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The Edmonton Oilers signed 12 free agents today, which may force them to trade out a pair of regular roster players: Evander Kane and Cody Ceci.
The signings may force some players out of town due to too much depth at the position. As of now, insiders say at least two of Evander Kane, Cody Ceci, and Brett Kulak will be moved off the roster in a trade.
After today's signings, the Oilers have just $1.35M left of salary cap space, and also need to sign RFAs Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. With surplus depth now at both forward and defence, the Oilers could better spend Kane's $5.125M and Ceci's $3.25M in salary.
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Cody Ceci has been a subpar defenceman on a cup-caliber team for too long, and reports are surfacing lately of a rift between Evander Kane and Oilers management.
According to Elliotte Friedman today, Kane is becoming soured with Oilers management due to their handling of his injury in the playoffs. Kane has a no-move clause, but if he's become unhappy in Edmonton and the Oilers have effectively replaced him in free agency, he may request a trade. It had long been reported last season that Kane was unhappy with his ice time, and with these signings, his ice time will likely decrease even more.
Signing Jeff Skinner and Victor Arvidsson has turned Edmonton's league-best offence into force to truly be feared, but their defence could still use an improvement. If the Oilers can clear Kane and Ceci off the books, they would have space to re-sign their RFAs and target a significant addition to the top four on defence. With just one upgrade now, the Oilers roster is looking more complete than ever before.
The Oilers were already knocking on the door of a Stanley Cup, and after today's moves they could be considered the favourite to win it all next season. Without a General Manager at the helm, new President Jeff Jackson guided the team through their best free agency in recent memory. Oilers fans have plenty of reason to be positive about next season after today's incredible additions.
