It's no secret that the Edmonton Oilers are looking at upgrading their goaltending during this off-season.
However, they also need to add depth to their forward lines following the departure of winger Corey Perry to the Los Angeles Kings.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal suggests Max Pacioretty might be a suitable option. The 36-year-old left winger completed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He missed most of last season with injuries, but had eight points in 11 playoff games.
Staples acknowledged Pacioretty is no longer the scorer he was in his prime. However, his post-season performance this spring suggests he could be a suitable power forward in small doses.
Pacioretty would be an affordable one-year addition for most teams. However, the Oilers are pressed against the $95.5 million salary cap, meaning they'd have to shed salary even to sign him to a league-minimum contract.
The Florida Panthers surprised the hockey world by re-signing pending UFAs Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad to long-term contracts. However, their moves pushed them above the $95.5 million salary cap by $3.725 million.
Teams can be above the cap by 10 percent during the off-season, but must be cap-compliant before their first game of the regular season.
The Panthers could garner short-term cap relief by placing left wing Matthew Tkachuk on LTIR if he undergoes surgery to repair injuries suffered last season. He carries an average annual value of $9.5 million. However, they must ensure they're under the cap when he returns to action later in the season.
NHL.com's Dan Rosen believes Evan Rodrigues could be a cost-cutting candidate. The versatile 31-year-old center carries an average annual value of $3 million through 2026-27.
The Panthers think highly of Rodrigues, but Rosen felt he could end up being the cost of re-signing Bennett, Marchand and Ekblad.
Turning to Columbus, we recently noted that forward Yegor Chinakhov requested a trade. His agent cited “misunderstandings” with coach Dean Evason as the reason.
Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch looked at what type of return Chinakhov might fetch in the trade market. He considers the 24-year-old winger largely undefined as an NHL player, citing that injuries have hampered his development and limited him to 175 games.
Chinakhov is under contract this season with a cap hit of $2.1 million. Hedger speculates Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell could seek an established player in return. However, trading him would create another hole in their forward lines after losing James van Riemsdyk, Sean Kuraly and Justin Danforth to free agency.
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