STILL-INJURED ANDREW FERENCE CAN’T BE BOUGHT OUT BY OILERS
If the Edmonton Oilers were thinking of buying out Andrew Ference with the two-week window starting Wednesday, it’s a non-starter because the 37-year-old defenceman hasn’t been cleared medically after hip surgery in early March.
Injured players can’t be bought out as per the collective bargaining agreement, so the Oilers won’t be buying out the last year of his four-year deal during the June 15-30 window, which would be two-thirds of his $3.25 million salary and cap hit or $2.166 million spread out over two seasons.
On his @fernuckle Twitter page, it was noted that Ference, who played just six games last season as an eighth defenceman on the roster, had cycled 70 km a few days ago, but there’s a difference between riding a bike on the road and being medically green-lighted to play, said his agent Kurt Overhardt.
“He’s not cleared to play ice hockey and a cartilage repair takes a long time,” said Overhardt. “He’s nowhere near being cleared, so it’s not even an issue. If you are hurt, you’re hurt.
“He has to be able to run, he has to be able to skate.”
Ference has played a hardpounding 907 NHL regularseason games and another 120 in the playoffs, including Cup title in Boston in 2011. As the 208th player taken in the 1997 draft after playing for the Portland Winterhawks, the defenceman long ago exceeded everybody’s expectations, and his body looked worn out last season.
“When you play as long as he does, it’s not uncommon to have a labrum injury and players play on it and play on it and what happens is you get a bone spur that keeps ripping through the cartilage,” said Overhardt.
“He played and let the cartilage get ripped and ripped. It’s almost chronic. If it was a simple labrum tear it would be much easier and quicker to repair.”
Ference likely doesn’t want to be an extra part again this season — he played over 21 minutes a night in his first Oilers season, then 18 in Year 2 but only averaged 13 minutes this past season — but the Oilers and the player will cross that bridge months down the road. He could decide to retire rather than sit in the press box.
He was the team captain his first two seasons but he gave up the C this season and wore an A, when he played. They had Oscar Klefbom, Andrej Sekera, Justin Schultz, Mark Fayne, Darnell Nurse, Brandon Davidson and Eric Gryba ahead of him, at least for the first few months until Klefbom got hurt and missed the last four months.
Ference has lots going on away from the rink. He earned his certificate in corporate sustainability from the Harvard Extension School three weeks ago and is a partner with Fifth Seed Ventures, a company that provides seed money for investors in environmentally conscious startups. He’s been very involved in Full Cycle Bioplastics that converts organic waste into biodegradable plastics.
Ference has certainly prepared himself for retirement if he goes that route.
The Harvard Extension School website quoted Ference as saying “while there is some trepidation in leaving hockey … it’s much like graduation. My classes have helped prepare me for the real world.”
The other possible buyout is Fayne, but he has two years left at $3.5 million per season, not one year like Ference, so that’s unlikely.
The Oilers have been trying to trade Fayne for some time, however. He’ll be available for an expansion draft when Las Vegas picks for its Pacific Division team next summer. On the bench: Oilers amateur scout Kelly Buchberger, who was on Craig MacTavish’s coaching staff for years, remains a candidate for the Kelowna Rockets junior job. With former Dallas Stars defenceman Richard Matvichuk landing the Prince George Cougars gig and former NHL assistants Tim Hunter (Moose Jaw) and Mark Lamb (Swift Current) in the league, Buchberger could well wind up in Kelowna … Lest we forget, Connor McDavid will be in Vegas for the NHL awards show June 22 to try to become the first Oiler to win rookie of the year. Chicago winger Artemi Panarin, McDavid and Philly defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere are the three finalists out for the Calder. … The Oilers’ fall exhibition schedule is out and here are the home games at Rogers Place: Sept. 26 split-squad vs. Calgary; Oct. 4 (Anaheim); Oct. 6 (Winnipeg); Oct. 8 (Vancouver). They’ll have a split-squad game vs. the Flames at the Saddledome on Sept. 26, and road games in Vancouver (Sept. 28), Winnipeg (Sept. 30) and Lumby, B.C., against Los Angeles Kings as Kraft Hockeyville on Oct. 2. With the World Cup and exhibitions not ending until Oct. 8, it’s expected the regularseason won’t start until Oct. 13 at the earliest. … No surprise the Oilers didn’t sign junior goalie Keven Bouchard, their last pick in 2013. He goes back into the draft pool in Buffalo. Bouchard played better (2.79 GAA, .909 save percentage) in 17 playoff games for Moncton this spring than his regular season but he didn’t progress enough. … Swedish goalie Niklas Lundstrom, a farm-team disappointment after the Oilers acquired him from the Blues in the Anders Nilsson deal, has signed with a lower-rung Swedish team.