Edmonton Oilers could bring in Top 6 forward, but why do it just now?

There are still some Top 6 free agent wingers on the market, even as the New Jersey Devils just signed up the most enticing one, Anthony Mantha, with a two year deal $4.75 million per year. The 6-foot, 5-inch Mantha, 31, scored 33 goals last year for Pittsburgh, but zero goals in six playoff games. [...]

There are still some Top 6 free agent wingers on the market, even as the New Jersey Devils just signed up the most enticing one, Anthony Mantha, with a two year deal $4.75 million per year. The 6-foot, 5-inch Mantha, 31, scored 33 goals last year for Pittsburgh, but zero goals in six playoff games. In 20 playoff games overall, Mantha has zero goals.

Remind you of anyone? In 69 games for the Oilers last year, Jack Roslovic scored 21 goals. But he got zero goals in six playoff games.

In 53 playoff games overall, Roslovic has three playoff goals. There are other Top 6 winger candidates available on the market right now, including: Marcus Johansson, 35, who had 49 points for the Wild in 75 games last year; Vladimir Tarasenko, 34, who had 23 goals for the Wild in 75 games; Eeili Tolvanen, 27, who had 36 points in 78 games for the Kraken and is one season removed from scoring 23 goals; and Michael Bunting, 33, 33 points in 74 games. There’s even Patrick Kane, 37 now, with 57 points in 67 games for Detroit.

Kane is an old Blackhawk, just the kind of player Oilers GM Stan Bowman likes to collect, but it’s doubtful Kane would want to come to Western Canada. Edmonton insider Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now, the team’s Master of Whispers, had engaged in speculation that maybe Mantha could be enticed to Edmonton later this summer or in the fall on a bargain contract, but not to be. When it came right down to it, though, Stauffer felt the Oilers would not be making another massive move this summer, nothing along the lines of bringing in a No. 1 goalie, Top 4 d-man or Top 6 forwards.

“Here’s what I think is going to happen,” he said early last week. “I don’t think Edmonton is going to be a team playing right up to the cap. I think in a perfect world, they have $2 or $3 million in cap space, maybe more, and potentially accrue during the course of the year.

Now, you’re talking about adding a $6, $7, $8 million player by the deadline. I believe that is what the Oilers ultimately are going to end up doing here, okay? Take it for what it’s worth.

Doesn’t mean I’m going to be right.” He mentioned there might be a trade, with Edmonton maybe moving out a d-man for a forward. “I think Edmonton is only looking for like a million or a $2 million player.”

My take 1. If the Oilers plan is to keep their $4.7 million in cap space and wait to see how things develop, I approve. In fact, Edmonton has no idea right now where it’s most pressing need is going to be this playoff season.

If there’s an injury to a key player, that major need could be at any position. If there’s a major disappointment, it could be at any position. 2. It could also be that a key veteran like Mattias Ekholm, Zach Hyman or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will suddenly look old and play poorly.

Or a young player like Matt Savoie, Ike Howard or Josh Samanski will suddenly take off. And who knows how good either Jake Walman or Ryan Shea are going to be, let alone any of the three main goalies, Fredrick Andersen, Devon Levi or Tristan Jarry? I suspect both Walman and Shea will play well, as will at least one of the three goalies, but who knows?

No one knows. 3. In the end, Edmonton may need to make multiple moves.

Or it may not really have a pressing need anywhere on the roster. It’s all an unknown. The good news is that Edmonton will have the cap space to address a need and won’t be forced into a trade where they have to move out a useful player just to make the cap situation work.

That’s what happened last season when Edmonton had to dump Brett Kulak’s salary in order to make the Jarry trade work. 4. All that said, I’m not against Edmonton bringing in any player on a contract that doesn’t count against the cap if it’s buried in the American Hockey League. Salaries up to $1,225,000 can be buried in this way.

Would former Oilers Evander Kane or John Klingberg be willing to come back on such deals? I still think Edmonton could use Kane’s nasty aggression, at least if Kane were willing to play a fourth line role with no complaints. And Klingberg can still move the puck.