Cash crunch, COVID mean Bear loses some leverage
COVID-19 and the salary cap conspire to hurt Bear's chances for a big payday
Right now, the Edmonton Oilers have US$732,509 in cap space according to Capfriendly, which allows them no wiggle room to sign their top pairing right-side defenceman Ethan Bear to a bridge deal.
Of course, they can eventually put Oscar Klefbom and his wounded shoulder on long-term injury, which gets them an additional $4.16 million to play with for this upcoming NHL season, and teams can also go 10 per cent over the cap until the next season begins. But Bear has no leverage coming out of his three-year, entry-level deal — even if he averaged 21:53 a game in 2019-20 as an Oilers rookie, third behind Klefbom’s 25:29 and Bear’s partner Darnell Nurse’s 23:23 on the back end. Bear had the fourth-highest average ice time on the team if you include centre Leon Draisaitl’s 22:36.
In a normal world, not the flatcap landscape of $81.5 million for the foreseeable future, maybe the Oilers would be trying to lock up Bear at the same dollar figure as Klefbom for six years. But these are tough times, although the Oilers would have only $51 million in committed contracts for ’20-21, but that’s just 11 players.
While Evolving-hockey.com says Bear’s next contract should be about $2.8 million a year, these are COVID times and tight salary caps, so Bear is likely not getting that. If the Oilers are into comparables for Bear, here’s a good one.
Ryan Pulock on Long Island. Coming out of his entry-level deal, Pulock got a two-year bridge deal for $4 million total in 2018: $1.35 million, then $2.65 million in Year 2.
In his last year of entry-level deal, Pulock had 32 points — 21 even-strength — playing 18:24 a game. Bear had 21 points in 2019-2020 — 19 even strength — playing 21:53 a night. Pulock got power play time, Bear did not. Their 5-on-5 points were very close.
Bear figures to be one of the players protected in the Seattle expansion draft in 2021; he is that valuable to the Oilers.
At present, there’s nothing doing on the negotiation front, however.
The Oilers also have to sign restricted free-agent D William Lagesson, who might get a one-year deal in the $800,000 range. He played eight games and on paper would be the logical seventh D, unless the Oilers sign or trade for somebody older with more NHL chops to be a part-timer.
And if you think the Oilers are being squeezed, the Winnipeg Jets have $27,100 in space.
MOVING TO CANADA?
There’s been speculation the Oilers, Flames and Canucks might consider moving their respective AHL farm clubs from Bakersfield and Stockton in California and Utica, N.Y., because of border issues with their prospects, but it’s more smoke than fire at this time.
“We’re in the process of analyzing what will make sense for us in terms of a start date, tentative date is Dec. 4. As far as the three western Canadian teams moving their AHL affiliates to Canada, it’s too early to say but we will remain flexible if border restrictions continue to be in place,” texted AHL president Scott Howson.
ON AUCTION BLOCK
Connor Mcdavid’s game-worn Oilers white jersey when he scored his first NHL goal Oct. 12, 2015, against Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen is up for grabs at Goldin Auctions.
“This is the most significant hockey jersey worn in the last few decades to surface in auction,” says company founder Ken Goldin. “We expect the jersey to sell upwards of $300,000.”
WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK
Ex- Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal, an assistant with the Dallas Stars, hasn’t been back to Texas since the club lost to Tampa in Game 6 of the Cup final.
“Flew to Brandon (Man.) the next morning, so I didn’t have to quarantine coming back. My truck’s still in Dallas. The bubble was a really tough grind. And I was in a hotel room for three weeks of Phase 3 in Dallas before that after I got rid of my apartment there,” said Laxdal.
“No golf for me. I rolled up my sleeves and I’m doing renos on my daughter’s place. We’re kind of homeless, moving from daughter to daughter.”
Laxdal, who was coaching Dallas’s AHL farm team before he came up to the bigs after
Jim Montgomery was let go in January, was sounded out before the Stars just signed his former Oil Kings captain Mark Pysyk to a one-year, $700,000 free-agent deal after his time with Florida. Pysyk’s name was certainly bandied about by the Oilers, too, as a seventh D.
“I can vouch for his character and presence in the room with the Oil Kings after coaching him for a couple of years. He’s an absolute glue guy in a room,” said Laxdal.
“He’s looking to get his career back on track.”
This 'n' that: Edmonton-loaned winger Tyler Benson has five points in five games for GSK Lions, the Swiss farm club of the Zurich Lions. ... Overlooked in free agency, Vegas signing ex- Oiler/bakersfield winger Thomas Jurco to a one-year, $700,000 deal. Jurco, who had hip surgery last season, will likely be playing for former Oilers assistant coach Manny Viveiros on Vegas’s new AHL farm club. ... Oilers farmhand winger Josh Currie got the same two-way deal in Pittsburgh he had in Edmonton, but a guarantee of $350,000 to play in Wilkes-barrie in the AHL after $160,000 in Bakersfield.