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Oilers signing Brandon Saad may force roster move, one player moved out of lineup
The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly heavy favourites to sign free agent forward Brandon Saad to a contract, but it will come at the cost of bumping someone out of the lineup.
Saad, who is well connected with general manager Stan Bowman through the Chicago Blackhawks could be an option to upgrade the offence without costing the Oilers any draft picks or prospects. The Oilers are reportedly meeting with Saad, meaning a deal could come very soon.
Oilers face decision on often benched forward Noah Philp
The organization had high hopes that Oilers rookie Noah Philp would be an answer to help upgrade their offence but has been a utter disappointment as the 26 year old had been benched during the game against the Washington Capitals and only played 5 minutes and 15 seconds of ice time.
Brandon Saad has terminated his contract and is now an unrestricted free agent.
With Saad coming available, he would bring a pedigree to the Oilers lineup that would be needed to help put them over the top for a Stanley Cup run. The 32 year old veteran winger was drafted in 2011 by the Chicago Blackhawks, second round 43rd overall.
Having played with the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche and the St Louis Blues he would bring a wealth of experience as he has won multiple Stanley cups and has played many NHL playoff games.
Through 906 games played, he has scored 260 goals with 255 assists for 515 points and is a + 37.
Several contending teams will be inquiring about Saad
It's not common for a player of his caliber to be available prior to the trade deadline. Many contending teams including the Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely to be calling his agent as they will be looking to upgrade their third and 4th lines.
It remains to be seen on what kind of contract he could land now that he will be terminated but it's safe to say he will likely land a league minimum deal and could be a nice pickup.
I wouldn't be opposed to adding Saad at close to league minimum for the remainder of the year. You have to think the would be in the mix, given their reported interest in adding a top-9 forward and Bowman's history with the player.
The Oilers are currently on an off day and will be preparing for their next game when their former head coach Todd McClellan and his Detroit Red Wings will be at Rogers place as game time will be at 9:00 PM eastern on January 30th.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 29 | 213 ANSWERS Oilers signing Brandon Saad may force roster move, one player moved out of lineup Should the Oilers sign unrestricted free agent Brandon Saad? | ||
| Yes | 119 | 55.9 % |
| No | 94 | 44.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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