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Opinion
Ken Holland is making moves up in Edmonton that fans of the team should be excited about.
There have been rumours of higher level talent being linked to the Oilers this off-season, and to pull off some of those moves, they will want more cap space to work with.
The buyout window has just opened in the NHL, so get ready to say goodbye to these two players on the current Edmonton roster. For more information about the NHL buyout rules, check here.
James Neal
This veteran is not the player he once was, and with the game getting faster, it’s hard for Neal to keep up much longer.
He was already in a reduced role this season with the Edmonton Oilers, losing his spot on the top power-play unit when he was in the line-up.
Since James Neal’s contract has two years left at US$5.75 million (A$7.68 million), that would cost the Oilers just under US$1.9 million (A$2.54 million) for four seasons.
This would free up a roster spot and an extra US$3.85 million (A$5.14 million) for them to work with over the next couple of seasons.
Mikko Koskinen
There have been rumours of a buyout coming for Mikko Koskinen for a while now with how he has underperformed for the money he’s earning and the back-up role he is in for Edmonton.
A buyout for the ageing goalie won’t be too much of a burden on the team as Koskinen only has one year left on his contract at US$4.5 million (A$6.01 million).
The Oilers expect to bring Mike Smith back on a short-term deal and hope to trade for or sign a potential goalie for the future, so Koskinen just doesn’t fit in.
Edmonton has waited Koskinen’s contract out well so that they will only have to pay him US$1.5 million (A$2.00 million) over two seasons if they buy him out now.
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