It has been a busy fall for the Edmonton Oilers so far. Between kicking off their season and signing players to new deals, a lot is happening for them. However, as the season gets into full swing and players adjust to the new-look lineup, management’s work has only begun and will only get tougher. There are players on this roster whose contracts need to be looked at before their expiration date.
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Obviously, there are reasons to keep or not keep each of the players on expiring deals. Here are three players I believe should be top of mind for general manager Stan Bowman and company as we go deeper into the season and we begin looking ahead to what this team could look like.
Adam Henrique
Adam Henrique is the eldest of all his Oilers teammates and is still playing some very solid hockey. He has three points through his first eight games and is holding his own as a bottom-six centre/forward. He has been effective at both ends of the ice, moving the puck well and putting in work along the boards as well. He is also a master in the faceoff dot, with a faceoff percentage (FO%) of 62% so far this season and 55.6% last season. If he continues to keep up and put the work in, he can be extremely valuable.
“Rico” has shown he can also be an asset in the playoffs for Edmonton. Though he’s not a big point scorer, he impacts the game in other ways, as mentioned. That’s huge in close playoff games. With a cap hit of $3 million at the moment, the Oilers have certainly gotten their return on investment on him with all their success since his arrival and his strong start to this season.
I think he’s a player that, although he is getting up there in age, is a must-have guy late in the season when faceoff wins and hard checks could decide a hockey game. Bowman should consider getting a deal done over the winter before Henrique potentially hits free agency. We saw what happened with Corey Perry; teams are willing to pay for hardworking veterans who can still score.
Noah Philp
A guy who, in my opinion, has come flying out of the gate so far is Noah Philp. He has three points in his first five games after having just two points in his previous 15 contests last season. He is one of the most versatile, yet underrated, forwards on the team so far in the early season. He is strong in the faceoff dot, even though he has struggled in the past. He is an excellent puck carrier and doesn’t turn the puck over often, and on top of that is a relentless defender. If he can continue to round into form and create some chemistry and consistency with his Oilers teammates, this season could be interesting for the 27-year-old.
Philp is only in his second season in the NHL and is sort of a “late bloomer”. Despite that, he is still young and full of potential. He is a guy that, no matter what, the Oilers cannot let hit free agency. His cap hit is currently the NHL veteran minimum, so although he’ll more than likely be looking for a raise on his next deal, Edmonton has to try and make something work. If they can potentially get the deal done sooner rather than later, Philp could (unfortunately) become a trade chip for the Oilers later in the season as well.
If he continues this early success, he is a prime candidate to be shipped to a struggling squad for a rental if the team is in position to make another playoff run. Nonetheless, his stellar play so far is a good thing and will hopefully go a long way towards a new contract and a long career.
Brett Kulak
The third man on this list might be the most underappreciated Oiler of all time. Brett Kulak has been with the team for the past few seasons now and has been the reliable, stay-at-home guy they need on the backend. They’ve been able to pair him with pretty much anyone and move him around, and he has consistently (and quietly) been one of the team’s top defenders. He never puts up the most points like Evan Bouchard or Darnell Nurse, but he’s always at home to clean up any mess coming his way.
There’s some back and forth on whether or not bringing back Kulak is a good idea or not. His current cap hit of $2.75 million is team-friendly, but his next deal may not be. Whether he asks for a big pay raise or chooses to keep it moderate, the Oilers should negotiate. There aren’t many like Kulak out there, and the ones you see are hard to get your hands on. It would also help to get a deal done sooner for management as it keeps Kulak from potentially having a big year and skyrocketing his value more than what they want to pay for. It was reported the two sides have already begun to talk about a possible extension a couple weeks ago, which is a good sign. The sooner the better.
If Edmonton’s management can get deals done with these guys during the season, it could provide more opportunities and success down the road for them.
