EDMONTON — It’s down to the short strokes for the Edmonton Oilers, a team that has twice now been vanquished by the eventual Stanley Cup winner.
The Oilers need to get better — no one would dispute that. But the margins for improvement, after four years of Ken Holland’s build, are smaller than ever before.
Think casings and baseboards, not framing walls and installing windows. Think Bluetooth and cup holders, not engine blocks or drivetrains.
Sounds easy? Well, over the years, how many teams have we seen stall at this moment in the journey?
The San Jose Sharks were very good but never great. The Vancouver Canucks built and built, and then lost in a Stanley Cup appearance that they could never duplicate.
The Dallas Stars have played the third-most playoff games in the past five years, behind only Tampa and Vegas. But they haven’t won, and weren’t particularly close to Vegas this spring.
In Edmonton, the ascent has been slower than hoped, but undeniably, they have been a better team each season under Holland than they were the last.
Now, with five playoff rounds under their belts in the last two post-seasons, the 2023-24 season was described as such by Oilers winger Zach Hyman:
“Going into next year, everyone’s mindset should be: ‘We’re winning a Stanley Cup or it’s a failure of a season. There’s no consolation prize.’ This is the worst I’ve felt after a loss in my career. And it’s not going to get better.”
So, how to improve when you’re capped out with important young restricted free agents Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod to re-sign?
Edmonton’s needs are most acute in three places: upgrading on right winger Kailer Yamamoto, second-pair defence and fourth-line centre. Rumours, as NHL Draft week approaches, are circulating.
Yamamoto will be harder to move and is a potential buyout candidate, though there are six or seven teams at the bottom of the standings that could afford the kind of role the Oilers have given him over the past few seasons, and he could contribute.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that teams are asking for Warren Foegele in trade talks ahead of Yamamoto, but the big, fast-skating Foegele was effective this spring. He’s not untouchable by any means, but the Oilers rather liked Foegele in his second season in Edmonton. He would leave a hole if moved out, one that would pressure young Dylan Holloway to fill.
Yet, somehow, Edmonton needs to find a way to toughen up a top nine that last season included Yamamoto, McLeod and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They need more size, strength and aggression than that trio can give — especially come playoff time.
Right winger Travis Konecny is said to be available from Philadelphia, but he makes $5.5 million (for two more seasons). Asked recently by The Athletic if he could add another high-priced player, Holland’s answer was succinct: “No chance.”
But, alas, there’s always a chance …
Would Philly take Cody Ceci’s $3.25-million cap hit, and Foegele’s $2.75 million as part of the return? It might, if a sweetener like Xavier Bourgault or a second-rounder were part of the package.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that the Carolina Hurricanes will act on defenceman Brett Pesce before the draft, if he does not sign an extension. Pesce, a right-shot, six-foot-three stud of a defenceman, would be perfect next to Darnell Nurse.
But Edmonton would have to clear $4 million in cap space, include a top prospect (Holloway or Philip Broberg) and perhaps its second-round draft pick (or a future first) — all for a player the Oilers likely can not afford to sign a year from now.
Of course, if you win a Cup, it’s worth it.
The Dallas Stars once traded future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla before he’d ever played an NHL game. The Stars won a Cup with former Flame Joe Nieuwendyk as their captain, and if they had to do all over again, they’d do the exact same deal.
There is some talk in Edmonton about Jonathan Toews at 4C, pushing the newly re-signed Derek Ryan to a preferred spot at right wing. Toews is at a crossroads, done with the Blackhawks but reportedly unsure about what comes next.
At 35, Toews would be a one-year, $1-million signing, and could potentially help a young Ryan McLeod the way Mattias Ekholm did Bouchard last season.
But there are serious issues ongoing with Toews, whose health has betrayed him in recent years. Duncan Keith, the Oilers scout/advisor whose portfolio will be increased by Holland this coming season, has been put in charge of monitoring the Toews front.
Toews needs to get his head around hitting the gym for one more run at a Cup before his Hall of Fame career comes to a close. If not, then it’s been a helluva run. But given his age, the Oilers — or any team — can’t have 50 per cent of whatever Toews has left in the tank.
They’ll need it all, and he’ll have to figure out if he is willing and able to give it.
