Edmonton Oilers insider Kurt Leavins advised fans of the club to “buckle up” on Twitter late Sunday evening as he’s expecting the team to make some moves ahead of their first game on Jan.13th vs. the Vancouver Canucks.
Expect a busy 24hrs for the #Oilers who need to get as close to the cap as possible in order to maximize LTIR. Players and “paper” will move back & forth. A major factor is that the club has a couple guys who likely wouldn’t clear waivers. Buckle up.
— Kurt Leavins (@KurtLeavins) January 11, 2021
I wonder if there’s a chance that one or more of the following players hit the waiver wire,
- Jujhar Khaira (C)
I don’t think JJ will hit the waiver wire as he seems to be a mainstay on Coach Tippett’s PK, but that comment from Leavins about guys who won’t clear them jumps out because Bob Stauffer has always said that there’s a team out there that would claim him if he ever got there.
- Alex Chiasson (RW)
Another player who I think there’s little chance of getting to the waiver wire. From the reports I’ve received on the player, he’s a really important part of the roster as well as Edmonton’s PP. But the rumors have been loud this off-season that Edmonton could be moving a winger for a d-man and his name has most often been linked. His contract seems to be a bit chunky for this role as well. That said, I love having him on the club and I hope he stays.
- James Neal (LW)
Neal hasn’t been healthy since getting to Edmonton from Nashville apparently and he’s JUST gotten to the ice this weekend. He won’t be available to play in the season opener and his deal is definitely too fat for where he’ll be slotted this year. That being said, I don’t think anybody would be claiming him due to that contract. You never know though…
- Kris Russell (D)
I believe there would be teams that would claim Russell regardless of how much his cap-hit is ($4) because he only makes $1.5M in real money. He’s a veteran defender who can skate and he gladly puts his balls on the line every time the other team has the puck in his zone. There’d be teams with young blueliners that would value having that kind of influence on their squad.
- Joakim Nygard (LW)
I’ve noticed Nygard has gone from 1st line option to 5th on the LW depth chart since last season’s opening night roster. Despite dominating the SHL, it hasn’t been translatable with the Oilers and his injury history hasn’t helped. He skates fast, but I’m not sure yet what else he does…
What do you think? Will we see some trades this week or is there another player or two who I’m missing out on?
Fancy a Wild Pre-Season Prediction or Three?
- Tyson Barrie’s season in Toronto won’t be a mirage and his average defensive game will be exposed in a highly-charged offensive North Division.
- Caleb Jones and Adam Larsson will start the season as Edmonton’s no.2 pairing on defence but finish it as their top-pair thanks to career seasons from both.
- Leon Draisaitl’s point production will come soaring back to Earth thanks to his defensive game skyrocketing.
What kind of “wild” predictions do you have for the upcoming Oilers season? Leave them in the comments below!
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