Veteran Oilers forward may be forced off the roster to get under salary cap

The Oilers freed up some salary cap space yesterday after trading Cody Ceci, and are expected to place Evander Kane on the LTIR after an upcoming surgery. According to PuckPedia, the Oilers would still need more salary cap space, which they could obtain by sending Connor Brown, Derek Ryan, or Ty Emberson down to the AHL.

Emberson is a quality young defender with a history of success with Kris Knoblauch in the AHL, and it's likely he'll see some time with the NHL roster this year. On the other hand, the Oilers have a significant surplus of depth forwards, and it would make much more sense to send one down - likely the 37 year old Derek Ryan.

It would be tough to see a fan favourite veteran depart the team on the cusp of a Stanley Cup, but the Oilers need to ice the best roster possible. Ryan has played the last three seasons with the Oilers as a gritty and reliable fourth line center, but if the Oilers can improve their team, they must do it.

According to Mark Spector, the Oilers front office are expected to make an announcement this afternoon regarding the offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. Their decisions with the two RFA offer sheets will dictate the rest of their moves, and potentially if they need to send down a veteran player to the minors for the year.

Source for all salary info: PuckPedia - Edmonton Oilers