Speculation: The Offseason Conundrum

[CupofOil]

Barrie playing so well, Larsson also, Nuge not as much, Klefbom finally getting the surgery this month, the expansion draft etc. got me to thinking about this offseason and what exactly Holland is going to do. I know we're in the midst of a playoff push but I've always had my eyes towards this offseason and beyond. It's a real critical juncture in Oilers history with many tough decisions to be made. Holland has already turned a bottom feeder into a bubble playoff team but it's actually more difficult to turn a bubble playoff team into a Cup contender and it's now go time this offseason to achieve that.

Nuge, Barrie, Larsson, Yamamoto, expansion draft, Klefbom, Neal and Koskinen conundrum, newfound cap flexibility (if they don't re-sign all those guys at inflated rates). Lots of critical decisions to be made.

Barrie is just killing it out there. I've never been so conflicted about a player and what to do with him long term. A big part of me thinks he only came here because he wanted to boost his market value, not because he wants to be here so he's probably gone after the season so, what to do?

I wouldn't want them to overpay him (5x5 is the max I'd go) but this guy has completely transformed the defense offensively beyond just the numbers and I don't know how you replace that in the short term and no, Bouchard is not close to that yet.
On the other hand, if they overpay him (the Krug contract for example), that basically blocks any possibility of adding a true top pairing guy down the line especially with Nurse being in line for getting a monster raise (8x8 at minimum it's looking like) and locking in a D core of Nurse, Barrie and young guys going forward.

Nuge - Do they commit to him long term and lock him down at a reasonable price or let him test the market and fill his void with somebody else or multiple players?
His play this season might make the decision easier for them in getting him down to a more reasonable number but does he move the needle enough for Holland and co. to be worth the commitment?

Barrie - As mentioned above, this is the most critical decision IMO.

Larsson - He's definitely earning himself a nice payday. He might be working towards a 4x4 type deal from somebody (look at the Edmundson deal). Do you want to commit that much to a defensive defenseman in his late 20s with previous back issues? You can't have a bunch of soft pouckmovers on the blueline, every team needs a guy like this. Do you sign him or try to replace him?

Yamamoto - He'll probably get bridged and him not sustaining those PPG numbers makes the decision a bit easier but do you want to get him locked up now with the cap likely to start rising after the bridge expires? Might be better to just lock him down now in a flat cap world.

Klefbom - This one sets off a chain effect on multiple levels. It starts with expansion. They should have a good idea of how the surgery went by June so should they risk exposing him in the expansion draft if there's a chance he can return even close to what he was (still a cheap contract for a few years) or do they take the risk of protecting him while exposing somebody else and are stuck with a 50% Klefbom for the next 2 years

Neal and Koskinen - To buy out or not to buy out, that is the question. They don't need to buy them out because they will have cap space even without doing that but do you want 2 players on the roster taking up almost $10M cap space bringing minimal value to the ice in a season that they're supposed to contend for bigger things?

Expansion Draft - Who to protect. Do they trade Jones for a forward and protect that forward since they don't really have 7 forwards that are worthy of protection and get value for Jones all at the same time?
Do they sign their free agents RNH, Barrie and/or Larsson before expansion to prevent the risk of them hitting the market?
As I mentioned before, do they protect Klefbom along with Bear and risk losing Lagesson?

It's going to be the most fascinating and possibly gut wrenching offseason that I can remember as an Oilers fan. Holland is going to have to really earn his money, that's for sure.

So... what say you? I'd like to hear (see) your guys thoughts on this.

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[AsparaGus]

Bird in the hand.

Yes, Bouchard COULD be as good with Nurse as Barrie is.

We all already know that Barrie makes Nurse better.

Do you take something guaranteed and replace it with “potential”?

Isn’t this how you get in a situation where you trade Taylor Hall for the potential of Adam Larsson? Not a knock on Larsson. My point is nothing is guaranteed. Except what you’re currently witnessing. Barrie is factually - not potentially - factually good with Nurse. For the first time in forever (shout out to Frozen), the Oilers have a legitimate top pairing.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Resign Barrie, Nuge and Larsson so long as you can get them all done for about $15m. You’ll be bridging Yamo. Do not buy out Neal. Bury Turris into the AHL. Let Chaisson walk. Trade Kosko and retain half so no dead salary the year after. Trade Bear in the off season for a young scoring F opening room for Bouchard if Klefbom can’t play. Graduate McLoed and Holloway. Expose Kassian and hope he gets picked otherwise prepare to lose one of Jones or Lagesson. Try and sign Zack Hyman to a 4M x 5 contract. Resign Smith to same contract and run with him and Stalock for 1 year.

