The Edmonton Oilers are among the NHL’s elite.
And I do not just mean on the ice, where they are (clearly, by the statistics) a top five club. The Oilers are also an elite franchise off the ice.
The best context within which to witness that is the coming changes to the league salary cap, and how those circumstances stand to make the Oilers winners, and not losers.
That and more in this edition of…
9 Things
9. I agreed with the decision to send Derek Ryan to the AHL. But we should not assume that was a happy circumstance in the Oilers’ dressing room. I suspect Stan Bowman discovered just how close-knit that group in there is.
8. It was an exciting way to lose. A terrific atmosphere for Canadian hockey Saturday between the Oilers and Maple Leafs at Rogers Place. Two excellent teams. But Edmonton would be doing themselves a big favor if they stopped digging themselves into deep holes early.
7. I generally stay away from politics here. But make no mistake: The decision by the United States to trigger an unprovoked trade war with Canada is not good for NHL franchises up here. A weakening dollar and a softening economy due to tariffs will not put more revenue in the pockets of Canadian owners. I am not one for boo-ing anthems. But when one is disrespected…
6. The J.T. Miller trade impacts the Oilers in a very material way. The Canucks have lost their second-best player. As a result, Vancouver is not and likely will not be as good for the rest of this season. Whereas the Flames’ deal earlier this week made them marginally better. That may mean Calgary is a more likely first round opponent if indeed Edmonton can end up in first place in the Pacific.
5. I have mixed feelings on the whole Brandon Saad thing. On the one hand, I think he could have been useful in the Oilers lineup. Saad’s Cup experience, heavier presence on the ice and past goal production were attractive. But on the other, is he really at $1.5M a whole lot better than what Edmonton already has? I like the bargain bin acquisitions by Stan Bowman. But I would rather he spend his remaining cap dough on a sure thing.
4. It is important to judge the game of John Klingberg in a very specific way if the Oilers are able to accurately assess his value heading into the playoffs. It is too easy and lacking context to point out errors. To my eye, his biggest issue is timing. Klingberg has not played in a year, had major surgery, and with no training camp is being thrust into heavy battle at the fifty-game mark. But his passing is elite. The contributions he will make to the Oilers transition game are considerable. So, if you are willing to play through an adjustment period, I see Klingberg helping this team a lot.
3. Ty Emberson played NHL game number eighty on Saturday night. It was not just a milestone for the promising young blueliner. It also changes his status, from UFA to RFA. That will be a factor in coming contract negotiations. Emberson has grown into a dependable 5-6. Full credit to the player. But that has not happened without Stan Bowman’s belief in him. Emberson benefits from Kris Knoblauch having coached him previously. And Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey is also his corner. It is extremely hard to imagine a place where Emberson would have greater support. Two deals to consider on the Emberson file: Brayden Pachal (Calgary, 2-years, $1.19M) and Simon Benoit (Toronto, 3-years, $1.35M). Given the expanding cap, 3 years at $1.5M for Emberson would be appropriate. We shall see…
2. When it comes to his next contract negotiation, a whole lot of people are underestimating what the ask may be from the Evan Bouchard camp. I do not think the Oilers are guilty of that, however. Their eyes are wide open to what this may cost them, and were so before news of the escalating NHL Salary Cap. Now, I am on Team Evan Bouchard. But do his defensive limitations come into play contractually, a sort of “law of diminishing returns”? Sure. But I do not see a problem with Bouchard’s game right now that Evan cannot fix simply by playing better (and he needs to). But we saw ample evidence of that in the post-season last year when he was terrific. And do not forget: Two of his best friends, Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway, left in the off-season. Gone from his daily circle. You don’t think that has an impact on most young men? I know a lot of people do not want to hear it, but I prescribe patience.
1.The news this week on the escalating NHL Salary Cap will have a major impact on every team in the league. The cap will climb from $88m to almost $114M over the coming three years. I see the increase as a positive thing. But the economics of it do have the real potential to create a bigger divide between the haves and have-nots in the NHL. Every franchise has the option of spending to the cap. But not all of them can. And not all of them will. In smaller and/or less traditional markets the revenue required to spend that much is not as readily available. Winnipeg is a great but small hockey town. Ottawa and Calgary are limited by their inadequate buildings. There are some examples of that in the U.S., too.
But here is where I will point out that Oilers’ owner Daryl Katz has put Edmonton’s franchise not just in a stable position given these new economic circumstances. I would argue that the Oilers are in a most favorable spot. Edmonton is right up there with Toronto and Montreal in Canada, and indeed top ten in the league over-all. Maybe even top five. How did that happen?
One, because Daryl Katz’ vision for Ice District and the gleaming Rogers Arena has created a stable and growing economic reality for the franchise that simply could not have existed at venerable old Rexall Place. He created a self-sustaining revenue stream that many teams lack. Katz may not be everybody’s particular brand of vodka. But the dollars speak volumes.
Two, Mr. Katz has always been amenable to his General Manager spending to the cap. The Edmonton Oilers can eat bad contracts when the GM has to, absorbing the equivalent of “bad debt.” And the players have the best possible conditions for a club with one of the worst travel schedules in the entire league.
My point: In the new salary cap era that the National Hockey League is about to embark upon, it is one thing to HAVE the money. It is another thing entirely to be willing to spend it.
Fortunately for the Edmonton Oilers and their loyal fan base, Mr. Katz offers both.
Newly on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. On Twitter @KurtLeavins, Threads @kleavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and even on Mastodon at [email protected]. This article is not AI generated.
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