{"id":47770,"date":"2019-05-28T10:00:21","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T14:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=47770"},"modified":"2019-05-28T09:26:05","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T13:26:05","slug":"edmonton-oilers-potential-free-agent-signings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/05\/28\/edmonton-oilers-potential-free-agent-signings\/","title":{"rendered":"Edmonton Oilers Potential Free Agent Signings"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Edmonton Oilers<\/a> have a long list of off-season needs to fulfill including potential free agents to go after this summer.\u00a0<\/span>The roster changes officially started last week. General manager Ken Holland<\/a><\/strong> inked highly coveted Swedish free agent Joakim Nyg\u00e5rd<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>The 26-year-old signed a one-year entry-level deal worth a maximum of <\/span>$925,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

This signing appears to address some needs up front, as the Oilers are in desperate need of some speed in their top-nine.\u00a0<\/span>Overall<\/span> this appears to be a low-risk deal, and could potentially turn out better than the Tobias Rieder<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0signing<\/a> a summer ago. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from that, we can expect Holland to continue to retool his roster.\u00a0<\/span>Here is a closer look at the Oilers needs and off-season priorities this summer. Then we look at some potential Oilers free agent signings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Team Needs <\/b><\/h1>\n

Secondary Scorers Upfront\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

One of the most obvious needs is secondary scoring. Despite having Connor McDavid<\/a><\/strong> and Leon Draisaitl<\/a><\/strong> on their roster, Edmonton was ranked 20th<\/a> in \u201cgoals-for\u201d last season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside of McDavid, Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins<\/a><\/strong>, the Oilers had only two other forwards (<\/span>Alex Chiasson<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>Zack Kassian<\/a><\/strong>) who scored more than ten goals last year. The Oilers are very strong down the middle, but as a group, they have one of the weakest collections of wingers in the NHL. This has meant that one of Draisaitl or Nugent-Hopkins has often lined up with McDavid. Getting wingers who can play in the top nine and better utilize the Oilers centre depth to give them three strong lines should be a top priority.<\/span><\/p>\n

Add a Puck-Moving Defenceman in the Top Four<\/b><\/h2>\n

Another need is a puck-moving defenceman that can play heavy minutes in the top-two pairings.\u00a0<\/span>The Oilers have been trying to find one for a while but nothing has come into fruition. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although, many people feel that\u00a0Evan Bouchard<\/a><\/strong> has the potential to become their number one defenceman. It is uncertain if the Oilers want to rush him into that role as early as next season. <\/span><\/p>\n

From what we have seen, the Oilers tried to push Oscar Klefbom<\/a><\/strong> and Adam Larsson<\/a><\/strong> in the number one pairing role but it didn’t yield optimal results.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, the Oilers might need to look for improvements through the free-agent market. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is a look at a few potential free agent targets that might be on the Oilers wish list.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gustav Nyquist Could Help<\/strong><\/h2>\n