Three Players The Edmonton Oilers Could Still Trade

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.

Tyson Barrie- $4.5 Million

Tyson Barrie is the perfect player for the Edmonton Oilers to try an move. He is still a skilled a valuable player in the NHL. He has the ability to run the powerplay and his puck moving skills are still near the top in the league.

With the emergence of Evan Bouchard last season has made Barrie expendable. Bouchard has shown us that he has the ability to play top 4 minutes as well as run the point on the powerplay.

Tyson Barrie to me is still better than Bouchard on the powerplay, but Bouchard is the better defender and he is only going to get better as he gains experience. Last season Woodcroft had Barrie in the third pairing and Bouchard in the second pairing.

This shows me that Woodcroft has more trust in Bouchard in defending. So, at this point you are basically paying $4.5 million for a powerplay specialist. This doesn’t make much sense considering the fact that Bouchard is the future in that spot.

The $4.5 million that Barrie is getting paid could be much better used on a player in more impactful role. It could also be used to extend the RFA’s that still need to be signed. Yamamoto, Puljujarvi and McLeod all have more impact on a game than Barrie does.

Warren Foegele- $2.75 Million

Warren Foegele is in a spot on this Edmonton Oilers lineup where he fills his bottom six role perfectly, it is just his cap hit is too high for what he does on a game to game basis. Just like Tyson Barrie he is still a solid player, but he replaceable for a cheaper cap hit.

Foegele had an average season last year with the Edmonton Oilers. Personally when they traded for Foegele I thought he would have a bigger impact than what he did. He would have a bug impact one game and be virtually invisible in the next game.

For his $2.75 million cap hit he should be reliable. At his cap hit right now he is just to inconsistent for this team moving forward. He still haas two more full seasons with that contract as well.

Having more years left on his contract could make him more appealing for a team looking to acquire him. This should help Ken Holland make a move more easier. With the fact that Dylan Holloway is likely ready to start in the NHL he could fill Foegele’s spot on the roster and with a much cheaper cap hit.

That is why I think of the bottom six players remaining, Warren Foegele is the likely trade candidate.