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Edmonton Oilers Likely to Start the Season With Extra Cap Space: Penguins Could Capitalize
The Oilers appear primed to start next season with a lot more cap space than initially thought, and this could actually benefit the Penguins in a specific way.
Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman is still recovering after he suffered a broken wrist in Game 4 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final series against the Dallas Stars.
Hyman, recently making his presence known at his yearly charity golf tournament, was using the support of a wrist brace and confirmed to the media in attendance that he's still recovering after he underwent surgery a few weeks ago to fix this issue.
Hyman was unable to provide an official return time frame, which really had Oilers fans worried, as the last thing they need is to start next season without one of their best players.
"I don't even know what the timeline is, to be honest, but that's definitely not out of the question," Hyman said. "I haven't set a date or anything like that. I've dealt with it with the ACL. Once you set a date, you get disappointed if you don't play on that date. So I hope to play on opening night. I don't know if I will."
The Oilers could look to veteran replacements for Hyman
Should Hyman miss time and have to be placed on LTIR, the Oilers can think about using the additional cap space they will gain by acquiring some depth to make up for his loss, and the Pittsburgh Penguins would most definitely be the ideal trade partner for the Oilers.
There has been a ton of speculation that the Penguins will move a veteran player such as Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson, or even goaltender Tristan Jarry.
There is a good chance that at least one of these players interests the Oilers, particularly Rakell, to replace Hyman's lost offense.
With the possibility of having some extra cap space, the Oilers can look to add a veteran piece. It can be short-term in replacing Hyman or a long-term roster addition, but it can happen between the Oilers and Pittsburgh in the coming weeks.
Fans of both teams will definitely keep their eyes and ears peeled as to what rumors continue to surface, as the next little while is expected to be quite an entertaining ride.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 7 | 81 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers Likely to Start the Season With Extra Cap Space: Penguins Could Capitalize Should the Penguins trade a veteran player to the Oilers to make up for Zach Hyman's injury? | ||
| Yes | 47 | 58 % |
| No | 34 | 42 % |
| List of polls | ||