What’s Next?

Following a disappointing and overall quiet NHL draft day on Sunday, the Oilers re-grouped on Monday and are ready to try and make some moves. Free agency opens Wednesday with a talking period before players can actually sign at noon time on Friday. Will the Oilers be active? I 100% believe so, but how active is the question.

Here’s a quick run down of what I think just might happen this week in Oil Country….

Gagner Gets Resolved: One way or another, I think this thing gets settled this week, and I still believe that Sam re-signs in Edmonton. The Maple Leafs just gave up three picks for Dave Bolland, so I think that takes them out of the conversation here. Sam will get somewhere around four years with $4.75 M per season and be Edmonton’s second line center next season.

Trade For Horcoff Gets Done: The Fourth Period reported on their website last week that a Horcoff trade involving multiple pieces could get done in the next week, and I tend to believe they might be right there. The Oilers want this Horcoff thing settled by July 4th so they can get on with building their roster and not having to buy him out.

I think we see the captain move on at some point very soon.

Buy-outs?: Have to believe Edmonton uses at least one of their compliance buy-outs here. I think it is set in stone that Eric Belanger will be one. The Oilers tried dealing Belanger for something, anything, this weekend and came out empty handed. I assume he gets bought out on Wednesday or Thursday. It’s the right move.

Ben Eager is a candidate as well, but something tells me he won’t get bought out and that he will get a long look at camp this September. With Eakins running the show, maybe a fire can be lit under him. We’ll have to see.

Trades: Don’t believe for a second that the Oilers are done dealing. I imagine the Oilers will still add a defenseman through trade at some point in the next week plus. The prime target is still Flyers defender Brayden Coburn. Look, something has to give with Philly, and I still believe that something is Coburn.

This is how Paul Holmgren does his business. He’ll dance with you and stall till the last possible second. I beleive that is what he is doing here, and I expect both sides to pick up talk again soon, if it hasn’t already picked up.

I also think Edmonton might be making a call to Columbus to see if Fedor Tyutin is on the block. He’d be another solid fit for the Oilers top four. As would Boston defender Johnny Boychuk, who could be made available depending on Boston’s cap situation.

I think the Oilers land someone to compliment Justin Schultz, Smid and Petry, and I still believe that someone is Coburn.

Free Agent Frenzy: I expect the Oilers to be in on this too. GM Craig MacTavish will try and make his big splash with a free agent. I fully expect the full-court press to bring Nathan Horton to Edmonton, and I think he will be Edmonton’s number one priority when the talking period opens.

I think you’ll see the Oilers make a lot of calls on a lot of different forwards too. Clarke MacArthur is a real option if the team strikes out on Horton. Manny Malhotra, Boyd Gordon and Max Lapierre all fit needs in the bottom six at center, and I suspect MacT will make a call on all three of them.

Bottom six forwards like Danny Cleary, Chad Larose, Matt Cullen, Mason Raymond, Matt Cooke, Eric Nystrom and Blake Comeau could all be options to fill wing spots for Edmonton, and I suspect the Oilers talk to most of the players listed.

So…..: Overall, I think the moves Craig MacTavish talked about start to happen this week. He knows this team needs help on the blue-line, that’s why he was all over Holmgren on the draft floor Sunday. He knows this team needs a power-forward, it’s why Nathan Horton has been rumored for a few weeks now. He knows the bottom six needs help, he’s only said it 100 times.

This week we start to see some action from the Oilers. It’s about time too.

More as it happens, follow me on twitter @Alex_Thomas14.