With NHL free agency a couple of days away and the NHL draft wrapping up today, the offseason is just starting to heat up. There already have been lots of big-name trades and players being bought out. The Edmonton Oilers have yet to dip their toes in the water though. One player that I think is going to be bought out by another team is Blake Wheeler from the Winnipeg Jets.
Wheeler is currently the highest-paid Jets player with a cap hit of $8.25 million per season. He is in the last year of that contract, so a buy-out would be an option for the Jets.
If the Jets were to buy out Wheeler they would save $5.5 million this year while only having $2.75 million of dead space next season. It would also save them real money as he would only get paid $5.5 million vs the $8.25 he would get otherwise.
If Blake Wheeler was bought out, he would become an unrestricted free agent and could sign with any team he wants. This is where the Edmonton Oilers would potentially be able to get him for a much cheaper deal.
Why Would The Edmonton Oilers Take A Chance On Blake Wheeler?
Just like the potential of bringing in Jonathan Toews, Blake Wheeler would supply the Edmonton Oilers with veteran, high-skilled depth in their lineup. Wheeler would be a Swiss Army Knife for the Oilers.
Wheeler would be able to play in pretty much every type of scenario the team would put him in. He is a solid player in all aspects of the game whether that be short-handed, even strength, in the offensive zone or in his own end. He can be trusted everywhere.
This is the type of player the Oilers are going to be looking for this offseason in their bottom six. If you are going to get one you might as well get one that has been in the league a long time. We can’t also forget the fact that he has 65 playoff games under his belt as well.
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The fact that he would be coming off a buyout is the only chance the Edmonton Oilers would be able to afford him. He would be already getting paid by the Jets $5.5 million. This means if the Oilers signed him to a $1 million deal he would still be bringing home $6.5 million a year. That’s not too bad for him to come to play for a Stanley Cup contender.