End of day you are below the cap by about 900k. Neal you deal with in 2022-23 to open up salary for Nurse.

 

[CupofOil]

Resign Barrie, Nuge and Larsson so long as you can get them all done for about $15m. You’ll be bridging Yamo. Do not buy out Neal. Bury Turris into the AHL. Let Chaisson walk. Trade Kosko and retain half so no dead salary the year after. Trade Bear in the off season for a young scoring F opening room for Bouchard if Klefbom can’t play. Graduate McLoed and Holloway. Expose Kassian and hope he gets picked otherwise prepare to lose one of Jones or Lagesson. Try and sign Zack Hyman to a 4M x 5 contract. Resign Smith to same contract and run with him and Stalock for 1 year.

End of day you are below the cap by about 900k. Neal you deal with in 2022-23 to open up salary for Nurse.

So... $6M for Nuge, $5M for Barrie, $4 for Larsson. I think that's a bit optimistic on Nuge and Barrie but could be feasible.

I don't know if it's the best idea to trade Bear right now BUT if they re-sign Barrie and Larsson, there's just no room for him assuming that they see Bouchard as a full time player next season. Bear's contract at $2M should be pretty attractive so they might be able to receive a nice trade package for him.
Personally, I'd rather move him in a package for a legit top 4 LHD and spend the cap on a forward and goalie. I can't imagine that Holland will be content with a Smith/Stalock duo next season and I wouldn't either even as a card carrying member of the Smith Fan Club.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

I'm still on the 'let Barrie walk' train.

Yes, his play has picked up after a slow start. Yes, he's been a revelation in the offensive zone. Yes, he leads the NHL in points on a new team. But he's still one-dimensional. He's not a great skater. He's getting older. And he's going to be expensive.

This is why I keep going back to trading Barrie before the deadline. Imagine if you could flip him for a legit top-4 LHD or a top pick (that could subsequently be spent on addressing our other areas of need). I know this is a touchy subject, but it feels like a missed opportunity when Barrie is playing so well.

Re-signing Barrie means we give up one of Larsson, Bear, or Bouchard. Evan is obviously out of the question, so it comes down to Bear and Larsson.

Does Bear have that much value? He's still relatively unproven, and his cap hit is much more manageable for what he would bring to the team. He hasn't had the greatest start this year, but when he was at the top of his game, he was definitely more WELL-ROUNDED than Barrie has been.

I'm also definitely not comfortable with going Barrie - Bouchard - Bear on the right side. Going that route is sacrificing defence for offence, and good defence wins championships. Larsson isn't an amazing skater by any means, but these 3 guys might all be worse in that department as well. We will need to bring Larsson back (or someone who plays like Larsson) to round out our d-corps.

Ultimately, I think Barrie will be far too expensive for what he brings, will hinder our options on defence moving forward (let's not even talk about what happens if Nurse regresses), and doesn't bring enough on the defensive side of the puck to justify keeping him, despite his gaudy point totals (a lot of which has come against Ottawa, mind you).

 

[TheNumber4]

If Holland plays this smart, he can use flat cap to his advantage and re-sign lots of pieces. I’d like to keep Barrie, Nuge, and even Larsson is showing his value this year.

I don’t see any buy outs happening. Holland’s moves have indicated he doesn’t like to have roster players wasted. The organization seems to give priority in getting expensive cap hits like Chiasson, Neal, Kosko into the line up to give them a chance at living up to their contracts.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

honestly you just try and keep everyone. theres enough space to do it.

UFA's always suck.

 

[TheNumber4]

I'm still on the 'let Barrie walk' train.

Yes, his play has picked up after a slow start. Yes, he's been a revelation in the offensive zone. Yes, he leads the NHL in points on a new team. But he's still one-dimensional. He's not a great skater. He's getting older. And he's going to be expensive.

This is why I keep going back to trading Barrie before the deadline. Imagine if you could flip him for a legit top-4 LHD or a top pick (that could subsequently be spent on addressing our other areas of need). I know this is a touchy subject, but it feels like a missed opportunity when Barrie is playing so well.

