What I’m hearing about the Oilers’ plans 6 weeks from trade deadline day

The feeling around the Edmonton Oilers is they’re in a good place six weeks out from the trade deadline.

That feeling is justified considering they’re 20-6-1 since Nov. 23, a .759 points percentage that ranks tied for first in the NHL. They’ve been the league’s second-best team since an 0-3 start.

So, the Oilers are heading toward the March 7 deadline in a position of strength.

The chief decision-makers are exploring avenues to improve the roster in a few spots while being mindful that the team assembled is pretty, pretty good.

In asking around, the players in the dressing room are sure a couple of tweaks are coming and are welcoming any boost to the lineup. However, there’s a sense of confidence about the group and they believe entering the playoffs healthy and in a good headspace is most important. Besides, they see the fringes of the roster, specifically 603-game veteran Derek Ryan in the minors, and are positive there are safeguards in place in case of injuries.

Changes are coming, though, both internal and external. This is what I’m hearing about them — and what will affect them.

Why Kane’s uncertainty keeps the Oilers in a holding pattern … for now

The Oilers are keeping their options open when it comes to Evander Kane and his potential return.

It’s been barely more than two weeks since he had a knee scope on Jan. 9. He’s got between two and six weeks to go before his rehab is complete from that ailment and he can resume recuperating from the abdominal surgery he underwent in September.

The Oilers don’t need to know, or even need a much better idea, if Kane can play in the regular season until around the end of February or the beginning of March. His availability, and where his $5.125 million cap hit goes, has a significant bearing on how they can operate.

Adding veteran defenceman John Klingberg to mix last week means the Oilers are almost $80,000 into LTIR, per PuckPedia. That’s not a big deal if they had to activate Kane because they could easily remove someone from the roster. For what it’s worth, Noah Philp is the only player exempt from waivers.

The Oilers adding Klingberg with a contract for more than the league minimum and with a signing bonus, which put them into LTIR, was the cost of doing business and securing the player. However, the belief around the organization right now it’s unlikely Kane will play before the postseason.

Should that happen, the Oilers could have a little more than $5 million in cap space to use before the deadline. That’s a sizable amount, although this number represents face value cap hits minus any retentions they can negotiate from trading partners.

The Oilers haven’t been hurt by Kane’s absence in the standings, but the constant uncertainty about his status has created headaches and the potential for second-guessing.

Management spent most of the season before signing Klingberg with a lean roster to accrue as much cap space as possible for pre-deadline use. There’s a good chance those best-laid plans go for naught.

Again, the Oilers are just fine this season. But always planning for Kane’s now potentially unlikely in-season return only adds more fodder to anyone who thinks GM Stan Bowman should have matched at least one of the offer sheets to Dylan Holloway or Philip Broberg.