Andrew Ference’s third season as an Edmonton Oiler came to a close on Thursday afternoon with the announcement of a season-ending surgery for the rearguard.
#Oilers defenceman Andrew Ference will undergo hip surgery and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 21, 2016
Ference played in only six games for the Oilers, none since late November in Detroit, and registered zero points and a -4 rating. To put it politely, this news has absolutely no barring on Edmonton’s current fortunes, Ference had been a non-factor for months.
What About 2016-17:
Andrew Ference is still under contract for one more season with the Oilers as part of the disastrous deal that Craig MacTavish signed him to in the summer of 2013. Ference, as part of that deal, will count against the salary cap next season with a hit of $3.250 million. That’s a pretty penny for a guy that can’t play at the NHL level anymore.
Common sense prior to this news was that Edmonton would find a way to get through this season while playing Ference minimally, something that they had done. Following the season, the Oil would simply buyout the remaining year of Ference’s deal. That would force them to only carry a cap hit for two years, not the four they would have endured had they bought him out last summer.
It’s worth noting that this very well still could be the game plan. Ference could be deemed healthy and therefore be bought out when it comes time in late June. The Oilers would get some money off the books and rid themselves of a contract.
However, if Ference is not deemed healthy, then the Oilers cannot buy him out of his deal in June. That would mean that the team is stuck with that contract on the books for a fourth season.
The Options:
The Oilers, if Ference is not healthy, have a few options here. They could simply put him on the LTIR for next season with lingering issues with his hip. That would eliminate Ference’s cap hit and would open up a roster spot for the team. That said, he would still count against the team’s 50 contract limit.
A trade is also an option. The Oilers could deal Ference to a team like Arizona, New Jersey or Florida that needs a contract to reach the cap floor. It would only be a one year issue for the club and, on the surface, it would benefit both organizations.
Edmonton could also play Ference next season, although that seems like a highly unlikely option. Ference proved to be too slow and ineffective this season in minimal work. Considering that there is already a logjam of bottom pairing defenders and that the team needs to improve the position, this is probably the last option. Ference retiring could also be on the table.
Final Thoughts:
The Oilers can avoid any headache if Ference is deemed healthy this June. If that is the case, then the team will be able to buy him out and move on with a minimal cap penalty for two seasons. That’s about five months from now so it’s possible that this could still be the case. Personally, I think it’s best case for the organization.
If not, I can see Edmonton placing him on IR again next year or finding a partner to take him to get that team to the cap floor. I think we have seen the end of Andrew Ference’s time in an Oiler jersey.
That all said, I want to take a second to say something about this guy, he’s an absolutely terrific person. Being from Boston, I got the joy of seeing him do some awesome stuff in this community during his time as a Bruin. Judging from things like Spider-Mable and other initiatives, he’s been just as big of a presence in Edmonton. He’s one of the best guys in the entire NHL.
Ference has had a helluva career, but time is catching up to him now, nothing wrong with that. I wish his tenure in Edmonton could have been better, really do.
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