Short Form Edmonton Oilers News Updates
By Phil Gretzky
Salary cap set to rise by $4.2 million next season
This will help the Oilers a little bit, but not a whole lot as most of that will be taken up by Connor Brown’s bonus of $3.225 million. Not to mention that new contracts will be needed for Brown, Desharnais, Warren Foegele, Mattias Janmark, James Hamblin, Adam Erne, Sam Gagner, Calvin Pickard, and Dylan Holloway.
None of those players will demand a lot of money by themselves, but collectively it’s death by 1000 cuts. If I had to guess, they won’t bring Erne back next season and will probably try to shave some cap off of Foegele’s next contract by giving him more term. Brown may or may not return next season but one thing’s for sure – he’ll still be cheap scoring help if they do bring him back.
I could see the team trying to bring everyone else on the list back.
It’s also worth noting the Oilers will need to keep an eye on the future, as McDavid needs a new contract two seasons after this one and Draisaitl the season after next. You know neither of those will be cheap, but they have to be done because the Oilers can’t lose either of those guys.
Want your voice heard? Join the Oil On Whyte team!
Ex-Oiler Jesse Puljujarvi joins the Pens on a free-agent tryout
Remember this guy? Well, the Penguins have a lot of injuries in their forward group right now, so they needed some help. Jesse Puljujarvi as of Dec. 10 got signed to a free agent tryout by the Pens to see if he is up to the job. I didn’t even know this was a thing, but, in this situation, the Pens are obligated to pay his expenses for 10 days, after which time they must make a decision on him.
Puljujarvi was traded to Carolina at last season’s deadline, where he got a hip injury he’s been rehabbing for the entire offseason and the first half of this season. We’ll see what the Pens do in the near future when this is up.
Ex-Oiler prospect Michael Kesselring making a name for himself in Arizona
It appears Michael Kesselring might be on the verge of making the NHL. Kesselring was traded to the Coyotes at last season’s trade deadline in exchange for renting Nick Bjugstad, who went on to re-sign with Arizona this past offseason.
Anyway, Kesselring who hadn’t put up any offence for the Coyotes’s farm team this season but did put up seven points in 10 games last season, was called up as an injury fill-in and has apparently been killing it. He’s 1-5-6 in 13 games with a +2, which means it will be tough for the Coyotes to send him back down once those guys come back.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens once the injured guys are ready to come back.
Next. What's behind the Oilers' recent turnaround?. dark
90s Ex-Oiler Drew Bannister named interim Blues head coach
With the Blues struggling in sixth place in the Central division, they’ve fired Craig Berube and promoted their farm team coach to interim head coach. Drew Bannister had previously played 35 games for the Oilers between 1996 and 1998.
Bannister started his coaching career immediately after his playing career wrapped up in the 2011-12 season, which ended for him in the German pro leagues. He’s paid his dues in the OHL and the AHL since then until he got his NHL shot now. Good on him – good luck, except of course when they play the Oilers.