2 Most Likely Oilers Buyouts This Summer
When the off season rolls around there are two potential buyout candidates for the Edmonton Oilers.
EDMONTON -- The upcoming off season holds a lot of decisions for the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
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For all intents and purposes, that will not be Ken Holland. Barring an unforeseen contract extension - there will be a new boss behind one of the best franchises to ever play in the National Hockey League.
One of the tasks for that general manager will be to clean up the Oilers cap situation. There are pending free agents as well as players being available to sign their extensions - chief among them being Leon Draisaitl.
While things aren't as dire as some people are suggesting, it is possible to keep both Draisaitl and Connor McDavid on the same team and remain competitive without completely overhauling the roster. Perhaps the sharpest arrow in the quiver, will be the use of a buyout.
There are two clear candidates in my mind when it comes to the topic of buyouts with the Oilers.
Jack Campbell
The most obvious candidate is the one and only Jack Campbell. He has had a rocky tenure for the Oilers to say the least. Last year he had an up-and-down season - but his performance completely fell off of a cliff at the beginning of this year.
He only managed to play five games before being sent down to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. He only won one game while posting a 4.50 goals against average (GAA) and a .871 save percentage (SV%) - pretty abhorrent numbers.
All of that for a goalie who is making $5-million for the next three seasons. While he has posted much better numbers in the AHL, some believe the organization has lost faith in his ability to be a consistent NHL goaltender.
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Should the Oilers use a buyout on Campbell they would be penalized for double the time that is left on the deal. Meaning, if they buy out the remaining three years of his contract they will be on the hook for six years.
The future general manager will need to weigh the cost of keeping Campbell versus buying out what's left of his contract.
Evander Kane
The more unconventional buyout would be to buy out Evander Kane's contract. Some insiders believe that Kane has worn out his welcome with the organization - but they need his best game to come out once the puck drops for the post season.
Kane also has a full no movement clause (NMC) that expires in March of 2025 - with a 16 team approved trade list taking over at that point. If the situation escalates over the summer in any fashion, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Oilers use a buy out in this situation.
With two years left the Oilers would only be penalized for four years (instead of six with Campbell) which may be a better long term solution. They could still trade him of course, but until the NMC expires, they would need Kane himself to waive his NMC and give the green light.
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