Re-signing Barrie means we give up one of Larsson, Bear, or Bouchard. Evan is obviously out of the question, so it comes down to Bear and Larsson.

Does Bear have that much value? He's still relatively unproven, and his cap hit is much more manageable for what he would bring to the team. He hasn't had the greatest start this year, but when he was at the top of his game, he was definitely more WELL-ROUNDED than Barrie has been.

I'm also definitely not comfortable with going Barrie - Bouchard - Bear on the right side. Going that route is sacrificing defence for offence, and good defence wins championships. Larsson isn't an amazing skater by any means, but these 3 guys might all be worse in that department as well. We will need to bring Larsson back (or someone who plays like Larsson) to round out our d-corps.

Ultimately, I think Barrie will be far too expensive for what he brings, will hinder our options on defence moving forward (let's not even talk about what happens if Nurse regresses), and doesn't bring enough on the defensive side of the puck to justify keeping him, despite his gaudy point totals (a lot of which has come against Ottawa, mind you).

I don’t think he’s one dimensional. He has a good stick in his own end and knows where to be. His warts defensively haven’t been common but are usually very noticeable in the 10-bell giveaway type range. But while his gaffes are egregious, I just don’t see often enough to think it makes a large negative impact on the team. His great offence and average defense makes him a net positive for me.

Also, we should be reminded of how hard it is to get a player like Barrie. These guys don’t come available often and if they are available they don’t choose Edmonton. A perfect storm of Babcock screwing up Barries usage, flat cap, and a league leading PP allowed us to get Barrie and even still we needed to convince Barrie to take a discount to even have a chance of adding him to the roster. Right now we are in the drivers seat to resign him, he’s having success here, is well liked, and we’re a good team on the verge of contention. Another player like Barrie isn’t going to fall into the Oilers laps. You take this opportunity and lock him up so we don’t have that missing offence from the back end anymore.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Barrie: If he wants to be here and isn't asking for the moon you sign him. Yes Bouchard or Bear might be able to take his spot but this teams timeline to compete is now, and you don't walk from a player like this because of maybe. If he decides to go or wants like 7+ mill then you let him walk and then let a guy internally stay.

Larsson: if he keeps up this play this year I'd say resign him for what he makes now or a bit of a raise, maybe not long term, but if he keeps this up, maybe.

I will say, good teams resign good players and if they need the space later and a youth can full in, you trade that good player for assets.

 

[McDrai]

I think it really comes down to what these players are commanding. Would I like to keep all 3? Yes.
I know RNH has a lot of haters at the moment but he is a consistent 60+ point producer on this team while also being responsible in his own end. He affords us the luxury of icing a McDrai line whereas if we let him walk, we will need to either sign a free agent or bring a 2C in via trade (and we all know our stellar track record with free agent forward signings/trades).I'd be looking to sign him as long as it's under 7 mil. Anything above that makes it more difficult to keep him.

Barrie is a must-sign for me tbh. Haven't seen a dman with his offensive acumen since...Souray? Some of us are banking on Bouchard but he is still a couple of years away and may not even become that #1 Dman and 1st PP option.

Larsson will probably want a payday but I think I would walk away since he is pushing 30 and has injury/inconsistency issues. Depends what he is willing to take though. I think he has been a good mentor for a Dman like Lagesson who is a fellow Swede and plays a similar style of game so I can't discount the value Larsson brings in that regard.

 

[TheNumber4]

Another good positive to signing Barrie is that he will probably make the future contracts of Bear and Bouchard cheaper. If Cap is used on Barrie, he's getting in the line up and probably in a significant role. Which means less PP time for Bear and Bouchard so it allows them to take their development slower which means cheaper contracts. If no Barrie, Bouchard will take PP1 rightfully and he WILL rack up the points, so be prepared to pay Bouch a lot more than we could have.

 

[Stoneman89]

I'd sign Barrie for 3-4 years at hopefully something reasonable while the young guys progress. And if Bouchard or Broberg start killing it and sustain that, then you should be able to move him for some nice drafts/propects.
Nuge should sign for almost the same as he is getting now, and for 5 years. That's very reasonable for both sides.
Larsson is a must sign IMO, and should go for around 4X4. Again, if the young guys blow us away, and Lagesson becomes another Larsson, then all good with moving him down the road for pieces to fill the cupboard.
As much as it pains me, they should leave Klef exposed for Seattle. I just think there are too many unknowns with him to protect him and potentially waste a spot. Not enough time to try him out and see if he's worth protecting.

