Tomorrow, the Oilers will see a second buy-out window open up. For 48 hours, Edmonton will have the chance to buy-out a player, and there are three prime candidates. Who are they? Defenders Nikita Nikitin and Andrew Ference, and forward Teddy Purcell.
I’ve laid out the possibilities here, and I’ve touched on the dollar amounts that would be due, and for how long. Personally, I’m in favor of using a buy-out, I think the Oilers are better off without Nikitin on the roster.
That said, some big time Oiler insiders don’t think the team will use the window to rid themselves of a bad contract. The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson, Oilers Now’s Bob Stauffer, and TSN 1260’s Jason Gregor all believe the team will stand pat here.
It isn’t the sexy option, but keeping the powder dry might not be Edmonton’s worst option.
Why It Makes Sense:
Buying out a player gives Edmonton immediate cap relief. In the case of Nikitin, $3 million dollars in cap space would be opened up to spend this summer, that’s a big damn deal. Edmonton also would have a liability off of their roster, a player who was mistake prone last year. I’ve said it thousands of times, Nikitin was Edmonton’s worst player last season.
Teddy Purcell would also open up $3 million for this season, but he’s a solid top-nine NHL forward who may have value come deadline time, that is, if Edmonton ends up selling this year. Ference? Well the money there would extend for four years, which is far too long. That extends into McDavid’s second contract, that’s a big no-no.
In addition to cap space being opened up and a player being off the roster, it would allow Edmonton the chance to add. Christian Ehrhoff and Cody Franson are still on the market right now, and both could really help Edmonton. Clearing this cap space up and opening a spot could put Edmonton in the running for one of these players.
Buying out Nikitin and adding a player like Christian Ehrhoff is smart, it just makes sense and it improves the Edmonton Oilers. Isn’t that the goal?
Why It Doesn’t Make Sense:
Are the Edmonton Oilers going to be a great team this season? They’ll be better, but they probably still miss the post-season next year. Why have a cap hit into 2016-17 when you could just get rid of it next June? If you don’t need the cap space now, why bother hurting yourself down the line?
The Oilers have the option of sending Nikitin to the AHL as well. While it won’t give the team tons of cap relief, it will move the player off the roster and it will save at least something on the salary cap. Again, not the sexy move, but a real alternative.
A trade could be possible as well, something that Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer has mentioned before. Could the Oilers eat half of Nikitin’s salary and move him to a team like Arizona, Florida or New Jersey, who need to add salary? What about a team like Buffalo, who is looking to add a defender but may strike out on the remaining options? Los Angeles fits into this category as well.
If the Oilers could complete a trade, they would save cap space AND acquire some sort of asset. It won’t be anything great, but I’d be willing to take a 5th round pick to move a discounted contract off of the roster.
If the Oilers hold onto all three of these players, then they’ll have Nikitin and Purcell gone for free next June. No cap penalty in 2016-17, free to spend on a top-pairing defender or anything they please.
It might suck in the short term, but it could also be the safe play. As Stauffer mentioned on his show Thursday, it might be smart to keep the keg dry and wait for a bigger option down the road. The favorite option of media and fans alike? Brent Seabrook.
The Verdict:
I’d buy-out Nikitin and sign either Cody Franson or Christian Ehrhoff, but I don’t think Edmonton does that. I’m getting the feeling that the Oilers stand-pat here, which I think is a mistake. There are very good defenders that could be had for below market value, good teams take advantage of that.
That all said, if Edmonton has no plans to sign another UFA, then they might as well let the window pass. There is no need to create a cap penalty next season if they aren’t going to use the space this season. There is also the possibility that a team that strikes out might look to acquire Nikitin or Ference on the cheap. Is it ideal? No, but it’s a viable option.
Unless Edmonton is going to sign Franson or Ehrhoff, or trade for a guy like Brent Seabrook, then using a buy-out really makes no sense.
Tomorrow, we’ll get a good idea of what the answer will be. The next phase of the off-season is here.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
