The Edmonton Oilers have virtually no cap space at this point, just $225,000 below the max. But according to noted Oilers insider Bob Stauffer, a change is coming, and the Oilers current potential lineup, as it stands now, will not look the same coming Opening Night. Stauffer's self-proclaimed "nugget", from his sources, was dropped on his Oilers Now podcast this week (h/t David Staples in the Edmonton Journal), and suggests that Edmonton's top nine is due for a size upgrade.
I’m going to throw you a little nugget.. Some people brought up the issue of size up front. It’s our belief that the Oilers are not done, that you may see between now and when we drop the puck for the first game of the regular season, a change in the lineup. Maybe see Edmonton shed a contract.
I could foresee a scenario where Edmonton builds cap space. And then come the deadline, adds a bigger Top 9 forward in the mix.
As of now, the only true "size" on the frontline that the Oilers possess is Zach Hyman and the newly long-term locked-up Trent Frederic.
Stauffer goes on to suggest that Mattias Janmark and his $1.45 million cap hit is a likely victim to be shipped out in this scenario.
Janmark, 32, does have some size himself (6'2", 205 lbs), but just doesn't use it very much (at least not in the regular season), averaging 20 hits a season in his three years in Edmonton. But he is a solid checker who can kill penalties. He could have some value around the league, though his cap hit is a bit much for a fourth liner, with one more season on his contract after the upcoming one. He does own a 10-team no-trade list.
We'll see how much cap space the Oilers can accumulate as we go through the rest of the summer and the following months to go after that physicality they're looking to add in the top nine.
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