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

Resign Barrie, Nuge and Larsson so long as you can get them all done for about $15m. You’ll be bridging Yamo. Do not buy out Neal. Bury Turris into the AHL. Let Chaisson walk. Trade Kosko and retain half so no dead salary the year after. Trade Bear in the off season for a young scoring F opening room for Bouchard if Klefbom can’t play. Graduate McLoed and Holloway. Expose Kassian and hope he gets picked otherwise prepare to lose one of Jones or Lagesson. Try and sign Zack Hyman to a 4M x 5 contract.

End of day you are below the cap by about 900k. Neal you deal with in 2022-23 to open up salary for Nurse.

Larsson $3.5M, Nuge $6.25M, Barrie $5.25M? Is this what you're hoping for?

Larsson $4.0M, Nuge $6.50M, Barrie $5.50M. I think this ($16M total) is more likely, but maybe Holland can get them all signed for a little less given the flat cap. Edmundson got 4 x $3.5M in Montreal and is a decent comparable for what they currently bring. However, that's still a pay decrease for Larsson which, while inconsequential in regards to his play, will still be a factor in negotiations.

 

[Gordy Elbows]

Barrie playing so well, Larsson also, Nuge not as much, Klefbom finally getting the surgery this month, the expansion draft etc. got me to thinking about this offseason and what exactly Holland is going to do. I know we're in the midst of a playoff push but I've always had my eyes towards this offseason and beyond. It's a real critical juncture in Oilers history with many tough decisions to be made. Holland has already turned a bottom feeder into a bubble playoff team but it's actually more difficult to turn a bubble playoff team into a Cup contender and it's now go time this offseason to achieve that.

Nuge, Barrie, Larsson, Yamamoto, expansion draft, Klefbom, Neal and Koskinen conundrum, newfound cap flexibility (if they don't re-sign all those guys at inflated rates). Lots of critical decisions to be made.

Barrie is just killing it out there. I've never been so conflicted about a player and what to do with him long term. A big part of me thinks he only came here because he wanted to boost his market value, not because he wants to be here so he's probably gone after the season so, what to do?

I wouldn't want them to overpay him (5x5 is the max I'd go) but this guy has completely transformed the defense offensively beyond just the numbers and I don't know how you replace that in the short term and no, Bouchard is not close to that yet.
On the other hand, if they overpay him (the Krug contract for example), that basically blocks any possibility of adding a true top pairing guy down the line especially with Nurse being in line for getting a monster raise (8x8 at minimum it's looking like) and locking in a D core of Nurse, Barrie and young guys going forward.

Nuge - Do they commit to him long term and lock him down at a reasonable price or let him test the market and fill his void with somebody else or multiple players?
His play this season might make the decision easier for them in getting him down to a more reasonable number but does he move the needle enough for Holland and co. to be worth the commitment?

Barrie - As mentioned above, this is the most critical decision IMO.

Larsson - He's definitely earning himself a nice payday. He might be working towards a 4x4 type deal from somebody (look at the Edmundson deal). Do you want to commit that much to a defensive defenseman in his late 20s with previous back issues? You can't have a bunch of soft pouckmovers on the blueline, every team needs a guy like this. Do you sign him or try to replace him?

Yamamoto - He'll probably get bridged and him not sustaining those PPG numbers makes the decision a bit easier but do you want to get him locked up now with the cap likely to start rising after the bridge expires? Might be better to just lock him down now in a flat cap world.

Klefbom - This one sets off a chain effect on multiple levels. It starts with expansion. They should have a good idea of how the surgery went by June so should they risk exposing him in the expansion draft if there's a chance he can return even close to what he was (still a cheap contract for a few years) or do they take the risk of protecting him while exposing somebody else and are stuck with a 50% Klefbom for the next 2 years

Neal and Koskinen - To buy out or not to buy out, that is the question. They don't need to buy them out because they will have cap space even without doing that but do you want 2 players on the roster taking up almost $10M cap space bringing minimal value to the ice in a season that they're supposed to contend for bigger things?

Expansion Draft - Who to protect. Do they trade Jones for a forward and protect that forward since they don't really have 7 forwards that are worthy of protection and get value for Jones all at the same time?
Do they sign their free agents RNH, Barrie and/or Larsson before expansion to prevent the risk of them hitting the market?
As I mentioned before, do they protect Klefbom along with Bear and risk losing Lagesson?

