First off make decisions on the RFAs, and move the ones you don’t keep for picks, we need more forwards in the system that can bubble up and give us low-cost scoring during our years at the cap.
I’d keep Nurse and that’s it, Strome isn’t good enough for his $3M QO and the other players’ lack of being able to handle NHL roles are a big reason we ended up where we are.
Chia’s season strategy of letting the young kids grow into NHL roles was an abject failure and we can’t go back to it, the Oilers need to rework their hockey ops and AHL staff for player development.
Strome, Benning and Slepyshev should have some trade value, the others may need their rights renounced. I’d not re-sign a player like Caggiula at a $1M cap hit and send him to the AHL either, that would take the space of a prospect we need to develop.
That clears some cap to add lower priced FAs who are at least league average NHL players, some could stabilize the bottom six lines covering the toughs and on the PK.
I doubt very much that any of the players with NMCs get moved or bought out. Next summer, Russell and Sekera are movable, and both players will be useful next season. Lucic needs an offseason focusing on fitness, skating and nutrition, since his contract is immovable.
Then go hunting for a quality shooter at the wing, another lesser shooter for Leon’s line and the offensive RHD.
I see our trade block as: a pick swap to a lower first this year, Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, next year’s first rounder, Nuge and Klefbom.