According to their official Twitter, the Oilers have dealt forward Greg Chase to the Florida Panthers in exchange for future considerations. Chase, a local player from Sherwood park, was a seventh-round pick back in 2013 and has 17 points in 17 games with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL.
The purpose of this trade for the Oilers was dumping one of their professional contracts. With Chase in the Panthers organization, the Oilers have 48 players under contract. If Nathan Walker is selected on waivers, they’ll be down to 47, giving them plenty of room to make trades.
The Oilers, as we know, have quite a bit of cap space to work with. Peter Chiarelli’s plan this summer was to roll into the season and give opportunities to players already in the organization — Drake Caggiula, JJ Khaira, Anton Slepyshev, and Matt Benning — to take on a bigger role. But with the team sitting 15th in the Western Conference, we could see Chiarelli pull the trigger on a rental acquisition sooner rather than later.
Also, according to the Bakersfield Condors Twitter, the organization has loaned defenceman Mark Fayne to the Springfield Falcons. The Oilers are still on the hook for his contract and buried cap hit (which expires at the end of this season), but he won’t be filling up a roster spot on their AHL team. Fayne has only played six games for the Condors this season as the organization has clearly prioritized giving ice time to players like Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, and Dillon Simpson who could have a future with the team.
Feels like something’s about to happen. A bit scary considering Chiarelli’s recent trade record, but exciting if it means the team will get help for the playoff drive.
Peter Chiarelli, ready to pull the trigger. Last time he had a press conference he was talking about paper cuts. LOL
brilliant managing!! Boston wants him back
Grammar police here. Peter is a proper noun (third paragraph).
GO AHEAD AND TRASH ME!
Thanks mom!
Less contracts on the 50-man roster the better. Gives us more wiggle room if we go for a winger at the deadline.
Not a bad decision. Gives Chase a fresh start with another organization, who may actually play him in the AHL this year. Best of luck to him.
I wonder if Florida agreed to this to try out Fayne before they trade for him for futures. A guy can dream can’t he.
There is an endgame here somewhere…we just cleared 2 roster spots if walker gets claimed. What are we after? Trade coming. Otherwise why wave walker today? Something is brewing for sure. No way do these moves happen and all so quickly with no further action. Ottawa? Boston? Am I missing something?
Ottawa.
I feel a trade coming down
Outstanding job Chia, just crushing it with these trades!
Chia does better trades than you post comments. Let that sink in…
Stats policy here. The Oilers sit 14th in the Western Conference, not 15th.
GO AHEAD AND TRASH ME!
Spelling police here…
GO AHEAD AND TRASH ME!
No the Seattle expansion team is ahead of them
Ignore Hoffman, get Ristolainen
Both?
Unlikely to get both. Ottawa and Buffalo would most likely want the same players/picks. The only guys I would not trade are McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse and Talbot. I’m not fond of trading Nuge either but after that everything is liquid. We’ve needed an A1 defenseman for 12 years. We’ve only needed a top six winger for 3 months.
Why in gods name would buffalo give up ristolainen, they need more defense not less
Botterill openly said that everyone on Buffalo’s roster is available except Eichel. Thus, Ritsolainen. I have no problem including Yamamoto in a trade for him instead of Hoffman.
Had hopes for Chase turning out. Seemed like he might have been a diamond in the rough from the 7th round.
We now have the contracts down. Are we finally going to use all the cap space that is available?
On the face of it , the moves the Oil made today are at best penny-ante in nature. It has taken forever to undo or outlive the gross incompetence of McTavish et al. I hope the potential of dropping to 47 contracts means Chiarelli is looking to bring a top six forward to the Oil sooner than later. There is still a huge shortage of talent in their minor system. I just hope the GM doesn’t squander any more high draft picks. Short term moves seldom pay off.