Oilers hold talks with Tyson Barrie, Justin Schultz – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are hoping to return to the Stanley Cup Final this season, but this time they are trying to win it instead of finishing second. After losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers have decided to upgrade their roster in hopes of strengthening their roster for the new campaign.

Related: Oilers almost lost Adam Henrique to Canadian rival, report claims

After losing Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Ryan McLeod and Sam Carrick, fans wondered if the Oilers would be able to build such a strong roster for the 2024-25 season, but they did manage to do so. However, with a gap on the right side of the blue line, a recent report suggests they may have been in talks with two free agents, defensemen Tyson Barrie and Justin Schultz, who both previously played for the Oilers.

“The Oilers have had preliminary talks with free agent defensemen Tyson Barrie and Justin Schultz. I don’t know if things have progressed further. But at least Edmonton is considering its options on the right side. As I wrote last week, Barrie loved being an Oiler and would like to come back. I understand Schultz is open to the idea as well. In Schultz’s case, that says a lot about the player as a person. He had a pretty rough ride out of town in his first stop. In retrospect, Schultz was put in a tough spot in terms of who he was paired with at the time, and he paid the price for it.”

source: “Adding Top-4 D to Edmonton Oilers Blue Line, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait: 9 Things” – Edmonton Journal – Kurt Leavins – 01/09/2024

Barrie and Schultz bring completely different skill sets to the table. Barrie is an offensive defender who relies on his production in the offensive zone to stay in the lineup on a daily basis. Schultz, on the other hand, has proven that he can play significant minutes in a larger role while maintaining solid play both ways. For a team that is often criticized for its inability to play a strong defense, it’s no surprise that fans are leaning toward signing Schultz over Barrie, as Evan Bouchard has become a major offensive producer on the blue line.

Barrie and Schultz may opt for PTO

Kurt Leavins mentions in his article that both players are open to the idea of ​​becoming Oilers again, but Barrie seems to be more open to it, as he loved his time in Edmonton during his previous stint. While Edmonton has a little less than $1 million in salary cap space heading into training camp, both Schultz and Barrie could opt to take a professional tryout (PTO) with the Oilers and earn a spot on the roster. It would make sense for them to come to camp, try them out with a few different partners, and see if anything works.

Either way, it seems like the Oilers are keeping their options open when it comes to improving their roster. It should become more obvious in the next few weeks which player they’ll be bringing in. As for their contracts, I’d be surprised if I saw anything more than a one-year deal worth over $850,000. Now that September is finally here, it makes sense that the Oilers will announce their camp plans soon, which will include any PTOs, trades, or signings before things get going. They’ll open up the season on October 9th with a home game against the Winnipeg Jets.