As the dog days of summer hit, I’ll be looking at a few teams still in salary cap trouble who could be of assistance come September and early October for teams like the Edmonton Oilers. Last year, it was the Boston Bruins, who dealt Johnny Boychuk, and the Chicago Blackhawks, who dealt Nick Leddy, that were in this spot.
This year, Chicago is again in the hole, but they are joined by some new teams, like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.
Currently, the Lightning are over the cap by about $667,000, according to GeneralFanager.com. That means that something has to give between now and the opening of the season in October. Do the Bolts have any players that would help Edmonton?
Of course they do, but do they have any that they would be willing to part with that could help? The answer to that question is yes as well.
D Matt Carle:
A $5.5 million cap hit for the next three seasons is a lot, meaning Carle could be had on the cheap from the Bolts. He’s a decent puck-moving defender who can log power-play time and put up some points for a hockey club.
He’s a good skater, isn’t a defensive liability by any means, and possesses a very strong first-pass. If you’ve watched Edmonton in recent years, you would know that the first-pass from the defenders has been a major issue.
Carle is a minute munching defender and can play in the top-four at the NHL level. At this point, he’s probably best suited as a power-play option and second-pairing guy at even strength.
D Braydon Coburn:
At $4.5 million on the cap and a pending UFA, recently acquired D Braydon Coburn could be an option to go for the Bolts. Even though Tampa Bay gave up a massive price at the trade deadline for him, Coburn represents a surplus. The Bolts have a plethora of top-four defenders, and it is likely that the former Flyer tests the market next July.
Coburn is a big guy, standing in at 6’5” and 220 pounds. He uses that frame too, as the big guy plays a very physical style of hockey. He’s willing to throw a big hit and throw the fists when need be. He’s also a solid shut-down defender, with very good defensive instincts to his game.
He can handle big minutes, something he did in Philadelphia, and can move the puck up the ice when need be, although it isn’t his strong suit.
As we see here, Coburn is a top-four defender at the NHL-level. He’s not terrible at creating offense, but his game is obviously preventing the other team from doing it. Personally, I think he would be a great fit with Andrej Sekera on Edmonton’s top-pairing.
He is 30 years old however, and does provide risk as he is a pending UFA. Considering the cost for Tampa Bay at the deadline, I’d say he’s an expensive target. Too bad, he’d fit the Chiarelli mold quite well.
D Jason Garrison:
The best of the bunch is offensive defender Jason Garrison, who has three more years left on his deal that pays him $4.6 million per year. That’s a lot of cash for a guy who is a second-pairing defender in Tampa Bay.
Garrison is 30 years, but he shows no signs of slowing down. The 6’3”, 222 pound puck-mover played an average of 20 minutes a night last year, signaling that he was a top-four option for the Bolts.
He has a massive shot from the point and can run a power-play, something he did effectively in Tampa Bay this past season. He can post offense, evident by his 30 points this past year, and he can move like the wind. A good combination.
He moves the puck extremely well, and avoids the danger areas. He’s an offensive defender without the chaos aspect of his game. Imagine that?
His time on ice suggests third-pairing, but everything else is clearly in the range of a top-four defender. On a good team, he’s likely a number three or four, but he would be Edmonton’s number two defender, no debate.
Is There A Fit?:
If Tampa enters camp above the cap, they will be desperate to make something happen before early October. Edmonton needs another top-four defender, and could be sitting pretty here. None of these contracts are pretty, but these are some very good players who could help.
I’d love to see Jason Garrison’s offensive ability with this group of forwards. I think Todd McLellan could work wonders with him on the power-play. Matt Carle wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.
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