The Edmonton Oilers didn’t exactly stroll into July 1 with room to breathe. A social media hint early Wednesday morning suggested the day might be quiet, with limited cap space and no easy path to moving Darnell Nurse.
Instead, the Oilers ended up making a major change on the blue line, and that move matters for the math as much as the roster. Trading Nurse to San Jose opened up the money Edmonton needed to do the rest of its business, while still leaving flexibility to add more.
That trade came with a price, though. Nurse is the kind of big, heavy-minute defender who can handle elite competition, and those players are not easy to replace. Edmonton’s problems on defense last season also weren’t just about the back end; they were tied to sloppy puck decisions and weak back pressure from the forwards as well.
The Oilers also addressed their crease, and the options come with very different kinds of risk. Frederik Andersen brings a proven track record and real playoff experience.
He has been through the pressure in Toronto and was strong for most of Carolina’s Stanley Cup run last season before Brandon Bussi took over in the final. The catch is obvious: he gets injured a lot.
Tristan Jarry is a similar kind of bet. He has shown he can be a quality goalie before, with save percentages regularly above .900 in Pittsburgh.
He has also dealt with injuries, and he wasn’t good in Edmonton last year after getting hurt again. The hope is that a summer of training and recovery can get him back to his best.
Then there is Levi, the sixth-last player selected in the 2020 draft at 212th overall. He is the wild card in the group, an unproven prospect the Oilers had hoped would break through in Buffalo.
He didn’t, though he has posted good AHL numbers. Whether that carries over behind Edmonton’s defense is the question.
The blue line move that helped make all of this possible also brought in Ryan Shea, who signed a five-year, $20 million deal. Shea is a late bloomer at 29, with only 150 NHL games on his résumé, and his first two seasons in Pittsburgh were modest: 31 games and 39 games, with three goals and three assists combined.
Last season changed the picture. Shea broke out for 35 points, one more than Kris Letang, and finished plus-30, which led the Penguins by a wide margin; the next-best skater was plus-17. He also ranked third on the team in shorthanded ice time.
So after the early warning that July 1 might be slow, Edmonton found a way to turn the day into something far busier than expected. The Oilers still have questions, but they also have a different balance sheet and a few new bets in place.
In Other News...
Another Flames Depth Gamble Just Quietly Slipped Away
Johnny Beechers latest stop came together quickly once free agency opened, and it was a reminder of how fluid depth forward spots can be around the NHL. A former first-round pick, Beecher has bounced between the NHL and AHL and spent most of last season split between Boston and Calgary after the Bruins waived him and the Flames claimed him in November.
The fit in Calgary never fully settled, with injuries and a suspension trimming his time with the club, but the Flames still got a look at a big-bodied center they hoped could add some organization down the middle. Instead, Beecher moved on to Florida on a one-year, two-way deal, another small but notable turnover item for a Calgary roster that keeps trying to find inexpensive bottom-six answers without sacrificing flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Land Jacob Middleton In Costly Blue Line Shakeup
Calgary is making a significant blue-line move, landing Jacob Middleton from Minnesota as it looks to add size and stability on defense. Middleton has spent the last five seasons with the Wild and arrives with a reputation as a physical, dependable two-way defender, the kind of player who can change the look of a back end that has been searching for more toughness and structure.
The cost is steep, which tells you how much the Flames valued the fit. Middleton is entering the second year of a four-year deal with a $4.35 million cap hit, and Calgary is parting with notable assets to get the deal done, including a second-round pick. For a club trying to reshape its defense, the question now is whether the upgrade on the ice will justify the price paid to make it happen. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Just Made A Veteran Trade That Says Plenty About The Plan
The Flames took another step toward reshaping the roster by moving out two veterans with championship experience in a deal with Minnesota, a move that suggests Calgary is still threading the needle between todays lineup and tomorrows flexibility. The trade also came with contract maneuvering, as the Flames agreed to retain half of one players cap hit, a reminder that these kinds of transactions are as much about managing the books as they are about altering the depth chart.
In return, Calgary brought back defenseman Jake Middleton and a package of picks that helps stock the future pipeline, giving the club more options as it continues to recalibrate. For a team still sorting out its next phase, the deal fits the broader picture: add assets, keep some salary space in check, and keep the door open for more movement if the right opportunity comes along. [Read more 🡒]