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Top Contracts Edmonton Needs To Get Rid Of

May 21, 2019, 5:58 PM ET [85 Comments]
Sean Maloughney
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT


The biggest need the Oilers must address this summer is additional depth in their forward ranks. At the top end, McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins are one of the best groups of three in the entire league, but after that the remaining group leaves much to be desired.

To pile on, Edmonton fans can't even pretend to speculate on the likes of a Nylander, Duchene, or Panarin being added to the group due to the severely limited cap space available to the Oilers. Last season, Edmonton spent the third most dollars on their roster while finishing 25th. The only team that spent more, only to earn fewer standings points were the Detroit Red Wings (whose GM is now in charge of Edmonton).

Ken Holland has his work cut out for him and in order for him to have some breathing space to try and improve this roster, some salary needs to come off the books. Here in order, is my thoughts on the players that need to come off the books in Edmonton.


7.) Kyle Brodziak

The veteran centre is starting to show some wear and tear and as the year progressed it became clear his best days were behind him. Having a fourth line centre making 1.15 million is not egregious by any means but in a league where every dollar counts, moving Brodziak for a 6th round pick and having the cheaper Colby Cave on the 4th line is simply good management.

6.) Andrej Sekera

Could the Oilers use the 5.5 million dollars Andrej Sekera is making to go out and address the need for a defenceman who can play tough minutes and make a pass? Absolutely. Could Andrej Sekera once again be that player? Also highly likely. If there is a deal that moves Sekera while obtaining a useful piece than the Oilers should certainly look at it, but Sekera is not the player to give up additional picks or prospects simply to move. The veteran defender showed this season that when actually healthy he can play a very cerebral game and he has continued to show that at the World Championships.

If I had to choose four players currently on the Oilers roster to play in the top four next season, they would be Larsson, Klefbom, Nurse, and Sekera.

5.) Sam Gagner

I like Gagner and believe that as the team is currently constructed, he can offer something to the Oilers... just likely not in the 3.1 million dollar range. Most fans would agree that Sam Gagner is a better option than Ryan Spooner. These same fans would also agree that Ryan Strome is a better option than either but hey...hind-sight is 20/20 and no one could have possibly seen moving Strome for Spooner being a bad idea.

4.) Mikko Koskinen

Paying a starting goaltender 4.5 million dollars is not a bad deal at all. The question remains going into yet another season whether or not the Oilers have a starting goalie. The second half of last season painted a picture of a goalie with a glaring weakness that the rest of the league was quick to jump on. The fact that the jury remains out on Mikko is a huge red flag for this coming year.

3.) Brandon Manning

Friendly reminder that Brandon Manning and his contract were looked at as untradeable by most of the league prior to Chiarelli doing just that. Manning played a mere 12 games for Edmonton before being banished to the AHL. If Manning is in the NHL the team is on the hook for a cap-hit of 2.25 million but only 1.175 if he is in the minors. Considering that it is only for next season it doesn't signal the end of days, however that 1.175 could be used for a Brandon Pirri or similar depth forward instead.

Though Manning may not cost the team as much in dollars as a Sam Gagner, this one is third on the list due to the fact that Gagner can at least provide NHL level offense while Manning would be nothing more than a hindrance.

2.) Kris Russell

The 32 year old third pairing defender who is paid like a second pairing defender is the second most needed player to be traded on my list. Kris Russell has been a controversial player since the moment he stepped into the City of Edmonton. The old-school guys like to throw around words like cowboy and warrior when talking about his shot-blocking prowess while those who prefer a more analytical approach are quick to question why it seems Russell needs to block shots on every shift.

Prior to this season, Russell had a NMC (thanks Pete) but starting July 1st, Russell must submit a list of 10 teams he would be open to being traded to. Russell shouldn't be playing more than 12-14 minutes a night which puts him in third pairing territory and the Oilers through some decent drafting and poor trades have a plethora of third pairing D-men. They don't need to be spending 4 million a year on another one.

1.) Milan Lucic

Obviously #27 comes in at #1. The Milan Lucic contract has been an albatross on this team since the moment it was signed. The biggest debate after Lucic was signed by the Oilers, wasn't if the contract was ever going to look bad... it was when. Despite scoring 50 points in his first year with Edmonton, Lucic's 5 on 5 numbers have tanked since Day 1. Lucic now scores at a 4th line pace despite being paid top 6 dollars.

The fact that the Oilers are on the hook for 6 million a year until the end of the 2022/2023 season, the NMC, and the value they are receiving from the player all make this a contract Edmonton desperately needs to escape from... which also makes it the most difficult to do so.

The "How To Trade Lucic" blog is coming one of these days; but until then, if Edmonton is able to trade this contract while retaining no more than 2 million in salary, a massive number of other options suddenly open for the Oilers this summer.

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What are your thoughts fans? Which contracts do you want the Oilers to move out this summer?
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