Canucks could play key role in helping Oilers navigate complex offer sheet situation

The Edmonton Oilers are two days away from a huge decision regarding Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, both of whom received offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues.

Thanks the the Blues, the situation for the Oilers is now way more complicated, and they have a tough decision ahead, where they need to decide whether to keep these talented players, or send them somewhere else.

With every passing day, the chances of Broberg leaving the Oilers for someone else are getting stronger. Multiple reports say that Broberg is apparently fed up, and the possibility of him mending his relationship with the Oilers isn't possible.

Thanks to Johnson, the Oilers could have a scenario that makes it so they can keep both Broberg and Holloway. This involves placing Evander Kane, who is less than stellar, on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) to kick off the 2024-25 season and trading either Cody Ceci or Brett Kulak. This approach could help the Oilers clear the $7,225,541 deficit on their salary cap, though it's far from simple.

While this is an appealing scenario, Kane's LTIR status is merely a temporary solution, and almost everyone is sure that teams are gonna want a lot for a trade involving Ceci and Kulak.

Throughout this insanely complex situation, a new scenario has come to light, thanks to The Province's Patrick Johnston, who suggested a trade that might benefit both the Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. The proposed trade involves sending Brett Kulak to the Canucks in exchange for fellow defenseman Tucker Poolman.

For Edmonton, this trade could be good as Poolman has one year left on his $2.5 million contract, and he was on LTIR throughout the previous season due to ongoing migraine issues. He's expected to stay on LTIR for the entire 2024-25 campaign, which would offer the Oilers some much-needed cap relief.

On the flip side, the Canucks would acquire Kulak, who has two years remaining on his contract with an Annual Average Value (AAV) of $2.75 million. This is insanely good for the Canucks, where they can retain they're defensive progress with Kulak.

Johnston's suggestion favors Kulak over Ceci due to the former's slightly lower AAV and the added year on his contract, which offers more stability. Kulak's connection to Vancouver, having played for the WHL's Vancouver Giants from 2010-14, could also play a role in the Canucks' interest.

It's no secret that Kulak is a more than solid defenseman.

Johnston thinks that there is a strong chance that the Oilers may need more for this trade to happen, and it's not out of the cards that they request more from the Canucks to sweeten their part of the deal.

However, this trade scenario could be more appealing for Edmonton than sacrificing Kulak or Ceci alongside a high draft pick just to navigate their cap crunch.

The coming days will reveal whether the Oilers take this path, but as it stands, this trade proposal presents a potential win-win for both teams, allowing Edmonton to maneuver their challenging cap situation while giving Vancouver a reliable addition to their blue line.

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