There comes a point in time when being a hard-working member of the team isn’t good enough. There’s the theory that hard work eventually pays off, and in most cases that is true, but how long does a team like the Edmonton Oilers — a team in win-now mode — wait if the results matter as much or more than the effort level?
Case in point, the Oilers have three middle-six wingers on their roster who are paid in the neighborhood of $3 million per season. Kailer Yamamoto is just over at $3.1 million, Jesse Puljujarvi is making exactly $3 million per season, and Warren Foegele is being paid $2.75 million. Two of these players (Foegele and Yamamoto) are on contracts that stretch beyond this season, while Puljujarvi is a pending RFA at the season’s end. Combined, the trio has one goal and five assists on the season.
The Oilers Need More From This Group
At a total cost of $8.85 million on the salary cap, this level of production is simply not enough. And, as the Oilers have lost two straight and head out on the road starting against the Washington Capitals on Monday evening, it’s become clear that a couple of timely goals by any of these three forwards would have led to a much better record than the 7-5-0 start that stares this Oilers’ team in the face.
Coming into the season, Edmonton was considered a heavy contender. Their record isn’t lousy, but it could be better and the reputation as one of the deepest teams in terms of forwards in the NHL doesn’t hold true if these players don’t start potting a few goals. It’s still early, but patience has to be running thin, not just among management and coaches, but the players themselves, all of whom probably know they need to contribute more.
Who Goes If Anyone Has To?
It’s still early and a few games where these players get on the board and the Oilers pick up wins will dramatically change the narrative. But, what happens if this trend continues? What if five more games go by and these three haven’t hit the back of the net? How long before GM Ken Holland feels the need to make a change?
It might not be easy to move Puljujarvi. Word was that the Oilers tried in the offseason but the return just wasn’t there. One can only imagine that his value has dropped even more around the league with only a single goal and one assist in 12 games. What about Yamamoto? He’s dogged on the puck but undersized and locked into a deal that pays him another $3.1 million next season too. It would be hard to imagine a number of teams having the room or the desire to make space for a player that has no goals on the season but was pegged to be a 20-goal guy. What about Foegele? His analytics show he can be effective in a top-nine role but he’s getting chances and not finishing on them. He too is pegged to be a part of this roster until the end of 2024.
The answer about who goes isn’t just complicated from an Oilers’ perspective, but there may not be a lot of takers on the market for any of these players. The best play might be to show patience.
Yamamoto Might Be a Player to Watch
If an NHL club is going to take a flyer on any of these three, it might be Yamamoto — who has a 20-goal season on his resume already. Those are the types of players teams sometimes feel can be effective in the right environment and that a change of scenery could spark something.
Would a team like Buffalo, Detroit, or Anaheim be open to trying him out to see how well he meshes? Maybe. Could a club like the Ottawa Senators make a move? They’ve been hit hard by injuries and the struggles to pick up wins is a topic of conversation in that area. There are rumors in St. Louis that the team might be willing to make a change to spark their team. Could the Blues and Oilers find common ground to make a move that helps both teams?
Again, I’m not sure the Oilers are ready to make a deal yet. That said, with the offseason chatter that happened just a few short months ago and with Holland tight against the cap and these players underperforming, it’s safe to assume conversations are being had behind closed doors, and determinations are being made to see if there might be other options should these three players not pick it up a bit.
