Edmonton Oilers: Best Addition And Worst Subtraction Of The Summer

Now that the off-season seems to be slowing down, we have a pretty good idea of every team's roster heading into this upcoming year. In this segment, we will be going over the best addition and worst subtraction for each of them. Something important to note is that players who were re-signed or given extensions will not be eligible for the "best addition" section. The same applies for picks from this year's NHL Entry Draft.

In this piece, we will be looking at the Edmonton Oilers. They went through a ton of changes this off-season and it will be intriguing to see how they do as a result of them. They also were able to re-sign key players Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Tyson Barrie, which will certainly benefit them. The primary goal for them is to simply improve from last season.

Best Addition: Zach Hyman LW

Out all of their new additions, Zach Hyman is the one who stands out. The 29-year-old winger cemented himself as a top-six forward in this league with the Toronto Maple Leafs because of his hard work ethic. In 43 games this past season, he scored 15 goals and had 33 points. He also had 21 goals and 37 points in 51 games the season before. If he's utilized on a line with Connor McDavid, he should have no trouble producing similar totals.

There are a few of honorable mentions worth addressing, too. Defensemen Cody Ceci and Duncan Keith should also be beneficial to the roster, even if some fans are criticizing those moves. Warren Foegele also was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in a swap for Ethan Bear. He's a solid third-liner who has some upside.

Worst Subtraction: Adam Larsson D

There were a handful of subtractions this off-season in Edmonton, but Adam Larsson is the most notable. The 28-year-old defenseman was selected by the Kraken at the Expansion Draft and signed with them. In 56 games this past season, he scored four goals and had six assists. Although he was never a huge point-producer for them, his defense-first nature and overall reliability will be missed on their blueline.

Bear is also a notable loss, as he has the potential to bounce back from a rough season and is still only 24 years old. They also lost other players like Caleb Jones, Jujhar Khaira and Alex Chaisson. Yet, none of those three come close to the Larsson departure.

Check out our last piece on the Ottawa Senators here. In our next installment, we will be discussing the New York Rangers.