Elliotte Friedman noted during Saturday’s Headlines report that the Edmonton Oilers are trying to make moves ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. Before they can do everything they’d like, the team needs to clear out money, says the NHL insider. Friedman then noted that GM Ken Holland is calling around and trying to incentivize teams to take on a player with money linked to their deal.
For the Oilers, adding anything of significance this season likely means moving out a contract. Specifically, it probably means moving out a sizeable contract for a player who has money or term left on their deal. The most logical targets would be Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak , Warren Foegele, or Evander Kane . Kane has a no-move clause in his contract, so he’s far less likely. Ceci’s name has popped up in rumors before and the belief is the Oilers might see a need to upgrade their
Friedman didn’t name which player might be on the move, but it’s clear Edmonton can’t add a big-ticket pending UFA or another player with term unless a move happens first. Unlike many teams working in LTIR, the Oilers are relatively healthy. They don’t have free money to spend because a big contract is out injured.
