Speculation: Oilers off season targets

[TFHockey]

Curious to see what the consensus is on what we as fans think the Oilers should work on acquiring this off season

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[Lacaar]

I have a feeling this off season will be relatively quiet. Just some movement with Yamamoto. Whether it's trade or buyout.

Campbell they're stuck with. There will be no goalie upgrade other than a 3rd stringer at best.

Perhaps a decision on Ceci will come. We don't know anything about his core injury. Maybe it was reasonable for his play and maybe it wasn't.

I honestly believe the answers to their failures in this playoffs are not via bringing in a personal change. They're in the dressing room. The coaches and players lost a series they were more than capable of winning. They need to take ownership and quite simply.. grow the f*** up. They're an emotional train wreck on the ice.

In fact if anything I'd put an option for a player of character upgrade. Someone who holds even the stars accountable for a shitty backcheck. Selfish taps after whistle and fights at the end of games.

 

[ZJuice]

We need an upgrade on Ceci, try to get a 1B LD
We need an upgrade on Yamamoto.
We need a third goaltender in case Campbell falters or Skinner doesn’t grow (league min contract, just an experienced fall back)

 

[bucks_oil]

If they can significantly upgrade on Ceci with a reasonable cap hit you do it via trade (not sold on Severson)...

Then you follow that up by trading ALL of Foegele, Yamamoto and Kulak.

That should leave you with:
1) A solid top 4 D after Ceci upgraded
2) Best first 5 forwards in the league
3) Gaps on the wing and potentially at 3C to be filled by cheap youth until deadline
4) At least $3M in cap space at the start of the season, which grows significantly by deadline.

Then you use that space at TDL to add an elite winger or shutdown C.

In short... hoping for a pretty quiet summer. I'd rather save cap and have it grow so that we can move the needle with a meaningful add(s) at the deadline. This team will be in a playoff position, so better to maximize our cap-spend now that we are out of LTIR.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Curious to see what the consensus is on what we as fans think the Oilers should work on acquiring this off season

With what cap space?

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Josi and Saros

Josi and Saros

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I doubt that we will see a goalie trade so I'm going with RD and RW.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

If they can significantly upgrade on Ceci with a reasonable cap hit you do it via trade (not sold on Severson)...

Then you follow that up by trading ALL of Foegele, Yamamoto and Kulak.

That should leave you with:
1) A solid top 4 D after Ceci upgraded
2) Best first 5 forwards in the league
3) Gaps on the wing and potentially at 3C to be filled by cheap youth until deadline
4) At least $3M in cap space at the start of the season, which grows significantly by deadline.

Then you use that space at TDL to add an elite winger or shutdown C.

In short... hoping for a pretty quiet summer. I'd rather save cap and have it grow so that we can move the needle with a meaningful add(s) at the deadline. This team will be in a playoff position, so better to maximize our cap-spend now that we are out of LTIR.

Pretty much exactly what I want to see too.

Saving some cap space is very wise, gives us a chance to add something serious at the deadline again.

Also it’s better to let the younger guys work their way into the league and if they’re not quite fine tuned by the deadline you add a vet.

 

[Stoneman89]

Curious to see what the consensus is on what we as fans think the Oilers should work on acquiring this off season

Whatever or whomever it is, will likely be on a small value contract. We have literally next to nothing to play with for cap room.

 

[alphahelix]

I dont see an obvious way to upgrade RD or G (aside from Hail Mary signings and unrealistic mega blockbuster trades) so Ill say RW. We can likely get a major 5v5 upgrade for like 2M.

 

[Fourier]

Josi and Saros

Josi and Saros

Trade your next 10 1st round picks to get those two at full double retention. The ride would be fun, but once its over hello decade of darkness my old friend.

 

[Beerfish]

Nothing matters at all other than goaltending. Nothing.

We have rotated the tires for years now, no tending forget it.

 

[Mr Kot]

We need tenders.

Delicious, crispy tenders.

 

[bucks_oil]

We need tenders.

Delicious, crispy tenders.

I raise your crispy tenders with stiff hips and hammys.

 

[K1984]

Need to make another D acquisition. Actually probably need to make 2.

We were very, very, very fortunate that our defense was Calgary Flames level of healthy this year. We only have redundancy on the left side, and even then didn't really have it until after we got Ekholm. There is nothing we can do if we run into injury issues on the right side. If Bouchard goes down we have a pick-em of bottom pair players trying to play the right side in an elevated role than none will succeed in.

Need Ceci to be replaced and another guy that can play bottom pair minutes on the right side. No idea how that would work cap wise, but IMO it has to be done for us to take a step. I actually really like the idea that's been bandied about of packaging Borberg with Ceci to get someone that's actually established and good in return.

 

[McJC]

Yamo out, Holloway in (Yamo's money goes to Bouch). I think that's probably the only thing you do. You run it back with the rest of the skaters.

I don't know how you're supposed to upgrade Ceci @ 3.5m...

