Free Agency Live Blog ***UPDATED***

Is there anything better than Canada Day and free agency falling on the same day? For some reason, the NHL wanted to keep the two days separate (like spending time with family is important… pfft) but I think it’s a great way to spend the day.  Join me as I live blog the free agency spectacle from an Oiler standpoint. We’ll take a look at rumours going around Twitter, the guys we sign, and the guys we missed out on. Happy Canada Day, Nation!

Depending who you ask, the Oilers need anywhere from 3-5 players. We still don’t have a top pairing d-man, we don’t have a 2nd line C to compliment Lil Nugey, and we still could still use more still veterans to round out the bottom 6. Will MacT be able to fill all those holes as the day goes on? We shall see.

I’m not sure what to expect from free agency for the Oilers.  I’m more than willing to bet that MacT has been calling free agents, but how many of them sign here we shall see.  I just hope that things don’t get stupid.  MacT already signed Nikitin for more than market value, so what would he have to spend on other useful pieces that actually made it to free agency?

One thing to keep in mind is that the salary cap didn’t go up as high as many teams thought it would.  That means there are some teams that will need to shed salary, and possibly some solid players, before the start of the season.  Can the Oilers take advantage of a cap strapped team with a trade? I think they can. I think MacT would be able to get some real value from trades with these teams. It’s a big off season in the Nation, and I’m guessing we’ve only just begun.

When the Oilers sign/trade someone, I’ll be posting the details in the section below. If you see a rumour we miss, feel free to post it in the comments. When someone signs – post it in the comments. Here we go…