A slightly surprising move this afternoon as the Edmonton Oilers have placed Benoit Pouliot on waivers for the purpose of a buyout. The team has already announced the move, and when Pouliot clears tomorrow the buyout will officially be executed.
Pouliot’s buyout will extend for the next four seasons, costing the Oilers $1,333,333 per season until the end of the 2020-21 campaign. The buyout will save Edmonton $2,666,667 million in each of the next two seasons, opening up a little more flexibility for the club.
What Does It Mean?:
This move is a little surprising because the Oilers already had enough money to re-sign Leon Draisaitl after the Eberle trade last week. I don’t think this buyout is at all connected to the impending deal between the Oilers and Leon. What I do think this means is that the Oilers like someone on the free agent market.
The names Patrick Marleau and Radim Vrbata really stick out to me, mainly because they both fit the Oilers and could provide some much needed goal scoring. Marleau would be a welcomed addition to the left wing group that lacks depth, while Vrbata would be the natural sniper among the right wing group and would allow Jesse Puljujarvi to develop.
It’s also worth noting that the Oilers waited until the last second to buyout Pouliot, with the first window closing tomorrow. Does that mean something has changed in the last few days? It certainly feels that way to me.
More as it happens.
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