This in from NHL insider Frank Seravalli, news of his interview with Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman that the Oilers will NOT be acquiring a goalie at the NHL trade deadline, as well as the team having continued questions about when or if forward Evander Kane will be available to play.
On The Daily Faceoff podcast, Seravalli said there’s not much the Oilers can do about their goalie situation and “they’ve got to figure out this situation with Evander Kane.”
When he talked to Bowman last Friday, Seravalli said, “He said point blank, ‘Don’t need to add a goalie.’ And beyond that, they’re they’re hoping they can get an answer on Evander Kane’s health by March 1st to be able to make the correct decisions or appropriate decisions by next Friday (March 7 trade deadline).”
On Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, Seravalli expanded on his comments on the goalie situation. “I think people are expecting that because the Oilers lost two games (over the weekend) that season-long questions about the foundation of the team will change based on the results of one weekend. And I just, I don’t think that makes sense or is fair… I’m just going to say, ‘Come on.’ I’m looking big picture here, and that’s, I think, what Dan Bowman’s job is to always look big picture.”
The biggest issue for the Oilers is their penchant to take their foot off the gas more than any personnel issue, Seravalli said.
Later he told Stauffer that the Oilers hope to have the Evander Kane availability issue answered by March 1.
“And that’s going to tell the story of what they’re able to accomplish because I think they’re walking on pins and needles, or walking on eggshells, I should say, about how much they can possibly bite off given the LTIR situation. It’s been a lengthy and long road of recovery with multiple different … surgeries for a Evander Kane. And I think people in the fan base have sort of provided the like, ‘W ink wink, oh yeah, of course, there’s a chance he could come back, wink wink. But really he’s going on LTIR, isn’t that right?’ And I’m like, no, that’s not the truth. The truth is the Oilers, they don’t feel very comfortable about this situation one way or the other. And in the end, what it really might come down to is the Oilers don’t have that LTIR money to spend and they could only really make one acquisition.”
“Yup,” said Stauffer.
“And it could come in to dollars in and dollars out, if that’s the case. If they don’t have Kane’s money to spend, the only way they’re really adding a $1 million-plus player is to be to move somebody off of this team. And that’s not going to be an easy task either.”
My take
1. Seravalli is one of the top two or three insiders in the NHL and this info comes from a named source, Bowman, so it’s got the highest level of credibility. That said, as Seravalli himself said, if Bowman was looking to trade for a goalie, he might well not broadcast the news.
2. The Kane situation is indeed critical to the Oilers season and deadline plans. If Kane is not going to be ready to play until the end of the regular season, or at all this season, that frees up major cap space for the Oilers to bring in a player or two or three at the deadline. If he’s back, the Oilers get Kane, who will be a major boost to the team if healthy. Edmonton lacks ferocity upfront and Kane provides that.
3. The March 1 deadline that Bowman mentioned hit me like a sledgehammer, in that on Feb. 28, the day before, Kane’s No Movement Clause evaporates and Kane must provide the Oil with a list of 16 teams where he can be traded. Are the Oilers needing clarity by March 1 so they’re better able to trade Kane? That would also free up cap space.
4. Would any teams be interested in Kane? Why not? He’s exactly the kind of apex predator you need in the playoffs to deal with physical threats like Nikita Zadorov or Brady Tkachuk or Sam Bennett. If he’s healthy, he’d be a useful addition to many teams. Of course, if healthy he’d also be useful to the Oilers. He was a menace against the Kings and Canucks in the playoffs last year before he got so hurt he could no longer play anywhere near his potential.
At the Cult of Hockey
Jordan Binnington to the Oilers? Hmm
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