It's going to be the most fascinating and possibly gut wrenching offseason that I can remember as an Oilers fan. Holland is going to have to really earn his money, that's for sure.

So... what say you? I'd like to hear (see) your guys thoughts on this.

Good thoughts / insights and well laid-out, Cup! Now I have a migraine just thinking about the possibilities and the consequences. Glad I'm not Holland (he probably wakes up screaming at 3 am because of this).

 

[Smartguy]

Bird in the hand.

Yes, Bouchard COULD be as good with Nurse as Barrie is.

We all already know that Barrie makes Nurse better.

Do you take something guaranteed and replace with “potential”?

Isn’t this how you get in a situation where you trade Taylor Hall for the potential of Adam Larsson? Not a knock on Larsson. My point is nothing is guaranteed. Except what you’re currently witnessing. Barrie is factually - not potentially - factually good with Nurse. For the first time in forever (shout out to Frozen), the Oilers have a legitimate top pairing.

Barrie is doing right now what you HOPE Bouchard can do at his potential. I don’t envy Holland’s position this summer though, especially if the team wins a round. I just don’t know at what numbers you try and retain all of Barrie, Larsson, RNH, and still have enough left to add to the holes on the team to take it to a contender.

Also not to mention you either make room for Bouchard, or go full win now and move him. You can’t go into next season

Barrie
Larsson
Bear
Bouchard

for the right side and just hope an injury comes up and he fills in. IMO he should be playing over Bear already but same scenario where you don’t want to hinder his development/pay him to sit on the bench.

To me Holland is going to keep one of Barrie/Larsson and I would be willing to bet it’s Larsson because of how much Tipp praises him. Also I wrote this before the season but I think this 1 year deal was a “use me” for both sides. The Oilers got a high end offensive defenseman with cap space left from Klefbom LTIR, Barrie gets his career back on track and probably a big ticket this offseason.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Larsson $3.5M, Nuge $6.25M, Barrie $5.25M? Is this what you're hoping for?

Larsson $4.0M, Nuge $6.50M, Barrie $5.50M. I think this ($16M total) is more likely, but maybe Holland can get them all signed for a little less given the flat cap. Edmundson got 4 x $3.5M in Montreal and is a decent comparable for what they currently bring. However, that's still a pay decrease for Larsson which, while inconsequential in regards to his play, will still be a factor in negotiations.

Any combination will do. If you need 16 you still can do it but leaves a bit less to sign a FA LW. I think Larsson will be taking a small haircut based on comps.

 

[Aceboogie]

Sometimes I feel like i am taking crazy pills, or maybe I misremember the Barrie situation completely.

We are all on the same page that Barrie signed here for a cheap one year deal to play with McDavid and massively boost his value for a big contract no? Why cant we just enjoy Barries one great year her,e be happy we were the beneficiary, and then let another team be the one to give him that massive pay day.

How often does it work out well for the teams who signs a 29 year old to a long term deal after a career year in a contract year?

McDavid is an absolute blessing, but the curse is that he is so good that he inflates some players points so much and our GM is unable to seperate the true value of said player from McDavids impact. This happened with Chaisson & Kassian. Thankfully those were shorter deals. Barrie and Nurse (to a lesser degree) have potential to be much more disastrous because of the higher $ and term

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

All teams will be shedding salary.

Lots of players will be available even some of ours.

We might be in a good position if some players can't get what they want or feel they're worth & decide they may as well go see what this McDrai thing is all about firsthand on some short deals. Especially if we make some noise in the playoffs.

 

[GOilers88]

I'd hold onto Neal for one more season before a buyout, and I'd do everything I could to move Koskinen with retention instead of a buyout. This team has had buyout penalties in the books for so long that I'd hate to see them keep adding to it, especially with Koski only having one year left.

 

[XXIV97]

Bird in the hand.

Yes, Bouchard COULD be as good with Nurse as Barrie is.

We all already know that Barrie makes Nurse better.

Do you take something guaranteed and replace with “potential”?

Isn’t this how you get in a situation where you trade Taylor Hall for the potential of Adam Larsson? Not a knock on Larsson. My point is nothing is guaranteed. Except what you’re currently witnessing. Barrie is factually - not potentially - factually good with Nurse. For the first time in forever (shout out to Frozen), the Oilers have a legitimate top pairing.

