The Oilers have been looking for skilled size for what seems like forever. This July, a big forward with a lot of skill will hit the free agent market, and it is a player that the Oilers are familiar with, and have shown interest in in the past. It’s current Sens forward and former Shark Milan Michalek.
Why Is He Out There?:
The Senators aren’t willing to spend money, or they can’t, I’m not sure which is the real deal. Anyway, Michalek is going to get a decent chunk of change on the free agent market, and the Senators do not appear willing to be the team that gives it to him. The Sens are also looking to change things up after a disappointing fall from the post-season this year, and Michalek is one of those changes.
This is a good player that produced decently well in Ottawa, but the team wants to change the roster and isn’t willing to pay the cash, so he’s heading to the open market.
What Does He Do Well?:
Michalek brings size to the table, which the Oilers love, clocking in at 6’2” and 216 pounds. He’s a big boy, he’s been around those brutes in California before, and he’s had some success doing it during his days as a Shark. He’s only 29 too, so he’ still got some pretty good years left in the tank.
Michalek is a good skater that possess some speed according to scouts, and is a guy that not only has size, but has some pretty good strength as well. The Hockey News says he is polished in both ends of the ice, and is a guy that can be used in any situation. The Oilers don’t have many players like that, and certainly could use one.
His offensive is steady, and he’d be a nice secondary scorer to have behind Hall, Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins. He scored 17 goals this past year and had 39 points in 82 games, while he scored 14 points in an injury shortened season that saw him play in 23 games in 2013. That’s the one knock on him, injuries.
His Corsi For % is really nice, as he clocked in at 51.9 % on a team that finished in the bottom ten in the standings this past season. He was at 56.1% last year, and was great in ten playoff games too, posting a 53.8% mark. He’s been over 50% every season he has been in Ottawa, and has been a great possession player for the Sens.
Milan Michalek is a good possession player with size, a knack for a little physical play, and the ability to score some points. Add on that he is a two-way winger, and one gets the feeling he might be the ideal fit for a team like Edmonton on July 1st.
Where Will He Play, and Where Should He Play?:
Milan Michalek is a left winger, and he isn’t Taylor Hall, so if he were to sign in Edmonton, he’d play on the second line. This is exactly where he should play too, judging by his stats, so he’d be a perfect fit for the Oilers based on that.
This would mean that David Perron would move over to the right side, or get traded. Ideally, he gets moved to the right side or to the third line with Boyd Gordon, who he had success with this past season.
What Will He Cost?:
Money, and lots of it. Milan Michalek checks off a lot of boxes not only for the Oilers, but likely for a number of teams around the league. He’s not a sexy name, but he’s likely to be highly sought after. Michalek is coming off of a deal that paid him $4.3 M per season.
He’ll want a raise on that, and will likely cost at least $4.5 M per year for four years.
Closing Argument:
Milan Michalek is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Oilers. He’s a winger with size and physical play, good possession numbers, and decent offensive product. He’s not a sexy name, but he is a really good player and he checks off a lot of the boxes that the Oilers need to fill this off-season up front.
If Edmonton wants to add size that can play with skill to their top-six, then Milan Michalek has to be at or near the top of the list for Craig MacTavish.
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