BY MIKE RIFKIN
For the first time in four years the Edmonton Oilers did not win a playoff series, as they were dispatched by the Anaheim Ducks in six games. The Oilers had been to the Stanley Cup Final each of the last two seasons. “ We were an average team all year. When you’re an average team with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed.” Those words were spoken by Connor McDavid, who prior to the season signed a two year extension to give the team ability to make moves. Now, with the clock ticking on McDavid’s future in Edmonton the question is what comes next?
The first question is who is going to eat the blame for not just losing in the first round, but the Oilers’ overall play this season? I know Bruce Cassidy is on the market, but I don’t know how you fire Kris Knoblauch after going to the Cup Final the prior two seasons? Now the person I would put some blame on is Stan Bowman. He clearly lost the Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry trade. Jarry only played in one playoff game, and in the regular season he played in 19 games (16 starts) and was 9-6-2 with a 3.86 GAA and a .858 save percentage. While Skinner went 12-9-5 in 27 games with the Penguins and had a 2.99 GAA and .885 save percentage. The other guy I felt the Oilers missed in the playoffs was Evander Kane, who was traded to the Canucks. Kane, in 68 playoff games with Edmonton Kane had 26 goals and 42 points.
The Oilers’ roster is filled with no movement clauses and they’ll have around 16 million in cap space. Could they find someone to take on Zach Hyman’s 5.5 million dollars through 2028-29, as he goes from a full no movement to a ten team no move? What will they do with Tristan Jarry, who is signed through 2029 at 5.375 million dollars? Can they finally find a way to move off the awful Darnell Nurse contract (9.25 through 2030)?
But every decision the Oilers make, they have to think about two things : First does this bring me closer to a Stanley Cup and the other : Will this make Connor McDavid happy? Because if the Oilers don’t win next season, and McDavid enters the final year of his contract, you run the risk of losing him for nothing. When you think of generational players, losing them for nothing is not an option. The Oilers will have a busy summer with a lot of decisions, but all eyes will be looking ahead to next summer, which could be the summer of McDavid.
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