What's Next for Edmonton After a Conference Finals Run?
The Colorado Avalanche eliminated the Edmonton Oilers last Monday night in a cruel manner. Edmonton enjoyed a two-goal lead during the third period before Colorado scored three straight goals (for the third time in the series). Yes, the Oilers bounced back late to force overtime, but the certainty of elimination was in the air.
That was the end when Artturi Lehkonen tipped the puck past Mike Smith just 79 seconds into overtime. The Edmonton Oilers season was over in an instant. The Oilers had advanced to the Western Conference Final only to be swept by the Colorado Avalanche machine.
Canadian sports wagerers did not expect this kind of run. Edmonton was the last Canadian NHL team to be eliminated if anyone had that as a prop bet, congratulations! Edmonton has plenty of questions to answer this summer.
Let us take a closer at a few quick things.
Edmonton And The 2022 NHL Draft
As for Edmonton, the depth or lack of actual scoring depth hurt them in the playoffs. Their prospect system ranks 19th, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic.
So, the 2022 NHL Draft does not possess the impact players of previous drafts to have. Edmonton still has its first round pick, which is good news. It does not have a second, third, or fourth round selection. But it has four choices.
Some pundits wonder when Edmonton is going to draft a goaltender. It has one in the system in Stuart Skinner. The question is, will the Oilers finally let him play on the big club for more than a cup of coffee next season? Skinner has proven everything he can do in the AHL. The time is now.
While Mikko Koskinen is all but gone, Mike Smith likely gets brought back for one more season barring something unforeseen. Admittedly, Smith is not the most outstanding goalie at this stage, but he still provides enough flashes of good to outweigh the bad. The goaltender could still be a 1A for now until Skinner can assume more games in goal.
That would appear to be somewhat of the plan. Then again, this is Edmonton. No one would be surprised if the Oilers traded their first-round pick for more picks. That could help address some of their depth issues. For those expecting goaltending help, it appears Ken Holland will not have the resources or will to handle that one. Anything is possible, but it does not seem likely.
Looking Ahead: Edmonton And That 2022-23 Salary Cap
The Edmonton Oilers are a bit against it with the 2022-23 salary cap. They have a little more than $7.1 million in cap space. However, only 15 NHL players are currently under contract.
The Oilers have a slew of free agents on the forward side of the equation. Also, there are two UFA’s on the blueline. As we mentioned above, Koskinen can be replaced by Skinner, so that will save some cap space. Edmonton does have $4.176 million in dead cap space, thanks to Milan Lucic, James Neal, and Andrej Sekera.
Evander Kane is the big one among those free agents on the forward side. Kane had a nice run with the Oilers, but that Game 3 hit on Nazem Kadri left him out of the lineup for the playoff finale. Would Edmonton have the money to bring the winger back? Would Kane be willing to come back? At least right now, the latter question seems not so likely.
Philip Broberg will play a significant role next year in Edmonton as Duncan Keith plays fewer minutes. Edmonton still needs depth on defense. Cheap replacements are out. Brent Kulak expects to test the market as Edmonton will let him walk.
Holland can plug some holes via free agency, but those will be budget-friendly selections. The Oilers need to be sensible this summer.
The Summer Is Here For Every Canadian Team … But
The summer is here for every Canadian hockey team but rest assured, Canadian players will get a spotlight on the column once the Stanley Cup Final starts.
The 1993 Montreal Canadiens were the last team to win a Stanley Cup.
The next stop is the Stanley Cup for Canadian wagerers starting on Wednesday. Good luck!
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