Oil On Whyte
Fansided

Edmonton Oilers: 7 Affordable Free Agents That Would Help The Team

By Pelle

BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 05: New York Islanders Right Wing Jason Chimera (25) during player warm-ups prior to the start of a regular season NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Islanders on November 05, 2016, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by David Hahn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 05: New York Islanders Right Wing Jason Chimera (25) during player warm-ups prior to the start of a regular season NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Islanders on November 05, 2016, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by David Hahn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Edmonton Oilers
CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 08: Anthony Duclair #91 of the Chicago Blackhawks watches for the puck in the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center on March 8, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Honorable Mentions and Conclusion

Honorable Mentions: Anthony Duclair, Scottie Upshall, Matthew Peca, Daniel Winnik, and Dylan DeMelo.

Now to complete this exercise we need to pick four of those players above without going over $3.5M this year. I’d take these four:

  • Jason Chimera at 800k per year
  • Ryan Sproul at 750k per year
  • Daniel Carr at 875k per year
  • Kyle Brodziak at 950k per year

I like adding the vets (Chimera/Brodziak) because I want my young kids to outplay them for a spot on the roster and I want them around the locker room because I feel that the younger players could glean certain things from them and their experiences as young players starting out in Edmonton many years ago.

I take the right-handed PP defenseman in Sproul as insurance in case Evan Bouchard isn’t ready to go this year and because the Oilers still need a PP threat from the blue line.

And I take Daniel Carr because I like his energy and attitude. I think he’s got something to prove to the Montreal Canadiens for quitting on him and he’ll perform extra dutifully.

THE FINAL ROSTER

Nuge-McDavid-Rattie
Lucic-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi
Khaira-Strome-Kassian
Carr-Brodziak-Caggiula
Scratch: Aberg, Chimera

Nurse-Larsson
Klefbom-Sekera
Russell-Benning
Scratch: Sproul

So as impossible as it might look right now, the Edmonton Oilers CAN fill out the rest of the roster with $3.5M in cap room. The blanks might only be filled in with foot soldiers instead of knights.

Next: Is Chiarelli the Big Winner of the Draft?

What do you think? Did I forget anything? Let me know in the comments below.

Home/Free Agency