With it being more than 10 days since the start of free agency most of the teams are finished adding free agent players. There are still a few big names out there, but most have found their homes. This means if a team wants to improve they will need to make trades. The Edmonton Oilers are no different.
If the Edmonton Oilers want to get better they are going to have to be willing to move assets as well as move salary. So far this offseason the Edmonton Oilers have made one trade. That being trading Zack Kassian to the Arizona Coyotes as a salary dump.
I predict the Edmonton Oilers will still make a few moves over the following months coming up to the start of the season. There are still a few holes in this roster that need to be filled. In order to fill those they will need to move out personnel and cap to make room for them.
In order to make a trade both teams need to gain something and there is no team that is going to just help out the Edmonton Oilers by taking in cap from nothing, the Kassian trade was an example. The Oilers had to give up some picks in order to free up the Kassian cap space.
So if the Edmonton Oilers want to make a move they are going to have to find a team with a whole that needs to be filled with a player type that Edmonton has excess of. The Oilers can’t trade away players that help them either. It is going to be quite the balance.
I have put together a list of three players for the Edmonton Oilers that fit this mould. Whether it frees up cap space or brings in potentially skilled player, both are important for the Edmonton Oilers moving forward.