Nothing is guaranteed. However, with the flat salary cap, you are choosing between Barrie and Nugent-Hopkins/scoring winger. Barrie was offered over $6 M during his down season. If the Oilers want to keep him, they would need to offer him a long term deal at $6M+.

Now, if you sign Barrie, say good bye to a scoring winger that this team desperately needs. Any remainig salary would be used to target a goaltender. However, if you choose Bouchard & Bear, you will be able to target the scoring winger and the goaltender. You may also have a similar type of production out of Bouchard.

Nurse-Bouchard
Klefbom-Bear
Lagesson-Larsson

Looks fine to me...

 

[AsparaGus]

Nothing is guaranteed. However, with the flat salary cap, you are choosing between Barrie and Nugent-Hopkins/scoring winger. Barrie was offered over $6 M during his down season. If the Oilers want to keep him, they would need to offer him a long term deal at $6M+.

Now, if you sign Barrie, say good bye to a scoring winger that this team desperately needs. Any remainig salary would be used to target a goaltender. However, if you choose Bouchard & Bear, you will be able to target the scoring winger and the goaltender. You may also have a similar type of production out of Bouchard.

Nurse-Bouchard
Klefbom-Bear
Lagesson-Larsson

Looks fine to me...

I’m sorry, but I completely doubt you get near PPG production out of Bouchard for at least 4-5 seasons.

Defensemen enter their prime around 27-28 years old. You don’t waste prime McDavid and Draisaitl to roll the dice on players that are currently in over their heads at the NHL level. The dude can’t even get into a lineup against the Sens and you expect him to replace Barrie’s production. You’re setting the kid and the team up for failure.

This ain’t it.

 

[Mr Positive]

I still say we walk away from Barrie. That's no insult to him, and his plan to earn his pay day will work, as he will get his 6 million, but on a team of his choosing, and maybe he's eyeing Seattle, like many impending UFA deals likely are doing.

And personally, we are looking at this after a high in Barrie, off the Ottawa series. He doesn't look nearly as good against the better teams. Barrie was always meant as a stop gap to Bouchard

The way that keeping Barrie makes sense is if our team gets the idea to trade Bouchard and/or Bear. I don't see that happening. But wow, of course if we do it is for some amazing opportunity and in that case I say go for it. Like for instance, our answer in net, at a decent cost. Something like that.

 

[XXIV97]

I’m sorry, but I completely doubt you get near PPG production out of Bouchard for at least 4-5 seasons.

Defensemen enter their prime around 27-28 years old. You don’t waste prime McDavid and Draisaitl to roll the dice on players that are currently in over their heads at the NHL level. The dude can’t even get into a lineup against the Sens and you expect him to replace Barrie’s production. You’re setting the kid and the team up for failure.

This ain’t it.

It does not matter if Bouchard can only have 0.50 PPG. It is about the roster makeup.

By my calculation, the Oilers will have around $26 M in cap space for next summer. The notable players that will need a contract will be Nugent-Hopkins, Yamamoto, Barrie, and Larsson. Here are there baseline numbers for me:

Nugent-Hopkins - $6 M
Barrie - $6 M
Yamamoto - $3.5 M
Larsson - $3.5 M

= $7 M leftover without factoring in the contracts for Khaira, Kahun, Ennis, and Haas:

Khaira - $1 M
Ennis - $1 M
Haas - $ 1M
= 4 M

How are we going to get address the other holes on our roster? If your answer is to buyout Neal, we will need to re-sign Nurse, Puljujarvi and Bear next offseason.

This ain't it.

 

[CanmoreMike]

It’s all early to be discussing these things but it is fun.

It all depends on what you have with Ethan Bear and what you think you’ll have in the coming years. If Bear is okay or better this year I think the best place to trade Bear is to Seattle for the right price. If they take a bad salary back like James Neal and give up a second round pick the Oilers will have plenty of cap space to retain Barrie, Larsson and Nuge.
Sucks. I like Bear. But for the right deal I’d love a right side of Barrie, Larsson and Bouchard.

 

[Oilhawks]

I wouldn't mind re-signing Barrie and Larsson if affordable (only if Bear is moved in a deal for 2nd pair LHD or something), but they need to upgrade on RNH. The problem is, can they find one?