Offseason Roundup: Edmonton Oilers
Over the next month, theScore's NHL editors will review all the offseason moves for each team around the league.
It was a comedy of errors last season for the Edmonton Oilers and first-year head coach Dallas Eakins. From discarded jerseys to exploding water bottles and even a brief cameo from Ilya Bryzgalov, slapstick doesn't begin to describe the franchise's eighth straight season on the periphery.
The team that has been two years away for a half decade now may still be just as far, but it will be a different group attempting to bring a winner back to the Alberta capital this season.
Offseason Roundup
It was addition by subtraction immediately at the offseason's outset when Oilers legend Ryan Smyth skated in his final NHL game. Since returning to Edmonton, the throwback forward had been a glorified barricade. Playing in all situations, Smyth stunted the development of young players looking for opportunity to cut their teeth, and needed to move on before the Oilers were to truly take the next step.
Edmonton hired former Hockey Canada CEO Bob Nicholson to oversee the team's business operations before the Oilers offseason began, in earnest, in the lead-up to the draft in late June.
Craig MacTavish's offseason remodelling began with what might be considered the greatest indictment on his hockey club: being able to convert a fifth-round pick into the team's highest-paid defenseman. But the general manager did just that, acquiring Nikita Nikitin in a sign-and-trade type deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 28-year-old, who agreed to a two-year, $9 million deal, could be looked upon to provide steady defensive support for the free-wheeling Justin Schultz.
On draft night, Edmonton drafted Prince Albert Raiders center Leon Draisaitl with the third-overall selection. The hulking German national brings a scoring pedigree similar to Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov, but adds a skillset unique to Edmonton's current forward fleet. He's not a lock to make the team, but MacTavish's next move suggests that he's penciled into a second-line role.
Shortly after leaving the draft floor, the Oilers acquired veteran forward Teddy Purcell from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Sam Gagner (who was quickly shipped to the Arizona Coyotes). Purcell experienced a down season playing without superstar Steven Stamkos, but missed just three games in four seasons with the Lightning and averaged two-thirds of a point per game over that span. Oh, and he's provided exemplary possession play, which proved to be compulsory for the Oilers in the free agent market.
Edmonton made quick work July 1, throwing big money at analytic darlings Mark Fayne and Benoit Pouliot. Fayne signed a four-year, $14.5-million deal, and ranked in the top-20 among defenseman last season with a 55.3 Corsi For percentage. Similarly, the big-bodied Benoit, who boasted the best possession numbers of any forward in the free-agent class, earned a $20-million pact over five seasons despite having never eclipsed the 40-point mark.
When you invest nearly $35-million in two players based on formula, it would be wise to employ someone who can decipher the code: enter analytics trail blazer Tyler Dellow. The advanced stats wiz was hired as a consultant in Edmonton, providing a new voice to the Oilers' legacy group in hockey ops.
Finally, the Oilers awarded the aforementioned Schultz with a one-year, $3.675-million deal to cap the summer. The bridge contract will allow the Oilers to negotiate another restricted free agent deal next year, giving them ample opportunity to evaluate a player they liken to the NHL's top defenseman before investing long-term.
Key Additions
F Teddy Purcell
F Benoit Pouliot
F Leon Draisaitl
D Mark Fayne
D Nikita Nikitin
D Keith Aulie
Key Departures
F Sam Gagner
F Ryan Smyth
D Anton Belov
D Philip Larsen
D Taylor Fedun
2014-15 Outlook
Heading into the offseason, MacTavish understood that drastic measures were needed to shock the life into a failing roster. While the Gagner trade fell short of the intrepid, Edmonton will deploy a heavier, pricier and more defensively-responsible roster next season. The Oilers project to improve, but their goaltending and team defense must make leaps and bounds before having a chance to survive the west.