EDMONTON — Because the strikes rolled in on a quiet, considerably smoky Sunday night time in August, what got here into view was a grasp class. That’s, in case your aim was to see the St. Louis Blues go unrewarded on their supply sheets to each Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.
First, the Edmonton Oilers traded a fourth-round draft decide for Vancouver Canucks first-rounder Vasily Podkolzin. And we figured, “OK, Podkolzin is available in and Holloway goes to St. Louis. Possibly the Oilers can preserve Broberg now.”
Then, a pair hours later, the large shoe dropped: Cody Ceci and his $3.25-million cap hit have been moved to the San Jose Sharks together with a third-round decide for defenceman Ty Emberson.
Voila!
Put Evander Kane on long-term injured reserve to begin the season, ship down a veteran with a cap hit better than $850,000 — possible one in every of newcomers Emberson or Podkolzin, or Josh Brown — and the Oilers can retain each Broberg and Holloway and be cap compliant.
If Kane comes again mid-season, nicely, they’ll should determine issues out then.
We’ll discover out on Monday afternoon what the Oilers’ ultimate plan appears to be like like, however for now, it seems that Blues GM Doug Armstrong’s supply sheets have elicited some slick managing by new Oilers GM Stan Bowman and CEO Jeff Jackson, who moved Ceci and a 3rd to the Sharks however didn’t retain any wage.
And most significantly, on high of with the ability to hold on to 2 former first-round draft picks who each popped through the Oilers’ prolonged playoff run final season, they added one other 23-year-old with promise in Podkolzin. And if one in every of Emberson or Brown will get picked up on waivers, they nonetheless have the opposite as defensive depth.
This, people, is each pondering exterior the field and getting issues completed with a Tuesday morning deadline pointing a gun straight on the heads of the Oilers’ brass.
The very fact they’ve shuffled the playing cards nicely sufficient and quick sufficient to be within the driver’s seat this morning is wonderful, contemplating what this state of affairs felt like final Tuesday, when Armstrong strong-armed the brand new Oilers GM with a double-barrel supply sheet for Edmonton’s youngest regulars on each defence and ahead.
The specter of shedding a pair of first-round picks — two gamers who have been drafted and developed by the Oilers, and at last prepared to assist as full-time regulars within the 2024-25 season — with the return being the Blues’ second-round decide (for Broberg) and a third-rounder for Holloway…?
That was insult to the damage of watching two promising kids be stolen, on a capped-out crew that doesn’t have a ton within the pipeline.
And on the identical time, add a 23-year-old undertaking like Podkolzin, whom the Canucks chosen tenth total — two picks after Edmonton picked Broberg within the 2019 draft?
If Edmonton can discover the important thing to get Podkolzin’s confidence again — the phrase on what stalled him in Vancouver — Armstrong’s supply sheets might go down in historical past because the catalyst for the wheeling and dealing that really made the Oilers higher, when all was mentioned and completed.
They’ll miss the veteran Ceci greater than many followers wish to consider, however this commerce was merely the price of doing enterprise. While you’re making an attempt to win a Cup and two supply sheets arrive, you need to make decisions like whether or not to overpay an up-and-coming Broberg or a 30-year-old Ceci.
Within the 24-year-old Emberson, the Oilers get a third-pairing, right-shot defenceman. He’s a low-risk man who isn’t a crusher, however isn’t shy to make use of his physique to separate man from puck. He’s been injured some, which is a priority, however in 30 video games with San Jose final season Emberson was solely minus-4 — miraculous on a crew that had the worst aim differential (minus-150) within the NHL final season.
He’s performed solely 30 NHL video games, so Emberson and Brown will battle for the seventh spot in Edmonton this season.
Podkolzin, we’re instructed, is predicted to spend the season with the large membership, and be given the chance to be the participant he appeared like when he scored 14 targets as a Canucks rookie in 2021-22. He’s acquired dimension, skates above common, and is an elite shooter of the puck.
He’s 23, born precisely someday earlier than Broberg. Holloway turns 23 in a month. The oldest crew within the NHL simply acquired youthful, which isn’t any small factor.
Sure, Holloway and Broberg have thrown a wrench into the Oilers’ wage construction. However all issues thought-about, Oilers followers wanting on the work their administration crew did this week should be very impressed.
It appears to be like like a hell of job, wriggling off the hook set by Armstrong and the Blues.
