Why the Oilers decision to stand pat on July 1st was the right call

As I sit back with a cold one in hand, looking back at the July 1st it was, I can’t help but chuckle to myself.

With the NHL’s salary cap set to rise something like 18 percent over the next three years, we all knew there were going to be spend-happy general managers around the league. I know, I know – the salary cap is set to rise and deals that look bad now aren’t going to look bad in a few years, but some of the moves are straight up head scratchers.

And all of it makes me feel better about the Edmonton Oilers standing pat in Tuesday’s free agent market.

Sure, they nibbled around the edges, adding organizational depth to their AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors by signing defenceman Riley Stillman and netminder Matt Tomkins, also clearing up some cap space for the NHL side by trading Viktor Arvidsson early in the day.

That trade set them up to get in on the action around Brock Boeser with lots of smoke circling Canada’s two westernmost provinces. But the Vancouver Canucks swooped in after the market opened, finally meeting term demands from Boeser’s camp, and that was all she wrote on that front for the Oilers and the numerous other teams who reportedly reached out.

And just like that, 30 minutes into free agency, things went silent on Edmonton’s front. Not a whisper. Not a suggestion. Not an “Oilers looking into…” It was nothing. Until, of course, the late afternoon depth moves.

Meanwhile, those spend-happy general managers were hard at work.

Old friend Ken Holland had a day for the Los Angeles Kings, signing winger Corey Perry (one year, $2-million base with equal performance bonuses), defenceman Brian Dumoulin (three years, $4-million AAV), winger Joel Armia (two years, $2-million AAV), goaltender Anton Forsberg (two years, $2.25-million AAV) and the cherry on top, Cody Ceci, who becomes the Kings second-highest paid defenceman on a four year, $4.5-million AAV deal. Masterclass.

Or how about the Boston Bruins giving Tanner Jeannot a five-year, $3.4-million AAV contract? The Anaheim Ducks signing Mikael Granlund to a three-year, $7-million AAV deal? The Seattle Kraken giving Ryan Lindgren $4.5-million annually over four years? I’m not even convinced Vladislav Gavrikov’s seven year, $7-million AAV deal is all that great.

Amongst the fracas, the goaltending market saw some movement. Dan Vladar signed with the Philadelphia Flyers for $3.35-million over two years, while Alex Lyon signed a two year, $1.5-million AAV deal with the Buffalo Sabres and Vitek Vanecek signed a one year, $1.5-million deal with the Utah Mammoth.

All the while, the Oilers saw a few of their own head for perceived greener pastures. Perry got the bag, which was apparently important to him, as did Connor Brown, signing a four year, $3-million AAV deal with the New Jersey Devils and John Klingberg took his new hips to the San Jose Sharks on a one year, $4-million deal. All were fine players for the Oilers, but let’s be real — how quickly do you think Stan Bowman hung up the phone when their agents called with those kinds of contract asks?

You could argue that the Oilers were losers on free agency day, as Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin did.

The Oilers got two big swings at the Stanley Cup and missed. Now Leon Draisaitl’s and Evan Bouchard’s new deals kick in at a combined $24.5 million, and voila, you’ve squeezed Corey Perry, Connor Brown, Evander Kane, Arvidsson and John Klingberg from your roster while adding nothing on July 1. It’s not an utter catastrophe given the Oilers’ top-end stars remain aboard, but when your depth gets decimated and you don’t address your goaltending problem…we have to call it like it is and say the Oilers are a significantly weaker team now than they were even two weeks ago. To top it off: divisional rivals Vegas and Anaheim, and probably Utah, got better.

But I’m not convinced that’s the case. I would’ve much rather seen them keep their powder dry on a day like today than sign any of the aforementioned deals, being undisciplined with their money to fill out the bottom of their roster. Clearing cap space was important for the Oilers, who essentially replaced Kane with Trent Frederic, while Arvidsson clearly wasn’t a fit. Now, they have some flexibility moving forward.

Nikolaj Ehlers remains top of class and without a home, while the list of depth players that remain on the board runs deep: Jack Roslovic, Anthony Beauvillier, Max Pacioretty, Andrew Mangiapane, Victor Olofsson, Mason Appleton, Brent Burns, Michael Carcone, etc., etc.

I expect the Oilers to continue to examine the market and see what’s out there, likely looking to bring in some more players who can add competition to the second, third and fourth lines, as well as the blue line, at training camp. After all, people seem to have forgotten about European free agents David Tomasek, Josh Samanski, and Atro Leppanen who will come into training camp this year.