Oilers Active Offseason a Mixed Bag

The Edmonton Oilers entered this offseason pressed against the salary cap and looking to make the moves needed to get them over the hump. Remember, it wasn’t long ago that they were a game away from winning the Stanley Cup. 

The combination led to chaos and that is what the recent weeks saw with all the moves that were made. The question is if the offseason movement makes them better or not.

Broberg & Holloway: In & Out

Both defenseman Phillip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway are restricted free agents so any team could sign them but the catch is that the Oilers can match the offers. The St. Louis Blues signed both skaters.  

So, the Oilers combatted this by going out and making a trade, adding forward Vasily Podkolzin in a deal with the Vancouver Canucks. This helps them cover up the loss of Holloway while allowing them to sign Broberg if they want.

The trade allowed them to retain one restricted free agent but only if they started to shed more cap space. That’s what they did with their next move.

Oilers Move Ceci to San Jose

Cody Ceci was a reliable second-pair defenseman. He was a shutdown skater, particularly in the playoffs and it made him a key part of the team’s playoff run. However, the Oilers needed to make some cap room and got to work.  

They dealt him to the San Jose Sharks and received Ty Emberson, a top defense prospect, in return. The prospect joins Matthew Savoie as another young skater that the Oilers added in the summer. Suddenly, this team has a youth movement going. 

Ceci is a tough skater to lose but the Oilers got a good return for him. Better yet, they have room to add more talent to the roster, notably Broberg or Holloway, who looked poised to leave a few days ago.

Are The Oilers Closer or Further From a Cup Title?

The bottom line this that the Oilers, for the most part, are the same team as they were a few months back. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman lead the forwards while Evan Bouchard anchors the defense. 

The minor details will make the difference once they get into the playoffs. The added youth will help but not having a defenseman like Ceci will come back to haunt them in the playoffs, unless they find a way to add his replacement at the trade deadline. 

The trade deadline is a good reminder that it’s still a long way from now until the season much less when the playoffs begin. These moves don’t move the needle but they change the dynamics of an Oilers team that heads into this season expecting to win the Stanley Cup.