What should the Oilers do with their cap space if Kane goes on LTIR?
Evander Kane recently underwent a successful surgery to repair several injuries suffered during the course of last season.
With that in mind, GM Stan Bowman reveals that Kane will not start the regular season on LTIR, but the options is sill there incase Evander's timelines get further delayed.
So what happens with the Oilers if Evander Kane goes on LTIR? The Hockey News suggests that Bowman should use they extra cap space to bring in a defenceman to help bolster the Oilers blue-line.
As per the Hockey News, Should the Oilers decide to move Kane to LTIR, the focus is expected to shift toward strengthening the blueline. The priority would likely be on acquiring a proven top-four defenseman to bolster the team's back end.
On the Got Yer' Back podcast, hosts debated whether the Oilers should feel any urgency to make such a move. While retired NHLers Jason Strudwick and Rob Brown felt the Oilers could stick with their current defense, TSN's Ryan Rishaug argued that Darnell Nurse, recovering from an injury, might struggle without a reliable top-four partner.
Among the notable candidates for a strategic trade are Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Andersson.
As far as using their cap space to bring in a bleu-liner, I would have to agree. Darnell Nurse has been known to be inconsistent, and new comer Ty Emberson only has 30 NHL games under his belt. If Kane indeed goes on LTIR, the budget should be solely focused on bolstering the Oilers blue-line.
source: The Hockey News
Oilers Should Plan To Address Blueline, Not Replace Evander Kane With Mike Hoffman
| POLL | ||
Should the Oilers bring in a D-man? | ||
| Yes | 54 | 88.5 % |
| No | 7 | 11.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