I would try adding to Campbell to somehow land Hellebuck but doubt that happens. If it doesn't, I feel really good going with Skinner into next season

McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH combined for 10 posts... so much about winning the playoffs is about luck. We're pretty muich right there, I wouldn't do anything too drastic.

 

[belair]

Connor Brown. And nibble around the edges everywhere else. Re-sign the RFAs and see who out of Janmark, Ryan and Bjugstad you can bring back. Goalies stay the same.

Expect at least two of Foegele, Kulak or Yamamoto gone by training camp. Highly doubtful Ceci moves unless the 'upgrade' happens by trade. More likely a big defensive add happens at the deadline again.

 

[russ99]

Replace Kulak with Broberg, add another Ekholm type to the right side - if cap out can handle it, and add a cheap experienced #7D (better than Murray and Demers) to fill in for injury and cover for the kids. Ceci can still be a solid player for us away from the first pair.

Seriously thinking that Bouchard - Ekholm should rotate in to the first pair for some games and both Nurse and Ceci can benefit with less minutes/comp from time to time. No reason why Woodcroft can't line match better than he has.

For forwards, try to get Ryan and/or Janmark back and fill in with the kids. Holloway, Bourgault and Lavoie should all get a shot in camp, at least one replacing Yamamoto.

 

[Broberg Speed]

This club has room to improve.

I don't think a 5 player turnover would be excessive.

It would be expensive asset wise.

With new players playing a different system we'll win the Stanley Cup next year.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Trade your next 10 1st round picks to get those two at full double retention. The ride would be fun, but once its over hell decade of darkness my old friend.

Worth it for cup.

 

[Spawn]

The only thing that truthfully matters is goaltending.

Everything else is ultimately pointless. Running back Campbell and Skinner is just guaranteeing another failed playoff run. Sadly it seems the Oilers are committed to doing that.

Nothing matters at all other than goaltending. Nothing.

We have rotated the tires for years now, no tending forget it.

Missed your post before I made mine. You and I are of the same mindset. The team needs goaltending that is able to make the big save in key moments. This team hasn't had good goaltending since Talbot in 16-17. Oiler fans have forgotten what it looks like and just accept that the shit we've seen for more than 1/2 a decade now is a norm.

 

[brentashton]

Yamo out. Holloway in. If you want to get fancy add Connor Brown but I’m not sure it’s a necessary add and it’s a risk given injury history.

Keep Foegle no need to run him out, he’s just getting his wings finally. May be the full break out season is coming…

Sadly probably lose Bjugstad, he was very useful but we can’t afford him at his probable FA value.

Resign Ryan and McLeod to 7-11 wages.

Broberg in. VD gets better with more games and penicillin.

Take a run for Klingberg at a bargain contract for RHD relief.

Goaltending, hope for a bounce back from Campbells regular season and Skinners play off. Too much $$ tied up there already, just have to hope and pray.

Pray that JayWood recognizes he still hasn’t climbed the mountain and doesn’t know everything. I’d add a seasoned assistant coach to the staff like a Kirk Muller, though he has no connection to the org or the personnel. But I think the staff needs a small amount of whiskers (i missed the cat avatar season for “reasons”, that’s my contribution).

 

[Tarus]

Hard to vote for any of the selections, it's kind of an "all of the above"(except for LD) type situation

- Goaltending continues to be a problem, but the Oilers bricked up their cap situation trying to fix the problem last offseason investing in Campbell
- Top pairing RD is a huge hole, and Ceci needs to be upgraded even though he'd be great in a 2nd/3rd pairing role. Finding an upgrade that can cover for Nurse would be expensive. I could see the team taking the risk of finding someone on RD and running with the same goaltending tandem in the hopes that a stabilized top pairing would improve the goaltending situation.
- Right wing has been an absolute disaster. Puljujarvi is finally gone, but Yamo needs to head out next as even at his best and most productive, he's completely ineffective at the NHL level both offensively and defensively. Probably the cheapest situation to fix, but if they try to fix any of the other problems on the team, they won't have the money to add real quality there.
- LD is fine, good even, though I could see a situation where Kulak is moved to free up cap space and push Broberg into a regular spot(even if it hurts the team next year).

 

[GhostfaceWu]

Sign Nyquist and Tatar to cheap one year deals for them to rebuild their value.

 

[McDoused]

As hard as it was to lose this year the optimist in me is coming around. This is literally the best team weve had in decades. Even with the "holes" that we have, the Oilers are still a top 6 team in the league by both regular season and playoff standings.

We could honestly leave the team as is for next year and probably still be a very a good team. Meanwhile worse teams are in considerably worse positions. Vancouver is already over the cap for next year. Calgary has like 1M in cap and is set to lose Lindholm, Toffoli, Backlund, Tanev, Hanafin, etc to free agency next offseason. Winnipeg might be forced to trade Hellebuyck and Toronto might not be able to sign Matthews.

We are in good shape and are only going to get better.