2 Ideal Free Agent Targets for the Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are very close to having a team ready to make a push for a Stanley Cup. After years of hopelessness and straight up sadness with constant playoff misses, repeated failed off-seasons and lackluster goaltending, the team finds themselves close to becoming true championship contenders.

With the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the league at #1 and #2 in points in the NHL, the Oilers have finally begun filling out depth positions all around their lineup. Bringing in forwards Zach Hyman, Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, and the mid-season signing of Evander Kane, along with acquiring defensemen Brett Kulak who has played exceptional since his departure from Montreal, and Duncan Keith, who had extremely low expectations coming in, but began playing quite well defensively, and has added a little bit of offence, while being a veteran voice off the ice.

The Oilers do have their issues though, and they’re very obvious. The lack of consistent goaltending hurts the team on a nightly basis, and as Smith and Koskinen get older, it’s not going to become any easier. The lack of discipline at the end of games, has recently been leading to late collapses, but luckily enough, haven’t heard the team too bad.

This off-season is incredibly important for the blue and orange, as they have a lot of decisions to make off the ice as far as coaching personnel with Woodcroft requiring an extension to stay around, as well as on the ice, where the Oilers have less than ideal cap space to work with compared to other teams.

Oilers Current UFA’s

Puljujarvi, Kane, Yamamoto and McLeod are 4 key forwards who all have expiring contracts, as well as defensemen Brett Kulak, who will very likely be looking for a decent pay raise in order to stay in Edmonton. But, that aside, the team still needs to look in free agency, for some cheap, but smart options to help turn the team into a true championship team.

Rickard Rakell

The first ideal target for the Oilers, is recently traded Pittsburg Penguins forward Rickard Rakell. The 28 year old Swedish left winger was traded from the Ducks at the trade deadline to help Pittsburgh make a push for the cup and in 58 games played this season, Rakell has 33 points.

Rakell’s contract is up at the end of the season, and he’ll likely be looking to contend around the league, and look for a Stanley Cup caliber team. Rakell could step into the Oilers lineup as a middle 6 forward, who could play anywhere between lines 1-3, and can be trusted all around the ice.

Rakell will be considering many options, and he won’t be as cheap as other options on the market, but if the Oilers move the right pieces and free up some money, the team could lock him up for 3-4 years, with a $3-4M AAV.

Ryan Murray

The second ideal off-season target for the Oil, is D man, Ryan Murray, who the Oilers have had interest in, in the past, but haven’t been able to sign. The 28 year old has put up 4 points in 37 games this season while battling injuries in a star studded Avalanche lineup.

The reason I say Murray could help out the team’s blue line, is he won’t be looking for a raise. He’ll be looking for a short term, 1-2 year deal, sitting around $1-1.5M AAV, which the Oilers can very much afford.

The former 2nd overall pick has a +/- of -3 this season with the Colorado Avalanche, and there’s a good chance he looks for a change of scenery come this off-season. If Murray were to come to Edmonton, he would likely play in the bottom 4 on the left side, either with Bouchard, Ceci or Barrie as his partner.

Ideally, with Murray, the d pairings should look like this:

Nurse-Ceci

Kulak-Bouchard

Murray-Barrie

Keith

Keith will likely decline in his final year of his contract with Edmonton, but it’s very unlikely he gets bought out, or retires. The veteran would likely still play a decent amount of games, and if Murray’s injuries continue, Keith is definitely a trustworthy D man to place in the bottom 4 of the lineup.

These signings not only help the Oilers turn into contenders, but also creates internal battles every night for lineup spots, which is something the Oilers haven’t had in a while. The depth the team could have just with these 2 players, on top of if their able to lock up the 4 forwards listed before, and Brett Kulak, would be scary for any opponent.