5 Oilers' Storylines To Follow in the 2023 Off Season

The Edmonton Oilers enter the most important off season of the organization's history. There are also stories developing early in the off season.

The Edmonton Oilers suffered a tremendous loss at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2 of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Many people had the Oilers pegged as winners of the ultimate hockey prize. It was not meant to be as the Golden Knights out-played them over their six game series.

This off season is important. Evan Bouchard needs a new contract. There are unrestricted free agents that should be re-signed. Other roster players may find themselves on the outside looking in, being used as trade bait. With the 2023 off season in full swing, it's time to take a look at a few of the top storylines. 

Kailer Yamamoto is the Oilers' biggest trade bait for the off season. He is only 24 years old and could take a bit longer to develop into the kind of productive player he was lauded for when he was drafted. Injuries were not kind to him this year, but that might be the final straw. The Oilers can't afford to wait for Yamamoto to figure out. They need players who can produce consistently, even if their ceiling is lower than his.

The smartest thing to do with Evan Bouchard is to give him an eight year contract extension worth $5-$8M. They would want to do that before he spends an entire season on the point of the Oilers' historic power play. It's looking more likely that it will be a bridge deal close to what Noah Dobson received in the 2022 off season: three years at $4M a year. If that's the case, he may be looking at a similar deal to Darnell Nurse once the bridge contract expires. 

Going into the 2022-23 season, many thought that Jack Campbell would be the Oilers' starting netminder with Stuart Skinner playing around 35-40 games as a back-up. Ultimately the roles would reverse, as Campbell struggled often, which led to the Oilers leaning on their rookie netminder Skinner. He played well in his 50 games and became one of the finalists for the Calder Memorial trophy, awarded to the best rookie in the NHL.

Nick Bjugstad had a great playoffs for the Oilers in a depth role. He is a natural center but was able to move up the lineup to play winger in the top six. Teams value versatile players, and Bjugstad was that in spades. At 6-foot-6 he has the size that teams covet at the center position. Frank Seravalli claims the Bjugstad is out of the Oilers price range. I believe that is less likely if and when Yamamoto is moved.

Ken Holland is the general manager (GM) who turned this organization around. His signings and trades have turned the Oilers into a playoff team. Entering his fifth year as the Oilers GM the team has grown tremendously with him at the helm. In the exit interviews he did not elaborate on what exactly his plans are for the future outside of honouring the remainder of his Oilers contract.

These are the top five storylines as I see them. While there is more going on behind the seasons, these decisions could have lasting ripple effects for years to come.