price with a package of 2023 1st + Dmitri Samorukov , and bottom of the roster player Derek Ryan. We throw in an extra pick or prospect if necessary.
Zack Kassian is sent to SMASHVILLE who now have a lot of free cap space for a 4th round pick, where the fans appreciate him.
FORWARDS (12)
Right wing: Kailer Yamamoto ($2,100,000) - Jake Evans ($1,700,000) - Jesse Puljujärvi ($2,750,000) - Ryan McLeod ($1,100,000)
Centre: Connor McDavid ($12,500,000) - Leon Draisaitl ($8,500,000) - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($5,125,000) - Dylan Holloway ($925,000)
Left wing: Zach Hyman ($5,500,000) - Filip Forsberg ($8,000,000) - Warren Foegele ($2,750,000) - Devin Shore ($850,000)
DEFENSE (7)
Right: Cody Ceci ($3,250,000) - Josh Manson ($4,000,000) - Evan Bouchard ($863,333)
Left: Darnell Nurse ($9,250,000) - Jakob Chychrun ($4,600,000) - Brett Kulak ($1,950,000) - Philip Broberg ($863,333)
GOALTENDER (2)
Jack Campbell ($3,000,000) - Stuart Skinner ($750,000)
BUYOUTS (2)
James Neal ($1,916,667) - Andrej Sekera ($1,500,000)
RETAINED SALARY TRANSACTIONS (1)
Milan Lucic ($750,000)
DETAILS
Roster Size: 21
Salary Cap: $82,500,000
This is OVER by 1.9 M if Duncan Keith is on LTIR, but it is a SURPLUS of over a million cap dollars if Keith is properly coerced into retirement.
If any of my signings are overly ambitious, feel free to draw from that SURPLUS pool to level them off OR explore including Warren Foegele in either the Evans or the Chychrun deal to reduce the asset cost and reduce our cap burden (I believe he has positive value).
This roster also sets up excellent long-term cap certainty, with buy-outs coming off the books in the following years.
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EDIT: I think I might have been premature on the Jack Campbell situation as he had a strong game against TBL tonight. Will have to wait and see what TML does with their goaltending. May need to seek another 3-4M$ solution If he sticks in TO.
