The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the strongest teams in the NHL this season as they try to get back to the Stanley Cup Final this season, looking for retribution after losing out on their first championship since 1990 to the Florida Panthers last season. In this edition of the Oilers’ News & Rumours column, we take a look at Derek Ryan being sent to the American Hockey League (AHL), the team’s interest in continuing to gauge the trade market for defensive depth, and the fallout of the suspension to forward Connor McDavid.
Derek Ryan Placed On Waivers, Clears Them
The Oilers announced that they had placed veteran forward Derek Ryan on waivers on Sunday (Jan. 19), while also loaning defender Josh Brown to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. It is expected that Ryan will remain in the AHL for the remainder of the season after he went unclaimed, making room for youngster Noah Philp to remain on the team for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign.
Ryan, who is 38 years old, had one goal and four assists for five points through 33 games with the Oilers this season. He has played 603 games in the NHL scoring 82 goals and adding 126 assists for 208 points which comes out to a 0.34 points-per-game average. Previously, he spent time with both the Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames before joining the Oilers in the 2021-22 season. This may be the final season of Ryan’s hockey career, and it seems as though he will complete his career with the Condors after struggling out of the gates this season. He is still strong as a depth centreman so if he is interested in continuing to play next season, a team may give him a chance. He becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2024-25 campaign.
Oilers Continue to Gauge Defensive Trade Market
In a recent segment on TSN, it was revealed that the Oilers could still look to add another defender despite already adding John Klingberg for the remainder of the season. While the team doesn’t seem interested in spending a to to bolster their blue line, it seems they’re interested in acquiring a depth player who has a strong ability to defend, rather than a puck-moving defender like Evan Bouchard or Klingberg.
Related: Oilers Should Avoid Targeting Blackhawks’ Seth Jones
Insider Pierre Lebrun said, “I don’t think it’s going to be terribly sexy, that depends on injuries and how things play out between now and March…
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